Two Excaliburs boil, trying to cut each other's space.
'Aster is kind and righteous, but he's not swayed by emotions. Especially if the opponent is me.'
Frondier did not spare his Mana. He pours most of his being into Excalibur.
'If the opponent in front of him is an 'enemy,' whether friend or foe.'
Frondier looks into Aster's eyes. Aster does not hide his emotions. He doesn't even try, and he doesn't need to.
There's no mistaking it. Aster intends to cut Frondier down.
He feels that he will die if he doesn't.
At that moment.
"I'm here."
A little further away, a figure emerges from Selena's shadow.
It was Mei.
"Mei! That was close!"
"You make it sound like it was close."
Mei said, her face still serene.
Mei had only moved according to the crow's signal. She wasn't late.
Mei looked at Frondier.
She sends him a whisper.
[Frondier, I'm here.]
[Good. Wait for my signal.]
Frondier calmly receives a whisper with Aster right in front of him.
All preparations were complete.
'Good!'
Selena watched and prepared herself.
This was Frondier's original plan.
The story of how Frondier, the Devil King, was wiped out by Aster's attack.
This war was a battle between Gods and Devils. Now that he called himself the Devil King and the 72 Devils bowed their heads, if the Devil King died, the war would be over.
You can't kill a devil that's already dead.
For this to be possible, Selena's Shadow Transfer and Aster's all-out attack were essential.
'If I time my transfer to Mr. Aster's attack...'
Right before Aster's attack lands, she would use the combo with Mei to escape with Shadow Transfer.
It was a dangerous gamble, but it was the only way to stop the war.
All that was left was to wait for Frondier's signal to be conveyed through the whisper.
And at that moment.
'...All I have to do is run away now.'
Frondier looked at Aster.
Aster had no doubt.
His opponent, Frondier, whom he had endlessly strived to surpass. He had finally declared himself Aster's enemy and was about to fight with all his might.
For more than two years, the back of Frondier, who had been chasing him like a ghost, was finally within reach.
Frondier looked into those eyes.
Aster's eyes are blue.
He knew very well that they were blue.
'...Ah.'
Damn it.
You stupid bastard.
You're probably the biggest idiot in the world, Frondier.
Weaving, Obsidian
Rank - Divine
Mjölnir
A hammer was grasped in Frondier's other hand.
"?!"
"Frondier!"
Mjölnir, completely unnecessary in this situation that needed to be salvaged.
The meaning was obvious.
"Aster."
Crackle, crackle, crackle!!!
Mjölnir roared, engulfed in lightning.
In one hand, Excalibur, in the other, Mjölnir.
"If you can't stop this, give up being a hero!!"
"Stop it?"
Aster's middle stance, simply accepting the overwhelming momentum.
He had intended to use only the power of Excalibur, but Aster had also changed his mind.
He would go for a single iaijutsu.
"Why are you telling me to stop it when you're the one who wants to cut me down?"
Crack.
Tendons stood out on each other's faces.
And then,
Shing─!
The 'single iaijutsu' that steps forward in an instant,
Clang─!!!
And the 'front' struck with the hammer, collided with each other.
Selena, watching the scene, bit her lip.
'The single iaijutsu came out late. He was waiting for Mr. Frondier to attack first.'
There is no way for Frondier to be faster than the 'single iaijutsu.'
So if Frondier had been an ordinary opponent, he would have been cut down by Aster's single iaijutsu before he could even react.
In other words, Aster had deliberately held back.
He had waited for the moment when Frondier's attack would erupt.
With the determination to cut through it all with a single iaijutsu.
'...The one who gave up on running away, and the one who waited even though he could have struck first...'
Selena's face crumpled strangely.
'I really can't understand either of you!'
Crackle, boom!!
Frondier's front is a ranged attack, but Aster's single iaijutsu is a technique that throws his whole body forward.
"Ugh...!"
The single iaijutsu, which would have normally cut through the entire distance in a straight line, was blocked for the first time in its tracks.
The combination of God and hero, two weapons. On the other hand, Aster only had the hero's weapon. No matter how much it was Excalibur, this time, his opponent also had Excalibur.
'There's no way he can cut through it,'
Selena thought, and
Crack!!
Aster cut through even that thought.
"!"
Aster's single iaijutsu pierces the front and reaches Frondier.
The momentum of the single iaijutsu has not stopped yet.
'Got you!'
At that moment, Aster thought.
His power, piercing through Frondier's full power.
At this rate, Frondier would be cut down.
Within his common sense, it was impossible for Frondier to counter this.
So what should he do? Should he forcefully twist the trajectory like he did against Renzo? But then his body would be ruined again.
But rather than cutting down Frondier,
'...No.'
At that moment, Aster looked at Frondier.
Aster does not read expressions.
He simply believes.
Frondier's face, unchanging, impassive, and languid.
And above all, to Aster, Frondier is like a ghost.
At that moment.
Thud-
Something Frondier threw flew towards Aster.
It looked like a jewel.
'What is this...?'
Faster than he could react, the single iaijutsu shattered the crystal, and
Boooom─A storm of Mana, swelling up all at once, explodes between the two.
"Ugh!!"
The momentum of the single iaijutsu finally died down, and Aster was pushed back by the sudden Mana pressure.
'My Mana is still in there...!'
As if Aster had taken on the Eclexis of others into his own body.
Whatever Aster had cut down, it had taken all of his power and was now raging.
Towards it, Frondier reaches out his hand.
Weaving, Obsidian.
"Oh!"
Strangely, it was Sybil who cried out at that moment.
At that moment, Frondier and Sybil each heard a very similar sound.
Clank─
Click.
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