20 minutes later...

"Is he stupid... why is he wasting his energy on killing Supernals instead of conserving it?"

Irasul’s shrill voice echoed out in confusion, but then its grin spread wider.

"Seems like I need to pressure him more..."

He said with an evil cackle, raising both arms as more cracks appeared in the space behind it, tentacles bursting out and chasing after White, who took an abrupt turn to the side, his wings tearing through a Supernal.

A mouth appeared beside the corner of Irasul’s lips in that moment, followed by a voice.

"White is smart. Beyond smart. His actions of killing the Supernals must have consequences... maybe making him stronger?"

Innumaki’s voice echoed out, but Irasul scoffed.

"No, he’s only getting weaker. His speed has slowed down by a lot, and he’s only dodging the tentacles due to his Limitless Interval Barrier."

It replied, looking at the cracked glass-like barrier that covered White.

It was strewn with cracks and looked one big attack away from shattering to pieces.

"I reckon it will be completely broken in thirty seconds now."

[Move faster.]

The system panel flashed as White ground his teeth.

There was an arm on his stomach, barely stopping his organs from spilling out of him.

Trying to one-shot the Supernatural creatures meant taking an injury for an injury.

And he had suffered greatly because of that.

Still, there was no stopping... not when he was so close.

[Supernal Count: 508/509]

’Hey, system."

White called out as he locked his eyes onto a centipede-like creature in the distance.

It sensed him almost immediately, letting loose an eardrum-shattering noise that drew blood from White’s ears.

"Can I still live if half my body is severed completely?"

he asked.

[Don’t let the cut be vertical.]

It said, and White sped forward.

The centipede appeared before him, cleaving down with the two massive pincers by the sides of its head.

The thought of dodging was the obvious choice to make, but White couldn’t make it.

If he dodged, the battle would drag on and the tentacles would catch up to him. All that was needed was one more attack, and Zero Crown would shatter.

There was no weapon to attack with, and in the end, all he could do was lean forward as if taking a dive.

The creature’s pincers clamped down, managing to grab hold of White’s waist and instantly severing him into two halves.

The rest of White’s upper torso continued forward and crashed into the one huge eye on the creature’s head.

The force was so powerful it shattered the creature’s eye apart, but the centipede screeched out in pain, coiling its body and in doing so, sending White rolling away.

"No... no... now."

White called out, dragging himself forward with hands and wings to reach it and kill it.

It had already gone limp, close to death.

All he needed was to bash its head in, or bite it, anything, just a little damage.

Yet before his hands could reach the creature—

CRAAACCK!

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

The sound of cracking rang out as Zero Crown was finally shattered apart.

[Energy: 0/1,000]

The system panel flashed as blood spurted out of White’s lips.

His half body was unceremoniously raised into the sky by the tentacles which had dug straight into his stomach.

It lifted him from the ground, slowly bringing him forward as White came face to face with Irasul, who had his arms folded behind his back, shaking his head.

"What do you think this was, White? A game?"

Irasul’s grating voice rang out as White’s limbs flailed lifelessly around him.

He was exhausted... beyond exhausted.

Still, his body moved, trying to face Irasul.

The creature sensed it, and one of its tentacles coiled around White’s neck, forcing it forward.

"Innumaki..."

White called out, as the pitch-black eyes cleared for a second.

"Ever since we’ve met each other back in that corridor of the dorm, I felt you were a weird guy with a tiny female tone that was bad for threatening."

"And when I saw your challenge, I accepted it, knowing well you were strong from having defeated Rukun during Combat Class."

"Even against Irasul, I still gave it my all, never for once looking down on you or him, if anything I’ve always thought your ability, Otherworld Summoning was an exceptional awakening and held it in high regards."

"You’re annoyed by your defeat, I understand. But... is that really enough reason to put an end to my life?"

"Anyone who takes on a challenge you yourself issued and wins should die in your hands?"

he asked.

There was a tiny shake in Innumaki’s pitch-black eyes.

Even he himself knew it.

This fight to the death was stupid. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

It was a challenge like every other challenge. Should he really kill White, because he, who had issued the challenge, lost to him, fair and square?

"Not everyone who challenges me and wins should die..."

Innumaki replied.

"It’s only you, White, that has to die. Just you."

He said, and his eyes gained a deeper shade as Irasul took over, a wide grin on its face.

"Your words were quite touching. For that reason, I’ll make it swift."

Irauk said as another tentacle came from behind.

With one piercing through White’s stomach, another squeezing tightly around his neck, the last came into his mouth, forcing its way in, trying to dig a hole out through his skull.

White could feel his jaws slowly cracking as the tentacle dug deeper, slowly and painfully, into the back of his throat.

Yet it wasn’t the pain he could feel in that moment, but the shock.

’I never saw it coming.’

’Maybe I can understand if it was Rukun... but I never saw Innumaki’s death intent coming.’

He thought quietly.

The world was rapidly darkening, the tear deepening up at the back of his neck, yet before the tentacle could burst from the back of his head and separate head and neck completely—

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

A red flash of light crossed through the darkness, and the three tentacles holding onto White were severed off, sending him crashing onto the ground.

GROWL!

A beastly growl left Irasul’s lips as it looked at its cleanly severed tentacles and turned to the side.

There, sitting casually on a building’s edge, about 20 meters was a red-haired young man , holding an amused and delighted smile on his face.

"Sorry, Innumaki, but...his final death blow belongs to me."