Chapter 154

[Leo Garcia]

The transport aircraft was getting further and further away from Gojo. Even so, the light and the impact from the fight still reached us.

It served to let us know that Gojo was fighting.

There was nothing we could do, but even so we still wanted to know how the battle would unfold.

“Hey, look at this!”

One of the kids named Arthur said, as he took out his smartphone.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mr. Gojo is on here!”

“What?”

We all took a glance into Arthur’s phone. It was an image that was being taken from far away, but a vague outline of a person could still be seen.

“That’s…”

“There’s no doubt, that’s Mr. Gojo!”

“I believe so too.” said Noah agreeing with Arthur.

“In that case this image is probably broadcasted by a military drone.After all that’s not a place a person can get close to anymore.”

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[Osaka・Prime Minister’s Official Residence]

“It’s Gojo.But who is the other person?”

“I don’t know… However, if he is an enemy then he must be quite powerful.” said Prime Minister Tada, answering the Cabinet Ministers’ question. The overwhelming amount of battleships and the amebae-like monster that had eroded the earth had now been taken care of.

Tada was certain that it must have been Gojo’s doing, but he still thought that it wouldn’t end with just that.

“Well either way, we got a report from China saying that they have dispatched tens of drones to capture the scene.The footage will be broadcasted to every country’s government, however whether that footage will be made public to the country or not is all up to the said country’s government.”

“Will we be broadcasting it?”

“Yes. We are currently using the help of the media to show the footage just the way we receive it.I even believe that the whole country is already watching.”

“I see…”

Tada got the feeling that this was bound to be the last battle. He didn’t know whether humanity would win or lose. The only thing he could do now was put his trust in Gojo just like he had done in the past.

He continued watching the image of Gojo while praying.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The one who stood before me was a man with long black hair donned in golden armor. The design of his golden armor didn’t look any different from the silver ones that the other Demons wore.

However, it wasn’t just the color that was different, it seemed to be more powerful as well.

It was obvious that I wouldn’t be able to appraise the man himself, but even after using Appraisal I found out that I wasn’t even able to appraise neither his armor, nor the sword hanging around his waist.

[So it’s you…]

“What are you talking about?”

[I heard that the human defeated Aias entered the Dimensional Maze but… I see so that’s where you met Agaliarept.]

“I’ll ask just in case, but do you have any plans of taking your remaining companions and returning to your world?”

[Are you perhaps ordering me?]

“You can think of it however you like. I would just like to avoid a meaningless battle.If you promise to go back to your world and never return I’m willing to spare you.”

[Hahaha… It seems like you’ve misunderstood something. Do you really think you’ll be able to win against me just because you can use some powerful magic?If that really is so, then you’re gravely mistaken.]

The Demon Lord put his right hand on the hand of the sword hanging from his waist and began to slowly pull it out. The blade that came out shone with bewitching light.

[And it’s not like you can use that kind of magic numerous times, aren’t I right?]

“… That is indeed so. The magic that I just use can only be used once.If we end up fighting now, then you might have the advantage.”

Hearing my words, the Demon Lord smiled.

[Yet you seem pretty laid-back despite that.Are you perhaps underestimating me?]

“I’m fully aware that you’re strong.Under normal means I probably wouldn’t be your match. I even got pummelled by Agaliarept after all.” saying that I let out a faint smile.

‘Why did I do that I wonder?Even though I’m faced with the overwhelming powerful Demon Lord I don’t feel like I can lose.I already used nine of the ten crystals on Hades’ Ten Fingers.I only have one left.It’s obvious that I’m at a disadvantage.’

I looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to go over the horizon, but it was still bright.

[What’s wrong?]

“I just thought that the sun is still out…”

[… What are you implying?]

“Nothing much, don’t worry about it. I just thought about it since there wasn’t one in the maze.You don’t plan on backing down right?Shouldn’t we begin then?”

I looked towards the remaining crystal on my left hand. That crystal was the only colorless one. It looked just like a transparent pyroxene. I let out my magic power and it shattered with a light, more powerful than all before it.

“Grand Strengthening Magic.”

Countless beads of light appeared around me and then began to enter my body. My body radiated heat and I felt tremendous power surging from within me.

I spread both my hands wide and shouted out.

“KAMUY!!”

An explosion of energy was released from my body. That energy was clearly different from regular Aura. The golden colored energy covered my body and my legs lifted themselves off of the ground.

The Demon Lord kicked the ground and flew at me. The ground beneath him exploded from the impact and while being surrounded in rocks and a dust he increased his speed.

I brandished my sword and kicked the ground and shot forward in order to welcome him.

Two forces that wouldn’t normally intersect in a single world collided. When our blades clashed my Energy and the Demon Lord’s Magic Power burst forth, wiping out the ground in the area.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The footage that was watched by people from around the world suddenly cut off. That was because the numerous drones that were around Gojo were blown off by the impact.

When the image returned the two of them could no longer be seen.

Due to there being over ten drones it was easy to capture the battle. However, due to both of them being too fast the drones weren’t able to capture them.

Bursts occurred in the sky here and there, shockwaves formed, and a delayed thundering sound could be heard.

The people watching knew that the battle was still going on, but there was no way for them to figure out who had the advantage.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

‘This man… He can keep up with me.And not just that… This power… Isn’t he even stronger than Agaliarept?!’

My sword repelled during one of our clashes.

Using the chance my opponent quickly closed the gap between us.

‘Power, speed, technique, is he really better than me in all of those?Impossible.’

I stopped time.

‘No matter how good his reflex might be, it’s useless in this frozen domain.’

Is what I thought, but the man’s sword didn’t stop.

I somehow stopped his sword as it was slashing sideways, but I was thrown back due to losing in power.

[Impossible…]

The man was still moving as if nothing had happened. The only one who was able to move in this domain was Cronus who had the same power as me.

‘It can’t be… Does this man have the ability to stop time as well?’

It was hard for me to believe, but I couldn’t think of anything else. There were also his slashes. Each slash was heavy. His slashes hadn’t changed in power despite being in this frozen domain.

Which meant that he wasn’t using Aura.

‘Aura is a type of strengthening magic that was used on the outside of one’s body. It shouldn’t usually work in frozen time.However, if its effect still persists even in this domain then it means that he is simultaneously using some kind of body strengthening. Yet another spell that I don’t know…’

The man slashed at me with terrifying speed.

[YOU…!]

I produced four flesh tentacles from my back. I had already used quite a huge amount of flesh, but I still had enough to use in a fight.

I thrust my sword and the tentacles attacked as well, for a simultaneous attack from five places.

‘He won’t be able to dodge this.’

“Quadruple Dimensional Slash!”

The man’s sword shredded the four tentacles, turning them all into small cubes. Immediately after that he used his sword in order to repel mine.

He then raised his sword.

‘An all-out attack huh.’

In order to receive the man’s sword, I put my own sword up. The man’s sword that was swung with all of his might split my sword and buried itself in my body, starting from my shoulder and reaching up to my abdomen.

The wound wasn’t that severe, but the humiliation I suffered was immense. A reality where I suffered a wound after my sword was broken was not one that I could tolerate.

I rewound time. My wound started to quickly heal and my sword returned to how it was. It didn’t seem like the man had any desire to interfere.

‘It appears that even though he can move while time is frozen he cannot rewind it.Which means that this man’s ability is flawed.’

When my body returned back to its normal state this time I didn’t stop the attack with my sword but rather took a step back.

‘After all there is no one who can keep up with me.’ It happened just as I thought that.

The man took a step forward and slashed.

I had lowered my sword so I wasn’t able to guard and the sharp slash landed directly onto my shoulder.

The wound I suffered this time ended up being way worse than the one I had suffered before rewinding time back.

[Ugrh?!]

Blood flew out and I lost my balance.

“So you rewound time?You’re amazing… Still, there’s no point to use it on me since I can recognize when you do it.” said the man while looking down at me on my knees.

I began to recover my wound with Ultra Recovery, but I couldn’t forgive him for looking down on me like that.

[You bastard!]

As I tried to slash at the man, the man’s fist buried itself into my face.

My flesh split, my bones broke and the man’s fist buried itself deep into my skull. I lost my consciousness due to the impact, and when I came to, I was laying on the ground in a place quite a bit far away from the man.

It was just for an instant.

However, I had been beaten down to the ground. Me?! It was a humiliation the likes of which I had never experienced before.

The wound on my face quickly healed, but I couldn’t shake off the anger that was boiling inside me.

[You… Don’t think that you’ll have an easy death.I’m going to cut off your limbs one by…]

As I was saying that the man lightly swung his sword. Light stretched out from the sword and passed through my body.

My world was split from the centre into left and right.

I immediately understood what had happened. I had been split in right in two.