Chapter 163: The Mighty Verial

"At last the bottom has fallen out... I have waited long enough, keeper of Tartarus. Angel of the Beginning, ruler of the underworld!"

I look at Verial, who has transformed into a shining angelic form, and I laugh with my fangs bared.

The demon, who had previously taken the form of a fallen angel with a mask on, now looked like an angel, and its whole body was covered with pale flames.

Its inhumanly beautiful face is filled with an expression of deep sadness. It is as if she is lamenting the folly of mankind and wailing in grief.

"Baskerville-sama..."

"Don't worry. Stay focused on the support."

I respond to Ryuna's anxious voice behind me without looking back.

The transformed guardian, Verial, the Mighty Angel. A guardian of the underworld who has regained the power it had before it became a fallen angel.

Now, having thrown away its great sword, Verial's whole body is gushing out pale blue flames as if it were burning with life.

The second form does not mean that Verial has any special means of attack.

However... its power and speed have been greatly increased, making it a stronger power fighter than ever before.

"Back off, Hadiss... From here on out, I'll do it myself."

"Understood... be careful."

"Who are you telling? Me?"

I said in a joking tone, making Hadiss step back, take a deep breath, and yell.

"Overlimits—Meisho Jigokuyori!"

With that, I launched my secret technique, my great move.

Immediately, a fierce aura, as if emanating from the depths of hell, enveloped my body, covering it as armor.

In its second form, Verial's attack is a one-hit kill. Even Hadiss, the tank, could lose most of his strength if he was hit seriously.

Therefore, from the beginning, I had planned to fight it alone after it transformed into its second form.

I will activate my most powerful inner power... with all my might!

'Iaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!'

"Come on, let's fight! I'm starting to miss the sun, so I'm going to kill you and pull you out... so can you die quickly?"

I grinned with my fangs bared and slashed with my sword, which was covered with evil aura.

As I slash at Verial's body, who covered with pale flames, a red flame spurts out from the wound instead of blood.

'Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!'

Immediately, a shiny sword appears in Verial's hand. It was not a curved sword like the one it had been holding earlier, but a long, thin sword shaped like a fencing sword.

And its sharp pointy tip shot out at me with blinding speed, piercing through my shoulder... but without thinking, I hit Verial's head.

'Iaaaaaaaaa!?"

"It doesn't work, a man's got to have guts!"

In its second form, Verial's attribute is 'light'. It is my weak point.

I can feel the pain in my shoulder where the sword pierced through... but I ignore it and hit Verial with a series of attacks.

'Haaaaaaaaa!!"

Slash, punch, kick, strike, thrust, pierce, magic... I attacked without rest.

But even Verial is not unresisting. It hits me again and again, but I don't care. When the Overlimit is in effect, even if I am mortally wounded, my HP does not drop to zero.

Also, even if I'm depleted, Ryuna will heal me. It is all right as long as I can defeat Verial. It would not matter if I collapsed at the moment the battle was over.

"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

'Hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!'

The battle was like a beast eating each other. Far from graceful, it was a mud fight. It was a primitive killing match, just two hungry wolves attacking each other with no guards.

Like two starving wolves cannibalizing each other's bodies, I and Velial were relentlessly exchanging attacks.

'Gaaaaa....'

But it was Verial who reached its limit first.

Its pale flame disappears, and its white angel's body starts to blacken with a whizzing sound, and then shatters from the edges like cinders.

"Well... that was fun. It was better than Leon."

With that I deliver the killing blow into its chest.

Verial, whose heart has been pierced by the sword, shatters into a silvery ash, and a treasure chest appears in the center of the boss's room.

"Overlimit, release... Haah, haah, haah..."

I release the overlimit and fall to my knees with my hands on my hips, breathing heavily.

I feel like I haven't fought with all my might in a long time. I feel a sense of accomplishment filling my chest along with the exhaustion that is overtaking my whole body.

"It's tough indeed... but the battle is over now. The mission is completed. Ryuna, I'm sorry, but I need you to heal me..."

I looked back at my friends who were watching the battle behind me... but I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Huh...!?"

The sight behind me instantly wiped away the fresh afterglow of my victory.

I had defeated the boss monster, but something unexpected had happened behind me.

"HYUUUUUUUUU! Nice fight! You put up a great fight, Bro!"

"Kuhh... Release her...!"

"Baskerville, sama...!"

I don't know how long he's been there... but there was a strange man behind me.

He was naked on top. Black pants on his lower half. He has bright red hair that stands on end, brown skin, and is stomping on Shakuna's prone torso. He also grabbing Ryuna's neck with his right hand and hanging her in midair.

"Kahah..."

And then... the stranger's left hand stabs Hadiss' chest, piercing straight through his heart.