Chapter 240: 41st Floor: The Decisive Battle (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 240: 41st Floor: The Decisive Battle (1)
[Meteor Spear Fall]
The more divine power it held, the greater the spear's mass became.
Though it looked like a single spear, a mass weighing tens of tons was falling.
The people in the city instinctively felt a sense of crisis, as if a meteor were about to strike.
"Everyone, activate the defensive magic circles!!"
A single spear threatened to wipe the city off the map.
A series of defensive magic circles unfurled above the city.
The colorful magic circles, each of a different element, displayed their respective might as they tried to block it, but…
KRA-CHING! SH-SH-SH-SHATTER!!!
The moment the spear touched them, all the shield spells shattered in vain, and it continued its descent to the ground.
“Ah..."
"E-everyone, get clear!!”
The spear fell precisely above the army massed at the northern gate.
This was no simple mass-based attack.
As a secondary effect, the immense pink energy gathered on the spear exploded upon impact with the ground.
FLASH!
For a moment, the city sky flashed a brilliant pink, as if struck by lightning.
KRA-KOOOOOM!!!
A hemispherical shockwave erupted.
Anyone nearby died instantly, their internal organs ruptured by the shockwave alone.
The windows of every building in the city shattered, and furniture rattled and fell.
An earthquake and a cloud of dust followed.
The area near the northern gate was completely devastated. Those without the strength to block the blast with Aura or personal shield magic were killed by shrapnel or crushed by heavy falling debris.
They had come here thinking of this battle as nothing more than a way to curry favor with the Second Prince.
It was a competition to see who could show their loyalty by sending the most elite troops.
They had never considered the possibility of taking damage, let alone losing.
But with a single attack, their forces were nearly cut in half.
Everyone except the Swordmasters and the 7th- and 8th-Circle mages was either seriously injured or dead.
“Kugh, everyone, pull yourselves together! The enemy must have squeezed out all their power for that!”
Gundelief, an 8th-Circle mage who was relatively unscathed, used wind magic to blow away the dust and rally his strength.
The surviving soldiers still able to fight gathered around him.
Five Swordmasters.
Three 7th-Circle mages.
That was it.
Everyone else was incapacitated. By concentrating their forces at the northern gate to rack up even the slightest achievement, they had suffered far greater losses than expected.
“Dammit… How, in one shot.”
THUD!
And then, Lee Do-hee landed before them.
She didn't even need to bend her knees to absorb the impact.
She landed with her legs straight, as if she'd just done a small hop in place, and began to walk slowly toward them.
The immense energy she radiated felt alien to her naked form.
In contrast to her curvaceous body, which seemed optimized for breeding, the aura she exuded was that of a powerhouse the likes of which even the Swordmasters had never felt in their lives.
Not even the Emperor was this strong.
Their hands and feet trembled, their bodies froze.
Like herbivores frozen before a predator, their bodies went rigid and their minds went blank.
'I have to run.'
Whether they were a Swordmaster or an 8th-Circle mage, that was their only thought.
Do-hee hadn't controlled her aura, hoping they would simply flee, but…
“U-uaaaaaaaah!!!”
There are always people like that. The kind who, when cornered and unable to assess the situation, simply charge forward.
“Dammit, Lukeric!!”
“We have no choice… Let's go!”
Did his foolish charge give them courage? Their panicked minds returned to their usual cool-headed state.
'Right, this could be a bluff. Who in the world is stronger than the Emperor? It's impossible!'
Thinking this, they found their courage and charged.
First, high-level spells poured forth without incantations.
[Wind Slash]
[Inferno]
A massive blade of wind that looked like it could slice through anything tore across the ground, and the scorching flames of hell engulfed Do-hee.
But they were easily blocked by Do-hee's spear and scattered.
And immediately after,
“Uwaaaaaaah!”
The Swordmaster who had charged first brought his sword down, generating a massive green Aura.
Unconditionally heavy and hard. That was the intent imbued in his sword.
The green Aura met the blade of Do-hee's spear as she swung it upward.
[Half Moon]
SHLICK!
Along with his Aura, his sword and his body were split vertically in two.
“Now!”
At the same time, the Swordmasters who had been waiting in four directions rushed in.
A combined attack from four Swordmasters—a rare sight.
Simultaneously, her feet were bound.
[Bind]
It was a simple binding spell, but magic cast by 8th- and 7th-Circle Archmages was enough to hold Do-hee's feet for a brief moment.
“It's over!!!”
Purple Aura.
Red Aura.
Black Aura.
White Aura.
Swords imbued with different powers moved in perfect concert, aiming for different spots simultaneously.
A flawless combined attack, timed as perfectly as a work of art.
A final strike from the Swordmasters on the threshold of death, containing the last of their lives!
“Huh?”
They thought their timing was perfect, but they were mistaken.
The binding spell wasn't even an obstacle for Do-hee.
[Direct Heart Thrust]
In an instant, she took a step forward and thrust her spear into the neck of the Swordmaster who was infinitesimally faster than the others.
[Half Moon]
Do-hee spun around and swung her spear smoothly, and the heads of the two Swordmasters coming from the sides flew off.
The last one brought down his sword, filled to the brim with Aura, but…
[Shattering Flow]
It was deflected upward in vain, and his neck was immediately pierced by her spear, killing him.
“Huh?”
“Ah.”
CRUNCH! SHLICK! THUMP! KRR-SHHHH!!!
A fluid, rapid movement that seemed like a single motion.
The heads of four Swordmasters flew into the air almost simultaneously.
A fighting force equivalent to a decent-sized kingdom was wiped out in an instant.
“Where do you think you're going.”
Finally, she threw her spear at the 8th-Circle mage who, upon seeing the spectacle, was trying to escape using an emergency teleportation spell.
CRACK!!
He had an Absolute Barrier up, but the spear pierced his heart as if it had never been there.
"Gah! I... I... How..."
Thud.
For an 8th-Circle Archmage at the pinnacle of magic, it was an empty death.
The rest of the battle was unnecessary.
Everyone scattered in a panic.
Do-hee had overwhelmingly crushed the Second Prince's entire army.
'It's over.'
I captured one of the fleeing 7th-Circle mages and walked toward the Warp Gate.
Everyone who saw me fled in terror, and the Warp Gate keeper had simply vanished without a word.
“Silvarion~ You can come out now.”
Silvarion, who had been waiting nearby, approached immediately.
Shota, riding behind Silvarion, stared at the scene in disbelief.
“Noona… That was insane.”
“Heheh, see that, Shota? This is your noona. I told you I was the strongest in the world.”
“No, Noona, are you crazy? Why are you fighting naked? Wow… I'm so embarrassed I could die. Put some clothes on, Noona!!”
“What...? It's common sense for your clothes to come off when you're fighting...”
At Shota's threat to fuck me in front of everyone if I didn't get dressed right away, I put my clothes back on.
'I shouldn't have put them on... No, wait. What am I thinking at such an important moment!'
I held my spear to the captured mage's neck and threatened him into activating the Warp Gate.
For this occasion, I changed into a cool suit of non-revealing armor and went through with Shota. Shota also changed into some decent-looking armor he found nearby and put on a tin-can helmet that covered his face.
*
Vwooom!
When we stepped out of the Warp Gate, we saw soldiers scrambling about in confusion.
“They're-they're here!”
“Wh-what do we do?”
“I don't know!”
Upon arrival, we found a group of soldiers who couldn't bring themselves to either flee or approach.
Officially, Lee Do-hee was still a wanted serial killer.
“Sigh, move it.”
I was about to handle it, but this time, Shota stepped forward.
“Noona, I'll take it from here.”
“Huh?”
Shota took off his tin-can-like helmet.
Revealing his brilliant golden hair and golden eyes.
'Oh...'
His appearance alone made it obvious.
Anyone could see he was a noble of high birth.
Shota shouted in a dignified voice.
“Loyal soldiers of the Empire! I am the First Prince of the Harpedium Empire, Shota Edelhart! Do not block the path to a legitimate Crown Prince Contest!”
'Oh... I didn't know Shota could say things like that.'
SHING!
He drew his sword, releasing a golden Aura.
Unlike in the north, the eyes of countless neutral families were upon this place.
Moreover, these soldiers weren't even under the Second Prince's command.
“Th-that's…?”
“A golden Aura. H-he's really royalty!”
“O-our apologies!”
The fact that Lee Do-hee was a wanted criminal no longer mattered. A man with golden hair, golden eyes, and a brilliant golden Aura that only the imperial family could use in this world.
He was unmistakably royalty.
“It is fine. Guide us to the central plaza!”
“Ah, now that you mention it, today is…”
“Yes! We will guide you!”
In truth, they might have been suspicious of his completely changed appearance, but the soldiers seemed to believe him completely after seeing his golden Aura.
Somehow, word had spread, and the path we took was lined with spectators.
“No way… Is that really Prince Shota?”
“It's like scratching a lottery ticket and winning first prize.”
“I wonder if he can actually win.”
From simple comments on his looks to people expressing worry and anticipation.
The murmuring crowd could have been distracting, but Shota walked forward confidently with his chest puffed out.
'Shota... you've grown up.'
The immature brat who used to mindlessly grope my breasts and pussy was gone, replaced by a figure befitting a crown prince.
In truth, his inner self had matured long ago; only his appearance had remained that of a child due to the curse.
Even the way he acted like a brat around me had been a calculated act to close the psychological distance between us.
His mere presence created an overwhelming atmosphere, and no one could look away.
Before long, the path widened, and we arrived at a massive plaza.
It was called a plaza, but it had spectator seating large enough for nearly ten thousand people, with a wide stage in the center.
And there, we saw not only Chris, but the Emperor and Layla as well.
“So you really came! But how did you break the curse?”
“Ah, ah? Shota…?”
The Emperor was sitting on a large throne, holding Layla—who was wearing a half-torn dress—in his arms while groping her breasts and pussy.
It was a scene similar to the one with Shota and me not long ago.
And then there was Chris.
When he actually saw us arrive, a flicker of panic crossed his face.
But after a woman who appeared to be his mother whispered something to him, he regained his confident expression and walked forward to greet us.
“Hahahaha! I never thought you'd actually show up, Shota. I commend your courage.”
“It seems you're the one who needs courage, Chris. I hear you gathered all sorts of armies because you were afraid of me.”
Shota's sharp retort made Chris's face twitch, his expression nearly breaking for a moment, but he barely managed to keep his composure.
“Ha, hahahahaha!! Right, a candidate for crown prince should be able to handle that much on his own, wouldn't you agree? By the way... how can you be so confident when you're not even a Swordmaster? Truly amazing! I really must praise that courage of yours!”
"I'd like to say the same to you. What was a nobody with nothing but a fancy background thinking, calling for a Crown Prince Contest?"
Shota didn't back down against Chris.
Even before the Emperor and numerous high-ranking nobles, he wasn't the least bit intimidated. Instead, he stared Chris down, pressuring him.
“…Fine. If you've come here to die, then I'll grant your wish. It's too late to beg for your life now.”
"That applies to you. I have no intention of forgiving you."
Guided by an announcer, Chris and Shota headed for the plaza's stage.
As they drew closer to Layla on the way,
“Shota…! Shota!! Why, why did you come? Why!!! Why… Mmph!”
“Hoo… Will I have to fuck you for a month straight to calm you down? Hmm? Just watch, Layla. Who knows? Maybe Shota will win.”
Layla had a fit, nearly sobbing at the sight of Shota, but the Emperor easily subdued her by sticking his fingers in her pussy and mouth.
Even so, pussy juice was trickling from Layla's cunt, and her lower body was twitching and trembling.
'This is a complete train wreck...'
I sat down next to Layla, where she could see me clearly.
The Emperor's gaze swept over me, but perhaps because I was wearing proper, thick armor, he went back to focusing on toying with Layla.
'Shota… can you really win?'
Objectively speaking, Shota's chances of winning were about 10 to 20 percent.
In fact, that might have been a generous estimate.
This duel was no different from a fight between a Sword Expert and a Swordmaster.
Shota, whose Upper Dantian had not yet opened, was still weak.
Nevertheless, his chances weren't zero.
'Overwhelming talent.'
The brilliant talent and free-form swordsmanship he showed while training with me. That could be the variable.
And that confident look on Shota's face.
He might be hiding something.
A moment later, Shota walked slowly onto the stage, and Chris walked out from the opposite side.
“Kekeke, are you ready to die, Shota?”
Chris said, arrogantly swinging his sword through the air.
Shota closed his eyes for a moment, and after thinking about something, opened them again.
“No. The one who dies today is you, Chris.”
Shota's sword began to glow with a golden light.