Book 17 Chapter 36
Ancient rulers,
Ancient Madness Calling the Sea Wind (11)
“That insignificant thing is truly being annoying.”
The first barrier was broken after half a day, as Tajirumumu had expected.
“Shall we go look for Baoba now?”
Verz's saw blade tore through the blue veil, sweeping in ancient madness and invading the interior of the barrier.
“Khuhuhu, then we'll split into three and search.”
“I, am-hun-gry.”
“Eat whatever you come across on your way, Divanugo.”
Verz led the way with steps as sharp as a blade, followed by Lacoom displaying the cautious yet arrogant stride peculiar to a predator, and finally, Divanugo waddled behind.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
Verz was a being who detested, to an extreme degree, anyone—especially a completely insignificant human—speaking to him without permission.
Someone spoke.
Before the question had even finished, Verz's saw blade madly massacred and churned up the entire ground where the voice had come from. But!
“Is it because you've been stuck at the bottom of the sea for a thousand years that your manners are so terrible? Or perhaps this used to be a sweet greeting back then?”
They blocked it! Blocking it alone would have been incredible, but they even managed to knock away Verz's saw blade.
Verz couldn't express the momentary bewilderment, no, the sense of crisis, and simply had to retreat several steps. What humiliation!
However, at that moment, Verz did not consider it a humiliation. And for good reason!
“Th-this! No, it can't be…!”
Targeting that bewilderment from a blind spot, Kies's Heavenly Cherry Blossom Strike pierced Verz's body, leaving a fatal wound that would be unrecoverable for a being without the power of 'immortality'!
‘Good. First operation, gaining the upper hand, successful!’
Rista raised the Extreme Star Sword Schilpen with his unique grip, specifically a reverse grip, and smiled triumphantly.
‘Good, they're properly on guard. As expected, these guys encountered the Holy Elmene Knights a thousand years ago.’
It was as he said.
The reason Verz was expressing such extreme caution was precisely because of the aura of power emanating from Schilpen!
‘It would be good to land some decisive blows while their hands and feet are tied by caution!’
The space, no, the very concept of dimension, where Verz was panting and glaring at Rista, began to squirm and tremble!
In an instant, less than a blink of an eye!
More than a dozen slashes were performed, cutting through the writhing trajectory itself. This means that the dimension itself is trembling in fear!
“Spatial-Temporal Annihilation────!”
According to what he heard from Witch Tubasa, Lynn had completely ripped apart Baoba's body with a combination of high-level magic.
If so, with Spatial-Temporal Annihilation!
If this Spatial-Temporal Annihilation, a power stronger than any magic Lynn possessed, could first eliminate that one individual, they could then engage in a favorable 2-on-2 fight with the remaining two!
“!!!”
But the power that was creating cracks in the dimension and about to shatter it… lost its cohesion and began to be sucked somewhere!
It was the basking shark, Divanugo!
This being, having received power similar to Baoba from the old king, was capable of absorbing the very concept of power!
Though it had the limitation of not re-emitting it like Baoba, but merely using it as an energy source!
“Hmph, absorb it? Spatial-Temporal Annihilation?”
No matter how much of an extraordinary opponent they were, the shattering of his ultimate secret technique was enough to leave a considerable blow to Rista's spirit.
“Di-va-nu-go, not-tas-ty, but, power has-been-re-filleddddd!”
Then, with a speed utterly unbelievable for a being of such massive size, it charged at Rista!
Everything obstructing its charge trajectory was sucked into that gigantic maw.
But Rista!
Rista, who was capable of splitting and using time in units!
Not only did he block the monster's charge, but at the moment of their intersection, he even severed Divanugo's upper and lower body!
“!!!”
However, a phenomenon that astonished Rista occurred: yes, it was regeneration!
It wasn't the immortal power of an ancient noble, which could restore a completely vanished body at hyper-speed.
But how could one simply pass off the sight of the severed upper body crawling with two hands to align its cut surface with the lower body as 'Oh, I see'!
“Kies!”
Even before Rista shouted, three arrows launched by Kies were already arcing in the sky to stop that regeneration.
This was simultaneous impact firing!
One of the ultimate secret techniques that had silenced countless formidable foes until now! But! Those three arrows! How in the world! Were snatched from mid-air!
“This is rather interesting.”
It was Lacoom!
Though not as massive as Divanugo, he must have had the physical frame of a great white shark, the largest of common sharks, yet his speed was abnormally fast.
More than anything, to snatch Kies's arrows simultaneously—arrows that twisted and turned their trajectory to confuse an opponent's countermeasures!
“I never imagined you'd create a 'fake'. Wouldn't you agree, Verz, who was paralyzed by fear for a while?”
“Shut up. Eldia… I thought those monsters had reappeared, the ones who annihilated their kingdoms and empires a thousand years ago, whose very existence mocked the order of the outer cosmos.”
“I admit it. The aura of power is similar. So much so that it could almost be considered identical. But if you look closely, it's different. More than anything… the intensity of the power is overwhelmingly different! Their power, their light, felt as if it incinerated one's soul just by looking at it! Hahaha!”
Though laughing, Lacoom could not laugh inwardly.
The Deep Sea Kingdom was the primary target of the 'Ones Who Came' world purification operation in the Mythical Era.
A battlefield where all 7 of the 'Ones Who Came' and 5 Eldia heroes were deployed… If a place called hell, which severely punishes evil, truly existed, it would surely refer to the Deep Sea Kingdom of a thousand years ago.
“There's no need to waste time on fakes.”
Tsk, Verz clicked his tongue in annoyance and averted his gaze from Rista.
“Divanugo, you eat that. I will find Baoba.”
An attack that seemed to strike Verz, that arrogant back of his head, with a fist!
Chaaaaaang!
A slash flying with light, an aura of a sword, harshly struck Verz's saw blade, which had turned towards the city!
“Where are you going? A hero, following in the footsteps of the Eldia seniors, stands right before your eyes.”
He dared not dismiss it as a joke.
“This human wench…”
Not only had this human dared to speak so defiantly to Verz multiple times, but making such provocative remarks was absolutely unforgivable.
More than anything, those eyes, those eyes.
Not eyes of reverence looking up at a ruler, but eyes as if looking at an equal enemy… What on earth is the basis for that abnormal confidence?
“How dare you, how dare you, to me, a great beingggggggggg─────!”
As veins began to violently swell all over Verz's body, Lacoom burst into raucous laughter.
“Shahahahaha! Well, we can't just leave it like this. Verz, if you don't properly deal with her here, you'll be a laughingstock for life, won't you?”
Even before his laughter finished, Verz already charged at Rista, ambushing Rista who had just dodged Divanugo's attack!
Chwaaaang…!
Schilpen, clashing with the saw blade, let out a metallic screech that sounded like both a groan and a scream. Rista's pupils widened.
‘Right, I've been wondering why the feeling of impact has been strange since earlier…!’
Verz's saw blade was not a simple saw blade!
Hundreds of teeth rotated along the trajectory of a saw blade at speeds invisible to the eye, converting that rotational force into cutting power!
In other words, it could be called an advanced biological weapon that would naturally make even Schilpen scream if a sword clashed with it!
“A thousand years have passed, yet he's still such a hot-headed fellow.”
At that moment, Lacoom's ferocious eyes caught sight of the archer who had been perfectly assisting Rista from beyond the horizon, at a distance unreachable by human sight… Kies.
“Shakhahahahaha, then perhaps I shall go for something more delicious to eat.”