~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!
<><><><>
"Götterdämmerung!"
"Calamity Annihilation!"
As all of Orario watched, the two towering pillars of light converged, colliding in a blinding flash that sent a new, even brighter pillar surging into the sky.
Simultaneously, shockwaves of pure magic rippled outwards, creating violent gusts of wind that swept through the city.
Debris and rubble filled the air.
While the adventurers could withstand the onslaught, the ordinary citizens were forced to cling to nearby buildings for support.
Fortunately, most of the remaining civilians had already been evacuated to the area around Babel Tower.
Under the adventurers' protection, they were relatively safe.
However, those still fighting in the streets were in grave danger.
The flying debris posed a significant threat, and in a life-or-death battle, even the smallest distraction could be fatal.
The gods, too, observed the clash, their faces not filled with fear, but with excited smiles.
"This is it…The Epic of Heroes we've been waiting for."
....
....
"Argh!"
"Aaah!" In an isolated corner of Orario, Mika and Alfia roared, their bodies straining against the immense power unleashed by their clashing magic.
For Mika, this wasn't a new experience.
He had faced such life-or-death battles before.
But for Alfia, this was only her second time fighting with everything she had.
She had rarely faced a true challenge.
She usually fought with effortless grace, like a dancer, her movements fluid and precise.
Even her magic, though deadly, was wielded with an almost casual elegance.
Her talent had allowed her to conquer even the dungeon's depths with relative ease.
But she had been utterly defeated in the battle against the Black Dragon.
Despite her best efforts, she had been forced to flee in disgrace.
Now, facing Mika, she once again unleashed her full power, and this time, she felt a sense of satisfaction.
The shockwaves from their clashing magic ripped through Orario, pushing them back.
Two deep furrows were carved into the earth beneath their feet.
Alfia knew she was reaching her limit. She was about to lose.
"He's only Level 5…His Level 5 magic has surpassed my strongest…He's already stronger than me."
Magic's power increased with the user's level, especially after reaching Level 6, the Hero Realm, which granted an immense boost in both physical and magical abilities.
Alfia's magic, even her short-chant spells, was incredibly powerful, not only due to her talent but also because of her higher level.
A higher-level adventurer wielding the same spell would always be stronger.
However, talent also played a crucial role.
Alfia's talent had pushed her magic far beyond the capabilities of ordinary mages.
But today, her most powerful spell had been surpassed by a Level 5 adventurer's.
She felt no disappointment, only a sense of hope.
"If it's Mika, he might be able to defeat the Black Dragon," she thought with a smile.
…
"Only this… only this way can I win!" Mika roared inwardly, his body burning with the familiar sensation of Heavenly Fire: Calamity Annihilation.
He understood Alfia and Zald's intentions; they wanted to become stepping stones for the next generation, paving the way for a better future for Orario.
In the original timeline, Ottar, a Level 7, had been Orario's strongest.
He had achieved that level by defeating Zald, a Level 7 hero of a bygone era.
Even in death, they sought to serve as a catalyst for the next generation, pushing them to greater heights.
Faced with such unwavering resolve, Mika had to unleash his full power.
He had to defeat Alfia completely, not just for victory, but to honor their sacrifice.
This was the essence of Heritage.
"Argh!" The flames intensified, fueled by his burning will. Heavenly Fire: Calamity Annihilation consumed everything, even his own willpower.
The stronger his resolve, the more powerful the flames.
He hadn't intended to use Calamity Annihilation initially.
After all, Alfia's Silence could negate his magic.
If his ultimate attack was nullified, it would be a devastating blow.
However, with the secret of her magic revealed, and its effects deactivated, he had seized the opportunity.
The moment he unleashed Calamity Annihilation, victory would be his.
Of course, he had no intention of dying with her.
If he perished, who would carry the torch they had passed on?
As for how he planned to survive such a destructive spell, that was thanks to his Teigu, Supreme God Emperor's Might.
By replicating and enhancing techniques from various Teigu, and incorporating rare Danger Beast materials, he had imbued it with a unique ability: substitution.
It could absorb the destructive force of Calamity Annihilation, allowing him to survive even without Airmid's healing.
This was why it was the new Supreme Teigu. With it, the flames of victory could burn brightly.
.....
"Argh!" As the flames of Calamity Annihilation consumed him, his armor suddenly glowed.
The substitution ability is activated.
The target of the flames shifted from Mika to his armor.
And with the Supreme Teigu: God Emperor's Might ignited, the balance between the two clashing pillars of light shifted.
The Teigu, a culmination of rare materials and powerful techniques, unleashed an immense surge of energy as it burned, amplifying the already devastating power of Calamity Annihilation.
The crimson pillar of light pushed back the white, ultimately consuming it completely, then descended.
The earth shook violently. Every resident of Orario felt the tremors.
The fiery pillar vaporized everything in its path, leaving a trail of destruction.
"It's so hot!"
"The temperature…it's rising rapidly! Are we going to be cooked alive?!" The adventurers cried out as the air grew unbearably hot.
The compressed magical energy of Calamity Annihilation erupted, engulfing Orario in a searing inferno.
At the epicenter, Mika gasped for breath, his body ravaged.
"Gasp.. Gasp. Gasp," He leaned heavily on his left hand, his knees buckling.
'Clang!' Arondight slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.
His body, battered and broken, couldn't even hold a sword.
His bones, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves had been shattered by the force of his own magic.
He could only lie there, struggling to breathe.
"I won, Alfia."
"Now the task of defeating the Black Dragon falls to me."
"I will slay it." He looked towards the sky as if seeing Alfia's spirit.
.....
....
"Mika!" A familiar voice called out. He turned his head with difficulty and saw Gabriel.
She had been watching from the shadows, her heart filled with worry.
"Did…did you complete the task I gave you, Gabriel?" he asked weakly.
"Of course!" she replied, quickly retrieving a Potion from her dimensional pocket and holding it to his lips.
He drank, and a wave of warmth spread through his body.
He was no longer on the verge of death.
"Good…I'm alive. But this isn't enough. I need Airmid's enhanced healing magic to fully recover." He had initially been hesitant to use Calamity Annihilation due to Alfia's magic negation, Silence.
However, her unexpected vulnerability had provided him with the opportunity. He hadn't anticipated the consequences would be so severe.
"I contacted Airmid the moment you won. She's on her way," Gabriel said urgently.
"That's good…" Mika nodded slightly. "I'm…so tired…I need to sleep."
"Idiot! Don't fall asleep! You won't wake up!" She grabbed his collar and shook him.
"You're the idiot," he retorted, forcing himself to stay awake. "I told you I'm not dying. I'm just…mentally exhausted. Let me rest."
"Huh?" Gabriel froze.
She had forgotten that Calamity Annihilation consumed everything, including his mental energy.
He was experiencing mental exhaustion, a state mages often experienced after depleting their magic power, since magic was derived from mental energy.
They would typically collapse and fall into a deep sleep, waking up fully recovered.
Realizing her earlier panic, Gabriel blushed.
Mika chuckled weakly, then succumbed to exhaustion and fell unconscious.
"No! Don't sleep! Use a Mind Potion!"
"Mika!" Airmid's voice called out as she arrived, followed by Mellie and Yahweh.
"Mika!" Seeing him lying motionless on the ground, Airmid and Mellie cried out, their voices filled with grief.
"He's not dead yet," Gabriel quickly explained his condition.
Airmid's magic glowed as she began to heal him.
Yahweh, watching from behind, remained calm.
She had been with Gabriel in Orario and was already aware of Mika's condition.
She wasn't worried.
Her gaze drifted towards a deep chasm that extended outwards, its depths filled with molten lava.
"He's already reached this level?" A smile touched her lips.
"After this battle, the Yahweh Familia will be among Orario's strongest."
"We've taken the first step, Mika."
"Now, all that's left is to slay the Black Dragon."
…
In Orario, as the crimson light consumed the white, the adventurers' morale soared.
In this battle of champions, their king had emerged victorious.
"Ottar!" Ottar, locked in a fierce duel with Zald, roared, seeing the crimson light's triumph.
"If Mika can do it, so can I!"
"Zald!"
"Argh!"
<><><><>
Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!