World-Destroying Dragon Iverage (4) / Clash Of Ultimate Existences.

Dino: 「*Sigh*. I would've been asleep by now.」

Dino, who was watching the frozen Iverage, spoke with a sleepy expression. He had been fighting for three months now.

He was already making plans for his next sleeping schedule.

Dino: 「Perhaps I could try a six month course... yeah, definitely doing that.」

Dino, fantasising about it, nodded repeatedly, basking himself in the thought of sleeping in a warm and cosy bedding.

Pico: 「...」

Pico stayed beside him silent, resisting the urge to slap common sense into him.

Obera: 「*Sigh*. Just ignore him.」

*CRACK*

Zalario: 「Is this ever going to end?」

The ice that froze Iverage began to crack, revealing its violet scale.

From the little cracks, its aura leaked out, further destroying the ice.

Feldway: 「Attack it now! With its body frozen, it will be easier to decapitate the body!」

When he gave the order, they all began to assault it with powerful attacks.

By then, Iverage had completely destroyed the ice.

Sariel (Wise Sage): 「『Collapsing Soul: Spirit Demolition』」

This was a type of magic following the principle of Sariel's ultimate magic,『Collapsing Heaven』.

It was also a type of magic under his [True Soul Magic]. Imbued with the effect of his 『Soul Lord』, this is easily one of the most terrifying magic to ever exist.

It could also be considered the counterpart of his ultimate magic.

A huge magic circle appeared above Iverage, glowing with evil light that could make the toughest of monsters cower in fear.

Seven giant pillars of violet light descended from the magic circle with four of these light rays landing on its back.

Two assaulted his wings, and the last light ray met the top of its head.

Since the attack was meant to affect the soul directly, Iverage had suffered no physical damage.

The same could not be said about its soul.

The amount of damage it took from that attack made it scream from shock.

The pain was not just excruciating but also terrifying.

This sent danger signals to every part of its body.

The attack just now had made Iverage's strength decrease beyond measure.

It would take thousands of years to recover from such damage done to the soul.

That alone was enough to make even a mindless beast like Iverage afraid.

It began to flee from the dimension they fought in.

Feldway: 「After all the damage you've done, you want to escape!!?」

Feldway was clearly enraged by the creature but was held back.

Veldanava: 「I think we should leave it at that. I'll handle the rest.」

Feldway: 「Veldanava-sama」

Feldway bowed in respect to his presence before stepping aside to watch his next action.

Veldanava outstretched his arm before silently muttering something.

Iverage had escaped to the other world. Hence, Veldanava sealed it there.

Veldanava: 「Done. That should hold for a while.」

He spoke nonchalantly, ignoring the surprised gazes he earned.

Feldway: 「Veldanava-sama, if i may ask, why didn't you kill it.

It is too dangerous to leave it alive. It does not even have a mind of its own.」

To his question, Veldanava answered him calmly.

Veldanava: 「I believe that with some time, it will definitely gain sentience.

It just needs some time to develop intelligence.」

Despite being against the notion, Feldway accepted his decision and went to check up on his comrades.

Veldanava turned to look at Sariel with a slightly surprised expression.

Veldanava: 「(A skill with sentience? Interesting. Just like Michael. Hope you guys can be friends.)」

With that thought in mind, he decided to leave Sariel with a few words for when he woke up.

Veldanava: 「Tell Sariel to meet me in my palace when he wakes up.」

Sariel (Wise Sage): 「... Understood.」

After that, Veldanava vanished as if he had not been there the whole time.

 ◇◇◇

Kenneth: 「Tch. To think you were holding back all this time.」

Ken spoke with frustration as he was still struggling to fight against the unknown insectar.

「I'm quite impressed that you are able to keep up with me.

Though that will happen to be the fault of you.」

Reidner: 「Hahaha. You're welcome.」

The wounds on Ken's body began to heal, leaving only bloodstains from his earlier wound.

「My plans are being ruined. I'll end this silly charade now.」

With those words, the attacks sent towards Ken became stronger and faster, sending shockwaves throughout the space.

By distorting space, he changed the direction of the shockwaves.

They were all transmitted to Ken in rapid succession, making Ken lose his balance.

Each time he lost balance, he would receive a fatal attack that could kill him instantly.

It was a perfect strategy the insectar used against him.

If not for him being constantly healed by Reidner, he would've been dead.

In fact, that is the point of the whole thing.

The insectar intended to defeat them both by exhausting Reidner's magicules and swiftly defeat them both.

This could happen if things remained the same.

Reidner: 「It looks like you'll have to up your game in this one Kenny boy.」

Reidner casted a barrier on Ken that prevents the shockwaves from damaging him.

Kenneth: 「Ah. Thanks for that. I'll try my best.」

He parried a blow sent to his solar plexus whilst simultaneously kicking the insectar's head with his leg.

He broke his leg, but it immediately healed up.

Reidner: 「I don't need your best. I need you to go beyond your abilities.」

Kenneth: 「Can I really do that?」

Ken says this whilst dodging a magic bullet sent behind him.

Reidner: 「I can only believe in you. As her majesty's personal guard, you must not die here.

You have a duty to protect the nation along with her highness. "Can you really do that?"」

He asked Ken this rhetorical question with a smirk.

Seeing this, Ken was internally happy to have someone as reliable as Reidner.

He responded.

Kenneth: 「I... I see. Then I'll go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!!」

The intensity of his strikes increased, and he began to push the insectar back.

His sword was bathed in his aura, and a faint yet visible crack could be seen appearing on the insectar's arm.

The wound instantly healed up, but that was enough to raise the insectar's guard up.

He sent an aura infused blow towards Ken, who jumped over the punch.

From the jump, he was able to appear behind the insectar with his head facing the ground.

Kenneth: 「『Judgemental Slash.』!!!」

With a final roar, Ken made a horizontal slash to the insectar's neck.

Powered by his unique skill, the attack phased through the neck of the insectar.

His unique skill was unique indeed. Possessing the subskill 『Outcome Manipulation』, he had the ability to choose the outcome of an event once a day.

Using that to his advantage, he manipulated the outcome of his attack to suit his desire.

As Ken spun around to increase the force of his attack, the insectar's neck was cut off.

His head landed on the ground with a thud, marking the end of the battle.

Reidner: 「Fuhaha-...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!」

Reidner laughed out heartily,

Kenneth: 「Geez, tone it down, would ya?」

Ken asked him with an exhausted face, displaying the after effects of such an intense battle.

Reidner: 「Nothing. You truly went beyond ultra. I expected nothing more.」

With a warm smile, Reidner healed him.

Reidner: 「You protected the nation well. Be proud.」

Hearing his words, Ken couldn't help but flash a silly smile.

Kenneth: 「Hehehe. Do you think Queen Alya would fall in love with me?」

As soon as Reidner heard that, he gave Ken a chop on the head along with a stern look.

Reidner: 「Not in a million chance. A man can only dream.」

Kenneth: 「Tch. Old fart...」

Reidner helped him to stand.

Reidner: 「If you have the strength to dream and joke around, you could probably walk on your own. Bye.」

As he was going, he ignored the loud curses thrown at him.

*BOOM*

A loud sound was heard, and following that, a thud resonated throughout the atmosphere.

Kenneth: 「Huh?」

Ken had a dumbstruck expression on his face.

He hadn't expected such a turn of events.

He felt a huge force approaching him at sound speed but was lucky enough to jump out of the way in the nick of time.

He turned to look at his aggressor, but he just became extremely shocked to see the person.

Kenneth: 「How... HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!!?」

The insectar he decapitated was standing tall with his head intact.

He had no injuries whatsoever.

「You managed to catch me off guard. I won't allow it again.」

Kenneth: 「I made sure to use my Outcome Manipulation to set the possibility of surviving from that strike impossible. Just how?」

「Outcome Manipulation, huh? After I devour you, I will definitely put it to use.

I am an ultimate spiritual lifeform. Hence, any attack below ultimate level has little to no effect on me.」

Once Ken heard this, he was too shocked to understand a thing.

Kenneth: 「Reidner-sama?... Reidner-sama!!!」

Ken ran towards his direction and tried to see if he was alive.

「Forget about him. He's dead.」

Kenneth: 「.....」

「Now, I'll pit an end to this silly charade. Die.」

The insectar infused his aura into his fist and dashed towards Ken, aiming to smash his head.

Kenneth: 「You...YOU ASSHOLE!!」

Ken parried the blow and attacked him with a thrust to the abdomen.

The attack pushed the insectar back, but he gave Ken a kick that forced him to back out from the assault.

They both dashed towards each other and started to unleash deadly attacks towards each other.

The insectar would infuse his 『Devastator Virus』 on his arm, whilst sending out thousands of punches towards Ken to either absorb his energy or his sword.

Ken, seeing this dodged all the blows and used a hit and run strategy.

Between those hits, he would infuse his aura into his blade to attack the insectar, causing energy disruptions in the insectar's body.

The insectar also knew how to manipulate his own aura, so he would always negate the energy.

But this causes him to lose focus; that is when Ken would strike again before running away to prepare for another attack.

This causes the insectar to lose energy whilst creating a distraction for him.

「(Tch. I've had enough of such a tactic. I'll end this now.)」

When Ken was about to attack again, the insectar released a space quake that sent out destruction waves.

Ken was pushed back by the attack and found himself critically wounded.

Ken: 「(Damn it!!)」

「You were a worthy opponent. But sadly, you are dying now.」

Ken: 「I... see...」

A destructive black substance began to morph on the insectar's palm.

This substance was the dark cells he had been using, but this one was more deadly than initially.

The dark cells were sent towards Ken, but he had no energy left in him to dodge the attack.

He could only watch it devour him.

But surprisingly, even after waiting, he did not feel anything.

He waited for it, but nothing happened.

Looking up to see the reason for such, he was met with the sight of a heroic figure.

Or at least that is what he saw in the individual before him.

Arion: 「You have done exceedingly well for a human.

Recover yourself. I will handle the rest.」

「Tch. Another pest in my way.」

Arion: 「Are you even certified to call me a pest. Take a good look at yourself before speaking.」

As soon as those words were exchanged, a clash beyond a mortal's comprehension took place.

With blinding speed, these two exchanged attacks.

Their movement seemed off to an untrained eye, but those who know what a true fight is would understand just how complex their battle was.

Manipulating space along with their complex use of magic, every step they took caused explosions.

Arion wielded a katana-like blade.

The insectar needed nothing but his body, which was as tough as any mythical grade weapon.

They struck and parried, causing explosive shockwaves that destroyed everything in sight.

Using nuclear magic, Arion would cause explosions that would disturb the flow of shockwaves, making it impossible for the insectar to manipulate it.

This caused some problems for the insectar as he was directly attacked by the magic, and he was incapable of using it to his advantage.

Every type of trick he tried was being countered.

He had the advantage when it came to hand-to-hand combat.

His exoskeleton was too difficult to pass by, and even if that was possible, he would always instantly regenerate.

He had the ultimate skill 『Lord of Life: Sephirot』 after all.

This was all possible with his subskill 『Life Domination』.

Even if he was killed, as long as

he had enough energy, he could remake his body and soul by manipulating the various energies in his body, making his existence stronger.

He could even rewrite the infons within his heart core.

His opponent, on the other hand, was a demon with little to no expertise in physical combat.

He heavily relied on magic, which had almost no effect on insectars like him.

His exoskeleton was already resistant to magic.

Coupled with his 『Magic Resistance』, he was the worst nightmare to any demon.

But a demon with mastery in swordsmanship was out of his imagination.

He never heard of such a thing. Although he was a few thousand years old, he had never once met a demon capable of using a sword.

This demon was even more capable than the human he just fought.

Conflicted on what to do, he could only prolong the fight until he had a plan to kill him.

After that, he would devour the human for his skill.

He was sure that he would eventually defeat the demon before him, and yet-

Kenneth: 「D-Demon-san... h-he is my prey... please... would you hand him over... to me?」

Arion: 「Hm? The name's Arion. Your prey, huh? Quite the interesting human.

Very well. I will lend you some of my energy. Fight to your heart's content.」

Kenneth: 「Very much appreciated.」

He leaned forward, attempting to walk but found himself falling.

Arion rushed to support him, and as soon as they made contact, the energy transmission began.

His body began to glow brightly before stopping.

After the intense glow, Ken could be seen in a new set of attire.

Wielding a blade along with an armour made purely of spiritual energy.

Arion: 「Hm, interesting. Absorbing magicules at such a rate. Perhaps an evolution?

What a terrifying human you are.」

The wounds on Ken were regenerated, and he felt as if his body was rejuvenated.

The insectar wanted to devour the human there and then, but looking at the scene before him, he was baffled.

The human just evolved on his own, something considered almost impossible for most humans.

He was interested in the changes and decided to wait it out.

It was then that it happened-

VOTW: 「The individual Kenneth Masaki shall undergo a skill evolution.

The unique skill 『Progressor』has evolved to the Ultimate Skill [1]『Lord of Progression: Astralis』.」

Unshaken by the announcement in his head, Ken moved forward with unwavering determination.

Kenneth: 「Sorry for being such an ass. As you wanted, I will show you just how far I can go.」

「That is indeed what I want. Now, let's begin our third round.」

The two nodded in satisfaction before once again confronting each other.

◇◇◇

Is this it? Am I so useless? Upon everything he taught me, why am I still so weak?

Ever since I came to this world, I've never felt so useless.

Her majesty took me in when I had nowhere to go to.

She did not only take good care of me, but she also made me the

person I am today.

I felt indebted to her for what she did for me, having nowhere else to go, I pleaded to join the ranks of the Knight Order.

Without a second thought, she agreed to it.

It was because of her that I got to where I am.

As a token of gratitude, I pledge my loyalty to her and swore to protect both her and her nation.

Now that same bastard is lying patheticly on the ground.

UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Even if I end up dying, I will fulfil my promise!

Even if it kills me, I will defend this nation.

No matter what, I won't allow anyone to insult everything we've been through!

This nation, which was initially nothing but a scruffy village, has grown so much.

We came so far, so I won't allow it to fall just like that!

Hence, I will protect it with my life if I have to do so.

But to do all that, I need strength.

Even someone like me is not so delusional to think that all this can happen just by wishing it so.

I need to get stronger. I need to give it my all.

I need to... go beyond.

Beyond my capabilities.

I need to evolve...

VOTW: 「Notice. Conditions have been met. The individual Kenneth Masaki shall begin his evolution into a saint.」

Kenneth: 「D-Demon-san... h-he is my prey... please... would you hand him over... to me?」

I asked as I began to stand up.

Arion: 「Hm? The name's Arion. Your prey, huh? Quite the interesting human.

Very well. I will lend you some of my energy. Fight to your heart's content.」

I was too weak to do so, which led to me falling down, but he supported me.

As soon as we made contact, I felt some of his energy getting absorbed by... me?

Arion: 「Hm, interesting. Absorbing magicules at such a rate. Perhaps an evolution?

What a terrifying human you are.」

Perhaps I got this ability when I evolved.

My unique skill might not be useful to me now.

I've already used my must kill move.

I am only capable of doing this once a day.

Now, I don't know what to do. I have no plans whatsoever.

I think I'll just fight it out.

 ◇◇◇

Ken's innermost thought was in chaos.

He was furious recalling the fight with the mysterious insectar.

He thought that he had finally reached the level of the insectar, but that became questionable when he witnessed the fight between the two powerhouses.

He knew that he was nowhere near their level, and yet, he couldn't just lay down and watch from the sidelines.

He envied them. Humans, when compared to other races, were extremely weak.

They were born weak, and most of them ended up dying weak.

The chance of acquiring a skill was quite low.

Although they had willpower stronger than most, which was needed to acquire a skill, they possessed very little magicule amount.

To acquire a skill, one needs a very strong soul and enough magicules.

Monsters, although possessing very small willpower, made up for that with large magicule quantities.

This made the humans look inferior to other races.

The chances for a human to evolve are astronomically low that some may end up spending a lifetime trying to evolve but still find themselves unable to do so.

This made the humans envious of monsters.

Ken accepted it as an undeniable fact but still tried his best to meet the expectations of others.

He trained himself tirelessly, seeking to strengthen his resolve.

He did not only train his body but also his mind and soul.

His evolution did not only affect his body, but his soul was also evolving.

When he saw the fight between the demon and the insectar, he saw how unfathomable the insectar was.

When they first met, he never noticed. Behind his unassuming appearance was a hidden power.

It can also be said that seeing his ideal, the ultimate strength he pursued, he also wanted the same.

The strength these individuals possessed, he also wanted to reach that height.

The insectar, the demon,... Sariel-sensei.

They were all monsters in their own realm of power.

But he believed that he, too, even as a human, was capable of achieving such a thing.

He knew that as he was now, the only thing he could do was to resist as much as he possibly could so as to properly understand what the insectar was truly capable of.

But he wasn't giving up on the power he seeked.

Instead, he wished for it more than ever.

Power to make his loved ones proud.

Strength to protect those precious to him.

Last but not least, he needed a skill to help him in his journey.

His journey to become one of the strongest humans to exist.

He needed the power of a progressor.

VOTW: 「The individual Kenneth Masaki shall undergo the skill evolution.

The unique skill 『Progressor』has evolved to the Ultimate Skill 『Lord of Progression: Astralis』.」

With his newfound power, he would protect his beloved nation.

Ken's evolution, even though he just recently obtained Ultimate Skill 『Progressive Lord: Astralis』, it, was easily fully utilised by him.

For Ken, who was constantly evolving his spirit, he easily evolved into the ranks of a saint.

The condition to becoming a saint involves an enlightened to cultivate and push their mind and body to the absolute limit, breaking completely through the mental barrier and becoming a spiritual lifeform.

This isn't something that can be acquired via training for most individuals.

Instead, requiring immense life and death situation to push them past their limit to achieve.

In actuality, it was because of his strong will and spirit that he had awakened to this stage.

Mind over body.

With this evolution, he had turned into something incredible.

He was now a "Greater Divine Spirit: Light Spirit Saint", the first human saint and a spiritual entity with the ability to regenerate infinitely.

A human built for physical combat.

Last but not least, a human that is capable of making attacks that could destroy the opposition's soul.

He has now evolved into what you can call the natural enemy of spiritual lifeform (Energy Creatures).

Making use of the energy borrowed from Arion, Ken was able to compensate for the energy he could not make up for on his own.

This energy was intrinsically used to recreate a body that is optimised and made purely for battle.

He now had a body suited for battle.

Clad in an armour made purely of spiritual energy, he had two white wings, each giving off a divine glow.

A white and blue armour along with a new blade.

He was now covered in mythical grade armour, wielding a mythical grade weapon.

Every metal was made of hihi'irokane, making it nigh-impossible to destroy.

Even if such were to happen, his armour would almost instantly repair itself, making it a completely fruitless endeavour.

It was then that he noticed that he had been unconsciously borrowing power from Arion.

He nodded to show his gratitude to the demon before looking back at the insectar.

Kenneth: 「Sorry for being such an ass. As you wanted, I will show you just how far I can go.」

「That is indeed what I want. Now, let's begin our third round.」

With these few words, they began the third round of the battle.

With a flash, they were already in front of each other.

A blow to the abdomen.

A slash to the arm.

A kick to the head.

A thrust to the chest.

They went at each other with such ferocity.

Even after severely being injured, they would just regenerate themselves and then strike again.

Using various strategies to secure absolute victory against the latter.

All these were done in a span of a few seconds.

The insectar would try to send energy disrupting blow towards Ken to shatter his armour.

Unfortunately for him, Ken would just parry the blow with his sword, absorbing both the shock produced by the force and the energy used.

Ken also used a strategy of his own.

By damaging the insectar, he would be making him waste energy by regenerating endlessly.

He would also absorb energy from his opponent through his attacks.

This was an intrinsic skill he gained when he evolved into a saint.

Intrinsic Skill: 『Existence Negation』

Activating such an ability, he could plunder his target's energy.

He could do so using his body or through his weapon (sword).

Even if his attack were to be blocked, the effect would still be active.

He is also able to make use of any energy that is plundered.

This is possible with the subskills of his new Ultimate Skill 『Progressive Lord: Astralis』.

Though he had a limit to his own energy, he could just use his opponent's energy to cover for his own losses.

To be able to do something like this makes him one of the few [2]ultimate spiritual lifeforms.

This could also be called "a clash of ultimate existences."

The insectar now saw Ken as a major threat.

He had been waiting for Ken to break the mental barrier and evolve into something greater, then devour him in an anticlimactic way.

Who would miss the chance to make their meal more delicious?

His plan went wonderfully well as seen, but the plan to eliminate him was now faltering.

He couldn't defeat Ken as easily as he thought.

It was the first time he made such a major flaw in his plan.

Now, he was paying the consequences for doing so.

He struck for an uppercut, but his hand was cut off..

He attempted to kick, but his leg was already off.

He tried to jump back, but his abdomen was separated from his upper body.

He then realised the bitter truth.

He had lost the battle.

「To think a mere mortal could damage me to this extent.」

Kenneth: 「It happened because of your mindset. "Humans are fodders for the strong." Isn't that what you always believe?」

「Shut up. Don't lecture me.」

Kenneth: 「Heh. I know what you feel, man. Trust me... the old fart... I'll just kill you.」

Kenneth moved forward to end the insectar.

「Like I'd allow myself to die in your hand.」

Before anything else could happen, the insectar's severed arm released dark cells that travelled towards Ken.

Luckily for him, he dodged the assault.

Ken: 「You jackass, just die already!!... Huh?」

The insectar was gone. He did not get a chance to finish it off.

Arion: 「You shouldn't let your opponent have time to prepare an escape plan. You strike immediately when you must.

Little mistakes like these could lead to severe consequences in the nearest future. That's what my master told me.」

Kenneth: 「I... I see. Sorry about that.」

Arion: 「Don't worry about it. He was "your prey" after all.」

Kenneth: 「Hahahaha!! Alright then. Thanks for the save. You know, you can remove the barrier now if you want to do so.」

Kenneth pointed at the barrier surrounding the town.

As soon as Arion appeared, he cast a barrier around the town to prevent intruders from interfering with their battle.

Arion: 「I know. But-」

He turned to look at Reidner.

Arion: 「-I think I can save him.」

Without a second word, he moved towards Reidner's corpse.

He outstretched his hand and began to perform a sacred art he learned from his master (Sariel).

The Sacred Art of Revival.

At this point, the armour around Ken had reverted to magicules and was absorbed back into his body.

Kenneth: 「Wait seriously-」

Arion: 「Shut it. I'm trying to concentrate.」

Kenneth: 「Ah. Sorry.」

There was silence between them until Arion brought down his arm.

Arion: 「It is done.」

He broke the silence between them and got up to leave.

Kenneth: 「W-Wait up!」

Arion: 「Hm? What else do you want?」

He asked Ken with a tired face. He had depleted way too many magicules and needed to rest for at least a few years to recover.

Unless his master was willing to lend him some magicules.

Kenneth: 「Th-Thank you very much!! I swear to make it up to you.」

Hearing what he had to say, he just smiled.

Arion: 「Counting on it, kid.」

With those as his last words, he disappeared.

Reidner: 「It seems like I got careless.」

Ken immediately turned to look at Reidner, who spoke.

Kenneth: 「Reidner-sama!!!」

He gave Reidner a tight hug, to which he complained.

Reidner: 「Oi you brat! Do you want to break these old bones!?」

Kenneth: 「Hehe. Couldn't help it.」

Reidner just smiled at him and spoke.

Reidner: 「Let's head back to her majesty.」

Kenneth: 「Heck yeah! After all that I've done, I'm definitely getting a smooch!」

Reider: 「Shut up, you degenerate.」

The two of them laughed out loud and headed towards the town with joy. The warm atmosphere between them made them feel refreshed.

They were both glad that they were able to defend their nation.

With that in mind, they went to help the others who were fighting against the remaining invaders.

---------------------------------

[1] Lord of Progression: Astralis

[Subskills]

1. Thought Acceleration

2. Analytical Appraisal

3. Chant Annulment

4. All of Creation

5. Multilayer Barrier

6. Danger Prediction

7. Progression

8. Outcome Manipulation

9. Spiritual Destruction

[2] Ultimate Spiritual lifeform are spiritual lifeforms whose existence are at the Ultimate-level.