Chapter 732: Help Me Up, I Can Still Fight!
Something had changed.
Regardless of one's strength or level of insight, anyone who had been closely watching this battlefield could keenly sense the near-reversal of circumstances.
It was as if the serene harmony of flowing mountain streams had abruptly transformed into collapsing ridges and furious waves.
Gentleness was gone.
Even clad in elegant white robes, the blood staining those garments grew increasingly vivid and glaring, almost as if a demon were grinning malevolently while eyeing prey and sacrifices delivered to its doorstep.
And the three great magecrafts, which everyone had grown accustomed to, now revealed unfathomable mysteries in the hands of this young man whose demeanor had undergone such a sudden transformation.
The change was so drastic—even two Baal Lahmus working in tandem found themselves inexplicably losing ground!
Magecraft ripples surged as the Baal Lahmus let out a piercing cry, its clawed limbs morphing into liquid whips that shattered the half-formed outlines of spells. Yet just as it triumphantly spread its wings to take flight, it plunged headfirst into a sea of nothingness!
The other Baal Lahmus turned in fury to see the white-robed, bloodstained youth floating midair—his left eye a smiling azure blue while his right swirled with profound violet.
Grand Magecraft: Transposition/Imaginary!
Using the transposition prism as bait, he had banished one of them into the Sea of Imaginary Numbers!
Then, Sakatsuki's gaze shifted again. A steely glint gathered, tempered, and finally erupted from his eyes in a blaze of radiant might.
Countless weapons materialized in the void, their sharp edges refracting light so painfully bright it stung every observer's eyes.
Full Projection: Continuous Stratigraphic Inscription!
Deprived of its companion, the remaining Baal Lahmus scowled darkly. Its claws transformed into an enormous tower shield that stood firm between itself and Sakatsuki, fortifying its defenses.
Yet Sakatsuki seemed not to notice as he casually waved his hand. A torrential downpour of swords descended like a raging dragon, crashing against the tower shield with such force that even this divine-class defensive tool emitted ear-piercing shrieks of protest.
But it held—for now.
During this brief respite, the Baal Lahmus glared venomously at the distant, blurred silhouette, its heart seething with malice and hatred.
How dare this insignificant insect resist to such an extent!
When its very core has already become our tool!
As its chitinous wings began vibrating at high frequency, the Baal Lahmus crouched low, its other claw morphing into the sharpest spike glinting with deadly cold light.
All it needed was to seize the slightest opening, and it could pierce through Sakatsuki's body at lightning speed—indeed, the numerous wounds covering the young man's body were all inflicted by this sudden, untraceable attack. Were it not for his godlike intuition, he would have long been riddled like a sieve.
This time, however, the Baal Lahmus was confident this insect wouldn't escape alive.
It would tear him to pieces!
As if sensing the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the Baal Lahmus, the young man maintaining the sword rain curled his lips slightly.
You want to kill me?
What a coincidence—so do I.
The steely glint faded from his eyes, replaced by a verdant hue.
By the time the Baal Lahmus belatedly whirled around, its danger instincts exploded in alarm.
Unbeknownst to it, the ground had become a forest of blades and spears. As earthen clay outlines shed their muddy appearances, they revealed edges no less sharp than tempered steel.
When did this—there wasn't even a trace of magecraft energy!
In the heat of the moment, the pincer-like limbs transformed again, and it seemed a new tower shield was about to form to block behind Baal Lahmu. But just then, Sakatsuki raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"Release."
A platinum light erupted from the blade, instantly tearing countless gashes in the air, transforming into a torrential downpour that engulfed the stunned Baal Lahmu.
When the dust settled, the monster's body was riddled with pockmark-like holes, oozing black mud.
"If you could speak now, you'd surely ask what that was just now."
The white-clad youth smiled warmly. "Actually, I don't mind telling you—it's an extension of the Third Magic, capable of extracting specific emotions and then either stimulating or utilizing them... The simplest method is to attach them to physical matter, restraining them before triggering an effect, resulting in what's commonly called a 'beam attack.'"
He paused, then asked earnestly, "You must have felt the contempt I just directed at you, didn't you?"
Disgusting. So disgusting I wish I could stab hundreds of holes into you.
Disgusted that you're still alive, clinging stubbornly to this stage—what's the point?
Feeling the overwhelming contempt coursing through every fiber of its being, along with the searing humiliation that refused to fade, Baal Lahmu's face twisted as it let out an uncontrollable bestial roar, utterly consumed by rage.
And it wasn't alone. From the distant horizon came the furious shrieks of another, accompanied by the cracking sound of the night sky splitting apart. A dark, monstrous shadow shattered the barrier between void and reality, tearing open a path through the sea of imaginary numbers as it returned, brimming with wrath and bloodlust.
"Sakatsuki—!!!"
BOOM!
The response was a barrage of beams filled with contempt and scorn. Though the youth's white robes were stained with blood and his face pale enough to seem like he might collapse at any moment, no matter how the two Baal Lahmu howled and raged, they couldn't achieve the swift victory they so desperately desired.
But only Sakatsuki knew the truth—even this stalemate couldn't last much longer.
His injuries were worsening bit by bit. If he focused on healing, his magical energy circulation couldn't keep up. The Third Magic, after all, wasn't omnipotent... Moreover, this body's output was ultimately insufficient—the illusory dragon heart couldn't keep pace with the rhythm of a battle at the level of a chief deity.
Just how much longer could he hold out under this reckless strain?
In that fleeting moment of thought, Sakatsuki instinctively glanced toward another battlefield—and his expression immediately fell.
What was that saying again?
Watching the chaotic, perilous struggle of Fujimaru and the others, Sakatsuki muttered with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Truly, the same hand that giveth also taketh away..."
If his own battlefield with Baal Lahmu could barely be maintained, then Fujimaru and Anna's was far less fortunate.
After all, even someone as arrogant as Baal Lahmu feared their "ally"—the black-robed, bone-masked figure!
Even now, in this battle, he simply kept advancing, raising his fist with steady, unrelenting force before striking.
BANG!
The Round Table Shield groaned under the impact, and Fujimaru—clad in mechanized armor—veins bulging, was still dragged back dozens of meters by the sheer force.
Chains coiled like serpents around the black-robed figure's waist as Anna yanked hard, closing the distance in an instant. Her war scythe materialized, unleashing an endless storm of razor-sharp light.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amidst the crisp clang of metal, terrifying recoil surged through the scythe's blade, making Anna grimace in pain. Yet she refused to halt her assault.
As long as she could breach his defenses, the 'Slaughtering Immortal Blade' would inflict irreparable wounds on this black-robed figure!
Damn it, how is his defense so absurdly high? Even solid iron wouldn't be this ridiculous!
The thought had barely formed when Anna saw the black-robed figure turn toward her, his entire presence locking onto her.
The sparks from the grinding scythe illuminated his ghastly bone-white mask. Overwhelmed by sudden terror, Anna could only watch wide-eyed as the figure raised his fist and brought it crashing down.
BANG!!
The iron fist collided with the Round Table Shield, dispersing the air in a violent shockwave. Fujimaru gritted his teeth as a Class Card from his waist automatically flew out, merging into his mystic code.
[SET]
[Berserker · Frankenstein!]
The heterochromatic bride—an artificial human—let out a fierce roar, transforming into a blue-gold electric surge that enveloped Fujimaru. Facing the crushing pressure head-on, the boy roared back, his spine straight as a pillar holding up the heavens, refusing to retreat even a single step.
Behind him was Anna—his comrade.
He couldn't afford to retreat!
In that instant, the Round Table Shield shone even brighter, an inexplicable power surging into Fujimaru's arms as he barely managed to block the black-robed figure's devastating punch.
But then came the second strike!
Just as Fujimaru braced to endure it again, petals scattered through the air—Merlin, who had been observing until now, finally acted. He teleported the panting duo to his side, leaving the black-robed figure's fist to tear through empty air. The sheer force of the missed blow ripped forward, carving deep fissures into the earth like a thousand ravines.
Unbelievable. How could a human body—no different from theirs—cause such destruction?
Was there a raging tyrannosaur hidden within this mysterious black-robed figure?
"Merlin!" Fujimaru barely managed to tear his focus from that punch, turning to the team's strategist. Yet even the sage, a candidate for Grand Caster, wore an expression of grave tension.
"Regrettably, we must end things here for now, Fujimaru. The gap between our forces is simply too vast."
Across the divided battlefields, Sakatsuki was fighting by pushing himself to the brink, while Fujimaru and Anna couldn't even withstand the black-robed figure's punches.
As for Jaguar Warrior? If she could defeat Quetzalcoatl, she wouldn't be running errands like a bullied underling all the time.
"The odds of turning this around are too slim—so slim it's not worth the risk... This is the world of the Age of Gods. Even with all the combat power we've prepared, we can't even achieve parity." For once, the doctor shared Merlin's view. "Retreat, Fujimaru. We can't win as we are now. We'll return once we're better prepared."
"Ah, and leave the Axe of Marduk behind," Merlin reminded. "I can't conceal this level of divinity. If we keep carrying it, those monsters will track us down."
"..." Fujimaru fell silent, but the black-robed figure gave them no time to deliberate. With each heavy footstep, he advanced toward them like death incarnate.
"Make the call, Fujimaru!" For some reason, unease welled up in Merlin's chest—and the next moment, the sage's intuition proved right. As if impatient with the stalemate, the black-robed figure pushed off the ground, hurtling toward them like a cannonball.
His fist swung. His strike exploded forth.
"Fujimaru!" Anna's face paled in an instant. Without time to think, she instinctively pulled the boy aside, stepping forward to meet the fatal punch herself.
"Anna!!!" Fujimaru's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as the black-robed figure's fist arrived.
For just a moment... as the fist's wind touched Anna's forehead, the black-robed figure's movement seemed to hesitate slightly, but then continued with unstoppable force.
A blue prism unfolded as another figure appeared before them all, raising both arms in defense.
BOOM!
CRACK!
Amidst the explosion and the crisp sound of breaking bones, Anna only felt someone throw themselves into her embrace, yet the impact couldn't be stopped. Merlin's mouth fell open as he saw three figures crashing toward him, only managing to wail:
"I'm just a physically frail magi—!"
The next moment, all four of them tumbled together like rolling gourds, skidding dozens of meters before the momentum dissipated, sprawling across the ground in disarray.
Utterly disheveled.
When he regained his senses, Fujimaru sprang up, his face tense as he looked ahead. Seeing the young man cradled awkwardly in Anna's arms, his eyes immediately reddened.
"Sakatsuki!"
Under Fujimaru's guilt-ridden gaze, the young man with shattered arms lifted his eyelids, revealing a strained smile.
"Why the long face?" he said with forced cheer.
"Help me up. I can still deliver."