The sparks of light dimmed as the amulet’s aura slowly faded. All the people inside the academy had lost their last bit of strength. Only Valis and the students of Class F remained standing, giving everything they had to defeat the beast. But that too was becoming increasingly difficult; the amulet’s power could no longer sustain them.
“Damn it, my body feels like lead,” Rolan grumbled, his limbs growing heavier by the second.
“The amulet’s power… it’s weakening,” Liana said, barely managing to stay on her feet.
“No! We must finish this now!” Lucius growled, struggling against the exhaustion weighing him down.
Celes, however, could see the grim reality. “No, we need to fall back. We can’t keep this up!”
Valis, still holding on with more energy than the others, fought desperately to defend her students from the beast’s relentless attacks. “Everyone, fall back to the academy! Now!”
Even Shiro, locked in his trance, was slowing down, his once blinding speed faltering.
Ren’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched from the distance. This can’t be happening—they were going to lose. After all the fighting, after everything they had sacrificed, they were going to fall short at the final hurdle. His mind raced, grasping for a solution, but nothing came.
“No… Is this really how it ends?” Ren whispered in disbelief, his hands clenching in frustration. All their hard work, the soldiers’ sacrifice, the students’ determination—was it all going to be for nothing?
No.
Not like this.
I will not allow it!
This will not be the end.
Even if the goddess herself allows it, I won’t!
If I must break this world rules to save it, I will!!
His breath steadied, his determination ironclad. He had a plan. A dangerous one. One that would push him to the brink.
With a deep breath, Ren activated his timer Unexistence skill, shattering reality around him as he phased into the physical world. In an instant, he appeared on a rooftop, startling the nearby students and teachers. Eyes widened in shock and confusion as they stared at this mysterious figure who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. But Ren didn’t care.
His gaze was fixed on the beast—on the monstrous creature threatening to obliterate everything.
0:58.
Ren’s right hand reached forward, trembling slightly as he focused his thoughts. The liquid-like metal of his robe responded instantly, flowing down his arm and forming the improved version of Dullahan’s greatsword. The dark energy crackling along its surface hummed ominously.
0:52.
“Time for the gamble,” Ren muttered, a reckless grin tugging at the corner of his lips. What he was about to do would decide whether he lived or died after the minute was up.
Ren glanced at his status screen, his stats reflecting his current condition.
image [https://i.imgur.com/PseArJ6.jpeg]
His plan hinged on his mana points. He would channel every bit of it into the next attack, using it as a source of power.
But by doing so, he would suffer the full side effects of mana exhaustion in an instant. Best case scenario, he’d pass out. Worst case, the shock would be too much for his body to handle, and his heart would stop.
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He’d die.
“Hah, another 50/50 shot,” Ren chuckled darkly to himself. “I wonder how many more of these gambles I’ll take in this world.”
0:47.
Gritting his teeth, Ren willed the sword to hover in front of his right hand horizontally with the blade point targeting right at the beast as he stood tall. With all his determination, he tried to summon the mana deep within his body.
0:41.
Seconds ticked by as Ren focused, searching for the elusive presence of his mana. Finally, he felt it—a faint stream at first, but quickly growing into a vast river of energy coursing through him. There it was, in its purest form.
Ren's smirk returned as he opened his eyes. “Got it.”
0:36.
A swirl of light formed in his right palm, growing slowly into a glowing orb—a manifestation of pure mana. The orb was imperfect, unstable, threatening to explode at any second.
It was far from perfect since this was his first time.
But that was exactly what Ren wanted.
0:30.
As the orb grew larger, fueled by his raw mana, Ren willed the greatsword to spin, the blade rotating faster and faster until it became a blur of motion. The sound it produced was like the roar of an engine, crackling with the wild energy of the unstable orb. Onlookers—students and teachers alike—watched in awe from the rooftop as the deafening noise grew louder, echoing across the academy grounds.
Tendrils of mana wrapped around the spinning blade, amplifying its power.
The plan was simple: use the explosion of the mana orb to propel the sword at impossible speeds.
“To put it simply, the mana is the gunpowder, the sword is the bullet, and I’m the trigger,” Ren chuckled, marveling at the simplicity and absurdity of his own plan.
The sound grew so intense that some in the courtyard thought a storm was brewing above them. But those on the rooftop knew better—this was no storm. It was raw, untamed power.
Valis, still locked in battle with the beast, was the first to hear it, her sharp senses picking up the unfamiliar noise. She glanced in its direction and froze, eyes wide in shock. A familiar figure stood on the rooftop.
Even Shiro, lost in his trance, and the rest of Class F turned, their gazes drawn to the unknown figure preparing a spell of immense power. The beast, too, sensed the disturbance. Its red eyes locked onto Ren, and with a primal instinct, it understood—this was a threat it couldn’t ignore.
The two unknowns finally stared at each other, under the moonlight.
The man who did not belong in this world, and the beast of unknown origin.
The Singularity versus the Anomaly.
0:15.
“Yeah, look at me, you mutt.” Ren muttered coldly, staring the beast down. He stood tall, his body trembling with the crackling energy that surged around him. The air hummed with power as the massive greatsword spun violently in front of him, its blade blurring into a whirlwind of pure energy. Each rotation sent waves of force rippling through the battlefield, the sword almost too powerful to control, yet Ren held firm.
The beast roared and charged toward the academy, its massive form tearing through everything in its path. Desperate to reach Ren before he could unleash his attack, it barreled forward with terrifying speed.
“Wha—no!” Rolan shouted as the beast ignored their group entirely, rushing toward Ren.
Ren’s heart pounded in his chest, but his Perfect Acting skill kept him calm. He waited, counting down the seconds. Ten seconds left. The sword was almost ready, its vibrations intensifying as it spun even faster.
This was it—no second chances.
In those final moments, his mind raced, searching for a fitting name for the technique. After all, what he was doing felt like something out of a game—an ultimate move.
The beast drew closer, its burning eyes full of fury. Ren’s muscles tensed. The timing had to be perfect.
And then, with all his might, he unleashed the orb’s power.
“Take this—Caliber Overdrive!!!” Ren shouted, releasing the full force of his technique.
The sword shot forward like a bolt of lightning, creating a massive shockwave that shattered every window in the academy. The force of the blast sent debris flying in all directions, and for a moment, it seemed as if the very air had been torn apart. The sword moved with such speed that it broke the sound barrier, creating a deafening boom that echoed across the battlefield.
The beast, despite its monstrous strength and instincts, couldn’t react in time. The sword was too fast and too powerful. It pierced through the creature’s head with a thunderous impact, the force of the blow so immense that it sent the massive beast staggering backward. Its dark skin cracked and splintered from the pressure, unable to withstand the sheer power of the attack. The beast’s head shattered into countless pieces, and its massive body crumpled to the ground, the earth itself trembling from the impact.
The battlefield fell silent for a moment, a collective breath held as the dust settled. The massive beast, once an unstoppable force of destruction, now lay broken. Its body splintered under the immense pressure, the energy from Ren’s attack having shattered its form. Cracks rippled through its hide, and with one final, shuddering breath, the light faded from its eyes. It was over. The beast had been defeated.
Ren disappeared once more as the timer on his Unexistence skill expired, but he felt the consequences instantly. His chest tightened, his lungs refusing to take in air. The pain hit him with a force unlike anything he had ever experienced. His legs gave out beneath him, sending him crumpling to the ground. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, the price of pushing himself beyond his limits.
He lay there, helpless, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. “Is this… how I’m going to die?” Ren thought bitterly, his body wracked with pain. The idea felt cruel after all that had just transpired. His limbs trembled as his vision began to blur, his consciousness slipping away.
His eyes fluttered shut, but as darkness crept in, a sudden notification appeared on his status screen:
image [https://i.imgur.com/CgkfQPo.jpeg]