The end came abruptly. It was as if the earth and the sky were turned upside down, and then it suddenly stopped.

The venue was in a terrible state. No matter how sturdy the arena was, it seemed that it could not withstand the violent shaking that occurred towards the end.
The ceiling had collapsed and there was rubble everywhere. Murina was curled up near a chair.





But Ladrick ignored them and quickly shouted.


'The key is shattered, seize it!


Armor-type treasures are generally quite sturdy. The Key of the Earth was no exception to this rule, boasting tremendous strength that did not allow it to sustain a scratch even when struck by a great sword.

I never thought that the Key of the Earth would be shattered - there were no reports from the Relic Research Institute, which examined the documents in detail, but I suppose there is a price to pay for too much power.

That's a good thing for the Empire - and the world.
Up until now, the empire had not chosen to destroy the treasure as a form of resistance, but since the fox was targeting them - and since the fox was insane enough to release the entire treasure without hesitation - destroying the key was urgent, even if they escaped this situation, It was imperative. If the key was destroyed under such circumstances, the other nobles would be convinced.


The fox mask, which had been desperately fighting with the key, stood up and staggered greatly.
Not a small amount of blood was flowing from his mouth. It was obvious that he was seriously injured. I don't know what caused it, but it must have been the result of a tug-of-war with the Thousand Transformations.

The fox's top members outnumbered even high-level hunters. But this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

The dreaded plan has been completely thwarted. They're exhausted.

The guards follow Radric's orders and rush out into the field.


The Thousand Transformations stands unsteadily on its feet. The blood he was bathed in was probably from blood poisoning, but his gesture clearly showed his fatigue.

No--although he couldn't completely control it, he had resisted the key of the earth. That was a feat that went far beyond even level 8.

His posture collapsed, and the Thousand Transformations fell to its knees and pressed its forehead.

He must have reached his limit. He couldn't afford to lose his hero here. I had to save him at all costs.

He holds his chest and looks down at the fox mask kneeling there.

The mission has failed. The key to the earth has been released, but the destruction has been kept to a minimum.
It's not as if he doesn't understand that fact, but it's a terrible persistence that he doesn't choose to flee despite being seriously injured.


However, Chika is not alone. There are many skilled people here as spectators.

That's why the destruction of the key to the earth was only this small.
Then, Ladrick took a deep breath and shouted as if letting out his passion.



'Seize the bandits at all costs! Whoever captures them will receive the reward they desire!










I'm being set up. By the time I realized that, it was too late.

I managed to suppress the key to the earth. It must have been suppressed just in time. But as for the rest-- the situation was extremely bad.



No, it's not that bad. The key to the earth is not something that can be suppressed by human hands.




Although his head was dizzy from the excessive bloodshed, the boss had assessed the situation accurately.
My body is heavy. The wound is deep. It's been a long time since I've felt this much pain, this much humiliation.

The sound is distant. The screams, everything sounds filtered. He knew he needed to be alert, but he didn't have the strength to be.

All the boss could see was the Thousand Transformations wobbling up and down.


At last, he could see the full extent of the measures taken by the "Thousand Transformations".

It wasn't like the boss was using its power to hold back the key to the earth, but it staggered and fell to its knees.


The boss naturally laughed at his all-too-natural appearance.






'Hmmm ......... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!


What a horrible man . What a horrible man. I can't describe him with trite words like "ingenious.


This man's plan was too dangerous. And the success rate was not high. If even a single mistake had been made, the Thousand Transformations would have been accused of treason, and it was not unlikely that the world would have been destroyed.

Even if someone had thought of it, it was the kind of plan that would have been dismissed without even considering it.
It was the same for the secret society, the Shadow Fox of the Nine Tails, which ordinary people would never notice. No, there's a good chance that not even the members of the organization would believe it.


It's not like he's a plotter. It's a crazy idea.


The key to the earth has been shattered. The second key has yet to be found.

The mission has failed completely. Nevertheless, the fox will only be suspected of releasing the key to the earth.


Originally, the plan was to use the Key of the Earth, make people aware of its horror, and use it as a weapon to interfere with other countries.

But we went too far. Now that they see us as an easy card to play to ruin the world, they will surely kill us in a desperate attempt without regard for their own safety.


Even those who have been on our side privately will change their minds. It won't be the same as before.


Besides, there is no deterrent. The weapon that brought destruction has been shattered.



It's impossible. It was an impossible story.



'Where the hell did you get that from, ......? It's not possible.

'Oh no, ...... the ground was shaking so much I got drunk.



The fox mumbled something that I couldn't tell if it was serious or a joke.

The fox learned of the power of the Key of the Earth from a certain book-type treasure found in the treasure house. However, that document did not mention anything about the key destroying itself under overload.
No, in the first place, there was no record of the full release of the Key of the Earth. At least at the time the book was written, it had never been used.



And as far as the organization could find, there was no evidence that the Key of the Earth, which was found as a treasure trove, had ever been used.


How could they have discovered the limits of the power of a treasure tool that had never been used?

By what route did he obtain the information that was unobtainable even with the fox's organizational power?



Unfortunately, there was no time for idle speculation.
This was enemy territory, and he hadn't expected to be so severely damaged. We must escape at all costs.






But before that, this man alone...






The moment he was about to take a step toward the "Thousand Transformations" still kneeling on the ground, a shadow suddenly appeared in his vision.





'Challenger, your opponent is me!

'?


A hoarse, but arrogantly strong voice of confidence. The boss stepped back at the pressure falling from above.
A huge fist wrapped in golden armor pierced the ground right in front of him.


The ground, which had once stopped, shook greatly, and cracks appeared in the earth.


The earth cracked.


Former Martial Emperor, Champion. The man who allocated all the mana and materials obtained from the treasure house he entered during his training to his muscles.

It was one of the hypothetical enemies that the boss would have been most wary of if he had originally planned this.


A typical example of what happens when you give power to a talented fool.



''Demon Emperor.''


The boss's voice was not answered by the Martial Emperor. Instead, he steps in hard.

He was wounded, but that didn't mean he couldn't fight.
He must not be unaware that a wounded man can sometimes display amazing strength, but there was no caution or hesitation in his attack.

The man in front of him would do as he pleased, wielding violence in all directions as his instincts dictated, and would not think calmly until he was defeated and dead.



The boss gave up instantly. He had no choice but to give up.


The man in front of him was not a wise man at all, but he was faster, harder, and stronger than anyone else. He was not someone I could deal with right now, if at all.

A number of hunters jump down from the audience. The boss falls back, and the Warrior Emperor laughs like a demon and swings his fist down.
He seemed to have left his usual weapon behind, but his mere fist was powerful enough to knock even a high level hunter into a coma with a single blow.


'You can't let him get away!


It was as if a raging bull was charging at him. The pressure was not that of a human being.
He used his remaining magic power to cover his body, and with minimal movement, he fought off and avoided the terrifyingly powerful fist that had been unleashed out of instinct.

It's not as if a mere fist is a number, but in my current state I can't even maintain a minimum level of defense for long.



My head is throbbing with pain. It's a complete lack of magical power. I can't even make a foothold with my magic.
Perhaps impatient with the boss's movements, the Emperor's movements changed from large to small. Perhaps he was trying to play with the boss's moves, but even a simple jab would be too much for an ordinary hunter to withstand.

He took a strong step forward and made a small jump. The boss caught the "light" fist that was randomly thrown with all his might.

A shock spreads over his magic and his defense, as if his body were about to fall apart.

But this was the aim.

Wuji's ability to not think too much is one of his strengths and weaknesses. He held on to his fading consciousness until the last possible moment, and landed with both hands and feet. Martial Emperor's eyes rolled back in his head.

The boss is blown wide open, and just behind him, there is a gaping hole for the players to enter.


This is the way to go. Even if you run away, the chances of escaping from the Emperor are slim to none. But this is the only way to escape.
I kicked the ground and ran. Blood spills from my lips. My head is throbbing with pain. I hear the Emperor's huge footsteps behind me and a roar from the audience--



--And then the air changed.



The sound from behind, the tremendous pressure, was gone.
The place hadn't changed. The corridor looked familiar, just as I'd surveyed it beforehand.

In front of me stood a girl wearing a mask identical to the one the boss wore.
A white kimono with a sense of sanctity. A white tail extending from her hips.





A small, thin forefinger pointed at her. And to the boss, who did not understand the situation at all, the girl said.





'Crisis, your enemy. I'll let you go. .................. This time, I'll win!