Chapter 169
“Wh-what is this…?”
Gremony couldn’t hide their astonishment. Nahun swung their sword down, and the moment it clashed with Mikael’s flames, a crater-like formation appeared on the ground due to the clash of two immense forces.
It wasn’t some other magical phenomenon at play. It was simply a collision of power that altered the surrounding terrain. But that wasn’t all.
“The portal…”
One of the three portals connecting the Demon World and the human realm, which could not be closed by the laws of the world, had forcibly shut down. The shock was so great that it temporarily lost its functionality.
It was an astounding sight, but what was even more surprising was that the outcome of the battle had not yet been decided.
The ominous magic power that had begun to surge like a dragon’s roar and the divine power, flickering like flames, were still palpable.
Amidst the blonde hair tinted with red energy, the crimson eyes stared into the brilliantly shining golden ones.
On the surface, both seemed unscathed. However, there was undoubtedly a slight gap between the two. The evidence was that the ground near where Mikael stood had formed a deeper depression.
Mikael wiped the blood trickling from his lips.
“You’re not using your full-power techniques, Nahun…!”
“I can’t destroy the Demon World.”
Mikael let out a hollow laugh at those words. It was nearing noon. That meant it was time for Mikael’s power to peak. In the Heavens, there was no one who could contend with Mikael at full strength, save for ‘her’.
Yet, the demon before him, a great demon with twelve wings, was the pinnacle of Hell.
Even without using his full-power technique, “Annihilation,” and employing a far weaker spell, Nahun had dealt Mikael a staggering blow. Mikael felt acutely aware of how immensely powerful that force was.
“Is that enough for someone like me!!”
Mikael determined that a firepower battle wasn’t feasible. To surpass this being, who even overwhelmed him, he needed finesse.
Mikael spread his eight wings wide. Then he dashed toward the swirling vortex of magic.
Nahun, at the center of the vortex, slowly raised their sword.
Kaching─────!!
As Mikael subdued the magic power with his divine power and charged in, Nahun swung their sword. Mikael had to meet that sword head-on at a perfectly timed moment.
“Not a single flaw…!”
Mikael twisted the sword awkwardly, managing to escape Nahun’s pressure. Utilizing the ability to fly, he pretended to retreat and then leaped forward, aiming for Nahun’s crown.
Boom!!!
But again, he was easily blocked. Nahun parried Mikael’s sword with their own, extending their empty left hand. Mikael quickly pulled back.
Nahun’s hand narrowly brushed against the tips of Mikael’s wings.
“If I get caught…”
His wings nearly ripped off. And as the tension dragged on, the pressure of the magic power grew stronger.
Mikael judged it was futile to withstand anymore in the vortex of magic, so he pulled back again.
“…!”
Even though he neutralized the magic power using his powerful divine strength, at the moment he tried to escape, Nahun’s magic left wounds on Mikael’s body.
Mikael took a deep breath and looked at Nahun. Despite having exchanged blows several times, while Mikael clearly showed signs of exertion, Nahun appeared completely unfazed.
Seeing that indifferent expression, Mikael let out a hollow laugh.
“Well…, it’s no wonder you’re the opposite of Sandalphon.”
Breaking through with finesse was no easy feat.
Nahun’s sword techniques were neither flamboyant nor hard to predict. In a way, they were incredibly simple and restrained movements. Yet, Nahun saw right through every one of Mikael’s feints, swinging their massive sword with perfect timing to block them.
Because of the power disparity from the size of their weapons, every time Mikael parried, he instead accumulated damage.
“Did the portal close because of that last strike…?”
The means of retreat could also be considered cut off. Now there were two options.
One was for Mikael to defeat Nahun.
The second was to endure while the Heavens army, attacking from another direction, cleared a pathway.
However, the problem was that Iris, the hero of the sword, was already incapacitated, and the hero of the staff needed to utilize magic power. With Nahun’s overwhelming magic power suffocating the area, it was impossible for the staff to gather any magic power.
“All I can count on are the Spirit Kings.”
Even that seemed doubtful amidst the immense pressure of magic. Ultimately, the best course of action was…
“Mikael.”
“!”
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
Nahun lifted their sword. Unlike before, they didn’t gather magic power and swung their sword horizontally instead of vertically.
『 Ruína Ensis 』
Zzziiiing─────!!
Yet it was strong. Mikael swung his sword to create sparks and barely managed to block that strike, getting pushed back.
Nahun spoke.
“Is this all you have?”
Nahun could not hide the disappointment in their expression as they questioned if Mikael was only this capable. Just that single remark made Mikael frown.
‘…I can’t deny it.’
Mikael had ego too. Excluding Sandalphon, who rarely intervened in special situations, he was in fact the utmost force of the Heavens. He prided himself on his skills and was confident he could lead the battle to victory.
However, it was prudent to put that aside for now.
That powerful great demon before him was.
‘An unprecedented arch-nemesis.’
Someone stronger than any adversary he had ever faced.
Mikael slightly lowered his head.
Having always looked from a strong position with the viewpoint of a victor, Mikael realized his own position at this moment.
Mikael acknowledged it.
At this moment, he was the weaker challenger.
A brilliant platinum ring floating above him shone brightly.
Divine power surged throughout Mikael’s body. He didn’t think of anything else but to overcome the opponent before him.
There was no hiding anything.
He revealed all his strength without reserve, warning his enemy.
The next confrontation would not be easy. He wouldn’t be able to act as leisurely as before. He made it known that he would devote everything to this battle without any other schemes.
“I will eradicate evil.”
Mikael’s red eyes glimmered passionately. His divine strength poured forth, dispersing the pressure of the surrounding magic power.
Mikael’s sword began to burn stronger and more brilliantly. In response, the platinum ring above him emitted a brighter glow.
“It is time.”
The sun.
“It is noon.”
It positioned itself at the exact center of the sky.
#
Nahun also reacted to witnessing Mikael’s true power.
The previously expressionless look in Nahun’s eyes had a glimmer of life. Even while fighting Mikael, he had appeared somewhat bored, but now there was a hint of interest. A faint smile crept onto his lips. He was enjoying it.
The trembling Leviathan sensed their master’s newfound mood and briefly raised its head before quickly bowing again.
“Very well.”
Nahun, who had not moved from the center of the swirling magic, stepped forward. The twelve massive wings flapped one by one.
Responding to the full power of the Archangel, the great demon also said.
“Come, strike me.”
The voice of the interested great demon sounded a bit exhilarated. He slammed his massive sword of demise into the ground, then dragged it along as he approached Mikael.
“I shall engrave into you that angels can never surpass me.”
“…How arrogant.”
The Archangel imbued with holy flames, capable of purifying all magic with his mere existence, and the great demon, endowed with the power to annihilate all, glared at each other and advanced.
And without anyone able to say a word, the two strongest beings swung their swords.
『 Annĭhĭlátĭo Ensis 』
「 Prominence Impact 」
Boom─────────!!
The collision of their powers was incomparable to their previous encounters. The previous clash suggested neither had been earnest, as it was a force so immense it shook the very dimensions.
Massive shockwaves affected the surroundings, and even Gremony and their army, sheltered by Nahun’s magic power, could not stand firmly against the aftershock.
“Cough…!”
“Hey!! Dammit, gather the fallen soldiers!”
“More are down here, general!”
Even several soldiers who were slightly weaker fainted from the impact. The aftershock wasn’t just sweeping over Gremony’s army.
Relatively, Citri’s legion was closer to the location where Nahun was, and the strong winds caused by the shockwave blew away the tents, toppling the soldiers.
Citri, unable to withstand the impact, was barely held up by Belkarus. Meanwhile, Gize could do nothing but clasp their head with both hands, merely bowing down.
“W-what’s going on!?”
“I don’t know either… but there’s one thing that’s certain.”
Belkarus, sweating profusely, looked toward the source of the overwhelming shock.
“…We will not lose.”
In reality, the entire 72nd layer was encompassed by their range of influence. Seere, Noah, and Minerva, who were in a standoff, could only squint against the gusts of wind.
“Teacher… what on earth…?”
Seere was unable to conceal their shock, feeling extremely uneasy as they couldn’t see if Mikael was safe. To that anxious Seere, Ersha spoke simply.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.”
“…What? How can I not worry after seeing that?”
“There is no being in this world that can defeat that individual. The moment Nahun was able to unleash their full power, the outcome was predetermined.”
Ersha spoke as if awaiting no result.
“We have won.”
#
The battle between the strongest forces of the Heavens and Hell did not conclude easily. Despite the massive clash from earlier, the two beasts did not take a break and continued to exchange blows.
Boom──────!!
Nahun no longer chanted the incantations. Their swirling magic merely absorbed into the sword, automatically converting into a powerful technique without the need for incantation.
This was possible because he processed the complex runic incantations purely through thought. However, Mikael also wasn’t completely outmatched.
Unlike Nahun, who had to control his techniques to prevent the destruction of the Demon World, Mikael was free from such restrictions. He revealed everything without restraint.
Bang! Boom!! Crash! Bang!!!
In a flurry of exchanges, they traded dozens of blows to pierce through one another. Yet, with no sign of a conclusion, it was Mikael who first initiated his victory move.
「 Excision 」
Flames that burned everything enveloped Mikael’s sword. As he swung it vertically, even Nahun’s swirling magic was severed.
“…Behold.”
Tensed, Mikael finally allowed himself a small smile.
“Am I still just an angel?”
Flames were consuming Nahun’s left wing. Nahun glanced at it momentarily, then nonchalantly flipped the sword over.
Suddenly, the flames clinging to the wing dissipated due to the overwhelming pressure of magical power. Just as Mikael thought he had finally landed a hit, he could only click his tongue at Nahun’s ability to render it useless.
“Not yet, Nahun!!”
「 Eternal Flame 」
As Mikael attempted once again to strike with his flame-covered sword, Nahun intentionally offered an opening, raising their sword high.
‘An opening?’
Mikael was briefly confused but determined not to waste the golden opportunity. No matter what kind of trick it was, he decided his sword would sever Nahun’s head faster.
Fixated on Mikael’s approach, Nahun began to recite the incantation, which he had previously processed in his mind.
“Execution…”
Crumble!!
Magic power coalesced. The red magic gathered entirely into the sword, forming an immense executioner’s great sword.
“Judgment.”
『 Carnĭficátor 』
The moment Mikael’s sword aimed for Nahun’s neck, the executioner’s great sword descended mercilessly.
Kruish─────────────────!!
The ‘Executioner’.
It was one of the strongest spells capable of obliterating the entire 72nd layer, aside from a few attacks. To ensure that strike connected, Nahun intentionally offered his neck.
To end things before they dragged on any further. If he delayed, it was obvious that Mikael, unconcerned about the existence of the Demon World, would devastate the 72nd layer.
Blood trickled from Nahun’s neck where Mikael’s sword struck. But it wasn’t deep. Before Mikael could completely sever Nahun’s head, Mikael’s arm was already flying off.
No, it wasn’t just his arm.
Cough, blood gushed from Mikael’s mouth. Not only from his mouth, but blood also poured from his severed arm and the thigh area where his right leg was cut off, along with his four right wings that had vanished.
Like the direction from which his arm, leg, and wings had been severed, the mountains and land behind him were split in half. The force remained even after slicing through Mikael’s robust frame, cleaving the earth itself.
Mikael’s once passionately glowing red eyes were now dim. The once radiant platinum ring had lost its luster and turned dark.
“F-finally…?”
Mikael coughed up blood and continued his sentence.
“Was it arrogance that I didn’t avoid at the end… or was it a calculation?”
Nahun removed Mikael’s sword embedded in their neck. Instead of healing, he forcibly sealed the wound shut with powerful magic power, preventing any blood from flowing out. Though the wound was deep enough to expose white bones, there was no sign that the cervical vertebra had been broken.
It was a result that could not have occurred without perfect calculation. Ultimately, what Nahun had done wasn’t a gamble.
However, Nahun said,
“You were fortunate.”
With that simple remark, Mikael let out a hollow laugh and spat blood.
“I… see…”
Mikael’s eyes slowly fluttered closed. Even though he had stepped forward, he could hardly imagine that this battle would end at the lowest layer of the Demon World.
But he could admit defeat.
Without regrets, he had unleashed his full power.
Yet, it was he who had been broken.
“You are indeed… great.”
He could acknowledge that absolute strength.
