Swordmaster's Youngest Son Novel - Chapter 871
## Chapter 871
Zito blinked for a moment, alternating his gaze between Ayula and the dimensional portal.
[Puhaha… Kuhahaha! What happens if you close that? And then? Do you think I would be surprised and become submissive? Oh, Ayula, my foolish friend. How can you fall for such a simple trick! The reason you kept acting weak all this time was really because you were wasting your energy to block that?]
From the beginning, Zito had been aiming for that.
He was confident that Ayula intended to annihilate him today.
[First of all, you must have planned to block my way back and then try to land a significant blow on me through the humans under this barrier. If I hadn’t regained so much strength, it would have been a quite effective method. Unfortunately… it seems that’s not the case.]
As soon as he confirmed that the dimensional portal was closed, Zito’s appearance began to change. New spines sprouted on his wings and several parts of his body, and his bright face became more distinctive.
[If I kill you anyway and meet my eyes, there’s no point in playing like this. So let’s start again, foolish Goddess of Peace.]
With each swing of Zito’s double-spiked axes, the sky distorted. Ayula’s physical form upon impact was no different. Flesh, blood, and flesh contorted as a sound more terrifying than a scream resonated.
The believers who were praying shed tears, imagining the pain Ayula was enduring, while Jin and Murakan narrowed their eyes.
If the battle continued like this, it would eventually end with Ayula’s defeat.
“My God, is the noble Lady Ayula really going to lose at this rate? Even if it’s because she’s in the human world and can’t use all her power, they’re pushing her too hard, right? Ah, the barrier. Could it be that spending too much power on the barrier is the reason she’s lacking strength?”
“…You’re right, Murakan. Lady Ayula is going to lose today.”
Murakan was surprised by Jin’s words.
“What?”
“The outcome of this fight was predetermined from the beginning. Lady Ayula has never said that she would defeat Zito. She also didn’t mention killing him. She simply spoke of inflicting wounds on him that could not be healed.”
From the beginning, Ayula’s goal was not victory.
Ayula knew better than anyone that it was impossible. As Murakan said, the human world was not a land where she could exert all her power.
“In my opinion, Zito has fallen into a trap. I’m not sure of Lady Ayula’s exact intention, but it’s clear that this battle was predetermined from the beginning to unfold this way. Whether Lady Ayula’s power was applied to the barrier after the fight, I can’t say for sure, but it’s likely that it will hinder Zito in some way.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Jin was not entirely free from worries.
-Originally, this time, I intended to inflict wounds on him that could not be healed, even if I lost some of my authority. Since Zito will not fully recover his strength, I judged that he could become more threatening to the human world.]
What Ayula had recently said in the grey land.
Even if the fight went exactly according to Ayula’s plan, she would lose a part of her power today.
‘Perhaps… This could be the first and last time Lady Ayula directly intervenes and engages in combat within the human world. Hopefully, the fight will end as Lady Ayula desires.’
If things go wrong, there’s even a chance that Ayula could die.
On the other hand, Zito had no such worries. Ayula herself had already made it clear that it was an impossible feat.
[I can clearly see your children crying beneath the barrier. My eyes must have been impatient to witness that sight as well. After all this time, my eyes have been imprisoned without beholding anything beautiful.]
¡Thud-!
Zito’s spiked axe struck Ayula’s head.
Unlike Zito, Ayula couldn’t recover as quickly. While she controlled the spears with parts of her head torn off, it seemed her vision had deteriorated.
Two more of Ayula’s wings were destroyed. As the number of times the spears pierced Zito’s body decreased, the frequency with which Zito’s spiked axe ravaged Ayula increased.
Now, it was no longer a battle between two beings with similar strength; it was one-sided violence.
¡Thud…!
Gradually, Zito plunged the spiked axe into Ayula’s chest and pushed her towards the barrier. The jolt transmitted within the barrier caused a momentary earthquake throughout the Holy Kingdom.
The earthquake rapidly intensified.
Zito stood over Ayula, relentlessly pounding her with his axes. Ayula’s barrier still held strong, but at this rate, it seemed a crack could appear at any moment.
[Hahaha, I feel like a pathetic beast! After being hungry for so long, I finally found my prey. Ayula, you look like a mother protecting her eggs. The exhausted mother who sacrifices herself to protect her eggs from predators. But she can’t. Why? Because the true identity of that beast is Zito!]
Comparing the cracks in the barrier to eggs, Zito’s voice became crazed as he spoke.
[¡Ayula! It gives me immense pleasure that the first being I encountered in the human world is you. I have yearned for this moment for a long time.]
[Still quite talkative. Although you seem to have the upper hand, you still appear restless, Zito.]
[So, restless I am! I have fear and unease. That is exactly why I’m rambling like this. Just like animals howl at the slightest touch.]
[You have a keen sense for a so-called immortal. Well, then, it’s time I give you a gift. I’ll show you what the essence of your unknown fear was.]
Unexpectedly, Ayula spread her wings. Up until now, Ayula had been using her wings as shields against Zito’s axe blows.
And then, Ayula, with the remaining wings, pulled Zito towards her.
Zito tried to pull away from the wings, but the wings that had been easily torn and shed until now did not budge.
Zito’s spines that had pierced the wings played a role in immobilizing both of them. The two immortals looked almost like a massive sculpture joined together.
For the first time, a cunning smile appeared on Ayula’s face.
[You said it had been a long time since your eyes beheld something beautiful…]
[What are you trying to do?]
[To me, your remaining eye seems the same. A world filled with suffering, how can that be considered beautiful? So let me show you. I’ll show you something truly beautiful.]
¡Waaaah-!
From within the wings drenched in golden blood, an even brighter golden light radiated.
And Zito felt Ayula’s energy spreading through the wings that invaded his mind. That energy forcibly created various images and voices within Zito’s head.
Of course, the content consisted of images and voices that Zito detested the most.
¡Let us be together, in a peaceful and beautiful world…!
The first thing that resonated in Zito’s mind was a verse from a hymn dedicated to Ayula.
The sight of millions of devout followers, all with radiant expressions and singing in unison, was also included.
[Crazy, aaargh!]
Zito trembled uncontrollably as he showed signs of suffering for the first time.
While he was an immortal who could endure and revel in torture to an insane degree, he had little resistance to this kind of “uncomfortable pain.”
[This isn’t good, it’s a kind of pain I haven’t conquered yet.]
Witnessing such a scene alone was a tremendous psychological shock for Zito.
Because it was an illusion created within his mind, he couldn’t kill the chanting devotees or torture them. He couldn’t easily separate Ayula from him either.
[I’m getting goosebumps!]
[There’s still more to come. Then, you’ll see a scene where those who are exhausted from life are saved by someone’s help. And eventually, they will lead happy lives…]
[Even after doing such horrible things, you call yourself the Goddess of peace, you devil…! You will fall to hell!]
The individuals who were praying were too absorbed in their prayers to hear their conversation, but Jin and Murakan were momentarily speechless.
“Is this really what I think it is? Can you really torment Zito this way?”
“In many ways, it’s shocking. Even for me.”
The image of Zito, who had been overwhelming Ayula all this time, had disappeared. Only the pitiful demon who detested light and healing remained.
[Enough of this, damn it!]
However, invading Zito’s inner realm was in itself a daunting task, one that required great determination for Ayula.
Just as Ayula was desecrating Zito’s inner realm, Zito was also eroding Ayula’s inner realm.
While Ayula faced a vividly intense illusion where the world burned and suffered more than reality itself, she knew it was an illusion, but she couldn’t deny its authenticity even with her divine perception, just as Zito couldn’t effectively counter Ayula’s intrusion into his inner realm.
Which inner realm would collapse first?
In the end, that would decide the end of their battle. This was the reason Ayula was confident in her imminent defeat.
In such moments, whichever side had more to protect, more cherished things, was bound to lose. Although Ayula’s eyes were turned inward and she was vomiting blood, Zito’s roar gradually subsided.
Then, Ayula’s wings finally broke. All the wings that were held by spines suddenly burst open, revealing Ayula’s injured body.
Ayula looked fragile and vulnerable, as if she could die at any moment. As soon as the wings that held Zito in place disappeared, he staggered back, gasping for air.
[Ugh, huff… I almost finished with some strange tastes. This is, after all, another form of suffering I must conquer. Although it’s a pain I need to overcome, it has taught me a lot, Ayula.]
Ayula couldn’t respond and struggled to catch her breath.
At this moment, Zito could undoubtedly finish Ayula off. She could no longer fight back.
But Zito had a decision to make.
Should he use his remaining strength to kill Ayula now, or should he use that strength to break through the shield Ayula had placed on the dimensional door and return? Ayula had been defeated, but the barrier at the dimensional door remained intact.
Zito chose the second option.
Exhaustiong all his strength to eliminate Ayula now would leave him unable to deal with the humans under the barrier.
[Haha… Yes, I lost today. I was tricked. The reason you clung to this barrier was for this very purpose. But I don’t mind this feeling of defeat. It’s a feeling of defeat that is indescribably sticky and exciting. I’m leaving, and the next time we meet, you will be weaker, Ayula. By then, I will surely take full advantage of you and enjoy.]
With that, Zito finally shattered Ayula’s power that had invaded the dimensional door.
And as Zito disappeared, Ayula rushed beneath the barrier.
Comments for chapter "Chapter 871"
MANGA DISCUSSION
Madara Info
Madara stands as a beacon for those desiring to craft a captivating online comic and manga reading platform on WordPress
For custom work request, please send email to wpstylish(at)gmail(dot)com
English