Chapter 439: I’m Back From Hell

Chapter 439: Chapter 439: I’m Back From Hell

Chapter 439: I’m Back From Hell

"What...?"

Shido Masayoshi did not even have time to turn his head before an overwhelmingly powerful force sent his entire body flying into the air.

First, his mechanical armor shattered.

Then the metallic layer covering his body burst apart.

Finally, his flesh tore open under the impact.

"Bang!"

High above the street, Shido Masayoshi’s body exploded completely, transforming into a shower of blood that scattered through the sky like crimson fireworks.

Compared to the abilities gained by Yuuki Asuna and the others, Kaguya Shinomiya’s Oboro Flash was far purer.

Unless it collided with another force, the attack caused almost no damage to its surroundings.

All of its destructive power existed solely to annihilate the enemy.

After destroying Shido Masayoshi with a single Oboro Flash, Kaguya Shinomiya immediately focused on the two remaining Nyx Incarnations.

"Where is he?"

"He’s in Hell right now."

"Hell?"

Hearing that word, Kaguya Shinomiya recalled everything Asagiri had previously told her about the true nature of this world.

Worry surfaced within her ruby red eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

Compared to Asagiri, their own situation was currently even more dangerous.

"Violet!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Yuuki Asuna turned her head.

Fujiwara Chika, Hayasaka Ai, and Sakurakawa Rikka were rapidly approaching from the distance.

The sight of them made Yuuki Asuna breathe a quiet sigh of relief, but she immediately warned,

"Be careful. One of the remaining Incarnations is an assassin type, while the one in the black robe is a mage type."

"Both are extremely powerful."

Just as Yuuki Asuna finished speaking, a voice came from above.

"Two Incarnations?"

"Have you misunderstood something?"

As the voice echoed through the air, a golden staircase began forming in midair.

It appeared to be constructed from countless human bodies piled on top of one another.

At the top of that grotesque staircase sat Shido Masayoshi upon a golden throne.

His entire body had transformed into a gaudy golden color.

It was nothing like the mysterious and powerful golden radiance Asagiri displayed when releasing his true strength.

This gold looked vulgar and repulsive.

"Those people..."

"Hmm? Did you figure it out?"

Seated upon the throne, Shido Masayoshi looked down at Yuuki Asuna and the others.

"The power of those ants now belongs entirely to me!"

"I am the one destined to stand above all others!"

"You... you..."

Yuuki Asuna looked at the dead Players Shido Masayoshi had brought into this Dungeon.

Now he was literally trampling over their bodies while displaying a smug expression.

A chilling light appeared in her eyes.

"Nyx intends to kill everyone in the world."

"If everyone dies, what meaning would remain in that arrogant ideal you pursue at any cost?"

Yuuki Asuna was not someone who enjoyed prolonged arguments.

Her current exchange with Shido Masayoshi was clearly intended to delay him.

Although he saw through her intention, his arrogant and conceited nature made him ignore it.

He continued speaking in a haughty, condescending tone.

"It doesn’t matter."

"Even if everyone dies... No, precisely because everyone dies, it will prove that I am greater than anyone else in the world!"

"My will represents the will of the world!"

Hearing such a twisted declaration, Yuuki Asuna, Kaguya Shinomiya, and the others felt more speechless than angry.

Shido Masayoshi’s mind had clearly collapsed completely.

At that moment, the entire surrounding area began turning pitch black.

Shido Masayoshi froze briefly, then burst into crazed laughter.

"Finally..."

"Dark Devil!"

"Dark Devil..."

Hearing that name, Kaguya Shinomiya frowned deeply.

Because she already understood the structure of this world, she immediately realized the severity of the situation.

Unless struck by an ability that transcended the world’s rules, such as Supreme Magic Bullet, which erased a being from its origin, Devils would never truly die.

When a Devil died in the human world, it returned to Hell.

When a Devil died in Hell, it lost all its memories and descended once more into the human world.

Although Nyx had not originally planned for it, Asagiri was currently fighting within Hell, while Yuuki Asuna, Kaguya Shinomiya, and the others remained in the human world.

This meant that whenever one side killed a Devil, it sent another dangerous enemy to the other battlefield.

Normally, Devils killed in Hell would descend randomly somewhere within the human world.

They should not all appear in Tokyo.

Clearly, this was the work of the Hell Devil.

In the next second, another Devil shaped like an enormous leech appeared.

Shido Masayoshi’s smile became even more deranged.

Before he could begin mocking them, however, even more Devils appeared.

This time, it was not merely one.

Dozens materialized at once.

Shido Masayoshi’s smile froze.

In less than two seconds, hundreds, then thousands of Devils descended into the area.

It was as though Hell itself had spilled directly into the human world.

The previously empty and desolate streets became completely congested.

Then...

A pair of pitch black hands pushed open a door that had appeared in midair.

Human Asura landed heavily upon the ground.

Immediately behind him, Asagiri slowly descended.

His Hunter’s Windbreaker, originally black, had been stained completely crimson.

He looked as though he had crawled out from beneath a mountain of corpses and crossed an ocean of blood.

"Hmm..."

Asagiri slowly raised his head.

His black eyes locked onto Shido Masayoshi and the remaining two Nyx Incarnations.

Then he spoke.

"I’m back from Hell."

"This... How is this possible...?"

Shido Masayoshi’s smile vanished completely.

His pupils widened in disbelief.

Ten minutes?

The countless powerful Devils in Hell had failed to kill Shadow.

They had only managed to delay him for ten minutes?

"Shadow."

Seeing Asagiri carve a bloody path out of Hell and return to the human world, Yuuki Asuna immediately tried to approach him.

However, Kaguya Shinomiya noticed something first.

She extended an arm to stop Yuuki Asuna and gave her a meaningful glance, signaling her not to rush forward.

"So now..."

Asagiri stared directly at the Devils before him and slowly spoke.

"Let’s continue the battle."

The terrifying aura he carried, accumulated from slaughtering an enormous number of Devils, swept through the street.

Almost every Devil immediately fled like frightened animals.

Only the Dark Devil remained motionless.

"A powerful Devil born from primal fear truly won’t be frightened away so easily..."

Hearing Asagiri’s words and seeing his blood covered body, Yuuki Asuna finally understood.

Even his posture had become slightly unstable.

Utsunomiya Asagiri, the invincible figure in her heart and the strongest Player...

Had nearly reached his limit.

Shido Masayoshi noticed it as well.

He finally recovered from his disbelief.

Looking at Asagiri, who was severely injured and whose physical and mental strength had nearly been exhausted after using Sacrifice and Mother Earth’s Dinner to force his way out of Hell, a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Shadow, you’re going to die soon."

"Heh heh."

Facing Shido Masayoshi’s mockery, Asagiri merely waved dismissively.

Then he spoke in an incredibly serious tone.

"It has come to this..."

"I can only use my strongest trump card, one that I’ve never revealed before."

Hearing this, Shido Masayoshi immediately became vigilant.

Yuuki Asuna, Kaguya Shinomiya, and the others, however, looked confused.

He still had another trump card?

Where had it come from?

They understood Asagiri’s abilities extremely well.

His strongest trump cards should have been Mother Earth’s Dinner and Supreme Magic Bullet.

The former consumed an enormous amount of stamina, which he no longer possessed.

The latter consumed vast mental power, which had also nearly run dry.

Even if he could still use them, neither would be particularly effective against Nyx Incarnations that also possessed the power of death.

Under everyone’s tense gaze, Asagiri grandly waved his hand and shouted with overwhelming momentum,

"Go, my Pokémon!"

Yuuki Asuna and the others fell silent.

So after all that buildup, his strongest trump card was to imitate that famous Trainer and command them as though they were Pokémon?

Yuuki Asuna, Kaguya Shinomiya, and the others were barely holding on.

However, they understood that they needed to buy enough time for Asagiri to recover, at least until he could summon his Personas again.

"March."

"Understood."

Before Iwanaga Kotoko lost consciousness from using Netherworld Summoning, she had carefully arranged their battle plan.

The most crucial point was that Yamauchi Sakura’s ability could only be used once Asagiri was present.

As their strategist, Iwanaga Kotoko understood better than anyone that neither her own four person team nor Kaguya Shinomiya’s group could defeat several Nyx Incarnations alone.

Only after Asagiri recovered could they have any hope of victory.

"Hoo..."

Yamauchi Sakura took a deep breath.

Light glowed within her light brown eyes as petal shaped afterimages drifted around her.

She concentrated all her spiritual power, raised her staff, and spoke clearly.

"Flower of the Tree."

A gentle force enveloped all nine people present.

Aside from the unconscious Iwanaga Kotoko, everyone immediately felt their stamina and spiritual power recover significantly.

Fresh strength surged through their bodies.

Their physical attributes and defenses also received a noticeable boost.

Yamauchi Sakura then focused her healing ability upon the heavily wounded Asagiri.

"Stop that Priest!"

Shido Masayoshi’s expression changed completely.

He understood perfectly well what would happen if Shadow, who had fought his way out of the Devil infested Hell, recovered to full strength.

No...

Even if he only recovered halfway, once he joined forces with his companions...

The battle would be over.

....

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