The story we started

[Just as the fireball was about to hit Zaimokuza, the purple light on his waist suddenly dimmed, and dots of silver-purple light like stars in the night sky spread from his waist.]

[The next moment, a fireball just inches away from Zaimokuza suddenly exploded, and the raging flames engulfed his extremely thin figure in front of the flames! ]

【boom!!!!!!】

[Amid the explosion that resounded throughout the harbor, a column of white fire shot up into the sky, shining with a strange light under the setting sun at dusk, as if the time in this area had been turned back to dawn by the gods.]

[“Hmph~ Is that all?”]

[Looking at the white flames spreading in front of him, Giiga put down his hands in boredom. He saw clearly just now that when the fireball exploded, Zaimokuza didn't even have time to complete his transformation.]

[Even the Titan form is vulnerable to his powerful attack, how can a mere human body withstand such a force? ]

[“Then what’s next——Hmm???”]

[Giiga was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly froze. He lowered his head and looked at the dark silver belt with red stripes around his waist. The devil-shaped belt still had no changes, and it looked ferocious and solemn.]

[Why...hasn't there been any change? Why haven't I become "go" yet? ]

[Don't you usually get promoted to the next level immediately after completing your goal? ? ? ]

[Could it be——!? ]

[Giga immediately raised his head and stared at the flames and smoke that were gradually dissipating in front of him.]

[In the chaotic scene caused by the high temperature, a huge black shadow loomed. ]

[Swish, swish—]

[A strong sea breeze blew through the area again, and the rising white mist and the remaining flames were blown away by the strong wind, exposing the hidden things there to giiga's eyes.]

【"……Stone?"】

[It murmured to itself, its voice filled with surprise and astonishment that was difficult to conceal.]

[——The thing that appeared in the smoke was a huge rock.]

[A three-meter-high, pure brown rock stands on the concrete road of the harbor. This scene is full of a sense of abruptness and disharmony, just like inserting a Dadaist ready-made work into an impressionist painting, so awkward that people can't look directly at it.]

[The side of the rock facing giiga was smooth and flat, not like a naturally formed rock at all. The surface of the rock was red and hot. It was obvious that the surface temperature had risen due to its attack, causing it to look like this.]

【Kara.】

[Just when Giiga was still surprised, the rock that was so smooth that it could almost be used as a mirror suddenly cracked into several cracks from the red and hot part.]

[Kala ka ka ka ka ka——]

[Like a rolling stone on a mountain, after these cracks appeared, more cracks appeared from all parts of the entire rock, climbing and spreading rapidly on the rock, and soon covered the entire tall stone. At this moment, the rock looked like a piece of porcelain that was broken and glued together again, or like a new modern work of golden iron wire, with purple light spreading from those cracks to the surroundings.]

【--boom!】

[Finally, with a violent roar, the entire rock collapsed and shattered, with rocks flying in all directions. Some of the broken rocks even passed by Giiga's face at a very fast speed, cutting a gash on it, and blood flowed out.]

【clang.】

[A purple-gold sword fell from the broken rock, and the sharp tip of the sword pierced directly into the concrete ground with rubble and flames. A hand covered with white armor stretched out and grasped the hilt of the sword, pulling the brand new Titan sword out of the ground.]

[“How is it possible…”]

[The wound on his face was healing quickly, but Giiga was too distracted to care about that.]

[It stared at the figure who had drawn the Titan Sword in an almost dull manner, its orange-red eyes reflecting a white warrior.]

[“You are——Kuuga!???”]

【“…”】

[The figure silently raised his head and looked at Giiga, his pair of compound eyes as bright as purple agate also reflected his body which was retreating in disbelief.]

[This figure only roughly shows some remnants of the Titan form, and the rest is almost completely different.]

[Because unlike the Titan form where only the upper body is covered in heavy armor, his entire body is covered in silver-white armor. The texture of the armor is like iron and stone, and it wraps around his entire body. There is almost no weak point, just like the heavy cavalry in the Middle Ages who covered themselves with armor and ran rampant on the battlefield.]

[On the two round shoulder armors, a pair of protruding armors stretched upwards again. The spirit stone on the waist was like silver mercury mixed with pure purple, and it kept making circular motions with the round edge of the stone.]

【"call……"】

[Feeling the powerful force filling his entire body, and the weight that was even heavier than that of the Titan form, Zaimokuza slowly exhaled, and white mist came out from both sides of his open mouth, like lava spewed out by a demon from the depths of hell.]

[Kuga·Titan Form·Elemental Awakening (Earth).]

【“How is it possible, how is it possible, how is it possible, how is it possible!????”】

[Looking at the new form of Zaimokuza, Giiga murmured incredulously in the language of Gurongi, his speech speed getting faster and faster, and finally he couldn't help but roar loudly, the roar echoed in the harbor at dusk, startling countless birds. ]

[“How can the purple power evolve further? How can you continue to get stronger? This is impossible! I don’t believe it!”]

[Giga stared at Zaimokuza intently, his right hand trembling with anxiety, then he clenched it tightly and quickly raised it to his mouth to cover his mouth.]

【"go to hell!"】

[Before the red air waves gathered and spun toward its face again, a red fireball formed and shot out amid Giiga's roar, shooting toward Zaimokuza! ]

【boom! 】

[The fireball immediately splits up on its way to Zaimokuza, turning into several smaller fireballs that hit various parts of his armored body. The fireballs explode immediately after hitting his body, spreading the heat and flames contained in them and wrapping around Zaimokuza's body, causing smoke to rise.]

【"Varied--!?"】

[But when the dark smoke cleared, giiga could hardly believe his eyes.]

[Black smoke drifted away from Zaimokuza's body in the wind. The silver armor was not damaged at all and was still as bright and clean as new. Zaimokuza himself did not even move. The fireballs were like hitting a towering mountain. They were useless except for causing smoke and fire.]

[The power of these fireballs was enough to severely injure Zaimokuza before. Even if he turned into a Titan, he would be blown to the ground. But now it was completely useless. The fierce flames were just like a wave blowing across the mountain peaks. No matter how strong it is, the breeze blows over the hills! ]

[Looking at this bizarre scene that went beyond his common sense, an irrepressible sense of terror surged from deep within his heart. Driven by this emotion, giiga could not help but take a step back.]

[It was just a step back, but it meant that Giiga was already afraid, just like Zaimokuza who was completely intimidated by the fierce firepower when he fought with it in the quarry before.]

[And now, after just one morning, the one who was afraid has become the one who once gave fear. ]

[Suddenly, giiga remembered what the useless "zu" said before he left and was made into a roasted bat by him. ]

[——I remember there were many players who said something similar before, but none of them came back. It seems that they were all dealt with by Kuuga? ]

[——I don’t think you’re the next player to advance to “go”, but the next player to die at the hands of Kuuga, hehehehe…]

【Chuckle, chuckle.】

[Gooma's sinister mocking voice echoed in the brain, and Giiga's dark red hands clenched into fists, and the knuckles squeezed to make a bone cracking sound. It suddenly opened its mouth and roared, the sound was almost hysterical.]

[“But, it’s just a new form! Why are you being so arrogant in front of me!?”]

[“Just wait, let me use my strongest move to send you, the damned one, to hell!”]

[Its hands opened to the side, and a red light emanated from its body, followed by a raging fire. The heat, comparable to that of a steel furnace, spread from the surface of its body in all directions. The concrete floor beneath its feet began to emit white smoke and even turned red, showing signs of melting!]

[The scorching cyclone swirled and merged from the surrounding air towards Giiga's face, and even the flames burning on his body were drawn into it. A fireball emitting surging heat grew from small to large, and its color became increasingly darker. After reaching a certain critical point, the fireball began to slowly shrink.]

[This move is the same terrifying move that burned down the entire quarry and broke through the defense of the Azure Dragon Form Elemental Awakening Water Cloak. Its destructive power is simply immeasurable. If it is used here, the entire harbor will inevitably be destroyed! ]

[Zaimokuza's purple compound eyes watched the fireball that had once left a huge psychological shadow on him reappear, but this time he felt no emotion at all.]

[Now, he has already overcome the fear he had back then. ]

【"--drink!"】

[Zaimokuza looked at the giiga that was ready to attack, slowly raised his non-sword-holding hand towards it, and then suddenly clenched it! ]

[Just as he grasped it, the purple pearls on his wrist shone brightly.]

【boom--】

[The next moment, a transparent ripple suddenly spread out from the ground under Giiga's feet, and then several sharp stone pillars stretched out from it, blocking various parts of its body.]

【"What!?"】

[Giga had not anticipated the attack that would erupt from beneath his feet. He struggled in panic the moment his body was caught by the cross stone pillars. The yellow-white fireball that had gathered around him immediately twisted and trembled after losing control, and then exploded right at his face!]

【boom! ! ! 】

[“Woooooo!”]

[The sound of the explosion was mixed with Giiga's screams. It was the first time that it personally experienced the power of its own attack. Even though it was hit head-on, it was destroyed and screamed in pain, like a cobra whose own venom was poured into its blood.]

[After the flames and smoke dissipated, the red stone pillars still stood in place, trapping Giiga, whose body was burned black by the flames he created, in the middle, making it completely unable to move.]

【"it's over."】

[Zaimokuza slowly raised the Titan Sword in his right hand, staring at Giiga who was severely injured by his attack with his compound eyes, and raised it high above his head. The spirit stone at his waist made a heavy sound like an earth rumble.]

【Om—】

[A silver and purple "Earth" totem appeared under Zaimokuza's feet. The totem rose and turned into surging purple light particles that poured into the Titan sword he held high, and all of them were swallowed up by the purple gem in the center of the hilt.]

[As the light particles poured in, the gem gradually shone with purple light, and the word "Earth" in it shone with an even more dazzling silver light. Even the blade of the Titan Sword trembled slightly, and a transparent wave spread from the blade, and the air around it seemed to vibrate in front of this wave.]

【唔——】

[After the purple gem swallowed up all the surging particles, the great sword began to glow with a silver-purple glow. Under the setting sun, it looked like a silver meteor streaking across the sky. The clear sound of flowing water resounded in all directions, with the Titan Sword as the center.]

[Zaimokuza grips the hilt of the Titan Sword with both hands, roars loudly and slashes forward! ]

[“——What the hell!!!”]

[Amid his high-pitched roar, the blade of the Titan Sword pressed against the ground. A huge crack with a dazzling purple light started from the tip of the Titan Sword touching the ground, and spread like a climbing python towards Giiga who was trapped by the stone pillar. It was as if the earth itself was cut open by this sword! ]

["When an evil creature appears, put on steel armor and cut off the evil warriors with earth-breaking force."]

[This sentence translated by Yukinoshita Yukino is now manifested in the most intuitive way by the Zaimokuza transformed into Kuga, recreating the shocking scene witnessed by the ancient humans who carved the inscription.]

[The earth faced the warrior's sword, and everything in its path was cut off, like an army retreating! ]

【boom--!!!!!!】

[“——Uwaa ...

[When the crack spread to the bottom of Giiga's feet, a huge stone blade, completely different in size from the previous stone pillar and shaped like a sword, broke out of the ground with a huge roar and the trembling of the concrete floor. It pressed against Giiga's bulging belly amid his painful wails, pushing his entire body upwards!]

[The huge stone pillar, like a peak or a sword, continued to expand the size of its base as it rose, and soon became a huge stone that five people could not hold together, and the sharp sword-like peak also pushed Giiga's body to a height higher than all the buildings in this seaport. ]

[After pushing it to the highest point, the stone sword blade that had been extending out suddenly stopped, and Giiga's body was slightly lifted into the air due to potential energy and inertia.]

[The next moment, the top of the stone sword blade turned red at an extremely fast speed, and then a violent explosion erupted from the red lava-like top and bombarded the giiga that was close at hand. The scorching fire engulfed its tall figure in an instant! ]

【"kuu——ga!!!"】

【boom--!!!!!!】

[A violent explosion suddenly erupted in the low sky above the harbor. The waves and flames of the explosion spread in all directions in a circular shape. The flames caused by the explosion illuminated the harbor, whose light was gradually fading. The sword-shaped stone pillars still stood tall directly below the explosion. This scene was like a star falling from the sky being pierced in the middle by a spear thrown by the god of war standing on the ground, with epic majesty and grandeur.]

[In the explosion, a howl of hatred and despair was heard, and then it was engulfed by the shock wave and flames, just like the innocent people that Giiga had killed in this way before. The final outcome was nothing more than being engulfed by the flames, just like the people who died at his hands.]

[Zaimokuza looked up at the low-altitude explosion, the flames and the light of the setting sun illuminated his purple compound eyes, and then disappeared.]

[As the explosion faded away, the remains of the giiga turned into ashes and fell from the sky, announcing the end of this battle.]

【“…”】

[Zaimokuza silently put down the Titan Sword in his hand, and the silver armor covering his entire body gradually began to dissipate into silver light particles. The particles reflected in his compound eyes were like fireflies dancing in the night sky, so beautiful that it took one's breath away.]

[After all the light particles dissipated, Zaimokuza's armor had returned to its Titan form.]

[“Hmm——”]

[His tall body suddenly shook a few times, and he took a step forward and stabbed the Titan Sword into the ground, maintaining his balance, and half-knelt on the ground.]

【Om—】

[The purple spirit stone on his waist became dim and shrank into Zaimokuza's body after a faint hum. The warrior on the ground also turned back into a human figure.]

【"Hahaha……"】

【Zaimokuza holds the sword-shaped rock that has been transformed back to its original shape in one hand, and breathes softly while supporting himself on the ground with the other hand.】

【Tick.】

[A drop of sweat fell on the ground in front of him. The intense physical exertion made Zaimokuza's sweat quickly soak all over his body like hot water from a floodgate. His bangs were stuck together on his forehead by the sweat, and the scene in front of him began to double.]

[Hahahahahahaha——]

[In a trance, the laughter of children came from the front. Zaimokuza looked up in confusion. In the blurry world, the laughing children in the kindergarten appeared. Their smiles were so real and beautiful. The clear and pleasant laughter was like an ethereal requiem, soothing his tired soul.]

[Slowly, a smile appeared on Zaimokuza's face. Although he was exhausted physically and mentally, he smiled happily, like a blooming sunflower.]

[I did it. I protected everyone's smile.]

[…What do you think of my performance? It should be satisfactory, right?]