With Cao Cao
After the mist enveloped Cao Cao and Sonneilion, they were transported to another dimensional space to battle.
Even though he had been moved to another dimension, Sonneilion showed no concern about the shift in space.
He was entirely focused on Cao Cao.
Sonneilion wore a grin as he stared at Cao Cao.
"Kukuku… The wielder of the Holy Spear…" said Sonneilion, smiling.
Sonneilion confronted Cao Cao and, without exchanging words, abruptly spoke.
"Snap!"
Cao Cao immediately sensed his opponent's special ability and dove to the side, dodging the attack of invisible pressure. The ground where Cao Cao had stood bore traces of crushing.
It was a matter of landing a hit.
For Cao Cao, a human, the powers of supernatural beings couldn't be taken head-on. As a human, there was a limit to the body's strength (though there were exceptions like Vasco Strada).
A direct hit would be fatal. But if it didn't hit, that was all there was to it.
Cao Cao waited for Sonneilion to come at him, twirling his spear.
Sonneilion extended his hand, cloaked in a massive aura. Instantly, Cao Cao felt a strange air flow and jumped immediately.
Sonneilion's special ability, [Collapse] or [Crushing], came at Cao Cao one after another. However, Cao Cao dodged with ease.
No matter the attacks, Cao Cao evaded them with great skill.
"…Why can't I hit you? Your legs shouldn't be that fast."
Sonneilion felt uneasy because he couldn't land a hit on Cao Cao.
Cao Cao had already gauged the range of Sonneilion's special ability [Collapse] and his habits during battle.
After facing him directly, his analysis became more precise, enhancing his foresight.
Sonneilion always looked at where he would launch his attack. Though he could continuously activate his special ability due to his high elemental achievements, there was a difference of several milliseconds between checking his target with his eyes and launching the attack. Some attacks even took seconds.
For someone of Cao Cao's caliber, it was easy to determine where the attack would come from based on Sonneilion's eye movements and subtle physical cues.
Even a ranged attack was easy to dodge because it took less than a second after Sonneilion glanced at the target before the attack was unleashed.
As for the size of the attack, Cao Cao learned after a few strikes.
In other words…
"Why! Why can't I hit you!"
Sonneilion shouted, no longer able to hide his frustration at failing to hit Cao Cao.
"Why!?"
Seeing through him. He wouldn't understand even if told. The newly born Sonneilion didn't yet know that experience is something gained over time.
And there was another crucial difference.
Cao Cao spoke, tapping his spear on his shoulder.
"You're what could be called a genius. No doubt. But, unfortunately, it seems my talent surpasses yours."
"...!!!"
Sonneilion's face twisted with rage.
Sonneilion was a genius in terms of demonic power and physical ability. But that was all. There were plenty of such beings around.
The truly terrifying ones were those who could continuously perform miracles.
Cao Cao, who had witnessed overwhelming power that made everything seem irrational time and again, was at a level where so-called geniuses became laughable.
"Though, if you had five years of experience, I don't know how this fight would end."
Sonneilion was completely enraged by Cao Cao's provocation.
Sonneilion let out an irritated voice while scratching his head.
"Why do all these annoying guys keep showing up…?"
Cao Cao noticed that Sonneilion was steadily increasing his aura from within. Sonneilion's ever-growing aura exploded, finally releasing its immense volume.
"In front of meeeeeeee!!"
The pressure and vibration of demonic power shook the air in the area, and the aura cloaking Sonneilion clearly surpassed the Ultimate-class demon level.
Cao Cao instantly thought that Sonneilion's aura had the intensity of a Maou-class.
Sonneilion radiated hostility and murderous intent toward Cao Cao, unleashing a massive aura from his entire body. Extending both hands forward, he shouted,
"Snap!"
Cao Cao sensed an unbelievable scale of pressure being released with the shout. Immediately, he stabbed his spear into the ground, extended its tip instantly, and leaped high into the sky.
The vast area of ground, including where Cao Cao had been, was compressed, sweeping away rocks and trees. A massive hole was created in the ground, and a spherical form of super-compressed earth, wood, and rock formed above it. The compressed sphere fell into the massive hole.
A single hit like that would be the end.
While thinking this, Cao Cao smiled.
Finally, it was getting fun.
Sonneilion looked at Cao Cao, who had leaped into the air, and tried to activate [Collapse] in the sky toward him.
If this continued, unable to move in the air, Cao Cao would be crushed. But silently, Cao Cao spoke,
"Balance Breaker."
He activated his Balance Breaker.
Behind him, something like a halo formed, creating seven spheres the size of bowling balls.
One of them, a sphere with the ability to float. Cao Cao stepped onto [Hatsutei Ratana], which had the power to send anything it touched skyward, and dodged Sonneilion's attack in the air.
The radiant divine glow and the seven spheres: [Seven Treasures].
[Polar Night Longinus Chakravartin] was a subspecies Balance Breaker of the [True Longinus].
The spheres of the [Seven Treasures] floated around him, each with a unique ability. In this Balance Breaker, it was as if he had gained seven new abilities.
Though it was a subspecies different from the original Balance Breaker of the [True Longinus], gaining seven abilities made those around him and his rivals think, "Seven more abilities! That's unfair!"
But when observing the growth of the Welsh Dragon and the current strength of his comrades, Cao Cao thought, what good would adding seven abilities do?
Cao Cao found their power far more impressive.
Cao Cao descended to the ground and spoke to Sonneilion.
"The only ones who've managed to destroy my Balance Breaker head-on were God-class beings or the embodiment of power. So, which one are you?"
"You're just a weak human, you're so annoyinggggggggggg!!!"
While continuing to unleash his extreme aura, Sonneilion spread his special ability [Collapse] around him.
Cao Cao launched one of the spheres at Sonneilion.
The [Seven Treasures] flew through the air at high speed. Sonneilion tried to crush them with his chaotic demonic pressure, but one sphere, [Atsusa Ratana], which could transfer any object, teleported six of the [Seven Treasures], dodging the [Collapse] attack.
[Atsusa Ratana] was compressed and crushed, but Cao Cao instantly manifested it again from his body, restoring it.
The six [Seven Treasures] that were teleported appeared near Sonneilion.
"Kuu!"
Sonneilion reacted immediately, turning his hands toward the six spheres. One of the [Seven Treasures] glowed, and multiple copies of Cao Cao appeared. [Kahabatei Ratana] was a sphere that created clone-like puppets.
Sonneilion became confused by Cao Cao's copies, and the target of his [Collapse] became unclear. Additionally, the other [Seven Treasures] continued to fly around him, dulling his perception. The shape of one sphere changed into a spiked form, attacking Sonneilion. Sonneilion was overwhelmed just dodging.
Multiple copies wielding spears also charged at Sonneilion.
Sonneilion continued to unleash a massive aura to compress everything at once. Even if he compressed the copies, being illusions, they wouldn't harm the real Cao Cao or the [Seven Treasures] themselves and would simply vanish.
"Damn it!! Damn it, damn it!!! What are these illusions!!!"
Meanwhile, one of the illusions—no, the real Cao Cao—blended among the copies, and the Holy Spear struck Sonneilion faster than he could register.
The tip of the Holy Spear pierced Sonneilion's right shoulder. Immediately, smoke rose from the wound.
"Ga-gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Sonneilion screamed from the unbearable pain. The cry of agony was heightened by the absolute damage from the Holy Spear.
As long as you were a demon, the damage from the Holy Spear was on another level.
The holy damage from the Holy Spear spread from Sonneilion's shoulder to his right arm, causing it to fall to the ground.
Still unable to endure the pain, Sonneilion fell to his knees and leaned forward. The pain seemed to have clouded his consciousness, and he couldn't even attack.
Cao Cao sighed, tapping the Holy Spear on his shoulder.
"Hmm. Though I used the [Seven Treasures], it seems a few moves were enough for a checkmate. I didn't even need to show the ability of [Balinayaka Ratana], which I finally completed."
Even Sonneilion, with an aura intensity at the Maou-class level, was reduced to this state by the Holy Spear's damage.
The only being who faced this spear and still kept their fighting spirit burning was Gilgamesh, who, as Cao Cao thought, was on an abnormal level.
…Well, Sonneilion, being newly born, might be sensitive to pain…
Even so, Cao Cao's rivals were all the cream of the crop, which made him happy but also made them troublesome existences.
"...!!!"
Sonneilion, finally regaining consciousness, glared at Cao Cao with murderous intent and tear-filled eyes, raising his aura again and attempting to unleash his special ability.
Cao Cao mercilessly thrust the Holy Spear into Sonneilion's left knee.
"Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
After a second unbearable pain, Sonneilion rolled on the ground in agony.
Looking at this, it was judged that victory or defeat was nearly decided.
Cao Cao took no damage.
Sonneilion seemed to have lost even his fighting spirit, with only tears and drool flowing freely from the pain of the Holy Spear.
With a swift movement, Cao Cao attacked.
Cao Cao's spear pierced deeply into Sonneilion's chest.
"Disappear here."
"Hu-human weakling…"
With those words, Sonneilion's entire body turned to ash and crumbled.
As he watched Sonneilion disappear, Cao Cao saw himself being transported back to the real world.
"Are you okay, Cao Cao?" asked Georg, approaching.
"Yes," said Cao Cao, nodding as he lost himself in thought.
He had caused a lot of trouble for many people and his comrades because of his own arrogance.
And yet, his comrades had gathered by his side again.
Even the comrades who had left once rejoined him.
The mistakes he made were significant.
His atonement would continue as long as he lived.
He still had his comrades. Moreover, he had also gained someone who became his [friend].
It didn't feel bad at all to wield this Holy Spear for them…