Chapter 49: Our Last Stand

Why do you fight?

My grandfather once asked me such an absurd question.

I thought it was funny, since he'd been the one irresponsible enough to introduce me, a child, to violence. 

I had no no idea what was going on in that insane mind of his, but to answer that question, I didn't bother responding. 

Of course…it wasn't the response he wanted.

So, once again, he asked—

—Why do you fight?

No change in tone or expression, he stared me straight in the eyes.

I had the urge to laugh in his face.

Not for any reason other than the fact that it was difficult for me to take him seriously.

He stepped forward and yanked me up by my collar.

—Why do you fight?

As I felt the amount of force in his grip, I decided to humor him before he pissed me off for real.

For my own sake

—Why else?

It was simple.

To live

—Why do you live?

I wasn't sure.

I have no other choice

—Is that all?

…Well, I didn't know what else to tell him.

I had spoken of what first came to mind, but if there were a single answer left in my heart, it would only be that—I don't want to lose.

The taste of defeat is a sensation I was unfamiliar with. 

An experience I had never lived through.

So, if your next question is whether or not I've ever failed.

Then, no—I never have…and I probably never will.

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The day of reckoning.

The echo of a final step.

Emerging from within the darkness, three figures stepped into a vast room, so vast that it seemed to be where giants had once dined. 

Spread out ahead, sleek white floors aligned their path, like the finest ballroom prepared for royals.

Massive white pillars engraved with spiral patterns stood tall, sturdy enough to uplift the sky.

Spanning dozens of rows, each of them began to glow with a dim light, wreathed in majesty.

The trio stood in complete silence, taking in the atmosphere of solemnity around them.

It was dark, leaving only the pillars to illuminate a little more than half of the entire room.

In such a setting, one couldn't help but feel small, as though reality had shown them just how tiny they truly were.

Even so, neither Aziel, Yue nor Suzu gave any indication of being shaken, with Aziel taking the lead as he walked out ahead with long, confident strides. Unhurried, both gloved hands were casually tucked away into his pockets, his brown overcoat fluttering gently.

He stared pointedly at the opposite end of the room, which held another set of massive double doors with splendid carvings and indecipherable designs.

It was quite a distance away, likely a few hundred meters to be exact. 

The two girls followed close behind on either side, faintly aware of an upcoming battle from the subtle shift in Aziel's demeanor. 

It was cold, aloof, and somewhat lonely. 

Though his broad back seemed powerful and all encompassing, like he would never fall regardless of how much he was broken, it felt as if they were seeing for the first time who he truly was.

Just a young man who'd persevered through countless hardships.

A young man who'd worked harder than anyone else despite his strength.

A young man…who'd always faced and overcome death all on his own. 

Behind that indifferent exterior, that was the kind of individual Aziel Nox was—An individual that no one could ever compare.

"The last monster is just up ahead. I'll kill it real quick and come back, so wait a minute." He spoke calmly, turning his head to glance at them before continuing. "…Stop staring and pay attention."

However, upon hearing this, Yue and Suzu only turned to look at each other, a sweet but helpless smile gracing their faces. 

As usual, it was a tacit understanding, already grasping that fact they both couldn't help but love the same person. 

It was past the point of animosity.

Fighting was useless, an utterly pointless endeavor.

Neither wanted to leave, or could even stomach the thought doing so. 

Their feelings had long since crossed the threshold of obsession, and thus, they were forced to adapt.

Since meaning could no longer be found in hating the other, why not try to enjoy their presence.

Yes, it was indeed an abnormal shift in thought process, but they were never normal to begin with.

After walking for nearly a minute or so, the trio eventually arrived at the last row of glowing pillars. 

The atmosphere had become increasingly ominous with each one they passed, foreshadowing a dangerous conclusion upon reaching the end.

And as luck would have it, that warning proved to be correct.

*FWOOOOooooooSssSHhhH*

Suddenly, a massive dark red magic circle appeared between them and the double doors, pulsing with bloody, malignant mana. Although it was slightly larger than the one that had summoned the Arachne Queen, its oppressive aura was incomparable.

It felt as though whatever catastrophe came out of it would bring about the demise of not just the human kingdoms and empires, but the entirety of all mankind.

"Holy hell…is anyone actually supposed to beat this…?" Suzu sighed in mock fascination, remaining undaunted by the sight.

"…Probably not just three people…or a single person for that matter." Yue responded absently, the intricate symbols and inscriptions reflecting in her pupils.

On the other hand, Aziel merely watched on silently, rubbing the back of his neck with slight impatience.

He was ready to get this over with.

And he didn't have to wait for long, as a momentary flash of blinding light filled the room. Aziel didn't bother to shut his eyes, observing closely until the light gradually died down. 

However, what had emerged from the colossal magic circle was a titan sized creature with six draconic heads attached to extremely long necks. On each head was an engraved pattern with different colors, and a pair of menacing dark red eyes.

The Hydra, a mythical creature only spoken of in fairytales.

*RAAAaaaAaaAaAAAAAA!!!*

A shriek-like howl filled with endless bloodlust shook the entire room.

It was so fierce that it would have no doubt stopped a normal person's heart on the spot.

Even so, Aziel took a step forward, leaving the two girls further behind. Gazing up at the monster, his eyes glowed softly—His face a mask of tranquility.

—Flames gathered in the mouth of a single Hydra head, one with a red pattern.

Brandishing a single hand toward the massive creature, Aziel simply stared into its many eyes, a gesture it surely didn't appreciate too much.

—With one final stretch, the head extended its neck, parted its jaws, and released a torrent of flames, enough to burn an entire building or two to ash.

Still, there was no need to be afraid.

Those who were weak couldn't hurt him.

"Hallowed Ground"

Without warning, a large golden barrier manifested at his command, covering himself and both the girls behind him.

Then, like parting the Red Sea, the tsunami of flames split in two, incapable of passing through the barrier or harming those inside it.

"Don't attack me with something so weak. Who do you think I am?" Aziel spoke in a tone just above a whisper, watching as the flames gradually dissipated.

He hadn't taken his eyes off the swaying Hydra heads even for a moment, keeping his arm outstretched toward it.

There was no hesitation.

No time for pondering.

Only a flicker of light.

"You want to see flames? I'll show it to you."

A spark ignited, a gathering of heat.

In his gloved hand, a fire began to burn.

In the center of his palm, a red-orange sphere, a blazing inferno came to life. 

—A low, guttural sound reverberated from the Hydra, each head preparing an attack of their own.

However, Aziel shook his head lightly.

"Useless."

The blazing sphere suddenly expanded, growing to the size of a wrecking ball.

The outcome was already decided.

No one could run from it.

Those who were weak would die.

Standing before the colossal Hydra, he seemed so tiny, yet…his level of power was beyond common sense.

"Burst Magma"

With these two words, the frightening ember suddenly inflated like a balloon, its appearance reminiscent of a dwarf star.

But just as everyone thought he was about to launch the attack; the cataclysmic sphere began shrinking. Almost immediately, its size had been compressed into that of a golf ball, floating in front of the palm of Aziel's hand until…it had shrunk to nothing.

There was a moment of silence.

Not even the Hydra, who was previously hellbent on slaughtering every intruder in sight, had moved past its initial position of attack.

Yet, half a second later—

*FWAAAAAAAaaaaaa...…!!!!!*

A hazardous wave.

A sunset of red and orange.

Like a volcanic eruption, a ruinous stream of molten lava burst forth, blocking out the view of anything ahead.

From the central point that was Aziel, all which existed in front of him could not escape its destruction.

*BOOOoooOoOooOooMmMMmm!!!*

The whole room quaked in havoc, making it difficult for one to keep their balance.

The ears of any ordinary person would have bled from the sound of immediate impact, rendering them incapable of hearing in the short term.

However, that was far from the worst of it.

The surrounding walls hissed loudly, melting as they emitted thick clouds of dust and smoke. 

It was as though hell itself had descended.

The residual heat was so intense that the ground around him had been left charred.

And truly, there was no need to even speak of what had become of the Hydra, as its entire upper half had been completely erased. Only bubbling, seared flesh remained at the base of each neck.

In the span of a few seconds, a monster on the level of a continental threat was vanquished in an instant.

No matter who looked at it, it was nothing less than absurdity.

Still, Aziel slowly turned on his heel and began walking back like nothing happened.

Not a speck could be found on him.

The two girls watching this scene wore an expression that oozed a sense of satisfaction.

"Look at this guy…" Suzu folded her arms and sighed, attempting to suppress her excitement at having witnessed such a thing.

Yue nodded, her gaze surprisingly warm "…You're a monster, Aziel." Though her words ran contrary to this sentiment.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." The white-haired girl looked over and giggled happily.

Despite their words, both of them had genuine smiles on their faces.

Even so, Aziel, who had clearly heard what they said, would never let it pass so graciously.

"Haaa…it's hard being too strong..."

He spoke with feigned exhaustion, closing in on the two girls until he was within arms reach. Then, he spread out his arms as though he were stretching before…allowing his body to fall limp on top of both of them.

"Wai—!"

"…A-ah…..!"

With a soft plop, they were both smothered by him.

Of course, it wasn't enough to send them tumbling to the ground, but it was still difficult to cope since he had such a large build.

At least, large enough to nearly cover the two of them completely.

"Ugh…! You're so big…for no reason…!"

"…That's what she said."

"Your timing is just impeccable, Yue…"

Suzu rolled her eyes, her voice muffled by Aziel's arm.

However, while the trio were off bantering with one another, the shadow of a large figure loomed behind the wide curtains of dust and smoke.

Noticing this, Yue and Suzu looked paused momentarily as they both looked over.

This couldn't have been expected.

The thick clouds of smoke were suddenly blown away, marking the emergence of the massive shadowy figure. 

"Eh…?"

"…It's…alive…?"

The two girls mumbled in confusion, looking between the single Hydra head that had apparently remained alive despite that devastating attack, and Aziel's figure slumped over them.

Still, he didn't react in the slightest, causing them to feel a bit awkward about this situation.

Even so, the single Hydra head waited for no one, gazing down at them menacingly as an aurora-colored light gathered within its jaws.

They instantly tensed up upon seeing this. They knew well that this wasn't the time for games.

It was an attack that actually posed a threat to them.

But before they could do anything, a voice echoed throughout the room.

Frigid and hollow.

Piercing and desolate.

Only two words Aziel spoke, yet it was as though he had ordered the world itself.

"Cold Winter"

Just the blink of an eye.

Half a second, no—

A mere instant.

That was all it took for the temperature to drop sharply, for the world…to become a frozen wasteland.

Delicate flakes of snow slowly began falling, drifting, gradually picking up speed and ferocity.

Thick layers of frost enveloped the entire room from corner to corner.

There wasn't a single spot that hadn't been touched by ice.

If one didn't know any better, they would've thought the end of the world was coming.

However, none of this was paid any attention to by either Yue nor Suzu, as they merely stared at the colossal frozen statue of what was once the Hydra.

There were no words to describe such a thing.

An intricate balance of beauty and horror.

A scale of power never seen before.

Simply blasphemous.

No one would believe it even if they saw it.

Out of the realm of what was imaginable, it was simply madness.

He was someone who shouldn't exist.

Anyone who gazed upon this scene would be forced to realize exactly who he was.

The epitome of absurdity.

The embodiment of disaster.

The harbinger of the apocalypse

No.

—The God of Extinction

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{}——————{}

Name: • Aziel Nox • 

Age: • 18 •

Gender: • Male • 

Race: • Doom Primordial •

Estimated Alignment: • Neutral Evil •

Level: 62

Job: World Nemesis

Strength: 7825

Vitality: 7605

Defense: 7430

Agility: 7785

Magic: 7710

Magic Defense: 7710

PI: Royal V 

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Skills: • {Star Convergence} • {Rule Divergence} • {Natural Alpha} • {Mana Manipulation}—+Mana Discharge—+Mana Compression—+Remote Manipulation—+Mana Emission—+Ether Absorption—+Increased Efficiency • {Gale Claw}—+Triple Gale Claws—+Flying Gale Caws • {Magic Proficiency}—+Spell Control—+Remote Spell Control—+Multi-Spell Casting • {Mana Conversion}—+Stamina Conversion—+Healing Conversion—+Shock Conversio—+Mana Pulse—+Mana Pressure—+Mana Burst • {Ethereal Constitution}—+Immense Body—+Peerless Mind—+Gargantuan Presence • {Scavenger}—+Healing Digestion—+Self Sustenance • {Attribute Reduction} • {Anti-Existence}—+Counter—+Armor Piercing—+Energy Leech—+Negate Healing • {Skill Reduction} • {Skill Acquisition}—+Ability Comprehension • {Unfettered Motion}—+Successive Motion—+Silent Movement—+Motion Channeling—+Efficient Mobility • {Expedited Growth}—+Ability Transcendence • {Multi-Hit-Strike}—+Attack Compression—+Attack Amplification—+Penetrating Strike

—+Supercharge—+Power Stacking—+Chain Attack • {Analyze}—+Power Perception—+Multitasking—+Thought Acceleration—+Clear Mind—+Thoughtless Activity • {Transmute}—+Ore Appraisal—+Precision Transmutation—+Increased Transmutation Speed—+Ore Perception—+Ore Desynthesis—+Ore Synthesis—+Duplicate Transmutation—+Reduced Mana Consumption—+Image Supplementation—+Compression Synthesis—+Ore Decomposition—+Expanded Transmutation—+Plunder Transmutation • {Tailoring}—+Textile Appraisal—+Precision Sewing

—+Increased Sewing Speed—+Reduced Mana Consumption—+Image Supplementation—+Duplicate Tailoring—+Clothing Refinement—+Enhanced Fashion Design—+Sewing Expertise—+Stitching—Expanded Tailoring • {Cooking Proficiency} • {Mental Pressure} • {Adaptive Combat} • {Persistence} • {Insight Mimicry} • {Perfect Magic Affinity} • {Tracking Evasion} • {Image Composition} • {Extreme Damage Mitigation} • {Language Comprehension} • {Diamond Skin}—+Diamond Protection—+Focused Hardening • {Regrowth} • {Split Body} • {Acid Needles} • {Increased Perception} • {Spatial Awareness} • {Tracking} • {Shock Invocation} • {Parasitic Spores} • {Melee Weapon Proficiency} • {Ranged Weapon Proficiency} • {Technological Creation} • {Technical Proficiency} • {Acceleration} • {Multiplied Mana Recovery} • {High Speed Mana Recovery} • {Increased Mana Recovery} • {Power Resistance} • {Pain Suppression} • {Weakness Resistance} • {Pressure Resistance} • {AirDance}—+Aerodynamics—+Supersonic Step—+Steel Legs • {Telepathy} • {Lightning Field}—+Lightning Shot—+Lightning Resistance—+Increased Output • {Sleep Suppression} • {Night Vision} • {Sense Presence} • {Sense Heat} • {Sense Soundwaves} • {Petrification}—+Petrification Resistance • {Observation Detection} • {Heartbeat Detection} • {Far Sight} • {Foresight} • {Hide Presence} • {Detect Magic} • {Ranged Detection} • {Poison Spit}—+Poison Resistance • {Paralysis}—+Paralysis Resistance • {Mental Resistance} • {Elemental Resistance} • {Physical Resistance} • {Cold Resistance} • {Heat Resistance} • {High Resistance} • {Adaptive Resistance} • {Biological Resistance} • {Amplify Sensations} • {Farming Proficiency} • {Animal Affinity} • {Intimidation} •

{}——————{}

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{}——————{}

Name: • Yue • 

Age: • 323 •

Gender: • Female • 

Race: • Progenitor Vampire •

Estimated Alignment: • True Neutral •

Level: 69

Job: Immortal Sorcerer

Strength: 2000

Vitality: 2330

Defense: 1700

Agility: 2000

Magic: 13995

Magic Defense: 14125

PI: Royal IV

—————

Skills: • {Automatic Regeneration} • {All Elemental Affinity} • {Spell Melding} • {Mana Manipulation} • {Image Composition} • {Blood Conversion} • {High Speed Mana Recovery} • {Blood Regeneration} • {Vampirism} • {Form Dispersal} • {Blood Puppetry} • {Telepathy} • {Night Vision} • {Mana Efficiency} • {Rapid Mana Recovery} • {Blood Manipulation}—+Blood Crystallization—+Blood Transformation—+Blood Efficiency—+Blood Clone—+Severe Bleeding—+Blood Aura • {Lie Detection} • {Acidic Blood} • {Miracle Blood} • {Mind Compulsion}—+Mind Link • {Illusion Casting} • {Poison Resistance} • 

{}——————{}

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{}——————{}

Name: • Suzu Taniguchi • 

Age: • 17 •

Gender: • Female • 

Race: • Ancient Chimera •

Estimated Alignment: • True Neutral •

Level: 68

Job: Forcefield Creator

Strength: 2765

Vitality: 3180

Defense: 3195

Agility: 3020

Magic: 3990

Magic Defense: 3990

PI: Royal III

—————

Skills: • {Barrier Magic Affinity} • {Light Magic Affinity} • {Force-Field Control} • {Image Composition} • {Possession} • {Demonic Aura} • {Venom Secretion} • {Ingestive Immunity} • {Seismic Detection} • {Nail Retraction} • {Prey Instinct} • {Chimeric Alteration} • {Sand Body} • {Sand Revival} • {Hell-Fire Breath} • {Heightened Senses} • {Recovery Magic Affinity} • {Mana Manipulation} • {Spell Melding} • {Gale Claw} • {Tracking} • {Night Vision} • {Sense Heat} • {Detect Magic} • {Farsight} • {Sense Presence} • {Hide Presence} • {Foresight} • {All Elements Resistance} • {Physical Resistance} • {Petrification Resistance} • {Fear Resistance} • {Poison Resistance} • {Paralysis Resistance} • {Increased Mana Recovery} • {Doubled Mana Recovery} • {High Speed Mana Recovery} • {Mana Conversion} • {Mana Efficiency} • {Telepathy} • 

{}——————{}

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Blood slid down a narrow blade, dripping from its razor-sharp edge and splashing softly into grass.

"Fu…"

A faint, relaxed breath rang out. 

Staring up into the clear blue sky, a pair of violet eyes glistened as lilac strands of curly hair swayed gently in the evening breeze.

The girl standing amidst the field of corpses parted her cherry blossom pink lips, allowing a voice lighter than spring to escape into the wind.

"Have I become strong…"

She glanced down at her sword, gazing at her bloodied reflection.

"…Aziel."

______________________

I had a hard time finishing this one for some reason.

Anyways, the 'PI' in the status window stands for 'power index' and will be explained later, since Arifureta's power system is a little more than dumpster fire.