The ground beneath them throbbed with Power. Apollo's figure—bloodied and bruised—rose once more. His muscles pulsed with a newfound strength, his eerie, composed eyes locked onto Kitae. A murderous undertone surrounded him like a shroud.
And then, Apollo vanished.
Each step cracked the concrete beneath him, and in less than a blink, he appeared before the behemoth. His leg—snapped and twisted unnaturally—resembled the curved hand-blades of Jichang... except stronger.
Apollo's mind pulsed with a single word: "Destroy."
His blood raged beneath his stoic exterior, his leg rocketing toward Kitae. The older man merely raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden surge in power.
But things didn't go as Apollo expected.
His kick didn't make Kitae stagger. Instead, air exploded in a gust past Apollo's face—his eyes widened in realization. He hadn't landed the blow.
Kitae had.
The kick struck Apollo in the stomach with a thunderous boom.
His body flew through the air like a ragdoll, spiraling like a football. Pain flared through every fiber of his being. He coughed, nearly choking, his body refusing to move the way he wanted. As he twisted midair, his uninjured shoulder dug into the ground to soften the fall.
The gravel scraped and tore at his skin, biting into open wounds. Yet, through it all—through the agony—Apollo stood back up.
"Again."
His eyes burned with the same ferocity as when he first began. This wasn't a fight to defeat Kitae.
This was a fight to prove something far more important—to himself.
"To be proud of myself."
He wasn't ignorant of what was happening to his body. With every strike he endured, he felt it—his skin subtly hardening, his muscles tightening, his bones reinforced by some otherworldly force.
Science couldn't explain it, but Apollo didn't need logic.
"My endurance… it's rising."
Kitae began walking toward him, his face twisted in ecstatic delight, his eyes gleaming perversely. Even from a distance, Apollo could feel it—the murderous aura, thick and suffocating.
"He wants to kill me."
Apollo knew.
He looked down at his left arm—limp and dangling at the shoulder. The forearm twisted grotesquely, the broken bone bulging against the opposite side beneath his skin. It hadn't pierced through, but the pain was unbearable.
And for the first time, Apollo wasn't sure he'd make it out alive.
He exhaled slowly, a visible plume of breath leaving his lips.
"I might die today…"
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "Foolish of me not to tell Hansu. Maybe… maybe he could've stood a chance against Kitae."
Looking up at the sky, he let his heart settle. The wind brushed gently across his battered skin.
"It doesn't matter. I'm an outsider to begin with."
He turned his gaze back to Kitae, who was now dangerously close. A glint of silver flashed in his hand—an axe, now brandished with deadly intent.
"Even if I die here… even if my story ends—
I want to give it everything."
His eyes locked onto Kitae. That single remnant of will refused to fade.
"This time… I won't die feeling pathetic."
Emotions surged through him like a tidal wave:
Pain, from the trauma his body had endured. His spirit clung desperately to life.
Fear, of death creeping closer, its presence undeniable.
Regret, for the dreams he hadn't fulfilled—to be King, to reach the top.
Anger, at Kitae. At himself. For being too weak.
And happiness, for saving the ones he could—Jinrang, Seonji… his heroes.
As Apollo closed his eyes, the storm of emotion became too overwhelming. He didn't want to die—not yet.
And then… he sank.
His life flashed before his eyes. Even with Endurance Mastery, he doubted he'd survive. But he had to try.
Because the one thing that allowed humans to survive throughout history…
Was their Indomitable Will.
And just like that—Apollo's eyes shut, and Shuten-Doji opened them instead.
An oppressive aura radiated from his body. His dark green eyes glowed with an intensity that dwarfed anything before. His presence surged, growing heavier, suffocating.
Until everything—beast, bird, or man—collapsed from the sheer pressure.
Everyone but one.
Kitae Kim remained standing, looming over the transformed Apollo. His menacing eyes bore into him, his axe an extension of his will, slashing down with lethal force.
Shuten-Doji stood motionless, eyes fixed on Kitae. His stance didn't falter.
He was the calm before the storm.
The axe tore through the air, cutting through even the suffocating pressure surrounding Apollo. Kitae's grin widened, blood rushing from the thrill.
The axe struck Apollo's collarbone.
Thud.
Kitae blinked in disbelief.
The axe had stopped—completely. His blow, his strength—it hadn't even left a mark. His face twisted in confusion... then realization.
And his blood ran cold.
For the first time in the fight, goosebumps climbed across Kitae's skin.
A memory echoed in his mind—
"If a UI user's eyes ever glow green… run. Or die."
—Gapryong Kim.
And then, it happened.
A shattering punch tore into Kitae's solar plexus, folding the King Slayer in half. His knees hit the ground. Shock flooded his expression.
"What strength…"
Blood trickled from his lips.
And then came the knee.
Apollo's—no, Shuten-Doji's—knee smashed into Kitae's face, collapsing his nose inward. The force detonated in a thunderclap, shockwaves ripping through the air and launching the giant man backward.
But Apollo wasn't done.
No…
Shuten-Doji wasn't done.
......
Shuten-Doji means the King of Oni's