Crack Crack Crack Clack Gashak
The temperature dropped and the floor was covered in ice. Ice crystals sprouted and bloomed, all sorts of frozen flora blooming in every nook and cranny, trees reaching high and creating a glacial blue canopy, vines of ice hanging by their branches.
Scarlet light shone in the forest of ice, rays of light reflecting off the frozen crystals and thousands of flashes shining like the stars in the night sky. A scarlet lightning bolt soon cruised across the frozen battlefield, sharp claws racing at supersonic speeds.
BOOOOMMMMMM
The Bloodwing Chromius lashed out and so did Grey, their claws and fists clashing against one another, exchanging blows and letting the shockwaves run rampant all over the boss room, disastrous tremors rocking the floor and walls.
Grey launched his fist and the ever so agile Boss dodged it by leaning away from the right, soon replying in kind with ita claws. Deep gashes cruising along the forest of ice and leaving behind frozen ravines, scarring the jaded already ground.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
It was the final battle between the two and it has never been any fiercer. Grey had become much stronger than before, both his authorities aiding him greatly. Now, the Bloodwing Chromius is only twice as He was. Moreover...
⟨⟨Frost Phoenix!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
The piercing screech of the frozen fowl rang all throughout the battlefield, a blue bolt darting towards the Bloodwing Chromius, catching it off guard when it didn't expect it the most, frost biting down on its arms.
... He now has Yuna with him. The scenario the Bloodwing Chromius had been so used to had now been turned upside-down, infiltrated by an unknown variable which was the young elf standing before it.
LASH WHOOSH FWISH LASH CRASH
And it wasn't just her. With the fields now occupied by the Winter Forest, it wasn't just Grey and Yuna's attacks it needed to be wary about, but the deadly forest below it as well, frostbite gnawing at it whenever it wasn't careful.
The attacks of the Winter Forest itself weren't much, but they were still in the way. The moment it gets distracted by it, Grey then takes the chance to sneak up on it and land a devastating blow, blasting it away.
WHOONG WHOONG WHOONG WHOONG WHOONG
Lastly, there was the destructive barrage of bolts and orbs coming from all directions. Polaris was already annoying enough, but with Sirius with them, it doesn't have the leisure to stay still. It needs to keep on moving unless it wants to be pinned down.
"Hey, what are you thinking too much about? ⟨⟨Judgement: Excalibur⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
Grey's punch howled like the storm, five booming explosions resounding all over the place as soon as it connected, blasting the Bloodwing Chromius dozens of meters away, a loud crash resounding as it hit the frozen walls.
Hostility boiled like the raging magma deep in its core and it quickly rushed towards Grey, it raised its shard and deadly claws, aiming for his head, when suddenly...
BANNGGGG SHAK SHAK SHAK FWOOSH
... The frozen vines striated lashing out, blocking not only its vision but its way as well. It was able to slice them up with ease, but the moment it did, Grey was no longer in front of it, gone like the passing winds.
The winds whispered in its ears and it raised its head upwards. Surely enough, the young man was there, preparing another punch towards its face, the winds coiling by his hands and a drill forming as the sands of time trickled down the hourglass.
It didn't waste the opportunity and struck while the iron was hot. Grey may be fast, but its claws were faster, piercing through his chest and crushing his heartー or so what should have happened. But it was all an illusion by Sirius. The real one was...
"Under here, you bastard! ⟨⟨Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
The trick worked like a charm, a deadly uppercut connecting towards the Bloodwing Chromius' chin with a resounding clamor. It launched him towards the ceiling along the blitzing winds, four echoes pounding it even harder.
Grey didn't just end things there. Whilst the enemy has yet to recover, he leaped with the aid of the wind and spring upwards with his other fist now filled with mana. The ceiling was destroyed again, the Boss barely dodging.
⟨⟨Frost Phoenix!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Unfortunately, it couldn't dodge Yuna's follow-up attack. The frozen fowl bit it on the shoulder, taking off a large chuck of its scarlet body and freezing it afterwards. Pain and agony soon echoed all throughout the halls.
The Bloodwing Chromius once again spread its wings and orbs of scarlet light formed one after another. They grew bigger and bigger, pulsating like a beating heart until they burst forth into thousands of arrows, raining down from above.
SHA SHA SHA SHA SHA SHA SHA SHA
It was a deadly downpour, no place safe from its reach. The frozen leaves and vines tried to go against it, but they were all destroyed without mercy, shattering like brittle pieces of glass and thawed away by sheer force.
The once abundant forest was razed to the ground, only chunks of ice remaining as the massive trees fell down. Loud thuds resounded one after another, a ruined forest looming over the desolate wasteland called the Boss Room.
Grey pounced from above and rushed towards the Bloodwing Chromius, but rather than clash with it simply dodged it... No, rather, it darted towards Yuna, readying its claws to tear her apart and take her out in a single blow.
The Winter Forest, the ranged attacks, and the support. She was the cause of most of its annoyance so it decided to eliminate her first, the very same young lady who was now so scared, she was frozenー or was she?
GASHAK KASHA SWISH SHICK SLASH KASHAK
Its claws have yet to reach yet, but not just once, but thousands of times were its body slashed by sharp forces, chunks of scarlet lights chipped away from its glowing body. Its feathers were slashed an its claws were damaged ever so heavily,
Yuna wasn't just standing there, waiting for an opportunity to strike. She had already laid out thousands of slashes before her, creating a trap with her "Phantom Stream" which she activated the very moment the Boss drew close.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
And it wasn't just her. Polaris and Sirius also waited for the moment it was stunned, peppering it with hundreds of explosions, raining down from all directions with not a single gap for escape. A merciless bombardment.
To make things worse, the forest it just destroyed had now started to restore itself, blades of grass and leaves carried along by the wind and causing both wounds and frostbite to everything it touched.
⟨⟨Vein Breaker!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
It was already a precarious situation, yet Grey decided to join in on the fray. Accursed hands of hell reached out towards the Bloodwing Chromius and latched on to it like a leech. The worst had already happened.
WHOONG WHOONG WHOONG BOOOOOMMMMM
There was no other choice left. With it surrounded from all directions, the Bloodwing Chronius decided to gather mana by its chest and let out a destructive explosion surpassing that of nuclear bomb's.
With Grey's curse, it wasted such a large portion of mana, however, it was worth it. Not only was the forest of ice cleared out, everyone else was also gone. All it had to do was wait for them to pop back out from a gate and strike as soon as possible.
"Haah... That was a close oneー !!!" ［Grey］
And strike it did. As soon as another gate opened, it then rushed off towards it and lunged its claws towards the young man. However, its efforts were all for naught. It was yet another illusion by Sirius, its claws simply passing through it,
"You really haven't learned your lesson! ⟨⟨Phantom Caliber: Omega⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
⟨⟨Thousand Bleeding Streams!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
A heavy punch came from above and sharp slashes came from below. The Boss was able to dodge Grey's punch, but not Yuna's slashes, it's still wounded body receiving yet another serving of Yuna's signature deadly daggers.
However, it should have succumbed to Grey's punch instead. Though it doesn't have any blood, the "Bleeding Edge" ability of the Divine Daggers slows down the healing of wounds and starts aggravating them instead.
What's worse, since she has inflicted "wounds" on her enemy, Yuna's strength was further enhanced. It was only a little, but with the thousands of slashes before and the recent ones now, it was more than enough to double her power.
⟨⟨Fading Haze!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
The Boss tried to run away after sensing danger, however, it was already far too late. Yuna had already locked her eyes on it and so did her daggers. A cold glint shone in her eyes, and she vanished into thin air yet again.
A single figure appeared all over the Boss Room, streaks of silver illuminating the place, soon tainting the room with scarlet light as Yuna's slashes landed on the Boss once again, a pained bellow resounding in the room.
The Bloodwing Chromius spread its wings and they burned in the air, an explosion of light following soon after. Scarlet feathers rushed out in all directions like thunderbolts cruising in the sky, much faster than the bolts of light from before.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
Scarlet feathers and bolts of mana clashed all over the place, the frozen blades of grass and leaves joining soon after the moment the Winter Forest reestablished itself once again, shockwaves dancing in the air and tremors shaking up the ground.
It was like a firework show, red, blue, and gold exploding all over the place. The only difference was that this display was rather deadly, the shockwaves able to rip even the toughest metals as if it was chewing on paper.
In that pandemonium, the Bloodwing Chromius once again searched for a target. The very moment it found Grey, it quickly bolted towards it, core full of caution as it once again extended its claws, rage brewing in its core.
However, rather than slashing its way towards him, it first lunged its feathers towards the young man with a sneaking suspicion. Sure enough, it was yet another illusion, exploding into a puff of nothingness as soon as the feather passed through it.
Grey once again appeared before it, and it slashed its claws towards him, the illusion once again fading away as soon as its claws reached him, a fist heading its way from behindー stopped by a piercing claw towards heart.
POOF POOF POOF POOF POOF
One... Three... Eight... Twenty four... The illusions popped in and out all over the place and the Bloodwing Chromius continued to slash through them. It remained cautious and on-guard all the time, not losing an ounce of focus.
However, it was also because it was too focused that it didn't notice the massive spear brewing a couple hundred meters away, growing bigger and bigger as Grey poured in more mana, the winds howling and growling at his command.
⟨⟨Northern Wind: Notus!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
WHOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH
It rode the wind like a bolt of lightning falling from the heavens, shining like a brilliant emerald gleaming under the starry sky. A force of great destruction was unleashed, its beauty unrivaled in any aspect... And its name was death.
It was already too late when the Bloodwing Chromius noticed, and all it could do was brace for impact. It gathered mana as fast as it could, firing off a ray of destruction to fend off Grey's spear, pouring its all in defending.
"You fell for it again, you bastard." ［Grey］
The spear before it was real indeed, but so was the one behind it, clad in the coldest frost and deepest ice of the abyss. A silver-haired elf welded it with a single hand, her eyes gleaming with coldness as she glanced at her target.
⟨⟨Endless Frost: Khione!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Her cold voice danced in the air and the winds howled as the blizzards blew. Ice and frost devoured the place whole, ice crystals as beautiful as diamonds forming by the walls and ground, scattering all over the Winter Forest.
The spear of blue and white was unleashed and the piercing cold wind lashed out with it. It bolted towards the enemy without a single warning, piercing its back without fail and devouring the Bloodwing Chromius' body with the cruelty of ice.
The once scarlet light was now slowly being engulfed by glacial blue ice, creeping all over its body, slowly but surely. With its wings still in the feather storm mode, it was easier than ever, the Bloodwing Chromius encased in ice soon after, a thud echoing in the air as it fell towards the frozen ground.
『Did we do it, Grey? That was easier than expected.』 ［Yuna］
『No. Not yet. The real test had just begun.』 ［Grey］
The frozen prison started to shake and cracks appeared all over the ice. The cracks turned its crevasses and soon, the ice shattered like a fragile prison, the sound of glass breaking resounding ever so subtly.
It finally reached the limits of its patience, overwhelming rage boiling in its core as it looked at Grey and Yuna. Rage intense enough to make the ground tremor and the winds tremble in fear, mana going awry like a turbulent storm.
Bright, scarlet light swallowed the whole room and the Bloodwing Chromius shone even brighter. It still had the same body from before, only that its wounds were now healing up at rapid rates even with the "Bleeding Edge" impairing it.
It wasn't just the Bloodwing Chromius, its scarlet feathers shone brighter and booted faster than ever, seeming like scarlet streaks of light as it tore the whole place apart, not even leaving time for the Winter Forest to recover.
『G-Grey! D-Did it go berserk?!』 ［Yuna］
『No, even worse... It has become desperate!』 ［Grey］
『A-Ah! Sirius, return!』 ［Yuna］
The walls and ceiling were scarred, the winter forest was turned to powder snow, the ground was filled with gashes, and everyone had no other choice to defend. Polaris kept on teleporting, Yuna used "Phaseless", and Sirius was already unsummoned.
They may just be feathers, but they packed enough power to send S-rankers to their creators the very moment it hits a vital spot. They were by no means a joke, a single mistake risky enough to cost one's life.
However, they weren't the only ones taking damage. The Bloodwing Chromius was also taking damage from its own attack, forcefully regenerating by burning through its mana reserves like there was no tomorrow, risking everything on the moment.
『Yuna, Polaris, be careful and stay on the defensive. Don't charge recklessly until I tell you to, understand?』 ［Grey］
『Understood, Master.』 ［Polaris］ 『Un!』 ［Yuna］
『Then, I'll commence plan Dー !!!』 ［Grey］
Grey couldn't even finish his words, when the Bloodwing Chromius suddenly pounced at him, lunging its scarlet claws towards his heart, and aiming to end the battle in a single strike, desperation boiling deep in its core.
Fortunately, Grey had already seen that it would happen, and maneuvered himself away with the aid of wind magic, the other elements also lending him powers to match the speed of something many times stronger than him.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
Fists and claws were unleashed, two disastrous forces clashing with one another as the storm of scarlet feathers continued to rage on. Shockwaves once again reigned over the battlefield, each clash rocking the ground.
To dodge and parry, to counterattack, to erect a barrier every time it was broken by the feathers, to watch out for any dirty plays, and much, much more. If it wasn't for his "Multitask", Grey's life would have long been forfeit.
He utilized everything he could, continuing to exchange blows with the horrendous creature in front of him. One of his feet was already on his grave, a single mistake ready to drag him towards the deepest depths of hell.
⟨⟨Gigaton Gatling!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
His punches heavy and hasty, rushed towards the Bloodwing Chromius without a shred of mercy. They connected from time to time, echoes resounding afterwards and dealing extra damage towards the pressing enemy.
Yet despite the damage it took, the Bloodwing Chromius kept on advancing towards him, its core determined to destroy him despite it taking the most amount of damage every second, its body torn and healed in a never-ending cycle.
Would its mana run out first, or would Grey succumb to the difficult monster before him? It has become a battle of attrition, two figures continuing to exchange blows and targeting one another's vitals, adding fakes and feints into the mix.
⟨⟨Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Grey's fist howled and he jabbed towards the head. Unfortunately, it was still too slow and sloppy, the Bloodwing Chromius dodging it with ease. It then tightened its claws and prepared for a counterattack. However...
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
... It couldn't even stretch out its claws, when a few resounding echoes hollered all over the place. It was struck five times by a heavy and piercing force, its body blasted several dozen meters away from the sheer force of impact.
Grey didn't miss at all. He simply opened up a gate when his fist struck and another one in the enemy's blind spot. As soon as it tried to counterattack, his fist had already connected to its flank, only noticing the pain when it was too late.
It was damaged early, but those wounds faded away like a fleeting lie with its broken regeneration ability. It simply endured the pain and condensed mana around it, firing a ray of destruction towards Grey soon enough.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Barrier!!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Dozens of barriers surrounded Grey in an instant, thicker than ever and sturdier than any wall. The Divine Shield makes its entrance once more, coming in the nick of time and blocking the full force of the attack as if it was nothing.
However, the enemy didn't just stop there. It didn't even flinch seeing Grey block the attack and simply continued rushing towards him as soon as it got the opportunity, raising its claws once again as it attacked Grey from behind.
⟨⟨Iron Fortress!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
BOOOOMMMM FWOOSH FWOOSH
Even then, it was still futile. Grey had reacted even before it moved, casting another high level protective spell to cover all areas and let the shield absorb all the damage, only a little but of impact coursing through his body.
He was blasted away a couple meters, and the Bloodwing Chromius pounced at gim once againー or so it was just about to. But the moment it opened a gate, it suddenly halted on its tracks and drew back its claws, knowing full well that it was a trap,
A devious smile bloomed on Grey's face amidst the chaos.
It was a trap indeed, but not for the reason it was expecting. With it extremely wary of gates, Grey took the opportunity and used it as his trump card. The very moment the Bloodwing Chromius hesitated was the moment it forfeited its life.
There was no time to waste. As soon as the Bloodwing Chromius pulled back its hand, Grey immediately poured his all into a single moment and burst forth with a storm of mana brewing all over his body, the air bellowing at his command.
⟨⟨Phantom Caliber: Omega!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
The enemy tried to defend and crossed its arms, but it was futile. It was an attack which shocked the inside and let impact run rampant all over the place, disrupting the mana veins and cracking the core hidden deep within.
Once was already troublesome enough, but Grey peppered it with a whole five of them with the use of "Spectral Echoes". Shock and impact ran all throughout its luminous body, stunning it more than a couple moments...
『Now!』 ［Grey］
,,, And a couple of moments was more than enough. At Grey's command, Polaris quickly unleashed his power over the laws of the universe and stopped the very essence of time itself for a couple of seconds.
Only him and Yuna was unaffected by the spell, the young lady now wielding a large spear of frost and death by her hands, ice crackling as she poured all her might into a singular attack, her eyes shining sharply and brightly like the stars as she gritted her teeth tight and planted her foot on the ground.
⟨⟨Endless Frost: Khione!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Time continued to unfold and the spear bolted faster than lightning, boosted further by the power of space. Sonic booms resound all throughout the room as the spear rushed, piercing towards the Bloodwing Chromius.
WHOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG
A pained shriek full of agony and misery shook the heavens as the spear exploded into a pandemonium of frost and ice, devouring the Bloodwing Chromius whole and piercing every single fiber of its body with a deathly coldness impossible to resist.
The enemy was frozen in ice again, but before it would even have the chance to fall towards the ground, Grey had already locked his eyes on it, unbothered by the raging storm of scarlet feathers or the deadly frost.
His eyes glowed bright and the winds clamored the loudest they ever did. They coiled around Grey's arms one final time, not forming a lance nor a sword, but simply as a fist. The first they ever did.
⟨⟨Raging Heavens: Heartless Judge!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
A streak of black and white passed through the frozen coffin and his fist passed through like a phantom. Silence swallowed the battlefield soon afterwards, all eyes latched on the frozen coffin, staring with silence.
Crack Crack CRACK CRACK BOOOOMMMM FWOOOOSSSSHHHHHHHHH
It started as a little crack and ended up a massive and deafening hurricane. The ice was shattered like glass and the winds were sucked into a vacuum, compressing every form of matter and energy, and ripping them apart with the use of force.
Not even dust could escape the wrath of damnation, the Labyrinth walls shredded to dust and the scarlet feathers shattered to smithereens. A scene of ruin played out, not a single speck safe from the grasp of annihilation.
Death upon the damned.
CHAPTER 339 END