Ch.300Storm (8)

The death of a star was the most powerful means Llewellyn knew.

No other method could compare in terms of raw firepower, and the reason was clear.

It contained a destructive force that people of this land, whose scientific knowledge barely exceeded medieval levels, couldn’t even imagine—a power capable of destroying the world.

The intense heat of nuclear fission or fusion. Death spewed forth in an instant with temperatures exceeding that of the sun.

That was what occurred with Llewellyn at its center.

Carrying the flames of a star within his body, wrapping the star’s heart around himself, he directed that flame outward.

Though the principles might differ somewhat, the theory of what could be simply described as a magical nuclear bomb flowed through Llewellyn’s mind.

Traces left by Lucilla’s trial and error. Following the sparking fizz, divinity transformed purely into destructive power.

An enormous amount of divinity rapidly left his body.

The divinity that escaped took the form of magical power, and this transformed divinity immediately changed further.

Into flames imbued with the obsession that the world could burn—or rather, that he would find what he sought even if it meant burning the world.

These flames of magical power and divinity clung to each other, transforming into heavier, more intense flames. This process repeated, causing the firepower to increase exponentially.

Until finally, amid flying sparks, a suppressed explosion took form.

A thunderous boom echoed. The deafening sound pushed outward by the intense explosion.

The contractors and avatars who had just been approaching Llewellyn froze, then melted away before they could even register the flames engulfing them.

Regenerative abilities, exoskeletons, skin—everything melted into ashen liquid as flames erupted outward.

The soldiers fighting at the pantheon looked up at the sky.

It was as if a second sun had risen.

The displaced air created a storm, and the sound waves reached the ground, evaporating all other sounds.

KWAAAAAAANG!

The explosive sound cut off abruptly. The crater of flames still flickered brightly.

Within it, Llewellyn moved.

Wrapped in flames, he lunged forward. As avatars and contractors melted upon contact with his directional flames, Llewellyn reached out toward the bodies of avatars that still remained intact.

There was no sound. In the overwhelming explosion, sound had long lost its meaning.

The same went for vision. The intense crater of flames stole all light, leaving nothing visible.

All that remained was the divinity extended by the God of Dreams, and touch.

With these two, Llewellyn extended his fist and swung his leg.

With these, he accelerated the collapse of massive bodies that were already crumbling from the flames.

He kicked and pummeled. He couldn’t summon the star cluster. The star cluster wasn’t something that could withstand this level of firepower.

Only the armor covering Llewellyn’s body and his physical form could endure it. Gritting his teeth, Llewellyn pressed forward.

Enemies still remained. Despite unleashing firepower never before seen on this earth, perhaps due to the increased output as they neared the sky.

The bodies of contractors and avatars hadn’t completely collapsed.

So Llewellyn moved aggressively.

He dove in to kick them, then struck repeatedly without pause to bring them down.

Only after confirming their forms had distorted did he move on.

Elbows, fists, knee strikes and kicks.

He continued his attacks on everything still maintaining its form. From the ground, it appeared as a shadow moving freely through the massive crater of flames.

The assault continued until the flames subsided.

Violence emanating from within the purest flames. The overwhelming violence of a divine being intent solely on killing its enemies.

The magical power amplified to draw out the death of a star combined with the instantaneous acceleration caused by that magical power.

Though no sound could be heard, Llewellyn’s substantial body was moving beyond the speed of sound.

KUOOOOOOOOOOO!

The air howled in the swirling void. Torn space scattered in all directions like spray, and the flames gradually receded.

KUGUGUGUGUGU…!

Regeneration, ignition—a truly supreme power that overwhelmed everything.

As the flames subsided and ashes settled, only one figure remained standing.

Llewellyn, gasping for breath, pressing his right hand against his chest as if trying to suppress his violently beating heart.

His eyes were fixed straight ahead.

At the thing that wouldn’t collapse no matter how much he kicked and struck it.

The avatar of “Father.”

A transcendent being who had already experienced the “death of a star” through Nerilmeius.

The underwater temple was reduced to mere foundations, and the dwelling place where the three tribes had lived for ages was now nearly an empty lot.

The power source was already lost. The descent began. The sky was slowly but surely passing by rapidly.

In the midst of this, Llewellyn locked eyes with something emerging from the massive body of the avatar.

Despite preparation, it couldn’t withstand it completely. Entities that could remain unscathed after facing the death of a star were rare.

Even a transcendent being had lost an arm simply for containing that firepower within a sword.

The death of a star could reach even transcendent beings. Everyone knew this well.

Therefore, despite preparation, it couldn’t be said to be completely unharmed.

Using the massive body as a shield, it maintained minimal functionality by joining the remaining body parts.

Maximizing transcendence in the remaining flesh. Pulsating throughout its body, taking one step at a time, it was…

“…Hah.”

It resembled Llewellyn.

Though it had no face and was essentially no different from a doll.

Its intention was obvious. Except for the death it wore on its body, its form was undeniably Llewellyn’s.

The size of the forearms, the thickness of the waist, the length of the neck, and the thickness of the trapezius muscles.

Everything mimicked Llewellyn. In the gradually falling fortress, Llewellyn cracked his neck from side to side.

The avatar approached. Llewellyn walked straight toward it.

The water’s surface was gradually approaching. Though a crash was clearly waiting, Llewellyn didn’t hesitate.

He knew that hesitation would accomplish nothing here.

The distance between them gradually decreased. Excluding transcendent leaping power, it was about fifty steps away.

He continued walking without stopping. The distance halved, then halved again until they stood face to face.

Debris scattered around them. The fragments blown away by the death of a star were falling with thuds beside them.

“Let’s do this.”

With those words and a twisted smile, the avatar and Llewellyn faced each other, then—

KWAGWAGWANG!

They threw their punches almost simultaneously.

Fists striking each other’s heads. Punches with enough force that would crush a normal human’s skull or tear their head off.

Llewellyn couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

[Mourning]

A window appeared in the corner of his vision. The damage taken was immediately converted to mourning, and the activated mourning became a counterattack. Without even needing to straighten his bent head, Llewellyn’s already extended leg struck the avatar, but—

KWAAANG!

The avatar did the same. It was “the same build.”

Despite this realization, Llewellyn didn’t back down. He didn’t retreat when hit by the kick, and despite the ongoing fall, he stood firmly in place, twisting the corner of his mouth even more.

He was enjoying it. Even though he knew the fate of the world hung on this battle, he couldn’t help it.

Both fists clenched. Already weapons in themselves.

As Llewellyn straightened his bent head, their already extended fists passed each other to strike their bodies.

The shockwave spread in a circle, sweeping the surroundings.

Debris that had been flying was pushed away, and pain like his body was being scraped rushed through him.

His arms tingled. He had used his divinity to its limit, leaving none.

The condition where he could no longer use miracles. He needed time to reuse them.

But did he need to?

Llewellyn’s eyes gleamed from within his helmet as he gritted his teeth.

Simultaneous punches. He pounded the avatar’s abdomen and deflected the avatar’s punch with a twisted elbow strike.

A backhand swing as the pushed arm returned. Before that, Llewellyn’s elbow slid along the back of the hand like a blade and struck the jaw.

The head bent back and blood droplets scattered. He felt skin harder than most dragon scales.

That’s why it didn’t bend completely. Though no pupils were visible, he knew it was still standing.

That thing was himself. He knew he wouldn’t fall to such attacks.

Llewellyn let out a laugh and stepped half a step closer.

His two clenched fists accelerated in sequence.

KWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWANG!

What followed was a barrage of blows aimed at each other. Attacks that disregarded defense, ignored the opponent, and showed no self-preservation.

They accelerated with each strike.

Mourning followed mourning, and the mourning that bloomed became counterattacks.

Gradually, their fists began to move faster than sound. Legs flew faster than intended, and elbows and backhands had long been quicker than fists.

Not a single joint was allowed rest. In the gaps created by throwing punches, they actively moved to insert attacks during the changes in posture.

Elbows, knees, backhands, forearms, shoulders.

The echoing roars sounded like a swarm of bees. He had never exchanged blows with such sincerity before.

But eventually, the limit arrived.

KWAAAAAAANG!

A punch delivered at the end of the barrage. The avatar staggered.

Llewellyn was the same. Though he had received the onslaught with his armor and exoskeleton, he hadn’t blocked everything completely.

Llewellyn breathing heavily and the avatar twitching as if gasping.

This was the only avatar remaining. Llewellyn therefore stepped forward again after stepping back.

They approached each other one step at a time. The avatar remained motionless, its faceless head raised to look at Llewellyn.

Until finally, Llewellyn grabbed its neck at close range.

Llewellyn held the avatar’s neck and extended his other fist.

As he shattered the head of the avatar whose regenerative power had reached its limit, scattering its flesh in all directions—

KWAAAAAAANG!

The remains of the fortress and underwater temple crashed into the sea.