While fully on guard, I looked at Akaza and asked the Great Sage.
'Great Sage, what are my chances of winning against Akaza?'
[Assuming you fight with all your might: 33.76%. Assuming time passes, the sun rises, and Akaza flees: 56.73%]
'...Not great in any case....'
Then, Tanjiro, who saw Akaza, muttered.
"Upper Moon... Three!? Why is he here now!?"
At that moment, Akaza quickly lunged forward and swung his fist at Tanjiro.
"!"
The moment I perceived Akaza's attack, I parried it with Kayserium. As I deflected his attack, Akaza quickly retreated backward.
It was fortunate I quickly drew Kayserium and blocked the attack. If I had been just a moment slower, Tanjiro would have died.
"A fine sword."
Akaza, who quickly retreated, looked at the Kayserium I drew and said that. Then I looked at Tanjiro and spoke.
"Hey... you stay back. That guy seems to be targeting only me."
Tanjiro was worried about me at my words, but when I spoke coldly once more, he finally agreed and quickly moved away from my vicinity.
"Hey, what's your name?"
Akaza, seeing Tanjiro move away from me, asked me.
"Kang Yuseong."
"Kang... Yuseong?... Huh... Good. Kang Yuseong, I'll give you a splendid offer. Why don't you become an Oni too?"
I firmly refused Akaza's words.
"No."
At my refusal, Akaza...
"One can tell just by looking... your power.... You haven't yet reached the level of a Hashira, but your potential for growth is tremendous.... If you continue to grow from where you are now, you will surely reach the pinnacle. However, reaching the pinnacle will take much time. During that time, you will age, become ill... and ultimately die."
Then Akaza extended his hand to me and said.
"Become an Oni, Kang Yuseong. Then you can train endlessly for 100 years, 200 years. You can become even stronger than you are now."
I looked at Akaza and said.
".....Not aging is certainly not bad..."
"Right, so you too, like me, become an Oni..."
Then I said with a serious expression.
"However, I refuse!"
"What?"
"One of the things I like most... is firmly saying 『NO』and refusing bastards like you who only think of fighting and getting stronger! Strength is power to protect others! There's no reason for me to accept the proposal of a bastard like you who knows nothing but getting stronger!!!"
At my words, Akaza glared at me and muttered.
"...I see...."
Akaza muttered that and then stomped his foot on the ground.
"Technique Development · Destructive Kill: Compass Needle"
[Character Akaza activates skill Technique Development: Destructive Kill: Compass Needle.]
Then, centered around Akaza's feet, a powerful shockwave spread along with a compass-shaped domain patterned like a snowflake. I saw it and readied my sword.
"If you won't become an Oni, I'll kill you."
Boom!
Akaza, approaching me at high speed, swung his fist at me. I parried his attack with Kayserium and gathered water in one hand, sharpening it into a blade.
"Water Blade!"
Out of the dozens of Water Blades that flew swiftly, only 4 or 5 hit Akaza. Even those, Akaza completely healed with his rapid regeneration.
Then Akaza, having fully healed his wounds, attacked with speed invisible to my eye, pressing me relentlessly with his terrifying regeneration.
'Tch... Then... I have no choice.... I originally planned to save up more and use it little by little at appropriate times.... But to use it all at once here...'
"I raise all my comprehensive stats to 40."
Then, about one-third of the coins I had saved were consumed, and my stats began to rise rapidly.
[Strength Lv. 15 > Strength Lv. 40]
[Agility Lv. 15 > Agility Lv. 40]
[Stamina Lv. 15 > Stamina Lv. 40]
[Magic Power Lv. 15 > Magic Power Lv. 40]
[A total of 52,000 coins have been consumed.]
[All comprehensive stats have broken through the scenario limit standard.]
[Remaining coins: 100,548]
My stats were now at the scenario limit of 40, plus +12 from trait effects, making all stats 52. On top of that...
[Activating skill Enhancement Magic Lv. 5.]
[Activating skill Blackening Lv. 6.]
Having also used the enhancement skills I currently possessed, I trusted my body and charged at Akaza. Akaza threw a punch at me.
Crack!
As I blocked Akaza's punch with a guard, the sound of bones cracking came from the arm that blocked it, but I definitely stopped Akaza's attack. The brief opening created in that moment...
"Hamon Overdrive!"
Grabbing Akaza's arm with one hand, I drove my other hand, clad in Hamon, into Akaza's stomach.
"Keuheuk!"
Akaza, hit by my punch, was pushed back and then immediately clutched his stomach.
"Kgh... What is this!?"
Akaza's stomach, struck by my punch, turned black as if scorched, and its regeneration slowed compared to other places.
"This is Hamon! A power akin to sunlight, the source of life!"
"...A power... akin to sunlight..."
At my words, Akaza wavered slightly and looked at me.
"Akaza... here I come! Zadkiel!!"
The cold energy generated from my feet transformed into sharp ice shards and flew toward Akaza.
"Right! Come at me, Kang Yuseong!! Destructive Kill · Annihilation Type"
[Character Akaza activates skill Destructive Kill · Annihilation Type.]
Akaza immediately thrust his fist into the air, firing an invisible shockwave that shattered the ice shards.
"Here I come again! Jade Hounds!"
Along with my shout, black and white Jade Hounds that leaped from my shadow immediately bit Akaza's arm and neck. Akaza shook off the black one biting his arm, grabbed the white one biting his neck, and crushed it outright.
[Activating skill Dragon Slash Lv. 4.]
Putting the white hound's death behind me, I immediately unleashed a barrage of Dragon Slashes at Akaza.
"As expected, you're interesting! Kang Yuseong!!"
Akaza, enduring the slashes coming at him, charged at me and threw a punch. I blocked Akaza's attack with Kayserium.
"Indeed! It's a waste to kill you here! Kang Yuseong!! You can still grow!!"
[Activating skill Fireball Jutsu Lv. 5.]
Akaza, who took the Fireball I spat out head-on, continued to speak.
"In one year, two years, you will become even stronger! Your sword proficiency and all those powers will be used freely!!"
[Activating skill Water Blade Lv. 6.]
"Water Blade!"
Akaza's two arms flew through the air from the Water Blades I launched, but the moment a second passed, his arms regenerated in an instant.
"Destructive Kill · Disorder!"
[Character Akaza activates skill Destructive Kill · Disorder.]
Akaza immediately began wildly pummeling with frenzied laughter and relentless punches.
[Activating skill Earthen Wall Lv. 3.]
"Earthen Wall!"
I immediately formed a hand seal and created an Earthen Wall. Subsequently, as his punches wildly pummeled it, the Earthen Wall was shattered.
"E.G.O Magic Bullet, First Round — Magic Bullet!"
Before the Earthen Wall was completely destroyed, I leaped into the air and fired a Magic Bullet at Akaza. Akaza swiftly dodged the bullet.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Then, two clones that appeared in the air immediately charged at Akaza.
"Hamon!"
"Overdrive!"
The two clones simultaneously attacked Akaza with Hamon, but Akaza easily dodged their attacks and dispatched them by piercing through their stomachs.
"Impressive, Kang Yuseong.... You are the strongest human I have ever met!"
"Hoo... hoo..."
'My magic power is almost empty now.... My stamina is also nearly depleted.... Then... I have no choice but to bet everything this time....'
"Haniel! Calydoscoope!!"
[Unique skill Haniel temporarily changes to unique skill Gabriel.]
"Gabriel! Fantasia!"
[The special ability Fantasia of unique skill Gabriel is activated.]
[Stats greatly increase due to Fantasia's effect.]
[Pain is mitigated due to Fantasia's effect.]
[Due to Haniel's penalty, the buff from special ability Fantasia is halved.]
'It doesn't matter.... If I can land just this one strike....'
[Activating skill Blackening Lv. 6.]
[Activating skill Enhancement Magic Lv. 5.]
[Activating skill Hamon Lv. 6.]
At that moment, Akaza muttered in astonishment.
"Fantastic fighting spirit....! That vigor! That willpower! A form without a single gap!!!"
Then Akaza looked at me, laughed, and shouted.
"Indeed, become an Oni! Kang Yuseong!!! Fight with me endlessly, forever!!!"
I smiled at Akaza's words and replied.
"Hey, Akaza? Do you know fleas? Those tiny insects, fleas. A flea will fight a human hundreds of times its size without hesitation... But can this be called courage? What a flea does cannot be called courage..."
I looked at Akaza, preparing all the strength I could muster, and spoke.
"Then what exactly is courage? Courage is knowing fear, making fear my own! What disrupts breathing is fear, but when you dominate fear, breathing becomes regular and unwavering! The breathing of the Hamon technique is the product of courage! The hymn of humanity is the hymn of courage! The greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage!!! No matter how strong you are, Oni like you don't know courage! You're no different from fleas!"
Crack!
I clenched my fist tightly and looked at Akaza.
"My heart trembles! (震えるぞ,ハート!) Heat enough to burn up! (燃えつきるほどヒート!) I carve it! The beat of blood! (刻むぞ! 血液の ビート!)"
I focused all the Hamon I could currently draw into my fist. Akaza, seeing me, prepared his attack.
"Destructive Kill...."
Both Akaza and I confirmed that each other's attacks were ready. Then the two of us charged at each other.
"SUNLIGHT YELLOW OVERDRIVE!!!!!"
"ANNIHILATION TYPE!!!!!!!"
Our fists continued to clash.
They clashed and clashed again.
Crack! Crack! Snap! Zzzt!
With each clash, cracks began to form in my bones.
Thanks to Fantasia, it didn't hurt.
So I.....
Continued to swing my fist.
Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraora
Amid the continuous barrage, Akaza had one eye crushed, was struck in the abdomen, had his nasal bone shattered, his face smashed, teeth flew out, his arm broke, and he vomited blood.
And it was the same for me.
""HAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!""
Thwack!/Thwack!
Our fists finally pierced each other's abdomens.
Gurgle
As my abdomen was pierced, blood instantly gushed from my mouth.
Akaza, seeing me like that, spoke.
"You'll die.... You're going to die, Kang Yuseong!! Become an Oni! Say you'll become an Oni—!!!"
".....Why are you so obsessed with strength?"
"What?"
"Akaza, why are you so obsessed with becoming strong? For what? Just to defeat strong opponents? Or because you like to fight? If not that, then—"
Is it because you have something you want to protect?
At my words, Akaza's pupils began to shake violently.
"I... I..."
Grabbing Akaza like that, I began to pour Hamon into his body.
"If I die here... I'll at least take you with me!!!"
Akaza had already been hit by my Sunlight Yellow Overdrive and was essentially in a state where his regeneration was gone.
In that situation, if he kept taking additional Hamon hits, Akaza would definitely die.
Then, perhaps momentarily frightened by the fact he would die, Akaza tried to flee immediately, but I didn't let him go.
"I absolutely won't let you go!!!!"
By now, the other party members were running toward me. In the end, Akaza chose to tear off both his arms and escape.
"Stop right there!!"
As Tanjiro's group chased after Akaza, Kim Dokja and the other party members approached me.
"Yuseong-ssi! Snap out of it!!"
"Damn it, the injuries are too severe!"
"Mister, isn't there any way!?"
"Then... Yuseong hyung will die....."
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband feels despondent at the fact you will die.]
[Constellation Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss shouts for you not to die.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter feels regret.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire does not wish for you to die.]
[Constellation Heaven's Scribe expresses condolences to you.]
I smiled at the reactions of the party members and Constellations, pulled out Akaza's arm embedded in my abdomen, then took out a Sunhead from my inventory and put it in my mouth.
[You have consumed a Sunhead.]
[The mysterious power of the Sunhead imbues you.]
[All wounds are healed due to the Sunhead's effect.]
[Depleted magic power and stamina are restored due to the Sunhead's effect.]
The moment I consumed the Sunhead, my depleted magic power and stamina recovered rapidly, and the hole in my stomach quickly regenerated.
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire sheds tears of joy seeing your condition.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband rejoices and pulls out his hair.]
[Constellation Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss sighs in relief and calms his startled heart.]
[Constellation Secretive Plotter is dumbfounded.]
[Constellations within the channel sigh in relief.]
[You have received 9,700 coins in sponsorship.]
Then, looking at the party members who were relieved to see me, I smiled and answered.
"I have no intention of dying, so please don't worry... Still... thank you for worrying about me.... And... I'm sorry for causing you concern."
The moment I said that, a message appeared.
[You have cleared the hidden scenario.]
[You have acquired 100,000 coins as a reward.]
[You have acquired the SSS-grade sword, Nichirin Blade, as an additional reward.]
[You have acquired skill: Breath of Flames Lv. 1 as an additional reward.]
[The theater owner is very satisfied with the changed ending.]
[You have reached the third 'Ending credit'.]
[Cast: Kim Dokja, Kang Yuseong, Jung Heewon, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung]
[You have acquired 500 coins each as appearance fees.]
Along with the slowly crumbling background, we returned to the theater dungeon.