Since they couldn't find anything in the area, they were about to leave and return to where they
came from. However, just as they were about to exit, they heard a voice from behind them. The
owner of this voice was none other than the Goblin Queen herself, who had previously been on
the verge of killing Kasou. When the team turned around, Kasou had already launched an
attack.
Kasou, charging at the Goblin Queen at full speed, was shocked when his attack was blocked.
He stared at the Goblin Queen in surprise and anger—this was their rematch, in a way.
The Goblin Queen said, "Have you gotten stronger? You're becoming more interesting this way."
Kasou replied, "Interesting?"
As soon as Kasou finished speaking, a punch from the Goblin Queen sent him flying into a tree.
Rossa shouted, "Take this!"
Rossa's vertical sword strike was dodged by the Goblin Queen, who quickly countered. Geld
blocked the Goblin Queen's punch, but the sheer force of it sent him flying backward.
Geld, having been thrown back, returned to the team's side.
Mai said, "U-uh, Geld."
Geld replied, "Yes?"Mai continued, "Your shield..."
Mai added, "...it's broken."
Geld looked at the shield he was holding and noticed a hole where the Goblin Queen's punch
had landed.
Mark exclaimed, "Did she just break a shield made of mithril with a single punch?"
*Mithril is one of the five hardest elements to break in the series.*
As soon as Kasou got up, he launched a counterattack, spinning and slashing with his sword,
but the Goblin Queen effortlessly stopped him.
Geld was indeed a well-built individual and the physically strongest member of the team. Taking
advantage of this, Rossa stood on Geld's arm, and as Geld swung his arm toward the Goblin
Queen, Rossa leaped off, combining their efforts to create an incredibly high-speed attack. The
Goblin Queen easily dodged this attack, which was too fast for the eye to see. The ground
where Rossa landed shattered into pieces.
The Goblin Queen said, "Your strength isn't enough for me, but I think you're somewhat clever.
Your teamwork is good. Hmmm, that's why I'll give your strength a four out of ten."
Mark retorted, "Will you be this arrogant after taking this? Let's see!"
Mark was skilled in certain spells, and his most powerful and specific spell was called "Sky
Piercer." This Sky Piercer spell gathered energy charges from the clouds and created a massive
bow in the sky, from which he could form an arrow of any element he desired. The biggestdrawback of this spell was that it created a nuclear-like effect in the area of impact, and if there
were allies in that area, they would also be affected.
The massive spell forming in the sky was incredible. When the Goblin Queen looked up, she
gave a mocking smile.
Mark shouted, "Take this!"
The flowers and grass turned to dust from the heat emitted by the spell, and the swaying of the
trees caused the leaves to fall and disintegrate into dust mid-air.
The spell created a long-lasting dust cloud, and since it didn't dissipate for a while, everyone
except Rossa and Kasou thought they had won.
Mark said, "Ah, if it weren't for your special spell, I wonder what we'd do?"
Mai's special spell, "Queen's Defense," provided absolute protection against the chosen
person's spells for the selected individuals.
Mai replied, "It's no problem. I enjoy protecting you all."
As soon as she finished speaking, blood spilled from her mouth, her vision blurred, and she felt
a breath near her jugular vein. The Goblin Queen had pierced Mai's stomach. Although Mark
immediately attacked with his bow, he rushed toward Mai as her body fell into the water.
When the Goblin Queen turned around, Rossa and Kasou attacked her simultaneously. The
Goblin Queen stopped their attack and smiled.
"My turn," said the Goblin Queen.
When the counter-punch came, the two were sent flying in opposite directions. At that moment,
Kasou called out to Micheal.
"Are we going to die here? Haven't we gotten stronger at all? Tell me!" Kasou said to Micheal.
"There's something you can do with your current strength," Micheal replied.
"With my current strength?" Kasou asked.
"This power was once called 'Tag, You're It' in ancient times. If you use this power, you'll have to
endure days of pain because it forcibly draws your opponent's Mana and converts it into your
own," Micheal explained.
"Whatever happens, I just need... to gain power," Kasou said.
Meanwhile, Geld was trying to block the Goblin Queen's attacks, but her incredibly heavy blows
had devastated him. When Mark brought Mai's body to the surface, he was crying. At that
moment, Mark thought everything was over, that they were dead.
The light forming in the sky caught everyone's attention. Kasou descended to the ground at full
speed. The Goblin Queen stopped attacking Geld and turned to Kasou.
The two opponents slowly walked toward each other. The Goblin Queen made the first move.
Her attack was so powerful that Kasou vomited, but when he stood up, he was stronger than
before. Realizing her power was being drained, the Goblin Queen quickly jumped back.
"What did you just do?" the Goblin Queen asked.
"Do you like my new toy? This ability weakens you and strengthens me with the power it takes
from you," Kasou replied.
"You didn't cast any spell on me, yet you say it takes power from me. How is that possible?" the
Goblin Queen asked."Because there's a spell on me, and the moment you touch me, the energy you expend
becomes my Mana," Kasou explained.
"I know this spell. Isn't it called 'Tag, You're It'?" the Goblin Queen asked.
"This spell... 'Tag, You're It'?" Geld muttered.
"What's with that smile?" the Goblin Queen asked.
The Goblin Queen, who had been shocked just a few seconds ago, now looked completely
confident.
"I think I understand," Micheal said.
"Huh?" Kasou asked.
The Goblin Queen started running and casting spells one after another. Fireballs, water orbs,
rock projectiles—she attacked Kasou with a variety of spells.
Kasou dodged the attacks one by one and countered with his own. The clashing spells in the air
created loud noises, resembling the sound of breaking the sound barrier.
Although Kasou was strong enough to counter, the increasing intensity of the attacks began to
take a toll. Kasou started taking damage and made a tactical retreat. The Goblin Queen had no
intention of letting him go.
"Where are you, little bird?" the Goblin Queen taunted.
While the Goblin Queen searched for Kasou, he was watching her. Since the team had taken a
heavy blow, Kasou was left alone against the enemy. Still, he couldn't give up because the
anger and hatred burning inside him were still alive.
"Damn it, how much stronger can we get?" Kasou asked Micheal.
"You've already used enough power to pay a great price, but if you want, you can use more,"
Micheal replied.
"I want it. I need more power now!" Kasou demanded.
Micheal began to explain.
"As you know, you're using an ancient spell called 'Tag, You're It.' You're essentially
manipulating Mana, tricking life into thinking a power that isn't yours belongs to you. I told you it
only works when your enemy touches you. That's true to some extent, but if you use theadvanced version of 'Tag, You're It,' called 'Tag, It's Everywhere,' the dynamics change
significantly," Micheal explained.
"W-what, 'Tag, It's Everywhere'?" Kasou asked.
"At the core of life, everything is made of Mana—matter, antimatter, atoms, everything you can
think of, even the fabric of space-time. Its essence, its existence, is sustained by Mana,"
Micheal continued.
As Micheal explained, Kasou listened intently.
"The advanced version of the spell allows you to absorb the essence of anything that harms
you. If the air harms you, the power within the air becomes yours. This power can be incredibly
strong in some situations but useless in others. Now, even if the Goblin Queen attacks you from
a distance with spells, you can still draw power from her," Micheal said.
"But your endurance must withstand the attacks, or you'll die in the worst-case scenario,"
Micheal added.
Kasou knew this, but the fear of acknowledging it made him swallow hard.
"Let's begin," Kasou said.
Micheal had no face, but both of them smiled.
---
Meanwhile, the Goblin Queen was scanning the area. She turned around and blocked Kasou's
attack. Jumping back, she continued to use her spells. Kasou dodged most of the incoming
spells but intentionally took some hits.
"I see nothing remains of the air from earlier, hahahahaha," the Goblin Queen laughed.
Kasou launched an attack from his position on the ground, faster than before. The ground
shattered as he leaped.
The two arch-enemies clashed head-on. It was such a chilling moment that if you were there,
you'd see life in slow motion.
The Goblin Queen, slammed into the ground, lifted her head just in time to take a second
punch. This punch was much heavier and stronger. Wiping the blood from her mouth, the Goblin
Queen became furious and screamed."Damn human! You asked for this! Let's see how long you can last after this!" the Goblin Queen
shouted.
"Be careful, her aura is suddenly becoming heavier," Micheal warned.
"Wha—" Kasou began.
Before he could finish, he sensed a presence behind him. It was as if the embodiment of
darkness, the god of death itself, had appeared.
Kasou tried to turn around, but he was already grabbed by the leg and swung around. The
speed of the spins uprooted trees around them. It was so powerful that even the most
dangerous tornado would seem like a toy in comparison.
The Goblin Queen threw Kasou, but he softened the air into a cushion-like substance, allowing
him to land without injury. He first threw Micheal toward the Goblin Queen, then, before Micheal
could reach her, he lunged forward to strike with his sword. The Goblin Queen dodged and
retreated to another spot because the area where Kasou had thrown Micheal was split in two.
"Bastard, you're getting stronger. I need to end this quickly," the Goblin Queen said.
The two continued to attack each other with their weapons and abilities, but the scales were
gradually tipping in Kasou's favor.
Kasou threw his sword at the Goblin Queen again. After dodging, the Goblin Queen found
Kasou right in front of her. Suddenly, Micheal appeared in his hand as a sword.
"Using the air as a bow to bring me back... brilliant," Micheal said.
"TAKE THIS!!!!!" Kasou shouted.
As the strike landed, the sword glowed. It was such a powerful blow that it not only killed the
Goblin Queen but also split the mountain range behind her in two.
The brutal sound of the battle ended with one final, ear-shattering roar.
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"What do you want for your birthday?" Kasou asked.
"W-well, you didn't have to, but—" Maria stammered.
Kasou got annoyed and hugged the beautiful girl in front of him. After inhaling the scent of her
hair, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Let me do at least this much, okay?" Kasou said.
He murmured to his lover in a gentle, soft, and sincere tone.
Kasou faced his lover, and at that moment, something happened that made him blush. The
sweet girl in front of him took Kasou's first kiss... After the first kiss, they stared into each other's
eyes, thinking about how much they loved each other... at least Kasou thought so.
Suddenly, the girl turned her back and started walking away. Kasou reached out his hand
toward her... He took a step to get closer, but the distance between them only grew. It was as if
the ground itself was stretching.
Kasou shouted from behind, crying, screaming!
"Please don't leave me! Please, I'm begging you!" Kasou cried.
The atmosphere around them turned dark. Although it had been daytime just moments ago, it
was now a stormy night. The world spun at the speed of light as Kasou tried to approach,
throwing him backward.
"Maria! Maria! I love you, I can't live without you!"
Kasou had given up. He knew he could do nothing but kneel and cry where he was.
Deep down, he was angry at himself, filled with regret. He repeated this to himself hundreds of
times.
"Damn it, damn it! Damn it!"When he stopped repeating, he was calm. There was nothing left he could do.
He looked up at the sky one last time and murmured these words.
"If I cross your mind even once, my heart will never know loneliness again..." Kasou said.