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The Tenraijū was bigger than any of the monsters I've ever seen before. Hence, it would be difficult to suddenly aim at its vitals such as its torso and head.

To start with, I would have to make use of my speed to cut its limbs and break its posture, then rain it with attacks in quick succession.

I went into the battle under such assumptions, but that plan soon collapsed.

"GRAAAA!"

"–Damn it!"

With a speed that doesn't match its gigantic body, the Tenraijū commenced an attack. At a speed rivaling that of me who made full use of the special effects of the Nameless Sword and [Gale].

After somehow succeeding in evading the forefoot that the Tenraijū raised at the last minute, I put some distance between me and the Raijuu and readied myself in an instant.

But,

"GRUUUOOO!"

"It's consecutive?!"

In some kind of principle, the Tenraijū showed a turnaround that was normally impossible with the size of its body and launched a consecutive attack on me.

Against the consecutive attacks that skillfully utilized both of its forefoot and mouth, I was forced to defend without being able to do anything. But in the midst of that, I found a way out.

"__-Now!"

I didn't miss the slight gap created during the attacks. While evading through the enemy’s attacks, I slipped into its bosom and powerfully brandished the Nameless Sword with that momentum.

Right after, my eyes witnessed an unbelievable sight. The moment the blade that I brandished with all my might hit the abdomen of the Tenraijū, a high-pitched sound resounded as my blade was bounced.

"Wha-…"

Looking at that, I was plunged into turmoil. I knew that the skin of the Tenraijū was hard. It was a monster that exceeded level 20,000 after all. That's why it was unavoidable that I couldn't cut through its meat with a single blow.

However, what the heck was that? Even the sound and the sensation were like my blade was bounced by a transparent wall before reaching its skin.

"–A transparent wall?"

Curious about those words in my mind, I readied myself to counter-attack and launched an attack. The result was just like before, a high-pitched sound was heard as my blade was bounced_

*Shock*

–No, there is no way!

"GARUUUU!"

"Mu"

I couldn't afford to immerse myself in my thoughts in front of this formidable enemy for even a moment. The Tenraijū swung its legs downwards many times to crush me underneath.

I avoided those attacks and temporarily took a distance from the Tenraijū. Then, while paying attention to the movement of the Tenraijū, I have to develop a plan from here on.

At first glance, I couldn’t do a thing as all my attacks seemed to be deflected. However, by no means was that the case.

When my second attack was prevented, I had a certain conviction. As I looked closely, the blade that I swung wasn't bounced by the Tenraijū’s body but something in front of it. At that moment, I didn't miss the sound of cracking in the space where nothing should exist.

From there, I reached one conclusion. The Tenraijū was probably clad in a transparent wall– in other words, a barrier.

And the fact that I could hear the cracking sound proves that the barrier was by no means invincible to all of my attacks. This means, if I keep attacking, I should be able to break through the barrier and damage its body!

In the end, all I should do didn't change. Evade its attacks and slash it over and over again.

But just after my morale was uplifted due to the plan that had been decided, the Tenraijū looked at the sky and widely opened its mouth.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

It was a deafeningly loud roar as if it was trying to break my eardrums. That roar alone was already troublesome, but the real one was just about to start.

As if responding to the Tenraijū's roar, lightning started to fall from the sky–towards me.

"_-!"

It was mostly a reflex. Feeling the stagnation of magic power, I jumped backward from the spot in an instant. Promptly after that, the ground where I formerly stood was burned down by a lightning bolt.

"Seriously?"

A narrow escape. If it had directly hit me, let alone suffering heavy damage, I could have been dead in one shot. Realizing that, my body shivered.

"No, it's too early to be relieved!"

The Tenraijū still continued its roar. In other words, the lightning bolt attacks were still continuing too.

But what should I do? Even now it was mostly because of my intuition that I was barely able to avoid its attack. There was no way the method of detecting the stagnation of magic power could be used many times.

Then, should I give up? No, like hell.

"If I can’t really avoid it by just feeling the stagnation of magic power alone, I should just grasp all the flow of magic–Enemy Detection!"

I used a skill that could detect magic power in a specified range [Enemy Detection].

Although I have to use [Enemy Detection] at a very wide range which has an intense MP consumption in order to be able to respond to the lightning bolts from overhead, it's not the time to complain about something like that.

At any rate, with this, I will be able to read the flow of magic power which make avoiding the lightning bolts become easier. The only question left was whether I would be able to subjugate the Tenraijū before I ran out of MP.

But from now on, it's my turn!

"–Here I go!"

While avoiding the lightning bolts, I rushed toward the still-stationary Tenraijū. As if realizing that the lightning bolts were no longer effective, the Tenraijū stopped roaring and responded to my attack.

"GRUUUUUAAAAAA!"

"Uooooooooooooo!"

From there, it was a game of power and speed with both of us giving our best.

Although it was still a desperate situation as the Tenraijū has higher strength and even our speed was almost equal, somehow I was able to compete on more than equal ground by utilizing the experiences I had from fighting against various superior enemies so far.

The first swing was bounced by the barrier,

The second swing cracked it,

And at the third swing, finally, I succeeded in destroying the barrier.

From there, I began to launch a series of attacks.

The high-speed blade of mine cuts through the body of the Tenraijū who had lost its barrier over and over again.

Stronger, faster! Only with such thoughts in my mind, I swung my sword with all my heart!

If it stays like this, I can win! But the moment I had that kind of conviction, something happened.

"GUOOOOOOOOOO!"

Despite my blade slashing its body, the Tenraijū once again proudly roared. Nonetheless, the [Enemy Detection] was still activated in anticipation of such a situation. Therefore, it should be possible to dodge the lightning bolts this time.

That's what I believed but the flow of magic power that the [Enemy Detection] detected made me shocked.

"What the heck is this?"

Unlike the previous lightning bolts, dozens of times more magic power gathered above me and the Tenraijū. Don't tell me it plans to scorch me alongside itself?

"Chi!"

As expected, although regrettable, I temporarily distanced myself from the Tenraijū as there was no way to defend against it.

With this, the Tenraijū should have no reason to activate the lightning bolts anymore. And I'll launch the final attack at the timing when it stops the activation of the lightning bolt.

However, the actions initiated by the Tenraijū were far from what I had expected.

The Tenraijū didn’t stop its roar and the place where magic power was gathering was still above its head. In other words–

Lightning bolts that were dozens of times more powerful than before were going to fall to the Tenraijū.

"…. Is it doing dynamic suicide?"

While observing the scene of the cloud of dust that was violently blown by the lightning bolt, I intentionally muttered.

Me making that kind of reaction was actually something that couldn’t be helped. Because the Tenraijū didn't stop the activation of the lightning bolt even when it should have known that it wouldn't hit me after all.

In any case, if it receives the lightning bolt while in the middle of an injured condition, even if it does not die yet, at least it will be dying.

"….Eh?"

A very absurd scene leaped in front of me who thought that way.

"Oi wait. What on earth is that…"

The cloud of dust was expelled and the figure of Tenraijū emerged from the inside. I just thought that maybe its whole body would be burned by the lightning bolt but, the reality was cruel.

The one reigned that space was the Tenraijū but at the same time, it wasn't.

All the wounds that I desperately inflicted were healed and perhaps even the barrier has also been revived. And there was a bigger problem.

If it just recovered completely, although troublesome, I could still do something about it. But that wasn't the case.

Different from before, the body of the Tenraijū was cladded in lightning. Even the sense of intimidation emitted by the Tenraijū has increased dramatically. Just by standing there, the pressure it held felt as if it was crushing me.

Subconsciously, I used [Appraisal]. I was sure that's because my instinct has decided that the enemy has turned into a completely different one than before.

And a prediction was proven to be right only at this kind of time.

______–

【Tenraijū （Status: King of Thunder）】

・Recommended level to subjugate: 25000

______–

"25,000….!"

It was already similar to death penalty for me.

Until a while ago, I managed to more than compete on an equal ground with the level 20,000 Tenraijū by giving my all. But if its level was raised by 5000, the probability of me winning most likely wasn't even 1%.

Defeat. Despair. Death.

Such negative words appeared in my head one after another.

However.

No, that's why.

I fearlessly laughed.

"Aa, I see. So it was like that"

From the first to ninth floor, all the quests were quests that could only be cleared by utilizing stamina, willpower and wisdom to the utmost limit. However, I was sure only the 10th floor was different.

A hurdle that couldn't be overcome even if I reached the limit was prepared here.

Was it because the sound of the system wants me to die?

No, I'm certain it wasn't like that.

There was only one thing that the sound of the system desires.

If a challenge couldn't be overcome even after I did my best to the limit, then what I should do was already decided.

"I'll do it"

I pointed the tip of the Nameless Sword at the Tenraijū. And with a firm will, I strongly declared.

"_Here I go, King of Thunder. Right here, right now, I will surpass my limit!"