The clash between the two combatants whose physical prowess had been enhanced to their limits was incredibly simple.
They just punched, kicked, and threw.
It was just like a brawl.
However, each blow was fatal, creating shockwaves in its wake.
“Uraaahhhh!”
“…Hah!”
He let out a yell and swung his fist.
The all-out blow landed on the Progenitor’s abdomen. Immediately after, her fist sank into the boy’s cheek.
An impact that threatened to knock him unconscious surged through his brain.
But he endured it, gritting his teeth so hard they threatened to shatter.
He knew that if he lost consciousness even once, he would be defeated.
And it wasn’t just Jared. The same applied to the Progenitor.
As she was in a vessel that was the opposite of her ideal, she couldn’t unleash her full power.
Her output had already significantly dropped compared to when she possessed Olivier.
“…Ahahaha, this is fun, Jared.”
“Fun?! Don’t make me laugh!”
The Progenitor would occasionally speak to him cheerfully, and Jared would respond.
“I’m having fun! I feel alive! These impacts, this pain! They show me I’m alive!”
“For me, it’s just painful!”
He unleashed a punch, fully utilizing his explosively enhanced body.
Jared’s fist broke through the Progenitor’s defenses, inflicting damage.
But the Progenitor was not to be outdone.
She counterattacked with a furious grin, blood streaming from her mouth and nose.
“Hah, hahaha, ahahahahahaha!”
Laughing like a child, she launched a continuous barrage of attacks, each one powerful enough to shatter the earth.
While Jared could only use Body Enhancement Magic, the Progenitor seemed to occasionally recall other magic.
“Alright, here I come!”
Flames erupted into over a thousand fireballs, engulfing his vision.
“Woooooooh!”
Jared struck down the approaching heat with his fists.
He swept his fists, creating wind pressure to offset the flames, and meticulously crushed any fireballs that slipped through.
Still, some got through.
Some struck Jared directly, while others exploded upon hitting the ground.
Dust and sand swirled, obscuring his vision.
Shattered rocks flew like bullets, mercilessly cutting the boy’s arms and cheeks.
The Progenitor’s attacks did not cease.
When flames proved ineffective, she fired over a hundred ice spears and unleashed a flurry of invisible wind blades.
A spear pierced Jared’s abdomen, and wind blades slashed his body.
Without even the space to scream, the boy endured the intense pain and forcefully pulled the spear from his gut.
“It hurts?”
“…Of course it does.”
“That’s the feeling of being alive. Remember that.”
“Shut up.”
“Ever since I wandered into this world, I wondered if it was all a dream. It was pain that showed me this reality.”
“To you, is this world still a dream?”
“No. I’ve had children and have descendants. I don’t think that anymore. However… when I die, I still foolishly hope it was all a dream, both back then and now.”
He couldn’t fully comprehend her feelings, but he understood them.
If he were suddenly thrown into a world without Olivier and the others, Jared would likely think similarly.
He felt a pang of pity, contemplating what she must have gone through.
—But that was irrelevant. Progenitor Yuna Miharasaki had to be defeated.
Discarding the spear on the ground, he spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.
He circulated more Magic Power within his body, enhancing his strength.
(My body is reaching its limit soon. If I don’t finish this, I’ll be worn down and lose. But, thanks to Rasmus, the Progenitor’s power is weakened. If I’m going to defeat her, it has to be now.)
He pushed his strength beyond its limit.
He absorbed not only the power from the earth but also the Magic Power from the very air, converting it into strength.
His body was enhanced to the absolute maximum.
The strike he was about to unleash would possess more power than the highest-tier offensive magic.
“You’re a pitiful soul. I sympathize with you, and I wish I could do something to help. But, unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do for you.”
“Heh. You’re already doing more than enough without realizing it.”
“All I can do is defeat you.”
“Please do.”
“You are a person of the past. You’ve fought enough, and surely suffered enough. It’s time for you to rest.”
“I’m not sleepy yet.”
“Here I go.”
“Come then.”
Jared kicked off the ground with all his might.
The Progenitor lightly leaped off the ground as well.
“Flame, dwell within me. Grant me the power to scorch and burn my enemy!”
The Progenitor became wreathed in flame.
He could feel the immense Magic Power radiating from her.
In contrast, Jared had merely enhanced his physical abilities.
However, he had no intention of losing in a simple power struggle.
“This is my ultimate strikeeeeeeeee!”
And then, both their fists struck each other’s bodies directly.
