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Ellen's eyes widened. She spun around, swinging her sword in a powerful reverse arc, a strike far stronger than the first. The blade cut through the air itself, leaving a visible white scar in space.

I simply sidestepped it.

Her expression turned grave.

'One dodge could be luck,' she had to be thinking. 'Two? Not so much.'

But I could see a fierce battle lust igniting in her eyes. This was exactly what she wanted.

"There's no way you can keep running forever!!" she snarled, lunging at me again.

"Hah~" I let out a loud, deliberate yawn. "Go ahead, Miss Ellen. I'm afraid I might fall asleep otherwise."

The taunt worked. Pure, unadulterated rage flared in her eyes.

"Territory, full power!" she roared.

Her face was dark, her eyes filled with killing intent. A terrifying aura of magical energy erupted from her, making her seem like a goddess of war. But when she saw the faint, unshakable smile still on my face, she was seized by a mixture of shock and fury.

'He sees me go to maximum power, and not only is he not afraid, he looks even more amused than before!? This is infuriating!'

"Damn you! Keep smiling!" she screamed. "I'M GOING TO WIPE THAT SMIRK RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE AND TURN IT INTO TEARS! PREPARE TO DIE!"

Then, her voice dropped to a cold, menacing whisper. "If you surrender now, I might show you mercy. What do you say?"

I felt a twitch at the corner of my mouth.

'Why'd she suddenly snap? All I did was taunt her a little. What's the big deal? I can't even smile now? Damn. Aren't flat-chested girls supposed to be the petty ones? You're stacked, so why are you so thin-skinned? Wait... is this what they call 'all beauty, no brains'?'

I took a deep breath. Then, I extended my index finger and beckoned her forward.

"Come on!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the park. "Get over here!"

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"You can just die!!"

Ellen, who always remained calm under pressure, was finally, completely, broken.

Her laser sword flashed as she charged me. But faced with such a ferocious assault, I simply kept my hands in my pockets, stepping back and dodging with casual ease. No matter how fierce her attack, she couldn't even touch the hem of my clothes.

And as I dodged, I kept up the taunts.

"Miss Ellen~ Did you forget to eat? Why are you so slow? Should I invite you over for dinner?"

Hearing my mockery, her fury intensified. She swung her sword again. I hopped back lightly, like a dragonfly skipping across water. The blade sliced through the air a foot in front of my chest.

Again and again, she chased and slashed, but all I had to do was take a light step here, a small shuffle there. Every single time, her sword missed by the exact same margin.

Precisely one foot.

The DEM Wizards watching from the sidelines were frozen in place, their eyes wide with disbelief. Throughout the entire fight, I had moved with the leisurely grace of someone taking a stroll in a garden. It was elegant, effortless, and utterly unbelievable.

The display sent a shockwave through Ellen. She was the world's strongest Wizard, a being capable of hunting Spirits on her own. Yet against me, she was completely helpless. She couldn't even land a single touch.

'Damn it!' she was surely thinking. 'Did this guy max out his evasion stat or something!?'

Taking a deep breath, Ellen finally calmed down, realizing that continuing her assault was a pointless waste of energy. She lowered her sword and stared at me, her brow furrowed.

"Is dodging all you can do?" she demanded. "If that's the case, then don't blame me for what comes next!"

On her command, the surrounding Bandersnatch units whirred to life.

I watched them power up and simply shook my head with a small smile.

"Have you still not grasped the difference between us?" I asked. "Against absolute power, overwhelming numbers are meaningless."

As I spoke, deep blue lightning began to arc across my body. A moment later, massive dragons formed from pure electricity roared into existence, slamming into the incoming barrage of energy cannons and causing a chain reaction of deafening explosions.

And that was only the beginning.

In the next instant, a torrent of purple energy swirled around me, coalescing into a hundred-meter-tall Susanoo.

'No need to go all out,' I thought. 'Any bigger would just cause unnecessary collateral damage.'

Its four massive swords swung out like a scythe through wheat, obliterating the surrounding robots. Even with their Territories active, the machines stood no chance.

The destruction of the first Bandersnatch triggered a domino effect, and within seconds, every last robot had been reduced to a fiery wreck.

After a few deep breaths, the park was silent once more. The terrifying, awe-inspiring scene left everyone speechless.

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"Proof," I said, turning to the stunned Ellen with a cheerful laugh. "In the face of absolute power, numbers mean nothing."

My voice snapped her out of her stupor. Her expression was grim. She could have destroyed those robots herself, but it would have taken a significant amount of time and effort. She could never have done it with such casual, effortless grace.

'He's strong,' she thought. 'Unbelievably strong.'

"You are the strongest being I have ever encountered," she said, her voice filled with a newfound respect. "Not even the Spirit of Origin could match your power. But I will not give up. We will meet again!"

With one last, deep look, Ellen shot into the sky and retreated.

I watched her go, a strange expression on my face.

'You won't get another chance, Ellen.'

Since Westcott was so determined to die, I'd be happy to send him to meet his maker. But destroying DEM was a hassle. The organization had its tendrils in everything. I'd need to find someone to take over the pieces afterward.

I shook my head, pushing the thought aside. My attention returned to the insecure little girl hiding nearby.

I teleported behind Natsumi, wrapping my arms tightly around her slender waist.

"Still thinking of running?" I murmured.

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