Chapter 302 Extreme Sword's Slash
"~~~~!!!"
Seeing Aaron transform the third materia into a variation of the first sword materia, a shiver ran down the spine of the [Evil God].
However, the [Evil God] quickly reassured herself that she was still at an advantage.
"So, so what of it?! You can't do anything to me!! That fact hasn't changed!!"
"......"
Aaron did not respond.
He simply stared at the [Evil God] with terrifying calmness, as if he was trying to discern something about them.
"Fine then!! As long as humanity exists, my magical energy will never run out!! No matter how strong you are, you're still just one person! When your magical energy runs dry, you won't be able to fight! I'll wait until your magical energy is depleted and see you fall!!"
The [Evil God] shouted, and then began to alter the magic surrounding her.
God-level Space Magic──[God of Time and Space, Chronos]
In an instant, the [Evil God]'s entire body was enveloped in a divine, silver light.
The form of Fiona, with her twelve wings spread wide, transformed into a fantastical figure composed of this radiant silver light.
Almost simultaneously, an immense amount of magical energy erupted from the [Evil God]'s body.
The magical energy spread to every corner of the sealed world, immediately converting into magic.
Pseudo Time Magic──[Time Stop]
The world came to a halt.
With everything except herself frozen in time, the [Evil God] launched an attack on Aaron.
Space magic──[Air Slash Dice: Cage Box]
Countless blades of Space Rupture attacked Aaron, and as soon as they touched his body, they shattered like glass with a loud crash.
"Ugh...!! So, slashing magic doesn't work at all!!"
She continued to cast magic.
Space magic──[Extreme Heat Collapse]
Not just one.
Numerous points of light lit up around the motionless Aaron, filling the space.
In this closed-off little world, even if he used this destructive magic a hundred times, there would still be more than enough left over.
The heat and shockwave created could blow away Ickle, who was protected by the third materia's barrier, along with the barrier itself.
The goal wasn't to target Ickle to mentally strike Aaron, but the [Evil God] didn't care. At this point, it wasn't a time to worry about the sacrifice of just 2 people.
And the countless points of light were about to expand rapidly──
──Clang!!
A sound rang out, and they all disappeared at once.
Aaron, who should have been stopped by [Time Stop], swung his Platinum Sword. In that moment, the platinum light released by the sword left an afterimage in the air.
"──I knew it!!"
She shouted in frustration.
Aaron wasn't using a heavy attribute aura to counter the Space magic. However, the third materia was a denser and purer form of Phenomenon Alteration Energy than magical energy.
Aaron, who had transformed his own body into the third materia, knew that any magic that interfered with his physical form would simply be rejected due to the difference in energy output.
Still, she had a glimmer of hope that maybe it could work──
"Then how about this!!"
She raised her hand towards Aaron and activated the magic.
This was a type of magic that even an [Evil God] would ban from use due to the potential for massive damage.
Space, a mixed attribute god-level magic──
────[Void of Darkness]
Aaron's entire body was enveloped in a large sphere that looked like a hole opening into Space.
The surface reflected no light at all, revealing only pure darkness.
In the next moment, air began to rush in rapidly.
The infinite Gravity and the distortion of infinite Space. The artificial black hole created by magic tried to pull in everything around it, including the air, and this was sealed multiple times with the [Multi-layered Severance Barrier].
With a black hole of that size, unless the barrier blocked the external effects, even the nearby [Evil God] would not escape destruction.
And in the face of the infinite distortion of Space, even the [Multi-layered Severance Barrier] had to be reinforced multiple times every second to maintain the seal. It was an extremely dangerous magic in every sense.
However, because it was magic of that level, it could destroy any monster.
Aaron, already absorbed by the [Void of Darkness], could not possibly be alive──
──Clang!!
Suddenly, the [Multi-layered Severance Barrier] was sliced through by the [Void of Darkness].
The pitch-black sphere vanished as if it were an illusion, dissolving into the air.
As if nothing had happened, Aaron Gale appeared.
"Heh, hehehe...!!"
The [Evil God] laughed.
She was aware.
Aaron's technique, which had become the third materia itself──[Chaos Strength: Perfect]──was truly terrifying.
Magic is limited by the laws of physics.
This is because magic is just a technique to recreate or manipulate physical phenomena.
On the other hand, the phenomena caused by the third materia are not bound by those limits.
If there is enough energy, control over that energy, the mage's awareness, and the confidence that it can be done──then any unreasonable event can occur.
For example, in the case of the swordsman Aaron Gale, he could "cut" any existence or event that he could perceive.
It was the true magic that the civilization of the Age of Gods was on the verge of obtaining, surpassing regular magic.
It is a power that transcends the laws of the physical universe.
No matter how powerful it is, if it is the body of the third materia, it should be able to easily "reject" the effects of physical phenomena recreated by magic.
Just like how he showed he could "reject" the slash from space magic without any defense.
"Hehehehe, hehehehehe...!!!"
The [Evil God] was convinced.
──She couldn't win.
──She didn't know how to kill.
──If the magical energy runs out, he should just return to being a normal human, but is it really possible for magical energy to run out?
──Creating the third materia is like extracting Phenomenon Alteration Energy from matter.
──And.
──To be able to control the third materia so freely, could it be that Fiona also....
──If that happens, she....
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
She screamed and quickly unleashed her magic.
Something that should be an immortal existence, something that could kill her.
Since the [Evil God] separated from [Great Mother Miriallia] and established itself as an [Evil God]──no, even before that, she felt a clear fear she had never experienced before.
An instinctive fear of her own disappearance, death──a phenomenon.
[Space Rupture][Space Rupture Slash: Chaos Dance][Space Distortion][Space Distortion Bullet][Black Death Ball][Dimension Cut Sword][Extreme Heat Collapse][Air Slash Dice: Cage Box][Void of Darkness]──.
She unleashed all the magic she could as fast as she could.
Aaron received them without defense, bouncing them off his body, or if they seemed like they would affect Ickle, he "cut" them with his Platinum Sword and nullified them.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The [Evil God], while unleashing countless magic spells and appearing to be in a panic, managed to keep a certain level of calmness inside.
While casting magic towards Aaron, she tried to find a way to break free from the [World Slash] that was trapping her.
With [Space Rupture], [Space Distortion], [Dimension Cut Sword], and [Void of Darkness], she attempted to destroy the [World Slash].
And all of those attempts ended in failure──.
"Hey."
Finally, Aaron spoke.
After confirming everything, she was finally done.
"────."
She froze, as if turned to stone.
Stopping the magic, the [Evil God] held its breath and stared at Aaron.
"Enough, hurry up."
With his right side forward, he spread his legs wide and lowered his waist.
He readied the Platinum Sword at his side.
"Get away from my girl."
The sword was swung in a horizontal line.
My ultimate technique────[Slash]
Quietly, an invisible slash burst forth.
It recognized the target.
Even though the [Evil God] had fused with Fiona, Aaron could see with his magical energy vision that their bodies were not completely merged.
Fiona and the [Evil God] do not share the same magical energy, and their flow is different as well. Because of this, there are clear differences between what is [Evil God] and what is Fiona.
The true identity of the thing connecting Fiona and the [Evil God] is like root-like tissue spread throughout Fiona, coming from the 12 wings. However, it had not completely merged yet.
That said, it would have been impossible to fully separate Fiona from the [Evil God]. If they were forced apart, Fiona's body would suffer fatal damage.
However, due to a slash that made the impossible possible, the connection between Fiona and the [Evil God] was severed in the physical, magical energy, and mental dimensions.
'AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!'
The 12 wings that had grown from Fiona's back twisted and lost their shape, turning into a formless mass of red and gold.
From the base of the wings, a mass of red and gold gooey flesh peeled away.
The "roots" of the [Evil God] that were spread throughout Fiona's body were not expelled. If they were removed, Fiona would die with countless holes in her body.
However, due to Aaron's slash, those roots were no longer part of the [Evil God].
While they had been assimilated to maintain Fiona's life activities, they were now "separated" from the [Evil God] and remained completely a part of Fiona.
The magic and [God's Body] surrounding Fiona dissolved, and with her red hair and golden eyes, she began to fall under the pull of gravity after a brief moment of stillness.
In that instant, Aaron moved silently and instantly, catching Fiona in his arms.
Without releasing any aura, he slowly and quietly descended to the ground.
"Fiona."
"...Aaron."
Fiona, looking back at Aaron with a dazed expression, exclaimed,
"Aaron!? Is your body okay!? Are you alright!?"
Startled, she touched Aaron's body──his shoulder and chest, which should have been cut in half──and checked on him in a panic.
Even though he seemed fine now, she worried that if he released this platinum-colored [Chaos Strength?], he might die.
No, more than that, she felt anxious about whether he could return to normal, so she deliberately avoided that thought and spoke quickly.
"I-I need to use [God's Descent] to heal you right now──!!"
"Don't worry, Fiona."
Aaron set Fiona down on the ground and stood up, telling her with a wry smile.
"Look."
With a sharp sound, he returned his body to normal.
"No injuries...?"
There were no injuries where there should have been any.
"Yeah, it seems that when I return from that state, I can heal any injuries too."
When converting from the third materia, which is normally an amorphous energy, to the first materia, it was possible to manipulate the structure of the first materia, like combining dozens of wooden swords into one.
In other words──he could restore his body to its original state while healing any damage.
Right now, Aaron had no lingering damage from the [Evil God].
"Thank goodness...!!"
With tears in her eyes, Fiona sighed in relief.
Aaron gently wiped her tears with his finger and said with a smile,
"Hey, I plan to live for another 50 or 60 years, you know."
He hugged Fiona tightly.
* * *
Just then, a voice called out,
"...Is it okay now?"
When they looked up, they saw the [Evil God] floating quietly, having regained the form of the Original Priestess Lucia Aron from a mass of red and gold.
While Aaron and Fiona were talking, the [Evil God] didn't attack, probably because she knew it would be pointless.
She had a calm expression, as if she had let go of everything or accepted her fate.
"It seems... that I have completely lost my chance to win against you, Aaron. It's very frustrating, but I understand that I cannot defeat you. It may be foolish, but if you want to destroy me, go ahead."
"...Aaron."
"I'll finish this quickly."
Nodding at Fiona, Aaron stepped back and activated [Chaos Strength: Perfect] again, transforming his body into a platinum light and rising to the same height as the [Evil God].
"......"
"......"
Then, while facing the [Evil God]'s intense gaze, he quietly raised the Platinum Sword──Extreme Sword high above his head.
He grinned confidently.
In that moment, the [Evil God] felt a bad premonition.
"Hey, [Evil God]."
"...What is it?"
"You think I'm an idiot, don't you?"
"────!!"
Her body trembled.
He was right on the mark.
It was exactly as she thought.
The [Evil God] was completely convinced that Aaron was an idiot...!!
So, she thought it was fine.
However, that confidence was shattered by the next words.
"You don't seriously think that if you die here, it would be okay, do you?"
"────!?"
She couldn't help but gasp, her face going pale.
Aaron realized a truth he didn't want to face, and the fact that he wasn't panicking made her feel uneasy.
"For example, you're thinking you could hide your clone outside the labyrinth, or that you could come back by taking over someone like Logan, who has your cells implanted, right?"
"W-What...!?"
"That's impossible."
Aaron declared.
"You, who avoided meeting me until you got Fiona, wouldn't come here without any backup."
"......"
"You, who should be cautious after being sealed once in the Age of Gods, wouldn't be here without some easy way to protect yourself, right?"
She trembled.
Fear gripped her as he hit the nail on the head.
But then.
"W-What does that matter!? You can't cut down something that isn't here, something whose location you don't even know! Do you really think you can find it!? You think it's possible against me, who can use Space Transfer!?"
"...It's true that I can't cut down something whose location I don't know. And looking for you, who can escape anywhere in an instant with teleportation, isn't realistic."
But still, he said.
"──You're receiving magical energy from the [God Realm], right?"
"────Huh?"
She opened her eyes wide. Shocked.
She vaguely sensed what Aaron was trying to say.
The [Evil God] had taken countless magical energy supply lines that were once connected to the Magic Weapons of the Age of Gods and redirected them to herself. That was the source of the practically endless magical energy the [Evil God] possessed.
The supplied magical energy came not through the physical dimension, but through the mental dimension, so it couldn't be detected.
And of course, it shouldn't be visible either.
Even with the [magical energy sight] skill, it didn't have that level of performance.
But what would happen if a human, who already had an unusually sharp sense of magical energy, received support from Jobs specialized in it and nanomachines?
That answer was something even the [Evil God] didn't know.
"I'll trace the magical energy flowing to you and cut down every branch leading to you from that magical energy supply line."
Aaron had been observing for a long time until he could take Fiona back from the [Evil God]──not to confirm the connection between Fiona and the [Evil God].
For Aaron now, separating Fiona from the [Evil God] wasn't that difficult.
What Aaron was confirming was the destination of the magical energy supply line connected to the [Evil God].
It's true that he doesn't know where the [Evil God]'s clones are in reality, but if there's a connection through magical energy, then he can spread his slash through that connection and cut them all──now that's something Aaron could do.
"W-wait...!!"
The [Evil God] steps back as if trying to escape.
"D-do you know what will happen if you kill me!? I'm just trying to bring eternal happiness to you humans!! Isn't that what you wanted!? And yet, you want to kill me!? Isn't it humanity's fault that I had to do this!? Don't you think you have any sins!? Am I the only one to blame!? Isn't that too much!!!"
The [Evil God]'s scream was truly intense.
Because of that, Aaron also pulled back his smile and answered with a serious expression.
"I don't really understand complicated things like sins."
"────!?"
"And honestly, I'm confused when you talk about humanity..."
"~~~~!"
"But you laid a hand on Fiona. For me, that's enough reason to cut you down."
"I-I was!!"
"──See you."
And then Aaron swung down his sword.
It was a change in reality that required more energy than just converting the mass of one sword into the third materia. Therefore, it was a scale of "slash" that couldn't be achieved with an ordinary sword.
However, the white and elegant "Extreme Sword" contained the mass of dozens of swords condensed into it.
Aaron converted just enough mass into the third materia and unleashed it.
Clang!! In an instant, a platinum-colored light scattered.
An invisible slash rushed forward.
My ultimate technique──[Extreme Sword's Slash]
By wielding "Extreme Sword," he could finally use this attack that cuts through everything──literally, everything.
It didn't create unnecessary shockwaves or even a gust of wind.
It simply sliced through the [Evil God], turning her body to dust.
The slash then traveled back along the magical energy lines feeding the evil god in front of him, cutting through all the evil gods at countless branching paths.
In that moment, the being known as [Evil God] truly vanished from the world, down to her very cells──.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)