Slime.
Among the many iconic monsters that appear in famous games, it is easily one of the most recognizable.
Their body structures vary greatly.
Some are nothing more than flowing, viscous liquid. Others are semi-solid, jelly-like masses with enough elasticity to bounce as they move.
Sometimes their bodies are completely homogeneous. In other depictions, they possess organs such as eyes and mouths. The details differ widely depending on the work.
Their origins and descriptions are just as varied, with many different explanations.
Among those stories, Naohara had once heard a particular version.
For dragons, slime is considered a top-tier dessert.
Naohara found that idea quite convincing.
After all, back when Herohero was undergoing his transformation, he had genuinely thought to himself, "Sneaking a bite probably wouldn't hurt."
Thinking about it now, even without that Dragon Power, slime itself probably held some level of attraction for him.
"Brother, you smell delicious."
The thought made Naohara grin.
A breeze swept across the vast wilderness.
At this moment, two enormous beings faced each other from afar.
Floating in the air before him was a dragon nearly four hundred meters long. Black mist swirled around its body while raging black flames flowed across it.
The overwhelming Dragon Aura surged outward without restraint. A hurricane mixed with black mist roared through the sky.
Countless bolts of lightning descended from within, flashing against the pitch-black flames as if thunder and fire were deliberately highlighting the dragon's terrifying presence.
Herohero's body began to twitch uncontrollably.
"What the hell is that thing?"
The fight hadn't even started, yet he already felt like he had lost.
"No. I'm the one who proposed this spar. Surrendering would be way too embarrassing."
"I have to fight. Losing in battle is better than giving up."
Herohero muttered to himself, trying to convince his own mind.
He was completely stuck now, riding a tiger he couldn't get off, and deep down he regretted it.
Damn it. Drugs really do ruin lives.
The resentment of thirty million souls had gone straight to his head.
Herohero sighed. Then, with a thought, his body began to change.
His true form twisted and warped, the massive slime body writhing violently as waves of corrosive hissing sounds echoed through the air.
In the end, it expanded into a terrifying four-hundred-meter giant.
At the same time, layers of light began appearing across his body.
"Dragon Power, Life Essence, Flight, Mana Essence, Trait Enhancement, Focus Energy, Greater Hardening, Greater All Attribute Enhancement, See Through, Greater Luck, Abyss Blessing, Shadow Cloak, Self Time Acceleration..."
"Light Garment, Soul Armor..."
"Flow Acceleration, Ability Boost, Ability Super Boost..."
"Special Skill: Self Corrosive Poison!"
Tier Magic, Wild Magic, Martial Arts, Special Skills.
Every enhancement he could activate was unleashed all at once.
Power surged through his entire body, filling him with an overwhelming sense of strength.
Without hesitation, Herohero charged straight forward.
He knew his own strengths and weaknesses very well.
Compared to ranged combat, he was far better suited for close combat.
With the Monk class bonuses combined with his inherent traits of corrosion and decay, fighting from a distance would be downright foolish.
So even though he knew Naohara was also extremely strong in melee combat, he had no other choice.
"Oh? Forcing a close-quarters fight?"
Naohara watched Herohero rushing toward him without the slightest surprise.
After all, it perfectly matched Herohero's usual fighting style.
Unfortunately.
The idea was good, but reality was cruel.
In the face of absolute power, all tactics were meaningless.
[Fallen Dragon Transformation]
[Descent of the Catastrophe God]
To show proper respect, Naohara also activated several enhancement spells.
In an instant, endless black mist began leaking from his body.
As the bleeding status took effect, his health slowly began to decrease.
A violent aura spread outward: chaotic, dark, and eerie beyond description.
His already monstrous form began to change.
Pitch-black dragon scales started protruding across his body. From his head down to his torso, a circular opening split open in his chest, exposing crimson flesh inside.
At the same time, the gem-like structures on both sides, resembling eyes, opened and rapidly spread across his entire body.
Dragon scales, dragon body, dragon horns.
Every inch of him transformed.
Crimson eyes continuously emerged from beneath the surface of his skin, carrying with them a strange, unsettling beauty.
"Come on!"
Herohero and Naohara locked eyes.
Countless pupils shifted across their bodies, and the same trace of madness appeared in both their gazes.
The two slammed into each other.
A bizarre screech mixed with the roar of a dragon echoed across the sky.
The enormous dragon tail sliced through the black gelatinous mass, while the chaotic monster lashed out with several tentacles that struck the dragon's spine.
Corrosive liquid splashed everywhere, unleashing terrifying corrosion as it tried to dissolve the dragon's body.
But against the dragon's overwhelming resistance, the effect was minimal.
Black mist turned into pitch-black flames that wrapped around the dragon's claws. With a sharp tearing sound through the air, a streak of light dragged a blazing trail as it swept past.
A large chunk of jelly, covered in eyes and mouths, was ripped apart.
Dark purple blood sprayed out and splattered onto the ground.
Green smoke rose immediately. Under the terrifying corrosion, enormous holes began to appear in the earth.
Amid the pain and shrieks, the countless eyes covering Herohero's body began to glow faintly as beams of dark lasers shot outward.
[Requiem of the End]
Naohara naturally refused to fall behind.
The crimson pupils spread across his body opened as well, and several reddish-brown laser beams burst out.
[Thousand Rending Void Flash]
In an instant, everything in the world seemed to lose its color.
Only this scene remained.
Behind the dazzling clash lay power capable of destroying everything.
Magic collided violently.
Space shattered.
Curse, Corrosion, Decay.
Three distinct magical forces blanketed the ruined land.
If Naohara had not reinforced the Wild Magic [World-Isolating Barrier] before the battle, the entire Kaz Plain would likely have already become a true forbidden zone.
A place even the undead could not enter.
...
Outside the barrier, Keno's eyes had completely lost their focus as she stared blankly at the scene inside.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What exactly am I looking at?
Is the world about to end?
A mess of thoughts flooded her mind.
Her brain had clearly reached its limit.
As for the other spectator, the Vampiric Dragon Lord, he at least appeared calm on the surface.
Though his body twitched from time to time.
"This is supposed to be a spar!"
The Vampiric Dragon Lord screamed internally.
Why did every random attack look like it could seriously injure him?
Are Players really this terrifying now?
Could it be that he, a True Dragon Lord, was actually the fake one?
The Vampiric Dragon Lord couldn't help but question his entire dragon life.
...
Inside the barrier, the battle continued.
"Haha! This is great!"
Naohara let out a thunderous roar.
He had completely fallen into exhilaration. The dragon blood in his body boiled, filling him with the pure desire to fight.
His long dragon tail swung out, slicing through space with blinding speed.
At the same time, curse-formed flames gathered in his dragon maw. Empowered by the power of Catastrophe, a jet-black beam of light erupted instantly.
Facing this attack, Herohero's body collapsed into a pool of sludge.
Using the dragon tail's strike to split his body in two, he narrowly avoided the beam of light.
Immediately afterward, magic gathered. His tentacles sharpened into blades and slashed forward.
Dragon scales shattered.
Scorching dragon blood dripped down continuously.
"Not easy. I finally broke through his defense."
Herohero sighed inwardly.
He was fighting far too passively.
With hundreds of buffs stacked on himself, he still couldn't beat Naohara, who only had two buffs active.
He had even fallen into a disadvantage he had never experienced before.
If he hadn't absorbed thirty million souls earlier and relied on the unique traits of a slime to keep maneuvering, he probably wouldn't have lasted this long.
They were both World Bosses.
So how could the gap be this big?
Herohero felt helpless.
Still, he had at least managed to break Naohara's defense.
That recovered a bit of his dignity.
Even if he surrendered now, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
"Final strike!"
Herohero sent a Message to convey his intent.
Naohara did not object. Their sparring session had already run its course, and there was no point in dragging it out any longer.
But a final strike?
Then he might as well show some real strength.
Herohero suddenly felt a surge of malice. A bone-chilling sensation followed, making his entire body tense.
"Damn it, are you trying to kill me?"
On the other side, Naohara raised his dragon claw. A dazzling magic circle appeared, radiating brilliant light. Magic power surged within it like the wrath of a god gathering before release.
A sphere that seemed capable of destroying everything slowly formed. The surrounding air trembled under the violent pulse of magic, and a terrifying aura spread across both earth and sky.
[Petit Catastrophe]
A weakened version of the most powerful spell-type skill, [Grand Catastrophe].
Even so, its power still surpassed that of [Super-Tier Magic].
Taking Herohero's safety into consideration, as well as the limits of the [World-Isolating Barrier], Naohara reluctantly abandoned the idea of ending the match with [Grand Catastrophe]. Instead, he chose the weaker [Petit Catastrophe].
"Hiss… Do you really have to make it this intense?!"
Herohero inhaled sharply when he saw the spell.
If that attack landed, it would not kill him instantly, but it would definitely hurt like hell.
"Tch… I should've kept my mouth shut."
Even as he complained internally, Herohero's expression became serious.
Wild Magic: [Heavenly Downfall]
A pitch-black sphere appeared in front of him.
In the next instant, a blinding orb expanded into the sky. Terrifying magic surged from it, as if it had the power to tear the world apart.
This was the Wild Magic that the Brightness Dragon Lord had submitted not long ago. It was said to have been modified from an instant-death spell, making its destructive power extremely frightening.
Because of that, Herohero had gone out of his way to learn it.
"Come!"
The two unleashed their attacks at the same moment.
Naohara's Catastrophe magic carried a World Curse, while Herohero's Wild Magic possessed power comparable to a World-Class Item. The collision of the two felt like the end of the world itself.
Just as the attacks were about to collide, a sudden Message interrupted them.
"Naohara-sama, Herohero-sama."
"We have lost communication with Momonga-sama. He is suspected to have encountered a True Dragon Lord. The situation is extremely critical!"
"What?!"
The terrifying magical pressure disappeared instantly.
Herohero and Naohara looked at each other, and at the same moment, a cold killing intent appeared in both of their eyes.