Well, it's not like I didn't see this coming eventually.
In the end, it all comes down to what each of us chooses to prioritize — and those priorities happen to be completely at odds.
Me and the Demon King — we both care about the goddess's existence.
Black and the goddess — they care about the goddess's will.
We're trying to save the goddess's existence while dismissing her will.
Black and the others are respecting the goddess's will while quietly accepting that the goddess's existence will vanish.
Since those two goals are fundamentally opposed, a clash was inevitable.
But still!
This is way over the top, don't you think?!
I roll sideways to dodge the foot Black swung down to crush me.
BOOM! A thunderous crash echoes out as Black's foot buries itself into the spot where I'd been standing moments ago.
Cracks spread across the neatly leveled ground.
Don't let the fact that the ground didn't shatter into splinters fool you.
This is an otherworld created by Black. If you try to apply normal physics here, you'll get yourself killed.
One hit from that would've turned every bone in my body to powder.
I roll, plant a hand on the ground, and spring back to my feet.
The neck bone is healed.
But wait — hold on, hold on!
I lean my upper body back to barely dodge the fist hurtling toward my face!
Inuyasha style!
Or maybe call it The Matrix!
Hands on the ground, into a bridge!
Then Exorcist-crawl my way out of there!
Gross?
Like I have time to worry about that!
Hey, Black, you're being way too ruthless!
Ambushing me, dragging me into your domain, and then pressing the attack without giving me a single second to regroup — that's not something the stronger fighter is supposed to do!
If you're the stronger one, then be smug like that golden-armored guy somewhere!
You're not just a king — you're practically a god!
Black catches up to me in an instant as I scramble away and kicks me in the back.
Guuugh!
I just heard a sound that no part of the human body should ever make!
This is getting really serious, you know!?
Launched into the air by the kick, my body is immediately punched clean through by Black's fist.
Right through the center of my chest.
Ha ha ha.
And here I thought my defensive barrier would help.
I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it.
This situation is genuinely bad.
My movements are sluggish, and I can barely put up any defense.
The sluggishness is because this is Black's field. Anyone other than the master — Black — who's in this space can't draw out their full power.
My body moves as if I'm underwater.
And the reason my defense is meaningless is that Black's barrier is nullifying mine.
This is the real dragon barrier — something only an authentic dragon possesses.
A cheat barrier that unconditionally neutralizes all magic.
Use it defensively, and it negates offensive magic. Use it offensively, and it neutralizes your opponent's defenses — just like this.
An absolute cheat.
Unfair.
And with a cheat ability like that, you ambush me and come at me at full strength?
I can't compete with a superior fighter who refuses to be overconfident!
I'd been planning to lure Black into my own field when the time finally came to settle things, and instead the exact opposite is happening.
No chance.
Hmph.
Complaining about it won't change anything.
It is what it is.
There are way too many surprises, but what I need to do hasn't changed.
Beat Black and kick off the World Regeneration Plan.
"Hmm."
I grab Black's arm that's still impaling my chest.
At the same time, I transform my lower body into a spider form and slash with the front legs' scythes.
Black shakes off my grip, yanks his arm free, and retreats.
He casually avoids the scythes, slowed as they are by the field's effects.
He has the dragon barrier, so he didn't even need to bother dodging.
That just means he's wary of me.
Well, thanks to that, I've managed to put some distance between us.
Not that distance matters much in Black's field.
Being inside a god's field is basically like being inside that god's body.
It favors the creator and disfavors the opponent.
As long as I'm here, Black's advantage won't change.
Of course, it's not like I'm going to keep getting beaten up forever.
Click, click — from the shadows at my feet, white spiders begin crawling out.
One after another after another.
The white spiders tear through the space as if devouring it, warping the field a little more with each one that appears.
"I won't let you!"
Black clenches his fist and charges, but the white spiders scatter in all directions.
Of course, my main body retreats too, avoiding Black's attack.
The scattered white spiders summon even more white spiders, which in turn summon even more.
They multiply exponentially.
And those spiders chew away at Black's field.
"So that's how it is."
Ke ke ke ke ke!
Did you think I was just going to take a beating for free?!
...Lies, actually. I was getting genuinely wailed on.
But I had already prepared this move — sending my sub-bodies out to invade Black's field from the outside!
I begin regenerating my chest.
Hmph, the real fight starts now!
There's no record of me getting beaten up in my logs!
"Tch!"
Black clicks his tongue.
He charges at my main body, but I keep retreating, never letting him close the gap.
Black's charge speed and my retreat speed are evenly matched.
The sluggishness from before is gone.
A battle between two spatial-magic users becomes a contest over territory.
Expanding your own field while preventing the opponent's from spreading.
And now, my sub-bodies — the white spiders — are painting over Black's field at an incredible pace, converting it into my own.
Bwahahaha!
This specialization isn't for nothing, you know!
Don't look down on a specialist type!
Ah, I'll admit it.
In overall power, I can't compare to Black.
The ambush putting me in a real pinch — that was legit.
Actually, to be honest, that exchange just now burned through a massive chunk of my magic.
Black's ambush was a huge success, the bastard.
But — but!
Ever since I became a god, I've been training with you in mind this whole time.
Don't think you can take me down that easily.
The outcome of this battle will decide the fate of the world — and that's no exaggeration.
Now then — let's settle this once and for all!
...I should probably set up a safety net, just in case.