Chapter 268: ICISEI Episode 254
Episode 254: The Grand Title Is Not What I Seek; The Ultimate Proof Only Needs to Be Entrusted to a Single Strike
『 "AAAAAHHH!!!" Tiamat, having already braced herself, roared incessantly, attempting to psych herself up and slightly alleviate the suffocating emotions within her.
Her massive wings beat violently, causing the very land of the Underworld to tremble.
At this moment, everyone watched with bated breath as the former creator goddess slowly ascended, as if time itself had come to a standstill.
Tiamat dug her spiked claws deep into the ground, using them as leverage to propel herself upward faster.
Although her movements were severely restricted in this domain that was not her own, she had decided not to hold back any longer; she had to give her all to secure her path to freedom.
This land of the Underworld was, after all, not a place Tiamat could control at will, but the man hailed as the pinnacle assassin would not let any chance of escape slip by easily.
He gripped his greatsword tightly, every muscle in his body coiled in high tension.
"Thy wings, under the mandate of heaven! I shall strip them away!" As these resounding words left his lips, that chilling, ferocious aura surged from his body once more, rapidly concentrating upon the weapon in his grasp.
It was not merely a verbal threat; a layer of blue flame immediately ignited around the surface of the weapon, its temperature climbing steadily.
Furthermore, the faint, ghostly blue flames surrounding him burned even more intensely and brilliantly.
The two stood in opposition, having reached a point where wisdom and strength had to clash head-on.
Man and beast had fully entered battle mode; there was no longer any room for retreat or compromise between them.
Amidst this urgent situation, the Old Man of the Mountain, Hassan-i Sabbah, suddenly leaped forward, his giant sword raised high, pointing directly at the colossal demonic beast preparing to strike not far ahead.
With this, the curtain rose on this duel of life and death. 』
『 .....』
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"Go for it!"
Tanjiro’s hands were clenched into fists before he even realized it.
—
〜Naruto World〜
"Bring victory to us, humans! Just... go for it!"
Naruto cheered, jumping up and down, waving his fists to root for the old man before him.
—
Viewers from all dimensions were silently offering their blessings.
『 "The Evening Bell tolls for thy name!" Having sensed the terrifying power of this strike, Tiamat finally abandoned her defensive tactics.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
With that low roar, the entire Underworld seemed to shudder along with her, and her eyes, like two embedded rubies, emitted a blinding white light.
BUZZ—!
Almost at the same instant, several beams of black and red light burst forth from her strange, cross-shaped eyes.
The speed of these beams was immense, leaving only a series of ear-splitting sonic booms as they tore through the air.
The target of these attacks was clear: they were aimed directly at the Old Man of the Mountain hovering in the sky, intending to strike him down and prevent him from delivering that impending sword strike.
Facing such a high-speed, high-power assault without any defense, everyone couldn’t help but wonder—could this old man really dodge these almost unavoidable beams?
After all, if he couldn’t even manage that, then defeating the incredibly powerful, primordial creator goddess before him—Tiamat—would be nothing more than a fantasy.
SWISH—!
WHOOSH—!
THUD—!
As the light carrying destructive energy rushed toward its target, the old man simply held his greatsword vertically before him as his sole protection.
The result, however, was unexpected... not only did he suffer no damage, but those devastating attacks were sliced right down the middle!
Such an effortless way of neutralizing the crisis, combined with his self-evident and powerful aura, undoubtedly showed the world the true strength of this elder once again.
"AAAAHHH!!"
Realizing that there was no way to stop this old man, Tiamat couldn’t help but let out a despairing and sorrowful cry.
At this moment, facing the failure of all her techniques, Tiamat could only stand there like a helpless lamb, watching the final, impending strike without any means of resistance.
"I do not crave the empty title of Grand, but I shall prove who is the greatest under the heavens with the blade in my hand." As the Old Man of the Mountain descended at high speed, he reached Tiamat, gripping his sword tightly and raising it high above his head, preparing to deliver the fatal blow.
"By the right granted to me by destiny, I shall now sever the wings of thee who fly beyond the nine heavens!"
As these words fell, a deep, imposing voice resonated through the silent Underworld, completely suppressing Tiamat’s roar.
The Old Man of the Mountain now hovered above Tiamat, his greatsword raised, about to slash down, like the grim reaper of Tiamat, tolling her funeral bell.
His awe-inspiring figure seemed to herald the end of all things, shrouding the entire world in a stifling atmosphere.
He held high the pitch-black greatsword with the luster of dark iron; the blade seemed to absorb all light and vitality, appearing exceptionally heavy and terrifying.
Ominous halos radiated from his black armor, which burned with ghostly blue flames, like an envoy from the depths of hell;
And the mask, constructed from bleached bone fragments, only added to the chilling atmosphere... This was the final sight Tiamat beheld as she suffered this devastating blow.
At this critical moment of life and death, her eyes were filled with disbelief and despair.
RUMBLE—!
The massive roar shook the entire sky, like the deafening sound of countless lightning bolts intertwining.
With the arrival of this pressure, a faint mist permeated the air, and even the atmosphere became distorted.
This was the strike that abandoned the Grand title! It condensed all his power and conviction, discarding all distracting thoughts, solely to reach the pinnacle of power with this one blow.
This was no simple slash, but an ultimate strike exchanged for his very life.
A plain, unadorned greatsword fell upon Tiamat.
No flashy techniques, just a simple attack, yet it contained infinite power and will.
When the greatsword made contact with Tiamat’s body, time itself seemed to stretch.
Accompanied by tremors, the entire Underworld was transformed; under the influence of this blow, it was reduced to only black and white.
The once colorful world instantly lost its hue, becoming exceptionally silent and desolate, as if the apocalypse had arrived.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Each strike deeply shook the souls of everyone present; the sound of the greatsword’s slash, like a funeral bell, echoed endlessly across the vast land of the Underworld.
The sound continued for a long time before slowly fading, but the fear it brought lingered on.
This strike completely sounded the death knell for Tiamat and signaled the counterattack for everyone else.
Facing such a powerful enemy, everyone finally saw hope, and the fire of battle reignited within their hearts.
This moment was not only an end but also a beginning, symbolizing the opening of a new war while bringing a glimmer of dawn for the future.
For a time, after receiving the slash, Tiamat seemed to lose certain characteristics, emitting continuous, pained, low roars.
This painful and powerless sound pierced the darkness and spread everywhere, stirring compassion.
The once arrogant existence was now in such a sorry state; how unpredictable the world is!
Even on her once plump and massive body, lightning-like cracks appeared, extending all the way to her wings.
These cracks emitted an eerie and cold aura, as if they could tear her apart at any moment.
She looked as if she had been infected by a virus, lifeless and dull.
That the formerly dazzling creator goddess now appeared in such a wretched state was simply hard to accept. But this was reality—cruel and merciless.
"This is... the power of the Grand..." Fujimaru Ritsuka, standing on the battlefield, was stunned as he watched the scene.
He had heard various rumors about the power of the Grand, but seeing it happen before his eyes was still inconceivable.
That power, which transcended the scope of human understanding, left everyone in awe.
Though he felt happy, after truly experiencing all this, it felt so unreal.
Despite the joy of victory in his heart, he couldn’t help but feel a complex shift in emotion when seeing the opponent’s tragic end.
After all, enemy or not, Tiamat had been one of the origins of all things, an ancient existence that had witnessed the evolution of the world.
The creator goddess, Tiamat, was actually injured... such a thing was pure fantasy.
But now... this scene was truly playing out before his eyes. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "That powerful existence has been injured once again." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "And the person who attacked seems completely fine." ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "So amazing, it’s stronger than all the previous attacks." ]
[ Rimuru Tempest (Tensura): "Such powerful strength, I wouldn’t want to meet an enemy like that." ]
[ Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord): "+ 1+ 1+ 1" ]
[ Uzumaki Naruto (Naruto): "!!!" ]
[ .....]
〜Naruto World〜
"Tiamat’s wings? They were actually severed?"
Uzumaki Naruto’s face went blank for a moment.
Looking at those massive wings, he wondered how many people would have been crushed if they had fallen.
But... like a dream, this old man had completely reversed the situation with a single move.
"That’s really... too amazing..."
Naruto couldn’t help but blurt out the praise, his face still showing a look of worship.
Even Jiraiya, at this moment, was clapping continuously, praising the old man’s strength.
"Truly... ginger really is spicier when it’s old."
After coming to their senses, the master and apprentice smiled at each other.
"Naruto, if you say that flashy golden guy is the sum of the Five Kage, then this old man before us is definitely a man who can surpass the sum of the Five Kage. This strike of his is definitely the greatest I have ever seen in my life. If this kind of power appeared in our world, I imagine half of the Hidden Leaf Village would be destroyed by it."
"Wow... one strike... half of the Hidden Leaf Village... surpassing the sum of the Five Kage..."
Naruto listened to Jiraiya’s endless praise, feeling deeply shocked.
He had never imagined there could be such a powerful attack, an attack that even surpassed the sum of the Five Kage.
—
〜Demon Slayer World〜
Tanjiro was also stunned by the scene before him.
"If this guy were to make a move, another hundred Muzans... oh no! A thousand Muzans! Would be killed in one second by this old man."
Before Tanjiro could react, Inosuke the boar-head shouted from the side.
—
〜One Punch Man World〜
Genos looked at the scene before him, and even his mechanical body couldn’t help but shudder.
He looked at his mechanical palms, feeling quite shocked for a moment...
If this guy had such strength, it meant... he couldn’t even withstand a single strike from him?
"...Am I really... still too weak?"
Genos, questioning his own strength, was dumbfounded for a moment; having been transformed into a cyborg, he wouldn’t be able to defeat a human. And... he wasn’t even bald...
—
『 The battle situation had been updated once again.
Unlike before, when Tiamat had dragon-fied and was attempting to spread her huge wings to take off from the Underworld and return to the vast Mesopotamian land to regain that invincible power.
However, just as her plan was in full swing, Hassan, known to all as the Old Man of the Mountain, appeared quietly and delivered a fatal blow that severed Tiamat’s powerful wings, instantly reversing the battle’s momentum and plunging it back into a stalemate.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!"
Tiamat now emitted a sound unlike any before; it was a desperate howl of unbearable pain, as if she were enduring inhuman torment.
With the massive impact of this force, that once lofty, colossal body suddenly lost its balance, falling straight down from mid-air without any defense, like a collapsing mountain crashing into the ground.
The dust of the Underworld was kicked up, flying everywhere and forming gray, cloudy swirls like cyclones.
BOOM—!
This ear-splitting roar erupted as her heavy body landed on the Underworld ground, causing the entire Underworld to shake, like ripples on a lake hit by a giant rock.
As for the Old Man of the Mountain, who had been floating in the air after completing this kill-in-one-strike attack, he did not immediately pursue; instead, he descended slowly and calmly back to the solid ground of the Underworld.
At this moment, the elder inserted his black greatsword deep into the dark and mysterious land before him with a casual gesture, standing as composed as a battle-hardened, fearless veteran.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
The incessant sound echoed in the sky of the Underworld, heavy and powerful like a premonition of impending death, reverberating for a long time in this world filled with melancholic blue light, making all living things tremble with unease.
Watching all this, people seeing the Old Man of the Mountain’s composed attitude in contrast to Tiamat’s continuous wails and screams couldn’t help but think—perhaps this is what the Grim Reaper truly looks like.
Possessing both an awe-inspiring, untouchable holiness and a cold, intimidating murderous intent, this complex and contradictory feeling surrounded this seemingly aged yet imposing figure at this very moment.
Tiamat’s roar, like thunder, shook the hearts of everyone present, reaching the ears of all!
Countless dense, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on Tiamat’s massive body at this moment.
Those cracks were small and intricate, and a ghostly blue luster faintly shone from the tiny fissures, like bursting points of light, making one feel chilled to the bone!
At this moment, Tiamat had changed drastically compared to the past.
It wasn’t just a physical impairment—her once intact skin and muscles were now full of cracks;
More importantly, the aura enveloping her body had also changed...
If Tiamat, before the Old Man of the Mountain’s strike, was a god fundamentally impossible to defeat, symbolizing the creation of all life...
Then the current Tiamat—the Primordial Mother whose wings had been severed after being heavily wounded by the Old Man of the Mountain—no longer possessed that aura of invincibility. After losing her wings, the aura she exuded became much more fragile!
The undefeated Beast... from the moment the Old Man of the Mountain swung his blade, along with the life force dissipating from Tiamat... 』
『 .....』
( Translator-kun: This one is more detailed compared to my other projects that also feature this series )
