“Are you planning to go down there!?”
Kaira asked with a dubious expression, and Yuma turned to face her squarely.
Having worked together and reached the lowest level, Kaira seemed to be starting to believe in them.
“I’m going down there to defeat him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous… no matter how strong you are, that’s not a monster a human can handle!”
“Oh? So you finally admit I’m human?”
Caught off guard by his words, Kaira hesitated, “Well, that’s…”
“I’ll manage somehow. Just watch me from there.”
Yuma handed the Pickel he was holding to Rui.
Rui, accepting the Pickel, asked, “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Yuma nodded firmly and stood once more at the edge of the Cliff.
“You’re going without a weapon!? What on earth are you thinking—”
Ignoring Kaira’s loud voice behind him, Yuma leaped into the air. He free-fell into the depths of the deep, deep layer.
He was assaulted by the sensation of falling endlessly, but gradually, the dimly lit bottom came into view.
“Ha!”
Yuma unleashed Wind Magic, stirring up a gust of wind against the ground. His body was pushed upward, and the force of the fall was lessened.
He landed softly on the ground and looked up at the Great Tree in front of him.
It must have been at least a hundred meters tall. The trunk’s diameter exceeded twenty meters, and the surface of the bark was rough with a repulsive color.
The air changed, and it became difficult to breathe.
The Great Tree raised many thick Tree Roots high, lashing them like whips. It must have been planning to crush him with those.
Yuma regulated his breathing and turned his gaze to his left hand.
If he used ‘Metallization’, five orbs would appear here. The Chimera’s special ability, the orbs that controlled “Transformation.”
The orbs reflected the creatures he could transform into, but one orb was clouded.
The only orb that didn’t react when he tried to use it. But Yuma knew what monster was inside that orb.
There must be a reason why he couldn’t use it. Was there some condition? Or was it simply a lack of power?
He didn’t know yet. And there was no point in relying on something so uncertain and unusable. Yuma put strength into his body with a grunt and activated ‘Metallization’.
His entire body was covered in black armor, transforming him into a grotesque monster. Five minutes from here.
“Deca Slime! Lend me your power!!”
To defeat the Great Tree in five minutes, he had no choice but to Giantify.
More than anything, this was the lowest level of the Dungeon. There was more than enough Mana to use the Deca Slime’s ability.
His shoulder bulged, followed by his chest, and then his legs.
He was becoming more skilled at using the Deca Slime’s ability than before. His body swelled rapidly, turning into a large iron sphere.
The orb began to change, gradually transforming into a humanoid shape. His entire body was muscular, clad in steel armor, with black thorns extending from various parts of his body.
Vicious fangs and horns protruding from his head. It was a gigantic monster worthy of being called a “Majin.”
The overflowing, enormous Mana reached Anik and Kaira, who were watching from above.
“What… is that giant monster… is that Mitaka-san too!?”
Kaira peered down and doubted her eyes at the sight. Anik felt the same way.
“What a calamitous Magical Power… it assaults me with an unpleasant sensation, as if I’m seeing the Green Lord up close.”
“Anik-san, have you seen the Green Lord?”
Rui, who was next to him, asked in surprise.
“Only from quite a distance. That was also a terrifying monster. I feel the same level of intimidation from that giant.”
Rui and Anik looked down at the layer again. The Black Giant raised both arms, lowered his waist, and entered a battle stance.
◇◇◇
Yuma spread his feet shoulder-width apart and concentrated.
When he activated the Bloodstained Ore (Bloody Ore), red veins began to flow throughout his body. Then he used “Fire Magic” as if layering it on top.
Red patterns emerged on the black, grim armor.
This was the second time he had used magic in this giant’s body. Last time, the “Water Magic” had cut off midway, but he had plenty of Fire Magical Power.
The magic would not run out this time.
Yuma raised his face and shouted loudly.
“Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”
His body glowed red like magma, and a heat wave spread around him. Yuma started running towards the Great Tree, but roots and vines shot out from under his feet, wrapping around his arms and legs.
Furthermore, the roots that had been raised above his head were swung down at Yuma.
Many thick roots struck the giant’s body. Heavy crushing impacts echoed around him. But the Iron Giant did not flinch.
He put strength into his entire body and channeled “Fire Magic” into the roots and vines that were wrapped around him.
Flames ran through the roots and vines, and every single one of them exploded. In between the trees, a voiceless scream echoed.
Yuma gritted his teeth, kicked off the ground, and ran.
The ground he stepped on seethed and melted. He reached the Great Tree in the blink of an eye and slammed his right straight punch into it with all his momentum.
The fist, carrying over forty tons of weight and speed, deeply gouged the Great Tree’s trunk, and a roar spread around him.
The flame-covered fist flashed, and the gouged trunk exploded.
The trunk split further, and flames scattered.
The base of the Great Tree was burning fiercely, but Yuma did not stop.
This time, he slammed a left hook into the tree. The tree, over a hundred meters tall, swayed, and bark fell off in flakes.
The fist that had sunk into the tree triggered another fierce explosion.
The surface of the trunk was blown away, and flames spread around. Just as he was about to follow up, Yuma noticed that the ground under his feet was shaking.
The Tree Roots were moving as if struggling.
Yuma raised his right foot and slammed it into the ground where the roots were growing. The exploding earth blew up like a geyser, tearing the roots to shreds and submerging them in flames.
As he stepped forward to launch a fierce attack, many thick roots wrapped around him from behind.
When Yuma turned around, there was a “Tree” that used roots like tentacles. It was one of the four trees that surrounded the central Great Tree.
It was a giant tree over fifty meters tall.
“If I don’t defeat this one first, it looks like it will keep getting in the way.”
Either way, all the “Trees” where the Kalpavriksha were located had to be destroyed.
Yuma changed his target to the slightly smaller tree and charged. While tearing off the roots and vines that wrapped around his arms and legs, he charged without slowing down.
A speed like a storm, unimaginable for a giant. Each time he stepped, the ground shook, and the Itsuki Monster tried to raise its roots to defend, but it was too late.
“Oooooooooooooooooooooooo!!”
Yuma pulled back his left fist and stepped in with his right foot. His left Seiken Zuki exploded on the tree’s trunk. His fist sank deep, exploding and blowing away the bark.
Yuma followed up without pause. He inflicted further damage by blasting it the moment he impacted the tree with a right high-level roundhouse kick.
When he lowered his right foot, he slammed it into the ground as it was, causing the base of the tree to explode.
The surroundings were a sea of fire. Nearly half of the tree, which was probably fifty meters tall, was engulfed in flames.
Yuma extended a Longsword from the back of his left hand and used it to slash the tree. The fire spread, and the tree began to break with a cracking sound.
He was obstructed by roots and vines from the other trees, but Yuma burned and blasted them all.
The tree in front of him completely collapsed and sank into the sea of fire.