From the end of the world

Chapter 521 VS Demon Xuanwu 3
When the flame is compressed to a certain extent, it turns into a black flame in which even space and time itself is distorted and destroyed, and all light and heat converge and collapse toward the internal center.

A dark miniature sun formed in the palm of my hand.

——“Solar eclipse”.

This is a trick I figured out when I was exploring ways to increase the density of mana. Unlike the high-density mana of Fate Turbidity, which can only be mastered by experienced Great Impermanence, "Eclipse" simply roughly compresses the power itself at the level of image, and hardly involves any abstract level operations. Since I have used it more than once or twice, I am now very familiar with it, and I condensed it in almost the blink of an eye.

In the past, I did not continue to explore the potential of "Eclipse" because fire is essentially a substance that emits light and heat, and the black fire that appeared with "Eclipse" does not emit light or heat outward. The more I improve, the more I deviate from the main purpose of "fire". I judge that if I continue to go deeper into this path, it is likely that sooner or later I will distort the interpretation of my superpowers, which is a path that may lead to obsession.

But here, this power that deviates from the main theme of "flame" may become the key to breaking the dilemma of the Great Demon Xuanwu's restraint on me.

Just like a heavy tank firing a cannonball, "Eclipse" was launched out by me.

Perhaps because all previous attempts had ended in failure, the Great Demon Black Tortoise seemed to be careless in the face of this attack. The "Eclipse" hit its body directly. The earth-shattering explosion resounded through the world, and the light and heat, which were far more terrifying than strategic-level nuclear weapons, and the shock wave swept everything around.

Amid the earth-shattering explosion, I saw a huge hole appear in the body made of black water in the distance, as if a large-caliber pistol bullet had pierced through a human torso, and the great demon Xuanwu let out a huge roar.

This time, it was not just the destruction of the physical container. I clearly felt that the soul of the Great Demon Xuanwu was burned and destroyed.

"What……"

The mysterious woman in the dark also made a surprised sound during the telepathic communication. She obviously did not expect that I could really hurt the great demon Xuanwu.

But...it's not enough.

I still can't feel optimistic.

My flame only deviated from the main purpose of the Suzaku Fire in a very preliminary way, and its power was still weakened to a considerable extent. The Great Demon Xuanwu only suffered "skin and flesh injuries".

Not only did it not touch the core, it couldn't even reduce its output efficiency. Its black water body instantly recovered, and its soul seemed to be regenerating at a speed "visible to the naked eye." Although it did cause effective damage, it was only superficial.

When encountering a large predator in the wild, a less-than-lethal attack will only further provoke the beast's anger, causing it to burst out with terrifying power. This principle seems to apply to the Great Demon Black Tortoise as well. It seems to have finally realized that I am a threatening enemy, and all its attention is focused on me.

With a deafening roar, a huge amount of black water burst out from its body, transforming into various forms of attack. Some were water cannons, some were tentacles, some were huge waves, and there were countless shapeless changes, approaching me from different angles. Each shot was a killing move that could hurt my true spirit.

I was immediately forced into a desperate and embarrassing situation.

Fortunately, whether it is for human gods or demons, the true spirit is something that cannot be proven, which is no different from "non-existence". Even for gods and demons, it is very difficult to harm such "unproven things". In order to accurately grasp the image of accurately killing my true spirit, the hit rate of the Xuanwu demon has obviously weakened.

If it were in the modern world, the attack hit rate of the descendants of Xuanwu against the descendants of Suzaku would also receive a bonus due to the restraint relationship, but in the doomsday era when most orders have been shattered, this "environmental bonus" is absent.

Of course, as a doomsday monster, the Great Demon Xuanwu can also rely on its adaptability to the doomsday environment to restore some of the environmental bonuses that gods and demons should have in normal time and space, including the hit rate bonus at the level of fate and cause and effect. However, this is no longer a force within the order of the Four Symbols and Five Elements, and cannot be strengthened by the restraint relationship. It is this part that is now weakened.

Originally, as the descendant of Xuanwu, the Great Demon Xuanwu should not be able to do things outside the framework of the Four Symbols and Five Elements system, and all its talents should have been transformed into water and alchemy power. However, it is not even a human now, so it is not unreasonable for it to have some phenomena that exceed its "duties".

Black flames are something that deviate from the main purpose of "Suzaku Fire" and should not be a power that I, the descendant of Suzaku, can touch. I don't know why I can condense it. Is it because I am a person who has transcended the worldview of Shan Liangyi? Or is it that black flames are also a manifestation of the order of the four images and five elements?

Incidentally, I noticed another annoying thing.

That is, I seem to have no way to collect the flesh and blood of the great demon Xuanwu for Ma Zao for the time being.

I have said before that the body of the Great Demon Black Tortoise is made up of extremely compressed black water, and there is no such thing as "flesh and blood" from the beginning. Even if I regard this black water as its flesh and blood, I still cannot complete the collection work. According to the phenomenon I observed when I destroyed its body twice, the black water will explode and return to a large amount of ordinary water after leaving its body.

Just like the matter of a white dwarf or neutron star, after separating from itself, will be unable to maintain its super density due to the loss of the original gravitational environment, it seems that these black waters cannot exist without the magic power of the Great Demon Xuanwu. The soul components contained in them will collapse and dissipate as the black waters cannot maintain their own density.

More importantly, I am not in a state where I can focus on that kind of thing right now. I have to do everything I can just to survive.

If I continue to fight like this, I will still be defeated. To use the video game as an example, I am now like a player character with only 10 health points and 10 attack points, playing a fighting game with another player character with 1,000 health points and 1,000 attack points. Although I can revive a few more times, the opponent can only hit me a few more times, and if I can't successfully hit the opponent a hundred times, I can't win.

Moreover, the opponent's health will automatically recover over time. In fact, my victory conditions are far from being as simple as successfully hitting the opponent a hundred times.

Fortunately, no matter what, the hope of victory is not absolutely zero.

I'm not saying this because I've come up with a new winning strategy. I'm just going to keep playing like this.

I have no interest in a battle where the chances of winning are zero. On the contrary, even if this desperate battle has only a one in ten thousand chance of winning, I can ignite the fire of fighting spirit, bet everything including my own life, and do my best to defeat the enemy.

The risk is huge, the consequences are serious, the chances of success are slim... but I asked for all of this. I just like this desperate situation where I feel like I'm walking on a tightrope between life and death. I'd rather face the terror of falling into an endless abyss than spend my life in a boring life that is just safe.

There are some areas of dissatisfaction as well.

Although I long for a stage where I can do my best to show off my skills, what I like is a grand adventure, not just a battle. This kind of simple and crude battle is a bit like the super-large junk food sold in a roadside fried chicken shop. I don't reject junk food, but I still hope that what may be the last adventure of my career will at least be a super luxurious meal.

Humans are really shameless creatures, and it is easy to become dissatisfied. Since when did I become picky about my adventures? If I expect to be involved in an adventure that I cannot help but be involved in, I should not be so picky.

Whether it's junk food in junk portions large enough to burst your belly, or super-luxurious meals so delicious they'll make you lose your mind and fall off a tightrope, bring it all on.

I will eat it all.

In the midst of the dizzying confrontation, the mysterious woman asked again: "It has come to this, aren't you going to run away?"

"Don't make me repeat myself so many times," I said. "Since you can't intervene in the battle, just watch from the side, or take the opportunity to escape when the Great Demon Xuanwu is not paying attention. Now all its attention is on me, you should be able to stay away from the battlefield."

"I didn't expect you to be a warrior obsessed with life and death..."

The mysterious woman seemed to have misunderstood my nature, and she continued, "However, I have no intention of running away. After all, the Great Demon Xuanwu is an enemy I provoked, and throwing it to you goes against my thoughts.

“Besides, I have something to ask of you, and I can’t let you die inexplicably in a place like this.

"Just let me end this battle."

She has the ability to end the battle between me and the Great Demon Xuanwu? Just her?
I don't think she is just exaggerating, but for a character at the Great Perfection level, it is already very difficult for her to survive on the battlefield between me and the Great Demon Xuanwu. How can she intervene in the war between humans and gods and the Great Demon?

One thing is certain, that is, since the beginning of the battle, she has indeed been trying to do something under the pressure of the Great Demon Xuanwu, and as the Great Demon Xuanwu used all his strength on me, she seemed to have finally got the chance to withdraw and achieve her goal.

When I was dodging the attack of the great demon Xuanwu in high altitude, her figure suddenly broke away from the depths of time and space and teleported to my side.

She raised her right hand, and a revolver appeared out of thin air in her hand.

(End of this chapter)