𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐠, 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧
Having been struck by both Ridelle’s and Albero’s attacks, Hubris was convulsing as he sank into the ground.
“Haah, haah, haah, haah. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Running with all his might and punching with full force, Albero was out of breath.
The Parasitic type has high physical abilities. But that doesn’t mean their stamina increases.
Just then, a battered Kid shouted with all his might.
ㅤ
“Don’t let your guard down!! Tear off his limbs so he can’t move! We can’t let the clue to 『Lust』 get away!!”
“Y, Yes, I got it!”
ㅤ
Albero reaches out with his right hand, attempting to solidify Hubris’s limbs.
Hubris remains face down in the ground. He could easily be solidified now.
And just as he was about to touch Hubris━━
ㅤ
『Heh heh heh━━Impressive.』
“!!”
『The last time I was pushed this far was when I fought those twenty-one.』
ㅤ
From within the earth, Hubris spoke.
ㅤ
『Well, even those twenty-one weren’t at their best. They were up against Demon Emperor-sama, the seven of us brothers, and countless demon beasts. Heh, they’re a dangerous lot when fought one-on-one. You’re weaker than them. But. . . . . .you’ve pushed even me this far.』
“Hey, shut up. I’m about to solidify your limbs. I’ll have you tell us about the other demons.”
『Heh heh. . . . . .you, you all have earned the right.』
“. . . . . .What?”
“Hey!! What are you babbling about? Just do it already!!”
ㅤ
Kid shouts.
Deciding he could listen to Hubris’s story later, Albero extends his right hand.
ㅤ
『You killed my brother, Abel, didn’t you?』
“. . . . . .”
『Ah, I’m not angry. That coward, even when he fought the twenty-one before, he was trembling without even fighting.』
“. . . . . .Enough.”
『No, there’s more. You all have earned the right. . . . . .to fight me at my full strength!!』
━━”What?!”
ㅤ
The next moment, the lower half of Hubris melted into a gooey mess.
It was like liquid gold. The palace, dome fragments, statues, scattered jewels and coins. . . . . .everything created by Hubris melted and was absorbed into the ground.
ㅤ
“W, What’s happening?!”
“Damn it! This idiot! We should’ve finished him off sooner!!”
ㅤ
An earthquake began.
Then, liquid gold spewed out from the ground like a geyser.
It wasn’t just one place. Liquid gold overflowed like fountains from all around.
Moreover, the liquid gold turned into coins as it spewed. The situation was beyond comprehension.
ㅤ
“Quick. . . . . .Everyone, get away from here!!”
“Ridelle, Kid, get on!! Lapis, can you manage?!”
“Yes!! Albero, mount Marcosias!!”
ㅤ
Albero extended his arm, grabbed a nearby tree growing near Marcosias, and swiftly repositioned himself.
He let go of the branch and mounted Marcosias. Ashe also took Ridelle and Kid aboard, and they moved away from the scene.
The golden fountains erupted everywhere.
ㅤ
“What the hell is this?!”
“How would I know?!”
ㅤ
Kid shouted in anger.
He was frustrated that Albero hadn’t acted sooner.
Lapis remarked as if recalling something.
ㅤ
“───Could this be the true form of Demon Hubris of 『Pride』?”
“. . . . . .Huh?”
“My grandmother once said. While demons take the form of humans, it’s just a disguise. They have a form as a summoned beast.”
“Come to think of it. . . . . .Abel too transformed from a human to a creature resembling a 『huge mouth』. So, is this liquid the true form of Hubris?”
“Most likely. . . . . .”
ㅤ
The true nature of Hubris is a golden liquid.
The liquid that was spouting like a fountain began to settle, and it started to move slowly.
The golden liquid was gathering at the spot where Hubris had been pierced.
Albero and the others were watching this from outside the village.
ㅤ
“Wha, what is this. . . . . .A dream?”
“. . . . . .It’s, massive.”
ㅤ
Ashe and Ridelle spoke as if they saw something unbelievable.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .Damn it.”
“How, how can we. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Kid and Lapis were also dumbfounded.
Albero too couldn’t close his opened mouth.
ㅤ
“Is this the form of Demon Hubris of 『Pride』 as a summoned beast?”
ㅤ
What appeared where there once was a farmland was. . . . . .an incredibly large 『golden slime』.
With a diameter of fifty meters and a width exceeding two hundred meters.
Furthermore, the slime wobbled, changing its shape.
Growing forelegs and hind legs, a large mouth, and bulging eyes. . . . . .it transformed into the shape of a 『frog』.
The gigantic golden frog then opened its huge mouth widely.
ㅤ
『Ha ha ha! Sorry to keep you waiting. . . . . .this is my true form. Come, boys and girls! Let’s begin our final battle! CROAK!!』
ㅤ
The gigantic golden frog croaked like a frog would.
ㅤ
◇◇◇◇◇◇
ㅤ
Albero and the others were desperately running away.
The massive golden frog was approaching, hopping around.
The sight was truly terrifying. Lapis, in particular, was in a panic.
ㅤ
“Noooooo!! Frogs!! I want to go home!!”
“Calm down, Lapis!! Marcosias, just run!!”
『Growlll!』
ㅤ
For some reason, Marcosias obeyed Albero’s command.
Running away from Demon Hubris’s paradise. Above, the Gryphon was desperately trying to escape as well.
ㅤ
“A frog being the true form. . . . . .and it’s huge!!”
“That size, it’s honestly disgusting. . . . . .”
“. . . . . .You guys seem pretty calm. Down there, the young lady is shrieking her lungs out.”
ㅤ
Kid was surprised to see Ashe and Ridelle acting normally.
ㅤ
“When I was younger, Albero and I would catch bugs in our backyard. I’m fine with insects. I can even grab snakes with my bare hands.”
“I used to catch frogs in the water channels. The big ones even became dinner.”
“. . . . . .You’re tough. But this isn’t the time━━.”
ㅤ
Suddenly, the hopping golden frog’s mouth opened wide.
ㅤ
『GWAAAAAAHHH!!』
“Watch out. . . . . .Marcosias, dodge!!”
“Gryphon, evade!!”
ㅤ
Albero and Ashe gave instructions.
From the mouth of the golden frog, a massive amount of gold coins, swords, crowns, necklaces, and portraits were spewed out.
It was like a tidal wave. The golden frog continued to hop while spitting out treasures.
Albero stood on the back of Marcosias, enlarging his right arm.
ㅤ
“『World Stop』!! Sweep it away!!”
ㅤ
He extended his right arm, hardening the space in a sweeping motion.
Where Albero swept his arm, only the treasure wave stopped instantly. But it didn’t stop the golden frog. The golden frog jumped, avoiding the hardened area. It had fully read Albero’s abilities.
ㅤ
“Damn it!! I could defeat it if I could touch that frog!! I can’t get close because of the treasure wave, and my long-range hardening doesn’t work because it’s reading my abilities!!”
ㅤ
He couldn’t help but shout.
Then, Gryphon, who had been flying in the sky, flew alongside Marcosias.
ㅤ
“Hey!! Find that frog’s weakness!!”
“Huh?!”
ㅤ
Albero was suddenly told this by Kid.
Then, Kid pointed to his own right eye.
ㅤ
“Your 『eye』!! You can see something different from us, can’t you?! Look at it, no matter what it is!!”
“Ah━━I see.”
ㅤ
Albero gently touched his right eye.
And in his heart, he wished━━look, see, diagnose.
Albero’s right eye. The white part turned red, and the pupil shone in gold.
ㅤ
“『Nether Eye Balor』━━Open!!”
ㅤ
Albero saw the 『Sepia World』 with his own will.
A nearly monochrome, lonely world. Only humans had color, and summoned beasts were tinted in sepia.
Lapis, Kid, Ashe, and Ridelle, who were half-conscious, had 『threads』 running inside them. This was the meridian thread, circulating vitality.
And then, the golden shining frog. In this world, it was sepia. Indeed, the meridian thread was circulating inside it as well━━
ㅤ
“━━Huh?”
ㅤ
Albero noticed.
The meridian thread was certainly extending. But. . . . . .between the eyeballs, a small spherical object was shining.
Upon closer inspection, the meridian thread extended from it. It looked like a ball of thread.
ㅤ
“Could it be. . . . . .that thing━━guh?!”
ㅤ
Suddenly, a sharp pain in Albero’s head.
The price of trying to see the unseen. Albero memorized the position of the sphere and deactivated Baroore.
ㅤ
“Albero, are you okay?!”
“Ah, yes. But. . . . . .I saw it. Kid, I think I found its weakness.”
“Good━━”
ㅤ
At that moment, the golden frog made a huge jump. It spat out a massive golden sphere from its mouth.
ㅤ
『GEBBOOO!! GEBBOOO!! GEBBOOO!!』
“Not good!! Everyone, run!!”
“Gryphon, hang in there!!”
“Marcosias, hang on!!”
『KYOOON!!』
『GARURURU!!』
ㅤ
Marcosias and Gryphon ran and flew desperately.
Golden spheres rained down.
Each one was larger than a house, changing the landscape rapidly.
ㅤ
“Damn it!! I finally found its weakness━━”
“Where is it?”
“Huh━━Kid, you?!”
“Tell me quickly!! Where is it!!”
ㅤ
Kid jumped off Gryphon and ran alongside Marcosias.
But he was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Even for Kid, he couldn’t keep up this full-speed sprint for long.
Albero shouted.
ㅤ
“It’s in the center between its eyes!! That golden pattern, the center indentation!!”
“━━Understood.”
ㅤ
Kid then retreated from that spot.
He changed direction and began running right beside Albero and the others.
The golden frog ignored Kid. It kept targeting Albero and the others, jumping and continuously spitting out spheres.
Both Gryphon and Marcosias were exhausted.
ㅤ
“───Leave this to me!”
“Ridelle, you too?!”
ㅤ
Ridelle ignited her foot boosters and leaped off from Gryphon.
She jumped immediately upon landing.
ㅤ
“Aaahhhhhh!!”
ㅤ
Then, she kicked away the sphere spat out by the golden frog.
The kicked sphere hit the frog, causing it, which was in mid-air, to be blown away and tumble.
Seeing his chance, Albero jumped down.
ㅤ
“Ashe, Lapis, I need your support. . . . . .We’ll settle it here!”
ㅤ
Mustering all his strength, he enlarged Jabberwock to its limits.
Then, he grabbed the golden ball that had fallen and threw it at the frog, which was lying on its back.
ㅤ
“Crush it!”
ㅤ
Ridelle too kicked the falling sphere with the help of her boosters, aiming at the frog.
However, the sphere didn’t fly straight and seemed to struggle───suddenly, a wind of emerald green corrected its course, striking the frog directly.
Furthermore, a platform of ice formed right beneath the sphere to make it easier for Ridelle to kick.
With the support from Ashe and Lapis, a confident smile appeared on Ridelle’s face.
ㅤ
“Ridelle, let’s finish this!”
“Right!”
『Gwooororororororororo! Gnoooooo! I won’t lose!』
ㅤ
The golden frog got up and swallowed the golden ball with its wide-open mouth.
Both Albero and Ridelle kept shooting the golden balls.
The final attack───both of them had pushed their bodies to the limits.
ㅤ
『Gwaaaaaaaahh!! What an incredible persistence, I can’t call it arrogance anymore! This is. . . . . .desperation! Yes, sheer desperation!!!』
“Dang it!”
ㅤ
Albero and Ridelle’s voices overlapped.
The last sphere lay on the ground. Albero hardened it and looked at Ridelle.
ㅤ
“───.”
“───.”
ㅤ
Ridelle nodded firmly, igniting her foot boosters again.
Albero, with all his remaining strength, took a stance.
ㅤ
“『Buster Kick』!!”
“『Summoned beast Punch』!!”
ㅤ
Ridelle’s spinning kick and Albero’s full-force punch sent the sphere flying.
The golden frog, attempting to swallow the sphere, opened its mouth wide───the sphere hit right inside its mouth, and the impact reverberated to the back of its head.
ㅤ
『Whoooa?! Whooooaa!! Hmmmm!』
ㅤ
However───the final blow was swallowed by the golden frog.
Having exhausted all their strength, Albero and Ridelle deactivated their summoned beast and collapsed.
Lapis and Ashe rushed over, and the golden frog, opening its mouth wide, said:
ㅤ
『It’s over now! Hahaha, it’s been a while since I had this much fun. You all will become part of my flesh.』
ㅤ
───And, the golden frog was in the middle of speaking.
A hole appeared in the location of Albero’s discovered weakness on the head of the golden frog.
Yes, a hole suddenly appeared.
Both Albero and the golden frog were stunned───and the golden frog crumbled into a gooey mess.
ㅤ
“───『Ultimate Piercing Bullet』 . . . . . .my trump card. A bullet that pierces through all time and space and always takes down its target. . . . . .I can only use it three times a day.”
ㅤ
Kid appeared, his left arm transformed into a gigantic rifle.
ㅤ
“It was a tough battle. I pretended to run away to prepare for this shot. This form takes time to prepare, but once fired, the target can’t escape.”
“You. . . . . .hahaha, well done.”
“Hmph. More importantly, the weak spot you mentioned seems to be right. Look. . . . . .”
“Oh.”
ㅤ
At the place where the golden frog melted, Hubris, who had lost both arms and legs, lay sprawled.
Albero and the others approached cautiously.
Up close, Hubris had cracks all over his body.
ㅤ
“Oh, I admit defeat. It’s my loss. . . . . .It’s your victory.”
“Tell me, where is 『Lust』?”
“Heh, so you were a toy of my sister. Consumed by vengeance, aren’t you? Just as my sister wanted?”
“I asked you where she is!!”
ㅤ
Kid fired shots randomly with his Headsman. A hole opened in the ground near Hubris’ face.
However, Hubris remained unfazed.
ㅤ
“My sister is elusive. Even I can’t pinpoint her exact location. . . . . .But someone who knows her whereabouts might.”
“Where is she. . . . . .and who is this person?”
“My siblings, my brother and sister. In the names you humans gave them, they are the demons of 『Envy』 and 『Sloth』. The only twins among the seven of us, our messengers. Perhaps you’ll find her if you find them.”
“The two of them? Where are they?”
“I cannot betray my own family. This is all I will tell you. . . . . .But know this, my death will soon reach my siblings. You will surely meet them eventually.”
“Damn it. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Kid was about to shoot with his Headsman, but Albero stopped him.
Then, Ridelle stepped forward.
ㅤ
“The enemy of my family!!”
“Sadly, it seems you won’t be able to take your revenge. It’s time. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Hubris’s body began to slowly crumble.
And in the end━━Hubris looked at Albero.
ㅤ
“Ah━━I have one last request. Let me see those eyes. . . . . .Ah, beautiful. . . . . .those eyes. . . . . .I got to see them again. . . . . .Indeed, you are. . . . . .human and. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Without finishing his words, the Demon of 『Pride』, Hubris, crumbled and vanished.
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