Incomprehensible.
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
Inside the bottomless and infinite Naraku (Hell), Vortigern stared at the golden light continuously slashing towards her. Incomprehensible thoughts kept swirling in her heart and mind.
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
The black-stained fairy sword and the Holy Sword continuously clashed. Each time they collided, the Holy Sword's light would dim slightly, and along with it, the Mana released by Naoki would also be swallowed by the swarm of insects.
If Naoki's Mana was considered a hundred, then about twenty percent had been swallowed, and he continuously released Mana outwards, unable to stop.
If he stopped, he would lose his footing, unable to fight Vortigern within the infinitely falling Naraku.
*CLANG!*
Another clash, the Holy Sword strongly rubbing against the Fairy Sword.
Staring into Naoki's eyes across the sword blade, Vortigern simply couldn't understand. She believed Naoki knew what he was doing. Continuing to battle her was tantamount to seeking death. The more he swung the Holy Sword, the more his Mana and its light would be swallowed.
He must understand.
But why would he—
*CLANG!*
A sudden powerful slash cleaved through the resisting Fairy Sword. Naoki immediately stepped forward and charged into Vortigern's embrace. His clenched left fist struck hard into her chest!
However, just as his fist was about to touch Vortigern—
*SWISH!*
Vortigern's body instantly transformed into a swarm of insects and disappeared from the spot, successfully avoiding Naoki's fist. Then, behind him, she reassembled. The swarm of insects condensed into a giant scythe in her hand, slashing down on Naoki from above!
*CLANG!*
The Holy Sword blocked the scythe blade, its tip stopping less than a finger's breadth before Naoki.
Pressing down on Naoki from above, Vortigern asked coldly: "Surrender, Holy Sword Bearer. You have no chance of winning. As I showed you just now, your fists and feet, which you believe can defeat me, cannot even touch the hem of my clothes."
"You have no means to resist. It is truly over."
Along with her words, the scythe broke through the Holy Sword's blockade. The extremely sharp blade slashed straight down!
Without the slightest hesitation, Naoki abandoned the spot as soon as the scythe moved. After rolling to the side and escaping, he quickly swung the Holy Sword. A golden crescent moon shot into the air in an instant!
However, that Holy Sword slash, when it actually hit Vortigern, immediately disappeared as if a stone sinking into the sea. After entering Vortigern's body, the slash failed to cause even the slightest reaction.
The light was swallowed again.
"I told you, you are doing something futile!"
Arriving before Naoki at lightning speed, Vortigern swung her scythe again, while hands made of swarms of insects held two pitch-black fairy swords, slashing at Naoki from left and right!
Attacks came from three directions at once!
*CLANG!*
Precisely blocking the Holy Sword at the convergence point of the three attacks, after neutralizing Vortigern's attacks, Naoki did not retreat. Instead, he forcibly pushed away the three weapons, then an Iron Mountain (shoulder tackle) suddenly slammed into Vortigern!
*BAM!*
The unexpected close-range strike managed to make Vortigern lose her balance. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Naoki immediately swung the Holy Sword with all his might, producing countless golden sword flashes around Vortigern, swords that seemed to cut space itself filled every corner around Vortigern! Surrounding her like a whirlpool!
"I told you..."
Vortigern showed an extremely impatient expression, directly disregarding all her external image, opening her mouth wide, and taking a powerful breath!
*WHOOSH!*
The brilliant light seemed to be pulled by a stronger whirlpool; all of that light was sucked into Vortigern's mouth with just one breath! Then she swallowed it forcibly until it was gone!
Wiping the remnants from the corner of her mouth, Vortigern stared coldly at Naoki: "I told you, it's useless—now you truly feel despair. Holy Sword Bearer, even such a large amount of light, I can swallow it all at once!"
"Surrender to all resistance, and let me swallow you whole!"
The scythe transformed into a sledgehammer and slammed down! The ground Naoki had formed with Mana instantly shattered into pieces. The scattered Mana was absorbed by Vortigern, making the sledgehammer in her hand visibly grow one size larger!
"How much Mana do you have left!?"
Vortigern condensed a chain of insects at the end of the sledgehammer's hilt, easily swinging the sledgehammer like a stellar mace.
"Sixty percent? Seventy percent? Perhaps even less!"
The chained sledgehammer carried power equivalent to a falling meteor and struck Naoki! Although Naoki blocked it with the Holy Sword, and also used reinforcement magic to strengthen his body, Naoki still felt his arm would break.
"Within this Naraku, you can do nothing. Everything you say is boasts. All the notions you have are mere wishful thinking!"
Continuously, relentlessly.
Vortigern seemed to have endless strength, constantly swinging the chained sledgehammer, striking and slamming Naoki! Even without realizing it, the chained sledgehammer had transformed into a chain sword extending hundreds of meters long, attacking Naoki like a giant python dancing wildly in the air!
*CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
Naoki continuously parried the chain sword slashes with the Holy Sword, but the overwhelmingly dense attacks, even with his perception ability, were not enough to block them all, especially in this Naraku space, where his perception ability was greatly limited.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
The sword blades continuously cut down Naoki's body. Naoki's flesh, Mana, and Holy Sword light were constantly plundered and swallowed by Vortigern. And along with everything swallowed, Naoki's very existence was also swallowed.
"Hyaaah—!"
The chain sword suddenly returned to its original form. Accompanied by Vortigern's angry shout, the chain sword instantly transformed into a pitch-black spear, and extended in a flash before Naoki!
*THUD!*
A feeling like being hit by a speeding train spread throughout Naoki's body, sending him falling like a broken kite into the abyss.
Stepping on the Mana-formed ground, Vortigern swung the swarm of insects in her hand, which had transformed into a long whip, wrapping around Naoki's body, pulling him back before her.
"Now do you understand?"
Vortigern strangled Naoki's neck with one hand.
"You can do nothing more. Lamenting your helplessness before me, feeling your weakness, and showing a pitiful expression of despair, as if the entire world has betrayed you—that is the only reaction you can give. Let me see your appearance like a dog who has lost its master, Holy Sword Bearer."
"Ugh..." Trembling, holding the swarm of insects wrapped around his neck, Naoki barely lifted the corner of his lips: "Bad taste... So you like to torture your opponents? A bit surprising... It's very easy to flip you, Demonic Dragon."
"Flip?"
Vortigern raised an eyebrow: "Do you mean, in your current condition, you still have a chance to rise against me?"
"The Holy Sword's light has completely dimmed. All hope has been swallowed by me. Mana, body, even existence itself—every wound I inflict upon you, your entire self will be swallowed by me little by little."
"Do I need to give you a mirror so you can see your appearance now?"
Vortigern's swallowing had actually never stopped. In just these few tens of seconds she held Naoki, Vortigern had already swallowed most of his strength. Coupled with the previous part... about seventy percent of Naoki's power might have been completely swallowed.
(Enough.)
Tightening the whip and strongly choking Naoki's neck, Vortigern smiled and lifted her chin, lowering it to be level with him, then suddenly bit his lips.
"Ugh—"
A cold and bitter feeling was conveyed by dry lips. Along with this sudden kiss, Naoki clearly felt the last of his strength being taken by Vortigern little by little!
Like using a straw to suck all the last remnants of a drink clinging to the bottom of a glass, not wanting to leave the slightest trace, the attraction like a bottomless pit almost sucked out Naoki's entire insides.
Then—
"Ugh... Ahhh...."
Vortigern, whose pale face had turned slightly red, lifted her head, pulled her extraordinarily long tongue from Naoki's mouth, and licked her lips with an unsatisfied taste: "This is all of it... All, all, all, all, all of your power has been swallowed by me, Holy Sword Bearer."
"Ugh... You..."
A strong sense of emptiness and weakness from within his body. Naoki, whose strength had been sucked dry, was now too weak to even utter a single sentence.
Releasing the whip and dropping Naoki, seeing him kneel before her, a sense of satisfaction immediately arose in Vortigern's heart, like finally seeing the results of a wheat harvest after working hard for a long time.
Six thousand years of waiting, six thousand years of anger, six thousand years of fear, six thousand years of hatred... All of it, ended today with Naoki's fall.
"I said it's over." Vortigern stared at Naoki. "Yes, it's over. Between you and me, it's over. Die here, and fall forever, Holy Sword Bearer who has nothing left."
*BAM!*
Accompanied by a dull sound, Vortigern immediately kicked Naoki along with the Holy Sword, which had completely lost its light, letting both fall together into the infinite abyss of Naraku.