CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 51: 2V1

MOOOOOO!!!!!

In a moment of everyone’s astonishment, the monster leaped from the black gate and crashed into the ground, creating a deep crater equal to the one Escanor had made earlier.

Clouds of snow and dust billowed around it as the creature rose to its full height, its body oozing dark energy that curled through the air like smoke.

Slowly, it lifted its head, and its green eyes blazed beneath the hollow sockets of the ram skull.

Its gaze locked onto the massive creature that had summoned it, the smaller being who now stared back in a mix of terror and awe.

But the new creature showed no interest.

It seized its strange weapon, a hybrid between a sword and a spade, gave it a brief swing, then hurled it toward Escanor with a speed nearly impossible for the eye to follow.

Escanor moved at the last possible moment, tilting his head to the left, but the weapon suddenly surged faster than before. It brushed past his face by a mere centimeter, carving a shallow line across his skin, and pierced straight through the icy mountain behind him.

A thunderous explosion followed, and the mountain split open before collapsing completely over him and isphyrlya.

Isphyrlya raised her uninjured hand with her magic, lifted the severed part from the ground, held it in place, and froze it at the torn edge. She spread her white wings and soared away at the last possible moment.

In contrast, Escanor unleashed his burning aura, melting everything around him before any debris could reach him.

When the smoke settled, the monster with the ram skull raised its right hand, and its weapon flew back to it, straightening perfectly in its grip as if it were alive.

“Well, it seems this will be a battle of life and death,” Escanor said, calculating the situation.

“Well then, we have two monsters, one from the sixth tier and the other from the ninth.One is blessed, and the other, I have no idea.

And that gate above, I have to stop it before something I can’t handle comes through.

I also have too many questions.

It seems I have no choice but to erase this place.”

The priority now is to get that weak dragoness out of here, since he knows everything that follows is up to him to stop the gate.

Escanor’s terrifying voice echoed.

“You lowly white dragoness, fly south from here, for this entire area will be destroyed. Stay alive until I return, because I have questions I need to ask you.”

Even as he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the black monster. He had studied its techniques carefully, but the one with the ram mask did not seem ordinary. The black monster had not died even after its heart was destroyed, which suggested several possibilities. Perhaps it had two or more hearts, or its core was hidden in its brain, or it could only be killed through complete incineration. The mark floating above its head was another mystery, one he could not yet decipher.

The black monster lunged at him, exploiting his moment of distraction.

But Escanor slammed his foot into the ground with such force that it shook the earth, throwing the black monster off balance.

In the same instant, he seized its head, preparing to incinerate it completely.

However, the monster with the ram mask had other plans.

In the blink of an eye, it appeared behind Escanor and struck with its weapon.

The blow cut deep, tearing into Escanor’s back with intense pain and forcing him to release the black monster before he could burn it.

Escanor flapped his wings backward, and the dark wound began to spread across his body, interfering with his control of magma mana.

He glared with frustration.

“Well, well.”

Orange energy surged from his body, an immense power that made both monsters raise their arms to shield themselves from the heat and pressure.

“It seems you are leaving me no choice but to use my final form.”

Escanor lifted his hand and drew in energy until it coalesced into a blazing orange sun. He hurled it high into the sky.

The heat radiated outward, melting everything in its path, while the sun’s power spread across the land, temporarily halting the gate’s expansion as its light bathed Nivara and unleashed a surge of energy.

This was his plan to halt the gate’s activation and prepare for his final form.

His hands began to shine with molten orange energy, and he used one to seal the wound on his back while energy leaked from both.

The two monsters began to feel danger.

But before they could act, Escanor’s fists had already pierced through their stomachs, sending them flying backward.

The black monster crashed into the icy wall in shock,

while the ram-masked monster managed to stop his momentum halfway.

The creature glared at Escanor with a terrifying look, then raised his middle and index fingers toward him.

A beam of green and black energy began to form at his fingertips, then boom,

a massive energy ray shot toward Escanor, piercing through the air.

Escanor raised his left hand, and an orange mana circle appeared, exploding with a molten beam.

The two rays collided, and Escanor began to gain the upper hand,

but the monster raised another finger, and his beam’s power increased until they were equal.

The massive collision caused a violent explosion that sent both flying backward.

The monster threw his weapon to the ground, piercing the ice beneath it as it began to absorb the life energy of the area.

Escanor noticed this, placed his right hand on the ground, and molten heat began melting the ice, resisting the absorption.

The ram-masked monster sensed the shift, seized his weapon, and leapt backward. He pushed off the wall and rocketed toward Escanor at incredible speed.

Escanor smiled and ducked, activating a molten circle that erupted violently from the ground. The blast nearly consumed the ram monster, but it hurled its weapon into the circle, stopping the explosion in its tracks.

Even so, it failed to notice Escanor, who had drawn both arms together into a single, devastating strike and sent it upward, propelling the ram monster into the air.

He then spread his wings and, with a powerful kick, slammed it into the other monster pinned against the wall.

Escanor summoned two blazing suns and hurled them toward the pair.

The ram-masked monster realized there was no escape.

He raised his arm and slaughtered the monster that had summoned him, devouring the black core from its head.

The black mark that floated above the black monster’s head moved to his own, and his eyes turned red.

He swung his weapon, and it returned instantly to his hand.

Then he leapt toward the suns, and with the power of the Void Heart he had consumed, he absorbed them instead of fleeing.

The mark above his head began to pulse, charging with the energy of the Void Heart within him.

The ram-masked monster had successfully activated the mark of adaptation, and his power surged.

A greedy gleam spread across his face as he gazed at the massive sun forming above them.

Escanor saw what he intended, but he now controlled the very atmosphere and would not allow anyone to interfere with his plan.

All he needed now was a few more minutes to unleash his ultimate form.

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Reader’s Archive

Ram-Masked Monster: Tier 9 (first apperance)

Escanor: Tier 10.9 about to break first Yossence

Isphyrlya: Tier 4.8

Ma’hul black monster: Tier 4 to 6 due Adaptability