328 Settle the matter
Well, I knew this would happen eventually.
Ultimately, it comes down to what each side prioritizes. And those priorities differ.
Me and the Demon Lord — the existence of the Goddess.
The Black and the Goddess — the will of the Goddess.
We who seek to preserve the Goddess's existence, yet disregard her will.
They who respect the Goddess's will, yet accept her existence vanishing.
Since these positions are incompatible, confrontation is inevitable.
But seriously—
Even so, this is excessive!
I roll sideways to evade the Black’s descending foot, which crashes down where I stood moments ago.
A loud crack echoes as the Black’s foot plunges into the ground.
Cracks form in the perfectly leveled earth.
Do not assume safety just because the ground doesn’t shatter into splinters.
This is the Black’s created otherworld.
Thinking in terms of normal physical laws will get you hurt.
Probably would’ve shattered every bone in my body by now.
Rolling, pushing off the ground with my hands, springing upright.
Cervical vertebrae are repaired.
But—just a moment—!
Ducking backward to narrowly avoid the black fist closing in on my face!
Inabawaa!
Or maybe The Matrix!
Immediately push off the ground with hands—brich!
Exorcist dash—retreat!
Disgusting?
Who cares about that!
You’re going too far, Black!
You pull me into your domain right after a surprise attack—no time to recover—immediate offensive.
That’s not something a superior should be doing!
A superior should be complacent like some golden statue somewhere!
You’re not just a king— you’re practically a god!
The black figure catches up to me in an instant, despite my fleeing, and kicks me in the back.
Guhfoo!
A sound—unnatural, from within the body—echoed.
This isn’t funny anymore.
The black fist pierces through me mid-air, after being kicked upward.
The fist strikes dead center of my chest, piercing through my body.
Hahah.
Even with a defensive barrier active—useless.
Not laughing now.
This situation is seriously dire.
Movement is sluggish. Defense is ineffective.
The sluggishness stems from the black field.
Within this domain, only the master of black may fully exert power. Others are restricted.
It is like moving through water—each motion delayed, weighted.
The defense fails because my barrier has been nullified by the black barrier.
This is the true Dragon Barrier—exclusive to genuine Dragon blood.
A cheat barrier. It invalidates all magic without question.
Can nullify offensive magic when used defensively, and disable defenses when used offensively—just like this.
True cheat.
Unfair.
Holding such a cheat ability, yet still attempting an ambush, arriving with full preparation to kill me.
Can't afford to be complacent against an opponent like this.
When the time comes to settle our fate with black, I intended to lure him onto my field first—yet now it's completely the opposite.
Impossible.
Phew.
Complaining won't help.
It's happened. There's no choice but to proceed.
Too many variables out of plan, but my course remains unchanged.
Defeat black. Initiate the world regeneration project.
“Mm.”
Grasp the black arm piercing my chest.
Simultaneously transform lower body into a spider form, slash with front claw.
The black figure wrenched my hand free, yanking its arm out and retreating.
It sidestepped the slow, sluggish scythe—affected by the field effect.
If there's a dragon barrier, there's no need to dodge, is there?
Means it's wary of me, then.
Still, I managed to create distance.
This is the black's field, so distance means little.
After all, a field created by a god is akin to being within the god’s body.
It favors the self, disadvantages the other.
As long as I remain here, the black’s advantage cannot be overturned.
Still, I won’t stay helpless forever.
Creaking, white spiders crawled from the shadows beneath my feet.
One after another.
Each emergence warped the field, as if devouring space itself.
"Stop it!"
Black charges forward, fist raised, but the white spiders scatter.
Of course, I retreat, avoiding Black’s attack—my true self.
The scattered white spiders summon more white spiders; those summoned, in turn, call forth yet more.
White spiders multiplying exponentially.
They tear through Black’s field.
“Is that all?”
Kekekekeke!
Did you think I’d just stand there and be beaten senseless?
...No, that’s a lie.
I was getting thoroughly beaten.
But I had already arranged for my fragments to move, infiltrating Black’s field from the outside.
Restoring my chest, the one with the hole.
F-fight has only just begun!
Being beaten senseless? That’s not in my log.
“Tch!”
Black snaps their tongue.
Advancing toward my core, but I retreat steadily, maintaining distance.
The speed of Black's charge matches my backward movement.
The sluggishness in my body from earlier is gone.
The battle between two spatial mages has taken on the form of a territorial struggle.
Expanding my field, preventing the opponent’s field from spreading.
And now, my subsidiary forms—white spiders—are rapidly covering Black’s field, transforming it into my own.
Hahahaha!
I didn’t spend so long mastering this for nothing!
Don’t underestimate specialization!
Yes, I admit it.
In overall strength, I cannot match Black.
I was caught off guard—this is true.
In fact, during the earlier exchange, my mana was drastically depleted.
Black’s ambush was a complete success—dammit.
But—still!
I have been consciously training myself since I became a god—focused entirely on you.
I can't have you think this will be easy.
The outcome of this contest may well determine the fate of the world.
Then let us settle this now—black and white.
...Still, better to secure a contingency.