Ch.207Chapter 8. A Toast to Your Patriotism (8)

“Split into two?!”

The dean fainted in shock at the sight of the Goblin.

“H-how is that even possible?! Is it a doppelgänger?!”

“I suppose so.”

Baek Seol-hee bit her lower lip as she watched the Goblin split into black and white.

The black Goblin and white Goblin looked identical.

They both held their halved swords hanging at their sides, and both had the same green glowing visors.

The only difference was that the black one felt like the “real” one, while the white one definitely felt like a “clone.”

Other than that intuitive feeling, they were so identical that it was confusing.

“Has the Goblin ever used this technique before…?”

No, he hadn’t.

To begin with, there were very few people who could use doppelgänger techniques at all.

Even Baek Seol-hee herself could somehow create a clone using magical power if asked, but creating such an intricate twin-like clone as this would be impossible.

“Ah, ahhh…!”

Before she could think further, Nadeshiko beside her let out an ecstatic gasp, her face flushing red.

“Two Goblins…! Haah, haah, spending joyful world peace time with two Goblins…!”

“……”

Ah, I see.

That’s definitely not normal.

Baek Seol-hee lightly ignored Nadeshiko and rechecked the ice wall she had installed around the arena.

It wouldn’t collapse.

No matter what impact occurred inside, this ice wall would absolutely protect the spectators.

“Woooah!! Goblin!! A doppelgänger, that’s amazing!”

“Taking on Yeo Bong-seon and Hayabusa at the same time, that’s insane!”

“Dual swords is the way to go! Keuuu, black and white, a Goblin made of yin and yang! That’s our Goblin! Thrilling! Always fresh!”

…If there had been no spectators, she probably wouldn’t have needed to focus on maintaining such a powerful ice wall and could have watched the Goblin’s battle more attentively.

“A doppelgänger…”

If she could observe more closely how the Goblin created his clone, watching from a distance to awaken that sense, perhaps she could create a doppelgänger herself.

She should consult with him later.

Baek Seol-hee mentally noted to make an appointment later, while simultaneously swallowing and placing her hand on the ice wall.

For the Goblin’s victory.

Preferably, defeating both the demon from China and the perpetrator from Japan at once.

And.

If possible, without killing them.

[I’m in a sentimental mood today.]

“…Heh.”

Baek Seol-hee couldn’t help but smile at the Goblin’s words from the arena.

Yes.

On days when he says things like that, the Goblin doesn’t kill people.

Whatever the reason might be, Baek Seol-hee was certain.

That the Goblin.

Would defeat the two S-class opponents.

* * *

Unity release.

Why hide it?

Of course, the black Goblin is me, and the white Goblin is Taowu.

We simply temporarily released our unity, to each take on one opponent.

[You’re like a clueless high school girl who doesn’t know when to butt in or back off. Let’s see who the real rider is.]

“You bastard!!”

Taowu provoked Hayabusa as he ran to the side and swung his sword.

Clang, clang, clang!

‘Impressive.’

Unlike the Goblin’s usual fighting style, even I was amazed by the flashy swordplay that mixed technique and skill.

A specialist in swordsmanship.

Even in this age of superpowers, where most cold weapon skills have become obsolete, the battle between the two swordsmen, Taowu and Hayabusa, made everyone’s hearts race.

Of course, I can’t fight like that.

The Goblin uses a club, not a sword.

Still, I can use a sword minimally.

Not as well as the white Goblin who fights like he’s in an action movie, but I can use a sword to defeat opponents.

“Where are you looking! I am your opponent!!”

Whoosh.

I block the Sky-Piercing Flame Halberd swung at me with my sword.

“What?!”

[Just because we’ve split doesn’t mean we’re weaker.]

That’s right.

Taowu fights his way and I fight my way, so we’re weaker than when unified.

But if Taowu fights his way and I fight my way, we can each exert our full strength.

Taowu has the inconvenience of being in the Goblin’s form, and I have the inconvenience of holding a sword instead of a Goblin club, but.

Class is eternal.

[Explode.]

“Argggh!”

The tip of my black sword aimed at Yeo Bong-seon caused a green explosion.

“Y-you bastard!”

[Even if you’ve become a demon, what you can’t beat, you can’t beat.]

Boom, bang.

I pressured Yeo Bong-seon by exploding Taowu’s magical power remaining in my body, and gradually the green magical power disappeared as my own magical power began to return.

[I’ll finish this in one go.]

I released the magical power solidified in my sword, then gathered it again and concentrated it at the tips of my feet.

“N-no way, a Rider Kick…!”

Yeo Bong-seon immediately realized what technique I was about to use as magical power strongly gathered in one leg, and he began to gather his own magical power.

“Uoooh!!”

Yeo Bong-seon’s body began to grow even larger.

Seeing him use his demonic power to increase his size, he seemed to have completely lost his reason.

[Size is good, but bigger isn’t always better.]

Rather than fighting more efficiently and effectively, he seemed obsessed with the idea that he needed to wield power as strongly as possible.

That was probably largely influenced by the giant Sephiroth soldier that my other self, the “Dark Charisma,” had shown.

[I’ll definitely shatter that perception.]

I lowered my stance further.

Moving my arms in a circular motion downward, I concentrated all my magical power on the tip of my right foot that I had stepped forward, waiting for the right timing.

BOOM!

On the other side, Taowu’s sword deflected Hayabusa’s blade, sending him crashing into the ice wall.

While I was contemplating how to take down Yeo Bong-seon, Taowu had already subdued Hayabusa, and now all that remained was for me to defeat Yeo Bong-seon.

Killing would be easy.

But I don’t want to worry Ymir, who might jump out from somewhere in case of an emergency.

Therefore.

‘If being purified means becoming impotent anyway, if breaking it turns a demon back into a human, that should be fine.’

If Ymir’s method is chemical demon removal, mine is physical demon removal.

3, 2, 1.

As soon as the countdown from the belt ended, I rushed forward.

“It’s useless! Uwaaaaa!!”

Yeo Bong-seon swung his Sky-Piercing Flame Halberd high above his head, creating wind around him.

Just as I had blocked his magic bullets with green wind, he spun his halberd to raise dust and block my approach.

“The Battle God will not fall!!”

[We’ll see about that.]

Just before hitting the dust cloud, I slid down as if sliding.

Yeo Bong-seon’s expression hardened, not expecting me to burrow underneath rather than jumping up, and I adjusted my posture like doing a windmill between his legs.

With one hand on the ground.

Normally I would aim for the chin, but this time I was targeting the source of the demon cells that Yeo Bong-seon possessed.

The demon seed storage.

[Heavenly Palace Kick.]

With one hand on the ground, I kicked upward with my right foot imbued with magical power.

Simultaneously, I created an explosion with the hand on the ground to propel myself upward like a rocket, rising vertically.

If I had to name it, I’d call it something like a vertical rocket kick, but that wouldn’t suit the Goblin.

[Sky Splitter.]

[Gigant Slasher!!]

BOOM!!

The kick I delivered upward into Yeo Bong-seon caused a massive explosion.

I jumped far back with the blast wave, spinning my body as I soared into the air.

“—————”

Indescribable pain crossed Yeo Bong-seon’s face.

Even as a demon, a weak spot is still a weak spot.

Rather, because he became a demon, if my hypothesis is correct, I had precisely struck where the demon cells were concentrated.

“You—”

[Ray Huang.]

Calling not the demon Yeo Bong-seon, but Ray Huang’s name.

[Come back stronger.]

“…!”

I awakened his consciousness one last time.

I awakened the mind of the man who had made it to the finals, not the one who had shaken his brain by shooting magic bullets into his head to become stronger, not the one who had made Yeo Bong-seon his identity to fight.

“That’s right, I…”

THUD!

Yeo Bong-seon fell backward.

The 5-meter tall body fell flat on its back, raising dust, and I landed lightly in a proper stance, dusting off my hands.

Hisssss.

The purple giant that was Yeo Bong-seon gradually dispersed like mist.

The demonic being scattered as if its existence was being erased, and where Yeo Bong-seon’s chest had been, a man lay sprawled out.

Ray Huang.

Though he had become a demon, there was no trace of the demon left in him.

But his hair had turned completely white, and no magical power remained.

Zenros.

‘Did it work?’

I had turned him into a Zenros.

As expected, physically destroying the source of the demon returned the demon to human form.

If I think about why something that was impossible before is now possible, it’s probably because I met Ymir.

Perhaps it’s because of Ymir’s influence.

A miracle that occurred because I was convinced I could turn a demon back into a human-

[Ah.]

As the dust settled.

Ray Huang’s entire body was revealed.

He was lying spread-eagle with his eyes closed.

His suit had completely disappeared.

His clothing too.

Naked without a single thread, he was unconscious.

[…….]

Just.

On top of two shrunken supports, his Sky-Piercing Flame Halberd stood tall pointing to the sky.

[Truly Lü Bu.]

Well.

At least I’ve dealt with the demon.