Ikaku Akamuro reached the torii gate and knelt beside Issei Akai, who lay still within the magic circle. He gently touched the young man’s wrist. There was no pulse, but the skin was strangely warm.

“…So I didn’t make it in time. Again.”

Cracks of fire spiderwebbed across Issei’s body.

Ikaku’s breath caught, and he stumbled backward step by step. Searing heat poured from the fissures, scorching the corpse and turning it to charcoal.

The charred remains lifted as if pulled by invisible strings. It leaned forward on all fours as fin-like appendages sprouted from its back, swelling and growing until it towered over the torii gate.

Ikaku could only back away slowly, staring up at the transformation.

This is… Homura’s rebirth. The Risen One. It must have used Lord Issei’s body to manifest again…

He steadied his breathing, drawing in as much oxygen as he could to flood his body with energy. He clenched and unclenched his fist around his hatchet, testing his grip.

“This is it, then.”

It’s impossible! There’s no way you can beat a monster like that!

“My body’s at its breaking point, but there’s still something I have to do. And what a man has to do… that isn’t something that can be stopped by the limits of the flesh. Besides…”

Ikaku glanced over his shoulder. The wall of fire left by the Horse-Headed Demon still sealed the only way in or out of the cavern.

“There’s no escape.”

There was only one path. And so, there was no hesitation in moving forward.

That’s how Ikaku Akamuro thinks. It’s how he has always thought.

And how he always will.

He turned to face the behemoth.

A full size up from a Monstrosity-Type… a Behemoth-Type.

Ten meters long. Estimated weight of several dozen tons. Covered in a coat of smoldering, carbonized hide. The heat is intense even from this distance. Feels on par with the “Final Blaze” Shido unleashed.

Category 6 is the start of the upper half of the ten-tier Demon classification system. There’s a reason for the divide between lower and high-tier demons. The so-called “high-tier” ones possess not only superhuman physical strength fueled by immense mana, but also some kind of magical ability.

In Homura’s case, that’s obviously the power of fire. The danger level skyrockets at this point, making it the kind of prey that would require a party of magical nobles to take down…

What the hell am I even doing? This is insane.

He scanned every inch of the burning behemoth, searching for a way to win.

Ikaku had always sought a path to victory. This time would be no different.

If I’m gonna do this, it’s gotta be an attack on its head or neck… no other choice. Too high up. I’ll have to run up its leg, kick off the arm it uses to swat me away, get to its shoulder, and then… yeah, something like that will have to do.

“I won’t allow Lord Issei’s dignity to be trampled any further.”

Ikaku steeled himself and sprinted forward. His wounds tore open, spilling fresh blood.

Homura squeezed awkwardly through the torii gate, lowering its head and opening its mouth.

The inside of its maw glowed like boiling lava, a superheated gas shimmering within. Its breath was meant to scour the earth, to incinerate the charging mortal head-on, to deny him even the chance to get close.

“GUOOOOOOOH!”

IKAKUUUU!

Incinerated by the searing breath, Ikaku was blasted away nearly ten meters before collapsing. His body aflame, he rolled onto the wet ground, the motion dousing the fire.

Then he realized his body was completely immobile.

Guess this is my physical limit… as far as I go.

His head turned away from Homura, facing the cavern entrance. Unable to move his neck, Ikaku felt a wave of dread at the sound of the behemoth’s footsteps behind him.

You’ve served me well, body of mine. I put you through so much.

You can rest now.

Ikaku gauged the monster’s approach by its footsteps and presence. He planned to resist one last time at the final moment. Though paralyzed, he still had an ace up his sleeve.

Half his face submerged in water, he waited with closed eyes.

Then a figure appeared beyond the wall of fire, right where his head was turned.

Ikaku’s eyes snapped open. Someone was there.

Right there.

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