Ch.901If You Don’t Know, Just Die.

A battle with a dragon covered in enhancement magic was less of a fight and more like a war.

Not just any war, but something closer to modern warfare with artillery, tank shells, aerial bombardment, and missiles flying everywhere.

Each time the massive tail cut through the air, it created explosive sounds as the air burst apart. When its front paws swung, they generated blade-like winds that carved deep claw marks into the clouds and earth.

It was fortunate we were fighting in an uninhabited area. Had this battle taken place above a city, the city would have been destroyed before a winner could be determined.

There would only be corpses piled atop crumbling, melting brick mountains. Even the lucky survivors would have lost their eardrums completely, becoming like Beethoven who couldn’t compose.

That’s what this battle was like.

【 Kryaaaak! What an unbelievably powerful strength! 】

Amitamir roared after being struck by a vacuum blade that was even stronger than before.

Though I hadn’t cut him directly with my blade, so it wasn’t enough to slice through his scales, it seemed to have some impact as the area I hit was visibly dented.

In human terms, it was like taking a solid kick. It must have hurt, though I couldn’t say I’d dealt proper damage.

【 What price did you pay to the human gods for such power?! 】

Price? I didn’t need to pay anything.

But if I had to name something…

“I suppose… my dignity?”

The mass of flesh that had become impressive enough to leave anyone speechless—though not quite hideous—was probably the price.

【 Nonsense…! 】

“The only white thing here is your pale body from being cooped up in your room.”

I increased my altitude to avoid the dragon’s front paw and landed on its shoulder.

Just as I was about to strike down with my sword, the scales beneath my feet sparked with a crackling sound.

I immediately abandoned my attack and jumped off the scales. A moment later, an electrical storm erupted, engulfing the fragments of scales shattered by the impact of my leap.

This lightning was more of a defensive technique to shake me off rather than an offensive spell.

I quickly swung my sword below my feet to cut through the lightning trying to reach me as I created distance.

“Look at how pale you are. A person—no, a dragon should go outside sometimes. Can’t you hear that sound?”

【 Sound? 】

“The sound of your father crying. He’s been weeping buckets because his eldest son has been shut in at home for eight hundred years.”

I continued taunting and provoking him, releasing the stress that had built up.

【 Like the shameless monkey you are, your words are utterly vulgar…! 】

As I changed direction and charged again, slashing downward with Durandal, he flapped his wings forcefully to push me back with air pressure while shouting.

“See that river over there? That’s all your father’s tears! He almost drowned! What an inconvenience!”

【 What…! 】

“What are you doing? This isn’t the time for this! Go comfort him or just kill yourself already! Show some filial piety!”

I kept up the endless provocations to distract him from noticing that my momentum was growing stronger.

All while quickly scanning my surroundings from the corner of my eye to confirm I was heading in the right direction.

【 Nonsense…! My father passed away long ago! Just like your father and mother! 】

“Oh, really?”

I wasn’t sure if my tactic would work, but judging by his reaction, it seemed to be somewhat effective.

“I see.”

【 KRAAAAH-! 】

Seeing how his roar grew fiercer…

Did even this crazed lizard possess filial piety?

Having heard insults about his parents, Amitamir became a raging dragon, attacking me more ferociously, focused solely on killing me and nothing else.

—-

For about ten minutes, I charged with a shout, swung my sword, was repelled by the difference in our weight classes, regained my posture, and fought like a drunken comet.

The dragon and I literally shook heaven and earth as we continued our mythical battle. Until deep wounds began to mark both our bodies.

【 Grrrrr…. You simply refuse to die…! 】

Amitamir growled, grinding his teeth in apparent frustration.

His scales were cut and torn all over, looking as pitiful as Leopold’s old scalp. The tip of his tail had completely burst open, exposing bone.

Two claws from his front paw had also been sliced off.

“That’s my line.”

I clicked my tongue as I used my muscles to stabilize my broken leg.

I’d been trying my best to avoid damage, but how could anyone fight for over ten minutes without taking a single hit?

Especially while restraining my use of Karma to conserve power.

Even in that state, I’d managed to inflict various injuries on Amitamir, but to do so, I had to accept some damage myself.

…Though “some damage” might be understating my injuries.

My right foot, which had directly blocked the dragon’s tail, had crushed muscles and broken bones, turning purplish-black. My left leg, bitten by his teeth, had two large holes punctured through it.

I suppose even my evolved body had its limits.

But there was no reason to be disappointed. Rather, it was something to marvel at—that my form remained intact after direct hits from a dragon’s tail and teeth.

If this had been my previous body, all flesh and bone would have been obliterated without a trace.

The fact that such attacks only resulted in fractures and penetrating wounds was testament to this body’s transcendent durability.

【 But this is as far as you go. Can you feel it? Do you understand? Your death has stepped just three or four paces away! 】

“That’s my line again.”

I casually responded to his words while glancing around from the corner of my eye.

After flying across mountains and waters, well-maintained roads and meadows now spread beneath my feet.

The destination was close.

No, at this distance, I could say I’d already arrived.

【 What pitiful bravado. I can clearly see that the power of the Heavenly Killing Star that served as your wings is finally running out! 】

Amitamir looked down at me with victorious eyes as he rambled on.

Power depletion.

He wasn’t wrong.

In reality, the power of the Murder Karma I’d been conserving was nearing exhaustion, and I was descending toward the ground while reducing the output of my Karma manifestation.

“Does it look that way?”

Nevertheless, I looked up at him with a calm smile.

I could smile because just by enduring until now, I had already achieved something close to victory.

I should thank Astraea. Thanks to her, I’d gained an opportunity to turn around a battle that had been close to certain defeat.

“If that’s all you can see and feel with eyes bigger than my height…”

As I fell toward the ground at a moderate speed, I raised Durandal high above my head with both hands.

“Then you no longer need those eyes.”

I filled the golden-inscribed true blade with the power of my achievement that had reached its peak.

【 Defying Fate 】

A hero’s soul extending toward the world. Sound disappears, color fades. Everything visible turns gray.

And then.

Time stops.

――――――.

In a world frozen completely still.

– Screech.

Within it, only my arms moved slowly, cutting through the air.

– Screech.

Carrying the power of severance that tears and cuts through everything.

– Crack!

As the oath-bound sword roared and carved a diagonal scar into the world of frozen time,

【 Sky Slash 】

The colorless world exploded apart, unleashing a massive bolt of destruction that seemed to reach the heavens.

Night fell in the midday sky.

With an indescribable roar.

【 Grrg…? 】

Amitamir stood frozen in surprise.

– Splash!

A third of his head slid off diagonally, falling away with a waterfall of blood, along with one of his massive wings that had been spread like a curtain.

Slightly off target. I thought I would split him in half.

【 KYAOOUUUAAAAAK―!! 】

With a delayed scream like cannon fire, the wingless dragon’s massive body plummeted toward the ground like a meteor.

—-

Sky Slash.

My ultimate cutting technique that I had only revealed twice before.

A supreme strike that could kill even an evil god’s arm in one blow if it hit directly.

When I used it against Persiella, it was blocked and neutralized by her technique…

Well, that was because her ultimate technique, like mine, interfered with space.

If that hadn’t been the case, she too would have been cut in two and died on the spot.

Sky Slash, like my heroic tale Defying Fate, was the kind of technique you could only fall victim to if you didn’t know about it.

An unstoppable attack swung at imperceptible speed, with a range that reached the heavens.

Unless you knew about it beforehand and prepared, it was impossible to counter such a technique.

Just like Amitamir, who was now convulsing in a massive crater.

【 GRUAAK…? Gooaak…. This, Krrrag…! What is this…?! 】

Somehow he had avoided instant death and was still alive, but he was already half a corpse.

His cleanly sliced head revealed the cross-section of his skull. Gray brain matter oozed out in chunks.

Yes. This is it.

I had endured for hours to witness this sight.

To hide my trump card from him, I deliberately took hits that I could have avoided with Defying Fate, even letting my legs get shattered.

Having already seen my spatial cutting, if I had also shown him my time compression power, he might have anticipated and prepared for this final strike.

That’s why I sealed away Defying Fate and continued to endure while gathering power, even when I had enough to use Sky Slash.

So that even if Sky Slash missed or was blocked, I could immediately launch a second one.

“How about now? Still think you can win?”

Thanks to this strategy, I could approach him with a smirk on my face even right after using Sky Slash.

No matter how he might struggle, I had enough power to end his life first.