Chapter 160

Chapter 160

Usually, if an explosion went off inside one’s mouth, one would die. However, my opponent was a Great Demon, so I couldn’t afford to expect such a straightforward ending.

For that reason, even as smoke billowed around me, I was already preparing for what would come next. And that ‘preparation’ included gathering Arcane Power into my sword, so I’d be ready to counter whatever was thrown at me.

Buooooooh!

> [You damn mortal!!]

‘Persistent bastard.’

See? I knew that would happen. If things just kept going like that, the Great Demons’ reputation would be on the line here. There was no way it would simply die like that.

Of course, I would have much preferred Moby Dick just whimpering and giving up, but there was no way that Great Demon would ever grant my wishes.

Sure enough, Moby Dick eventually emerged from the smoke. However, its size was simply too massive to dodge once I realized what was happening.

“Cough!”

I could hear the kimchi dumpling coughing up blood behind me. The whale must have broken several layers of her barriers as it rose.

However, I had my own problems to deal with. I was in no position to worry about the kimchi dumpling.

With the barrier broken, all that remained beneath me was open air and the gaping maw of Moby Dick.

“Demon Knight!”

> [I’ll swallow you whole and digest you!]

My body plummeted downward.

“Tsk.”

But I couldn’t just let this happen. That’s why I’d gathered my Arcane Power to begin with.

‘Cut it down.’

So, I unleashed the Arcane Power I’d gathered in advance in a precise and sharp sword strike.

Slash! The black, crescent-shaped [Slash] swept away the whale floating in the sky as if it were in the deep sea. However, I couldn’t tell whether I’d landed a serious blow or merely grazed it.

Flutter!

Anyway, after unleashing that [Slash], I still got swallowed by that whale’s enormous mouth.

Ah, I hadn’t fallen down its throat yet, and its mouth was still wide open, so maybe “swallowed” wasn’t the right word here.

Still, this wasn’t a good situation for me. Although I was confident that I’d hit it, it seemed to have been ineffective, given there was no cut, and I hadn’t stopped falling.

I couldn’t just let this happen. As a last resort, I plunged my sword into the whale's smooth, slick, protrusion-free tongue.

However, perhaps because of my weight or because the flesh was simply too soft, the blade didn’t actually anchor me and just cut through the tissue.

The whale was so large that I couldn't even wedge myself between the roof of its mouth and its tongue to stop my fall. The distance between the two was too far for my feet to reach.

Was I really going to be helplessly swallowed into that abyss-like throat?

Even if I was inside of it, I could still raise havoc and tear into Moby Dick’s flesh from within... I’d much rather cause some damage from outside, though. Plus, the thought of making a nosedive from 4,000 meters in the air was still a bit worrying.

But the die had already been cast.

Rather than despairing over my situation, I decided to tear into that Demon whale’s flesh as much as I could, ensuring it would suffer greatly as I plunged deeper and deeper into its throat.

Bubble, bubble.

Just then, the [Slash] I’d sent out finally left its mark, creating an opening.

On either side of me, bright gray lines formed before splitting wide apart, widening the opening even further.

> [Y-You wretched...]

At the same time, everything around me began to boil and bubble as if turning into water.

The internal organs, bones, flesh, everything.

> [I can’t...]

And just as everything melted into water droplets, light began seeping into the endless darkness around me, revealing the vast sky.

“Demon Knight!”

“Hahaha, buddy. I’ve got you!”

I then felt someone grabbing hold of my body.

I almost instinctively lashed out but stopped myself when a flash of platinum appeared before my eyes.

Bers had caught me in her strong arms, and clinging to her back was the Inquisitor, emitting radiant light.

Thud!

Our bodies rolled onto a Divine barrier that had suddenly appeared beneath us.

Bers let go of me at just the right moment, so I managed to avoid getting crushed beneath both her (who looked to weigh over 100kg) and the Inquisitor (who, in armor, also easily exceeded 100kg).

I’d survived.

“Y-You did it, Berserk!”

“Look! Didn’t I say I could do it, priest!”

I got up, right next to Bers and the Inquisitor.

After falling several dozen meters and slamming into a flat, hard Divine barrier, my entire body ached. I was really lucky I didn’t end up with a concussion.

Still, at least we’d survived. I checked our surroundings without complaining.

First, I had to find out what had happened to that damn Moby Dick.

“The Demon...”

But where the hell did it go?

I continued to look around for Moby Dick as the clouds rapidly gathered and static electricity crackled so intently that the hair on my body stood on end.

Unfortunately, the massive whale was nowhere to be seen.

“The wind is getting stronger.”

“A storm?”

Just as Bers said, a storm seemed to be approaching us. And here we were, standing on a barrier with no ground to anchor ourselves or weapons to hold on to.

It just might be something we couldn’t exploit with pure strength alone.

‘If you just hold on.’

Slash!

I gripped my sword tightly, smashing through the increasingly fierce attacks.

My body had become somewhat battered by the attacks I hadn’t managed to parry or destroy, but none of my injuries were critical. That was enough.

‘He’s going to die on his own.’

“You.”

I could sense the latest attack was much weaker than the previous one.

“Looks like you don’t even have enough strength to make those spears anymore.”

> [...Die!]

So, you really have reached the limit of your Arcane Power, huh, you bastard?

> [A mere vessel!!]

The corners of my mouth raised, pulling my mouth into a smirk as I looked at Moby Dick, who poked its head out.

In my head, I was already composing a complete strategy on how to take that bastard down.

“Struggle all you want, you vermin. The world will never move the way you want it to.”

> [...Wrath!!!]

I had a hunch ever since noticing our turn to attack never came, but this guy wasn’t the type of boss one defeated by killing it. It was the type that would self-destruct if one held out long enough.

Just a few moments ago, I was thinking things like, ‘Should I just destroy the seal?’ or, ‘This is just too much, downright impossible!’ but now my thoughts had changed to, ‘I can do this,’ which was proof enough of that realization.

That bastard was starting to grow weaker.

“Demon Knight, I...”

“Hold on.”

“...Yes!”

The only variable in this was the Inquisitor’s stamina.

I gritted my teeth as I watched waves of Divine Power, which could even purify blood, engulf the kimchi dumpling.

I would’ve taken her place if I could, but since this was something only she could do, I had no choice but to push her.

I felt sorry, truly sorry.

> [I’ll... I’ll at least take you with me!]

So, I at least had to bring back that damn bastard’s head.

I saw Moby Dick, as a last resort, emerge from the sea of clouds and rush toward me, spear in hand. It was like watching a meteor hurtling toward me.

“Hah, finally...!”

“Somehow...!”

However, I didn’t intend to dodge. That wasn’t my role.

“Moron.”

“Huh?”

“Were you talking to me?”

“Jump.”

I tightly gripped my Zweihänder.

“You’re in the way.”

I injected exactly half the remaining Arcane Power I’d somehow managed to conserve into my legs. Black energy overflowed from them, swirling around me like flames as it strengthened my body.

“You’re really mean.”

“Demon Knight, what are you...”

“Always monopolizing the best prey.”

“Huh?”

“When we get down, you owe me a sparring match.”

They were flames undeterred even by the freezing air at an altitude of 4,000 meters.

“Berserk, I can’t follow this conversation—”

“Let’s go!”

“Waargh!”

And when Bers grabbed the Inquisitor and leaped off, all the pieces were finally in place.

Right before the barrier dissolved, I kicked off from it with all my might.

“You thought I’d exchange blows with you head-on? How foolish.”

> [...!]

I narrowly dodged Moby Dick’s spear, using its bladed segment as a foothold.

As huge as it was, it lacked precision.

“I’ll cut you down.”

Of course, being small also had its drawbacks, but... not right now.

「Activating Indomitable Spirit!」

I poured every last drop of my remaining Arcane Power, even converting the last bits of my HP into Arcane Power, into my blade and split the sky.

A black moon appeared in the heavens.

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