With a dull thud, Natsuki Subaru felt a numbing shock travel up to the web of his thumb, nearly knocking the dagger from his hand.
A kick came like a cannonball, landing squarely on his chest.
In an instant, Subaru felt his organs churn as if crushed by a boulder. A surge of blood rushed up his throat, and he was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut.
While soaring through the air, Subaru grit his teeth against the searing pain in his chest and instinctively plunged his dagger into the ground.
Amid the harsh screech of metal scraping against rock, sparks flew along his sliding trajectory.
"Cough, cough…"
Subaru propped himself up with one hand while clutching his chest with the other. The blood seeping from between his fingers mixed with the black soil, creating a stark, jarring sight.
Just then, a System notification chimed in his mind:
[Notification: Mana: 0]
"Damn it, my mana is completely drained."
Subaru looked up at his virtual panel and saw the number in his mana bar fixed squarely at 0.
Of course, he still had a dozen mana recovery potions in his inventory, but Demon King Baran gave him no breathing room. He didn't even have time to open his item window.
ROAR—!!
Even Esil, hiding behind a pile of rocks in the distance, couldn't help but cover her ears, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Following the roar, the dark blue mist surrounding Demon King Baran churned like boiling water, expanding outward from him in a visible ripple of air.
Wherever it passed, loose stones on the ground were blasted into the air, and even the floating crimson motes of light were scattered.
Demon King Baran's presence suddenly skyrocketed!
The already suffocating pressure now felt tangible.
Immediately after, the blue greatsword in Baran's hand flared with a blinding blue light. Within the glow, the blade split into two menacingly shaped executioner swords.
"This is… has he entered phase two?"
Natsuki Subaru's heart sank, and he instinctively tightened his grip on his dagger.
He recalled encountering bosses that entered a second phase during his dungeon runs. Those monsters would often display power far beyond their initial state and even unlock entirely new abilities.
Now, not only had Baran's aura changed drastically, but his weapon had also evolved into a dual-wielding form. It was clear the battle to come would be even more perilous.
"Demon King Baran's presence is at least twice as strong as before, and he's dual-wielding now…" Natsuki Subaru kept his eyes fixed on Demon King Baran, thinking to himself,
"Dual-wielding means his attack frequency will increase, and his attack range will expand. Before, I could rely on my footwork to find openings for a counterattack, but now even dodging will be much harder."
He then glanced down at his own hands. The Kasaka's Venom Fang in his left hand was still stained with the blood of the flying dragon.
"I have to find another weapon. A single sword can't possibly block dual executioner swords."
The moment the thought surfaced, Natsuki Subaru extended his left hand and, with a mere thought, summoned another knight's shortsword from his inventory.
This sword was a prize he had won from slaying a Demon Knight Lord on the 87th floor. While its blade lacked the special effects of the Kasaka's Venom Fang, it was sharp enough to slice through the armor of an ordinary demon lord.
He gripped a dagger in each hand. The cold glint of the Kasaka's Venom Fang and the matte finish of the knight's shortsword intertwined in the dim environment, creating a decisive play of light and shadow.
"If my mana's gone, it's gone…"
He took a deep breath of the cold, damp air, which cleared his chaotic mind a little. The pain in his chest seemed to lessen slightly.
Demon King Baran executed a spinning sweep, one of his executioner swords grazing past Natsuki Subaru's ear. It cleaved a massive, several-ton boulder behind him in two. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and碎石 fell like sand.
With that, Natsuki Subaru slowly stood up straight, crossing the two daggers in front of his chest, his eyes locked dead ahead on Demon King Baran.
Natsuki Subaru seized the opening to duck low, thrusting both daggers at Demon King Baran's calf, only to be blocked by his armor, leaving just two faint scratches.
At this moment, he no longer relied on the aid of his Shadow Soldiers.
After all, with the Shadow Soldiers' strength, they would be useless against Demon King Baran, merely serving as cannon fodder to be instantly annihilated.
Nor did he rely on the enhancement of any skills. With his mana depleted, all he had left was his purest combat instinct and the physical power of a Level 100 player.
"Drip, drop…"
A fine drizzle began to fall from the pitch-black ceiling without any warning, as if the sky itself were weeping.
Almost simultaneously, the two figures moved like arrows loosed from a bow.
Natsuki Subaru pushed off forcefully, sending mud flying as he transformed into a black blur, charging straight at Demon King Baran.
Meanwhile, Demon King Baran swung his dual executioner swords in a wide arc. The wind from the blades carried the rain, forming a semicircular barrier of attack that swept toward Subaru.
CLANG—!!
The colossal sound of metal clashing exploded through the rain, echoing like thunder throughout the gloomy plain.
Natsuki Subaru's twin daggers precisely blocked the edges of the executioner swords. The poison from the Kasaka's Venom Fang instantly spread along the blade but was stopped by the dark blue mist around Baran, leaving only a faint sizzle.
Immense force traveled up the blades, causing Natsuki Subaru's feet to slide back more than two meters in the mud. He plowed two deep trenches in the ground, his clothes splattered with rain and dirt.
"I can only use my peripheral vision to see my surroundings as best I can. Luckily, Baran is huge, so his attack motions won't be too subtle."
Natsuki Subaru quickly adapted to the changing environment in his mind, all while keeping his eyes glued to Demon King Baran, waiting for his next wave of attacks.
Immediately after.
The four weapons clashed again in the rain, engaging in a fierce struggle.
Every swing of Demon King Baran's executioner swords carried world-destroying power. The wind from the blades grazed Natsuki Subaru's cheeks, leaving behind fine cuts.
But Subaru, with agility far beyond that of an ordinary person, constantly dodged through the gaps between the blades, searching for every possible opening.
The tempo of the fight was dizzyingly fast.
Only after sliding nearly a hundred meters did Natsuki Subaru manage to stabilize himself using the friction.
Suddenly, Demon King Baran let out a deafening roar. The sound was no longer the deep growl from before but a ferocious power that seemed to tear the air itself.
The blades were about one and a half meters long, with thick spines like iron bars and edges that gleamed with a chilling, spectral blue light, wreathed in wisps of frost.
Even from hundreds of meters away, Natsuki Subaru could feel a coldness that could freeze his very blood.
"With my current Level 100 physique, my muscle density is dozens of times greater than an ordinary person's, and my bone strength is enough to withstand heavy blows from steel…"
Natsuki Subaru was secretly alarmed as he dodged. The reactive force from the weapon collisions sent tremors through his wrists, and the wound on the web of his thumb split open again, fresh blood dripping down the hilt.
"To think this guy's physical strength isn't the least bit inferior to mine! What a tenacious opponent. Truly befitting the final boss of the 100th floor; even his stamina is monstrous!"
Demon King Baran then stomped forward, his kick shrouded in dark blue mist, aimed straight for Natsuki Subaru's chest.
Subaru could only leap back desperately, kicking up mud as he narrowly dodged the blow, but he was still caught by the shockwave, feeling a dull ache in his chest.
Elsewhere.
Hiding behind a pile of rocks several hundred meters away, the demon girl Esil gripped a boulder tightly. Watching the two blurs in the center of the battlefield, moving almost too fast to see, her heart pounded violently in her chest, and even her breathing became cautious.
Shockwaves carrying rain and dust continuously washed over her, stinging her cheeks and making her body tremble uncontrollably, but she never looked away.
"Is this Lord Subaru's true power…?" Her voice trembled with tension, but her wine-red eyes were filled with shock and a hint of worship.
"A-Amazing! That's Demon King Baran, the sovereign all demons look up to, and Lord Subaru is actually fighting him on equal terms…"
The battle on the field raged on. Natsuki Subaru's breathing grew more and more rapid, and each swing of his sword took more effort than the last.
The prolonged, high-intensity combat was rapidly depleting his stamina. He could clearly feel his speed decreasing and his reflexes becoming less sharp.
Just now, if he hadn't ducked in time to avoid one of Demon King Baran's vertical slashes, he would have been cleaved in two by the executioner sword.
"This is absolutely the strongest Lord-class boss I've ever encountered in all my dungeon runs!" Natsuki Subaru clenched his jaw, forcing down the metallic taste in his throat, his expression not daring to relax for an instant.
However, on the other side, Demon King Baran was still in peak condition.
His hulking frame seemed tireless. The speed and power of his swings hadn't diminished in the slightest. In fact, the spectral blue flames in his eye sockets burned even brighter, and the dark blue mist around him grew thicker.
"If this keeps up, I'll collapse from exhaustion before Demon King Baran even lands a fatal blow."
"I have to find a way to take the initiative!"
Natsuki Subaru took a deep breath, his mind racing.
Suddenly, Natsuki Subaru changed his tactics.
He deliberately slowed his evasion, his footsteps faltering as his body leaned slightly forward, as if he were losing his balance from exhaustion.
The twin daggers in his hands drooped, exposing an opening at his chest.
It was an obvious flaw that no opponent with even a little combat experience would pass up.
Indeed!
The spectral blue flames in his eyes flared brightly. He raised his dual executioner swords high, the blades tracing two cold arcs through the rain as they came crashing down toward Natsuki Subaru's head, clearly intending to end it in one blow.
Natsuki Subaru rejoiced internally. The instant before the executioner swords fell, his body suddenly slid to the left while he crossed both daggers to block in front of him.
With another loud bang, he used the reactive force from Demon King Baran's strike to leap backward, creating a distance of nearly ten meters and finally getting a moment to catch his breath.
But before Subaru could regulate his breathing, Demon King Baran's figure was already upon him like a phantom.
This time, Demon King Baran didn't choose a horizontal sweep or a vertical chop. Instead, he aimed his two executioner swords at Natsuki Subaru's chest and lower body. One thrust straight for his heart, sealing off his path of retreat, while the other swept at his legs, preventing any possibility of evasion.
Two cold gleams of light intertwined in the rain, forming a net of death that completely ensnared Natsuki Subaru.
He was cornered!
Natsuki Subaru's pupils constricted, his heart nearly stopping. He could clearly see the cold light on the executioner swords, even feel the icy aura emanating from the blades.
At this moment, it was too late to dodge. He could only manage to cross his twin daggers in front of his chest to block this fatal strike.
CLANG!
The immense force instantly threw Natsuki Subaru off balance. His twin daggers were sent flying by the power of the executioner swords, spinning through the air in two arcs before landing with a splash in the distant mud, kicking up a spray of water.
Without his weapons, Natsuki Subaru was like a beast that had lost its claws, completely exposed within Demon King Baran's attack range.
In the next second, Demon King Baran's two executioner swords closed in again, the blades almost touching Natsuki Subaru's skin.
He had to block it!
In that split second, with no time to think, Natsuki Subaru grabbed Demon King Baran's arms, his fingernails nearly digging into the gaps of the armor. His knuckles turned white from the force.
He could feel the terrifying power coming from Baran's arms, a weight as heavy as a mountain that made it almost impossible to breathe. The edges of the executioner swords drew ever closer to his throat and heart, the frigid aura making his skin go numb.
"I can't fall here…" Blood seeped from his clenched teeth, but a determined flame ignited in his eyes.
"I still have to return to my own world, back to Emilia and the others…"
But just then, the stalemate suddenly shifted!
Demon King Baran abruptly stopped struggling with his arms. He tilted his head back slightly and opened the mouth that had been clamped shut.
In the next moment, a dazzling ball of blue lightning rapidly condensed in his mouth. The crackling currents coiled and leaped like living things, casting a harsh, cold light in the rain.
"Kuriyora~sha!"
The lightning carried a suffocating aura of destruction. Even the surrounding raindrops were ionized into a fine mist. The air filled with the faint smell of something burning, and even the rubble on the ground began to tremble slightly.
"He was still hiding an ace like this? There's no way to dodge!"
At the moment of life and death, Natsuki Subaru's black pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. His heart felt as if it had been seized by an icy hand, and even his breathing stopped for half a second.
Time itself seemed to stretch at this moment.
The trajectory of every falling raindrop was crystal clear, and the pattern of every current tearing through the air was seared into his eyes.
The chill of death seeped through his pores into every limb, making Natsuki Subaru shiver involuntarily.
"Am I going to die?"
The thought drilled into his mind like a venomous snake, but Natsuki Subaru instantly crushed it.
No—absolutely not!
Emilia was still waiting for him back at the Roswaal Mansion. Rem, Beatrice, and so many others were waiting for him. How could he possibly fall here!
"I absolutely cannot fall!"
A boiling will to live surged from the depths of his heart, supporting Natsuki Subaru as he desperately sought a path to survival in this hopeless situation.
At the last moment, countless battle scenes flashed through Natsuki Subaru's mind. He then grit his teeth and made a decision so insane it bordered on madness.
Abandon all defense, leave his body exposed to the lightning, and tank this hit head-on!
He knew very well that an ordinary human body would be instantly vaporized by a lightning attack of this level, not even leaving ashes behind.
But his body was no longer that of an ordinary mortal.
As long as his health didn't completely drop to zero, as long as he had a single breath left, he still had a chance to turn the tables.
This was his only gamble now, and the last sliver of hope he could grasp.
As Natsuki Subaru's thoughts raced.
BOOM!
The blue lightning shot from Demon King Baran's mouth like a thunderclap, tearing through the air with a deafening roar and striking Natsuki Subaru squarely in the chest.
In the next second, an intense wave of pain, like a tsunami, swept over Natsuki Subaru's entire body.
It felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were piercing his organs all at once, as if he were being enveloped by boiling lava. Every inch of his skin burned, every bone trembled violently, and even his blood seemed to be boiled by the electric current.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH…."
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but let out a blood-curdling scream, but the sound was completely drowned out by the crackling of the electricity.
Demon King Baran finally released his grip. Losing his support, Subaru was thrown backward like a broken kite, his body tracing a pathetic arc through the air before crashing heavily into the mud. The resulting splash of muddy water, mixed with dark red blood, exploded on the ground.
The System panel flickered wildly before his eyes. Natsuki Subaru's nearly one hundred thousand health points plummeted at a visible rate, the red numbers ticking down like a deathly countdown:
90000, 50000, 10000, 1000, 50…
10, 9, 5…
Finally, it stopped precariously at the number 3.
Any closer, and Natsuki Subaru would have lost his life completely, forever stranded on this dark plain.
But in that critical moment, Natsuki Subaru used the last ounce of strength in his body to activate his ultimate trump card, hidden deep within the System.
It was the Status Recovery reward he had been accumulating from completing daily quests since the very first day he arrived in the world of Re:Zero, saved specifically for a life-or-death situation.
"Status Recovery!"
Natsuki Subaru roared in his mind. The moment the thought formed, a warm golden light burst forth from within him, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds, enveloping his entire body.
The pain receded as quickly as a tide. The burning sensation in his chest vanished, his trembling bones grew firm again, and even the wound pierced by the lightning healed at a visible rate in the light.
In a flash, it was gone without a trace, leaving only the charred marks on his clothes.
The numbers on his System panel jumped again. His health was instantly refilled, returning to[100000/100000].
His stamina, agility, strength, and spirit all returned to their peak state.
"Don't get cocky!"
In the next instant, Natsuki Subaru leaped up from the ground, a ruthless glint in his eyes and a cold smile on his lips.
Demon King Baran clearly hadn't expected that Natsuki Subaru could survive a point-blank lightning attack. His eyes were filled with astonishment, and he even forgot to retract his arms, which were still in their attack posture.
Taking advantage of this brief lapse, Natsuki Subaru unleashed all his strength, rushing forward in an instant and gripping Baran's still-extended arms.
CRACK!
A crisp crack of bone sounded, exceptionally clear amidst the rain.
Demon King Baran's arm was snapped by Natsuki Subaru!
Dark purple blood gushed from the break, splashing onto Natsuki Subaru's face with an icy coldness.
"GRAAAH!"
Demon King Baran let out a deafening howl of pain, no longer able to hold the executioner swords in his hands.
The two executioner swords fell one after another into the mud, the splash wetting Demon King Baran's black armor and signaling the complete loss of his dual-wielding advantage.
My body was modified by the System. As long as my HP doesn't hit zero, I won't truly fall!
Seeing this, Natsuki Subaru sneered inwardly. He then raised his hand and activated the skill Ruler's Authority.
The twin daggers in the distant mud were immediately pulled by an invisible force, streaking through the rain like two silver rays of light and returning precisely to his hands.
"This is the end!"
Natsuki Subaru stomped his feet on the ground, launching himself into the air. Using the downward momentum, he tightly gripped his daggers and slashed out in two sharp, intersecting arcs.
"Shhhlick!"
The sharp blades sliced through Baran's neck as if it were paper. Deep, dark purple blood erupted like a fountain, spraying in all directions, dyeing the surrounding rain and mud and forming a dark puddle on the ground.
Demon King Baran's head fell to the ground with a thud. The spectral blue flames in his eye sockets flickered a few times like a candle in the wind before being completely extinguished.
His body collapsed heavily, the massive frame making the ground tremble slightly. The dark blue mist around him dissipated rapidly like a receding tide, losing all of its former suffocating menace.
Immediately after, a series of System notifications flooded Natsuki Subaru's mind:
[Notification: You have defeated Demon King Baran!]
[Notification: You have obtained the soul of Demon King Baran.]
[Notification: Quest: Collect the soul of Demon King Baran complete.]
[Notification: Obtained weapon Demon King's Dagger…]
[Notification: Obtained equipment Demon King's Armor…]
[Notification: Obtained weapon Demon King's Longsword…]
[Notification: Obtained accessory Demon King's Ring.]
[Notification: Obtained Demon King's Horns…]
[Notification: Obtained material Purified Demon King's Blood…]
[Notification: Obtained World Teleport Key…]
[Notification: Level Up…]
[Notification: Level Up…]
[Notification: Level Up…]
[Notification: Level Up…]
[Notification: Level Up…]
[Notification: Stat Points +50…]
[Notification: Obtained title: Demon Slayer.]
___
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