Chapter 502: Unexpectedly Trapped
The moment Haruto entered Juggernaut Drive, the humanoid slime began fleeing for its life.
Beyond Loki's residual consciousness, its primal instincts screamed at it to stay far away from Haruto.
No matter how much home-field advantage it had or how special its form of existence was, if struck by the current Haruto, it would have no chance of surviving.
Though it sounds like a long story, in reality, only a little over a minute had passed.
Although it exceeded the one minute he promised Arthur, he could still resolve the issue before Arthur reached his limit.
In his Juggernaut Drive form, Haruto had fully attained the power of the Dragon God Class. The environment of the Dimensional Gap had no effect on him, and he quickly caught up to the fleeing energy entity.
Facing imminent destruction, the featureless humanoid slime suddenly morphed into Loki's face.
"It's you again!"
Loki glared fiercely at Haruto, but the next moment, he sneered viciously and said, "But thanks to you this time, I've finally fully mastered this power..."
"Oh, really?"
Haruto didn't stop his movements. He had no time to chat with Loki now—Arthur over there was already pale and looked as if he were on the verge of collapse.
"Then remember to thank me properly after you go down."
Thump!
As his words fell, Haruto punched a hole straight through the humanoid slime.
Loki's remaining words were stuck in his throat, and he looked down in frustration at his rapidly disintegrating body.
Just before completely vanishing, he suddenly said, "Forget it. Even though I couldn't finish speaking, the little gift I left for you was successfully delivered."
Centered around the cavity in his chest, the humanoid slime with Loki's appearance turned into nothingness, leaving not a single trace behind.
Haruto raised an eyebrow and waited for a moment longer, but he didn't see any 'little gift' Loki had mentioned.
"Whatever, maybe he just wanted to annoy me one last time before dying."
Seeing that time was running out, Haruto turned to leave.
This Norse God of Mischief was dead beyond any doubt. His earlier remark about making Loki thank him after going down was just empty talk.
Not only was there no "going down," but this time, Loki's soul and consciousness had been completely obliterated.
However, just as Haruto was about to enter the spherical barrier, a red light suddenly erupted from the spot where the humanoid slime had disappeared, and then...
An exact replica of Haruto in his Balance Breaker form appeared before everyone.
Judging by its aura, this copy actually possessed all the power of his Balance Breaker state, and even its presence was identical.
Instead of attacking Haruto, the copy acted like a mindless beast, frantically assaulting the Dimensional Barrier.
The immense power reverberated through the kaleidoscopic Dimensional Gap, and the Dimensional Barrier began to crack at a visible rate.
"Tch..."
Haruto clicked his tongue, feeling an overwhelming headache.
He didn't understand how Loki, even in that state, could accomplish such a thing, nor did he know what exactly this copy was.
But he knew that if he didn't stop it, not only would the mission fail, but his peaceful daily life would also cease to exist.
"You all go ahead."
Though he was only one step away from entering Caliburn's barrier domain, Haruto resolutely turned back.
Even if he didn't care about the so-called Twilight of the Gods, the mere fact that this thing was impersonating him was enough reason for Haruto to destroy it here.
Vali and the other two exchanged glances and, without the slightest hesitation, promptly teleported back to the human world.
Not only was Arthur truly at his limit, but even if they forced themselves to stay, they wouldn't be of any help.
If Vali were to use Juggernaut Drive, he might be of some use, but it was clear he wouldn't do so.
Just as they were about to teleport away, Kuroka, who had been motionless, suddenly broke away from the barrier.
Vali was startled and instinctively questioned, "Kuroka?! What are you doing?"
"Vali, I'm sorry, but I can't let Haruto get lost here alone."
"Do you really need to worry about him?"
Seeing that Kuroka wasn't trying to disrupt everyone's teleportation, Vali relaxed but then said irritably, "With his strength, he won't be affected by the Dimensional Gap at all. Once Arthur recovers, we can come back to get him."
"Yeah, even if the Dimensional Barrier really shatters, that guy won't die."
Watching Haruto continuously block the attacks of the duplicate, Bikou, though displeased, had to admit that Haruto's power was truly formidable—it felt like he existed in a different dimension altogether.
The duplicate, which could completely overpower them, was merely a slight nuisance in Haruto's hands.
If not for the concern of breaking the Dimensional Barrier, that duplicate would likely have been destroyed by now.
Kuroka knew they were right, but sometimes emotions override reason.
"Sorry, meow..."
"Women are always troublesome."
Watching Kuroka's figure recede into the distance, Vali gave up on persuading her and turned to Arthur, saying, "Arthur, let's hurry and leave. If the Red Dragon Emperor fails to stop that duplicate, we must prepare for war."
The spherical barrier enveloping Vali and the other two gradually faded away, leaving only Haruto, Kuroka, and the duplicate created by Loki in the boundless, multicolored space.
"Haruto, watch his left hand!"
Heeding Kuroka's warning, Haruto blocked another magical beam the duplicate fired toward an empty area.
Though Kuroka wasn't strong enough to join the fight, her perception abilities helped Haruto intercept the duplicate's attacks and assisted him in finding the key to breaking the deadlock.
"Haruto, this duplicate feels strange. I can't sense the core of the spell at all, but it gives me an illusory feeling..."
"Illusionary?"
Haruto's eyes lit up as he roughly guessed how the duplicate had come into existence.
"It seems I can only buy time. Fortunately, my recovery ability isn't bad either."
Although the duplicate only possessed the power of his Balance Breaker form without any combat skills, Haruto had no choice but to defend without even being able to dodge.
Whether counterattacking or evading would result in the Dimensional Barrier being struck.
Sometimes Haruto even had to deliberately move forward to take the duplicate's attacks with his body.
Another ten-plus minutes passed when the duplicate, which had been maintaining full firepower as if its magical energy was inexhaustible, suddenly vanished into thin air.
Just like when it appeared, there was no warning whatsoever.
"Whew— As expected, this is something like a projection, and it probably can only be used here."
With his phoenix bloodline and innate mastery over life, Haruto's injuries recovered at an astonishing rate.
Through continuous combat, he had also discovered the principle behind the duplicate.
This method might seem impressive, but its limitations were actually quite significant.
Loki had paid with his life, not even leaving behind a trace of his soul, just to create this projection within the dimensional gap.
If this were in the Three Realms, even sacrificing himself wouldn't allow him to create such a thing.
Most importantly, the projection could only exist for about ten minutes—it wasn't permanent.
After resting for a few minutes, the terrifying-looking wounds on Haruto's body had completely healed without leaving a single scar.
"Haruto, are you alright?"
After the duplicate disappeared, Kuroka came to Haruto's side. She had originally intended to use senjutsu to help with healing, but Haruto's recovery ability was simply monstrous.
Even after witnessing it with her own eyes, she couldn't help but ask again.
"I'm fine. The duplicate Loki created might look exactly like me in terms of aura, but it's actually just an empty shell inside."
Haruto shook his head and smiled. "That thing only had the power of the Sacred Gear—it didn't possess any of my personal characteristics or abilities at all."
How much power a Sacred Gear could unleash depended on its wielder. When Haruto used Juggernaut Drive, he achieved Dragon God Class strength without any side effects.
If it were someone else—say, Vali—they could at most unleash the power of a high-ranking god while still bearing the risk of being devoured by the Sacred Gear.
If counterattacking hadn't risked directly breaking the Dimensional Barrier, Haruto wouldn't have needed to buy time for it to disappear on its own.
Haruto and Kuroka hovered in the colorful space, with Haruto having already released his Juggernaut Drive form.
Although his injuries had healed, the consumed stamina and magical energy were real and needed time to gradually recover.
Dealing with the humanoid slime was manageable, but fighting the duplicate had indeed consumed nearly half of his strength.
"As expected, the only one who can defeat me is myself..."
"Hmm? Haruto, what do you mean by that?"
Kuroka turned her head, looking like a curious child.
"Nothing, just thinking out loud."
Gently stroking Kuroka's smooth black hair, Haruto felt genuinely happy that she had chosen to stay and accompany him.
If Kuroka hadn't been with him, he would probably have been preparing to force his way out by now.
Forcing his way out wouldn't completely destroy the Dimensional Barrier, but it would create several problems.
If he didn't force his way out, he would have to wait for Vali and the others to come find them...
There is no concept of time within the Dimensional Gap. Without Colibrand's ability, even if a thousand years passed in the outside world, Haruto and Kuroka would feel as if only a single day had gone by.
Therefore, it was clearly impossible to pin their hopes on others.
"Let's recover first while we think of a solution," Haruto decided, holding Kuroka close. "If no one comes for us after we've recovered, we'll have to attempt a forced breakthrough."
The Dimensional Gap was abundant with energy, though not particularly suitable for absorption. Even with Haruto's strength, it would take one to two days to fully recover.
Kuroka, of course, had no objections. She was like a girl experiencing first love—as long as she could stay by Haruto's side, nothing else mattered. The thought of leaving and no longer having him all to herself made her wish they could remain trapped in the Dimensional Gap a little longer.
They held each other tightly, breathing in sync, their scents mingling.
Gradually, Kuroka's breathing grew heavier, and Haruto's hand, resting on her waist, began to wander elsewhere.
In the boundless expanse of the Dimensional Gap, they were utterly alone. With mutual affection already simmering between them, things naturally began to drift in a rosy direction.
There was no bed in the Dimensional Gap, but it seemed one wasn't needed.
Here, directions held no meaning. No abilities were required to remain afloat, drifting weightlessly.
The lack of solid ground felt somewhat unsettling, yet this environment seemed ripe for exploring unconventional possibilities.
Haruto cleared his mind, his gaze instinctively drifting to the cat-eared beauty in his arms.
The graceful, raven-haired, buxom beauty leaned against his chest, her slightly flushed face filled with bliss. Her glossy black kimono sleeves, adorned with phoenix-wing-like embellishments, draped loosely to her feet. Her lustrous hair was parted into two cascading strands, flowing like an ink-wash waterfall on either side of her.
Haruto had never seen the usually assertive Kuroka display such a girlish demeanor before.
The rustling sound of his fingers brushing against her kimono paused briefly, and the steady rhythm of her breathing grew more pronounced in the silence of the Dimensional Gap.
Haruto cautiously leaned closer, as if her warm, intoxicating scent was seeping into his pores, making his cheeks flush faintly.
Sneaking a sniff of the cat-eared beauty's hair while she was unaware… sounded a bit perverted. If Kuroka caught him, she would surely tease him mercilessly.
Gently, he lifted a strand of her hair to his nose. He had expected her scent to be as rich and voluptuous as her figure—a heady, sensual fragrance. Instead, it was a refreshing, subtly sweet aroma that brought to mind a crisp, green-skinned fruit—seemingly unripe on the outside, yet surprisingly ripe and delicious.
As he let the strand slip through his fingers, a fleeting sense of reluctance and regret brushed his heart.
He gazed at Kuroka's defenseless, lovely face. Her kimono, predominantly black—a color symbolic of temptation—was exquisitely patterned and vibrant. Though traditionally Japanese, her modifications had made it daringly revealing.
Her entire shoulders and most of her full, ample breasts were boldly exposed, their pale skin almost breathtaking up close.
Kuroka seemed utterly unacquainted with restraint, especially in front of the one she loved, always expressing her affection to the fullest.
Though occasionally her words carried flirtatious and teasing sarcasm, the way she boldly pursued the one she adored—proud and beautiful—appeared to Haruto like a peacock displaying its dazzling plumage.
Thus, when Kuroka rubbed against Haruto with her smooth, trembling legs, he took the initiative to grasp her hands and pin them behind her back.
Haruto's firm body pressed down from behind, pinning the black-haired cat-eared girl beneath him.
In the seemingly boundless Dimensional Gap, there was no need for something as mundane as a bed. Even as the two fell endlessly, their senses remained suspended in place.
The scorching warmth of the opposite sex began to wantonly seep into Kuroka's body.
Feeling Kuroka beneath him, the aura surrounding her soft, delicate form swiftly shifted from the instinctual panic of being assaulted to the tender vulnerability reserved for a beloved. Haruto found himself growing even fonder of her.
This instinctive reaction was enough to reveal that Kuroka's wantonness was entirely an act. Had anyone else tried to lay a hand on her, they would have surely faced a thunderous strike.
But Haruto was now the sole exception—the only one who could treat Kuroka, this tsundere and sensual wildcat, as if she were a docile house cat.
"Kuroka, you smell so lovely~"
That composed, leisurely tone, coupled with the warm, moist breath brushing against her ear, made Kuroka feel as though she were melting into Haruto's robust frame.
Any intention to resist was utterly swept away by overwhelming bliss, leaving the black-haired cat-eared beauty nearly dizzy with euphoria.
Wanting to respond to Haruto's praise, Kuroka found herself too overwhelmed by his scent and body heat to form any coherent reaction.
She simply lost herself in the intense joy of being pressed tightly against the one she adored, experiencing a level of happiness and satisfaction she had never known since her desires first stirred.
"Ha… Haruto… please love me fiercely, hehe… Everything about Kuroka belongs to you! I'll hold no grudges no matter how you treat me!"
As time drifted by, the desires deep within her grew restless, no longer content with mere embraces. Overwhelmed with passion, Kuroka gazed at Haruto and uttered words that would drive any Haruto wild.
Hearing the fervent, desire-laden words from the enchanting beauty beneath him, Haruto offered no reply. Instead, he let out a light hum, tinged with both mockery and satisfaction, before cool leather cuffs swiftly bound her wrists. Then, before Kuroka could react, he covered her eyes with a black blindfold, robbing the beauty of her sight.
"Haruto? Mm… so you prefer this kind of playful style? Kuroka also—mmphh…
A brief tremble passed through her, but as Haruto's fingers approached her lips, the beauty obediently complied, allowing him to slip a hollow ball gag into her mouth.
Next, as effortlessly as peeling a ripe, tender fruit, Haruto stripped off Kuroka's loose, vibrant kimono, laying bare her plump, pale, and exquisite form under the shimmering multicolored light.
The luxurious, dazzling garment, crafted by the beauty herself, was casually cast aside by Haruto. For compared to Kuroka's alluring and sensual body, even the most masterfully woven textile seemed mundane—merely a veil obscuring her natural, flawless, and breathtaking beauty.
Her full bust and hips paired with a slender waist created an impeccable proportion, a marble-sculpture-like body that subtly conformed to geometric aesthetics, brimming with the unique tenderness and luster of life.
A beam of cool, ethereal light from the Dimensional Gap cast a soft glow over this perfectly proportioned goddess-like figure. By all accounts, the scene should have been sacred, but as Haruto stared at Kuroka's skin, he only felt that its hue was so tantalizing he wanted to take a bite out of it.
If anyone was to blame, it was Kuroka herself for being unable to hold back—already, the hollowed-out gag in her mouth had accumulated a fair amount of shimmering, congealed drool.
Like a lion on the savannah mercilessly snapping an antelope's neck, Haruto pressed down firmly on Kuroka's delicate shoulders and left two rows of reddened teeth marks on the smooth, jade-like nape of her neck.
Given Kuroka's usual style of dressing—habitually baring her entire shoulders, delicate collarbones, and even the deep, proud cleavage below—Haruto's act was tantamount to declaring his sovereignty to everyone.
The pain from the back of her neck was so sweet that Kuroka, unable to speak with the gag in her mouth, couldn't help but let out a muffled moan of pleasure.
"Are you happy? Hmph, receiving my mark is indeed something to be pleased about…"
A wicked smile slowly spread across Haruto's face as he stood up, carefully examining the stunning cat girl before him—deprived of her freedom of movement and with two of her senses sealed.
When faced with a consistently seductive and mature older sister type, Haruto always felt the urge to play rough, to bring out every vulnerable aspect of them.
But if it was a youthful, adorable, and charming girl, he often preferred to let her take the lead.
In short, he wanted them to behave in ways they normally wouldn't, to make them feel ashamed—that was what excited him.
This kind of psychology was actually quite common and easy to understand; both men and women experienced it. It was somewhat similar to a kink, though not entirely the same.