"It's HUGE! I've never seen one this big before!"
Even as we fell, the one-eyed monster exclaimed in astonishment.
Guided by his voice, I turned my gaze to the colossal
Oni Blight
before us.
And colossal was the right word for it.
It was enormous—tens of meters tall, maybe even nearing a hundred. A massive boulder-like body sprouted six pale, human-like legs, each nearly ten meters long.
"This isn't normal... not by a long shot," the monster muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"But it's still a Fifth-Rank entity, right?"
"Well, yes, but still...!"
As the monster spoke, a terrible grinding sound echoed.
Looking closer, I saw six massive eyes tearing open along the creature's rocky body, each one fixing its gaze squarely on us.
"...!"
I gasped and quickly turned my focus elsewhere, catching movement behind me.
A
Silveit
thread spiraled toward me, wrapping tightly around my waist.
It was Aya, extending her
Silveit
threads not just to me, but also to Nina and even the one-eyed monster, tethering us all together.
"Aya, what are you—?"
"Itsuki-kun, I'm counting on you!" she shouted.
"Thanks, Aya!"
With her threads securing us, I shot my own
Silveit
toward the giant
Oni Blight
. I sharpened the tip through
Form Manipulation
and anchored it into the rocky surface. Then, I pulled us up.
We soared upward, defying gravity as the threads hoisted us toward the monster's massive form.
As we ascended, part of the creature's rocky body shifted, revealing an enormous, human-like mouth. It opened wide, and a clumsy, childlike voice emerged.
"H-Hello...!"
"Uh, hello..." Aya replied instinctively, her tone oddly polite.
You don't
have
to answer it, you know, I thought, already preparing my next move.
"
Blazing Spears!
"
The flaming spear of magic spun into existence at my hand, its heat licking the air. I launched it directly at one of the monster's enormous eyes.
With its sheer size, missing wasn't even a concern.
The spear hit its mark, igniting in a fiery explosion that obliterated one of the eyes. Black tears began to stream from the wound.
"Zappy-zappy!" the creature cried gleefully, as if this were some kind of game.
It wasn't enough to purify it. Laughing despite the destruction, the
Oni Blight
began to sprout a massive new arm from its side. The newly formed limb reached toward us with startling speed.
There was no way I was letting it grab us. Kicking off the rocky surface, I sent us soaring through the air once again.
The motion reminded me of the time Nina and I had infiltrated an amusement park for a "job," evading the Ferris wheel's arms. This wasn't much different, except the stakes were higher.
Oni Blight
shouted, raising its enormous arm for another swing.
This time, I aimed my threads directly at the massive limb.
"Everyone, stay away!" I called, launching the
Silveit
toward the creature.
The threads latched onto its body, and I activated
Complex Attribute Manipulation
.
"—
Oboro Moon.
"
The air twisted and warped as a black sphere materialized at the creature's core. The sphere pulsed with an ominous light, pulling everything around it inward.
"What's happening?! No, no, no! I'm getting sucked in!"
The
Oni Blight
screamed in panic as its massive body began to disintegrate, crumbling into faintly glowing dust that was drawn into the black void.
"This spell... It devours everything," I explained as the creature's cries faded, leaving only the hum of the sphere's energy.
The one-eyed monster, watching the spectacle, shivered visibly.
"Kid, I'm amazed I survived meeting you. Seriously."
"I was in a car that time, remember?" I replied.
"Can't you just... stay in cars forever? Watching that thing get erased made me feel like I was next."
"I'll think about it," I said, only half-serious.
The
Oni Blight
was gone, reduced to nothing but faint light particles. The Immortal Realm's skies stretched clear and blue above us.
"That was incredible, Itsuki-kun," Aya said, awe in her voice.
"Thanks," I replied, glancing upward.
Far above, the portal to the real world shimmered—a circle of light carved by the one-eyed monster's magic.
"Can we even get back up there?" I asked.
"Of course! Just step back and watch," the monster replied confidently, raising his hands.
With practiced ease, he drew a clean circle on the ground. The air within it peeled back like paper, revealing the way home.
"See? Easy!" he said, proud of his work.
Maybe this guy was more competent than I'd given him credit for...
I turned to Aya and Nina.
"You two go first."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'll follow after."
I didn't tell them, but I had something to finish before I left.
Aya nodded and stepped into the portal, disappearing in a flash. Nina hesitated.
"Itsuki... come with me—"
"There's not enough room for two," I said gently.
Realizing I was right, Nina reluctantly entered the portal. Once I confirmed they were safely back in the real world, I turned to the one-eyed monster.
"I have one last question."
"Now? Can't it wait until we're back?"
"No. I don't know if it's something I can discuss with them around."
I took a deep breath.
"Do you know about the 'Immortal Peach'?"
The monster's expression darkened immediately, his single brow furrowing deeply.