Shirone descended the tower and surveyed the open grounds of Arabot.
The path to Zebul was being guided by Igrin’s memories. It was quite a distance to travel via teleportation.
As he entered the Spirit Zone, a flood of information poured in through his senses.
He knew his concentration had improved. But experiencing it firsthand was hard to believe.
Even while maintaining the same density, the diameter of his Spirit Zone had increased by 1.5 times. In terms of volume, his mental energy had nearly quadrupled.
In other words, the burden of casting magic had decreased fourfold.
With his Spirit Zone larger than before, Shirone felt a newfound sense of freedom, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Shirone aimed at Zebul with a targeted spell and summoned the energy for spatial movement.
Until now, the effect hadn’t been significant, but with the diameter increased by twenty-five meters, it was now practical for combat.
While twenty-five meters might not seem like much, when applied in all directions, the additional distance increased to one hundred meters.
By chaining spatial movements just ten times, he could cover over a kilometer.
Shirone (thinking): ’Wait for me. Just hold on a little longer.’
Thinking of his friends’ plight made him unbearably anxious. But Shirone’s concentration, now at the level of the Diamond Body, didn’t waver in the slightest.
As his energy and omnipotence combined, the sound of light painted the sky.
A single flash of light surged toward Zebul.
Rian had already been running for 30 minutes. His heart pounded as if it would burst, but the amount of oxygen he inhaled with each breath remained steady. If he used up all his oxygen at once, he’d collapse before reaching his destination.
Canis must have already produced some result by now.
Rian thought it was one of two possibilities. Either Canis had disabled the Grand World War’s security system, or he was dead.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It wasn’t the time to worry about others.
If Canis had failed, Rian would be the next to die.
Though he didn’t have Tess’s ability to lighten his body, the physique he had trained all his life allowed him to run for over an hour without being tired.
After running for so long, he finally arrived at the last point connected to the Grand World War.
The right side of the corridor was blocked by a glass wall, beyond which stretched a blue sky.
Zebul was composed of dozens of floating plates, so this place was likely the outermost edge of one of them. By following the outer edge, he would eventually reach the bridge leading to the Grand World War.
As Rian estimated his location and prepared to leap again, a floating object in the ceiling caught his eye.
A drone was approaching noisily.
Though the drone was just a machine, its movements conveyed Tess’s urgency.
Rian: "Tess? Are you okay?"
The drone nodded up and down as if in response. It seemed no critical situation had arisen yet.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ground shook from the direction Rian had come. Turning around, he saw a giant man striding toward him.
Rian drew Signa and Exseed.
An enemy of unknown origin. The man had no halo or horns above his head.
The first thing that came to mind was a giant.
Though he was too small for a giant, the ground shaking with each step hinted at his immense strength.
Rian (thinking): ’What a monster. How heavy must his muscles be to have that kind of weight?’
The giant’s movements were slow. But with each step, his body stretched forward.
The giant stomped his foot and stopped right in front of Rian.
It was a display of power.
It was impossible without the strength to overpower inertia in a single strike.
Ymir asked. He genuinely didn’t know, so he inquired.
The figure held Signa and Exseed, suggesting it was a Mechan, but its appearance resembled that of a Noor’s.
"What are you saying?"
The giant couldn’t understand the words because mental resonance was impossible.
Ymir was in the same boat but didn’t care. He was more focused on gauging the opponent’s physical prowess than their language.
"I see. So, you’re the heretic who caused chaos in Heaven."
As a fierce aura emanated from Ymir’s body, Rian instinctively stepped back and raised his sword.
Ymir’s heart stirred when the human, whom he expected to wet himself and flee, instead brandished a blade. The moment their gazes clashed was the time he loved the most.
’Good eyes. For a human, you’ve honed yourself quite well.’
Rian shifted his left foot back. Considering the difference in weight, matching strength would be difficult. His top priority was to exploit any opening and end the fight quickly.
"Reveal yourself. Are you an enemy or an ally? If you intend to interfere, you won’t pass through here."
Ymir couldn’t understand Rian’s words, but the intensity in his eyes spoke volumes.
’A choice, huh? But that’s my role...’
Though it seemed like a brute approach, his timing perfectly disrupted Rian’s rhythm.
Rian, who had been planning a sneak attack, felt a sense of defeat as he retreated.
Ymir relished the sight.
The battle had already begun. He loved all the emotions that arose from the moment both sides decided to kill each other.
As Ymir closed in on Rian, he spoke.
Rian’s hair stood on end.
The overwhelming aura of the giant felt like an insurmountable wall. It was so vast that he couldn’t even see its entirety.
At that moment, the mechanical hum of a drone echoed from the ceiling.
"Huh? Uh... Shall we begin?"
Ymir’s gaze flicked to the ceiling for a moment. When he looked back, Rian had already vanished.
Ymir raised his arm to block Signa flying in from the side. A powerful shockwave erupted, causing the giant’s skin to ripple like water in a strong wind.
But his body didn’t budge.
Pushing Signa aside with his arm, Ymir tilted his head and glared at Rian.
His eyes were like those of a snake eyeing its prey.
"Nice sneak attack. That makes me feel bad. If you’re a swordsman, I should respond in kind."
As he spoke, Ymir shoved Signa away. Then, his body twisted, and a powerful hook shot forward.
Rian raised Exseed and crouched.
When Ymir’s fist struck the shield, a deafening roar erupted, and Exseed’s hologram slammed into Ymir.
But again, Ymir didn’t retreat. Instead, it was Rian who was sent flying.
Rolling across the ground, Rian knelt and steadied himself.
The Exseed attached to his arm was shattered, its internals exposed as if hit by a cannon.
Ymir grinned over his shoulder.
"As you can see... there aren’t many weapons that can withstand my strength."
"Damn it, how embarrassing..."
From the ceiling, the gaze of Tess was transmitted through the drone. Imagining how she must feel, watching and waiting for help, only fueled his rising anger.
Rian charged at full speed.
In an unconventional move, he grabbed Signa and threw it, leaping into the air and drawing the great sword from his back.
Ymir caught the incoming Signa and crushed it like a snack.
At the same time, Rian swung his great sword down.
Ymir’s fist, still holding Signa, shot forward.
Rian was stunned. The blade of his great sword had been blocked by the bones of Ymir’s fist. It felt like striking iron.
Rian was sent flying in the opposite direction of his swing. Ymir immediately pursued, raising his fist.
"That was fun. Here’s a gift."
Rian planted his great sword into the ground. Using its broad surface as a shield, he pressed his shoulder and thigh against it, putting all his weight into the defense.
The moment Ymir’s straight punch landed, only the great sword remained. Rian had vanished.
As Rian flew through the air, a flood of thoughts rushed through his mind. To block the follow-up, he needed to regain his balance and land properly. He barely managed to stabilize himself, landing roughly on both feet.
But the next moment, he realized his body was crumpled and rolling across the ground.
As the remaining shock left his body, the cold touch of the floor met his cheek.
An unintelligible sound escaped his lips. His body wasn’t in pain, but he couldn’t muster any strength.
Ymir examined the sprawled Rian before picking up the great sword that had fallen to the ground. Though it was a great sword for a human, in Ymir’s hands, it looked like an ordinary longsword.
Ymir’s eyes gleamed as he inspected the blade.
"Hoh? This could be quite useful."
"Give... give it back. That’s... my grandfather’s..."
Rian trembled as he stood up.
Thanks to daily training to his limits, he recovered from the shock much faster than an average person. This was what they called endurance.
Ymir grinned and tossed the great sword. It slid across the ground, stopping at Rian’s feet.
"Want to try again? I like your spirit."
Rian struggled to pick up the great sword and charged once more. The difference in strength was clear, but if Ymir was heading to the Great World War, Rian had no choice but to fight.
Ymir and Rian collided in the center of the hallway. Ymir didn’t even bother to block the great sword.
Clang! The great sword struck Ymir’s forehead. Or rather, his forehead blocked the great sword.
Ymir’s fist traced a wide arc as it flew toward Rian.
There was no way to dodge. Realizing this, Rian widened his eyes. If he was going to die, he wanted to fight until the very end.
Ymir felt a thrill from Rian’s gaze.
’It’s a shame I don’t know your name.’
Ymir’s fist, carrying a fierce gale, tore through the space where Rian had been.
A moment of silence followed.
Ymir’s expression soured. Was there anything more annoying than an uninvited guest interrupting a battle?
A strange but familiar phenomenon.
Just before the fist landed, Ymir clearly saw Rian split into dozens of squares.
"Seriously... those high and mighty types really don’t know how to read the mood."
About three meters from where Rian had been, square glass panels flickered, projecting the images of two people.
The black-haired handsome man, Ashur, and beside him, Rian, kneeling.
Ymir smiled coldly. The fact that Mara, notorious in Heaven for her stubbornness, had arrived hinted that something unusual was happening in the Great World War.
"Hey, busy man. Did you leave your beloved behind to wander the battlefield?"
"Ymir, if you don’t abide by the laws, something unpleasant will happen. Leave now."
"Heh, what if I don’t?"
"Then I’ll have no choice but to erase your existence."
Ashur spread his palm, and about thirty glass panels arranged themselves in three rows in the air. A long, slender sword with a purple glow was projected onto them.
"Is this your Signal?"
Ashur’s ability, Signal, collected all kinds of signals.
Each glass panel contained a signal, and by combining their patterns, he could create near-infinite phenomena.
Ashur’s sword, Shockwave, was also created by receiving thirty different signals.
Due to the influence of electromagnetic pulses, it vibrated on its own, making it a deadly weapon that could devastate anything it penetrated.
Rian stared blankly at Ashur. It felt as if he had died and been reborn, skipping the process in between.
Though brief, Rian understood immediately. It was clear that Shirone had created some variable.
Rian glared at Ymir. But Ymir hadn’t even glanced at him since Ashur appeared.
Rian bit his lip and sprinted toward the Great World War.
A fire burned within him. He hadn’t been raised to fear defeat, but the self-loathing from failing to land a single blow weighed heavily on his heart.
He could feel Tess’s drone following him. The machine remained silent, but her comforting voice echoed in his mind like an auditory hallucination.
Rian ran with all his might toward the Great World War.