Chapter 573 - 563 Asem’s body swayed unsteadily

Chapter 573: Chapter 563 Asem’s body swayed unsteadily

At my words, Asem vomited blood from every pore, but rose to his feet with a trembling frame. Then, a bitter smile crossed his face as he replied:

"Heh, heh, heh... Well, it’s a fitting development for a villain, isn’t it? I was prepared for at least this much. But the match isn’t over yet. After all, I’m still standing right here."

Asem’s body swayed unsteadily. Contradicting his words, the pressure rolling off Asem had plummeted drastically. That overwhelming power was no longer felt. Even so, Asem clenched his fists and let out a roar.

"Tch... Uoooooooh!"

With a fighting spirit so fierce it made you wonder where his battered body found the energy, Asem blew away the surrounding flames and lunged forward.

I didn’t budge from the spot. The moment Asem’s kick came within reach, I leaped into the air and brought down a counter-kick from above. Asem crossed his arms to block it, but my roundhouse kick slammed squarely into his wide-open flank. Spewing a spray of blood, Asem was sent flying, rolling across the ground before righting his posture and launching a massive wave of energy toward me... but I slightly dipped my shoulder to let it glide past, quickly darting right at him. I punched Asem away, delivered a kick, and followed up with a continuous flurry of strikes.

Chasing down the flying Asem, I drove a punch packed with all my remaining ki deep into his gut. Ducking under Asem’s desperate counter-attack, I kicked his body upward. Floating in mid-air, Asem’s form was wrapped in a residual rainbow aura. The ki I had poured into him during the kick was sealing his movements.

"Tch...!"

Asem struggled frantically, but escape was impossible. He had no remaining tricks to counter this. Let’s finish it, Draig!

『Yeahhh! Let’s go!』

Looking up at Asem suspended in the air, I stoked my ki to a fever pitch alongside my battle cry! Then, crossing my arms in front of my chest, I swung them wide upward with all my strength!

『Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhkwargs!!』

『Star Burst Explosion!!!!!!!』

A fresh synthetic voice rang out from the gauntlet, and a rainbow aura erupted from deep beneath the earth. The rainbow pillar piercing the heavens swallowed Asem whole―――――and the rainbow aura cloaking him triggered a cataclysmic explosion.

▽

[Miu side]

Once the ritual concluded and I stepped outside the barrier, I kept watching while continuing to battle the familiars. Watching this battle, the clash between the two men holding the fate of the world in their hands―――――Nii-chan and Asem’s battle.

Everyone... gods, devils, angels, fallen angels, and all other races, every single being present watched over the fierce battle of the two. Everyone understood. Those two existed on an entirely different dimensional plane. There was no one who could dare step into that arena. And so, everyone could only accomplish what they themselves were capable of.

And now. The two of them were about to reach their climax and finish it.

Risha-san’s bullet successfully severed Asem’s connection to Trihexa, achieving a massive weakening of his abilities. And right there, Nii-chan landed a technique into which he must have poured his absolute all, swallowing Asem up in the process.

While rainbow-colored flames still danced in the sky, the one standing tall at the end was the Red Hero. The moment we confirmed that, the familiars and Trihexa split-entities we were fighting froze in place. All light faded from the monsters’ eyes, and they ceased activity entirely.

Alice-san spoke up:

"Looks like it’s over."

"Yeah... looks like it."

Whether she heard our conversation or not, the others lowered their weapons as well, letting out deep, heavy sighs. Finally. The long, grueling battle was finally over. Some people even let out shouts of triumph over the outcome—that they had survived, that they had triumphed against the worst and strongest enemy imaginable.

"It’s finally... finally over."

―――――It was at that exact moment.

"Fufufufu... Hahahahaha. If the effect of that bullet had worn off just a little bit later, it would have been the end of me."

A voice echoed from the sky. That voice froze the entire battlefield in place.

Prompted by the voice, I looked up at the sky―――――and despair awaited there.

"What is that...!?"

Rias-san’s eyes went wide as she let out a trembling voice. The other members, even Azazel-sensei and Vali-san, were breaking out in cold sweat and shaking.

What hung in the sky... was a sea of scorching heat. A gigantic mass of fire completely filling the entire sky. So massive it tricked the senses into thinking the sun itself was falling down. The heat radiating from the mass of fire scorched the earth, and even though we were at a considerable distance, it felt as though our bodies were about to burn to ashes...! Panic-stricken, I cast cooling magic across our surroundings, but the sensation refused to vanish...!

A single shadow floated in the sky―――――Asem. Half of his body was completely missing. Undoubtedly the result of Nii-chan’s final strike. Yet, the fact that he was still alive after taking that meant Risha-san’s bullet time limit had expired before he could be completely finished off.

The inactive familiars and Trihexa split-entities were being absorbed back into him. The moment that happened, a violent shockwave began to radiate from the sea of fire blanketing the sky.

Asem said to Nii-chan:

"I don’t have much time left either. So, this truly is the final act. Either you save the world, or I bring everything to an end."

Asem raised a hand toward us. With that movement, the scorching sea of fire hanging in the sky began to fall.

"A power rivaling the Genesis of heaven and earth. See if you can weather it."

[Miu side out]

―――――If you use this power, you will no longer be able to remain yourself.

―――――Do you have the resolve to do it?

―――――I see, understood. Then, I will place my trust in you and the girls.

―――――I will grant you my true name. The true name of the one who was sealed away.

―――――Promise me, Ise. Make sure you come back.

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