The Last Boss

Kyouze’s POV:

My blood was boiling—this was the peak of my rage. I saw countless Players and NPCs who had fallen trying to defeat this boss, DraxOmega.

And worse, he had brought Ayane to the brink of death. That, I could never forgive. I would be the one to defeat him!

I told Mikan to heal Ayane, the remaining faction leaders, and every raid member who was still barely hanging on. She looked overwhelmed at the sheer number of wounded. I handed her an item I had gotten from Val, [Tears of the Zombie Queen]—a relic that restores HP over time.

Mikan used it, and slowly, the raid members began to recover. Ayane’s grievous wounds also started to heal, though they still needed time to fully recover.

Next, I threw another item to Zack: [Malevolent Berserker Stone].
This was the perfect item for him—it multiplied the user’s power by tenfold, granting him the strength of a level 8 player for a short time. The catch was madness. The stone drove its wielder insane. But Zack? Zack was already a battle-crazed lunatic. He’d endure it.

He accepted it eagerly, grinning ear to ear. But I warned him—he was to use it only when I gave the order.
That stone was meant for the Floor 10 boss. DraxOmega, this bastard, was mine.

Before I engaged, I handed [Talisman of the First Miko] to Izanami Ayaka.

She gasped when she saw it—her family’s sacred heirloom, lost for centuries. She asked how I had acquired it. I only replied that I had received it directly from her ancestor, Yae.

At the mention of that name, Ayaka clutched the talisman close, tears streaming down her cheeks. She thanked me, then donned the talisman without hesitation.

Immediately, Yae’s magic circle appeared beneath Ayaka, flooding her with divine light. The holy magic of Yae had returned to the world, flowing through Ayaka as its vessel.

“Ayaka-sama… please protect everyone here. I’m entrusting the defense to you,” I asked her.
“Very well—leave it to me!” she replied with fiery determination.

Her miko garb transformed into Yae’s ceremonial robes. Her aura radiated divine brilliance as she cast holy barriers, shielding every member of the raid.

With that, I was ready to go all out.

I stepped forward, closing the distance between me and DrexOmega. He stood tall, waiting, arrogance painted across his monstrous face.

“You dare face me alone, human? In this pit of despair? Look upon your fallen comrades! Look upon your doomed world—it shall soon be devoured!” he roared.

Then he unleashed his deadliest combination:
[EIGHT ETHER BREATH!!!] + [CYBERPLASMA DARK CANON]

A torrent of all eight Ether types burst forth, fused with dark plasma beams that erupted from his wings. A single attack capable of annihilating everything in its path.

But I did not falter. I drew a different blade—the one I had earned upon clearing Floor 8, the blade tied to my very title.

[Ether Slayer].

Its azure blade gleamed, etched with Ether sigils. This legendary sword was forged to resist, control, and dominate all eight Ether types. A weapon only I could wield—because only I held the title required.

I activated it—[Azure Reaper]—and my body was engulfed in blinding blue light. Ether symbols appeared across my skin, shimmering with raw power.

Now, I was immune to all Ether… and capable of wielding them all.

“[Azure Reaper Skill: Ether Slash!!!]”

I swung my blade, unleashing a dazzling azure arc that completely nullified DrexOmega’s catastrophic attack.

Gasps and cries of awe erupted from the raid. I dashed forward, leaping high, Ether Slayer raised to strike.

DrexOmega’s face twisted in panic and fury. He retaliated with another ultimate—
[Devourer Skill: Armageddon!!!]

A void storm that consumed everything within reach. But I wasn’t afraid.

Because I had one last card to play.

“Activate SystemCore Ascendant—Glitcher!”

Unlike most, I had never received a SystemCore at level 3. I thought it was a bug. But at level 6, I obtained something far beyond normal: SystemCore Ascendant.

Glitcher. The power to manipulate damage data. To deal damage beyond all limits. Overpowered, unstable, unpredictable. Sometimes it hit. Sometimes it didn’t. But right now, luck would be on my side.

As DrexOmega’s cataclysm closed in, I unleashed my final strike:

“[Maximum Ether Slash] + [Infinite Glitcher Impact]!!!”

BAM!!!

My blade tore through Armageddon, cutting DrexOmega in half with a single blow.

The damage displayed: 9999999999999999999999999999999.
An absurd number. Every one of his HP bars evaporated instantly.

Defeated.

As his body began to vanish, DrexOmega laughed one last time, whispering an apology… to GOD 404.

The raid exploded in cheers. Even those watching from Earth cried out in shock and triumph. Notifications rang—
DrexOmega has been defeated!

We were showered in EXP. I shot up to Level 10 instantly. So did Ayane and the other faction leaders. Mikan and Zack reached Level 7.

Ayane rushed toward me, joy in her eyes. But I raised a hand, telling her and everyone else—

This was not the end.

There was still Floor 10. The true final battle.

Then, without warning, the floor beneath us bled crimson. The ground dissolved into a sea of blood, though we stood upon ruby-like crystal. Above us, space itself warped—Earth was being swallowed by something unfathomable.

Our victory turned to ash in an instant. Joy gave way to terror.

A tremor shook the air, and from the bloody ocean below, a colossal shadow began to rise. Its presence made the very system shudder, glitching reality itself.

The countdown to the end had begun.

The true nightmare awaited us… on Floor 10.