Raid: The Blacksmith-Chapter 93: This Is The End: Part Three

"Blade Redemption."

"Trinity Barrage!"

"Maru’s Bite."

"Poison Piercing!"

"Bone Breaking Chain Smash!"

"Parallel Slice."

"Spiraling Slash of Death!"

"X-Communicatus."

"Pentagon Poison Projectiles!"

The Shadows utter in unison as they simultaneously launch their attacks at the F-Rank, Raid. And basically in an instant, the attacks connect.

A loud bang erupts as they merge, with him at the centre.

~BOOOOOM!~

An explosion of colour resembling red and orange simultaneously, results from the point of impact. The different energies merge as the explosion spreads, shining bright as if ridding the desert of the night’s dark light. It almost looks like a sun is forming in the very middle of the desert. The Shadows act fast to create distance, jumping back a fair length to avoid being collateral of their own assault. Some of those who threw weapons instead of energy attacks, namely, Pygmy, Asp, and Krait, all use Mana, coating it around they’re weapons from afar after their attacks land, and cause their weapons to fly back towards them at great speeds, only to catch them with ease. Rattler and Boa, on the other hand, simply pull back their rope dart and chains, respectively.

The explosion spreads wide, creating a large deep crater of a one kilometre radius.

The Shadows, a fair distance away, watch with bated breath as the explosion rides out.

They know a mixture of attacks like that should’ve worked. They hope it. Yet still they remain cautious. Anxious. Almost... fearful.

Because, even though a mixture of attacks like that might very well be arguably enough to kill a high level A-Rank and maybe even an S-Rank — if caught off guard, or defenseless, much like their opponent basically was, what with the sealing Spell they had him trapped in — if Raid, if the F-Rank, truly is on the level of a SS-Rank Warrior, then a mixture of attacks like that would never, in a million years, be enough to kill him.

That much they know, and it’s why they’re so anxious. They still haven’t had much proof of Raid really being on the level of a General, other than the fact that he can use Conceptual Attacks. But what if that was just it? What if his ability to affect the world on a Conceptual Level with his attacks was all there was to it, and not a reflection of his overall fire power as a Warrior? Oh, how they certainly hope so. But what happens next crushes that hope. Something Raid seems very adept in doing. Crushing hope.

Once the explosion begins to dissipate. Once the dust starts to clear. A silhouette. Blurry. Unclear. But it’s enough for anyone with half a brain to tell. There’s a person standing right in the centre of a crater that, logically speaking, should not have anyone in it. But there he is. His image growing more visible as the dust finally clears up completely. His still frame, unmoved, unhindered and... clean? How is he still clean? The Shadows all wonder in unison. He just stands there. Still barefooted. Still shirtless. Still wearing nothing but shorts. Those red and blue Hawaiian-themed shorts. Not a single scratch on them. Not even a little wear and tear. Not even a single stain. Just what madness is this? The Shadows wonder.

It’s as if their attacks didn’t even land at all. As if they all simply moved passed him, or through him, or... something. They can’t make sense of it. It doesn’t make sense. They all felt it. They’re attacks land. They all felt them land without fail. So just what in God’s name is going on?

But then, upon closer inspection, something else catches their eyes.

Raid, the snake-like shadows that covered his body like tattoos, the sealing Spell, it’s no more. He’s shirtless, but not only that. The markings that were on his body, that acted as the medium of the sealing Spell. They’re gone.

Meaning. He’s free. Meaning. He can fight back now. Meaning. They’re fucked.

*******

"Haaaaah." I breath out slowly. "Maaaaan!" Then yell. "Wow! That was scary!" I exclaim.

"Master... you’re..." Dawn tries to utter through the Soul Bond, but seemingly can’t find the words.

"I’m perfectly fine, Dawn." I reassure her.

"Yeah, but, h-how..." She stutters in a mildly shaky and contemplative voice.

"No idea." I readily answer. "When the attacks hit me, all I could see was a mixture of red and orange."

"I know, I saw it too." She says affirmingly.

"Right... of course you did." I utter, remembering how she can see anything I see when she’s in the Item Space. "Well... anyway... seems all the attacks did is deal with my sealing Spell and pretty much nothing else."

"A-and that makes sense to you, Master?" She asks with a genuinely confused tone.

I laugh internally a little bit before answering. "Yeah, I don’t think Titles are supposed to make sense. Especially a Title like Sole Survivor it seems. Looks like as long as the conditions are met, fate literally becomes my best friend. I just can’t die as long as there’s other people around."

"That..." Dawn pauses. Leaving me to fail miserably to hold back a smile. "There’s no way that’s not cheating." She adds.

"If it’s any consolation... I’m not the only one with a Title, so I can’t be the only one with a Title that goes against the laws of physics to this extent." I utter internally as I focus my attention on the nine individuals standing a fair distance away from me.

"Well... hopefully they aren’t on a much higher scale, cause then common sense would dictate that, chances are, they might be able to negate yours."

"I’m inclined to agree with you on that." I affirm to Dawn’s hypothesis as I start to walk forward. "Chances are, indeed." I finish as I brace myself while walking to the direction of my enemies. The Shadows.

"Alright." I utter with a low voice, but for Warriors of their caliber, I gather a one-plus kilometre distance isn’t enough to leave me unable to be heard by them. "Let’s get this over with, people." I add as I scan them through, Soul-Piercing Eyes still active. But I don’t need Soul-Piercing Eyes to tell how wary they are right now.

They look almost frozen, unable to speak or even move. Like they’ve seen a ghost. Almost like they’re paralyzed. What a joke. I was paralyzed. They’re just too simple minded to process what’s happening right now.

But then one of them, bracing herself with a tiny, silent gulp, finally manages to move her lips. Even under her mask. And it’s none other than number two herself, Sidewinder.

"That’s... impossible... how are you still-"

"You really don’t have the luxury to be asking questions like that." I cut her off. "Not now of all times." Then, on top of Soul-Piercing Eyes — as I approach slowly them — I waste no time and activate all my other A-Rank Skills and above, including the ones I got from Amaruq.

My Mana spikes, the ground shaking slightly beneath me as I walk towards them.

I then activate my Bullseye Skill, Spatial Guard Skill, Expansion Skill, Brawler Skill and all the B-Rank Sub-Skills under Hexagon Element King, namely, Ifrit, Tetrax, Marid, Gaia, and Zeus, all along with One With The Wind.

My muscles tense, bones burning up as small amounts of steam start being emitted from my body.

Then, to finalize everything, wrap it up with a tight neat little bow, I activate Hypermove, multiplying my overall current Speed Stat by six, then get the Mana Capacity multiplying effect of Fury of Dantian up and running, multiplying my overall current Mana Capacity Stat by seven.

This is it. My first time truly going all out. They made sure I cant use my weapons...

Well I’ll show them I’m no different from a weapon myself.

Right now, my Stats are the highest they’ve ever been.

Current Mana Capacity Stat — a little over one hundred and fifty-six million six hundred thousand.

Current Strength Stat — a little over one million five hundred thousand.

Current Speed Stat — a little over fifteen million eight hundred thousand.

Current Health Stat — a little over three million two hundred thousand.

Current Intelligence Stat — a little over seven million two hundred thousand.

"Don’t worry." I utter softly as I surveil my opponents, noticing their growing cautiousness. "I’ll be sure to make this quick. I’ll be taking you all down based on your hierarchy. I’ll be going from weakest to strongest so you can at least put up a decent fight." Not even letting them take a single second to reply to my statement, I’m gone.

Closing a distance of over half a kilometre in an instant, I go after the weakest link, the archer, Mr Pentagon Poison Projectiles. Otherwise known as, Viper.

He panics slightly and immediately tries to adjust himself to fight back after noticing me close in on him.

The sets five arrows along his bow after pulling them out of his holster from his back, then shoots them at me, shouting in a stutter;

"P-pentagon Poison Projectiles!"

The arrows fly straight at me as I dash towards him. Not even caring enough to dodge them, I let them land as they pierce through my thighs, shoulders and stomach. The damages don’t heal even though Resilient Regeneration is running on overtime. Because it’s a Spiritual Attack. A poisonous one at that. I feel an immense pain settle through my body, but I ignore it, determined to take my opponent down as I close in on him.

He’s left flabbergasted at my disinterest in dodging his attack or even giving it the time of day. Before he can even react a second time, I’m already on top of him, having jumped to land straight down on him.

I crash him into the ground, making him squeal painfully. "Kaargh!"

But I don’t stop there. Rather, I grab firmly onto his shoulder, digging my fingers into his flesh, causing him to squeal again, then I roll over forward, along with him.

After a full 360, I lunge him forward, sending his ass flying off, then I shout; "You not the only one who can do this!"

With that I use, Ifrit, Tetrax, and Marid, conjuring a bow and a very long arrow. Both made of all three Elements, then I utter as I pull the arrow back along the bow, and release;

"Inferno Cyclone."

The arrow flies after him immediately, closing the distance before he can even adjust himself, plunging and piercing through his heart.

"Kargh!!!" He wails as he crashes down rolls and rolls and rolls along the ground incessantly coughing out blood as he does. Only for that blood to be almost immediately disintegrated by flames that engulf his entire body, burning him alive.