The Strongest Eriri in History

Since the placement matches for the top three would involve one-on-one battles, the martial arts stage didn't pre-summon the participants. Instead, combatants stepped onto the stage as their names were called by Aoi Kujo.

The first match was between Milim and Jibril.

On the stage stood Jibril in her youthful form and Milim in her petite loli-like appearance. At first glance, it seemed like two children were about to play a game on the stage.

But for Milim, that wasn't far from the truth—this was pure fun.

As dark mist swirled, a massive black scythe made of energy materialized in Jibril's hands. Despite the weapon being non-physical, its size was adjusted to suit Jibril's small form, ensuring it was manageable.

Even so, to her childlike body, the scythe was enormous—two or three times her height.

Opposite her, Milim wielded the same rusted longsword she had used in her previous match. This sword, named Heavenly Demon, was one of the top-tier mythological weapons in the world of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

After the standard five-minute preparation period, the battle began with both combatants instantly clashing.

With each collision of their weapons, deafening explosions echoed across the stage.

Both were seasoned warriors with countless battles under their belts. Each could anticipate the other's moves and respond effectively.

After a period of close-quarters combat, the two separated, putting hundreds of meters between them as they stared each other down.

Neither had gained the upper hand in melee combat. Even when Milim unleashed her ultimate skill, capable of chaining continuous sword techniques, the result was a stalemate with Jibril.

Yet, instead of frustration, Milim was thrilled. Her face lit up with an excited smile—this battle was far more exhilarating than her previous ones.

With a joyful grin, Milim gripped her sword tightly and unleashed a massive arc-shaped slash. The cyan blade energy, towering over ten meters high, streaked across the hundreds of meters separating her from Jibril.

Simultaneously, Milim conjured a dangerous-looking energy sphere in her left hand and hurled it toward Jibril without hesitation.

Jibril, unfazed by the incoming slash, swung her scythe, colliding with the blade energy.

The clash of their energies produced a blinding light and a powerful shockwave, which rippled across the stage until it was absorbed by the surrounding barrier.

After dispersing Milim's slash, Jibril faced the oncoming cyan energy sphere, which was over a meter in diameter. But Jibril had anticipated this follow-up and sidestepped gracefully, evading it with ease.

As the melee transitioned into a ranged battle, Jibril decisively dismissed her black scythe. In an instant, she formed two violet energy spheres in her hands.

Without delay, Jibril launched the energy spheres toward Milim, one after another. The attack was relentless, with dozens of violet spheres flooding toward Milim in rapid succession.

Seeing the barrage of incoming attacks, Milim withdrew her sword and clasped her hands together, preparing her ultimate move.

"Drago Buster!"

Dozens of energy beams formed from starlike particles shot out from between her hands, rushing to meet Jibril's violet spheres.

Compared to her use of this technique in the previous match, Milim's attack was far stronger, with several times more beams.

The collision between the cyan beams and violet spheres triggered a series of thunderous explosions on the stage.

The battle reached a fever pitch, with the advantage seemingly leaning toward Jibril.

After all, Milim had already begun using her ultimate move, while Jibril had yet to unleash hers.

An ultimate move wasn't something to be used lightly, and Jibril's reserve suggested she still held a decisive trump card.

The dozens of energy beams unleashed by Milim's Drago Buster swiftly engulfed Jibril's previous attacks and continued their relentless pursuit.

Jibril's pristine white wings fluttered, propelling her hundreds of meters into the sky at incredible speed, safely out of the beams' reach—for now.

But before she could catch her breath, the energy beams abruptly changed direction, homing in on her position in the sky.

Milim's attack had a tracking feature—once it locked onto a target's energy signature, it would pursue relentlessly unless neutralized or blocked with equal or greater force.

"Troublesome," Jibril muttered, her brow furrowing as she glanced at the pursuing beams.

Taking the attack head-on was out of the question. Even in her restrained state, with her power and durability capped at Level 4, such a direct hit would leave her severely injured—if not worse.

Neutralizing Milim's attack wasn't impossible. She could unleash her ultimate ability, Heaven's Strike, and obliterate the incoming beams. Alternatively, she could generate a barrage of energy spheres like before, using sheer volume to cancel out the incoming assault.

However, the latter option was inefficient. Generating so many energy spheres consumed significant energy, and if she was going to expend that much, it would be better to channel it directly into a decisive strike.

What mattered now was maximizing the impact of Heaven's Strike. Simply using it to block the attack would be a waste, eroding the small advantage she had painstakingly secured.

Jibril continued flying at high speed, evading the beams while searching for an opportunity to counterattack. Meanwhile, Milim wasn't idle either, hurling energy spheres at Jibril to complicate her maneuvers.

Minutes turned into half an hour as the two combatants engaged in a dazzling display of long-range warfare. To the spectators, the match was nothing short of spectacular. The stage was alive with crisscrossing energy beams, blasts, and streaks of light, creating a visual spectacle that had the audience on the edge of their seats.

However, for Jibril and Milim, this was merely the warm-up. Neither had expended much of their true reserves, though both were growing eager to shift into the next phase.

At that moment, Jibril soared to a position directly 100 meters above Milim. The pursuing beams, now passing over Milim's head, continued toward Jibril.

In an instant, Jibril used her spatial manipulation abilities to teleport even higher, positioning herself above both Milim and the pursuing beams. This maneuver aligned the three—Jibril, the beams, and Milim—into a perfect straight line.

Without hesitation, Jibril gathered every ounce of her remaining energy. Above her, the luminous halo floating over her head expanded to ten times its original size. It hovered roughly ten meters above her, its color shifting to an ominous violet-black hue radiating pure destruction.

Around the colossal halo, a dozen towering pillars of deep purple energy erupted skyward, transforming the air around Jibril into a domain of swirling violet light and crackling black lightning. Her long hair and wings stood on end from the sheer intensity of the power she was channeling.

"Heaven's Strike!"

With Jibril's whispered chant, the massive halo discharged a gargantuan sphere of violet energy, which plummeted toward the stage like a descending star.

The beams chasing Jibril were consumed instantly upon contact with the overwhelming energy. The violet sphere, barely affected, continued its descent toward Milim below.

The martial arts stage was swallowed in a cascade of violet light as the sphere struck, turning the entire arena into a realm of destructive energy.

The deafening roar of the impact reverberated across the battlefield. In the aftermath, Jibril's energy was almost entirely depleted. Her wings drooped, and her body began to descend slowly from the sky, as though drained of strength.

That one strike, her full-powered Heaven's Strike, had nearly exhausted all her spiritual energy.

The power of Jibril's Heaven's Strike was unparalleled. Under the full-force impact of the devastating ability, even Milim was defeated instantly.

As the massive energy attack subsided, Jibril felt the spiritual energy within her body completely replenished. At the same time, Milim reappeared, perfectly unharmed, at the center of the dissipating energy.

"First match of the Top Three Placement Battles: Jibril wins!" Aoi Kujo's voice echoed across the arena. The intense battle, which had lasted over three hours, finally concluded as the clock struck noon.

"Due to time constraints, the next match will begin at 1:30 p.m. The competitors for the second match are Milim and Luo Hao. Please prepare yourselves. Everyone is now free to head to the dining hall for lunch," Aoi Kujo announced before gracefully descending from above the stage to rejoin Eriri's side.

....

Lunch passed in a lively atmosphere, and by 1:00 p.m., the group had started to gather back at the spectator stands. With roughly 30 minutes until the next match, discussions about the upcoming battle filled the air.

The second match was crucial. Milim had lost to Jibril in the first round, and if she were to lose again to Luo Hao, her third-place standing would be set in stone. Meanwhile, the champion would then be decided in the final match between Jibril and Luo Hao.

However, if Milim defeated Luo Hao in the second round, the third match would become unnecessary. Despite the "two-by-two" structure of the placement battles, defeated participants weren't allowed to challenge their victors.

As the clock ticked closer to 1:30 p.m., Milim and Luo Hao stepped onto the stage well before Aoi Kujo's call, ready to face off.

Finally, with Aoi Kujo's signal, the second match commenced.

Luo Hao relied on her unique Authorities and martial arts techniques, eschewing weapons in combat. Following her lead, Milim also refrained from using her signature weapon, Heavenly Demon, a legendary mythical sword.

This wasn't a concession on Milim's part; she was just as formidable with her fists and feet as with a weapon.

Luo Hao, however, was cautious. She had long considered herself the strongest fighter in the chat group after Eriri. Even now, she still believed this, but witnessing the battle between Milim and Jibril had forced her to reevaluate her competition.

The battle began without the use of ultimate abilities, both fighters opting to exchange blows with fists and feet. Luo Hao's Twelve Divine Palm Strikes of the Phoenix was a dazzling combination of elegance and ferocity, her every strike exuding a sense of grace that belied its deadly power. Her divine beauty and flawless form made her attacks all the more mesmerizing.

Milim, on the other hand, employed a simpler style—pure, unadulterated punches and kicks. These moves weren't fancy techniques but were enhanced by her raw strength and innate skills.

Despite their differences in style, Milim's straightforward attacks held their ground against Luo Hao's intricate techniques. Luo Hao found no advantage in their exchanges, her deadly palms unable to land a decisive hit.

Although the battle remained focused on hand-to-hand combat, the impact of their strikes was anything but ordinary. Each collision resounded like thunder, and if not for the reinforced martial arts stage, a single kick from either fighter could have upheaved millions of square kilometers of terrain.

An extraordinary being at Stage 3 standing near the combatants would undoubtedly be killed by the shockwaves alone.

As time passed, both combatants escalated their efforts. Luo Hao began employing her renowned Authorities, Divine Might of Vajrapani and Dragon Roar and Tiger Howl Method.

Milim, unwilling to concede ground, unleashed her ultimate move, Wrathful King Satan. This technique far surpassed the power of her Drago Buster, generating energy beams with significantly greater destructive force and no less than ten times the energy consumption.

The intensity of the battle surged as the two ultimate abilities clashed. Luo Hao's divine techniques filled the arena with roaring energy waves and fierce winds, while Milim's devastating energy beams blazed through the air, creating a chaotic symphony of destruction.

The stage quaked under the force of their powers, while the surrounding barriers barely held back the immense energy threatening to spill outward.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven