Chapter 351: Broken Peaks

'How is he so strong all of a sudden?!'

Varek couldn't comprehend what was happening. When he and the Raiju had fused, he inherited a portion of the beast's attributes, making him far stronger than before. He was superior to Sol in most aspects, especially in speed—yet now, he couldn't even pull his hand back.

He tried to figure out the cause, but Sol didn't give him the time.

Moving with speed that defied comprehension, Sol's other hand curled into a fist and delivered a devastating left hook straight to Varek's face.

BOOM!

The sheer force of the punch sent Varek hurtling like a meteor, his body obliterating one of the towering peaks of the Jagged Peaks range upon impact. Rock and debris cascaded like an avalanche, dust clouding the air.

Sol clicked his tongue as he watched Varek crash into the distant mountain.

'I can only maintain [Overpower] for a few minutes. I need to end this as soon as possible.'

The moment his weapon broke, Sol knew creating another would be pointless. It had failed to withstand not only Varek's attacks but also his own strength, ultimately limiting him. Without a weapon, he lost access to a portion of his skills, the most important of which was [Swift End]. On top of that, if he failed to finish Varek before [Overpower] ended, he would risk severe exhaustion.

It was a gamble, but a necessary one.

He lacked the raw power to finish the fight and without resorting to [Draconification] it was the only other way. Not wanting to waste what little time he had, he kicked himself off the ground chasing after Varek like a phantom.

From the ruins of the shattered peak, a groan of pain echoed inside a deep crater. Varek clawed his way out, clutching his bleeding head. Warm blood dripped into his eyes, and as he wiped it away with a shaky hand, his mind raced.

'This strength…?! Could he have [Limit Break]?!'

The thought sent chills through him.

[Limit Break], a skill known for granting its users unimaginable bursts of power. It was an extremely rare skill that even those who had talents known for being able to obtain it often failed to do so.

But if Sol truly possessed it… then Varek saw a path to victory.

'I just need to outlast him. Wait for that bullshit skill to burn out. Then, he's mine.'

Though he guessed the wrong ability, the similarities between [Overpower] and [Limit Break] were enough that his reasoning was correct.

Grimacing, he activated [Beast Recovery] once more. The Raiju's powerful regenerative abilities kicked in, and the gash on his head began closing rapidly.

But before the healing could even complete, a shadow fell over him.

Varek's breath caught in his throat.

Hundreds of black flames, each burning with dark, malevolent energy, appeared above him in an instant.

Sol hovered in the sky, silent and focused, his mind was rapidly and efficiently manipulating mana far beyond his normal capabilities to loop cast hundreds of black flames. The flames multiplied rapidly, expanding into a black storm, blotting out the sky like an omen of death.

His amplified intelligence allowed him to cast advanced magic effortlessly, despite the mental burden of simultaneously suppressing Varek's law technique, [Beast Ascension].

'It's a shame I couldn't suppress his other law techniques. It would've been easier that way.'

Sol had attempted to do so, but [Lesser Channel Control] was still beyond his full command. He reasoned that its limitations weren't only tied to his mental capabilities, but also to the sheer level of the law techniques he was trying to suppress.

He gazed down at Varek, whose face had gone pale at the absurd sight of the flames looming over him like an executioner's blade.

Panic gripped Varek's chest.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" he cursed under his breath, lightning sparking across his body as he bolted away at full speed. The Raiju, dragged along with him, did its best to avoid the incoming flames as well.

But even at his maximum velocity, he couldn't outrun the black flames.

The moment they fell, they exploded on contact.

Each one burned with a cold, consuming heat that seared his white fur and left blackened scars across his body. Despite his incredible vitality, the damage was piling up faster than he could regenerate.

Growling in frustration, Varek zigzagged from peak to peak in a desperate attempt to evade the relentless assault. But no matter how far he moved, Sol was always right behind him, rapidly closing the distance.

'Shit! Where did he go?!'

Varek had kept his eyes on Sol the entire time—yet suddenly, he was gone.

Space warped.

Sol reappeared directly beside him.

The Singularity Band's [Short Warp] had gone off cooldown, allowing him to close the gap instantly. Before Varek could react, Sol's hand lashed forward with [Spectral Claws].

Varek barely had time to register what was happening before the claws pierced clean through his chest.

A gaping hole was torn through his torso, blood erupting from the wound in a gruesome spray, splattering across the jagged rocks.

Varek staggered backward, his eyes wide in disbelief.

His trembling hands reached for the wound, feeling the shattered remains of his ribcage—and what little was left of his heart. Half of it had been completely erased, while the other half was slowly being devoured by the Slayer Aura infused within Sol's brutal attack.

And yet… he didn't fall.

For the average A-Ranker, even with their high vitality, this would have been fatal. But thanks to the ancient blood of the Raijin coursing through his veins, he was still alive–barely. The Raijin's innately powerful regeneration worked desperately to keep him alive but could not combat the deadly effects of the Slayer Aura.

Sol's piercing gaze locked onto him, cold and unwavering.

"It's over. Whatever you had planned for Initium will not come to pass."

Varek bared his teeth, blood dripping from his lips. His vision blurred as his life force rapidly drained away.

It was the same feeling he had just before he fused with the Raiju.

That same sense of hopelessness returned.

His body trembled, his breathing ragged. He looked at Sol, desperation flooding his eyes.

And then, he begged.

"Please! Forgive me! I don't want to die!"

Sol didn't reply.

Without hesitation, he swung his [Spectral Claw] downward.

A clean strike severed Varek's head in an instant.

His body stood frozen for a second, then crumpled lifelessly to the ground.