The beings known as Nightmares, Masters, and Challengers all possess ultimate moves without exception.
Truly awe-inspiring ultimate moves.
Or in so cases, a second phase.
Carpeng’s ultimate move enhances his body with blood energy.
It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it, but Luchi… his strike could cut through the very fabric of reality.
Kalt becos shadow itself—a complete transformation.
Yuria and Rubia… they have theirs too.
And right before , Tylant is no different.
Every being who has reached those heights possesses one.
I don’t understand how Nightmares develop theirs.
For humans, I heard it’s an evolution of their unique abilities.
That’s where Masters and Challengers diverge… but since I’m neither, I’ll skip that part.
Still, I admired those abilities.
Honestly… they’re just so cool.
Like sothing straight out of the comics and novels I used to read. It’s natural to yearn for one.
So I worked for it. I wanted an ultimate move of my own.
But even after five years of struggling, nothing manifested.
Because I lacked mana.
If I’d had access to elixirs back then, like I do now, it would’ve been simple.
I was so different then… compared to who I am now.
Anyway!
After three more years—eight years total of fighting, struggling, and brushing against death—I finally got one!
I was so overjoyed, so thrilled, that I hunted for two days straight without sleep…
Life got complicated after gaining it… took so dark turns, but it still proved invaluable.
With it, I eliminated every Nightmare. Wiped out nine Masters completely.
Then, right before I killed the ancient dragon…
That dragon nad my ultimate move.
Honestly. Really honestly… it’s such a cool na.
I liked it even more because a villain gave it to .
But… no one in this world knows that na.
It’s not one of those “everyone who’s seen it is dead” situations. Though, yes, they are all dead… but that’s not the reason.
I was too embarrassed to tell anyone… Though I think it’s aweso… others might find it… childish.
There’s no need to shout its na when using it anyway. Though… I have called it out a few tis when alone.
Tried whispering it, mumbling it under my breath. Even attempted saying it in a deep, dramatic voice.
Ahem… Anyway.
That ultimate move is—
***
Blue eyes scattered on the wind. Dissolved into the air. Vanished from sight, drifting all around.
Tylant’s second phase had begun.
Those blue eyes, lting and mixing into the atmosphere, were Tylant’s magic itself.
Even in his first phase, there had been no warning signs before his spells. In this second phase, it beca even more pronounced.
Creation.
Not activation—creation. No, even “creation” falls short of describing it.
But there’s no other word that fits.
Things simply manifest in empty space. Every spell he desires simply exists.
Releasing mana intensely, I raised my right foot.
And then, where I had stood, tiny ice spikes appeared.
They just… existed. As if they had always been there, naturally.
No sound. No movent of magic. Absolutely nothing could be sensed.
This second phase was why we couldn’t send him to Ursphere. Everyone except Rubia would have died. That was certain.
So… how do you counter such a broken ability?
Well, soone as strong as
always finds a way.
Even if I can’t sense anything directly… I can confirm everything through my senses, piece by piece.
Of course, I’ll have to track every trace of his magic scattered through the air, but in my current state, that’s no problem.
I’ve consud two elixirs. And I have my ultimate move.
The preparation takes ti, though.
But if I can just hold out until then…
I’ll win.
Maintaining my mana flow, I gripped my greatsword tightly.
Then, just as before, I closed my eyes and focused my senses.
Tiny snowflakes drifted through the air. Beautiful at first glance, but each delicate petal concealed razor-sharp blades.
Just breathing them in would shred your lungs.
I mapped these snowflakes with my senses.
And they moved. The petals folded and unfolded. As they opened, they triggered other snowflakes. Those awakened snowflakes stirred others into motion.
And then…
The unfolding snowflakes transford into… A massive blade that slashed through the air itself.
Right before my eyes, as if it had always existed.
A blade manifested. I swung my greatsword to parry it. The shattered fragnts beca new blades, rging with the wind.
I stomped forward, swinging my greatsword again. The generated gust scattered the blade-winds.
And then—
Tylant’s massive fra launched toward , his muscles exploding from being pushed to their limit.
I didn’t dodge. I watched his every movent until the very end.
When he reached striking distance—
I raised my sword, twisting it in ti with his attack.
Not just redirecting his force—returning it.
Noah’s Special: Flowing Water.
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out as Tylant staggered.
I seized the opening and imdiately swung my greatsword upward.
An ice wall materialized suddenly, blocking my strike—but I tore through it with raw power.
Thud! Tylant’s head snapped back. His speed dropped, but the hit connected cleanly.
Just as I prepared to follow up—
I leaped backward, narrowly avoiding death.
A hole opened where I’d stood, and thousands of ice spikes shot upward. I lowered my head and swung my greatsword. The ice chunks above
shattered.
Again, I swung the greatsword to clear the debris. Boom! The shattered pieces exploded on impact, creating a frost mist.
Hundreds of spells already filled the mist. No clear path existed to dodge them all. I had to rely on information from my senses, beyond what my eyes could see.
With all restraints removed, his spells had zero delay. Infuriating.
I dodged an incoming icicle—only to find a blade materializing at my landing spot. I shattered it with my elbow and pressed forward.
A boulder crashed where I’d been standing, shaking the ground. Thin blades snaked through the tremors toward . I held my breath and scattered them with my greatsword.
Without stopping, I advanced slowly. Forcing my extended leg to halt, I thrust my greatsword forward. Whatever it was, I destroyed it before it fully ford.
Tylant swung three arms. I dodged, blocked, and waited—
Then, once more, Flowing Water.
Clang!
No chance for a follow-up this ti. Clicking my tongue, I spun away.
I swung the greatsword, shattering icicles in my path. Using the montum, I spun my body. Crack! More spells split apart.
The spells appeared faster and faster. Impossible to identify them now.
The mont snowflakes moved, my greatsword was already swinging. But with each swing, another spell manifested.
My wounds multiplied. Blood flowed freely. Fragnts stuck in my greatsword twitched, irritating my skin.
I didn’t stop. I kept cutting through the spells. As the mist cleared, Tylant’s arms greeted .
I could handle two arms with Flowing Water, but four was impossible. Clicking my tongue, I swung my greatsword again.
Crash!
The recoil felt like it was ripping my bones apart. The first arm deflected. The second arm bent. The third arm stopped my greatsword.
And the fourth— Slam! It struck my body.
The impact echoed inside
as I crashed into the ground. My bones shattered, piercing my organs. Blood gushed from my mouth, then burst through my skin when that wasn’t enough.
I imdiately used an elixir to heal. Only one dose remained now. Rolling backward, I deflected the following attacks. Swung my greatsword to cut through erging spells.
I scattered strikes around , creating distance.
Then—
I drove my greatsword into the ground.
Crimson aura spread across space.
Not enough yet.
I spread my arms, releasing my remaining mana. Squeezed out every last drop.
The nearly black mana covered the earth. Stained the sky. Slowly consud the sun.
Tylant’s magic stopped. His movents ceased. He simply stared at .
The red earth. The crimson sky. The black sun.
Taking in every detail, I whispered to myself—knowing the other
couldn’t hear:
This is a cursed power. One that should never be awakened.
I hope you choose a different path.
The ground-planted greatsword vanished.
Then—
A new greatsword appeared in my outstretched hand.
I gripped it and swung.
The distance was great. But I cut through.
Space itself severed. Reality distorted. From that point, Tylant’s body split apart. The Challenger’s power—to cut through the world itself.
I swung again. Shadows writhing beneath
shot forward, piercing Tylant’s body. The Master’s power—shadow manipulation.
Holding my breath, I stepped. Instantly appeared before Tylant. The Master’s power—assassination.
I raised my greatsword and brought it down. Gravity itself seed to warp. Crunch. Tylant’s shoulder crumbled. Though his arms were gone, his spirit remained unbroken. The power of the Master who reached the top—despite everything.
His claws slashed. His jaws gaped wide, approaching. I twisted my greatsword. Flas erupted. Burned his claws and lted his fangs. The power of the Princess—who abandoned her nation for love.
Tens of thousands of spells materialized. Inescapable death approached. I raised my left arm and waved. All magic vanished. Scattered and burst apart. Dispel—the ancient dragon’s power.
I swung. I cut. Sotis stabbed. Sotis struck.
And each ti—
The Challenger’s power. The Masters’ powers. The countless heroes’ powers.
All manifested.
I carved the Nightmare’s body to pieces.
Finally—
I raised my sword slowly. And brought it down.
Along the blade’s path— Divine power manifested.
The black sun set. The ability’s na—
“False Virtue.”
Challenger. Master. Hero. Nightmare. Dragon.
And—
Priestess.
From the previous cycle…
All those I killed.
Their combined powers…
Hell itself.
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