Chilli vs Great Tomb of Nazarick

-Saiyan Conqueror Quest Patron Epilogue XII-

AGE 750, CHILLI'S CRYSTAL TOWER

“Are you sure about this?” Megumin asks as the two of you start getting dressed. “Won't they still be on high alert from what happened yesterday?”

“Absolutely. But, on the other hand, the longer we take, the more defenses they can put up.” you tell her, pulling your skintight suit on before donning your armor, settling it on your shoulders while watching your wife bend over to pick up her dress. Enjoying that view for several moments, you idly pull your gauntlets on, getting them to fit snugly before kneeling down to put your own boots on. You are Chilli son of Karn, husband to Megumin, master of Crystal magic and today going to eliminate the greatest threat to your adoptive home. The day before you'd battled the necromancer Ainz Ooal Gown and his undead horde, managing to track him with a small bit of crystal subtly attached to his robes to find both of his hideouts. Or, rather, his hideout and a fake hideout, meant to divert your attention should he be followed. But you're destroying both today, eliminating the threat he represents once and for all. “The sooner that necromancer is no more, the sooner we can rest easy.”

“Alright, then let's make sure we've got everything.” she replies, walking over to the table where the potion your sister had given you sits. You see the healing flask resting beside the Aquamarine dagger you'd given Megumin for her self defense, the magical armament faintly radiating with its magical power. She straps the dagger and one of the jars to her belt while you walk over to the hook on the wall, taking your robe from the wall and throwing it around your shoulders, feeling your trust sword Blue Flame's familiar weight settling on your back as you slide your arms into the sleeves. Then you take your staff, sliding it into your robe as well in its secure holster before heading towards the stairs. You quickly walk up from the third to fourth floor, seeing the ancient sword you father'd given you still resting on the table where you'd left it. At first you'd been apprehensive about taking the weapon, but after the battle yesterday, you're not going into this battle without it. You gingerly lift the weapon, holding it in your right and resting it against Blue Flame's cross guard over your right shoulder as your wife finishes ascending the stairs. “Well well, look at you. You look ready for war.”

“I am.” you reply, flashing up to a Super Saiyan before grabbing your hat as well, your wife already wearing hers as the two of you head up to the roof. You follow her up, watching her bare thighs as she walks.

“I know I look good going up these stairs, but you need to focus hun.” she says, stopping to look back over her shoulder with a playful smirk. “You gotta keep your mind on the prize.”
“I'm looking right at my prize.” you reply playfully, Megumin swatting at your head with her staff playfully before taking the last few steps. She then emerges a couple steps before you onto the roof, you sealing the doorway shut behind yourself. “So, do you need to get anything else before we go?”

“No, I'm ready.” you reply, leaning the sword against the new door before cracking your knuckles. “This time, our home won't be the one that gets invaded. It's about time these monsters learn what that's like.”

“Let's do it!” your wife says enthusiastically, tossing one of her father's inventions. Which unfolds into the metal disc as large around as her spread arms, Megumin leaping from the roof down onto it. The moment her feet touch the disc, you can feel her magical power spread throughout the device. Linking her to it, keeping her boots attached to the disc and allowing her to fly throughout the air without using her mana or having you carry her. After all, if you both are going into battle, you both will need your hands free. You grab the azure blade and leap down after your wife, the two of you flying off to the northeast.

The morning is a clear one, the breeze a cool one from the frozen north as you both fly out of the country of Belzerg's territory. You both skirt well enough around the Demon King's castle, its magical shield shimmering in the morning light.

“Hey hun, how many shots do you think it'd take for you to blow that castle to rubble?” Megumin asks, sitting cross-legged on the metal disc as it flies. You roll on your side to look at it, studying the magical power radiating from it. And, honestly, the shield is quite impressive. It is a massive magical shield around the castle, using far more power than any one being would be able to keep running. Giving credence to the story you'd heard from Belzerg's Princess Iris that it is powered by all of his Generals. Reminding you of the two you'd bested, the one that attacked the Crimson Demon Village and the one your wife had bested.

“More than one.” you admit, as not even your Final Kamehameha possesses the power to destroy both it and the castle behind it. “But as long as he doesn't send any other generals or armies our way, he can live.”

“Are you sure hun?” Megumin asks you, brows furrowing in concern. “The Demon King wants to destroy the entire Kingdom of Belzerg, and everyone in it.”

“That kingdom isn't our problem hun. My worries on this planet are your safety, then that of your clan of the Crimson Demon Village second. Everything beyond that doesn't matter to me.” you tell her, your wife going quiet as she thinks. You both fly on in silence, you taking in the scenery as you fly. Once past the Demon King's castle, you focus on the terrain, remembering the map of the world you'd created on your workshop wall. And that you need to activate your tracking beacons you'd set. “Crystal Magic Tracker.”

Then you can feel the trackers in your mind light up, you sensing just how far away they are from you. With those destinations clear in your head you alter course slightly, flying over desert to the north of the Demon King's territory, then over another medieval country. Megumin matching you as the two of you fly side by side. Yet as you get closer to the territory of this self-proclaimed “Sorcerer King”, you can feel Megumin is deep in her thoughts. So, to try and break the tension surrounding her you speak up.

“You okay Megu?” you ask her, your wife blinking and shaking her head a bit as she comes out of her thoughts.
“Huh? Oh yeah, yeah. I'm fine.” she replies, despite something clearly on her mind. But you've known her long enough to know that prying won't get you anywhere, she'll tell you when she's damn well ready and not one minute before.

“We're getting close, put your game face on.” you tell her as the forest draws near, you seeing what appear to be villages of some sort of reptilian bipeds walking about. They clearly see you and Megumin, but despite some having surprisingly high powerlevels for this world, don't immediately attack either of you. Which is just as well, as you want to save your strength for the monsters ahead. “It's just ahead, in the forest.”

“How do you want to do this?” she asks as you leave the swamp behind, now flying over the forest itself. “Want me to open up with a big one?”

“Shock and awe is good, but their leader is a talented spellcaster.” you reply, remembering your battle from the day before and the varied magics he'd used. It wasn't like your own, with magics of different elements. But he could seemingly use every magic from necromancy to spacial, to even a Death Magic curse like your Dust to Dust but with a delayed activation. Who knows what sorts of defenses he's managed to erect around his fortresses? “I'd rather hit them with a ki attack first, as he may not have defenses against something like that up. And I'd want to test it here, before we get to his fortress proper.”

“Alright.” she replies lightly, but then her tone shifts into a more serious one. “But if that black-armored bitch shows up again, I'm gonna blow her away!”
“I'm counting on it.” you reply with a smile, your wife grinning back. But then your senses light up, detecting a LOT of necromantic energy. Megumin clearly senses it as well, a sudden shiver clearly running up her spine. “Looks like we're close, keep your eyes open.”

“Right.” your wife answers, the two of you looking for any visible signs of the source. But you aren't left waiting long, as through a clearing in the trees you spot a wooden structure nearly the size of your own tower. Flying closer, yet careful to keep your distance and eyes peeled for any sort of ambush, you can feel the negative energy radiating from the building and the surrounding woods below. “I don't like this place. Is there anyone alive down there?”

“There are a few, but nothing extraordinary.” you reply, debating to yourself how you should get this done. Then, remembering how Broly copied your father's technique back during the tournament, decide to do the same. Albeit with a far more tame, less destructive version. And, more importantly, energy-efficient. After all, you're not trying to destroy the planet nor burn yourself out here. “Stay sharp Megu, and call out if you see anything coming.”

“Where are you going?” she asks, worry in her voice. “Don't tell me you're actually going down in there?”
“Of course not.” you say, holding up your left hand overhead while gathering your ki, creating a sphere the size of your head in a second. “But I'll need some room to make this big enough.”

“R-Right!” she replies, flying the disc back away from you as you pour more energy into the orb. Your energy swells, doubling and doubling again until it is a big around as your home is tall, golden energy lighting up the forest below.

“HRRRAAAA!!” you bellow, launching the massive attack. Your giant orb drops out of the sky, crashing down like a meteor directly at the wooden structure. You watch closely, expecting some sort of magical defense or barrier to activate, or some sort of shield like the Demon King's to activate, but there's nothing of the sort. Your massive attack drops, crushing the wooden building to splinters before your orb detonates in a fiery explosion. The forest is blasted away, a hundred foot wide crater revealing itself as the light fades away.

The entire wooden fortress was reduced to ash, nothing of the small fortress remaining. Except, as you look down, something glints in the sunlight. Curious, you look to Megumin, who you see is looking down where you'd seen that same reflection from. Brows furrowed as she tries to make it out. While she has better vision than you, it seems she can't make it out either. So you call to her, your wife starting a bit.

“I'm gonna check that out, mind watching my back hun?” you ask, your wife nodding while standing back up, readying her staff just in case. You descend down to the crater, landing by the gleaming object only to discover some sort of golden object. You reach down, grabbing it and pull up and out of the dusty ground a full-length mirror. It is a rather extravagant piece, the mirror itself encased in gold with intricate designs and engravings. But its appearance is secondary to the magical power you feel radiating from it. You can't tell for sure what sort of magical enchantment it has been blessed with, but the energy radiating from it is surprisingly massive.

“Is that a mirror?” Megu calls down, you turning and showing it to her. But you don't trust it, not pointing the mirror directly at her. “What are you gonna do with it?”

“I don't trust it.” you reply, flipping it face down before laying your left hand on its back. Releasing your crystal magic you quickly entomb the mirror, just in case before rising back up into the air. “It has some sort of spell on it, but I don't know what. And we don't have the time to sit here and figure it out.”

“Alright, which way?” she asks, you turning towards the east and pointing.

“Right to the east.” you tell her. “It's only a short distance away. From here, at the speed we flew in it'll take maybe twenty seconds before we can see it.”

“Then let's go.” she replies, striking a pose with her left hand over her face, looking through her fingers as her eyes glow faintly. “I'm ready to show those monsters my true power.”

“Alright, let's do this.” you reply, taking off slowly then rapidly building speed. You avoid going fast enough to make a sonic boom, as your wife might get knocked off her flight disc. Instead you keep it at the same casual pace, quickly leaving the forest behind and coming to rather idyllic seeming plains, their calm, empty scenery standing out in stark contrast to the massive, necromantic energy you can feel pouring off of the building there in the center of the large clearing. And there, in the middle, is a surprisingly pristine-kept mausoleum, no vines growing up the sides or detritus on the ground. In fact, it almost looks more like a temple, giving credence to its title of 'Great Tomb'. You sense a single ki outside the doors, sensing nothing else living around or underneath the ground. Which can only mean its shielded just like your own home, hiding the necromancer's true numbers underneath the ground. “Can you see them hun? There's one, there at the main doors.”

“Huh? Oh, let's see.” your wife says, eyes narrowing as she squints down at the temple below. “It looks like...A maid?”

“A maid?” you ask, not recognizing the term. “What's that?”
“Oh, right. Well, maids are... Women servants, kept for housecleaning and other basic chores for the powerful and wealthy.” she says, then gets an odd look. “Or, if their master is of a less savory sort, for...Other reasons too.”

“Well, if she's smart she'll run.” you say, raising your left hand once more. “Stand back, and keep your biggest Explosion ready. They might be ready for me this time.”
“Right!” she replies, once more flying backwards as you start gathering your ki. Once more your energy starts swelling, rapidly growing a massive orb of energy overhead. You see the figure there immediately raise a hand, firing a bolt of magical fire straight into the air.

“A signal?” you mutter, then immediately feel your eyes widen as you realize something! Your ki sense can't detect undead, and with your assumption of his base hiding energies you'd not checked your surroundings!

Suddenly, from behind the tomb a mountain rises. Easily over a hundred feet tall, a humanoid form of carved stone stands on its hind legs, carrying a massive boulder overhead. Which it immediately throws directly at you. Or, rather, directly at your still-growing attack, clearly an attempt to protect the skeleton's domain. One that won't work.

“Megu, move!” you telepathically thinkto her, drawing back your right hand under your upraised left, focusing a bit of your ki into the old greatsword you'd used against the necromancer and his monsters. Then with a shout you swing, the ancient weapon firing a blade of cutting magic towards the approaching boulder the size of the first fortress you'd obliterated today. The magical blade cuts through the air towards the massive rock, striking it center mass and cutting deep into the rock before it explodes. Detonating the ENTIRE boulder, sending shards of it flying out in all directions.

“EXPLOOOOOOOSION!!” your wife bellows, unleashing her own magic and consuming the massive stone monster in a fiery blast. But as it vanishes inside the explosion, twin bolts of lightning shaped like dragons shoot up from the tomb's entrance, one at you and one at your wife!

“DAMMIT!” you snarl, forced to throw your orb down before it was fully charged to intercept the attack, blocking the bolt headed towards you. Through your attack you can barely feel the lightning hit, much less slow your attack down any. But you don't have time to sit and watch, blitzing over towards Megumin. You race the lightning bolt as it roars like a dragon, zigging and zagging closer towards her. But you're the faster, getting between her and it before the attack gets too close. “Crystal Magic Sealer!”

With that shout you throw a small crystal with absolutely no magical power of its own, striking the approaching spell square in the dragon's mouth. Your magic-less crystal absorbs the lightning spell in its entirely, the crystal glowing with the now-absorbed spell as it drops from the air. You then sense the maid's ki vanish, no doubt retreating into the fortress. But that won't save her, not from your descending attack. But at the last moment, the stone golem emerges from the smoke of Megumin's attack, reaching up and catching your giant orb! And, to your surprise, is slowing its descent! It might actually stop your attack and throw it back!

“Like hell!” you mutter, quickly gathering another sphere of ki the size of your head packed with ki, tossing it backhandedly down at your slowing attack. The much smaller orb flies far quicker, slamming into your attack and gets seemingly absorbed by it. But then the massive attack begins to glow, and after a moment detonates.

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The giant orb explodes, you activating your father's Barrier technique you'd picked up to shield her from the explosion. The shock wave hits a second later, cracking the shield as you hadn't invested quite enough ki into it, but your shield survives the blast. Then, once the shock wave passes by, you ready yourself to end the shield. But just as you do, suddenly an orb of dark purple magic shoots up from the smoke, directly at you both. You turn, grabbing your wife and drop down, ducking under the orb of surprisingly powerful magical energy.

“Woah!” Megumin exclaims as you pull her through the air, her eyes widening as she sees the orb of magic fly by overhead. You recognize the mana of the spell, there can be no doubt. That was a direct attack by the Great Tomb of Nazarick's skeletal master.

“Ready another one, I'll guard you.” you tell her, turning to see a slash of pale magical energy flying up at you both. “Look out!”

“Tch! Crystal Magic Sealer!” you shout, firing another magic-less crystal at the incoming spell. Your crystal slams into the approaching spell, capturing it as well in a flash of blinding light. Once again your special crystal counter spell does its trick, encasing the attack and dropping towards the ground. As it does you see the smoke clear, examining the aftermath of your attack. The entire area the temple was, including its smaller buildings some distance away and the random pillars all were completely destroyed, revealing what seems to be some sort of stone labyrinth underneath the ground. And there, standing with several beings that are incredibly strong for this world is the skeletal necromancer himself!

“My faithful servants! Attack! Vanquish this otherworldly trespasser for the glory of Nazarick!!” the robed skeleton declares, gesturing towards you with his empty right hand, left clutching a large golden staff. But as soon as he finishes speaking, before any of them can move...

“EXPLOOOOOOOOOOSION!!” your wife roars, unleashing her magic first.

KABOOOOOOOOOM

Once more the entire area is consumed, your wife's fiery blast obscuring the powerful figures below. But you can sense their ki, which doesn't decrease much at all from her blast. Which is worrying, as despite throwing a lot of her power at them, she didn't take any of them down. You have to get her out of here, now!

“Megu, you have to run.” you tell her, turning to her and drawing out one of your Crystal Barrier potions you'd brought just in case. Handing it to her, you meet her eyes seriously. “Your attack didn't hurt them, you have to go.”
“But-” she starts, silenced as you lean in and kiss her, putting the bottle into her hands.

“I can't protect you from all of them. If they catch you, use this and I'll come running before they can break through it.” you tell her, voice deadly serious. “Please, Megu.”

“Promise me you'll come back home.” she replies stubbornly, you sensing several of those powerlevels below beginning to move.

“I will. No matter what. Now go.” you tell her, your wife flying off as suddenly you feel an unfamiliar magic attach itself to you. Looking down, you see a magical circle appear on your lower torso. Then, before you can react, suddenly a spear of light stabs you through it! “Gah!”

“CHILLI!” Megumin shouts, looking over her shoulder at you in shock.

“GO! I”m fine!” you call back to her, turning around and seeing a crimson-armored woman rushing up towards you with an identical white-armored figure. But, surprisingly, that white being doesn't have any ki. “HRRAAAA!!”

Swinging your ancient blade, you unleash another slash of its strange magical energy. The two flying figures dodge around the magical blade, the white figure going for you while the other diverts to fly after your wife!

“No you don't!” you snarl, reaching out with telekinesis and grabbing for the red armor. But, somehow, you can't get a grip! Your telekinetic grip can't get a hold of her, but before you can try something else the white-armored one closes the distance with you far faster than expected, thrusting its oddly-shaped spear at your face. Which you swat aside with your greatsword, then land a powerful thrusting right kick square in the being's armored chest. You can hear the armor crack,  launching the copy away as you turn your focus to the one trying to fly past you. Her crimson eyes are glowing similarly to your wife's, catching you by surprise. Immediately as you make eye contact she stops, freezing completely in place yet smiling at you?

“Oh, you poor thing.” she says, vertical line pupils staring into your soul. “You didn't know any better, but you're already done for. Silly boy.”

“How did you avoid my telekinesis?” you ask, somehow feeling calm despite the situation. To which the woman's brows furrow, clearly showing you she has no idea it happened. Must be part of her gear kit then. “Wh-GUH!”

You're interrupted by a stabbing sensation in your guts, turning and seeing that the white-armored copy has flown back up and thrust its spear in through your side. Then the device seemingly activates, the fluid held in the bubble around midway down the weapon bubbling. And before your eyes you see the figure's cracked form mending!

“D-Dammit, a healing weapon?” you manage to get out before the woman in red also swings her weapon, this time aimed at your chest. But you see her attack from the corner of your eye, reaching up and catching her lance's point before it can strike you. She packs surprising power, had you not transformed before the fight she might have overpowered you. But as you are now, stopping the attack is as easy as stopping one your youngest sister's punches.

“What?!” she exclaims, shocked that you're able to stop her. Before she can react further you swing a left side kick square into her armored chest, the metal of her crimson armor cracking as you send her flying. Her duplicate is next, it drawing the lance from your side as it readies a second attack. But this time you're ready, swatting the lance aside with your own sword before driving your left fist forward, punching straight through the summon's chest. Its eyes widen as if in pain, body going limp and dropping like a stone as you yank your hand free.

“E-Einherjar!?” the red-armored woman screams in what sounds to be pain and or terror. “You bastard!”

“Triple Maximize Magic: Call Greater Thunder!!” comes the skeleton's call, three bolts of magic-overcharged lightning drop from the sky towards you.

“Barrier!” you shout, using your energy to create a spherical shield around yourself once more. The lightning strikes, yet is unable to pierce your bubble. Instead the lightning crackles around your Barrier, the static so loud you can barely think. Then another of those dark orbs fly up at you, and you know that the Barrier won't stop that. So you simply drop down under the attack as the black-armored woman, along with an orange-suited, frog-like demon both rush towards you. She is wielding her axe, while the tailed demon has its claws, both rushing in to try cutting you down. But even combined they stand no chance against you as you end the Barrier. “Crystal Slash! Dark Slash!”

Sweeping your left hand left to right, then diagonally back, you fire off a wide angle cutting crystal blade, followed up by one of absolute darkness. The heavily-armored woman uses her axe to stop the first, your blade surprisingly shattering against her weapon. But the second cuts through her and her weapon, you hearing the grunt of pain as it passes through her. The other demon simply dodges the projectile, closing the distance and slashing at you with his claws. Which you block with the wide blade of the ancient sword, his claws sparking against it.

“Is this the best you've got?” you taunt, blocking a third swipe before twisting around his fourth with the Su Ma style. Spinning counterclockwise around his left hand, you come up behind the demon, grabbing him by the neck. And before he can try and break free, thrust the massive sword in his back and out through his chest.

“Kah-!” the demon exhales, spitting up blood.

“Demiurge!” the black-armored woman shouts, finally closing the distance herself. But as she does you simply kick the injured creature off your sword directly at her, sending one monster crashing into the other and turning them both into an easy target. You raise your left, gathering an orb of ki the size of your body in a second, throwing it down onto them both. Unable to resist, the two demons are sent crashing back down to the planet, where that energy explodes. Right by their master.

“Time Accelerator!” you hear a woman's voice, recognizing the red-armored one immediately. You then sense her coming up behind you, far faster than she was before. Forcing you to turn and confront her first, spinning just in time to deflect a thrust from her lance. But now her speed is significantly improved, firing off thrust after thrust and keeping your sword busy just keeping this newfound attack speed off of you. Which makes you a sitting duck, as soon as the undead recovers. You have to make space and do something, now!

“HAAAAAA!!” you roar, unleashing an Explosive Wave. Which knocks her back, giving you the opening you need. “Light Magic: Sunbeam!”

“Kyaaaaaah!” the woman screams as the blinding light scorches her, the beam so intense it physically pushes her back a foot or two. But, more importantly blinds her, overwhelming her senses for a moment. Which is all the time you need, ending the spell and lunging forward. Before the red-eyed woman can recover you thrust your giant blade, forcing it through the crack you'd made earlier and stabbing her straight through the chest. “Ah-!”

“This is the end for you, monster.” you say, grabbing her lance with your left hand as she again tries to thrust it into your chest. She's determined, no doubt knowing that any damage she manages with that lance will heal her injuries. But you're starting to get a bit light-headed, the blood loss starting to get to you. You're going to have to end this quick! So you wrench your sword free, spraying the monster's blood all over you before pitching her down by her allies. Where she crashes down beside her Einherjar double that's risen back to its feet. “I'm ending this!”

You raise your left hand overhead once more, preparing to gather enough energy to blow them and their fortress away into nothing. Even the skeleton wizard himself seems afraid, taking an uncertain step backwards. But then he seemingly thinks of another spell, once more activating an ability you'd been worried about.

“SKILL: THE GOAL OF ALL LIFE IS DEATH!” the undead bellows out, a stylized clock face appearing behind him in radiant gold. “Grasp Heart!”

And you feel the Death Magic wash over you as the clock ticks, filling you with the certainty that you will die. If you're still in this realm once the hand on that clock reaches 12 again, you will perish. So, you're forced to abandon the attack and instead forced to focus on your own survival. Dropping the magical blade you quickly gather Dark and Light magics into opposite hands, then thrust them into each other with a cry.

“Chaos Barrier!” you shout, the desperation clear even to you. Sure it worked the other day, but can you really pull this spell off twice without problems? Your heart is full of worry, but as the energies clash and mix, you can feel it. You feel the two opposite, primordial elements reach perfect balance, forming your own small dimension of one. Neither time nor space exist here, leaving you unable to heal your injury. But, without time your body no longer ages, held in perfect suspension while you keep your focus. You count out twenty seconds, just to be safe, then end the spell. The swirling light and darkness all fade, the world outside your shield returning to how it was. Only for you to see that, while you were immobile, the others got into position. The red and white-armored ones are now both to your left, the orange-suited demon and a large, pale bug creature with a halberd and curved sword in its four arms to your left. And between you and the undead lord of this place stands four dragons, each made entirely of bones!

“Go, Guardians of Nazarick! Destroy the Saiyan!” he calls out, the four immediately all rushing in. And without a weapon, you're forced to rely on your most dangerous magics. Snapping your left fingers, the ancient Tome of Jergal appears, Death flowing through you. Immediately the expressions on the monsters' faces change, no doubt sensing that Death has come for them. Drawing your staff from your robe with your right hand, you focus this deadly power through you, combining it with your Crystal magic to make your strongest, deadliest weapon.

“Combo Magic: Death and Crystal!” you exclaim, channeling most of your magical energy into this. “CRYSTAL REAPER!”

The crystals forming around your staff take shape, forming a large, two-handed scythe. Snapping the tome shut with your left you take ahold of this deadly reaper with both hands, taking your fighting stance with the weapon held horizontally, blade back behind your body as you ready a swing.

“Come on then, show me what you've got!” you taunt the monsters surrounding you, flaring your golden aura up as you power up to 100%. Lightning crackles around your golden aura as you breathe, feeling your power drop by the second as you lose blood from the stab to your side. But you're not going to let these monsters go! That skeleton bastard will pay for bringing an army to your doors! “If you won't, then I will!”

And before any of his  so-called Guardians can react you blitz the necromancer himself, drawing the weapon back and swinging. A perfect horizontal slice, aimed at taking his head off. Your attack connects beautifully, but as it does, he speaks.

“Body of Effulgent Beryl, activate!” he calls, vanishing and reappearing a foot further away from you, completely unharmed.

“Tch!” you seethe through clenched teeth, you were so close! But you're forced to turn and respond as his monsters attack from behind.

“You DARE?!” the black-armored one shouts, swinging her axe down in a powerful overhead chop. Which you block with the scythe, twisting it counterclockwise and throwing her attack off your left side while swinging the butt around, clocking the red-armored one up in the chin as she approaches. Not only stopping her advance but knocking her back, tumbling tail over teakettle. Continuing the counterclockwise motion you step towards them, bringing the scythe edge up as the four armed bug man swings both weapons. He swings the curved blade down in an overhead strike while swinging the halberd left to right, forcing you to angle your crystal weapon just right to block both strikes. Leaving your injured right side open, the claws demon attacking the opening.

“Tssk!” you hiss as his blades slash through your robes, cutting through your armor underneath and scoring wounds across your ribs. But you don't let him get away with that for free, twisting backwards while letting go of your Crystal Reaper with your left hand and clothesline-ing the demon with a powerful backfist. Knocking him flat on his ass, stomping his guts in with your left heel before using him as a jumping block, launching yourself back at the undead lord. Who, at the last second summons a defense.

“Wall of Skeleton!” he shouts, a wall of bones rising up between the two of you. But your Death magic-infused weapon cuts through the wall with ease, only to let you see the undead has created more space, three powerful magical circles hovering in the air around him. “Triple Maximize Magic: Magic Arrow!”

And from the three magical circles spray hundreds if not thousands of magical projectiles, reminding you of your mother's Bladestorm spray. You immediately leap into the air, creating distance but see that the attack is pursuing you! The spray of thousands of needles change course, following your exact path through the air as they hunt you down. Making you realize that he'd cast a homing attack.

“Dammit!” you mutter as your vision blurs for a moment, your power flickering. They fight too well together. You could take any of them down, hell any two wouldn't be a challenge. But fighting together like this, you're too spread out to take any one down. Just like the Ginyu Force. You need a change of approach, fast. “Dark Magic: Black Hole!”

Your void of absolute Dark draws the pursuing attack in, pulling the monsters all into that dark nothingness. Stopping the spell from taking you down, you end the Death magic on your staff, pulling it back into your coat as you grab your ancient sword with telekinesis, pulling it up to your hand against the gravity's pull while raising your left overhead, focusing your ki. This is your final shot, if this doesn't work you're going to have to flee and come back again once you're better prepared.

“Magic Destruction!” the crimson-armored woman shouts, your Black Hole shattering as she somehow counters the spell once it is already activated. But it bought you the time you needed, the monsters all looking up and seeing that you've gathered enough of your rapidly-dropping ki to form a massive orb of energy overhead, blazing like a sun.

“This ends now.” you declare, then throw the massive orb down. “BEGONE!!”

The enormous attack drops down, straight for the necromancer himself. You can sense the beings all serving him rush to his defense, readying themselves to somehow stop the blast. You feel your attack slam down onto something, or perhaps several somethings, but you don't have the strength for a reverse tug-of-war. So instead, the moment you feel impact you clench your left hand into a fist, detonating the attack.

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The miniature star detonates, blinding light and deafening sound burst forth as the attack explodes. You don't even have the strength left to resist, allowing the shock wave to blast you back and away from the fiery explosion. You tumble through the air a couple times, reorienting yourself as you approach the ground to land on your feet, sliding to a stop. Then immediately fall to your hands and knees, power waning even faster as you transform back down to your base. You need to get out of here, now! Luckily for you, that necromancer provided you the means  yesterday. Drawing the crystal filled with his spell called Gate from your robe with your left, you hold it up and activate it.

“Crystal Magic Sealer-Release!” you say, a black portal appearing before you. Wearily you pick yourself up as the crystal falls to dust, clutching your side with your left as you walk through the portal back to the site of the battlefield yesterday. Once through the portal it shuts behind you, you looking up to see your tower of a home looking down upon you. You failed. “D-Dammit.”

Clutching your side you rally your strength, forcing yourself to lift up into the air and fly over towards your home. As you get closer, you see your wife standing on the roof, staff in hand as she waits for you. She sees you almost immediately, waving up to you before you can clearly make her out. But with the last of your strength you make it to the roof, dropping your sword as you collapse.

“Chilli!” Megumin shouts in worry, rushing to your side. You see in her hands that she'd prepared the single healing potion your younger sister'd left with you, immediately unstopping it and pouring the golden liquid down your throat. Light and warmth spreads throughout your body immediately, the sensation focusing on your side where the damage was greatest as you sigh in relief. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I failed.” you tell her, despite your weariness forcing yourself back upright. “Dammit. I couldn't get him.”

“You didn't fail hun. We just weren't properly prepared.” she tells you, picking your sword up with her left before putting your left arm over her shoulders. “This was just the second battle, this war isn't over yet.”

She then shuts the roof entrance by pressing her wedding ring to the tower, you feeling the locks engaging as she helps you stumble down the stairs. But she's right, this is far from over. There's no way in hell you're letting them get away with this. Next time you're going to destroy them all. You won't leave even a single stone unturned, you're going to make that undead bastard regret ever coming to your home!

-Saiyan Conqueror Quest Patron Epilogue XII End-