Ch.311Chapter 311: The Great Confrontation (2)

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The gap between Desire, who had already stepped into transcendence and was consumed by the ambition to become an even more exceptional being, and myself, struggling to break free from the final constraints of being superhuman, would be impossible to describe in words.

The physical difference between us was so overwhelming that any comparison would be meaningless.

If forced to make one, it would be like comparing an elephant roaming the dry southern savanna to an ant—and even that wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Shiiik-!!

As I desperately swung my dragon sword with no thought other than defeating Desire, the paths of my blade connected one after another.

“…!!”

I faced the strange situation where each path of my blade left small wounds on Desire’s body, matching the number of strikes.

Even I, wielding the sword, was bewildered by why this was happening.

Bwoong-!!

But there was no time for pure confusion as I dodged the pressure wave emanating from Desire’s straight punch—a blow delivered without any sign of retreat despite suffering from my sword strikes.

Tak-

The moment my foot touched the ground after narrowly avoiding Desire’s punch and the resulting air pressure…

Chwak-!!

I immediately swung my dragon sword again, desperate to inflict more wounds on Desire’s divine body.

On the surface, things appeared to be going extremely well.

Every time I swung my sword, more wounds appeared on Desire’s body.

And I was dodging all of Desire’s counterattacks.

The scene could accurately be described as one-sided violence, with a clear separation between the one striking and the one being struck.

When we first entered this decisive battle, Desire would erase the wounds from my sword with a mere gesture. Now, Desire continued attacking without even bothering to heal, failing to land any blows on me, making this one-sided appearance even more pronounced.

[Going smoothly, very smoothly.]

Paphnir openly expressed satisfaction each time I swung my sword, seemingly judging that I had the upper hand in this battle.

Chwaaak-!!

Once again, I swung my dragon sword, this time successfully leaving a cut on Desire’s side.

“…”

Yet I could only stare at Desire with a hardened expression, ignoring the exhilaration from the feel of the sword in my right hand.

“…Hehehe….”

Despite the clear wound carved into the body, Desire burst into laughter that suggested pleasure rather than pain, creating an immense sense of dissonance.

Seeing Desire like this made the sensation in my fingertips—which told me victory was within reach—feel like an illusion deceiving my eyes and senses.

Of course, separate from the laughter…

“Haa… Haa… Quite impressive.”

With each shallow wound my sword inflicted, Desire exhaled rough breaths that couldn’t be hidden behind the laughter, offering praise without pretense.

[Seems that one is getting tired too. Well, seeing one divine essence escape would certainly dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.]

Even Paphnir’s excited voice, interpreting Desire’s apparent fatigue based on his own experience, couldn’t quell my uneasiness about this disconnect.

Truthfully, part of me thought that if I continued my offensive, I might easily defeat Desire.

But the dissonance I felt from Desire’s behavior and…

Kududududuk-!!

The mysterious cracking sound whose origin I couldn’t determine dampened my excitement.

Kududududududuk-!!

There it was again, clearer and longer than when I first heard it. What could this sound be?

I wanted to locate its source and silence it immediately, but…

“Here… I… come…”

Desire, who appeared exhausted to the point of struggling to speak coherently, moved in a way that completely contradicted that voice, closing the distance between us.

“…Hup!”

After letting out a battle cry, I swung my dragon sword from left to right to intercept Desire’s approach.

Paang-!!

The crisp impact sound of my dragon sword meeting Desire’s two fists replaced the cracking noise.

Yes, I couldn’t let my attention be diverted by an unknown sound at this crucial moment.

If the sound was bothersome, I could drown it out with a louder, crisper sound.

With that resolve, I swung my dragon sword to cut off Desire’s arms, which were blocked by my blade.

My body, which had been inhibited by the sudden separation from Sizu without even a proper goodbye, was now awakened by my heightened spirit as the battle prolonged.

The sword path, which had been somewhat dull when swung with my not-fully-recovered body, had transformed into a state of maximum effect with minimal movement.

My sword, moving so swiftly that it made no sound of cutting through air, approached Desire’s arms with a sharpness reminiscent of a guillotine separating a condemned prisoner’s head from their body.

‘This will do it!!’

I was certain as I swung.

This strike, exploiting the opening created by Desire’s stiffness after a failed desperate attack launched to overturn the situation—a situation where Desire had grown tired from continuing unsuccessful offensives…

Though I might not sever both arms, I was confident I would inflict critical damage that would seriously impair their use, and my hardened expression finally relaxed.

But my certainty was simple and obvious, and the sharp cutting sound that should have come from my unstoppable dragon sword was instead…

Twoong-!!

Replaced by a dull sound as Desire’s right foot blocked it, following an incomprehensible trajectory, immediately transforming my certainty into confusion.

My body, which had been moving forward without hesitation, staggered from the reaction of a stronger force coming from the opposite direction.

[Get your stance back!!]

Paphnir’s urgent instruction couldn’t be followed as my body twisted.

Compared to the long duration of our battle, this staggering lasted less than the blink of an eye.

But it was a fatal threat to me and a golden opportunity for Desire, who had been waiting for such an opening.

Unlike during our previous exchanges…

This time, not a sound but a phenomenon filled my vision.

Two fists shrouded in pitch-black fighting energy, darkening the already dim hall, traced countless trajectories too fast to follow with the eye, targeting each of my vital points.

The moment I recognized this…

“Ah, my body’s finally loosening up.”

Desire’s refreshed voice came after the fists had already been withdrawn, and…

Pupupupuk-!!

The sound of my vital points being mercilessly struck, only registered after Desire had withdrawn those fists.

“Kuhuk…”

My groan, unable to withstand the impact, echoed through the black obsidian hall.

[Pull yourself together!!]

Despite Paphnir’s desperate voice trying to awaken my consciousness, which was sinking into pain, my mind grew increasingly hazy, like eyes closing in sleep.

Kududududududuk-!!

The strange cracking sound, which hadn’t lost its presence among the various noises of the intense battle, was the last thing my fading consciousness registered.

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It had been quite troublesome, and the various wounds received while blocking were still painful.

But Desire was in an extremely good mood now, enough to forget even that pain.

This was because Desire had successfully reversed the one-sided defensive situation with a single attack that seized the opportunity.

Well, even calling it a reversal attack would be an exaggeration—it wasn’t an attack embodying some profound martial principle.

Just…

‘…I simply threw punches multiple times at the highest speed I could manage.’

It was nothing more than a simple attack using physical ability to deliver strikes at extreme speed.

But the quantity and quality of pleasure felt when such a simple strike properly lands on an opponent is incomparably greater than what one normally experiences.

From an efficiency standpoint, there’s no better strike in terms of cost-effectiveness.

“Huhuhu.”

Finding this fact quite amusing, Desire brought the right hand to the lips and…

Chu

Lightly kissed the back of that hand.

It was a habitual action Desire often took after delivering a satisfying strike with this divine body—obtained upon ascending to transcendence, rather than the body Desire was born with.

Judging by how serious Kal’s condition had become—to the point where “wretched” would be an appropriate description—one could easily understand how much satisfaction Desire felt from the current attack.

He had collapsed. Kal’s momentum and body, which had been steadily inflicting damage with calm and solid attacks despite lacking flashiness and ferocity, now…

Kuwoong-!!

Collapsed with a loud sound as both knees hit the obsidian floor.

This alone would have been enough, but due to the impact of the well-landed strike…

The light was already fading from his eyes, which had been struggling to maintain consciousness despite the pain.

[Get up! You mustn’t fall!!]

Kal’s body, unable to respond even to the shouting of his former kin trying desperately to prevent him from completely collapsing to the ground, finally…

Thuk-

Fell helplessly onto the obsidian floor.

The sound was quieter than when his knees had hit the obsidian, but…

Whether loud or quiet, such sounds didn’t matter in the moment when the resistance of the man who would be the key to her ascension to an even higher plane of existence was confirmed to be fading.

Lick-

A forked tongue, reminiscent of a snake’s, protruded from Desire’s lips, who sensed that the moment to fulfill her will had finally arrived.

Like a predator wiping away drool at the sight of prey…

“Hehe…hehehehe….”

Desire’s eyes burned with desire as she no longer held back her unbecoming, frivolous laughter.

“Now then…”

Desire’s footsteps slowly approached the fallen Kal, as if going to collect the spoils after finishing a hunt.

It was merely a small, quiet movement close to stillness in motion, unlike the intense movements displayed during the fierce battle with Kal.

Why was it that…

Kududuk-!! Kuduk-!! Kududududududuk-!!

With each step Desire took, the strange cracking sounds that Kal had been wary of from the moment he noticed them flowed irregularly from Desire’s body.

Even without borrowing Kal’s expression of finding the sound strange and ominous upon hearing it…

“Huhuhuhuhuh…”

As if to match Desire’s laughter expressing incomparable joy at the thought of soon obtaining the prey…

Kududududuk-!!

The ominousness conveyed by the cracking sound alone grew stronger.

If just the sound could bring such foreboding…

Tuduk- Tuduk- Tuduk-

With each step Desire took, traces like shed skin appeared around the footprints, transforming that foreboding into…

“It’s a bit less than what I aimed for… but this is more than enough. I shouldn’t be too greedy.”

It seemed like a harbinger of what calamity would befall this world beyond the magical realm where Desire resided, through the action Desire was about to take.