Overgeared

The hell moon was always a full moon. It was because it was just artificially overlaid. The sight of the moon changing to a waning moon and waxing moon every time Bunhelier moved was unfamiliar.

"There are some people who will be quite surprised."

Bunhelier was covered with obsidian-like black scales. From a distance, Baal admired the unrealistic appearance of the old dragon, which could be seen as a shadow covering the moon. It wasn't an overwhelmed look. Not the slightest bit of tension could be seen. It was an abnormal reaction.

Grid speculated more closely about the relationship between Baal and Bunhelier.

'Is Baal superior?'

Grid hadn't logged out ever since arriving in hell. It was because it wasn't the promised time. He didn't know the situation outside. It meant he hadn't heard the news that Bunhelier suffered a great defeat by Marie Rose and that Baal was the reason for her fatal effect against Bunhelier.

Nevertheless, he had a vague guess. It was through the resentment, anger, and killing intent that Bunhelier was emitting toward Baal. Bunhelier had a clear hatred of Baal.

He wondered if Bunhelier had been hit hard in the back of the head and if it had something to do with the episode where Bunhelier was reborn as an evil dragon in hell.

'I'm certain. In the process, Baal put some type of shackles on Bunhelier.'

This was the only way he could understand Bunhelier's anger. Then Baal's relaxed attitude even in front of an old dragon was understandable...

A huge shadow was cast around the thinking Grid. It was a shadow that grew as Bunhelier got closer.

[Baal, this guy played an insignificant trick. I knew from the beginning that you didn't take anyone in your eyes, but is it the point of deceiving an old dragon that existed from the beginning? Do you have ten lives?]

Bunhelier was agitated. Unlike the gourmet dragon and other top dragons, who were aloof and awe-inspiring, he clearly expressed his emotions. This attitude didn't feel cheap. It was purely overbearing. Grid became dizzy from the messages of his transcendent senses that reacted every time Bunhelier let out a breath.

Bunhelier's small actions and words were making his transcendent senses feel a sense of crisis in real time. Baal's expression as he accepted the killing intent directed at him was still calm.

"That is a strange question. Did you forget the insane dragon? I have been deceiving you for a long time."

Baal was the size of an ordinary human, unlike when he appeared on the surface not so long ago. It was said that he had a different appearance depending on the viewer's mind. His pale, smooth-looking skin gradually became as hard as stone. The three horns on his head soared high and his body also grew huge. He wasn't inferior even standing side by side with Bunhelier.

Grid was watching him with an astonished look, only to become startled. He suddenly realized that the 'fear' abnormal status had been applied to him and gritted his teeth.

'Don't be scared.'

There was Bunhelier by his side. It was an old dragon with the momentum to kill Baal immediately. This was a golden opportunity to ride an old dragon as part of the 'Crazy God and Crazy Dragon' tale. It was a truly unexpected opportunity. Unexpectedly, a Baal raid might be possible.

He tried to control his mind several times, but it was useless. The fear that Grid felt toward Baal was a systemic problem. A source of evil that threatened even the transcendents and gods. Therefore, he couldn't help being afraid...

Besides, it was difficult to trust Bunhelier. Bunhelier read and responded to Grid's intentions, but this didn't translate directly to favor. This meant he could change his mind at any time depending on the situation.

First of all, he was an evil dragon. Simply put, he was a villain. He wasn't someone he could build up a trusting relationship with.

'Yet from my current perspective, he is the only one I can rely on.'

Bunhelier's position wasn't much different.

[Overgeared God... don't even think about betraying me. If you betray me, I will take everything away from you.]

Bunhelier landed right next to Grid and gave a clear warning. He also didn't trust Grid. However, he had no other option, so he slowly leaned his head forward while showing his dislike. It was so that Grid could climb onto the nape of his neck.

That's right—the contents of the Crazy God and Crazy Dragon story were also known to Bunhelier. It was the same for the other old dragons. However, there would be no old dragon other than Bunhelier who felt the need to become the main character of Crazy God and Crazy Dragon at this moment and in the future.

This fact brought Bunhelier a great deal of shame and skepticism. Still, what could he do? The moment he arrived in hell, Baal came to him as if Baal had been waiting. This meant it was an event within the scope of Baal's prediction. Bunhelier needed a variable that would make Baal's predictions go awry and that was Grid here.

This one who helped Ifrit deal a big blow to her father. Grid endured the Breath he shot as a test, as if this wasn't a falsehood. He didn't weaken the Breath's aura like Hayate, but endured it. It was more than a Dragon Slayer in terms of being tough. To be honest, this was the first time he had seen such a person. It would surely be helpful...

"I won't betray you," Grid declared.

Black blood spilled out every time he opened his mouth due to the aftermath of being hit by the Breath, but his expression was serious. It was a god's promise. It was to an old dragon who could fully understand the weight of it.

[I won't betray you this time either.]

Bunhelier read Grid's sincerity and also made a pledge. Would it be kept and sublimated into Dragon Words, or would it be scattered and reduced to a worthless thing as always...? Even Bunhelier himself couldn't predict it. He didn't mean to brag, but he himself didn't know in which direction his vicious heart would be shaken.

[One of the world's greatest and most monstrous dragons has bowed his head in front of the Overgeared God.]

All these scenes were being recorded in the 20th epic. Naturally, most of the scenes were interpreted in Grid's favor. Bunhelier simply bowed his head to let Grid board, but in the epic, it was portrayed as if he had submitted.

Grid felt embarrassed, but he acted brazen-faced.

'I'm not deliberately distorting it.'

Just as God wasn't the author of the Bible, the myths were originally written by humans. It would be funny if Grid directly corrected the contents. He didn't even have the authority to correct it in the first place.

[I will surely destroy humanity one day...]

Bunhelier noticed the situation and uttered scary words. Grid felt almost thankful that Baal made a surprise attack just in time to disperse Bunhelier's attention.

"Keuk."

He failed to get on Bunhelier's neck and crashed. It was difficult for him to control his body properly due to the fear abnormal status, so he was properly hit by Baal's surprise attack.

'Is swordsmanship the main force?'

Baal was similar to Hayate. Just like Hayata made the Dragon Killing Sword with energy, Baal crafted a black sword with demonic energy. It possessed an unchallenged power. The more he approached a subject that was beyond being powerful, the more status abnormalities that would occur. It was literally a demonic sword.

The most threatening aspect of the demonic sword was the debuff 'destruction of the status immunity.' The status immunity that he enjoyed and took for granted ever since becoming Pagma's Successor was gone and most of his immunity functions became weak.

'I knew this day would come eventually.'

It would be weird if one of the final bosses didn't do this much. He had a duty to overcome this trial. Stay calm. There was no need to despair. It was just the same conditions that most people felt.

It happened as Grid was controlling his mind...

Baal recovered the sword that had been swung sideways and struck at Bunhelier's Breath. Then he reached out his other hand and fired magic. Dozens of magic circles were unexpectedly created. It was impossible to destroy all of them with the effects of Duke of Wisdom and the Castration Eye.

Damage accumulated again to the falling Grid and Baal's offensive didn't stop there. He slammed down a huge heel and struck the top of Grid's head. Suddenly, his fingers, which were resting on Grid's shoulder, were tearing apart the dragon armor like it was a sheet of paper.

In the aftermath of the impact, his collarbone and shoulder blade were fractured. Grid's body leaned forward as his abdomen was torn apart by the demonic sword. Grid's mind went blank. It wasn't just due to the pain. It was because there was no time to think about anything.

Baal's unstoppable offensive was so swift and complicated. He mastered all areas of swordsmanship, martial arts, and magic, like Zik, but his power was beyond Zik's.

'What is this demon bastard?'

It was no wonder that the Absolute of hell was strong. Grid just hadn't expected that he would even know all these techniques? In the first place, wasn't the demon a being who neglected learning and depended on their innate power? Most of them were like this with the exception of a few special cases like Dantalion and Iyarugt. It was hard to understand why Baal would learn and train in something when he pursued pleasure.

Baal read Grid's eyes, which were filled with confusion and consternation, and explained, "Most of the history of humanity that remains on the surface are records of the winners. Many things were lost. On the other hand, hell covers the history of all the dead. It means I am more familiar with the knowledge and skills that humans have accumulated than you human beings."

He seemed to find it pleasant. There wasn't a single flaw in Baal's movements. It continued non-stop. He seemed to be a creature that lived in a single breath that lasted forever as he linked all sorts of techniques together without a time difference. He also appeared to have no joints.

All the attacks were coming from completely unpredictable trajectories. Grid wouldn't have been able to avoid a single one if it wasn't for his artificial senses and his transcendence.

[What are you doing?]

The ferocious looking Bunhelier frowned. Then Grid abruptly came to his senses. His urgency to stop the attacks meant his distance with Bunhelier imperceptibly widened. He felt a sense of strangeness.

Baal's body had become so huge that it was comparable to Bunhelier. His outstretched hands and feet reached a distance of several dozens of meters. Considering that Grid's location was initially beside Bunhelier, Baal's attack range should've included Bunhelier as well, not just Grid. Yet Baal's attacks only touched Grid.

Grid focused. He carefully observed the scene happening in front of him. Baal's massive body overlapped with Bunhelier's body every time he moved. Even so, Bunhelier didn't react to it. In fact, Baal's arms and legs were going through Bunhelier's body like ghosts without any physical force.

Did Bunhelier use any fluidization technique? No. Baal's huge body was just a fake.

Grid recalled it. The reason why Baal looked huge was because Grid was afraid of him. Baal's actual body wasn't as huge as Bunhelier's.

'Don't be fooled... first of all, I have to measure the distance properly.'

Taang, taang, tatang, tatatang...

Grid noticed the intervals in the impacts to his artificial senses. At first glance, it seemed to occur simultaneously. It was because Baal's arms were much longer than the range of his artificial senses.

Baal waved his arm just once and it felt like it had passed through the whole area of his artificial senses. The truth was different. There were a very small number of gaps. He only barely noticed it when he raised his concentration to the extreme. It was simply fast.

'3 meters, 1 meter...'

Grid estimated Baal's actual size and the length of the demonic sword based on the transmission speed of the impacts and tilted his head to the left. His command values were reversed due to the aftermath of the confusion abnormal status. His head tilted to the right.

Visually, it was suicide. It seemed like he was sticking out his head toward the demonic sword wielded by Baal. However, the blade couldn't cut or pierce Grid's neck. It passed by like an illusion. In fact, Baal's blade still wasn't in a position to reach Grid. It had just reached his earlobe.

He felt like he was in an environment where the ping bounced randomly while his body was moving contrary to his thoughts. Putting aside Baal's blows and attacks that penetrated his absolute defense, causing tens of thousands of damage, the difficulty and fatigue of the battle were too high.

Then for the first time, Grid's sword and Baal's sword interlocked. The demonic sword failed to cut Grid and was blocked by the dragon weapon.

"...The adaptation is fairly fast?"

Baal's eyes were half open. He obscured some of his pupils with his eyelids so they couldn't be seen. It was a habit unique to Baal. It was a reaction he showed when admiring something, but no one knew it. It was because he didn't usually feel admiration.

'How much strength does he have?'

Grid clicked his tongue. It was because he witnessed that the dragon weapon's body was slightly white. His loudly convulsing arms were an added bonus. He was laughing at the absurdity when Bunhelier appeared behind him. Hell was currently operating a magic that blocked most movement techniques, but the teleportation of an old dragon couldn't be sealed.

[Get on!]

Bunhelier urged. His voice was quite mild, unlike the beginning. Baal wasn't the only one who admired Grid's fighting abilities.

Grid leapt up. First of all, activating the Dragon Knight effect was the urgent priority.

"Where are you going?"

Baal caught up. He pressed the dragon weapon, still engaged with the demonic sword, with force and created a close-range battle. The magic and skills fired from a close distance approached Grid as an unstoppable threat.

Baal's smiling face, which showed his sharp teeth, approached right in front of Grid's nose. Then a Breath was shot from Grid's mouth.