Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA───!
The moment the two breaths collided, waves of light and shock exploded outward.
The resulting blasts were so intense that my eardrums burst and regenerated multiple times from the sheer volume.
[KYAaaaaaaah────!]
[Ah, aah… at… la…st....]
[It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hu─]
[We're… going… home....]
The ether in the entire area, caught in the breath's clash, was obliterated.
Given that ether is inherently near-immortal except under extremely specific conditions, this was something that defied all known logic.
Was this really something living beings could produce?
It felt more like a mythic clash between gods.
"Brace for impact!"
Victor's shout was the last before he was flung away by the shockwave. Other Ark soldiers and combat drones were also hurled to the ground.
It had always been an aerial operation, so precautions against free-fall likely existed. Victor might survive—but that wasn't the concern.
[GIGIGIT──!]
["Hang in there, Boney!"]
Maybe it was because of the short prep time.
Maybe it was because imitation never surpasses the original.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE…!
Whatever the cause, Janus's breath was slowly losing to Ankelenth's.
At this rate, Janus would be consumed along with everything else.
'In the end, there's only one way.'
A clash of pure power.
My human firearms were of little help now.
The best I could do was take advantage of the clash and aim directly for Ankelenth himself.
That was the only real path left.
"I'll leave it to you for now."
"What are you—?"
I removed the bone armor—Janus's main body—and handed it to Kalakin.
It wasn't ideal—parting with a part of me—but if I split Janus's power here, we'd lose the clash and all be swept away.
["Master..."]
"It's going to be a hard road."
["When have I not followed you down one?"]
I knew it.
Trying to get close to Ankelenth without Janus's aid was reckless and foolish.
Even with my advanced ether sensitivity, Ankelenth was a being that could shatter all such logic.
'Which is why I must do it.'
No time for hesitation.
Handing the bone armor to Kalakin, I circled around with the Z-74 Jetpack, Reinforced Greaves, and ether cloaking my body.
I wasn't stupid enough to fly straight into the collision of breaths.
['Rift Shift' has been activated.]
I barely managed to reach Ankelenth's rear as he exhaled—but the real threat was the residual light and shockwave.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE!
Maybe it was because I no longer had Janus.
Despite using every ounce of strength to maintain the ether barrier, the pressure alone felt like it could tear me apart.
["Urgh, hrrgh...!"]
But I endured.
Giving up now meant everything would end.
['Rift Blade' has been activated.]
As the [Rift Blade] appeared, Ankelenth's gaze locked onto me.
He had already lost a wing to this weapon.
He couldn't ignore it.
"Yeah, keep your eyes on me."
Enduring the gaze of the apex of all life wasn't easy.
Especially now, without even Janus—I was literally unarmored.
But I advanced.
SHLUK!
The Rift Blade pierced Ankelenth's back.
Even Ankelenth couldn't defend his rear while clashing with Janus up front.
RUMBLE──!
The breath aimed at Janus wavered.
Regardless, I kept driving the Rift Blade deeper into Ankelenth's back.
His legendary scales, once seemingly impenetrable, were sliced like tofu, exposing the raw flesh beneath.
KRRRUK, KRUUURK…!
Pained sounds rose from Ankelenth's throat as he tried to continue breathing.
Yes, this was the sound I wanted to hear from him.
THRUST!
The Rift Blade sank deeper in response to his scream.
The ether barrier around Ankelenth flared and surged toward me.
[STOP iiiiiiiiiiiiiit──!]
[Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.]
[KYAaaaaaaaah──!]
But I had a powerful ally by my side.
["Not so fast!"]
Esther's ether barrier intercepted Ankelenth's rampaging ether.
Had it been just Esther, she wouldn't have been able to stop it.
But she was drawing from my ether sensitivity as well, keeping the wild surge from consuming me.
SLASH, SLASH!
During that time, the Rift Blade continued to bore into his back.
Ankelenth swung his tail to strike his own back, but I wasn't about to be hit by a blind strike.
['Rift Shift' has been activated.]
This might not be a fatal blow—but I could definitely wound him.
I dodged his attacks and kept slicing his scales.
That was when the balance between Janus and Ankelenth finally tipped.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!
Ankelenth's breath was overwhelmed.
He had been winning just moments ago, but clearly, my interference had disrupted his focus.
["Master! Get out of there!"]
Just as Esther warned, this wasn't entirely good news for me.
If Janus's breath was pushing Ankelenth's back, I was standing right in its path.
['Rift Shift' has been activated.]
I used everything—Z-74 Jetpack, Reinforced Greaves, ether, and the Gravity Gloves—to escape Ankelenth just as the breath crashed down on him.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!
The annihilating breath engulfed him, scattering light and shock in every direction.
["Grrrrrr!"]
Esther expanded the ether barrier with all her strength, and I barely made it back to Janus's main body and Kalakin.
A narrow escape.
[GIGIT!]
Janus welcomed me, his bone tendrils reassembling into armor.
Changing forms was now effortless for him.
"…Is it over?"
Kalakin asked.
But I shook my head.
"No."
The light gradually faded.
A massive shadow emerged—still standing, but scorched. Scales had fallen off, wings charred, his body blackened.
It could be called a heavy wound.
But it also meant that even the Ark's mightiest attack had only that much effect on Ankelenth.
'Still… it wasn't useless.'
The most significant point: parts of Ankelenth's previously unbreakable scales had finally fallen.
That meant that now, even ordinary firearms could damage him—if the ether barrier was first dealt with.
"Let's go."
Inside [Rift Space], weapons like the Zeus-444 Railgun appeared.
Most had been exhausted earlier, but a few still remained.
[KROOOOOAAAAH!]
Ankelenth spread his now-skeletal wings, flesh burned away.
A declaration of war.
Very well—I would answer it.
[Heh...]
Ether stormed within my palm.
I rarely manipulated ether directly—but now I would do everything I could.
['Rift Space' has been activated.]
I pulled out the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle and switched it to automatic mode.
Loaded with the Experimental Round GHOST-157—designed to strip ether barriers like armor.
[KYAaaaaaaaah────!]
As the sizzling ether barrier was torn away, Ankelenth's flesh was exposed.
[Target acquired.]
[Combat algorithm initiated.]
Weapons guided by the Gravity Glove fired all at once.
KWA-KWA-BOOM!
Ankelenth roared and unleashed shockwaves at the guns—but I shifted them back into [Rift Space] using both the Gravity Glove and the [Rift Space] simultaneously.
With only a few weapons left, micro-managing them was manageable.
As Ankelenth's gaze locked on the heavy weapons, Janus made his move.
Now fully infused with Ankelenth's fangs, Janus was nearly his equal.
STAB─!
STAB-STAB!
Janus's bone tendrils pierced Ankelenth's flesh.
[KROOOOOAAAAAH!]
Ankelenth thrashed in pain, tearing off the tendrils—but more grew, faster than he could destroy them.
SLURP, SLURP…
Janus devoured Ankelenth's blood and flesh.
Even the so-called living apocalypse was no different from other monsters before Janus now.
[KYAAAAAAAH!]
Perhaps enraged at seeing his own flesh consumed, fire once again flickered between Ankelenth's teeth.
Another breath attack.
Thankfully, it was rushed—the power would be nowhere near the original.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!
As Ankelenth's breath surged, Janus opened his jaws too.
['Breath of Ankelenth' has been activated.]
Their breaths collided again.
Though hastily prepared and weaker, it was still no trifling clash.
KWA-KWA-KWA!
Janus had been overpowered before—but now, with Ankelenth's flesh within him, he held his ground.
It was total war.
Neither side could afford to back down.
Then—Kalakin struck.
WHUUUUUUM───
He had reached above Ankelenth's head. The Moonlight Sword let out a ghostly cry.
Not from the blade itself—but from the ether wailing at its presence.
SHIIING!
Kalakin didn't hesitate.
With a graceful arc, he swung the blade—parting the ether barrier on Ankelenth's forehead.
[KYAaaaah──!]
A spot never breached before—his vital point—was now exposed.
I wasn't about to miss it.
ZZZZZING…
The Noah-01 Matter Disintegrator locked onto Ankelenth's forehead.
No need to hesitate.
Everything had led to this moment.
FWOOSH──!
The trigger pulled—its molecular-disrupting beam shot forth.
FSSSHHH…
Particles once part of Ankelenth's forehead dispersed as dust.
And with it, Ankelenth's mighty form began its descent.
The pinnacle of all living things.
The sovereign.
The dragon that brings ruin.
Beyond-Grade Dragon—Ankelenth.
At last, his body collapsed.
===BREAK===
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