The Darkness was Comfortable for me

“[Create: Undead]!”

“[Summon: Dark Knight]!”

The life or death exchange continued.

As long as I have Spirit Energy, the amount of moves I can make are a lot.

Having a lot of cards is pretty advantageous in a battle.

Of course, each one of them individually doesn’t have much point, but Dark Spirit Abilities have a high ‘annoyance’ quality to them.

That applied to Great Spirits as well.

Distraction and beheading.

The defense of the Great Spirit itself is fortunately low, so as long as I get that opening and get into range, it was possible for even the Zombie Lizardman and the Dark Knight to cut off her head.

The Great Spirit is skillfully using Spirit Abilities to fight back, but by taking the initiative here, I managed to avoid them all.

A water version of Dark Coffin.

Shooting a whole ton of ice.

Creating a wall of water.

Flooding the surroundings.

They all have enough power to finish me in one hit.

Me not getting incapacitated from this most likely has to do with luck too.

Even so, I managed to continue crossing that tightrope without falling.

“Haaah!”

Swinging down my sword from the very front by taking advantage of an opening.

The head of the Great Spirit rolled.

(This is…the 6th time…!) (Hikaru)

It took a lot of time, but the Spirit Energy of the Great Spirit has decreased by a drastic amount compared to the beginning.

The issue is that it is still a massive bundle of Spirit Energy, so I can’t relax yet.

It is a tightrope battle where it wouldn’t be strange for me to be dead the next instant, and I can’t even run away or take a break in between.

But I have now gotten confidence that I will eventually be able to defeat it if I continue this.

“Nununununu! How impudent. Now that it has come to this, this one has no choice but to use a Superior Ability** too. Don’t die, brat.” [Changed High Ability to Superior Ability.]

The Great Spirit must have lost her patience here, she spread both hands faster than her saying this, and concentrated Spirit Energy.

Great Spirits use Spirit Abilities just by waving their hands.

It is different from the ‘borrowed power’ us humans use. Spirit Abilities that are their own.

An Ability that a Great Spirit calls Superior Ability…

“Ah!”

That said, we are currently in battle.

The concentration of Spirit Energy from the Great Spirit only took a few seconds, but the Dark Knight didn’t let that opening escape.

The Dark Knight got her back as if it popped out from the darkness, and swung its jet black sword.

Her head fell and rolled.

The Zombie Lizardman rushed in in order to slice up the remaining body.

But that sword didn’t reach the body of the Great Spirit.

The head on the road declared the name of this Ability in a dignified tone.

“[Maelstrom].”

At that instant, the Spirit Energy condensed to the very limit was unleashed from the body of the Great Spirit.

After a second of silence, an enormous amount of raging water was released radially with the body of the Great Spirit as the center.

Calling it water wouldn’t make it justice.

It was truly the materialization of the ocean…

The amount of water, the speed; the only thing I could see was the outline of it.

The appearance of the swirling ocean that had terrifying water pressure tore up the body of the Zombie Lizardman, and the Dark Knight’s body was also crushed into dust.

If I had been a second late in breaking the Barrier Stone, I would have definitely been dead here.

A Water Ability that annihilates everything around.

It is not like I was underestimating her, but I am dealing with a god of water.

There’s no way her only means of attack would be a water gun and shooting icicles.

Her job was to bring me unscathed to the main body, so she was holding back. If she wanted to kill me, she could have done so anytime.

“Fuha…fuhahahaha! Incredible! Astounding! To think you would even block this one’s Superior Ability too!”

Despite the water swirling loudly outside the barrier, I could hear the laughter of the Great Spirit awfully well.

The incredible one is the barrier and not me, but it seems like I managed to get out of this one.

However, my Points will run out first if she uses that several times.

If I get hit once by this, it will be the end.

The Great Spirit said ‘don’t die’, but there’s no way I would be able to come out of this without dying. I would be fatally injured at best.

That said, a Great Spirit probably can heal someone half-dead, so she probably did something this drastic because of that. Water Spirit Abilities have healing abilities after all.

(I should buy more Barrier Stones while I have the chance.) (Hikaru)

I have already used several Barrier Stones in just one day.

It can’t be helped that I have to use them, but there’s still a part of me that curses ‘why me?’.

Just as Jeanne said, if I hadn’t saved Points, I would have definitely been dead here. I am truly grateful for Jeanne in that front too, but…where has she gone to?

I bought 3 Barrier Stones from the Status Board, and put them inside the pouch at my waist.

The Great Spirit probably can’t move while in the middle of that Superior Ability, it is not coming to destroy the barrier.

I used this opportunity to summon the Zombie Lizardman and Dark Knight again.

It is to immediately move to the next exchange once the Ability is over.

It is a bit of a waste to discard the barrier on my own, but it will be broken anyways, so it would be better to prioritize the momentum of the battle.

I also drink a Spirit Energy Potion.

It is currently 4am. Almost dawn.

The water created from the Superior Ability was withdrawing.

Even though there was so much water just now, it all dissolved into Spirit Energy and disappeared as if there was no water to begin with. Even the ground is not wet.

The Great Spirit regenerated her head at some point in time.

She takes one step at a time towards me after seeing my barrier.

Her approaching me is convenient.

These types good at long range are troublesome when they attack you while you are closing the distance.

“Kuh! To think there would be a strong ability like that… I can’t match that at all…” (Hikaru)

“Oh, finally giving up? A Supreme Ability is a technique that exhausts even this one to a decent degree after all.”

“Will you let me go if I give up?” (Hikaru)

“Hohohoho, that’s an impossible request-ja. This one will at least appeal to not killing you. This one would want to have a taste too, you see.”

“Haha, thanks.” (Hikaru)

It seems like Great Spirits believe in humans too much, or like, despite having lived for so long, their mind is like that of a child. It looks like she believed my scared act.

Even though she has already had her head dropped several times by me, she is lowering her guard.

That confidence is going to cost her her life.

“[Darkness Fog].” (Hikaru)

I spread darkness and jumped out from the barrier in that instance.

The Great Spirit raised a ‘nuwah!’ when the barrier that was about to be broken had darkness burst out from it.

“[Fear]!” (Hikaru)

I slam the Fear Chaotic Ability from close range and hinder the movements of the Great Spirit.

I immediately slash and behead the Great Spirit.

The Zombie Lizardman and the Dark Knight rush at the body to slice it up.

Due to her lowering her guard and approaching me, our all in attack worked.

The Great Spirit can move even when it is only its body, and it can also use Abilities, but if the arms, legs, and head are cut off at the same time, there will obviously be no opening to use Abilities there.

“[Dark Coffin]!” (Hikaru)

I trap the limbless Great Spirit in the Dark Coffin.

It is an Ability that takes time to cast, but this one landed perfectly.

“Slice her to pieces!” (Hikaru)

I ordered the Dark Knight that can move even inside the Dark Coffin.

As long as I don’t know what kind of counterattack she can pull off, I can’t do something like entering and participating in the attack.

I can tell that the Spirit Energy of the Great Spirit was steadily lowering inside the pitch black icosahedron coffin.

Is it finally over now?!

“Oooooh, doing what you please with this one’s body…! But it wouldn’t be like me to die just like this-ja.”

The voice came from the head that I sliced off just before.

The head of the Great Spirit opened its eyes wide and let out a sharp voice.

“…Seriously? Anything goes, huh.” (Hikaru)

“Hohohohoho. Don’t underestimate me, brat. This one is a Great Spirit, you know? I won’t die with just this.”

To my surprise, the Great Spirit began to regenerate from head down this time around.

If it is just in looks alone, it seems as if she has returned to a completely unscathed state.

But the Spirit Energy flowing from her body had gone down to only a tiny % of what was at first.

“[Fear]!” (Hikaru)

“Uh?! Using that on someone who has just resurrected is underhanded-ja zo!”

“I am not resurrecting if I die once, so I am desperate here! [Dispel]!” (Hikaru)

“Gih!”

The exorcizing wave emitted from my hand landed on the Great Spirit.

—Got her!

The Dispels until now felt like they were blocked by some sort of wall, but the Chaotic Ability I shot just now pierced through the ‘wall’ and destroyed her core.

That’s the kind of reaction I felt.

“…Y-You…! That Ability isn’t fair-ja zo…”

The Great Spirit (Small) couldn’t maintain her body and the Spirit Energy began to melt into the air.

Her own existence as a summon was destroyed by the Dispel, and it seems like it can’t gather Spirit Energy anymore.

“Did I…win…?” (Hikaru)

“…That’s right-ja. Even though this one is a summon…to think I as a Great Spirit would lose in a one against one… Wonderful… You have done…wonder…fully…-ja……”

The Great Spirit (Small) disappeared, blown off by the wind until every last spec was gone.

I sat on the ground just like that.

My whole body is trembling.

My heart began to drum like crazy at this point in time, and the current situation finally seeped in me.

“I really…managed to win…right…?” (Hikaru)

It is not like it was in response to my voice, but a carefree voice echoed suddenly.

[[Congratulations! You are the first one within the Chosen that has successfully exterminated a Great Spirit. You will be awarded 5 Points as a bonus for your first time.]] 𝗳𝐫𝘦e𝘸𝗲𝚋𝓃𝚘v𝘦𝘭.𝑐𝒐m

[[Congratulations! You have obtained the title of [Demon Lord] as someone who has successfully exterminated a Great Spirit. As a first time bonus, you will be awarded 1 Point.]]

“Fu…hahaha…” (Hikaru)

A dry laugh leaked out.

“If you defeat a Demon Lord, you get the Hero title; if you defeat a Great Spirit, you get the Demon Lord title, huh… Just what in the world have I become…?” (Hikaru)

Titles don’t really do anything. It is probably just cool stuff to liven up the Earth side, but it really is arbitrary.

The eastern sky began to shine.

There’s barely any trace of the battle on the highway.

The Great Spirit didn’t do anything that gouged out the earth, and I don’t have those types of attacks.

That’s why the fight just now even feels as if it was a dream.

“……I have to go.” (Hikaru)

All the exhaustion until now fell onto my body all at once…but I can’t stay here the whole time.

I opened the Status Board, brought out a Stamina Potion, and drank it.

The Stamina Potion seeped into my tired body. It works better than any energy drink.

It works so well, there’s no doubt it is a dangerous drug, but it is a lifesaver for when I want to act without sleeping.

It is a world where external wounds are healed by drinking medicine, so it is a little late for that though.

I have told Rifreya to go to the neighboring town and wait.

I began walking north.

I have defeated the Great Spirit.

There’s already nothin—or that’s how it was supposed to be.

“……Seriously? Give me a break already…” (Hikaru)

Those words leaked out from my mouth.

There’s nothing anymore. I wanted that so much.

But that desire of mine was destroyed.

The Spirit Energy around was stirred up to the point that I was certain about it.

That blonde man…Ferdinand, did he predict this situation as well?

No, it must be a coincidence. His Spirit Energy was completely absorbed by the Great Water Spirit.

I could tell the Great Spirit was moving due to how big its power is.

The being that is coming here from the direction I am heading to is not a normal human being, but a being that has abnormal degrees of Spirit Energy internally… In other words, it made me realize to a hateful extent that it is a Great Spirit.

That thing is heading straight here.

“Wow, I came here because I thought someone was fighting though. You…are a Loved One aren’t you? Haha, were two Great Spirits fighting each other for you? It didn’t feel like a Demon Lord had showed up after all. Anyways, you are acting as you please in my turf, so give me a piece too.”

It was an earth-colored big man.

His thick voice created tremors, and the priests looking troubled were dragging chains.

“Great…Earth Spirit…” (Hikaru)

“The very same. You…look really tasty. *Slurp*.”

This is the worst.