𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧
Just as the battle between Albero and Shin was about to begin, a previously silent demon became enraged.
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“Whaaaaaaaaat?! Wh-What?! Hey you, to my master. . . . . .wh-what, it’s you?! This, this, this, this little brat?!”
“Beelzebub. Sit down.”
“Yes.”
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Beelzebub moved to the wall and sat.
Shin laughed, saying, “Ahahaha.”
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“Sorry. That one has a very strong sense of loyalty.”
“『Summoned beast punch』!!”
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However, Albero didn’t pay any attention to that.
With his right hand clenched, he applied 『Hardening』 and reached out forcefully towards Shin.
His fist shot out at an alarming speed, trying to crush Shin, and he also tried to solidify Shin’s existence using 『Hardening』.
Shin did not avoid Albero’s fist.
She enlarged her left hand, spreading out her fingers.
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“Ha!”
“Wha━━?”
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Albero’s right hand was effortlessly stopped by Shin’s left hand.
And the 『Hardening』 effect vanished. Even when he tried to apply it again, it dispersed immediately.
Shin began to crush Albero’s right hand with force. But Albero forcefully spread his fingers and locked hands with Shin.
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“Oh, a test of strength?”
“You. . . . . .rascal!!”
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Albero, showing his teeth, tried to crush Shin’s hand with all his might.
Furthermore, he tried to pull his arm back. He didn’t know the principle, but 『Hardening』 wasn’t effective. Maybe if he hit Shin’s bare flesh, something might change━━that’s what he thought, but. . . . . .
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“Oh-ess, oh-ess♪.”
“Huh?!”
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Shin did not budge at all.
She laughed heartily, seeming to enjoy holding onto Albero’s hand.
Slowly, she began to pull Albero’s arm back.
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“No way! You!”
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Conversely, Albero was being pulled back little by little.
No matter how much he resisted, he was dragged back.
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“Fufu. Seems my power is greater.”
“Grrr. . . . . .You!”
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Albero briefly loosened his grip and forcefully pulled back his hand.
His hand slipped out, and he finally separated from Shin.
Without looking, Albero reached out for a golden candelabrum on the wall, grabbed it, applied 『Hardening』, and hurled it at Shin.
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“Whoa, close one.”
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Shin sidestepped to dodge the candelabrum, but Albero had a different aim.
Throwing the candelabrum, he used his strength to dash towards Shin. While he wasn’t as fast as Ridelle, the dash derived from the parasitic type’s physical abilities was far beyond human.
In an instant, he closed the gap to Shin and thrust his right hand.
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“Take this!”
“Oh, that was close!”
“Taste this!!”
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The first strike was dodged. However, Albero didn’t stop.
Using the martial arts he learned from Damocles, he went all out to corner Shin.
But all of Albero’s punches and kicks were dodged.
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“Fufu, seems I’m faster too?”
“━━Tch.”
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Albero spread out the fingers of his right hand and swung at Shin.
Shin easily dodged the close-range swing, but Albero smirked.
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“『Stop World』!!”
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The mowed-down space comes to a halt.
Shin laughs interestingly. And, she placed her left hand on the mowed-down space━━next moment.
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“Eh. . . . . .”
“Yes, it disappeared.”
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The hardening of 『Stop World』 disappeared.
Without a doubt, it vanished completely.
Albero remains composed and keeps a distance from Shin.
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“It disappeared. . . . . .Is what you’re thinking?”
“. . . . . .”
“Fufu. Just as Jabberwock has the 『King’s Power』, Queen of Hearts also possesses the 『Queen’s Power』.”
“Queen. . . . . .”
“Yes. In the world of summoned beasts, there exist a 『King』 and 『Queen』. The first summoned Jabberwock, and the second summoned Queen of Hearts.”
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Shin points to Albero’s right hand.
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“Summoned beast King Jabberwock. He possesses the 『End of the World』, which completely erases the abilities of all summoned beasts. On the other hand, one of the abilities of summoned beast Queen of Hearts, 『Capricious Law』, includes 『Ability Nullification』.”
“Ability. . . . . .nullification?”
“Yes. Jabberwock erases them, the abilities themselves. But, Queen of Hearts cancels the effects of the abilities.”
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In other words, not only hardening but also the abilities of summoned beasts don’t work on Shin.
Albero swallows hard.
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“In the past, it was quite a constrained and difficult power to use. . . . . .but with this reconstructed body, I can afford to be quite reckless. Fufu, isn’t it nice?”
“. . . . . .”
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Albero grits his teeth and shakes his head.
Gathering his determination, he starts running again and leaps. He spread his five fingers and enlarged his right hand.
Then, with all his might, he swung it down from above, striking forcefully.
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“If abilities won’t work, then let’s just bash you up! 『Summoned Beast King’s Wrath』!!”
“That’s right. But. . . . . .haven’t you forgotten something?”
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As the approaching right hand descends from above, Shin says.
And then, she readies her left hand—smirking.
“I’m not just a defenseless girl♪ 『Bandersnatch』.”
“───Huh?!”
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The enlarged fist deflects Albero’s right hand and pierces Albero herself.
Albero is pushed by the gigantic fist and slammed against the wall.
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“Gah, ah?!”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s a good move, though it’s just a regular punch when you shout like that. . . . . .but it’s got a motivating name, right?”
“Ah, gah. . . . . .”
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Shin sighs.
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“Give it a little more effort. I’m getting excited with this exercise after a long time. . . . . .Hmm, how about getting you a bit more motivated? Ah, I’ve come up with a good idea.”
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Shin’s left eye glows eerily.
The first one she targeted was a soldier who groaned in discomfort.
When Shin casually looks at the soldier, the soldier starts trembling, foaming at the mouth, and bleeding from every hole in his body, such as his ears, nose, and eyes.
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“Wha. . . . . .What are you. . . . . .doing. . . . . .”
“Vitality circulates through the body along with the blood. So, if you can manipulate the flow of vitality, you can make gruesome deaths like that. . . . . .fufu, who should I pick next?”
“You. . . . . .!!”
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Albero stands up in a battered state.
But, when Shin lightly nudges him, he collapses immediately.
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“Yes, yes. Work harder! Then, the next one. . . . . .Oh, how about that girl over there?”
“───?!”
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What Shin was looking at was Ashe.
Ashe’s complexion was getting worse by the moment.
The moment a trickle of blood flowed from her mouth, Albero heard Ashe’s groan.
“Kuh, cough. . . . . .ah.”
“Ashe───.”
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A deep darkness sprouted within Albero.
It became a dark force that enveloped Albero. The previously mocking face of Shin turned to one of surprise.
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“You bastard!”
“Huh?! Wow───amazing.”
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The fist of Albero, now completely taken over (Total Assimilation), pierced Shin’s body.
Shin was blown away, crashing into a wall at a terrifying speed.
The wall, strengthened (Hardening), did not break, and Shin took the full impact.
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“Gah?! Cough, cough. . . . . .haha, you’ve got to be kidding. I couldn’t cancel it. . . . . .that hurt.”
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And then, at the moment Jabberwock’s right eye shone in red and gold, the suffocating feeling that everyone felt was relieved.
Shin muttered, “Wow.”
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“Amazing. . . . . .you broke my balor.”
“Whoa!”
“Dangerous! Master!”
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The moment Jabberwock’s fist was about to pierce Shin, Beelzebub grabbed Shin and dodged.
Beelzebub said to the now battered Shin,
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“Master, oh. . . . . .you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. My clothes are torn, but I’m not hurt.”
“. . . . . .Oh, wonderful.”
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Shin separated from Beelzebub and clapped her hands.
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“So, I came just to greet today. This is where I’ll leave.”
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Seemingly able to move once more, Damocles and the others rose with pale faces.
The S-class group, although unable to summon their beasts, were standing up and glaring at Shin.
Albero, having deactivated Jabberwock. . . . . .honestly, standing was all he could manage.
Shin addressed everyone present.
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“In a hundred days, I will destroy this country. I’ll bring down the great nation of Asgard as the first step to wipe out humanity from the world. Fufu, do your best to resist.”
“What. . . . . .”
“Albero. I’m convinced, only you can fight me. . . . . .Let’s meet again in a hundred days.”
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As Shin thrust her left hand behind her, a crack formed in space.
The crack widened large enough for a person to enter.
Exhausted, no one could move or speak. They could only watch.
Then, as if suddenly recalling something, Shin turned back and quickly approached Albero.
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“I’ve really taken a liking to you. . . . . .fufu.”
“Wha───mmph?!”
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Shin overlapped her lips with Albero’s.
Albero couldn’t move. As their lips gently parted, Shin placed a finger on Albero’s lips and smiled.
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“Bye-bye♪.”
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With that, hse waved and left.
After the crack closed, silence remained.
And a faint, cold taste of Shin’s lips lingered on Albero’s.
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