Boom
The Giant, one of the Thirteen Heroes, moved without hesitation. With his shield raised, he intercepted a massive, razor-edged blade that came crashing down toward Riku, shaking the ground like thunder.
Riku didn't pause. He jumped onto the Giant's back and launched forward, closing the distance with the towering, building-sized praying mantis. Flipped, landing on top of the razor-sharp blades for an arm, the Mantis hand, before shooting forward towards its head. With a single clean strike, his blade, faintly glowing with enhancement runes, sliced through the creature's neck. Its head dropped with a heavy thud, the massive body collapsing behind it.
But there was no time to breathe. From afar, a spider nearly as large sprang into view and fired a thick web of enchanted silk, gleaming faintly with mana. It tore through the air, aimed straight at him.
Then, without warning, the mantis stirred. Now undead, its severed body twisted unnaturally as it lashed out and cleaved the incoming web apart.
Riku didn't flinch. Rigrit landed smoothly on the mantis' shoulders. With a wave of her hand and a muttered command, the creature stood once more—lifeless, yet bound by her will—ready to support them in the fight ahead.
"You got careless," Rigrit said with a smile, her tone light despite the chaos around them. She drew her sword and cleanly sliced through another strand of webbing shot by a second spider.
Without missing a beat, she tilted her head to the side, effortlessly dodging an arrow that flew past her. It struck the spider dead-on, catching the creature off guard and dropping it in an instant.
"A little warning next time," she muttered, not bothering to glance at the elf behind her.
"A simple arrow like that wouldn't have killed you," came the calm reply from the Elven Princess, who stood with her bow drawn. She didn't need a quiver—her MP formed the arrow, shimmering with magic as it took shape on the string.
"We're facing a Demon Lord—take this seriously," the Dark Knight said, his voice sharp as he cleaved through a massive, horned beetle with a single, brutal swing.
"I think you're overly serious," the Giant replied, leaping forward just in time to intercept an attack aimed at Landfall. His shield caught the blow with a heavy crack, and with a grunt, he shoved the monster back, forcing it to stumble under its own weight.
The group's teamwork was unmatched. They fought without hesitation, each move confident, every strike backed by the certainty that their allies were watching their flanks.
Their healer remained at the rear, calmly maintaining the flow of recovery spells, patching wounds before they could slow anyone down. From above, their long-range attacker controlled the battlefield with deadly precision. Magic users filled the sky with spells, ensuring no winged insect could descend unchallenged.
Among them moved a legion of summons—some serving as distractions, others powerful enough to kill even the lowest-tier insects, which still held strength equal to level 30 threats.
The Platinum Dragon Lord, their strongest warrior, stayed at the rear. He conserved his power, saving every drop for the true threat—the evil god still hiding behind his swarm.
Riku, meanwhile, only grew faster. To the others, it looked as if battle itself was sharpening him, pushing him further with every clash. And in a way, it was true. With each kill, Riku silently gained XP, his power steadily climbing with every fallen foe.
Bit by bit, the group cut their way through the endless swarm until at last, the final insect fell. Standing before them now was the source of it all—the Evil God.
A grotesque fusion of bee and ant, its massive body that made it looks alien like. Every creature they had slain had come from it. Now, cornered and trembling, it stared at the approaching heroes with wide, fearful eyes. Behind it loomed an enormous egg, partially cracked, and twitching.
"Just in time," Landfall murmured, eyes narrowing. "I'd hate to see whatever's about to hatch from that."
"You lesser lifeforms! You dare to slaughter my children?" the monstrous insect god roared, its voice echoing with divine fury. "First, you killed the supreme ones—and now this? Your actions will not be forgiven!"
With a screech that split the air, it summoned a massive creature—an enormous Horned Beetle Dragon, its armored body gleaming with layered chitin and dark magic. A level 70 summon, born of desperation, it wasn't meant to win… only to buy time for the egg behind it to finish hatching.
The Platinum Dragon Lord moved first, clashing with the summoned beast in a violent eruption of force. But the creature's power was overwhelming. Realizing the threat, the entire group sprang into action, uniting their strength in a coordinated assault to bring it down before it could delay them any longer.
Boom
An arrow struck the egg, and in the next instant, it exploded in a blast of shattered shell and light. The Evil God froze, its many eyes wide in shock as it turned toward the source of the attack.
There stood the elven princess, bow lowered, her expression cold and unbothered. "You thought we were just going to ignore the giant egg?" she said, her voice sharp with disdain.
Without waiting for a reply, she shifted her aim. The battlefield didn't need her support—the others could handle themselves. But she knew exactly where her arrows were needed next.
"Bastard!" the Evil God roared, its voice twisted with pure hatred. It suddenly rose to its full height, revealing dozens of twitching legs beneath its bloated body—a sight that sent a chill through some of the heroes. Then it charged straight at the elf, fury blazing in its eyes.
But it didn't get far. A single arrow struck its forehead, and the monstrous insect collapsed, twitching once before falling still. In the end, it had been mostly a summoner. Its true strength had never been its own.
"…Why isn't the summon disappearing?" Riku asked, narrowing his eyes as the Horned Beetle Dragon remained on the field, its heavy breath fogging the air.
The others glanced around, confused. If the Evil God was dead… then what was that thing? And more importantly, had they truly killed their real enemy?
"In the name of the Supreme Ones… you will all pay!"
From the lifeless husk of the Evil God, a hand burst through its hardened shell, cracking it open like brittle armor. Emerging from within was a slender female figure, now clad in a full suit of gleaming, organic armor that revealed her perfect figurer.
"Her death triggered her combat form!" Riku shouted, eyes wide with sudden realization.
His warning came too late. In the moment of distraction, the Horned Beetle Dragon lunged forward, driving its massive horn into Riku's stomach. Blood sprayed, but Riku gritted his teeth, refusing to fall. With raw determination, he grabbed hold of the beast, forcing it down, muscles straining as he pinned the monstrous summon in place despite the pain tearing through his body.
"Hurry!" Riku shouted, eyes fixed on the Evil God's shifting form. Her transformation was nearly complete. They couldn't afford to fight both her and the dragon at once—if taking this injury gave them the edge, he'd take it without hesitation hundreds of times over.
The Platinum Dragon Lord struck, his blade plunging into the dragon's thick armor. But it wasn't enough. The creature roared, refusing to fall.
Riku moved without pause, seizing the hilt and driving the blade deeper with all the strength he had left. The steel tore through chitin and flesh, finally piercing the beast's core. The Horned Beetle Dragon let out a final shriek before collapsing, its body vanishing in a swirl of dissolving magic.
The kill gave him a surge of XP, another level gained—but there was no time to care. As the summon faded, it revealed the brutal cost: a gaping hole torn through Riku's chest.
He staggered, but the healer was already moving. Their spells lit up the air, closing the wound as best they could, though their faces were pale with exhaustion. After countless heals during the siege against the insect swarm—and now this—they were approaching their limits. And the real battle had yet to begin.
"You annoying lesser lifeforms!" the Evil God roared, her voice laced with fury. She lashed out with a whip, the strike arcing through the air toward the healer. The attack came too fast, too suddenly. No one had time to react.
The whip hit its mark. The healer was thrown backward, a sharp scream escaping her as a deep gash tore across her abdomen. Blood sprayed. Her organs spilled from the wound as she hit the ground hard, body trembling. For a moment, everyone froze, shocked.
"Go!" Riku snapped, the first to break from the paralysis gripping the group.
Without hesitation or fear, he sprinted toward the enemy. His reckless charge did more than show courage—it gave the healer a precious moment to cast her healing magic, stabilizing herself, and forced the Evil God to redirect her focus. It was risky. But it was the right move.
Boom
The Giant appeared in front of Riku just in time, blocking the whip that had been aimed straight for his neck. It wasn't reflex—he didn't possess speed faster than the bug. He had simply guessed the Evil God's intent and activated a movement skill to intercept the strike.
The impact sent the Giant flying backward, his massive frame crashing into the ground. Riku slid beneath him, rolling to his feet just as Rigrit arrived, flanked by her undead. They surged forward, positioning themselves as shields, buying the others time.
Arrows screamed through the air, followed by a barrage of spells and flying swords. The battlefield lit up with power..
The Dark Knight quickly caught up, falling in beside Riku and Rigrit without a word. A heartbeat later, the Platinum Dragon Lord soared overhead, one sword in hand, his eyes locked onto the Evil God as he closed the distance with terrifying speed.
Rigrit, Riku, the Dark Knight, and the Platinum Dragon Lord charged forward, pushing through under the cover of countless attacks, waves of summoned creatures, and undead warriors. It was an epic advance—coordinated chaos unfolding with precision.
Together, they struck from all sides, leaving the Evil God no room to breathe. Their relentless assault confused her, breaking her rhythm, forcing her to defend instead of retaliate. It was a battle fought with total trust—a moment where each placed their life in the hands of the others. A single mistake meant death for them all.
Then, without warning… "Vermin Bane!"
Landfall appeared before the Evil God, her voice cutting through the battlefield like thunder. She unleashed a spell none had ever seen before. A greenish gas erupted around the Evil God, thick and hissing with power.
She screamed. The corrosive cloud clung to her form, eating away at her armor and skin, causing her to stagger and writhe in agony. For the first time in the entire battle, the Evil God looked truly wounded—her divine form melting under the weight of a spell she had no defense against.
Though everyone was stunned—it was clear that Landfall had just created that spell on the spot—they didn't waste the opportunity. They pressed in, working together seamlessly to give him space to cast again and again.
Bit by bit, the Evil God's HP was chipped away, worn down through coordinated strikes and relentless magic. But victory came at a steep cost. One by one, the party reached their limits, collapsing from exhaustion or mana depletion.
Yet the weakest among them was still standing. Riku.
He ignored the pain tearing through his body, the blood loss, the trembling in his limbs. His body screamed for him to stop, to fall back—but he refused.
With every clash against the Evil God, he screamed through clenched teeth, forcing himself to keep moving. The enemy was only a breath away from death—just a little more, and it would all be over.
But then came the realization. Riku glanced at his status. His HP was dropping faster than the Evil God's. At this rate… he would die long before she did.
"Lesser lifeforms! Today marks the beginning of this world's punishment for defying the Supreme Ones!" the Evil God roared, her voice echoing with wrath.
She made a choice—one born of fear. She would take Riku's blow if it meant ending him. He scared her more than she dared admit.
Her palm drove into his chest, piercing flesh, bone, and heart. At the same moment, Riku's blade carved into her shoulder, dragging downward toward her heart before it finally stopped, trembling in place.
Riku gasped, blood spilling from his mouth as his knees buckled. He tried to push his body for one final thrust, but it was no use—he was too far gone. His injuries were too severe.
But they had a healer. Because everyone had drawn the Evil God's focus, the healer had found the space she needed. She had managed to restore herself, and now, just in time, she returned to the fight, her hands glowing as she reached for the one who still refused to fall.
Riku suddenly felt his wounds closing, warmth rushing through him as healing magic took hold. Buffs followed—strength, speed, clarity—all cast in rapid succession.
There was no time to think. The Evil God began to withdraw her bloodied hand from his chest, but Riku moved first. He summoned every last ounce of power he had, lifting his sword and bringing it down in one final, desperate strike.
The blade tore through her chest, cleaving through her heart, then split her body clean in half. Silence followed.
Riku stood still, a massive hole in his chest where his heart should have been. His sword slipped from his fingers. His eyes slowly lost their light… and he fell backward, lifeless.
But then—something flickered. It seemed… he had leveled up at the last possible moment, just as death was about to take him. And with that level-up, his HP had fully restored.
"He's alive," the healer said after checking Riku's body, her voice steady but soft.
The words washed over the battlefield like a breeze, and the tension broke. Everyone exhaled in relief—they had feared the worst.
"We did it," Landfall murmured, trying to push herself upright. Her limbs shook with exhaustion. She had burned through every last drop of her MP. And with the newly created spell still unstable, the strain had been even greater than expected.
"That you did," came a voice, calm and amused. "And honestly, it was impressive."
The air seemed to freeze. Every head turned in horror to see Rex sitting casually on a rock, his chin resting in his palm, watching them as if he'd been there the whole time.