PHASE 12 - MISTER SKULL FACE JAIL WARDEN

The wind shatters as I made a swift slash with my crimson katana. It was immediately blocked by the gargantuan flaming buster sword that the fire giant possesses.

“Guah!” I was taken back by the rebound force. Even if I’m the one attacking and Surtr is the one defending, his sheer force made it possible to reverse the roles we are currently in, as if I’m the one defending and he’s the one attacking.

I took several steps back so that my feet won’t break due to the immense shockwave.

“What’s the matter, Alaric Eisenhower?” The flame demon laughed. “You’re no match for me in that form. Summon the Heavenly Blade, and we shall have a better fight.”

I swiped my fingers to open a Gate, and several sword-like shards rushed to the flame demon’s position. But Surtr didn’t move an inch, not even to defend himself.

The first ice shard pierced his armor and also his right shoulder. The second ice shard went through his stomach. And the third skewered his left knee.

“Krah!” Surtr cried. Realizing that his overconfidence made him took damage, he used his buster sword to parry all other incoming projectiles with swift hacks and slashes.

“Sadly, I don’t know how to materialize the yet. So for now, I’ll stick with some dirty tricks.” I smirked at my gigantic enemy. “How does the ice of the Frozen Soul feel?”

“How can a mere mortal like you have the power to open a Gate to the Frozen Soul!?” Surtr shouted. He started to grab the unmeltable ice that pierced his body, and slowly pulled it off. I can see his pain and effort in just pulling an ice shard from his body.

I watched and waited until he’s completely free from those gigantic ice splinters. It really took quite some time, maybe half a minute. I just stood there, smiling, not moving an inch. I want to fight Heushac in his full force, so I didn’t use the opportunity to attack.

“How dare you mock me!!!” The flame giant is outraged when he finished un-barbecuing himself. He stabbed his gargantuan sword on the ground and a flame pillar emerged from his feet! “!!!”

Lava splashed upwards, ready to meet me. I used my to predict the landing point of every drop of that hot sauce, and then I danced as if I’m a rain-dodger. Those droplets that I couldn’t evade, I slashed.

“!!!” When I got tired of skipping and jumping, I materialized an icy frisbee and used it as a shield to prevent me from being melted.

After the flaming geyser, I threw the to my enemy. But Surtr just caught my projectile attack with one hand, and it immediately converted to steam. I know I’ll be dead if his hands or even armor touches me.

“I’m tired of playing with you, mortal.” Flame dust started to flicker on Surtr’s aura. “If you’re not going to attack seriously, then I will!”

Surtr charged prana around him, and the flames on his body changed color from red to green. And then, from green flames, it completely transformed into blue. His left arm materialized a gigantic skull of a bison that breathed flames from every hole on it.

Suddenly, I heard a faint yet soothing voice inside my head.

“Rikkun, the is ready!” It was Tiara’s voice, and she’s talking to me telepathically.

“Thank you, Tiara!” I smiled. I opened a Gate once more, and finally, I can feel the presence and the power of the crystalized love for all the seven million timelines. I finally drew the platinum sword with diamond blades.

Seeing these, the Blue Surtr placed his skull shield forward. Flame streams gathered towards the center, and a compact energy source similar to a nuclear reactor was formed. His next attack will certainly annihilate me.

I’m prepared to clash his spell with my ultimate too. I materialized a golden shard that has the same brightness as the sun, and the warmth of healing touch. This power is the most familiar feeling of all.

“God Fragment of Freyr, installed!” I shouted as I slotted the fragment of the Quintessence to the platinum sword.

“!!!” A god-slaying stream of burning energy was unleashed by the enemy’s skull shield.

“!!!”

A green magical circle materialized in front of me, and I stabbed it with the Heavenly Blade’s channeled power. A golden blaster was unleashed by the magic circle which has the power level similar to that god-killing beam.

The ground shatters. Shockwaves pulsed continuously, and low-intensity earthquakes summoned aftershocks. Those are the effects of the blasters trying to evaporate each other.

“Hraaaaagh!!!” Blue Surtr shouted with all his might as he unleashed a powerful invisible force for his blaster to push through.

“Haaaaaaaah!!!” I used all the prana on my legs, my feet, and my arms for this finisher attack. I’m getting weaker as seconds go by, and I’m sure my opponent is not any better.

The one who loses this fight will certainly evaporate to gas, I’m sure of it. That is why Evil Heushac and I are giving it our all.

As the battle comes to a close, an unexpected happening emerged.

“!!!”

A gigantic golden portal opened above the blue flame giant’s head, and a humongous golden sword appeared. Without any delay, the big sword crashed towards the enemy hellspawn, crushing the right part of his head, his entire right shoulder, and his right leg.

“Grrrraaaaaah!!!” The flame giant was brought to knees as it cried like a cow in a slaughterhouse. With the excruciating pain and loss in focus and strength, my blaster outmatched his. “I-It can’t be!!!”

The golden beam proceeded to eat him whole and nothing was left from him. A blinding flash of light engulfed the area, and when it faded, the enemy was no more.

I looked at the one who’s responsible for doing such a dirty trick. Of course, it was Jeanne. I angrily stared at him for not honoring my battle against a copy of my deceased best friend.

“What?” Jeanne shrugged. “I’m tired of watching your childish fight, so I decided to help.”

I didn’t reply nor even scold her. I know that even if I shouted, nothing will change. Jeannette is Jeannette.

All versions of Jeannette, whether it’s Jeanne or Amy, is a freaking antagonist of my life.

<>

“Hey guys, I’m back!”

Erylle waved jollily as she skipped towards us. Her body doesn’t look like transparent anymore, and I can feel her prana glowing like ever before. She must have replenished her energy fully to maintain her existence again in this realm.

“Is the fight over?” The beautiful blonde valkyrie asked.

“Yeah, thanks to me!” Jeanne held her hips and chinned up. Yeah, thanks to her that my most awaited battle with Heushac was so anticlimactic. This arrogant bastard is so annoying that I want to lock her back to her cell.

“Good!” Erylle smiled. “Now that the security systems of the Underworld Prison have been destroyed, nobody would be able to stop us from moving freely here.”

“Not so fast.” An unfamiliar deep voice echoed. Hearing that chilling sentence froze my spine, but Jeanne didn’t even flinch. Instead, her eyes are giving off a killing intent.

Suddenly, the floor unleashed a thick dark smoke. Slowly, the smoke compressed and shaped itself into a seven-footer humanoid creature.

The black cloud exploded and finally revealed his true form.

His face is a skull that has long mohawked red hair. His eyes are hollow, but it is lighted up by his glowing red irises that have the sigil of a triangle. He is wearing a long rotting cloak that seems to be made of the skin of a beast. Underneath that cloak is a skeleton armor like those of a lich king.

He is wielding a two-horned fork that seemed like it was made from spiky spines.

This presence… I have never felt anything like this before. It is as if death itself has come to kidnap us. And also, I can sense a strong amount of divinity to that person.

“I never thought I’ll be seeing visitors in my domain.” The deep chilling voice continues. “And I never thought that a mere mortal and the Outsider will interfere just to free a useless runt in my prison.”

Erylle shifted to serious mode, materializing her white bow and channeling the power of the Goddess Core on her chest.

I also pointed the to the enemy as I made a centered kendo stance, but alas! The thirty-second mark has been reached, and the platinum sword is gone again.

Jeanne… She’s shaking. I don’t know if it’s from fear or anger or both, but she’s certainly overwhelmed by her emotions.

“Hahaha!” The skull-man raised his fork. “Don’t be so tense! Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Lord Hades, the master of the Underworld.”