I spun the gold-clad spear and fired a triple-burst of sacred waves. The blades of light cut through the gloom toward Apophis, but the shadows clinging to his scales simply swallowed them whole.
I drove the Treasured Elephant forward through the dark sky and lunged with a powered-up thrust, but the tip of my spear was caught and held by the thickening shadows.
He's not just physically tough… but the spear can at least touch the darkness.
Suddenly, I felt an abnormal presence below. I looked down to see that what should have been the ground had turned into a churning sea of black water.
I can't even land now. Removing my footing was a smart move, but I knew he had more planned than that.
Sure enough, the black water erupted. It rose like sentient serpents, lunging at me from below. One, two, three—dozens of them swarmed me at once.
I used my spatial teleportation to weave through the air, but Apophis opened his maw and unleashed a blast of dark aura. It grazed my sleeve, and the fabric dissolved instantly.
"Tch…!"
I used the Treasured Scholar to create a clone and kicked off of it to leap backward. The clone was swallowed by the shadows in my place, vanishing without a trace.
It seemed I had escaped, but the black water and the dark aura began to relentlessly pursue me like homing missiles.
I had no choice…!
As the drilling vortexes of black water closed in, the color drained from my world. In that same instant, his attacks seemed to slow down.
Without even needing the Treasured Horse, I dodged his strikes with minimal movement. I surged toward Apophis at high speed, twisted my hips, and delivered a thrust with everything I had!
"—! This is…!"
Just before the spear pierced his skull, Apophis manifested a shield of shadow to block it. His voice held a note of genuine shock.
The Zone.
A state of extreme concentration.
It was a pinnacle I had reached only after grueling training. In this state, my internal clock reached a higher dimension; my reaction time, explosiveness, and physical capabilities were pushed to their absolute limits.
Against most opponents, the sudden shift in my speed would have ended the fight, but Apophis showed no signs of faltering. Instead, he ramped up his attacks to match my new rhythm!
Tornados of shadow erupted from the dark sea below. Even as I teleported using the Seven Treasures, he anticipated my destination, surrounding me on all sides.
"Guh…! He's this strong…!"
He was different from Grendel or Ladon. It wasn't just his power—he wasn't arrogant. He was using his absolute strength to methodically crush me.
I parried the darkness at the last possible second, but I felt a chill of killing intent from behind. I glanced back to see a blade of dark water closing in—
I can't parry this…!
"GAH…! Cough!"
The blade of shadow effortlessly pierced my side.
The water dispersed into mist after passing through me, but an agonizing amount of blood began to pour from the wound. A sudden, crushing exhaustion washed over me. I lost the strength in my limbs.
To finish me, more blades of dark water pierced my arms and legs, pinning me in mid-air.
"Even a supernatural being cannot withstand my darkness. A human like you has no hope. —It is over, descendant of the Hero."
With those words ringing in my ears, gravity took hold, and I began to fall backward. Apophis opened his mouth to fire a final blast of dark aura. Being swallowed by that darkness would be the end. Or perhaps I would simply drown in the sea of shadows below…
Heh… it's the exact opposite of that time.
I had exploited a gap in Issei Hyoudou's guard and cornered him. I had watched him fall, wounded, and prepared to pierce him through. I had intended to end it right then.
But he had performed a miracle. In a way no one could have imagined—a way that should have cost him his life—he beat me.
He had a reason not to die. He had something to protect, and a fierce desire to return to the people waiting for him, no matter what.
What do I have?
I have nothing to protect.
There is no one waiting for me.
So, am I just going to die here?
I suppose it's a fitting end for a "failed" Hero…
"—Don't you dare die on me."
His parting words echoed in my mind.
That's right… I do have one. A reason not to die.
A man's oath that I absolutely cannot break!
What am I doing, being so weak-willed?
Put strength into your limbs! Roar like he did!
Surpass your limits and make a miracle happen—!
"——————!"
[Cao Cao's Perspective: End]
[Third-Person Perspective]
It is over.
Apophis was certain of it.
Cao Cao was strong, undeniably. Among all the humans he had ever fought, Cao Cao was in the top tier.
But his stomach had been pierced. His limbs had been punctured. He was in no condition to move. No matter whose blood ran in his veins, no matter if he held the strongest Longinus, he was still a fragile human.
Cao Cao plummeted toward the dark sea, pulled by gravity. Even if he could somehow dodge the blast of dark aura Apophis had just fired, he would still sink into the shadows below. Death was inevitable.
"Farewell, Holy Spear—"
The dark aura was about to swallow Cao Cao, ending the duel—or so it should have been.
Suddenly, the Holy Spear erupted with a blinding golden radiance. The light was more powerful than anything seen before, instantly vaporizing Apophis's darkness.
"Impossible…!"
Apophis's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the source of the brilliance.
Cao Cao stood within the divine light of the Seven Treasures, gripping the gold-shimmering Holy Spear.
Without a word, Cao Cao raised the spear toward the heavens and swung it down.
In the next instant—
"Wh—What?!"
The darkness was torn asunder, and Apophis's massive arm was severed clean off.
[Third-Person Perspective: End]
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