Jeanne's contemptuous words didn't ignite Cao Cao's anger.
"Feel free to underestimate me as much as you like. Turning your disdain into victory is precisely the kind of warfare humans excel at."
Even if his opponent wasn't a god or devil, it hardly mattered—her strength had already surpassed any deity.
Staring at the towering pillar of light, Cao Cao felt it seemed so near yet impossibly distant, as though standing at the very edge of the world itself.
Cao Cao couldn't comprehend the true nature of that Tower of the End. Human eyes could never pierce through that radiance, yet the terrifying divine aura emanating from it was unmistakably clear.
Impossible.
He couldn't break through that pillar. He couldn't even shake it—this was the stark truth that logic kept reinforcing in his mind.
And yet…
"Only by daring to challenge and overcome impossibilities can one truly become a hero."
A dragon-shaped flame roared down from the sky. Despite wielding the strongest Longinus, Cao Cao was still human—fragile enough that even one hit would be fatal.
He crashed through a glass window into an office building. The scorching winds and flames pursued him relentlessly, forcing him into desperate flight.
As he dashed through empty corridors, discarded papers and umbrellas spontaneously combusted behind him from the intense heat.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Cao Cao thrust his spear, shattering a window, then leaped out into the open air just as the flames surged forward.
Yet… there was nowhere safe to land.
The ground had melted into a blazing inferno; the scene resembled hell descending upon the mortal realm.
Swirling hot air buffeted Cao Cao's body, giving him the sensation that his clothing was already ignited.
His frail human body would never survive immersion in such hateful flames. He absolutely could not fall into that fiery abyss.
Suddenly, a massive beast burst forth from the flames, catching him midair and carrying him swiftly toward the distant Tower of the End, deftly evading showers of fire raining down from above.
Thankfully, he'd brought plenty of beasts specifically resistant to flames and extreme heat—creatures specially created by his comrades with the Longinus, [Annihilation Maker], to counter Jeanne.
Initially, they planned to use these beasts for further probing once Diodora lost his usefulness, but plans rarely survived contact with reality.
Now, the artificial dimension created by [Dimension Lost] had become Cao Cao's prison. Jeanne's [Rhongomyniad] had anchored this world firmly, trapping him inside and preventing his allies—even the wielder of [Dimension Lost]—from entering to help.
Standing atop the beast, Cao Cao held his spear steady.
Further testing was now pointless. Cao Cao wasn't blinded by pride; he clearly saw himself as a caged beast. Holding anything back now meant certain death.
"How ironic—I intended to observe others from a lofty position, yet here I am, cornered first…"
The corners of Cao Cao's lips curled into a bitter yet exhilarated smile.
"[Balance Breaker]!"
The first and strongest Longinus—the spear that had slain the Son of God, Jesus—suddenly erupted into a dazzling golden glow.
That radiance condensed into a holy, halo-like wheel floating behind Cao Cao. Seven sphere-shaped objects, each about the size of bowling balls, materialized around the wheel, silently orbiting him.
There was no earth-shattering grandeur, no roaring heavens—only a serene, moonlit calmness. Even the spear's appearance remained unchanged. This was Cao Cao's [Balance Breaker]—or rather, its subspecies form: [Polar Night Longinus Chakravartin].
Although it was still incomplete.
"As an opening move… let's start with this."
Cao Cao raised the seemingly unchanged spear slightly.
At that simple gesture, one of the seven spheres floating nearby instantly moved, settling into his hand.
"[Wheel Treasure]!"
At Cao Cao's low shout, the sphere vibrated sharply in his palm.
A wave of invisible energy surged outward, sweeping across the alternate dimension like a tidal wave.
Immediately, the invisible ripple intensified dramatically.
The first affected was the holy spear [Rhongomyniad] behind Jeanne.
As its current wielder, Jeanne felt the change acutely, casting a wary, puzzled gaze toward the towering pillar of light.
It appeared unchanged externally, but…
"Its aura weakened?"
The Tower of the End—though merely a projection of the true tower—had anchored this dimension securely. Had it really been weakened?
Jeanne was shocked, yet Cao Cao's astonishment equaled hers.
His [Balance Breaker] had seven distinct abilities, each sphere representing one. The Wheel Treasure, specifically, could destroy weapons, beginning with the strongest in the vicinity.
"I didn't expect it to be easily destroyed, but I thought at least it might sustain some damage… Damn, what the hell is that thing?! Even my strongest Longinus can't inflict noticeable damage! Is there truly such an absurd holy spear from the Celtic pantheon? Why have I never heard of it?!"
How could the Anchor of Storms that bound the stars themselves—the Spear of Far-off Radiance that praised starlight—be easily shattered?
Only an attack powerful enough to shake the world itself could accomplish that.
Unaware of this, Cao Cao had hoped to at least weaken the spear, giving him a chance to escape. But now…
"I guess it really must come down to a fight."
The invisible wave rippled outward again. This time, Jeanne's banner and ritual sword shattered instantly, being far simpler to destroy.
Jeanne briefly paused, startled by her weapons' destruction, but quickly sensed deadly intent hurtling toward her.
Suppressing fear through sheer willpower, she drew a blood-red spear from the [Savior Blade], easily deflecting Cao Cao's sudden thrust.
He had closed the distance impossibly fast—a feat made possible by another of his [Balance Breaker's] powers:
[Horse Treasure], allowing teleportation of himself or others.
[Elephant Treasure], granting flight capabilities.
Cao Cao twisted bizarrely, instantly negating the hidden force Jeanne had transmitted into his spear.
With skillful mastery, he swung the spear longer than his own body as effortlessly as an extension of himself, stabbing forward with cruel precision, like a viper striking from the grass.
Jeanne sidestepped gracefully, evading the fatal strike aimed at her throat, though a few strands of hair were severed by the spear's golden radiance. Her eyes grew colder, more intense.
She spun the crimson spear in retaliation, sweeping it forward with brute force. Cao Cao, wary of blocking directly, leaped far backward to avoid injury.
Another weapon? Fine then…
Cao Cao glared sharply at Jeanne's crimson spear, activating [Wheel Treasure] once again.
The invisible force surged forward, causing the spear in Jeanne's hands to tremble… but nothing more.
Another weapon I can't destroy?!
Cao Cao nearly cursed aloud.
Why was his previously unbeatable power suddenly failing repeatedly today?
This is the ultimate God-killing spear that killed even Jesus Christ!
Before he could dwell further, a terrifyingly fierce aura locked onto him.
Jeanne gripped her spear tightly with both hands, aiming downward, her fierce, predatory gaze fixed unblinkingly on Cao Cao, her entire body coiled like a savage beast.
In the next instant, veins bulged visibly on her body as she hurled the crimson spear forward with overwhelming force.
"[Gae Bolg]!"
Forged from the bones of the Sea Monster of the Red Sea, this cursed spear pierced through causality itself, streaking across the sky like a meteor.
The explosive force shattered nearby windows and tore a deep fissure through the ground and flames below.
Unavoidable and certain to pierce its target's heart—Cao Cao's body exploded violently, not leaving even a speck of flesh behind.
Jeanne silently watched the spectacle, her expression unchanged. Moments later, she swiftly drew a knightly sword, deflecting an attack that came from behind.
Cao Cao's strike narrowly missed, landing harmlessly beside Jeanne's foot.
When he attempted another strike, Jeanne slammed a boot onto his spear, then incinerated him with roaring flames.
Yet immediately after, five or six more Cao Caos appeared.
[Householder Treasure]—capable of creating duplicates.
"Humph!"
Facing multiple enemies, Jeanne snorted coldly, igniting the sword in golden flames.
"Thissword embodies the sun itself, incinerating all impurities—"
"[Excalibur Galatine]!"
Like a miniature sun descending, blinding heat and light enveloped the entire area, promising universal destruction.
This was Cao Cao's moment.
Eyes brighter than ever, he summoned another sphere, twisting space into a vortex that began absorbing Jeanne's flames.
Struggling but persevering, Cao Cao pressed onward.
"[Woman Treasure]! [Jewel Treasure]! [General Treasure]!"
Multiple spheres attacked Jeanne simultaneously—one immobilizing her, another firing absorbed flames, the last unleashing destructive shockwaves.
"I've won!"
But just as Cao Cao relaxed his guard, a streak of light pierced him from nowhere, pinning him to the ground.
In agony, Cao Cao stared up in disbelief as Jeanne loomed above, mocking coldly:
"Surprised? I died once—but I sent another clone immediately. After all, they're just clones. So, how was your little game of hero roleplaying?"