Chapter 468 – Extreme Flames and Shooting Stars

“Well then…”

—Cerberus. The watchdog of the deep floors. It’s impossible for a guardian to be weak. They’re entrusted with crucial positions precisely because they’re reliable. Especially one serving as a Sub-Guardian of the deep floors.

It’s possible to block its attacks with a Shield. However, in that state, I can’t deliver a decisive blow either. Magical Shockwaves fired through a Shield suffer a drop in power, and while Magical Shockwaves themselves can accumulate damage internally, bypassing the outer layer… if it possesses Toughness and motivation, it could likely grit its teeth and continue fighting even after taking some hits. Just like when Gardinis and I fought.

In that regard—its physical robustness is probably beyond comparison with mine. I should assume that even direct hits from mere Magical Shockwaves would serve as deterrents but not finishing blows. I need to break it down properly… through Close Combat.

Cerberus lets out a low growl, its whip-like tail wreathed in flames. It crouches, adopting a Charge Stance. Beneath its black fur, steely muscles creak and bulge. Self-Enhancement through Fighting Spirit.

I also charge in, synchronizing my breathing as I refine my magical power.

It came at me with a trajectory as if trying to hook its fangs into my shoulder and gouge it. As we passed each other, I slammed Ouroboros into it; the interference between magical power and Fighting Spirit caused sparks to burst, throwing both our trajectories off.

The instant we passed, its two heads inhaled and released heat rays toward my rear. Nemea and Capella killed their inertia and kicked off their Shields, Dodging the two searing lines that sliced through the air. They raced upward and flipped around.

I Charged toward Cerberus, which had halted mid-air and turned to face me, riding on Balor. We exchanged blows two, three times as we crossed paths, trading Strikes and Slash Attacks from the Dragon Staff and fangs.

We took a trajectory that involved a head-on collision. I combined my Shields to form a sharp, angled cone, aiming to impale it as it Charged, but Cerberus reacted at the last moment and evaded.

It seemed to turn its face aside, then bit into the Shield from the side, using it as a pivot to Spin its body, carrying the momentum into an upward kick from below with its hind legs. Movements unbefitting a beast.

Form Shift. Claws imbued with Fighting Spirit swept through the space right beside my body.

Feeling the wind pressure right next to me, I released the magical power concentrated in Ouroboros from its tip. Instantly compressing the magical power, I deployed it into a blade shape, creating a Greatsword. Swinging it upward as if chasing Cerberus’s back, it twisted its body and violently threw its two heads back, using its biting force to stop my Slash Attack.

Cerberus, having come to a halt upside down in the air, unleashed a heat ray from its central head in that very posture.

I shrank the Greatsword, Dodging with minimal movement as I closed in. Matching my movement, Cerberus’s massive jaws approached. I evaded one, two, three in rapid succession—the sound of its fangs clashing together echoed in the space right behind me.

Biting force sufficient to stop a Slash Attack from behind. Reaction speed and joint mobility enough to make that possible. Well then, what about this—?

The magical power swelling at Ouroboros’s tip solidified into an octahedron resembling two pyramids stacked base-to-base. Thanks to the Orichalcum interpreting my intent and changing its properties, such feats had become possible.

The same thing that blew away the Mammoth Soldier—I slammed it into its flank as a giant Mace—and a white-hot Shield appeared there. The moment the Strike made contact, it released a directional blast.

Faster than thought, reflexively, I deployed a Shield and deflected the blast. The Mace I had slammed in was repelled, and Cerberus flew straight forward before putting distance between us and turning to face me.

Using the blast to cancel out the Strike’s power? There exists a Fire Magic Technique that releases an omnidirectional blast centered on the caster, serving both offense and defense… Whether it understands the principle or not, it seems to use Reactive Armor as well. Though it has the form of a quadrupedal beast… it’s safe to assume it has no blind spots.

However, Cerberus charged in with an irritated expression and growl. It seems it didn’t like that its Counter move wasn’t an effective hit.

I evaded the massive jaws, manipulated Balor to run parallel, keeping up with Cerberus’s movements.

Close Combat. I swung Ouroboros upward in a scooping trajectory, and a white-hot Shield appeared beneath the jaw it was trying to strike down with.

Just before impact, I forcibly stopped Ouroboros with a Magic Shield, and Nemea’s Claw, emerging from behind me, delivered a blow to the central head. Ignoring that, the right head swung around for a headbutt, but I blocked it with a small Shield and slammed a direct Magical Shockwave into it.

Cerberus, disliking being stuck to, leaped back to disengage. I pursued, flying on Balor.

I ejected magical power from Ouroboros’s tip, creating a magical Mace like before. I swung it upward as if to strike—but the Mace’s tip wasn’t on that trajectory. I was Spinning the Dragon Staff as if pulling it back, simultaneously changing its properties and trajectory.

The magical power connected to the Mace’s tip bent like a whip, leaping up from the complete opposite direction of the white-hot Shield.

The octahedron scored a direct hit from behind, where Cerberus had been wary. Its body shook from the impact.

In other words, a transformation from Mace to Morning Star. I could feel the magical power changing its properties and shape freely in my hand. Should I call it like a limb? Or perhaps like some kind of living creature.

“GAAAAH!”

A roar. Cerberus, taking a deep breath, spun its entire body and released heat rays. I flew left and right, slipping through the heat rays to slam Ouroboros into it. Feint to real.

This time, without stopping, I slammed Ouroboros in; it didn’t use the white-hot Shield, instead reinforcing its body with Fighting Spirit to receive the blow.

Once you know a card your opponent holds, dealing with it isn’t so difficult. By turning the tables and mixing feints with real attacks, it couldn’t use its Counter move and had to resort to a surefire defense. In other words—it steeled itself and flooded its body with even more Fighting Spirit to block.

As expected—even after being struck by Ouroboros, there was no decline in Cerberus’s movements or will to fight. It scattered explosive flames in all directions, forcibly created distance, turned to face me, filled its eyes with even more fighting spirit, and raced through the air with increasing DPS.

Its form could be likened to a fiery meteor. Ignoring inertia, it traced sharp-angled trajectories, scorching the nearby shrubbery.

Matching the Charging Cerberus, I also deployed a Magic Circle. 6th Tier Wind Magic: Vortex Drive.

While blocking the heat with a wind Barrier, I kept up with Cerberus’s high-speed movement. Dazzlingly white ultimate flames and pale blue magical power. Leaving two trails of afterglow, we repeatedly exchanged attacks, passing by each other.

Intersections and collisions. Even amidst this, Cerberus’s eyes shone brilliantly. It has three heads. If I launch a half-hearted attack, it would likely sacrifice one head to stop the Staff’s movement, then follow up with a reckless attack.

Whether it’s Nemea or Capella, or even Balor—to block such a One Hit Kill blow, I must keep them in reserve.

Therefore, I need to handle both keeping up with its movements and launching attacks on my own. Using Vortex Drive, we clashed mid-air. Dodge and Defense and Charge. All merged into one, a fleeting exchange of offense and defense as we passed. Numerous sparks burst forth.

Ouroboros’s joyful hum and Cerberus’s roar, baring its fighting spirit. Approaching, colliding fiercely, then separating. Impacts detonating countless times. The scenery flowed by at an absurd speed that ignored inertia; two Light Bullets entangled, collided, were repelled, and refusing to part, repeatedly Charged toward each other.

Amidst that exchange, I saw Cerberus take a deep breath. Fiery breath—no, different from before. I felt my skin prickle with goosebumps at that incongruity. Unconsciously, the corner of my mouth twisted. Cerberus raised its heads, adjusting the angle—yes. It’s pinpointing coordinates. And—it came.

“OOOOOOOOOH!”

Three roars merged into one point as a Shockwave. While flying at high speed, I twisted my body; an explosive impact spread right beside me, as if the air itself had detonated.

The principle is the same as the Wind Magic Resonance Mine. It overlaps the roars at a single coordinate point, ignoring obstacles like Shields or Staves, and destroys the target from within via resonance. If this is its hidden trump card, it would certainly be a One Hit Kill against a human opponent.

A second, third time in rapid succession. Shockwaves detonated at point-blank range. I changed trajectory at sharp angles, evading the spatial explosions. The aim is quite accurate, but—

“Too slow!”

I Dodged the Shockwave, ascended directly upward once—changed my behavior at a sharp angle, and Charged at bullet-like speed. I sent one of Cerberus’s heads flying. Throwing it off balance, I followed up with a second, third time in rapid succession. Into its back and torso, I slammed Strikes from Ouroboros.

It—tried to catch me with the Shockwave. In doing so, it became slower than its top speed. Once a speed difference is created, it widens further with each attack.

And those Strikes, amplified by Vortex Drive’s Charge speed, pierced even its Fighting Spirit Enhancement, leaving definite damage on Cerberus’s body.

Perhaps realizing its own misstep, Cerberus bared its fangs, glared at me—then stopped moving and took the blows head-on.

Defense through concentration of Fighting Spirit. The sensation of a heavy impact piercing Cerberus’s body. Even so, it didn’t stop. It tried to envelop and contain me with its entire body.

The roar Resonance Bullet about to be fired from point-blank range. However—that range is my range too. I returned the magical power accumulated in Ouroboros to my body—linking the movements of my whole body, I slammed it in along with a Palm Strike.

Spiral Shockwave—. Just before it could release its roar, the bundled magical power detonated internally. Cerberus’s body was sent flying, twisted by the excess energy.

Despite having a far superior physique, it was sent flying by a single blow from point-blank range. Cerberus’s expression was one of incomprehension. However, its burning red eyes hadn’t given up yet. Not at all—what formidable fighting spirit. But precisely because of that, I need Magic powerful enough to shatter it along with that spirit.

“Scatter—!”

I released the magical power refined within my body. Deployed a giant Magic Array. At that sight, Cerberus’s eyes widened—and indeed, it twisted the corner of its mouth into a grin.

Was the emotion surfacing there praise, or a fighting spirit determined to endure? Or perhaps both.

Water, Wind, Lightning, Multi-Composite 9th Tier Magic—Storm Conflict. From the Magic Array, a thin tornado tinged with cold air was born, capturing Cerberus’s body as it danced in mid-air, lifting it up.

Sparks scattered at the cone-like tip of the tornado. Fine particles of ice rubbed against each other within the tornado’s vortex, generating static electricity, which was then boosted by the incorporated Lightning Strike Spell Formula, amplifying its power and scale. In an instant, swallowed by the rapidly swelling pure white vortex of wind, Cerberus’s form vanished.

The tornado increased its pressure, mowing down and engulfing the surrounding shrubbery. From the tornado wreathed in purple lightning generated at its center, numerous flashes fell, scorching the area, and a thunderous roar reverberated.

The howling sound of the storm, and the sounds of lightning flashes and thunder. The swelling tornado creaked even against the Labyrinth’s Barrier.

When the storm finally burst and spread out, scattered wood chips and then Cerberus, sent spinning high into the air, fell to the ground.

Thud—the massive body crashed into the ground and rolled. And—Cerberus did not get up again after that.