“Boom——”
The earth crumbled under the terrifying power, and the battle had reached its critical point.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz…”
But just then, as he was about to lose, Mekar decided to play dirty.
Before, he had been “fighting brute force with brute force,” which suited his rough and tumble warrior image.
But at this final moment, with victory nearly in his grasp, Mekar dodged Rochen's attack with the agility of the wind, creating distance between them.
Black mist began to swirl, and it enveloped the land at an alarming speed.
The black mist soon reached the battlefield, its rapid buzzing sound assaulting their ears. It wasn’t mist, but—
A swarm of locusts!
These tiny pests appeared in droves, hundreds, thousands, millions—no, more. Countless locusts were restless and ready to strike.
The locusts surged forward, jumping and leaping. Some spread their wings and took flight, targeting Rochen.
An extraordinary swarm of locusts could devour crops, bringing famine in their wake. In the past, before the modern era, these pests had appeared in massive numbers, sometimes reaching a hundred billion individuals.
【You are strong, but your weakness has been revealed. I doubt you can sustain this state for long. Let me summon my loyal subjects to play with you!】
“……”
“BOOM!!!”
Rochen’s reply was a silence followed by a renewed surge of steam.
And this time, the magical energy encasing his body transformed into a scorching, fiery inferno.
In the blink of an eye, crimson flames erupted and spread outwards, forming a massive crimson orb in the sky!
Then, the orb engulfed the entire area.
“Crackle, crackle…”
No matter how they tried to escape or attack, the locusts were either instantly incinerated to ash or met their demise upon touching the crimson flames. The only sound they made was a faint crackle as they were consumed.
The battlefield filled with the scent of roasted meat. The locusts, which had seemed like a green ocean, were no match for the orb. They were simply consumed without even leaving ashes.
【Don't underestimate me, human!】
‘I'm not underestimating you, I just don’t have time to waste words.’
Seeing his servants reduced to ashes, Mekar didn't care much for the locusts. His frustration stemmed from the fact that his own abilities were proving inferior.
He roared, and the scattered locusts converged, forming a giant hand. They layered upon each other, seemingly trying to resist the flames. The “hand” then slammed towards the flames.
Green clashed against crimson, in the blink of an eye.
There wasn't a massive shockwave, but the collision was brutal nonetheless.
The locusts swarmed forward, determined to extinguish the flames. They perished one after another, but managed to momentarily hold back the flames.
The locusts had enveloped the entire sky. This overwhelming swarm was Mekar's messenger, his avatar of destruction, the Deathworm Swarm. It would devour anything in its path, whether iron or concrete.
The battle seemed to be reaching a stalemate—but that was impossible.
“Humph!”
For the first time since burning his magical energy, Rochen finally spoke.
His voice boomed like thunder, creating shockwaves and sonic booms.
In an instant, countless locusts shattered, a rainbow of light streaked across the sky, and Mekar plummeted to the ground.
Mekar met the falling light with his staff, his eyes ablaze with unyielding determination.
Time seemed to freeze, the world fell silent.
Only Mekar remained, standing on the ground, his eyes reflecting the staff being knocked away and then a figure falling like a meteorite. A sharp, decisive palm strike landed on his forehead.
“BOOM——”
The imposing figure of the Unborn God paused, but the earth beneath him trembled and crumbled.
At the same time, a massive, hand-shaped crater appeared beneath the giant's feet, and his eyes revealed a complex mix of emotions.
Joy, contentment, resentment, despair, admiration, approval…
Every emotion imaginable, finally settling into a complex smile from the Unborn God.
Then, the storm subsided. The battlefield, now a basin, fell silent. But the giant in its center began to fade away in an invisible breeze.
Slaying the god was complete. The Unborn God was defeated!
The light flickered. The imposing figure of the Unborn God grew increasingly ethereal.
In the end, he looked at his opponent, whose clothes had been burned away. He had no resentment or hatred, for he knew he had been defeated fair and square.
The Unborn God understood the existence and conditions of a God Slayer. They had to defeat a powerful Unborn God in a direct confrontation and seize their powers to become one. He knew this, and Mekar was not so petty as to lack such basic courage.
He was simply heartbroken that he couldn't have a final showdown with Welreslana.
【You won…】
“He killed a god. Rochen… which means, the seventh God Slayer has been born!”
After the battle, Ellika, who had been watching from the sidelines, felt as if her strength had drained away. It was an intoxicating mix of excitement and other emotions, and she muttered in a daze.
Even Lukurachia, standing beside her, was stunned.
They watched from afar as the newly born God Slayer, who one day would become the "King" of mages and be worshipped, stood silently in the center of the battlefield. The handsome young man who would one day rule the world’s fate.
They knew that the post-slaying ritual was beginning, and they wouldn't interfere. They couldn't intervene or participate anyway. They exchanged a glance, then swiftly positioned themselves between Rochen and another Unborn God.
“……”