RUMBLE.
From within the dispersing cloud of dust, the silhouette of the Ancient slowly emerged.
The golden barrier let out a fssh and vanished.
[Impressive… I thought you were a worthless savage, but you were hiding quite a formidable power.]
At first, I thought it was fire or a laser attack.
But only when it soared skyward—like it would pierce the heavens—and came crashing down did I realize it was neither.
What the hell was that?
Could that really have come from a human body?
It was a power unknown to any past civilization.
“Even the Ultra Legend Maximum Boom-Boom attack couldn’t scratch it.”
“It’s Boom-Boom Maximum Legend Ultra, actually…!”
Meanwhile, Aslan couldn’t hide his bewilderment and let out a hollow laugh.
The only attack that had ever shattered the Trial Orb of the Imperial Magic Academy—
Unquestionably the most powerful strike in the Empire.
And yet, this barrier had taken it head-on and endured.
Its strength was so absurd it bordered on laughable.
‘Even if it’s rusty and on the verge of breaking down… This is Lost Technology, huh.’
It looked downright shabby.
But with its ability to command monsters, fire flashes of light, and defend itself with a powerful barrier—
It was a monstrous machine capable of overwhelming a small army all on its own.
‘We’re underpowered…’
But they were nowhere near strong enough to bring it down.
Sylvia had to focus on carrying him to safety, and couldn’t fight.
Charlotte had completely depleted her mana and was still recovering.
Duke of the North and his forces were already injured or exhausted.
They needed reinforcements.
“That look says it’s your first time seeing Aura.”
[…Aura?]
“That’s what we call the strike you just got hit by. It’s the result of honing human martial skill to its absolute limits.”
[It seems individual capabilities evolved significantly to make up for lacking science. Which explains the presence of primitive social systems. Though you savages may find it hard to imagine, we—]
“Adopted democracy?”
[How do you know that? There’s no way primitives like you could comprehend a concept like equality for all.]
“Oh, you’re curious about that? Isn’t it obvious? Think for yourself.”
[Don’t tell me you’re also from the past like I am…?]
Aslan activated the skill [Wickedly Amusing], flashing a meaningful grin.
Even without much thought, the expression exuded an aura of scheming.
Even Empress Vanessa, who could read hearts, would grow suspicious seeing that smile. That’s how powerful the skill was.
[No. That can’t be. The world ended before mind-transfer technology was invented. Just what ARE you?!]
“What do you think? I’m buying time.”
[…!?]
His identity?
That wasn’t important.
What was important was that he’d bought a few precious seconds with this ridiculous conversation.
And that was all the time the backup team needed to catch up.
[Lightning!?]
Just then, dark clouds gathered above.
As a bolt of lightning struck down toward the Ancient, Vanessa descended with the Holy Sword Tempest in hand.
Caught off guard, the golden barrier instantly activated—
But Tempest’s blade failed to pierce it and was deflected cleanly.
‘It didn’t consciously register my attack. That means the barrier functions through an automated system. Judging from older models, the component managing the barrier must be located in the chest area.’
She hadn’t landed a hit, but she’d made progress.
The Ancient flinched and stepped back.
And in that moment, Vanessa, Irene Vermont, and Yuri joined Aslan.
“Kept you waiting?”
“There was plenty of gossip to kill time with, so even if you were a little later, it’d have been fine.”
“Stop acting cool…”
“Aslan. That barrier isn’t some special type. It’s made of mana, so it should be possible to disable it with Black Magic.”
“Even so, that’s easier said than done, sis. It seems like the barrier only activates for a split second when it senses an incoming attack…”
Unlike the Ancient’s physical body, the barrier was purely made of mana.
Which meant it could be disabled with Black Magic.
But since it only appeared for a split second during an attack, hitting it precisely with Black Magic was close to impossible.
The spell had to be perfectly timed and pinpointed to disrupt the mana making up the barrier.
Aslan quietly explained the strategy to Irene, Vanessa, and Yuri.
“So we just keep hammering away, and give Count Aslan a shot at smashing the barrier?”
Of course, aiming for a barrier that only existed for a fraction of a second was a long shot.
But if they kept attempting it over and over—
Even a slim chance would eventually become a certainty.
Yuri rubbed the engagement ring on her fourth finger as she stepped forward.
Vanessa and Irene checked their weapons and stood beside her.
‘Continuous pressure—constant attacks…!’
The three exchanged a look, saying nothing.
With their battle experience, they understood each other perfectly without needing words.
They would attack relentlessly.
Ten times, a hundred, a thousand times—it didn’t matter.
All it took was one successful strike.
If Aslan’s Black Magic neutralized the barrier at just the right moment—
Then destroying the component responsible for the barrier would make the rest easy.
[I see the gist of your plan.]
Watching the three slowly fan out and approach, the Ancient chuckled darkly.
One enemy wielding Anti-Mana, and three fast combatants.
Now that they’d confirmed the barrier’s mechanics, their aim was obvious.
They might think all they needed was one successful strike out of a thousand attempts.
But the same logic applied here too.
If the Ancient landed just three hits, and took out all three of them—it would be over.
[You really think this will go your way!?]
Irene, Vanessa, and Yuri burst forward.
Their sword strikes came at a speed no one but a Sword Master could hope to follow.
‘He’s dodging instead of blocking with the barrier?’
The Ancient retreated, evading effortlessly.
But Irene, catching up from behind, delivered a powerful kick.
Yuri slipped in through the opening, and gaps in the Ancient’s defense began to appear.
It was clear the Ancient was dodging most attacks by sight—
But with strikes flying in from three directions, not everything could be evaded.
A blade slipped through a blind spot and struck.
And with a flash, the golden barrier activated.
‘Got it!’
There was hope.
Victory was in sight.
Irene, Vanessa, and Yuri increased the tempo, attacking even faster.
And Aslan focused all his power and attention on shattering the barrier whenever it appeared.
Once—failure.
Twice—failure.
And then, just as the barrier flared for the third time—
“Guhk…!”
The Ancient’s knee slammed into Irene’s abdomen, launching her backwards.
She tried to get back up immediately, but soon coughed up blood and collapsed again.
Yuri paused at the sight, clicked her tongue, and looked away with difficulty.
If she rushed in now to heal Irene, both of them would be roasted on the spot.
‘One down.’
The Ancient let out a sneer-like, unpleasant sound as he watched.
He’d been keeping an eye on Irene, who was slightly slower than Yuri and Vanessa, and this was the perfect opportunity to counter.
With multi-directional attacks being the biggest threat, reducing their numbers was the top priority.
Now, only two remained.
[You couldn’t win with three. What do you think you’ll manage with two? If you value your lives, surrender now.]
“Hah. As if.”
“Let’s see how long you can keep that smug face.”
Even with a comrade down, they weren’t backing off?
The Ancient tilted his head in mild confusion—
And once again, Vanessa and Yuri launched into a fierce assault.
‘They’re full of openings.’
As expected, with one of the trio gone, their formation was riddled with gaps.
Compared to the unrelenting attacks from earlier, this felt practically leisurely.
For the Ancient, there were no longer any blind spots.
And without the element of surprise, the barrier didn’t activate either.
‘No… something’s off. There are too many openings.’
The odd part was that their movements were strange—unnatural.
Earlier, they had done everything to keep up a constant assault.
But now? The intent behind their movement was unclear.
They didn’t even look like they were really trying to attack.
Their motions were inefficient—awkward. But to the Ancient, that only meant more opportunities.
[Got you. You pesky little gnat.]
“Hrk!?”
CRACK!
The Holy Sword Tempest shattered in the Ancient’s grasp.
And with a follow-up kick, Vanessa’s leg was broken.
As the Ancient opened his mouth to fire a flash and finish her off—
[I knew you’d come to save her, you brat.]
“Kgh…!”
Yuri dove at him from behind.
The Ancient reacted instantly, grabbing her by the neck.
With a crunch, he twisted it—
But Yuri didn’t die. Her bones snapped back into place almost immediately.
[What kind of monster are you now? Still, I doubt you can live without your head.]
Crack, crack-crack!
He shattered Yuri’s wrists, arms, legs—one after another.
Then raised a knife-hand to strike her neck.
Just before the blow landed, Yuri suddenly burst into laughter.
“Ehehehe…”
[You’re about to die—what’s so funny?]
“Ever hear the saying: ‘Under the lamp, it’s darkest?’”
[…?]
Then, that sickening feeling crept in.
But it was already too late.
Ssssh…
The Ancient’s shadow began to ripple—
And from within, emerging with her sword held in reverse grip, came Charlotte.
‘So that was it. Their strange movements… they were hiding her in my shadow!’
He’d never seen Aura before.
So of course, he wouldn’t know about the stealth art of hiding within shadows.
That was the crux of Aslan’s plan—
To secretly smuggle Charlotte into the Ancient’s shadow without his notice.
As the three launched what seemed to be a desperate flurry of attacks,
They were secretly shifting Charlotte’s position from shadow to shadow—until she was within reach.
Now, the perfect moment had arrived.
A flawless ambush.
“Hiiiyaaa! Rapid Stabbing!!!”
The automated defense system kicked in, activating the barrier—
But at the same time, a surge of powerful Anti-Mana nullified it.
The tip of the sword, Charlotte’s oddly-named blade, pierced straight into the Ancient’s chest.
“And now… Rapid Slicing!!!”
The barrier system shorted out completely.
Proof: the Ancient’s limbs were helplessly severed by Charlotte’s relentless sword dance.
Having spent the last of her strength, Charlotte smiled in satisfaction and collapsed.
[Kuhuhuhuhuhuhu…!]
They were just about to feel the thrill of victory—
When the Ancient let out a chilling laugh.
Did he still have a trick up his sleeve?
Everyone held their breath in tension.
[So be it. Let’s reset everything! You all die—let it all start again from zero!]
“…!?”
The Ancient’s mouth opened wide—
And a black beam of light shot toward the sky.
Instead of piercing through the dark clouds, it tore into the sky itself and vanished into some distant plane.
Cracks began to form in the heavens.
A pitch-black hole widened, swallowing the sky in darkness.
“Ah…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is &$%@$%!@…]
As Aslan looked up at the darkened sky, a chill ran down his spine.
From beyond the rift, he could feel Kali’s energy.
Not just one or two—but thousands.
‘That’s hell.’
Beyond that rift—was hell.
He was certain now.
The realm of the damned had just been connected to the mortal world.
