Chapter 123: The Reviving Inferno

[Japan • Osaka, Temporary Capital Defense Line――]

"Guess we’re up against these guys again… damn."

Midnight city streets echoed with gunfire. Shimizu and Sakagi were deployed to defend Osaka—the temporary capital, where people had gathered in droves.

The Self-Defense Force was now producing weapons forged from "Mystic Steel" at a greater rate than before, and pouring resources into training supernaturals. Still, they were nowhere near the level of the "Suzaku" or the Knights of the Sacred Sanctuary (Sanctuary Knights).

"If Gojo were here… well, thinking about it won’t help."

"Sakagi, don’t get weak now. He’s not gonna die, right?"

"Yeah… you’re right…"

"We just have to endure. As long as we hold on…"

Even in this overwhelming tide of the undead, both men clung to hope, pouring every ounce of effort into maintaining the front line. Then—

"Something’s stirring up behind us… what’s going on?"

Shimizu felt the unease grow, until she had to see for herself.

"What the hell!? Is that…?"

A towering pillar of flame rose in layered bursts. And strangely, cheers rang out. The night sky flickered like a strobe. Thunder boomed.

Sakagi and Shimizu recognized the scene.

"He’s here! He’s here! He’s here—!"

"Gojo?! Is it Gojo?!"

"Who else could it be?!"

"Wait—hey!"

Shimizu abandoned the scene, sprinting toward the source of the noise. Looking up, she saw a bird made of flame and a human streaking through the air at blinding speed.

Relief flooded her chest, sharp and sudden.

"You’re not dying on me… that’s just not possible."

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Flying over Japan’s skies, I check how many undead are left. Wanted to meet up with Sakagi-san and Shimizu-san, but no time—save it for later.

I gather magic power and channel it into the sky… that spell I used before to bury countless Japanese undead—its power and precision should be incomparable now.

Lightning flashes across the vast sky.

“Thunderclap!”

Over a million lightning bolts strike the ground. The undead hit by the lightning turn to ash in an instant.

Some areas are caught in chaos with the Self-Defense Force—so I conjure a “Flame Spear” and hurl it in. The fire burns only the undead, forming a massive pillar of flame.

The phoenix dives, skimming just above the ground, swallowing the undead whole in fire. A lot of monsters fallen—my second “Hero” board hits max level.

Hero Lv99

[Class Skills]

Blessing of Light B → A

Acquired Skill: Accelerated Growth ×1

Acquired Magic: Light Magic ×2

Next up—the “Assassin” board. I think one of the Black Knight’s true strengths lies in this class. I’ll push it as far as I can.

I head straight toward Tokyo’s dungeon.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

“…Why me? Why am I stuck like this… This world’s gotta be broken, right?”

The man’s hiding in a gymnasium at a primary school in Osaka. Over two hundred people are crowded here, seeking shelter.

“Hey… what the hell happens now!?”

“How much longer is this gonna go on!?”

The crowd’s stressed, tension thick in the air. He keeps his hat pulled low, trying not to stand out, holding his breath.

But someone notices him.

"Hey, ain't that Takada?"

"What? The critic who was on TV!?"

Four men close in on Takada, who’s sitting in the corner of the gym.

"Hey! You're Takada, the expert on paranormal abilities who was on every damn show, right?"

Takada stares, face twisted in panic. One of the men grabs him by the collar, yanks him up, slams him against the wall.

"What the hell do you mean 'Gojo's fake'?! Right after rumors started that Gojo was dead, look at this mess! How dare you say something so damn careless?!"

"I—I—misunderstanding! I only said it was *possible*! I didn't actually blame him! I swear, it's true!"

"Stop making up crap!!"

"Ah—!"

Just as the man lunges to punch him, a voice shouts from outside.

"Hey! Heard there’s monsters dropping dead outside! Self-Defense Force guys—someone said it’s Gojo—!"

"What?!"

"Wait, really?!"

The men scramble out in a rush, desperate to check if the rumor’s true. In the chaos, Takada slips away, bolts from the shelter, and vanishes into the city streets.

Why me... Why am I like this... He mutters to himself, walking numbly—

"Wha—?!"

Something grabs his foot. He looks down. A creature—just a torso, no legs—clutching his ankle, refusing to let go. Takada screams, kicks wildly, trying to break free, but his leg tangles up—falls hard on the ground.

All around him—dozens of creatures, closing in fast. No way out. He’s done for... That’s what he thinks—when—

A lightning bolt strikes. The creatures burst into blackened ruin, collapsing in silence.

Takada freezes, mouth open, staring up at the sky. He can’t speak. Above, amid flames, human figures soar—birds of fire, flying like angels.

"Is that… Gojo…?"

Hokada just stood there, stunned, mouth agape, staring up at the sky.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Once again, Tokyo’s the epicenter of Japan’s supernatural beasts. So that fake "Leader" really is inside that dungeon, huh…?

No time to waste. Fly straight to the entrance of Tokyo Dungeon and charge in.

"Come on! Phoenix!!"

The phoenix swooped above me, then melted into a sphere of flame encircling my body. Once inside the dungeon, I’ll flood it all with fire.

Flying at high speed, wrapped in flames, the undead scattered throughout the dungeon were incinerated just by moving.

"Works like a charm, this."

In an instant, I reached the lowest level. The assassin’s board hit max level.

Assassin Lv99

【Class Skills】

Assassination Rank F → D

Acquired Skills Stealth ×2

Acquired Magic Dark Magic ×2

Assassination… Should I try it? I pull out the second "Assassin" class board and tap its surface.

A sword materializes from the void, and I face off against the skeletal knight waiting at the lowest level.

Undead: Immortal Berserker

Lv2437

Wearing heavy armor, wielding a massive sword and shield. Faster than I expected—but still just a fake "Leader."

After a few exchanges, something felt different.

Just slightly… I could sense the gap in its movements. And the spot where its "magic core" should be—right there. Is this what "Assassination" does?

I teleport behind it in an instant, drive the blade straight into where I sensed the core. The skeletal knight lets out a heavy, guttural scream—and vanishes into black smoke.

Even if it's a fake… taking down a Leader this easily… this "Assassination Art" is seriously useful in close combat. Especially against the Black Knight, where I can't use my unique skill, "God's Eye"—it might just be my replacement.

The second assassin hit max level in this fight. Guess it's because the "Growth Acceleration" skill is really kicking in—feels like they're leveling up way too fast.

Assassin Lv99

[Class Skill]

Assassination Art Rank D → B

Acquired Skills Stealth ×1

Acquired Magic Dark Magic ×3

Two down… next up, America. I tap the third Assassin's board, and vanish instantly to America.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

[Osaka Prime Minister's Residence――]

"Report received. The monsters near Osaka have vanished, and monster activity across the region has dropped sharply—damage is receding rapidly."

Hearing the report, Prime Minister Tada exhaled in relief and sank back into his chair.

"Once again… he saved us."

"I thought the worst when I heard he'd died…."

Relieved murmurs echoed from the ministers gathered in the residence.

"But from here on out, it's our job. We can't rely on his power forever… report on the damage across regions."

Tada immediately requested disaster relief deployment from the Self-Defense Force and sent teams to rescue survivors. And across the Self-Defense Force, joy erupted once more—word had spread that the "Pyro Magus" had returned.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Arriving in America, the daylight was different from Japan. The giant's position is easier to track… I thought, and went to wipe out the giant in one go with a wide-range spell.

But the giant resists magic, and has insane stamina—half-hearted spells won't cut it. I gather fire, lightning, and dark magic between both hands.

"Composite Magic―― Black Thunder Bloom!!"

Hundreds of giants sank into the earth from that lightning strike. The rock giants, harder to affect with magic, remained standing—but the humanoid and iron giants? Absolutely obliterated.

One shot. The assassin’s career board maxes out.

Damn, the EXP from taking down a giant is huge...! Gotta keep leveling up that job board fast like this!

I pour极限 magic into the surviving rock giants, aiming to bring them down.

"Death-Parting Ice World (Niflheim)!!"

A massive ice spike appeared above the giant’s head and slammed down, shattering it. I kept teleporting, hunting down giants across the entire United States.

The experience points streaming in were pushing the assassin, the Great Mage, the monk, the magic warrior—and even the duplicates—up to their maximum capacity, eight cards in total.

[Occupational Skill]

Composite Magic Rank A → S

Qigong Martial Arts Rank A → S

Magic Sword Rank A → S

Assassination Skill: Rank B → A

Acquired Skill: Stealth ×3

Acquired Magic: Enhancement Magic (I) ×5, Thunder Magic (I) ×3, Light Magic (I)

Dark Magic (I) ×2 Water Magic (I) ×2 Fire Magic (I)

Just one left—the so-called "Fake Leader." That’s what I thought, then instantly teleported to New York, probably where she’d be.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The American forces facing the giant knew they couldn't take it down in a fight, so they prioritized evacuating the civilians.

Still, bit by bit, we’re being cornered. Human living space shrinks faster and faster. Just as we hit the brink—suddenly, a rumor spreads. The giant’s dead.

Joshua, a colonel commanding the U.S. Central Army in Tampa, Florida, heard the report too.

“What the hell? Why all of a sudden!?!”

“Don’t know. Just… all the Titans we’ve confirmed are dead…”

Joshua didn’t understand. His eyes shifted to the giant on the large monitor at the base. It was the “Leader” in New York.

Not as big as a Titan, but a crimson giant wrapped in flames… at least a hundred meters long. The one America had been monitoring…

A faint glowing object descended from above, flickering in the monitor.

“That’s… no way…!”

The glowing object crashed at the feet of the fiery giant—its sheer impact sending the colossal being flying. The monitor glitched, then the ground trembled, delayed but undeniable.

Joshua was certain. That was an asteroid…

“Gojo! Gojo’s here!!”

The humans inside the base exploded in excitement and joy.

““YEEAAAH!!!””

That day, nearly every Titan across the entire U.S. vanished.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Defeating the “Leader” imposter in America had capped the Demon King’s job board. First time ever. Now every job that had ever come from the Gacha was unlocked.

Upon inspection—

Demon King Lv99

【Job Skills】

Dark Blessing F → D

Acquired Skills: Intimidation ×1, Mental Resistance ×2

Acquired Magic: Dark Magic ×2

Third one. Just eight hours left…