The Virgin Hero Who Fought in the Dungeon for 20 Years Returned to the Surface Only to Find the Population of the World Has Dropped Drastically, with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:1000 - 98

Chapter 98: Proof of Strength

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“…So, are you done with your attack? Then, this time it’s my turn.”

With that, Ryuuto thrust out his right arm. It was nothing special of a movement.

Shu!

But the air gave off a strange slicing sound.

Chiriat took a fierce blow to the abdomen and was blown away. He crashed violently into the dungeon’s rocky wall, the sound of impact echoing loudly. But almost immediately, Chiriat stood back up, brushed the dust from his body, and with an unhurried demeanor walked right up to Ryuuto.

“For a human, that was a pretty good punch. Unfortunately for you, my body is exceptionally tough. Something like that won’t even scratch me.”

“That was just a light jab.”

“Don’t bluff. Stop acting tough.”

“It’s true though, but fine. Then, how about this?”

Ryuuto quietly began to chant a spell.

“Magic—Absolute Zero.”

In an instant, a fierce breath of ice erupted from his right fingertips, covering Chiriat’s entire body. Absolute Zero was, in theory, the temperature at which the motion of atoms and molecules completely ceased: −459.67°F. Chiriat’s massive body was instantly frozen solid, transformed into a pure white ice statue.

But—

“Hunhh!”

With a roar of spirit, Chiriat shattered the ice encasing his body, scattering shards in every direction.

“Haha! As expected of Ryuuto Sakazaki. That was pretty damn dangerous, but my defense is toughest between the Five Divine Kings! A spell like that won’t kill me.”

“Ah, I see. Then how about this one? Magic—Infernal Hellfire.”

Ryuuto raised his left hand and cast another spell. In an instant, a gigantic fireball resembling the sun appeared in the space before him. With a sweep of his left hand, Ryuuto spun it around. The fireball immediately transformed into a vortex of flames and slammed into Chiriat.

The surrounding cliffs melted into molten streams from the intense heat. The whirlwind of fire ceaselessly poured from Ryuuto’s left arm, scorching Chiriat’s body. Yet Chiriat spread his arms wide and, with a thunderous roar, dispersed the raging flames Ryuuto had conjured. The rocky surfaces all around were charred, filling the air with an acrid stench. The glowing red-hot stone pulsed in the dimness.

“Hah! Didn’t I tell you? No physical attack nor magical attack can affect me—!”

“No, actually, I never heard you say that. And besides… It doesn’t look like you’re completely unscathed.”

“What!?”

When Ryuuto pointed, the rocklike scales covering Chiriat’s entire body cracked and began to peel away with a sharp, satisfying sound. An enormous quantity of fragments fell, and as time passed, they crumbled into sandlike dust that piled up around Chiriat’s ankles.

“It’s nothing complicated. I just froze your proud body, then heated it up again. Now, this time it won’t be a jab anymore. I’ll put in a bit of power and smash you. Brace yourself and tighten your gut.”

“W-wait just a—”

Chiriat’s voice rang out in panic. But Ryuuto showed no mercy, rolling his right shoulder in circles as he closed in on him. It was a childish gesture.

Yet, in Ryuuto’s right hand, magical power condensed more than ever before. An overwhelming destructive force gathered. Chiriat’s massive frame trembled as he crossed his arms in a desperate attempt to defend.

But Ryuuto’s left foot had already kicked off the ground. The magical energy concentrated in his right hand shone with an intense brilliance. The surroundings were lit up as if it were midday. A stream of radiance ran straight along Ryuuto’s right fist.

And at the moment of impact…. The entire cavern roared as though everything within it had been shattered.

“Ah, crap. I overdid it. I was supposed to leave him alive to question him.”

From afar, Loria heard Ryuuto’s voice, spoken in the same casual tone as always. She cautiously opened her eyes, which she had kept tightly shut. And ahead, she saw a thick fog of dust and debris gradually cleared. Her vision became sharper.

Legs. What remained were legs. No—that wasn’t quite accurate. Only Chiriat’s lower body, his two legs and part of his waist, stood there. His upper body had vanished, destroyed by Ryuuto’s fist.

Soon, what remained of Chiriat’s lower body collapsed with a heavy thud and disintegrated like sand, returning to the earth. Loria stood in a daze, unable to process what she had just witnessed with her own eyes.

The legend of Ryuuto Sakazaki was real. Loria had earned an A-rank explorer’s license and survived countless brushes with death. The overwhelming strength of Chiriat, the fiend she had just faced, was something she felt deeply in her bones. 

On Earth, defeating a demon of that level would likely have required multiple S-rank explorers working together. And yet, the hero Ryuuto Sakazaki had taken Chiriat’s attacks head-on without suffering a single injury, and then annihilated him with just one punch.

I have been completely mistaken.

Believing Ryuuto Sakazaki to be just an ordinary boy, with a little more battle experience than most, sensitive and quick to tears—that had been fundamentally wrong. She had to recognize him anew as a being utterly beyond classification, something from an entirely different dimension of existence.

Ryuuto Sakazaki was still a “living legend.” That much was undeniable. Proof of it was this overwhelming sense of relief she now felt. The moment she looked at Ryuuto’s face, she felt an absolute trust and comfort, like that of a newborn child looking to their father.

Ah… With that man, we don’t need to worry no matter what kind of enemy appears…

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