Stop, Friendly Fire!

<Chapter 51. Underground's Sun - 4>

It had been strange from the very beginning. Seagald had taken control of such a tremendous artifact and was now capable of using light at its maximum potential, yet rather than use that light to supplement his 'Annihilation Flame', he insisted on using just the light element alone.

He thought, 'It wouldn't hurt to ask' and Seagald actually gave him his answer. Well, it made sense. Intermediate... No, even High Rank Annihilation Flame wouldn't match up to a mastered light element. Well... at least when their opponent wasn't as ridiculous as Lee Shin Woo and possessed maxed Light Resistance.

"Well, I guess it does happen in games. The boss changes their type or their attack pattern halfway through the fight, but it usually doesn't make the fight easier..."

Seagald's only mistake was not assessing the situation properly; he wasn't aware that the unthinkable happened and two heroes who possessed max Light Resistance stood before him. Then again, Lee Shin Woo would've still been able to win without it!

"Hey, do you have an 'Arrogance' passive too? You're being really condescending right now... What're you going to do if he returns to his original form?"

"Jin, you've been a bit more prickly lately."

[...!?]

All the nuisances were gone now. The 'sun' looked down at Lee Shin Woo and Jin, who'd returned to their original forms, and just shook.

He was confident that he'd prepared for every possible variable, so why? At this very moment, Seagald Von Retadane's head was completely empty. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it.

"I feel bad that Seira won't get her turn."

[Seira?]

Lee Shin Woo remarked abruptly, and Seagald instinctively replied. Then, a golem that lay a step away from the battlefield awkwardly moved forward.

"...Hoo."

The golem's outer shell was halfway melted, but surprisingly, an undead popped right out. It was none other than the Elder Banshee Princess, Seira.

"I knew you would be able to defeat him without my help, but you were way too disheartened from losing your prey just once. To be honest, I don't think you really needed to prepare all that much."

[Seira...!?]

Seagald couldn't understand what was going on; even if he did, there wasn't anything he could do about it. Thus, Seagald stopped thinking altogether.

No, that was actually a lie. Even if there was nothing to be gained, he couldn't help but keep thinking. He had so many questions, even though those questions had developed from a small twister into a raging typhoon.

[Seira...!]

Why? How? Unfortunately, Seira completely ignored Seagald and just looked at Lee Shin Woo, speaking curtly.

"I just wanted to watch you end my older brother from close up. You're being so cocky, but you won't lose him a second time, right? If that happens, then I really will look down on you."

Seira, who'd gotten her first breath of fresh air in a few days, stretched her arms and took a deep breath. She narrowed her eyes at Lee Shin Woo, who was acting so conceited right now. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had mostly expected that kind of response from her and just snorted.

"Don't worry. He won't get away from me this time. He has nowhere to run."

[Won't get away? Keuk...!?]

Hearing that, Seagald instinctively gathered his mana, but soon realized what Lee Shin Woo meant. The sun had cast a giant shadow underneath it... and there were a dozen weapons burrowed within those shadows, restricting Seagald's movements.

[That's...!]

"I prepared this to use against your second innate element. Anyone can do this if they master the darkness element."

[Keuk. Keuk...!?]

Lee Shin Woo couldn't find Seagald before, as his shadow had disappeared. But now that he had assimilated with the sun... the world was filled with darkness that could imprison him.

"Shadow doesn't exist within light, but light always casts a shadow. The brighter the light, the greater the shadow; just like you right now."

It had been difficult for Lee Shin Woo to track Seagald due to his small size and his incredible speed. He'd given up his greatest assets for a slow and giant body, so there's no way Lee Shin Woo wouldn't take advantage of that, would he?

[Heaven Defying General... Heaven Defying General...!]

How was he able to imitate Arema Steelworker so perfectly? Why was his little sister working with him, despite becoming an undead?

No, where did it all go wrong? Where did he go wrong with his calculations or his plan...!? What face lay behind his mask? Was he even really undead?

What was he thinking? He couldn't figure out his motives, and he couldn't guess them either. Just a little while ago, he had been speaking to the Light General as Arema Steelworker himself! How exactly did he do that!?

[Heaven Defying Generalllllllllllll!]

"Shut it."

Lee Shin Woo drew one of the 12 swords restraining the sun. The Shining Bone Sword. Once he gripped the sword, it became larger, longer, and sharper, resembling a claymore. The pressure exerted from the blade was stifling!

He was using the Rule of Bone and Mana Bone skills too. In addition, he used Manatization to reinforce the weapon. The Manatization skill could be used on weapons created through the Bone Armory, as they were classified as his bones.

[Did you get even stronger in that short period of time!?]

"Nope. I didn't think I'd lose you, so I didn't go at my full strength last time. You did the same, didn't you?"

[...!]

"I'm reflecting on it. You see, once I gained the Wild Card skill, I mistakenly thought that I always had full control of the situation. But you smashed through those delusions of mine, making me train even harder. Thanks for that, by the way."

Lee Shin Woo replied genuinely and simultaneously kicked off the ground. The blinding light descended upon him, but it didn't have any effect on the two heroes, as they possessed max Light Resistance. And thus, they soared through the air, as if they were a lightning bolt.

[Kahahk!]

And so, Lee Shin Woo stabbed his claymore into the giant center of the sun, where Seagald was located.

Rotten white blood spilled from Seagald's body; it shined for but an instant before it was evaporated by the intense heat. Lee Shin Woo kept his eyes fixed on Seagald and said.

"Seira, if you have any last words, then now's the time."

"I have nothing to say."

[Seira...!]

It was exactly as she said. She didn't get in his way and didn't speak excessively. She just silently watched their battle. There were still some parts of her that weren't all that reliable, but he was sure that she had indeed been reborn as a new person.

"Alright, then..."

[Guaaahk!?]

The Shining Bone Sword's ability, Death God's Fury (which severed all spatial and magical interferences and cut the opponent without fail), was so overpowered that it overshadowed its other skill, but it did actually have another special passive skill.

The special passive skill, the Death God's Smile. While wielding the Shining Bone Sword, if the user is attacked or attacks, there is a high chance that the Shining Bone Sword will duplicate and automatically attack his foe.

That skill had activated. There was an extra sword piercing through Seagald's body. And another. The claymores continued to multiply, causing the sun to eventually resemble a porcupine.

[Heaven Defying General...! Kuaaaaaaaah!]

But then... Seagald's pain and hatred doubled, burning the swords away. Had he undergone some sort of unattainable awakening in the midst of that awful pain? Surprisingly, the artificial sun's light began to mix with his flames. And those flames even became transparent!

That's right. When faced with his own death, Seagald had become able to supplement the sun's light with his Annihilation Flame! If he was able to freely use both the sun's light and his Annihilation Flame, then there would be no one left to stop him. Whether it be the Archmage or the Emperor himself.

[The Intermediate Dark Shadow Element has become Lv3 and Magic has increased by 40.]

[The Beginner Shining Flame Element has become Lv7 and Magic has increased by 10.]

[The Intermediate Dark Flame Element has become Lv7 and Magic has increased by 20.]

But that wouldn't stop Lee Shin Woo.

[How!?]

"As I said, you're way too big."

Seagald attempted to hide any traces of his existence within the sun's Annihilation Flame, but with Lee Shin Woo's Dark Shadow, he was able to tie him down to his darkness and make his presence even clearer. The sun, which had once been so bright, now had a hideous dark spot on it.

"There's no escape."

At the same time, he used his Shining and Dark Flames to devour any of the flames he couldn't reverse. A part of those flames became Lee Shin Woo's strength, and this time it was Seagald who was burnt.

"I won't lose you this time."

The sun's Annihilation Flame disappeared. The Shining Bone Sword multiplied again and again, piercing the artificial sun repeatedly. At this point, it was difficult to make out Seagald's original body.

"Since Wild Card's already activated."

The swords lodged within the sun's shadow simultaneously rose upwards. He didn't need to restrain it anymore. Once he'd countered the Annihilation Flame, this entire area became Lee Shin Woo's domain.

"You're not the only one who came prepared."

Though the artificial sun had descended so far down, such that it could almost reach the floor, only darkness could be seen around it.

While they fought, Jin, Lee Shin Woo, and Seira quietly but quickly dominated the mana little by little, making this area their domain... At this very moment, the ownership of this domain had been transferred to Lee Shin Woo entirely.

"So die. ...I always wanted to say that."

The dozen Shining Bone Swords, which rose from the darkness, were instantly suffused with a huge amount of magic. Seagald already knew what was coming, so he desperately tried using his Annihilation Flame to avoid it, but it didn't work.

But what if he were to use Fire Shadow instead? If he tried that, it would just mix with Lee Shin Woo's darkness and disappear.

[If I die... Who will avenge our citizens!?]

"There's no need. No one wants a psychopath who's willing to damn the entire world just for some paltry revenge."

Seira said sarcastically and Lee Shin Woo took a short deep breath. He asked himself if he missed anything, but he didn't. This battle truly befitted his status as a Joker. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied with his performance.

[If you kill me, then the sun will never shine upon the Empire ever again!]

"That's ok."

The Shining Bone Swords emitted darkness simultaneously. Their slashes were absolute, their trajectory unforeseeable. And dozens of these slashes mutilated the artificial sun. Not even a speck of light or fire was left behind. It was completely gone.

"Since the underground doesn't need a sun anymore."

Seagald had died.

There was no Annihilation Flame, nor a Sword God left.

The first and last Anti-Skull was gone.