Chapter 366: No Second Mistake

———Kenni———

<3: 06 pm>

“You want me to stay out of this one?” I said with a slightly dissatisfied face.

“This is a bit too much for you.” She bluntly stated as we kept walking towards our target, stepping over small pieces of rubble and trash that are strewn everywhere.

“You can already tell that before we even reach the guy?” I said as the scenery seemed to shift into a bloody mess. There are more corpses piling around us as we get closer to the target.

Compared to the last time we did something like this, where it seems like endless destruction was the drive, this one’s goal is not quite the same despite the similar level of damage and brutality. Everything seems to be covered in grey from the collapsed buildings and broken roads. Any colorful signs, trees planted on the side of the road, or anything else to give the city more color and life were destroyed or burnt down.

The closest thing there is to life in this hellhole is that there are still fires raging on in some part of the city. As if we need any more allusion to inferno.

“Observing is a hobby of yours anyhow.” She replied. “It’s best to not risk your life.”

“Come on, I think I can live for a long long time.” I confidently said. “But if you think it’s gonna ruin your fun, I guess I can spectate and write it down.”

“That would be ideal.” She said as we are getting close to our destination. The pulsating energy signature emits quite the pressure, telling me in no uncertain terms that survival is going to be difficult. Now that I have been booted out of the party, that obviously doesn’t matter anymore.

“Heh, suit yourself. Just make sure to not die. I want an easy ride back home.” I said while slowing my pace to put a bit of distance between us.

“Naturally.” She replied as we almost reached our target, even making out the silhouette from here. Emmie raised her arm to signal to me to stop following her.

The person in question is sitting among the pile of corpses. While most of his body is still human, that is only because the part that makes him otherwise not one are additive rather than replacing. The black mass of flesh growing out of him seems to form as extra limbs or simply luggage. A part of his head is covered in this black flesh with a mouth and yellow eye growing out of it. Calling it black flesh feels weird. It’s so black that without strong light it can look like voids growing out of him.

“Damn. He’s even stronger than that lizard guy, right?” I pointed out. “Are you sure he won’t have a broken ability as well?”

“No. This thing won’t. I am sure of that.” She confidently said as she approached the otherwise plain-looking man who was sitting there as if meditating.

“Hm?” The man noticed us as Emmie approached. “Huh? There are still survivors? The hell are you two doing? Have a death wish?”

“Simply here to clean up the trash.” Emmie said without hesitation.

“Heh…” The corrupted human smirk before standing up, the extra mouth on the growing black tumor on his head also grinned with its tongue sticking out a little. “Little girl. You don’t need to play the hero, you know?”

“A man who made a deal with a demon. Your body was twisted by their influence as they let you loose on the city, killing and devouring others to bolster your power. An insignificant man who would never see the light of day otherwise.” Emmie clocked his situation immediately.

“Heheh! And still you two came.” He said with an ugly grin. “Do you really think just because there are two of you that it’ll be enough?”

“No, there is no need for her to intervene.” Emmie replied nonchalantly as she continued walking forward.

“…You dare to fight alone!?” He yelled out as he let loose a bit of his power, causing a whirlwind that blew away the junks on the ground. He looked at Emmie with a disgusting grin on his face while the extra mouth opened up and began licking its lips. “I have eaten hundreds… no, thousands! My power is even greater than that! I am invincible!”

“A foolish perspective indeed.” Emmie said before summoning her personal scythe to her side as the two are ready for battle.

*Flap* *Flap* *Flap*

I began flying away as the fight would begin shortly. A storm is brewing from the pressure emitted from the two fighters

“What gives you such confidence!? I’ll tear you limb from limb and make you feel despair!” He yelled out with quite the confidence.

“Come.” Emmie said that as she pointed her scythe at him.

*Dash* *Parry* *Clash* *Dash* *Swing* *Leap*

He ran right towards her while swinging his right arm and an extra black tendril beside it, the speed of which caused the ground he previously stood on to crack.

Emmie easily countered the assault by blocking and parrying the incoming barrage of attacks. The two are running around in circles as Emmie does not go on the offensive just yet.

A streak of light and one of darkness are circling the area as they move faster and faster. Emmie’s dress that seems to shine brightly contrasting all those void tendrils coming out of that man.

“What are you running for!?” He screamed out as Emmie kept playing defensive. Unfortunately for him, her playing passive is not a result of cowardice, and if anything, she has already determined how this fight is going to end.

*Sizz* *Launch* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*

He began throwing fireballs at her instead of hopping around, litting the area and trying to cover as much ground as possible so she doesn’t have any room to dodge.

*Splash*

She countered with a large tidal wave launching in all directions with her at the center and dosing all the flame he created, even engulfing him as he stood there shocked by the sudden casting of a spell with such a large effect.

“Petty tricks!” He said, already starting to feel irritated at the girl with a blank expression.

*Leap* *Swing* *Block*

He jumped right towards her with great force, making her block the incoming impact with her scythe. Even though she successfully blocked it she was still pushed back by the attack, and there is a small crater at the point of impact.

*Dash* *Clash* *Dash* *Parry* *Dash* *Evade* *Dash* *Crash*

Without either side saying anything else, they began moving around again with the demon thrall trying to hit Emmie to no avail. Each spot they landed at were met with a powerful attack that didn't affect Emmie at all, but anything that was caught up in its trajectory were blown to smithereens.

“Are you ever going to swing that big toy of yours!” He said, trying to taunt her into attacking.

*Swing* *Evade* *Swing* *Evade*

Even with multiple tendrils to aid him he can’t even touch Emmie with attacks coming from multiple angles. Her speed and reflex is too much for him.

*Strike*

“Guh!?” Before even one attack even landed, Emmie punched him right in the stomach and sent him flying, not even bothering to use the scythe in her right hand.

It doesn’t really damage the guy, but he was clearly surprised that the sneak attack even had any effect.

Emmie doesn’t say anything other than taunting him with a beckoning gesture, causing his expression to twist even more, the mutated bits bulging out in rage.

“I’ll make sure to savor every last bit!” He screamed out as the extra mouth on his head opened up with a long tongue sticking out.

*Shoot* *Grab*

“Huh?” He looks bewildered as the tongue he shoots out like a harpoon was casually grabbed by Emmie. It was shot at the speed of a bullet at least, but she casually grabbed it like it was handed to her.

*Swing* *Spin* *Crash* *Spin* *Crash* *Dash* *Swing* *Crash* *Spin* *Crash*

Emmie wasted no time swinging it around and smashing him into everything she could come across. Spin around, run around, she made sure he got no reprieve at all.

*Leap* *Spin* *Throw* *CRASH*

She jumped high into the air before spinning around for a bit before throwing him straight down, causing a massive crater and for the ground to shake.

“You really are getting on my nerves…” He bitterly said as she landed back down.

“You are the more irritating one. How much power are you still not using?” She called him out and he flinched.

“Pfftt… Ahahaha! You dare to ask about that? You can’t even throw a good punch at me!” He said, drowning in pride and madness. Did he forget that he didn’t even get a single attack to actually land on her?

“...In that case, there is no point to this.” Emmie said before turning around and preparing to walk away, much to his shock and bewilderment.

“What?” He said like the world just fell down on him. “W-Where are you going, you bitch!”

Emmie simply ignored him and continued to walk, not paying him any mind. Now this is a fun watch! Good thing I have a camera on me!

“Y-You… How dare…” He said loudly and yet Emmie continued to walk away as if no longer holding any interest in this battle. “How dare you ignore me!?”

*Shake* *Rumble*

“Hm?” Emmie finally reacted as he began gathering power and more than double the previous level he was at.

“You will feel the despair of my full might!” He screamed out as the corruption on his body spread further, with part of what used to be human flesh being slowly subsumed by the corruption. It’s nothing really of note, he already fell long ago. Now he’s just a rabid dog with a terrible owner who isn’t even around. “I will burn you and everything into the ground!”

*SIZZ* *BURST*

A sea of fire erupts out of him and engulf the city, leaving very few areas safe to even touch.

Emmie turned around to face the enraged man once more, unbothered by the area being completely lit up.

*Dash* *Clash* *Parry*

He closed the distance between them and began attacking with the enlarged tendrils with far greater speed than before, but even then Emmie can still counter them with no apparent issue.

*Parry* *Evade* *Block*

Now that he has actually started giving it his all, Emmie also began to actually fight back. Her swings were lazy but can still pack quite the punch if he doesn’t make sure to keep his many eyes on them.

*Dash* *Clash* *Dash* *Clash* *Leap* *Clash*

Their exchange got much more intense as they kept moving. Time time around covering even more areas as each burst of speed covers even more grounds than before.

They jumped onto rooftops, scale up the mountain of trash and debris, and navigate up the tall buildings that are still standing. Windows broke, the buildings began to lean, everything that was broken was further reduced down to dust and ash.

*Strike* *Crash* *Crumble*

Emmie sent him flying by bashing him with the scythe, causing him to crash into a nearby building and causing it to quickly collapse on top of him.

*Burst* *Crackle*

He excavates himself out with a burst of electricity, shaking off the dust and glare at the slowly approaching Emmie.

*Dim*

“Fall!” He screamed out as dark energy manifested in his hands, and he then pushed it towards Emmie.

Emmie stopped for a moment as the dark spell covered the area she was standing on. It seems to be a gravity spell meant to impede her movement.

*Dash* *Swing* *Block*

He then ran at her with a powerful swing that she still managed to intercept under this condition, but she was still launched by the impact.

*Slash* *Blast* *Slash* *Blast*

While she was still carried by the momentum, she threw out a few energy slashes that the damned human can barely dodge. By the time the counter assault is over, he realizes that she has disappeared from view.

*Slash*

“Grah!?” She suddenly appeared from the side and cut off one of the growing tendrils on his body, causing him to reel in pain before turning to face her, but she already left his sight by then.

*Leap* *Sizz* *Blast* *Boom* *Crash*

He quickly jumps away only for him to suddenly be hit by a giant fireball that slapped him back onto the ground.

“Damn you!” He screamed out as he raised his limbs and tendrils.

*SIZZ* *BLAST* *BOOM*

He threw a massive fireball right towards the direction the opposing fireball came from, but it didn't even hit Emmie, only touching the ground and exploding, causing an even bigger fire problem than before. Almost half the city was engulfed by the attack, no doubt destroying anything that was within its radius.

An absurd firepower to be in the hands of someone who can’t think bigger than wanton destruction and becoming stronger. Obsession usually led to great power, but in this case…

*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*

Before he could realize that she was directly behind him the entire time, Emmie has shot him three times with the special function in her staff, causing him to receive the impact greater than that of a cannon shot three times at point-blank range.

*Sizz*

“You-!” He gets even angrier at the cheap shots, turning around with his body covered in flames.

“Clumsy.” She gave out a single word as her current evaluation.

“What?” He is once more flabbergasted by Emmie’s casual yet brutal remark. The flames that covered his body even dims in response, shaken that even now she doesn’t seem to treat him as an equal let alone a superior fighter.

“Nothing but borrowed power without any refinement. Like a child playing on easy mode and bragging about how easy the game is.” She elaborated.

*Swing* *Evade* *Smack*

He tried to shut her up, but she avoided the incoming strike and smacked him in the head with the back of the scythe, causing him to be pushed back and collapsed to the ground, extinguishing the flame on his body.

“Power gaining through a bargain, or begging, or simply falling into your lap. I don’t truly care where it comes from as long as you can turn it into something truly your own.” Emmie continued to talk as the other guy slowly got up. “A mindless beast with predictable behavior and boring fighting style. Did you ever throw a punch before getting this power? I assume not.”

“Shut up!” He screamed as the extra mouth on his head opened up and began gathering mana.

*Smack* *Bang*

But before it could even finish, Emmie simply poke it with the gun barrel part of her scythe and shoot it before the opposing side could react, stopping the attack entirely.

“I suppose I never meant to leave you alive in the first place, but you certainly don't try to challenge such a notion by being at least a little bit entertaining.” She said despite clearly having some sort of enjoyment over taunting and making him wear himself out, or was that another mistake I made regarding her character? “You and I were never equal, but even humans can find enjoyment watching smaller and weaker creatures.”

*Strike* *Smack* *Bash* *Slash*

Before he could reply with more enraged messages, she began beating him down some more and giving him no time to recover.

*Grab* *SLAM* *CRASH*

She then grabbed him by the throat before planting his face right into the ground and causing the road to shatter like it was hit by an explosion.

“The current power difference between the two of us isn’t even that large, and yet your lack of mastery leaves the practical result in actual combat lacking.” She continued her lecture while he plucked himself out of the crater. “Unfortunately, there is nothing else to gain from the two of us battling, and more accurately, there never was.”

She then turned her head to look at me. Seems like she is finally ending this.

Emmie slowly flies up while the tainted man can only look on with frustration and probably a bit of fear in those eyes.

“Here, let me show you the true difference between us as a parting gift. Your soul will be used up by the demon who contracts with you anyway, so even in death you cannot tell any wandering soul about this.” Emmie said as she put her scythe away and began doing the power-up pose, two fists clenched up.

*Dim* *Crackle*

The signature black and red aura appeared on her body with lighting accompanying it as one of her innate abilities took effect.

“I won’t let you!” He screamed out in desperation as he walked towards her.

*Leap*

He jumped up towards her, hoping to interrupt her. While he does that I have already begun flying away.

*SHINE* *RUMBLE* *CRACKLE*

Before he could reach her, the oppressive aura surrounding her has expanded and completely envelops him.

I couldn’t sense him anymore as the aura grew bigger and enveloped a large chunk of the city and stirred up the clouds. It’s blinding.

…After she stopped and powered down, she landed back down on the ground. The massive crater that was formed just from the pressure of her letting off her true strength for a moment. One might mistake it for a place a meteor fell down on it, or perhaps an old excavation site that has kept digging for years.

Not even a speck of that man can be seen. It’s like he has been erased from existence.

“Well now, that was quite the ending.” I said as I approached her, clutching the camera that managed to survive all of that.

“Nothing I would have trouble pulling off.” She said as she began walking out of the city with me following right behind her. “It seems you have captured all of that on camera.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch. You were moving so fast that there were only some parts that weren’t a blurry mess. Not to mention that all of that happened in less than fifteen minutes.” It felt long, but that’s only because when you get to this point your mind is sharpened and the world feels slower to you. I can make out a subtle difference in each exchange, from blocking to parrying, from who is the first to throw out an attack. On camera it all became an unreadable blur.

“It is still an interesting bit of footage you have there.” She remarked.

“...Well. Do I post it on-

“Only in the class group chat.” Okay.