Chapter 73

1.

The size difference was unmistakable.

Towering over even the average building with a steel body and diverse attack patterns, Binah, the Knower of Contemplation, was truly a being that matched the word ‘monster.’

Throughout countless battles fought every time she emerged from beneath the desert sands to the surface, Binah’s experiences had honed her battle instincts.

The endless battles engraved in her memory had transformed her from a creature driven by simple animalistic instincts into a formidable predator.

Binah thought the same would apply this time. Despite encountering a powerful foe, she had no doubt she would emerge victorious.

Certainly, because she was not only a predator but also a prophet.

But…

What was happening now?

CRAAAASH-!!

As it pierced her body from the blind spot near her spine, Binah emitted an agonized roar, sensing the damage to her internal systems.

She couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t comprehend.

She absolutely could not grasp what was happening!

The bullets and bombs raining from the ground were tearing her armor apart.

The precision with which her nemesis was piercing her body with steel rods was incomprehensible.

All of it was beyond her understanding.

Surely, she was meant to be the predator!

[Kraaaaaaa─!!]

Should she have fled?

Should she have avoided the battle with that fearsome blue-eyed enemy?

Should she not have engaged with the yellow-eyed king leading the land’s forces?

Fear. Fear. Fear!

Binah’s mainframe overloaded with the sensation of impending defeat, something she’d never experienced before.

In that moment of inability to make proper judgment…

KRAZZT─!!

When the steel rod pierced her remaining eye-lens, Binah came to a decision.

“I have to run! I can’t win!” she concluded.

Even though she couldn’t see, Binah tried to turn her massive body quickly, needing to dive into the sand to escape this battle.

However…

[…?!!]

Her body wouldn’t move.

Something was pulling her back.

A familiar voice reached her confused ears.

“Who said you could run away?”

It was her nemesis—the human with the piercing blue eyes.

The source of Binah’s fear was holding her in place.

Binah thought for a moment.

‘Shit. I’ve picked the wrong fight with this madwoman.’

2.

At the exact moment the remaining eye-lens was pierced,

Binah seemed to sense her defeat and made an attempt to flee.

Silk responded immediately by launching countless web shooters.

Using all the remaining fluid available, she created dozens of strands of webbing to ensnare her foe.

Finally, Binah’s exhausted body became trapped in a web-filled labyrinth.

The spiderweb crisscrossing the buildings and concrete surfaces amazed onlookers, making it look like a real spider caught its prey.

Yet, Silk’s actions continued without pause.

She rushed forward with some steel rods she found somewhere and began embedding them into Binah.

Repeatedly inserting and withdrawing them.

KONG!!

Embedding, falling, retrieving, embedding again.

Silk’s eyes had turned feral with the intent to kill.

She moved like a madman driven by the desire to kill her opponent.

Repeatedly thrusting, embedding, and spearing.

KONG!!

KONG!!

KONG!!

KONG!!!!

Eventually, the rods reached Binah’s neck and head. By the time this happened, the scene resembled an acupuncture treatment.

Nine rods were stuck in the gaping mouth, seven around the eyes, and fourteen in the head and neck combined.

What kind of boss gets taken down this way?

If Earth players had seen it, they would have slapped their foreheads. The same went for everyone watching in Kiburatos.

“…This steel snake is starting to be pitiful.”

“Oh, this is a bit excessive…”

“Poor eel.”

Behold, the preserved snake bound with webs and rods.

That’s right; it was Binah, the Knower of Contemplation.

[i] [Krrrrrrrr……….]

Even as Binah opened her mouth to emit a low sound, Silk didn’t stop. She picked up a rod, rushed forward, and stabbed.

She had no notion of pose or creed.

In this moment, the only thing Silk needed to possess was…

The resolve to kill the object before her eyes.

That’s all there was.

With a deafening roar,

An iron rod aimed between the eyes, towards the forehead.

The next target was the crown of the head.

Still, Binah’s body attempted to move against the web.

“About time, die already!!!!!!”

Silk screamed and swung the rod with fierce wind pressure towards Binah’s crown.

And then…

CRAAAASH!!!!!

The immediate aftermath brought a tremendous roar as Silk’s thrown rod pierced through Binah’s crown.

Without stopping there, Silk clenched her fist and proceeded to strike the rod embedded in Binah’s crown.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

She pounded it like a hammer, each punch driving the rod deeper, causing a scream.

Silk continued without pause, striking the other rods to drive them further into Binah’s body.

CRAASH!!

CRAASH!!

CRAAAAASH!!!

“GGgggghh. Khhh. Ghhhhh…”

Even as she exhaled harsh breaths and spat out green smoke, Silk didn’t stop her action.

She kept hitting, over and over, relentlessly.

Striking, spearing, and destroying until the opponent before her eyes gave up her last breath.

And at some point during these relentless strikes, reinforcements from the ground also joined in, adding more impact to Binah.

Chk-

Binah emitted a sound like suffocating.

Subsequently, Binah began showing abnormal reactions.

Her body began to tremble violently.

“…!!”

She’s reached her limit!

Silk realized instinctively.

Was it from the relentless attacks, or from being overwhelmed by Silk’s terrifying aura?

Or was it from the recent attack causing significant damage?

It didn’t matter; Silk had to press the attack and finish her off.

CRACK!

Silk yanked out the rod from the neck and aimed again at the crown.

She thrust with all her might.

ZEEEERRRNG─!!!

The head was pierced, and fragments scattered.

Though splinters grazed Silk’s cheek and blood trickled down, she didn’t flinch once.

She simply watched the moment of the prey’s demise.

And then…

PTT-

The halo above Binah’s head began to distort with noise, faded into a haze, and then completely disappeared.

What does the disappearance of that halo signify?

Yes. It means downfall. The consciousness has faded.

She’s either dead or unconscious.

“…”

“…”

And with it, everyone was momentarily at a loss for words.

Once at the bizarre method employed by Silk, then again at the sight of Binah finally succumbing to that method.

Due to the relentless shocks accumulating in Binah, her system went into overload, leading to the destruction of the mainframe and loss of consciousness from the final blow.

At that scene, other onlookers could only marvel at Silk’s overwhelming capability.

From the electrified technique witnessed earlier to the fighting method involving metal rods a moment ago.

“Seriously, she’s crazy…”

The same feeling everyone had when Silk alone took down villains.

A sense of wonder, that’s what they felt deeply in their hearts.

Above the extinguished halo of Binah’s head,

There stood the figure of the Hero, panting heavily, overlooking Abidos, having overcome death multiple times to finally secure victory.

“Waaaaaah-!!!”

“Silk!! Silk!! Silk!!!”

After an initial stunned silence at such a shocking scene, people erupted in jubilation once they realized the battle had ended.

“Really, it’s finally over…”

“Haa…”

The students present let out sighs of relief.

“…Good job, everyone.”

The teacher consoled those students,

“Haa, seriously…”

“…We were worried about you…”

Even the sighs from those who assisted Silk from a distance could be heard.

The fierce battle at Abidos quickly spread across Kiburatos.

And for a while, the teacher at Abidos, along with the students of Abidos and Gehenna, would undoubtedly continue to be a topic of conversation.

Likewise, the kind neighbor who concluded the battle would be remembered in the same fashion.

For a while, indeed, endlessly, it would be remembered.

Such thoughts crossed everyone’s minds.

“Ugh…”

And hence, it was only natural that everyone turned their eyes toward Silk, the protagonist of the moment.

Silk, breathing heavily, maintained her wounded body with visible difficulty.

Her standing posture seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

This stirred a certain uneasiness and subtle emotion in the people’s hearts, but then…

“Eh?”

“Eh!!”

“SILK!!!!!!”

A moment later, when Silk lost consciousness and fell from atop Binah’s head.

Everyone couldn’t help but be startled.

“GGG- Chk, Silk!!!!!”

In that instant, the person feeling the most intense emotions, the swiftest of all present, ran to Silk.

And embraced her in their arms.

“Huu… S, Silk. Are you alright…?”

The girl, visibly flustered, asked in a stuttering voice.

In response, Silk, who had reopened her eyes, called out the girl’s name.

“…Hina. Thank you for catching me.”

“You scared me! I thought you were hurt badly…”

“Haha… Sorry. But I’m incredibly sleepy…”

Silk expressed exhaustion verging on death.

Hina smiled faintly and continued.

“Hmm, really. It’s okay to rest now. Leave everything to us. Good job. Silk.”

Among those here, the person who endured the most was undoubtedly her, the Hero. She shouldn’t carry any heavier burdens now.

To ensure Silk didn’t suffer any longer and she wouldn’t vanish from their sight again,

Hina tightly hugged Silk in her arms.

“Thank you… hehe.”

“…”

Whether she understood Hina’s inner thoughts or not, Silk’s cheerful smile made Hina hesitate momentarily but managed to withstand it. Now was not the time to act on impulse.

“Hmm, you always give me tests…”

With a bitter smile, Hina carried Silk and returned to the others.

Then, Hina made an announcement, one full of shock.

“We will welcome Silk to Gehenna.”

“Huh?”

“Wha?”

While Silk slept,

An unknown conflict had just begun.

3.

[Wow, I really thought I was done for…lol]

I thought that Silk chick fell and died when she got hit by the snake, but here she is alive AGAIN. lol

Seriously, is she stronger after this? Is this some level-up effect? lmao

Honestly, watching her fight, you just can’t help but revere her…

=[Comments]=

[lmao]

[Damn, Silk came in and I screamed out loud…I believed in her though lol]

[That chick is unreal….super cool chick….]

[Sex lol]

[Isn’t this GOAT again…?]

[Did Silk just seem more ruthless coming back from near-death?]

She used to fight with such brutality, but now it’s like she’s possessed—super intense…

Every time I see her bleeding and fighting hard while grimacing, I can’t take it…

Before, she’d hide herself while fighting, but now her coat’s torn apart, and she’s fighting in a white suit! Silk chick is clearly teasing us, bruh.

Seriously… does this chick even know how alluring she is?

Her face under that mask must be off the charts beautiful.

Damn, I can’t handle this…

[Silk. The light of my life, the fire of my soul. My sin and my rest. My spirit.]

=[Comments]=

[What is this dude on? hahaha]

[Yeah, I came here for drama, but this is next level]

[Silk state lol]

[Son of a gun, I’ve seen things…now I must worship…]

[Huge]

[Sneak worship, legit]

[Silk << This chick nearly died and now she seems extra bitter, isn't it kinda off?]

She used to fight fiercely, but now... she has this malevolent vibe. Feels weird...

Whenever I see her bleeding and fighting with that twisted expression, it's unbearable...

She used to hide and fight, but now she's exposing herself in what looks like a white suit, showing off her figure in combat. Silk's definitely tempting us, that's a fact.

Damn... does she even know what she's doing?

I bet that face under the mask is stunning...

Man, I can't stand it...

[Hmm... Seeing her fight with that intensity is kind of heartbreaking though...]

I've never seen anyone fight like this so fiercely before...;

Especially when she's wielding a steel rod like it's a construction site tool;

I even saw her injuries, which were pretty bad, but she's still going at it like a madwoman... She's not human

Silk << This girl is not human anymore bro

At this point, we should start calling her inhuman...

How is she smashing building-sized monsters barehanded, surviving 100,000 volts, falling from heights, and still functioning normally??!?

Comparing her to the strongest from other academies is kinda disrespectful at this point...

=[Comments]=
[Damn, it's intense, my heart's racing]

["Divinity"]

[Original intention was to argue, but yeah... How is any human kid capable of this stuff??]

-[Neru] Pressed the like button

-[Mika] Pressed the like button

-[Hina] Pressed the like button

[She's just a star that drives people mad...]

[Huge]

[But yeah, this girl is seriously strong]

[Ehh... Isn't that poor snake getting the worse end of this tho?]

Bringing out the skewers again? And now she's hammering them in even further with her fists?

This snake picked the wrong fight with the wrong person hahaha

=[Comments]=
[??? : Just save me...]

[At first, I was like "oooh," but now I'm just feeling bad for the snake lol. What is this, acupuncture??]

[Just let it go!!!]

- [Haha, but spider silk is real!]

[But Hina and the pink-haired girl are seriously powerful tho]

Among the others, these two are practically the only ones following Silk's movements closely.

Feels like those two had a big part in taking down the snake as well.

=[Comments]=
[I gotta admit they're both insanely strong]

[The pink-haired girl's mismatched eyes are pretty]

[Love the shotgun vibes she gives off]

[But... aren't they both kind of... small?]

-[Blocked IP from Trinity]

[Gorgeous but brutal fight]

[That shield parry was impressive]

[I've heard about the head of student council, but this girl's unexpected strength shocked me. Was she from Abidos?]

-[That's Takanashi Hoshino. Former member of the Abidos Student Council. According to our Gehenna intel, she was marked as a significant concern.]

-[What?]

-[What?]

-[What is this guy's deal?]

[Is this guy serious?]

[Seeing Silk like this...]

Seeing that radiant smile makes me want to punch something...

Her sweet talking is killing me...

"Today's side dish is Silk"

Thinking about it now, it pisses me off...

She never gave us a smile like that before!!!

=[Comments]=

[My horns are breaking...]

[My Silk!!]

[Damn, now it's about to become an NTR situation with that silver-haired chick and the Gehenna guy...]

[That horned bastard dares to take my Silk!!!]

-[Blocked IP from Trinity]

-[Trinity? Racist much? Haha]

-[Yeah, you again Trinity guy?]

[Is there like chemistry between them??]

[This again??]

[Looks like the polar bear slaughter is starting...]

[- Polar Bear : Damn you all]

[So, they're more than just acquaintances eh?]

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