The heart of the Door Labyrinth burned beneath crimson-red flames cloaked in shadows.
Their blaze devoured the savage creatures of the Aether World, spreading through their bodies and destroying them from both within and without.
The Great One of Krat’s World of Mist prevented the monsters from truly dying, restoring them each time they fell.
But the speed of the burning far surpassed the rate of regeneration, leaving them unable to return to the battlefield.
And that left the Great One completely at Crimson’s mercy.
Pinned upon Kingslayer, the Great One’s body hung suspended on the gigantic spearblade while the Eagle Owl plummeted toward the ground below.
Only the two of them remained in the sky.
"I had my suspicions... but looking at you now, you are one of the Great Ones of Krat. The same race Nameless came from."
Crimson spoke after finally confirming the truth.
The way the Great One controlled his powers reminded him far too much of the masked warrior, and even the physical form he had chosen carried the unmistakable traits of their race.
The Great One of Krat let out a faint laugh as he gripped the blade of the spear with both hands.
"You exceeded my expectations by far, Red Moon... because I never once imagined... that you were bold enough to hold back against the Demon King."
The Great One laughed mockingly after realizing Crimson had restrained himself during all those years of battles against Agaroth.
In response, Crimson’s expression darkened into something terrifying, his crimson eyes glowing ominously beneath it.
"Do not misunderstand, Krat rat... I chose Agaroth as my king. So how could I possibly go all out against the king I serve?"
"Even if he would defeat me regardless... I would never dare direct killing intent toward him. All I feel for him is respect... and admiration."
Crimson spoke with utter disdain as flames ignited along Kingslayer inside the Great One’s body.
"I chose my king myself, unlike you, slave who cannot defy your filthy creator."
"So listen carefully... because I will only ask once."
"Where are the rest of the Great Ones? And what is the secret behind this damned labyrinth? What exactly are you hiding here?"
Crimson questioned him, convinced the mysterious continent held some connection to the Great Ones... and to Odin himself.
Hearing those questions, the Great One of Krat laughed even louder.
"You may ask such questions... once you actually win this battle."
The moment he finished speaking, the Great One’s body suddenly disintegrated before Crimson’s eyes, transforming into hundreds of thousands of tiny white serpents that scattered in every direction and slithered away, leaving Crimson alone holding his spear.
Frowning deeply, Crimson watched the serpents flee before merging together once more, reforming the Great One completely unharmed, without the horrific hole Kingslayer had torn through his chest.
"I understand how you feel, Red Moon."
"You are powerful... but ignorant and foolish. You understand nothing about this world, nor the continent you entered yourself."
"That must be a painful feeling, isn’t it? Someone with your strength stumbling around alongside the worms of the other races, no different from them except for being slightly stronger."
The Great One’s body began to glow as overwhelming aura erupted from him, while all the creatures he had summoned vanished completely.
The pressure he released rivaled the King’s Presence head-on.
And despite being a Beast Tamer...
His own presence now resembled Crimson’s frighteningly closely.
Crimson remained silent, his expression shrouded in darkness as he listened to the Great One’s mockery.
’My patience is starting to wear thin... these bastards keep acting superior simply because they know one or two things the other races don’t.’
’And yet they all die in the end regardless.’
Crimson slowly turned his head away, ignoring the Great One entirely as his gaze drifted far beyond the battlefield itself.
In truth, the First Upper Demon had never once been concerned about the Great One standing before him.
Nor had he ever truly viewed him as a threat.
What genuinely kept Crimson cautious...
Was the possibility of a third party interfering at the decisive moment.
That concern existed only on his side, however.
The Great One of Krat did not appear remotely bothered by outside intervention.
In fact, he attacked immediately despite everyone watching.
This time, the Great One fought personally rather than through his summoned creatures.
His fist ignited with roaring flames of multiple colors while his skin hardened until it surpassed the strongest metals.
His speed was far from ordinary, and he freely wielded multiple abilities at once.
Crimson blocked the Great One’s attack with Kingslayer, enduring the impact while instantly realizing what was happening.
He had already seen those abilities before.
"So that’s it... you’re using the powers of your beasts yourself."
Crimson realized this was likely the Great One’s true trump card.
The Great One could wield the abilities of every creature he had summoned as if they were his own.
There had been seventeen monsters.
Which meant the Great One of Krat now possessed seventeen abilities, each equivalent to a transcendent power that surpassed the limits of the world.
Dealing with the creatures themselves had already been difficult enough.
But fighting the Great One after he fused all those powers into his own body...
Was far worse.
Crimson’s Red World still remained restrained by the World of Mist, and neither domain had managed to overpower the other despite Kingslayer reaching the Great One himself.
"Crimson the Red Moon... are you still daring to hold back against me?"
"And you even dare think about another opponent while fighting me?"
The Great One extended his hand.
Three different flames instantly spiraled around it, forming a roaring vortex of destruction.
One red.
One blue.
And the third yellow.
The three fused together, creating an entirely new flame whose color leaned toward black itself.
Crimson’s eyes widened the moment he saw it, instantly understanding what the Great One had just done.
"I believe this is what you call... the fusion of world-breaking abilities."
The Great One drove that terrifying flame into Crimson with a punch, triggering a colossal explosion that shook the surrounding void itself.
The Great One of Krat had effortlessly fused three abilities together at once, making the Red Moon realize he had underestimated his opponent.
Crimson was blasted backward by the overwhelming force of the attack as the dark flames spread across his armor.
He had blocked the Great One’s punch with his spear and the entirety of his strength...
But even that failed to spare him from the damage.
Dispersing the flames with difficulty, the First Upper stared at them for a brief moment before raising his eyes back toward the Great One.
’He can fuse world-breaking abilities with perfect ease... and he possesses at least seventeen of them.’
’Eighteen if I count that domain as well.’
It was a terrifying number.
The highest of all, excluding Agaroth himself.
Even Nameless did not possess this many abilities that surpassed the limits of the world.
Though the comparison itself was somewhat unfair, since some world-breaking powers were vastly superior to others.
What irritated the First Upper most...
Was the World of Mist suppressing his Red World.
Otherwise, none of the Great One’s attacks would have touched him in the first place.
The Great One had already appeared before him, his body radiating countless different powers at once.
In response, Crimson ignited Kingslayer with Shadowflame and began exchanging blows with the Great One amidst the war of domains unfolding around them.
The battle that had begun from afar through summoned monsters...
Had transformed into direct slaughter, with neither side retreating a single step in their attempt to crush the other.
The two moved so fast that following their movements had become impossible.
The Great One of Krat unleashed a torrential barrage of world-breaking abilities, fusing them together one after another.
And yet Crimson fought him evenly regardless, showing not the slightest sign of being the losing side.
The closest witnesses to the battle were Marvas and Agares, who watched in utter shock at the overwhelming power of that Great One...
And at the terrifying strength of the First Upper, whom they had never truly understood.
Watching was the only thing they could do.
But that did not last long.
Out of nowhere...
Another heavyweight arrived at their doorstep.