Compatibility

'Good thing I wasn't too late.' I scanned my surroundings. Every one of them was battered to hell, as if they'd been put through absolute hell in that short span of time. Abel in particular would've been left permanently crippled without the holy power. Still, the venom and iron conviction burning in his eyes was deeply satisfying. In the game, it had taken him quite a while to reach that kind of mental state.

While I observed the group, a tiger beastman slowly emerged through the thick fog.

"Quite an interesting one has shown up."

He stroked his charred forearm. Having taken a direct hit from the flames of destruction, even his insane regenerative ability was useless.

"I am Krark. Who are you?"

"......"

"Can't speak, huh? Doesn't matter. I have a pretty good idea anyway. That dangerous power. You're the divine beast descendant Lord Huscular mentioned. But you're a lot weaker than I expected."

"......"

"Well, conversation's pointless anyway. Come on—show me that power of yours!"

BOOOOM!

Krark stomped the ground with monstrous force. The impact split the floor with a deafening crack, fissures racing outward. In the blink of an eye he was on me, driving a straight, honest punch forward. He was dead set on a pure contest of strength.

I didn't dodge.

KWAAAAAANG!

Our fists collided in an explosion of force. The blow—brute power amplified by the momentum of his charge—was brutal to withstand. Just that single impact had the bones in my right arm creaking and shattering. But the Phoenix flames restored everything to its proper place in an instant. The bones reformed, becoming even denser and stronger than before.

The problem was that while the wounds healed, the pain I felt during the process remained. Head-on clashes were probably best avoided after all.

'Still, I have a rough idea of where I stand now.'

I'd taken the hit on purpose, even knowing it was a loss, because I wanted to gauge my current level.

It was an incredible amount of growth. My magic power hadn't increased at all, but every other stat had been funneled into the rest instead, pushing me to a freakishly high level. I remembered that right after I first transmigrated, my total stats had been exactly 100. The difference was night and day. Of course, even with that, I still couldn't match Krark.

"Kahahahaha! So you've got regeneration too!"

Delighted to meet an opponent with the same ability, he let out a belligerent roar and unleashed a storm of attacks like a madman. At first glance it looked like wild flailing, but the technique hidden inside was genuinely superb. He thoroughly restricted my range of motion, forcing me to move exactly as he desired.

In the end, I had no choice but to keep meeting him head-on.

Crunch!Crack!Grind!

My fists shattered and regenerated without pause, each cycle bringing fresh agony. The only reason I could keep from flinching was Kain's brutal training. If this had been right after I first possessed the body, I probably would've screamed like a coward and collapsed.

To catch my breath, I released the energy stored in Arachne's Gloves.

KWAAANG!

Krark was knocked backward by the counter.

"Khhuhu... Using every strange trick in the book. Shall I get serious, then?"

A haze of mana rose from his entire body. The energy covering his fist swelled dramatically, forming the shape of a tiger's maw. The savage aura looked ready to tear out my throat at any second, crushing the opponent with sheer pressure.

I pushed back against the heavy weight bearing down on me and drew out every ounce of controllable magic power I possessed.

"Kahahat! Take this! Tiger King Fist!"

I met the charging tiger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠maw with a Crushing Strike.

Right before the two powerful techniques collided—

"Tsk... This is taking far too long."

The flame mage, who had been completing his magic circle, wore an irritated expression and flicked his hand.

WHOOOOSH!

A black flame orb ignited instantly and streaked toward my back at blinding speed. Flames born from magi would keep burning until their target was completely annihilated, and the wounds could never heal until the corruption was purified.

Even so, I didn't dodge the flames.

'It'll be fine as long as I regenerate afterward.'

Ever since absorbing the Phoenix Egg, I'd gained near-immunity to fire, so the damage wasn't severe. Besides, the Pure Flame could erase magi in a single burst. That was the decision I'd made—but to everyone else, it looked completely different.

"It's dangerous!"

Alissa, seeing me willingly take the black flames, shouted in panic and threw herself between us.

KWAAANG!

BANG!

My collision with Krark and the black flame orb striking Alissa happened at the exact same moment.

"Aaaaaaaaagh!"

Alissa screamed in unbearable agony. The impact sent her bouncing across the floor until she tumbled straight through the shattered wall and fell from the clock tower.

"Damn it!"

With no time to hesitate, I spread my wings and shot after her.

Shiiiiiii—

The wind whipped across my skin. I pierced the open sky and snatched Alissa from the air. The black flames devouring her body tried to latch onto me as well, but they couldn't break through the Pure Flame.

I quickly poured the Pure Flame into her body. The black flames were extinguished at once, but the magi that had already burrowed deep inside didn't vanish so easily.

While continuing the purification, I pulled out a potion and sprayed it across her body again and again. Still, it wasn't nearly as effective as drinking it directly; the regeneration speed was painfully slow.

I needed to wake her first.

"Hey. Alissa. Wake up!"

At my repeated calls, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing those crimson eyes.

"Ugh... H-Hyung..."

She smiled the moment she saw me. The foolish, innocent look made me bite my lip hard as I brought the potion to her mouth.

"Drink."

"......"

"Hurry!"

Even with my urging she couldn't move. Her lips twitched with effort, but it was clearly too much for her.

After a brief hesitation, I took the potion into my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠own mouth and pressed my lips to hers.

"Hup!?"

Alissa's eyes flew wide at the sudden kiss. Flustered, she shyly averted her gaze.

When I sent the message directly into her mind, she closed her eyes and slowly began swallowing the potion I passed to her. Her wounds closed at a much faster rate, and the trembling caused by the pain finally stopped.

Once she regained some strength, Alissa moved more aggressively, seeking the potion on her own. Our tongues tangled, wet, sloppy sounds tickling my ears.

"Mmm... Nn! Slurp..."

It was getting hard to tell whether I was feeding her medicine or just making out with her. The moment I finished purifying every last trace of magi, I pushed away her stubbornly clinging tongue and broke the kiss. A long, silver strand of saliva stretched between us.

"Haa..."

Alissa opened her eyes with a deep sigh. Her crimson pupils were hazy with a dreamy glow and unmistakable arousal.

"You can drink the rest yourself now, right?"

"...Yeah."

"Good. Then let's head back."

After confirming the immediate crisis was handled, I turned and flew back to the top of the clock tower. The moment I set Alissa down, the rest of the party swarmed her.

"Ah, Alissa! You're okay!"

"I was so worried, meow!"

Leaving them to their reunion, I turned back toward Krark.

"Why did you leave them alone?"

"Finally decided to speak? I'd like to ask you the same thing. Should I have killed them? Their lives are already in the palm of our hands anyway."

"......"

"Still, purifying even the black flames... That power really is dangerous. I'll have to end this properly this time."

"Try it."

"Khaht! Your aura suddenly got a lot fiercer. Is it because that woman got hurt? Then here I come!"

KWAAANG!

Krark leaped forward and closed the distance in an instant. Seeing the condensed energy gathered in his fist—as if he were staking everything on this single blow—I threw my own punch. And at the decisive moment, I unleashed my authority.

Ruuuuuuuumble...

"Ugh!?"

An overwhelming aura crushed down on Krark. Dragon Fear, the power used by ancient dragons—beings called transcendent. It was strong enough to annihilate an opponent's mind entirely. Of course, since I was neither a dragon nor an ancient one, I couldn't use its full strength, but it was more than enough to freeze Krark for a moment.

Thanks to that, the power behind his punch dropped sharply.

KUUUUUNG!

For a brief instant, Krark and I were locked in a contest of pure strength. Through our connected fists, we measured each other, pouring every ounce of power into trying to devour the opponent.

I used that tiny opening.

'I can do this.'

Two streams of flame spiraled out from my middle dantian and flowed into my fist. Up to this point it was the same as the Crushing Strike. But this technique also incorporated penetrating energy. Instead of releasing power outward, it drove straight into the opponent and destroyed them from the inside.

"Urgh!? This is...!"

Krark's face twisted in agony as he felt the flames invading from our joined fists. But it was too early to be surprised. The spiraling flames that had surged into his mana road suddenly turned on each other, then erupted with tremendous repulsive force.

BAAAAAAAANG!

"KRAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Krark's arm shattered into bloody chunks. The greedy blaze devoured every piece without exception and reduced it to nothing. This was my second form—Explosive Flame Heaven-Shaking Strike.

Despite the grandiose name implying it could shake the heavens, the actual sound wasn't that loud. But to the one on the receiving end, it must have felt like the world itself had been overturned.

Krark collapsed, gasping as though he couldn't breathe, clutching the ruined stump.

I walked up to him. Sensing my approach, he painfully lifted his head and met my gaze.

"Kukuku... So this is the end? What's that technique called?"

"...Explosive Flame Heaven-Shaking Strike."

"Flames that shake the heavens. Fitting enough for a finishing blow. Go on, kill me."

As if he'd already accepted death, Krark stood tall, arms spread wide in open defiance.

I was about to deliver the final strike when—

"Die!"

WHOOOOOOOSH!

The flame mage, who had been silently watching without a trace of presence, summoned a massive wave of black flames that swallowed both Krark and me at once. Beyond the roaring black inferno, the mage's laughter rang out.

"UHAHAHAT! They're finally dead! You monstrous bastard. No matter how well you can purify magi, you won't survive inside those flames. The plan can finally be completed."

He was already convinced I was finished. It seemed he couldn't even imagine that simply wrapping myself in the Pure Flame ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would be enough to block magi flames like those. Well, if he'd known that, he never would've joined the terrorist attack in the first place.

I gave a light wave of my hand.

BAAAAANG!

The flames of destruction tore apart the very magical structure of the black flames and scattered them.

I slowly stepped forward. The flame mage, finally spotting me, let out a horrified scream.

"Wh-what!? Not a single wound after taking that head-on? This is impossible! Die! Die already!"

He frantically hurled spell after spell. Black flames twisted into countless shapes and hammered my body, but I never stopped walking. His face grew paler with every step.

"Stay back! Stay away! If you come any closer I'll detonate the bomb!"

Cornered at last, the flame mage used the bomb as a hostage, stretching his hand toward the magic circle as if ready to trigger it at any second.

I smirked.

"Go ahead."

"What?"

"I said go ahead. Detonate it."

"Y-you think I won't just because you tell me to?"

"That's why I'm telling you to do it."

"Y-you—! Fine! I'll kill every last one of you!"

With a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gesture, the magic circle blazed with light. Then, after a brief silence, the glow faded as if nothing had happened.

"Wh-what is this? Why won't it activate?!"

The flame mage panicked and tried again and again. The circle only spat out bright mana light before returning to normal. Eventually the light grew weaker, and soon it didn't react at all.

I closed the distance.

"Did you really think I'd just stand there and let you hit me with your spells?"

"What? Don't tell me you—!"

The flames of destruction burned even mana itself. On my way over earlier, I had wrapped the threads of infinity with those flames and severed every mana circuit in the magic circle.

"Yes. I took care of everything beforehand. So, are you ready to die now?"

When I raised my fist, the flame mage, finally realizing his death was imminent, spat out one last curse.

"F-fuck! If it weren't for that bastard! Where the hell did he—Ed—"

Just as he was about to reveal the identity of the mastermind behind the curtain—

CRUNCH!

The space itself folded, crushing the flame mage's body into a bloody pulp.