Like a sharp knife, its claws immediately lunged forward at an unbelievable speed. Infori tried to move his right hand, which still held the sword, trying to use it as a defense.
The sword rose upward, while Infori's body moved downward. The blade brushed against the Dark Chimera's massive claws.
CLING!
"...!"
The blade rubbed along the curve of the Dark Chimera's claws, making a loud and audible noise. Meanwhile, Infori's body continued to move downward to avoid the claw's slash.
His legs were also supporting his heavy body, and Infori wanted to run forward as quickly as possible.
Therefore, he quickly shook off his surprise and immediately moved both legs. His body was carried along, allowing Infori to avoid it.
The Dark Chimera's claws missed their intended target, making him even more annoyed than before.
The lion's eyes slowly moved to the left, its snake head also turned to the left, some of them sticking out their tongues. The goat head also turned back, looking at Infori from its small eyes. The lion's sharp teeth could crush its prey tragically until nothing remained.
From Infori's perspective, the Dark Chimera looked enormous. Its lion-sized body, the size of a building, made Infori swallow his own saliva.
They briefly stared at each other.
He wondered, (How can I get out of here without fighting the Dark Chimera...? I'm sure there's a way...!) Sweat poured down his cheeks.
The silence was broken when the Dark Chimera was about to fly back up. The Dark Chimera then flapped its wings, propelling its body rapidly upward.
The surrounding winds blew strongly, and Infori raised his hands to shield his eyes from the dust.
However, something unexpected happened. The Dark Chimera suddenly shot at high speed toward Infori, once again drawing its claws.
WOOSH!
Infori gasped, unable to react.
"...!"
Infori raised his sword to his chest, trying to protect his chest from the enemy's claws. But one of the Dark Chimera's claws was enough to stab him from below, piercing his head.
(If this continues, I'll die in vain...! What should I do now...!)
In the midst of his hesitation, Infori saw the sharp tips of the Dark Chimera's claws, ready to pierce his entire body.
Seeing this, Infori became even more terrified than before.
He now had only two choices: surrender or not. It depended on his thoughts, his perspective, and his heart. Because at this moment, Infori's heart was simultaneously directing his body.
(There might come a time when my journey ends...)
"..."
The city sky became distorted... What color do you see?
People formed lines and looked down as they walked.
In this era... the survivors seemed to be the cool and tough.
Infori pushed his feet firmly, his boots scraping the ground, leaving footprints. He was now running toward the Dark Chimera, and he thought to himself,
(...But it's not today! I won't... die in a place like this!)
Despite his fear, Infori still stepped forward toward the Dark Chimera. He then brought his sword blade forward, ensuring its tip collided with the monster's claw.
However, the difference between the two spear tips was clearly not the same.
"WHAAAAAAAA!" Infori screamed as he thrust his sword toward the monster's claw. And that's when it happened—
CLANG!
The two weapons' tips didn't collide, but instead, they thrust their respective weapons toward a transparent wall imbued with magical energy.
"...?!" Infori and the Dark Chimera were both shocked.
The tips of the two weapons merely collided with a transparent wall that suddenly appeared before them.
Current electric currents began to appear little by little, but they didn't strike either of them at all.
Their bodies couldn't even move; they continued to advance, thrusting their weapons into the wall with full force. Shifting the wind in the opposite direction, the Nephilim's body, coupled with the summoned monster's body, was now forced to keep moving forward.
(What the heck is going on...?! I can't control my body at all...?! It's as if my body is being forced to keep moving forward...?!)
Even the bag he was still carrying wasn't free of infori—the bag that should still contain the Gauntlet of Rebirth.
The Gauntlet of Rebirth, a metallic gray glove with a line circling the gauntlet near the wrist, suddenly glowed from within the bag, even emitting a powerful aura and energy.
WOOSHH
Infori was shocked upon realizing this, speechless as the Gauntlet of Rebirth emitted its aura even though it was still in its bag.
"What?!" Infori exclaimed, but suddenly, he felt something enter his mind. "...!?"
The gauntlet seemed to be connected to the world tree—Everness.
Infori's eyes, it was brief, but incredibly fast.
He saw it for himself (again).
The giant sacred tree that served as the axis of the cosmos in Orleans, guarding the boundaries and connecting the dimensions between the upper and lower worlds. Often referred to as the "Tree of Life," Everness supported all life and both worlds.
"What—?!"
The aura from the gauntlet created a connection between this rare artifact and the world tree, with Infori's soul and information acting as the intermediary.
(Again... The same vision...?!)
In an instant, his soul seemed to tremble. Although it wasn't directly visible, Infori felt it. It wasn't pain, but the warmth of life.
Until Infori regained consciousness.
"...!"
Infori realized he couldn't control his body at all. However, the energy emitted by the Gauntlet of Rebirth gave him the impetus to keep going.
(This energy... Is it forcing me to keep going?)
But on second thought—"…well, what can I do? I'll just keep going! WHAAAAAAAAA!"
As a result of that impetus, Infori's sword and the Dark Chimera's claws both shattered the magic wall.
CRACK!
The magic wall shattered like glass, but their bodies didn't stop at all. This led to a moment of collision.
"Wa—?!"
A collision occurred, causing a light explosion that obscured both Infori and the Dark Chimera's vision.