**Chapter 113: The Arrogant ‘King’ and the Wrathful ‘God’**
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
With fury and murderous intent ablaze, the Subnock lunged forward. Rest deftly dodged the foul, corrosive saliva that sprayed like a water laser and ascended into the sky.
“[Invisibility][Floating][Wind Control][Sky Drive]”
He activated his magic in a quartet. Using an illusion spell to conceal his presence, Rest kicked off the air and took flight.
(If I try to get close and attack… I suppose I won’t be allowed to do that after all.)
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Having lost sight of Rest, the Subnock rampaged wildly, attacking everything around it. It seemed to have realized that Rest was hiding with magic. If he approached carelessly, he could easily fall victim to a lucky strike.
(Then… it seems I have no choice but to resort to this method.)
“[Wind Control]”
Rest soared over the Subnock’s head, rising high into the air. He climbed steadily, the air pressure dropping and making it hard to breathe. The temperature plummeted, and a chill enveloped him. After about a hundred and eighty seconds, he reached an altitude of approximately four thousand meters above the ground. Though lower than the cruising altitude of passenger planes, it was high enough to look down on Mount Fuji.
The wind was stronger up here. While he couldn’t see any humans below, he could just make out the massive form of the Subnock.
“…This should be high enough.”
Rest hovered in place, observing the Subnock as it continued its frantic search for him below. At this height, he was safe from its attacks. He looked down at the Subnock and confirmed aloud what he needed to do next.
“…The Subnock has thick fur, and even advanced magic or a quartet of combined spells won’t deal significant damage. While [Star Devourer] can wear down its body, this magic has a short range. During its use, I can’t cast other spells or enhance my body. It’s impossible for me to approach that hulking beast and strike its weak points.”
So what should he do? One conclusion emerged: he needed to strike from a distance with an attack equal to or greater than [Star Devourer]. Unfortunately, none of the spells Rest had mastered could achieve that.
While his magical capacity was limitless, his magic output—essentially its power—was merely average.
“[Star Devourer]”
This was the most powerful spell he could cast. It was indeed the magic that birthed the Dark Star. A black sphere formed at the tip of his right hand, and simultaneously, the magic he had been using to fly was forcibly canceled, sending him plummeting.
It was like skydiving without a parachute. Though it was too late to feel fear, the sensation of falling gripped him.
“This is surprisingly tough…!”
Free-falling from four thousand meters without magic or special equipment. The fear and cold were overwhelming, but he couldn’t afford to show weakness. Rest focused his magical energy into the Dark Star, determined to calmly execute what needed to be done.
“Absorb the light… O Dark Star that devours all!”
In that instant, the entire plain was engulfed in darkness. The sunlight dimmed, as if a total solar eclipse had occurred. Both humans and monsters would surely be confused by this abnormal phenomenon… but it was Rest who had caused it. He commanded the Dark Star to absorb the sunlight surrounding him.
[Star Devourer] was originally an original spell conceived from the image of a black hole. Therefore, just as a black hole captures light and prevents its escape, it was only natural that this spell could also consume light.
“Anything absorbed by the Dark Star is unceremoniously obliterated… but this time, I won’t let it disappear. I’ll stop the absorbed light just before annihilation and condense it.”
The ground rushed closer. Three thousand meters, two thousand five hundred meters, two thousand meters, one thousand five hundred meters… As he neared the surface, the once tiny form of the Subnock became larger and clearer.
“GYAO…?”
The Subnock, which had been rampaging in search of Rest, suddenly looked up, sensing the sudden darkness that had fallen upon it. The sky, mostly devoid of sunlight, was shrouded in shadows… but it seemed to have night vision.
Over a distance of more than a thousand meters, Rest and the Subnock’s gazes met.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“It seems you’ve found me… but it’s too late now.”
In Rest’s hand was a sphere already brimming with sufficient light energy. From four thousand meters to one thousand meters, he fell at a speed of two hundred kilometers per hour, taking about a minute. Though it was only a minute… he had gathered most of the light that should have poured down onto the vast plain.
Rest wasn’t entirely sure how much energy this represented.
“It’s an improvised application of magic… but can you defend against this?”
If this didn’t work on the Subnock, he would be left with no options. Rest would either die or be forced to flee in a pitiful state.
(Since I’m at it, I might as well give this spell a name…)
“[Amaterasu]”
Rest directed the light he had captured within the Dark Star and released it with precision. A dazzling arrow of light shot down towards the earth… aimed directly at the colossal beast below. It was a strike infused with the power of the sun, as if the sun god, having emerged from the Heavenly Rock Cave, unleashed its radiance upon the world.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The Subnock unleashed a stream of corrosive saliva at Rest, who was descending from above. However, it was akin to spitting at the heavens—a futile act against the divine retribution of the sun god.
“GYA…!”
In an instant, the expelled saliva evaporated, and the Subnock’s body was engulfed in light. The beam pierced through its torso without mercy, vaporizing it entirely.
The king of the plains. The lord of the Demon Territory. The monster that arrogantly called itself a “king” was pierced through by the divine hammer of the god that fell from above.