King Eurace’s breath came ragged from his torn lips. It was no surprise given the state of his lungs.

My latest strike had connected with the center of his chest like an enormous battering ram striking a fortress’ front gates. Only this time, those gates were far too weak to withstand the incredible force that was imparted into them.

The sound of the strike itself could’ve been likened to the simultaneous firing of over a hundred artillery batteries back on Earth, and the force itself was more similar to an atomic explosion rather than a simple punch.

In essence, it was a blow that would’ve felled even the mightiest creature to walk these lands. Yet, why was it that King Eurace still managed to remain standing?

“...It’s as I thought.” King Eurace spat a globule of blood from his mouth, painting the once-immaculate tiles beneath his feet with a deep crimson shade. The splatter of blood quickly pooled around his feet, creating a macabre mirror that allowed the king to witness the haggard form that he had been reduced to.

Yet, he did not despair. Instead, there was only strength in his eyes. And something else...

...Amusement.

I frowned. As far as I knew, there was nothing amusing about his situation right now. At least, I sure as hell wouldn’t be laughing if I was getting my ass kicked to this extent. Throughout the duration of our brief battle, he’d only been able to land a single hit on me.

It had been a fierce strike aimed at my left clavicle. I had been in the middle of attacking with a kick aimed at his temple, and in that very moment, his sword had swung toward me with a sort of grace that could only be described as perfect.

His strike hadn’t been slow, nor had it been fast. Instead, it had simply been the appropriate speed for the situation like the last piece of a complex puzzle sliding into place satisfyingly. His counterattack had caught me completely off-guard, and had it been anyone else, they probably would’ve perished right then and there.

Unfortunately for the king, the cut was simply too shallow to truly cripple me as a result of my maxed out constitution. Even if it had done more damage, [Devouring Healing] would’ve allowed me to recover nigh-instantaneously.

In less than a year, I had truly become a nigh-unkillable monster that could wreak incredible amounts of destruction had I truly wished. I wasn’t truly a human anymore, nor could I be called a demon. The only thing that I could call my equal was the Black Dragon of Eschatology described in the myths of Celatria.

The creature that was said to herald the end of all things.

I smirked. In fact, it was rather fitting. After all, I wasn’t named “Ryuuko” for nothing.

I strode toward the still-determined King Eurace to claim my victory. I tightened my fist, preparing to deliver the final blow that would topple this titan at last.

And then, the king spoke.

“It’s as I thought,” he repeated with a ring of surety in his voice. “I was right to test you.”

My eyes widened in surprise as he hefted his sword from the ground, resting it on his shoulder as if it were no lighter than a feather. Given the state of his body, such an act should have been far too strenuous for him, yet there wasn’t even an ounce of weakness or hesitation in King Eurace’s gaze.

Rather, it seemed as if a new fire had ignited from deep within him. A flame that hadn’t been stoked for centuries on end now blossomed within the king’s heart, and it gave him strength that surpassed logic. Although [Complete Analysis] told me that nothing had changed about him, I was certain that he was stronger than before. It was as if he had been reborn.

Yes.

Like a phoenix rising from its ashes.

For the first time in a while since coming to this world, I felt fear. A cold shiver ran down my spine and I stopped in my tracks as I looked at the rising form of the king. Our eyes met, and I couldn’t help but grin.

Yeah... This is how it was supposed to be. No more one-sided massacres. At last, I’ve found a real battle!

With a roar, I dashed forward to meet my opponent. My fist shot through the air like a dragon’s jaws snapping at its prey, ready to devour all that stood in its path with a single blow.

But a phoenix was no mere prey. The king’s blade descended from its resting position in a fierce arc toward my wrist like a proud phoenix’s talon descending from the heavens. The air burst with the force of his weapon’s acceleration, and wind buffeted us both, but we ignored it.

The dragon’s fangs and the phoenix’s talon clashed. The world cowered in the wake of the thunderous noise that echoed through the air. For a moment, space itself trembled as it sought to find the conclusion to the clash of these two mighty titans.

In the end, the dragon was knocked aside.

“Gah!” I crashed into one of the support pillars that lined the room, causing it to topple over me. Angrily, I raised a fist and batted it aside. Instead, my strike reduced the pillar to dust.

My arm was still jarred from the impact that the king’s counterattack had imparted onto me. Even as I closed my fingers into a fist, my hand still trembled. I quickly stood up, preparing myself to receive the king’s follow-up attack.

Much to my surprise, he remained standing in the same position as before. It made sense. Regardless of his sudden burst of strength, there was only so much he could do with a broken body.

So why was I trembling right now?

I grit my teeth and cleared my mouth of the blood that had filled it.

Once more!

The ground beneath me exploded as I closed the distance between myself and the king in an instant. My fist was already in position to deliver the finishing blow.

It was a technique that I didn’t want to use no matter what. My objective wasn’t to kill any of the leaders. After all, that would only breed unnecessary animosity and conflict. However, I wasn’t at liberty to hold back anymore.

[Fa Ji—What...?

I paused in mid-strike, stumbling backwards as a gout of blood sprayed out from my body. I touched a hand to the center of my chest, and my fingertips came away wet. There was a gaping hole where flesh should have been. I stared at my fingers in disbelief for a moment before shifting my rapidly blurring gaze toward King Eurace.

His chest was heaving, and his mountainous shoulders shifted with every breath. The tip of his sword was slaked with the viscous crimson of my blood. He lifted his head toward the heavens and roared, a prideful shout of victory that echoed throughout the room just like a phoenix’s cry.

Only then did he turn toward me.

“Ryuuko of the Zaltsel clan,” his voice thundered out with the strength of an immortal flame. “I say again: show me your resolve!”