As Ourami moved closer, Izroth felt a heavy pressure descend upon him as the Ethos in the atmosphere thickened.
“You-” Just as Ourami was about to open his mouth to speak, a shadow loomed over him from behind as a wave of powerful killing intent was released in every direction!
BANG!
A massive force slammed into the Pillar of the West, causing his body to crash into the earth. But, it did not stop there. Due to the impact of the blow, Ourami traveled across the earth tens of meters, leaving a path of destruction in his wake!
“Heh, I finally returned the favor, ya bastard.” A familiar voice sounded from where Ourami had stood just moments ago.
There were few people in the Secret Realm who could send Ourami flying with an attack. As for those who could do so with their physical strength alone—there was probably no one in the entirety of the Secret Realm! At least, not among its residents.
‘He’s right on time.’
The one who attacked Ourami just now was none other than The Unstoppable Behemoth, Hakros! But, Hakros was not alone.
“…Um… Mister Hakros, sir… may I request that you put me down now…?” A faint voice spoke.
This voice belonged to the person Hakros was carrying in his left arm at his side and a celestial who had been at Astratis’ not up until not too long ago. It was the Celestial of the Periphery, Isylo.
“Hah? You aren’t gonna stay and fight? Well, whatever. It’s more interesting that way.” Hakros said as he let Isylo down.
He then continued, “Your ability ain’t all that bad, mouse voice. But, it’s just as I thought—it’s not nearly as satisfying as punching someone right to their face. They’ll have nothing to complain about if they lose that way, right?”
The battle aura around Hakros soared as a large grin formed on his face. The look in his eyes became filled with a terrifying excitement that only those who craved a direct confrontation could understand. At the same time, the blood of the ancient behemoth boiled in Hakros’ veins when faced with a strong opponent like Ourami.
“…I can’t understand what you are saying at all…” Isylo muttered to himself as Hakros’ excitement was lost on him.
Even someone as strong as the Son of Thunder did not look forward to fighting the pillars. Rather, he did so out of a sense of duty. He knew what had to be done in order to ensure a path of survival for those in this world. However, Hakros was different. Isylo felt that this person wanted to fight simply for the joy of fighting!
“…But, stay safe—both of you…” Isylo said softly as he vanished without a trace.
Woosh! Bang!
With one leap, Hakros jumped into the air and landed right next to Izroth.
“Took you long enough, stone face. I was beginning to think you planned on leaving me out.” Hakros stated with a playful grin that was somehow terrifying.
“I had to adjust my method a bit so it took a little longer than expected. But, this way is for the best. Now, you won’t have to worry about those chains returning.” Izroth responded.
One of the reasons Hakros did not stay behind was, of course, due to Izroth’s Third Baneful Sword.
Since the skill did not differentiate between ally and foe, all those caught in its range would suffer from its effects. And, even if Hakros was confident in his unique physique, there was still the possibility that something could go wrong. However, this was not the main reason Hakros had to wait for an opportunity.
The chains that were used to seal his consciousness last time were still in Ourami’s possession. But, now that they had been destroyed, he would not have to worry about such a thing happening a second time around.
Izroth’s plan was simple. The others would retreat so that he could execute his Third Baneful Sword: Annihilation. Doing so, he would gain a massive attack boost while simultaneously culling Ourami’s major forces who were all gathered not too far away from the epicenter of his attack.
This would free up Kyamakri, Methysria, Diparxi and the other celestials to clear out the remaining forces that were outside the range of Izroth’s attack.
In addition, it also acted as a way to send a message to Astratis without actually having a way to contact him.
Without a doubt, the moment the two pillars appeared on the battlefield, Astratis must have felt their presence and realized that their original plan was no longer feasible. After all, facing two pillars alone would be him walking to his death. But, not acting meant that everyone he brought with him was likely to be exterminated down to the last person.
If it were only his life at stake, Astratis would not have hesitated to act—even if it meant sacrificing himself so that the others could escape.
Unfortunately, Astratis did not have such a luxury. He had to take into account the lives of all the mortals and celestials of this world.
Understanding this point, Izroth knew that if he did not show Astratis there was still a potential path to victory, then the Son of Thunder could not justify his actions. And, the moment Izroth displayed the sliver of hope, Astratis acted without hesitation!
As for the task Izroth gave to Hakros, it was merely to keep an eye on where Astratis emerged so that he could make contact with the Celestial of the Periphery, Isylo.
Then, with Isylo’s assistance, Hakros would return and make his move once Izroth successfully suppressed the chains that once bound him.
Originally, Izroth planned to wait for the right moment to activate the Resplendent Landscape Pocket Dimension Stone and trap the chains inside. After that, he would immediately deactivate the item, resetting the environment and erasing all unnatural objects inside, thereby “destroying” the chains.
Of course, doing so would have made the item unusable for two weeks. But, it would have been a small price to pay in the long run.
Fortunately, Izroth found another way to destroy the chains without having to resort to the use of the pocket dimension stone.
“Where is Sychia?” Izroth asked.
“Flower girl? She’s helping clean up those guys near the edge of the battlefield. What, are ya worried or something? Isn’t it safer anywhere else but here right now?” Hakros replied.
“You’re right,” Izroth said as he faced the opposite direction away from where Hakros sent Ourami flying.
He then continued, “Then, I’ll be counting on you not to die while I’m gone.”
“Like hell I’d die here. Take care of whatever you need to. I won’t let this bastard even glance at your shadow.” Hakros stated.
Izroth gave a small nod before the space around him warped as he disappeared from view.
Hakros looked in the direction Izroth headed before turning his attention towards Ourami.
“How long do you plan on resting? I still haven’t paid you back in full for what you did earlier. Or, are ya scared of fighting without those little chains?” Hakros said to seemingly no one.
However, not long after he spoke, the shaking of the earth became increasingly more intense.
The following moment, a large cloud of dust kicked up from Ourami’s direction as a streak of light sped towards the Unstoppable Behemoth!
Hakros eyes widened in excitement as he swung his fist out full force, crashing into something with an unbelievable amount of sturdiness.
BANG! Crrrrack!
Hakros intercepted Ourami’s fist and caused it to collide with his own. The impact of the two attacks meeting send shockwaves in every direction and made the earth sink a couple of meters underneath the Hakros and Ourami.
“That’s more like it!” Hakros roared as the battle aura around him soared once more.
Ourami stared at Hakros with a cold gaze. If looks alone were enough to kill, Hakros would have died multiple times over by now!
The most terrifying aspect of the exchange just now was that neither side used any kind of special magic or skill. Instead, the two relied solely on their physical strength to open the earth and send out destructive shockwaves.
…
Meanwhile…
Swoosh!
In one movement, Izroth arrived outside the range of his initial Third Baneful Sword’s attack.
At the moment, Izroth’s health was at a critical level due to the extended use of his Compressed Lightning Movement.
Although he managed to break through Ourami’s natural protective aura, he did not have time to also pierce through his defenses and rely on his lifesteal. Therefore, he was not kidding when he said Hakros arrived just in time.
Right now, Izroth needed a way to recover his lost health and it was right before his eyes.
Izroth swept his gaze over the chaotic state of the ancient races that acted as Ourami’s forces. He may not be able to use Ourami as a point of recovery for his Compressed Lightning Movement; however, the ancient races were a different story!
