"Not even close! BOY! Twinkle Divine Crescent!"
Every time his fists rained down, I parried them with my sword. The underground shopping mall vibrated each time a blow imbued with internal energy collided with his steel fist.
'This is a bit dangerous...'
Every time I blocked, my fingertips tingled. His attacks were getting stronger and stronger.
Towards his fist, which was flying at high speed, I swung my sword, imbued with sword energy.
-Screeeech!
The tip of the sword grazed his skin, creating a spine-chilling sound. His steel-like skin was scraped by the sword energy's sharpness.
I put more strength into my arm and drew up even more internal energy from my dantian.
The katana, wreathed in sword energy, sliced through his skin again. This time, a deeper wound appeared. Beneath his pink dress, it was stained with fresh blood.
"Kkuaaak!"
He let out a scream of pain. With a distorted face, he lifted his bleeding arm.
"I'm truly disappointed... BOY..."
His voice changed. The previous disgusting tone vanished, replaced by a deep male voice.
The moment he was about to charge again-
"Dodge!"
Just then, Lim Hwa-yeon's voice was heard. I immediately threw myself sideways and retreated.
"Infernal Requiem!"
Her shout rang out simultaneously with my dodge.
Crimson-black flames of immense power erupted as if exploding. The inferno, as if rising from hell, filled the underground shopping mall. An intense heat, as if it would incinerate everything, swept through the surroundings.
-Kwang!!!
"Kuaaaak!"
A scream echoed within the flames. The crimson-black flames completely engulfed him.
The pillars of the underground shopping mall began to melt, and cracks spread across the ceiling. Lim Hwa-yeon's flames threatened to collapse the entire space.
"Everyone, get out!"
At Lim Hwa-yeon's shout, everyone began to evacuate.
Amidst the fiercely burning flames, the gay bastard's figure was revealed. His face and skin were half-melted by Lim Hwa-yeon's crimson-black flames.
He knelt on the floor, trembling, touching his melted face.
"Huk, huk... My fresh face..."
He fumbled at his melted face, shedding tears.
"Uh-oh, fuck, we're screwed. The gay bastard's having a fit."
A masked man, who had appeared behind the gay guy, said in a flustered voice.
"I won't forgive you... How dare you... How dare you... wound my fresh face!"
His eyes became tinged with madness. The surrounding air instantly grew heavy.
An incomparably powerful aura erupted from his body. The floor began to vibrate, and an even stronger steel-like gleam began to show through his melted skin.
I had an ominous premonition that something big was about to happen. Even Lim Hwa-yeon, instead of her relaxed expression from a moment ago, now clearly showed signs of tension.
"Ah, this is annoying, this wasn't part of the plan. I'm going to get an earful from Master. The gay bastard's having a fit. Retreat immediately!"
Twilight's Fang hastily retreated. The surrounding air grew even heavier, and a menacing aura surged from his body.
"My... my beautiful face, to make it look like this, I won't forgive you!!!"
Along with his scream, an explosive aura burst forth. The walls of the underground shopping mall vibrated, and cracks appeared.
"Kuaaaaaak!"
A powerful steel-like gleam began to show through his melted skin. An aura of a different dimension than before was felt.
I saw the gay bastard screaming in front of me. I felt something unusual. Just like when I first met the Sword Empress, an overwhelming aura emanated from his body.
'The Hwagyung Realm...?'
The momentum and pressure I had felt from the Sword Empress were now being felt from him again.
'No. If I feel it closely, it's far below the Sword Empress.'
Although the pressure and momentum I felt from him were inferior to the Sword Empress, it was still dangerous.
"I won't forgive you...!"
Along with his mad muttering, the surrounding air grew even heavier. At this rate, the entire underground shopping mall seemed like it would collapse.
"Doeun-ah, get out!"
I said to Jeon Doeun, then embraced Lim Hwa-yeon and leaped up through the broken ceiling. Jeon Doeun also leaped up, following behind me.
Behind us, I could feel his aura growing stronger and stronger. The aura erupting from the underground shopping mall was visibly becoming more ferocious.
-Kung! Kung!
One by one, the pillars of the underground shopping mall began to collapse. Pieces of concrete fell from the ceiling.
"Kiiieeeek!"
His mad voice echoed. An aura burst forth from his steel-gleaming body as if exploding.
-Kwang!!!
As we ascended to the surface, an enormous roar was heard from below.
"Honey, look at this."
Jeon Doeun approached, holding a criminal belonging to Twilight's Fang, whom she had captured at some point.
"Let's ask this bastard why the gay man is acting like that."
Jeon Doeun said with a smile, but her eyes were cold. The criminal she held had a terrified expression.
"W-we... we have to run right now! If that bastard goes berserk, it's over!"
The criminal said in a terrified voice. Cold sweat streamed down his face.
"No time. Stop spouting nonsense and tell me why he's like that."
I pressed the katana tightly against his neck and said in a cold voice. As the cold blade touched his skin, the criminal began to tremble even more violently.
"I-I'll... I'll tell you! He's our experim-"
-Peong!
His words couldn't continue. His head exploded from an attack that flew in from somewhere. The corpse fell limply to the floor.
"That won't do. You shouldn't reveal the organization's secrets like that."
I looked up to where the voice came from, and there was the masked man.
"You!"
Lim Hwa-yeon shot flames towards him. Blue flames cut through the air and flew.
"Oh dear. How scary."
He lightly twisted his body to dodge the attack, then turned around and said,
"Hehe, have fun with the gay bastard!"
He left those words and vanished into the darkness. And at that moment-
-Kwooong!
From below, a louder explosion sound was heard, and the ground shook violently. The windows of nearby buildings shattered like rain, and sharp fragments scattered everywhere.
A colossal figure emerged from beneath the broken concrete floor. His body was completely different from before. His steel-gleaming skin looked as hard as armor, and his muscles were even more swollen.
He glared at us with eyes full of nothing but madness.
"Kikikikik, BOY...!"
A spine-chilling voice flowed from his mouth.
"You're going to die... Everyone, everyone's going to die!"
A man shouted in a terrified voice, then ran away without looking back.
His gaze turned towards the rapidly fleeing man. A grotesque smile spread across his lips. Watching the fleeing man, he slowly raised his hand.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
He appeared behind the man and swung his colossal arm. His head shattered into pieces as if a watermelon had burst. Red blood splattered into the air.
The headless corpse fell limply to the floor. And his gaze turned towards us.
-Kwang!!!
His fist slammed down where we had been. The asphalt was deeply gouged.
His movements, unlike before, became rough like a beast's.
His twisted muscles and steel-gleaming skin had transformed grotesquely.
"Kikikiki"
Instead of words, a spine-chilling laugh echoed. The momentum emanating from his body heavily pressed down on the surrounding air.
'I'm going crazy. I should have reached the Hwagyung Realm earlier. There's always a bastard like this wherever I go.'
-Kwooong!
The moment our eyes met, his figure vanished. He instantly appeared before me and threw a steel-like fist.
I barely saw his attack and reacted. I blocked it with my sword, imbued with sword energy, but an immense impact made my arm tingle. I heard the sound of the blade cracking.
"Hwayeon-ah, fall back!"
Simultaneously with my shout, Lim Hwa-yeon retreated. His continuous attacks rained down.
-Peok! Kung! Kwang!
Fists flew like a torrential downpour. I was barely blocking them with my katana, but each block sent a shockwave through my entire body.
'This is hard to endure...'
The rate at which the blade was cracking accelerated. His attacks grew fiercer and faster.
-Kuaaaak!
Along with a beast-like roar, his fist flew towards my face. This attack felt different somehow.
Instinct told me not to block, so I quickly twisted my body to dodge. The pink energy that erupted from the fist as it grazed past melted the surrounding buildings.
'This is really dangerous...'
I looked down at my cracked katana. It seemed like it could only withstand one or two more impacts now.
-Kwooong!
Once again, with a beast-like roar, he charged. This time, he attacked by swinging both arms widely. He seemed to be trying to grind everything to dust, scattering pink energy like a millstone.
I barely managed to duck and dodge. The energy that erupted from his arm as it passed over my head melted the surroundings.
-Kwang!
And in an instant, his foot came flying.
'Fuck...'
"Flame Surge!"
"Thunder!"
Lim Hwa-yeon's blue flames and Jeon Doeun's lightning flew simultaneously. The two abilities intersected, creating a green explosion.
-Kwooong!
A colossal explosion engulfed him. The attack, a mixture of flames and lightning, burned and seared his steel-like skin.
"Krrrruk!"
He staggered for a moment. His steel-gleaming skin glowed red, but only for a moment.
-Kuaaaak!
Along with a beast-like roar, his killing intent grew even more intense. The ground vibrated, and an immense pressure weighed down on the surroundings.
"Everyone, scatter!"
With my shout, we scattered in different directions. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, wondering whom to pursue.
-Kwooong!
But soon, he charged towards me. In the blink of an eye, his fist came flying.
-Kwang!
I barely dodged, but even a graze sent an immense shock through me. The air where his fist passed tore, and the building wall was dented.
"Inferno Burst!"
"Lightning Strike!"
Lim Hwa-yeon's and Jeon Doeun's attacks flew from both sides. Blue flames and lightning intersected, engulfing him.
-Kwooong!
But he broke through the attacks as they were. His steel-gleaming skin glowed red, but he seemed to have taken no significant damage.