PARALLEL MEMORY

"Give me one minute! I have a skill that will definitely kill him."

With those words, he consumed a mana potion and began gathering mana with unwavering determination.

Observing Zero's actions, the two of them didn't question him. They had faith that Zero had a valid reason for his actions, so they could only choose to believe in him and protect him from Ifrit.

The intense heat emanating from Ifrit was so extreme that even the sand seemed to ignite. And Ifrit was continuing to increase the flame to a much higher degree.

[ "Primordial Ice Palace" ]

[ "Sacred Barrier: Divine Nova" ]

Within the scorching heat of Ifrit's flames, Mia and Amelia deployed their skills, "Primordial Ice Palace" and "Sacred Barrier: Divine Nova," respectively.

Mia's Primordial Ice Palace was quickly overwhelmed, unable to withstand the onslaught. Although it managed to reduce some of the heat, it proved insufficient to completely halt Ifrit's flames.

The Sacred Barrier provided temporary protection against Ifrit's heat, but it was evident that the barrier's durability wouldn't last much longer.

Amelia poured a significant amount of her mana into strengthening the barrier further. Despite her ascension to Rank-S-, her shield was no match for Ifrit's fiery attacks.

Unlike Mia, whose ice abilities were at a disadvantage against fire, Amelia should have had no trouble fighting against any opponent, be it fire or water.

However, it was clear that her power was not yet at the level where she could combat a Rank-S+ adversary.

Nonetheless, her barrier bought Zero the necessary time to complete his preparations.

With a swift motion, Zero condensed nearly all the mana within him. He needed to gather as much mana as possible to unleash his most potent skill, Ancient Dragon's Wrath.

Ancient Dragon's Wrath was a Rank-SS+ ability, one of the strongest skills below the pinnacle Rank-SSS. Its power was more than sufficient to eliminate beings of Rank-SS and even surpassing Rank-S+ like Ifrit.

However, the mana required to activate the skill was staggering. Even with Zero's Rank-A+ mana capacity, he couldn't activate the skill casually. In the past, he had used it only once by risking all the mana within his body, leaving him in a critical state.

Therefore, Zero had refrained from using Ancient Dragon's Wrath again until he could do so without risking his life or when there was no other choice.

"It's complete! Amelia, Mia, keep a distance from me. And Amelia, use the Sacred Barrier to protect Mia and yourself!"

Zero cautioned them. Although they weren't the primary targets of his attack, the sheer power of Ancient Dragon's Wrath was so great that even those in its vicinity could be harmed.

!!! 𝙗𝒆𝙙𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝒎

Mia and Amelia didn't know what Zero intended, but upon seeing the condensed mana, they realized that an immensely powerful attack was imminent.

Following Zero's warning, they distanced themselves from him while erecting barriers for protection.

Ifrit, enraged and determined not to let them escape, advanced even as he noticed Zero charging his attack.

Ifrit's flames engulfed everything in sight, reducing them to ashes. He drew closer to Zero, intensifying the scorching heat of his flames. However, Zero's mana had reached its peak, and with unwavering determination, he unleashed his Ancient Dragon's Wrath.

[ "Ancient Dragon's Wrath" ]

As Zero raised his hands, a blazing surge of fiery energy enveloped him, taking the form of a majestic dragon. The immense power radiating from the dragon's fiery body was awe-inspiring, capable of incinerating anything in its path.

-ROAAAAAAR!

With a mighty roar, the Ancient Dragon's Wrath soared through the air, leaving behind a trail of scorching heat and devastation.

The ground trembled as the flames licked at their surroundings, consuming anything unfortunate enough to be caught in their path.

The Ancient Dragon, with its fiery form, lunged forward, heading straight for Ifrit.

The shockwave sent Mia and Amelia sprawling backward, despite the protection of the Sacred Barrier. The force was immense, causing the ground beneath them to crack and groan under the pressure.

Although the attack targeted Ifrit, they still felt the effects of the incredibly powerful assault. If not for the barrier, they would have been harmed simply by its intense heat.

Ifrit, the formidable Rank-S+ opponent, could only watch in horror as the blazing dragon descended upon him. His once fearsome flames paled in comparison to the overwhelming might of Zero's skill.

Even though Ifrit was the king of Fire, the Ancient Dragons were undoubtedly the Emperors. Its flames could annihilate almost anything, regardless of its form.

-KIEEEEEE!

Despite his fear of the Ancient Dragon's Flame, Ifrit decided to confront it. He unleashed waves of scorching flames in an attempt to counter the onslaught.

The collision was cataclysmic. The Ancient Dragon's Wrath tore through Ifrit's defenses, engulfing him in a tempest of searing flames.

-KIIIEEEEE!

The sheer intensity of the attack reduced Ifrit's formidable form to ashes, eradicating his presence from the battlefield.

As the flames subsided, Zero stood amidst the aftermath, his body still tinged with residual heat. The strain of wielding such immense power was evident on his face, yet there was also a sense of fulfillment.

He had unleashed the full might of Ancient Dragon's Wrath, obliterating his foe with overwhelming force.

The irony of Ifrit's demise lay in his fiery nature. To witness the annihilation of a creature composed entirely of flames showcased the power and destructiveness of the Ancient Dragon's skills.

-THUD!

"Hah... Hah... Hah..."

Zero collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained of mana. At that moment, even Rank-E creatures could easily overpower him.

"Zero!" Amelia and Mia rushed to his side, concerned for his well-being.

"Fortunately, it appears that he has simply exhausted his mana," reassured Saintess Amelia after having checked Zero's condition.

She began using her healing skills to tend to Zero. While his injuries were not life-threatening, he had sustained significant damage during his confrontation with Ifrit.

Under Saintess Amelia's care, his injuries immediately began to heal.

"Zero, how could you be so reckless? What if you had failed? You could have died!" admonished Professor Mia.

Initially frightened by the possibility of something happening to Zero, she now felt the need to reprimand him for risking his life.

It had been an extremely perilous choice. If Ifrit had survived, Zero could have paid the ultimate price, considering his weakened state after utilizing the skill.

"Haha..." Zero attempted to laugh it off, but Professor Mia wasn't having any of it. She had experienced a near heart attack when Zero collapsed.

Zero sheepishly scratched his nose as he explained, "You witnessed the immense power of my attack. There was no way Ifrit could have defended against it."

That was his reasoning for taking such a risk. He firmly believed that Ifrit would not have survived the onslaught.

If Ifrit had somehow endured, it would indicate that Ifrit possessed power equivalent to Rank-SS, and in that case, they would have already perished. Additionally, given Ifrit's determination for revenge, Zero wasn't concerned about Ifrit fleeing.

However, Zero hadn't taken Mia's feelings into consideration, unaware of the distress he had caused her.

"Next time, you better inform us in advance, or else I'll subject you to hours of lectures," warned Professor Mia.

******

They proceeded to examine Ifrit's remains, but there was nothing left of him. His body, as well as his cores, had been completely annihilated. Even the area where he resided had been reduced to ruins by the devastating power of the Ancient Dragon's Wrath.

The skill was so destructive that it left nothing in its wake but utter devastation.

They couldn't help but feel a sense of regret. If they had managed to retrieve Ifrit's cracked cores, they could have sold them for an astronomical amount of Ethan. However, due to Zero's skill, nothing remained.

Nevertheless, none of them were truly in need of money. As Rank-S individuals, they could hunt and sell Rank-A monsters for profit. Furthermore, Professor Mia earned a substantial salary at Ace Academy.

Saintess Amelia was in a similar situation, having accumulated a significant amount of wealth as the Saintess.

And Zero, despite being the lowest rank among them, was the wealthiest. He could spend millions of Ethan every day without any issues.

Now that the Gate's Boss monster was defeated, all they had to do was wait for the Gate to open.

-WISH!

However, before that, they received the reward for vanquishing the Gate's Boss. A treasure chest materialized before them, resembling the one Zero had encountered in his previous Gate.

They opened the chest and were greeted by rare and incredibly powerful Rank-S+ artifacts.