328 – To put it in Black and White

Well, I knew something like this would probably happen eventually. At the end of the day, we each have our differences in what we are giving top priority to. The Demon King and I prioritise the Goddess’s existence. Kuro and the Goddess prioritise the Goddess’s will. We are disregarding the Goddess’s will in order to save the Goddess’s existence. Kuro and the Goddess are willing to allow the Goddess’s existence to vanish in order to respect the Goddess’s will. So long as those things are in opposition, then it’s inevitable that we will clash.

But enough already! Even so, I think this is rather cruel!

I roll to the side to avoid Kuro’s leg that he was swinging down to try to smash me. THUD! That loud sound was Kuro’s leg caving into the ground where I had been until a moment ago. The perfectly level ground is cracked. Don’t look at that lightly merely because the ground wasn’t smashed into smithereens. This is a fake world created by Kuro. If you think that the normal laws of physics apply, then you’ll be in for a world of hurt. Most likely, if that had hit me then all the bones in my body would have been smashed.

While rolling to the side, I spring myself up by pushing my hands against the ground. The bones in my neck are healed. But, stop attacking me already!

I somehow avoid Kuro’s fist that’s approaching my face by bending the top of my body backwards! Ina Bauer! Or maybe The Matrix! I continue leaning backwards and make a bridge by touching my hands to the ground! I scarper by using the running style from The Exorcist! Gross? As if I care about such things now!

Excuse me Mister Kuro, aren’t you rather lacking in leniency here!? Starting from a surprise attack to pulling me into your domain, followed by aggressive attacks that don’t allow me to recover. This is not how a higher ranked person should act like! If you’re a higher ranked person then act with self-conceit like a certain Goldy! You’re not a mere king but a god, right!?

While I’m legging it away, Kuro catches up to me in an instant and kicks me in the back, flinging me up into the air. GUHHOAW! I heard a sound that human bodies just aren’t meant to make! This is starting to be no laughing matter you know!?

With my limbs stretched out after being kicked up into the air, Kuro punches at my body. That fist which strikes at the middle of my chest, pierces right through my body. Hah-hah-hah. I had put a defensive barrier up but it made no difference. I can only laugh.

This situation is starting to become genuinely bad. My body’s movement is dull for a start and I can barely defend myself as well. The reason why my body’s movement is dull is because this is Kuro’s zone. With the exception of Kuro, nobody can make use of their power here. My body’s movement is dull like I’m underwater.

In addition, the reason why defence is meaningless is because Kuro’s barrier is erasing my barrier. This is the true dragon barrier that only true dragons possess. It’s a cheat barrier that invalidates all magecraft without exception. You can use it for defence by invalidating attacks and you can use it for offence by invalidating the opponent’s defence like just now. It’s truly a cheat. Unfair.

While having such a cheat ability he still sprung a surprise attack on me, having made perfect preparations to kill me. This is totally not what a self-conceited higher ranked person would do. I had planned to first lure Kuro into my zone when the time came for us to have our showdown, yet isn’t this the complete opposite of all that? Nai wa.

Sigh. Complaining will get me nowhere. There’s no point in crying over spilt milk. There were too many unexpected things, but this doesn’t change what I have to do.

Beat down Kuro and activate my world rehabilitation plan.

「Mnh.」

I grab Kuro’s arm that had pierced my chest. At the same time I change my lower body into spider form, slashing at him with the sickle on my foreleg. Kuro shook off my hands, pulling out his arm and falling back. Due to the effect of the zone dulling the movement of the sickle, he could comfortably avoid it. Since he has the dragon barrier up, he probably wouldn’t have had any problems even if he hadn’t avoided it though. I guess that goes to show just how on guard he is against me huh.

Well, thanks to that I was able to open some distance between us. But since this is Kuro’s zone, there’s not actually much meaning in opening up some distance. After all, this zone created by a god is sort of like being inside that god. It’s advantageous for you, disadvantageous for the opponent. As long as I am here Kuro will have the upper hand.

Well, it’s not like I can just allow myself to be beaten up the whole time though.

With a rustling sound, many white spiders come crawling out from the shadow beneath me. Many, many spiders. As if they are wearing away space itself, the white spiders warp the zone wherever they come out.

「Oh no you don’t!」

Kuro charges forwards in a stance ready to make a punch, but the white spiders scatter in all directions. Of course, the main body in myself also falls back and avoids Kuro’s strike. The white spiders that had scattered in all directions begin to summon other white spiders, and those white spiders summon even more white spiders. The white spiders increase in numbers geometrically. They begin to tear into Kuro’s zone.

「So much?」

Snicker snicker! Did you think I was just letting myself be beaten silly huh!? … That’s a lie. I seriously was being beaten silly, pretty much. However, I had properly arranged for my clones to take action like this to invade Kuro’s zone from outside! The hole that had opened in my chest is returning to normal. Heh, the real battle starts here! I’ll leave me getting beaten silly out from my blog!

「Damn!」

Kuro clicks his tongue. He rushes towards my main body, but I keep falling further backwards and don’t allow him to close the distance. It’s a competition between how fast Kuro can attack and how fast I can retreat. The dullness in my body’s movements have now gone.

In a battle between two users of space magecraft, it’s like a battle to secure territory. Expand your own zone, or protect against your opponent expanding their own zone. Right now, my clones in the white spiders are blotting out Kuro’s zone at a terrific rate, converting it to my zone.

Muhahaha! I didn’t thoroughly research this for nothing! Don’t look down on a specialist!

Yeah, I will acknowledge it. I’m no match for Kuro in total power. It’s also the case that I was in a bad situation with that surprise attack. Or rather, as matter of fact, in that exchange just now I lost quite a lot of my magic power. Kuro’s surprise attack was highly successful dammit.

But, but still! I’ve trained myself thoroughly the whole time since I became a god while focusing on you. It would be embarrassing if I fell so easily.

It also wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the outcome of this battle will decide this world’s future. Now then, let’s settle things here why don’t we!

……I better take out some insurance though.