Kujo Naruya did not panic much.

He even sneered disdainfully.

The self-destruction of an SS-Rank Professional was indeed immensely powerful.

But he was an SSS-Level!

Even in a weakened state, his physical body strength was enough to withstand a nuclear bomb!

"Trying to use such low-class means to drag me down with you?"

"Naive!"

The kusanagi-no-tsurugi in Kujo Naruya's hand glowed once again.

He had absolute confidence that he could slay his opponent before they could complete their self-destruction!

Or even if he let him self-destruct, so what?

At most, he would suffer minor injuries.

However...

What he didn't expect was...

Xiang Yu was indeed preparing to self-destruct, that was true.

But this was no ordinary self-destruction.

This was a skill Xiang Yu had comprehended when he reached Level 5.

【Skill Name: Co-Longevity with Heaven and Earth】

【Effect: Sacrifices 10% of own HP, burns through all equipment durability, and even sacrifices Level, converting all defense and resistances contained within the "Immortal Divine Body" into pure destructive energy.】

【Power: Ten times that of a normal self-destruction! Additionally, the explosion damage carries the "True Damage" property, ignoring 5% of the target's defense!】

Originally, Xiang Yu's tactic was the "Self-Destruction Style."

Explode and revive, revive and explode again.

Nobody could handle such a rogue style of fighting.

Unfortunately, his first revival chance had already been spent on suppressing the backlash from Kujo Naruya's "Heaven-Suppressing Seal."

So this time...

Xiang Yu's Avatar was truly going to be ruined.

Even if it could be remade later, it would have to start leveling up from Level 1.

The price of this battle was far too great.

But precisely because the price was so huge, the power gained in exchange was horrifyingly immense!

"I only seek to severely injure you once!"

Zhou Huai gritted his teeth.

At this moment...

The two seconds were up.

Crack!

The lightning prison shattered.

Kujo Naruya broke free from his cage.

What met him head-on was Xiang Yu, who had already charged right in front of him, his entire body glowing red like a branding iron.

"Get lost!"

Kujo Naruya swept out with the kusanagi-no-tsurugi in his hand.

This strike, delivered in fury, possessed unparalleled power.

Clang—!

The legendary giant shield in Xiang Yu's hand burst into fragments in an instant like paper.

"Die!!!"

Xiang Yu let out his final roar.

At this moment, he had turned into a humanoid bomb radiating blinding red light.

Kujo Naruya finally realized something was wrong.

That energy fluctuation... was too terrifying!

It was completely beyond what an SS-Level should have!

It was an aura of destruction enough to threaten his life!

"Madmen! You're all madmen!"

Kujo Naruya's expression changed drastically.

He wanted to retreat, to open up some distance.

But Xiang Yu was too fast—an extreme burst traded for by burning his own life.

"Get away from me!"

Full of shock and fury, Kujo Naruya slashed down ferociously with the kusanagi-no-tsurugi in his hand, bearing world-splitting power.

Pfft—!

The golden sword light slashed onto Xiang Yu's body without any resistance.

Those muscles as hard as iron were like thin paper before the Divine Artifact.

A terrifying wound extended all the way from his left shoulder down to his right abdomen.

His body was almost sliced in half!

At the same time.

Kujo Naruya pointed with his left hand, and a scorching beam of light instantly pierced through Xiang Yu's chest.

His heart shattered.

His lungs charred black.

Suffering such fatal injuries, any creature would have fallen down by now.

But Xiang Yu did not.

Although his body was broken beyond belief and even his internal organs were spilling out...

He was still stepping forward!

Still charging!

In those crimson eyes was only endless madness and resolution.

Even if only a single breath remained, even if only a single drop of blood was left...

The Overlord's charge would never stop!

Ten meters!

Five meters!

Three meters!

Xiang Yu's massive body finally charged right up to Kujo Naruya.

He opened his charred, black arms and hugged Kujo Naruya's waist tightly like a pair of iron pincers.

Even as Kujo Naruya frantically slashed his sword into his back, severing his spine section by section...

He did not let go!

"Let's... go on our final journey together!"

On Xiang Yu's broken face, a hideous and delighted smile appeared.

The next second.

【Co-Longevity with Heaven and Earth】... activated!

Buzz—!

Heaven and earth seemed to freeze for a moment.

Right after that...

The energy inside Xiang Yu's body, compressed to an extreme singularity, erupted.

There was no sound.

In that initial instant, there really was no sound at all.

There was only a white light.

A white light so dazzling it reached the absolute limit.

It swallowed Xiang Yu, and it swallowed Kujo Naruya, who was held tightly in his embrace.

"NO—!!!"

From within the white light came Kujo Naruya's desperate and unwilling cry.

That was the terror of facing death.

It was also the trembling fear in response to the insane actions of these ants.

The next second.

His voice was completely submerged by the explosion.

BOOMMMMMMM——!!!!!!

The delayed roar finally resounded across the entire world.

It was an indescribably terrifying power.

The entire snow mountain, thousands of meters high, collapsed and shattered like a sandcastle before this force.

The entire ancient ruin trembled violently, as if it would disintegrate at any moment.

The earth wailed, and space fractured.

A giant mushroom cloud, over five kilometers in diameter, soared into the sky from the center of the snow mountain ruins, rushing straight into the clouds.

The violent shockwave, mixed with destructive high temperature and radiation, swept out in all directions.

If this were placed outside the ruins...

The power of this explosion would be enough to wipe the entire Tokyo City off the map!

Enough to render everything within a hundred miles completely barren!

This was an SS-Level self-destruction at ten times the power!

This was the Overlord's swan song!

In the distance.

Although the Avatars controlled by Zhou Huai had retreated far enough away...

They were still caught in the aftermath of this terrifying force.

"Defend! All hands, defend!"

Gandalf roared, opening one arcane barrier after another.

But those barriers were as fragile as soap bubbles before the shockwave, shattering layer by layer.

Everyone was blown back hundreds of meters, slamming heavily into the pile of rubble.

Even Zhou Huai's consciousness suffered a burst of severe dizziness.

It took a full dozen minutes...

Before the earth's shaking barely came to a halt.

When the sky full of smoke and dust dispersed...

The once towering snow mountain was no longer there.

What appeared in its original place...

Was a giant, bottomless crater.

The rock at the bottom of the crater had been vitrified by the high temperature, emitting a faint red glow.

The entire ground was pitted and pockmarked, as desolate as the surface of the moon.

Controlling Caesar, Zhou Huai crawled out from the pile of rubble covered in dirt and ash.

Ignoring his injuries, he stared fixedly at the center of that deep crater.

Is he dead?

Having paid such a tragic price...

Sacrificing an SS-Level Avatar...

Is that old monster... dead?

A pungent odor of sulfur and char filled the air.

No presence of life.

Nor any fluctuation of Divine Power.

Just as hope rose in Zhou Huai's heart...

Crack.

A crisp sound of fracturing came from the bottom of the deep pit.

In this silent environment, it sounded exceptionally harsh.

Zhou Huai's pupils shrank.

Looking at the vitrified pit bottom...

A charred, emaciated hand burst out of the earth, gripping the rock on the edge.