[Kuu, Kuhaaaaaah!]
Liera faced it with something like a shout or a groan. Throughout its lifespan, the records and the collection of consciousness it had gathered were not small in the least, but Liera had trained for much, much longer than that! It was natural that her spear would overwhelm her opponent's.
[Die!]
[I won't let you kill….. IlHan!]
There were already countless holes on its abdomen. A fluid shadow – one that made people wonder if it was even possible to injure such a body - was pierced by high-density mana, causing irreversible scars!
Not only that, even now, endless new injuries were constantly being inflicted. Seeing as Liera didn't allow a single hit on herself, it was clear who held the advantage here.
[Foolish... being!]
[Foolish? Don't kid with me!]
However, Liera had a problem: her belief that she was moving to protect Yu IlHan was poisoning her very existence.
As her feathers were seemingly pulled out, the blood of a higher existence within her flowed in reverse; her bones began cracking, her flesh crumpled and rotted, muscles began dying, and her skin dried out. Her brilliant beauty, which had made people question who could defeat her, was now melting at a frightening speed, leaving her with an unsightly appearance.
[Why... for that kind of thing?] There's no one like him that acts only for himself!]
[That's why you monsters are no good. What you're imitating is only IlHan's outer appearance. That's why you're so... weak!]
Liera's spear finally drove the shadow's spear away. Of course, that was merely a portion of the shadow, so it would soon regenerate from the body, but Liera was aiming for the moment the spear began regenerating!
[Huggaaaaaaaaahp!]
She retracted her spear as soon as she swung it, piercing it forward. She was trying to subjugate it somehow before her power as a higher existence came to an end!
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Kuhaaahk!]
The violent tip of her spear exploded inside its body. As unerasable, irrecoverable, permanent injuries were being inflicted on its body, the shadow realized.
[You are not trying to kill me. You...]
[Hhhhhhp!]
And in that moment of realization, Liera was able to take advantage, allowing another attack to deal significant damage amid the confusion. Despite that, it still managed to say the rest of the words.
[You're trying to let him kill me…..?]
[What good would come out of me killing you?]
I will lose all my powers and die soon – Liera swallowed those words. Yu IlHan would get angry if he heard those words.
But really, there was no meaning for her to gain the records and experience from a 6th-class being when she was going to die soon. She was planning to subjugate it using all her powers and let Yu IlHan witness its final moments after he finished the skill evolution.
Truly sacrificial, but that was the final gift that Liera could leave behind for Yu IlHan. It would make Yu IlHan's soul grow and make him stronger. It would help him survive in the cruel environment in the future!
[Humans....I cannot understand them.]
[I never expected you to!]
It swung the recreated spear. It was extremely difficult for Liera to dodge its attacks now that she had begun to lose her powers as a 6th class. She did not dodge the spears, and chose to inflict deeper wounds on the shadow while receiving wounds herself in exchange.
[Critical Hit!]
[Kuuuuuugh!]
Its spear broke apart the helmet Yu IlHan had made as if it were nothing, ripped apart her facial skin, stiff as wood, and made Liera's face even uglier to look at. However, Liera did not stop and pierced another big hole in its shoulder.
[I need to! Kill that human!]
[I said I won't....let youuuuuuuu!]
The power of waves Liera possessed burst out. This power was acquired solely through her efforts and talent! The endless power of waves gathered, amplified, and exploded inside the shadow. The physical body of a faraway 6th class realm was collapsing by the moment.
Liera was considered a very strong being, even at the 6th class level. More so than her trainer, Spiera, and more so than anyone in Heaven's Army, Destruction Demon Army or anyone!
[Kergh.]
However, that was her limit. Liera had to kneel one step short of completely subjugating it. No, it could be said she was already extremely courageous to have held out until now.
[Foolish... woman!]
Her face had already been crumpled to the point that her facial features, other than her glistening red eyes, could no longer be distinguished. The blessing of the god of love tried to cling to her life, but it did not allow her to move.
Take a step forward, and her heart would stop beating. Her legs would be pulled out, arms severed, and her brain would burst. Despite that, she wanted to take that step, but the blessing that judged that she had to cling to her life to fulfill that love did not allow her to.
[You failed.]
The shadow, in a bad state, not that far from her, laughed at her for burning everything she had.
[I will survive. I will kill him. Your puny will, lost to that of Earth.]
[Shut up…..!]
Its body was becoming fainter. How many holes did it have on its body? How about the insides that were thoroughly destroyed? It also had a hard time moving. It would die while trying to kill Yu IlHan.
So, it would retreat. It still had plenty of time. Recovering while waiting for Liera to slowly die, and ambush Yu IlHan again.
He could not surpass it. The execution of justified rage will definitely be carried out. The superhuman will, polished over many years, made it endure and retreat, just for that alone.
"Hey."
Correction, it could not retreat.
"Who says you can run away?"
A voice neither loud nor low resounded in that space. It, focused on the battle with Liera, finally managed to lift its head after the voice and noticed the changes in its surroundings.
[This is....?]
Fire was burning around it. A half-translucent, half-white flame that should not exist. That which enveloped this giant space burned, emitting a frightening curse and poison to prevent anyone from escaping.
[How...?]
"Your concealment is already undone."
Yu IlHan laughed with his eyes viciously open. His eyes were now burning a red deeper than Liera's. The traces of the goddess of fire's blessing; proof that he had taken a leap forward as a being.
"And you thought you could conceal yourself again in front of me?"
Yu IlHan's whole body, wearing the Infernal Dragon body, twitched; muscles puffed as if it were about to burst. It was a temporary phenomenon while the mastered Superhuman strength was being evolved into a unique skill by being fused with another.
[You!]
"Don't you think I took too long for a skill evolution?"
[But even so, in such a short time…..!]
"Yes. I became 4th class. Thanks for the lukewarm reaction. How can you be so the same from appearance to 'retirement'? Even fallen angels do better than you."
Yu IlHan's laugh was extremely dark and thick. It was a smile of the leisurely victor, and at the same time, one that belonged to an extremely enraged person.
Having watched him from before, it knew what his smile implied. It tried to move, but it couldn't. The world did not allow it to.
[How…..!]
"This space solely belongs to me right now."
Yu IlHan picked up his spear. The translucent white flame that formed the area swirled around his spear, enhancing and enlarging it. The overwhelming fire-attribute attack, the mastered power of Blaze, and, finally, the blessing of the goddess of fire had combined to create a power beyond reason.
Was this a power granted to a lower existence? This was nothing new. Yu IlHan no longer put himself in such a set cast.
[I...!]
"Checkmate."
A chain of white flames sprouted from the ground, making metallic sounds, and bound it. At full power, it could run away while resisting it, but while currently injured by Liera and having a hard time moving, it was impossible to do so.
[Kugh, Kehagh! Kuuuuuuuuuugh!]
"There may be an entrance to hell, but there's no exit."
While it twisted its body to resist and attempt to escape, Yu IlHan charged towards it with his spear covered in white flames. The closer he came to it, the stronger the flames became. His face, containing his solid rage, spoke of his will.
"If there is one exit, then it's that."
It finally felt death nearing for the first time, which was buried deeply in its mind.
[I, will....!]
Yu IlHan had no intention of hearing its last words. He had to go and see Liera after finishing it off real quick. It was his most important person. So important, irreplaceable by anyone.
His spear struck, pierced, and decimated the very space in which the shadow had existed. The will it boasted about so much was incinerated in its entirety.
"You just need to die."
It could not reply anymore. To a being that was completely decimated, no excuses were allowed.
"Fuuu..."
Yu IlHan retracted his spear. The hell that descended upon the land also disappeared without a trace.
[You have earned experience.]
[You have earned the record of Lv 403 Chaos Will.]
On his retina, numerous lines of text appeared, including level-ups, but Yu IlHan did not mind them and turned around. He was certain of his enemy's death.
"Liera!"
[Il, Han....]
He ran, shouting the name of the angel he loved. Collapsed on the ground, she was twitching, but hadn't died yet. And he was thankful for that fact more than anything.
[I.... answer...]
"I'll give you the answer you want so much, so wait a moment first."
Yu IlHan, who knelt by Liera's side, smiled brightly as if the frightening expression he had just now was that of a different person. Although his eyes were full of tears, Liera wouldn't know that, so it was fine.
[But, now...]
"You really learned the wrong stuff from dramas. Sheesh, TV ruins everyone, alright."
He cut his wrist to let out blood. When he let the blood drip onto the armour Liera was wearing, it emitted a bright light and began melting. Liera also felt that.
[....Huh?]
Liera's voice turned a little clearer. Facing her, Yu IlHan clicked his tongue.
"Nowadays, you only get to eat hate comments and death threat emails by the bucket if you retire a character like that."
The only man who takes records and goes against the world – he spoke something so foolish as if proud of it.
"I'm going to proceed while taking everything. I'm not letting go of anything."
[IlHan…..?]
"So get ready for it. For your whole life."
Hearing that, Liera's eyes opened abruptly. She could see Yu IlHan's face covered in tears, but decided to keep her mouth shut to protect his pride as a man.
The rebirth began.