The Fastest Evolution of the Unrivaled Slime: My Rejected Skill was a Cheat for Super Efficient Leveling, So I Trained 100 Times Faster to Become the World’s Strongest

196. The Witch at World’s End [Side – Ludmilla]

“Ahahaha! What’s wrong, Ludmilla? Is that all you’ve got!?”

When Shirayuki swung her fan, a sonic gale sliced through the air like a blade.
Decently fast. Someone like Raize or Laura wouldn’t even see it coming.

But against me, it’s meaningless.

“And you? Is that weak attack really your best? Or is that your limit?”

“You insolent little—! You’re barely dodging, aren’t you!?”

“Is that how it looks? Then… I’ll stay right here without moving a step.”

I crossed my arms and planted my feet firmly, standing tall in place.
It was Shirayuki who looked surprised. After all, it was as if I were deliberately exposing my weakness.

“You arrogant—! Take this and dieeeeee!!”

Shirayuki swung her fan wildly, unleashing a raging storm.
A wind like a rampaging dragon, stronger than before.
It seemed to be her full power, but I—

—destroyed it with a single glare.

“Wha-what!? It definitely should have hit Ludmilla!”

“You really don’t understand anything. That I haven’t moved a step this whole time. And why I haven’t struck back.”

In a flash, I teleported into Shirayuki’s range and drove a brutal punch into her gut.

“Urgh!!”

The dull impact and her pained scream followed. Shirayuki’s body flew through the air, smashing through a building wall before finally stopping.

“Wh-why such power…!? I’m level 100 now!!”

“You? Level 100? Don’t kid yourself. More like 90, give or take.”

“I’m not lying!! I’ve become stronger since back then!!”

Judging by her desperation, she wasn’t lying. Which meant… there was only one explanation.

“You’re spending most of your strength just to stop your aging, aren’t you?”

Shirayuki’s appearance was youthful, as fresh-looking as Raize’s.
But her looks hadn’t changed since we first met. She was likely using unnatural means to extend her life.

“I didn’t strike back because I wanted to hear what you had to say. —What it’s been like these 50 years since you killed my apprentice.”

Fifty years ago, I first met Shirayuki.
It was during a job that we ended up fighting. Of course, the result was my overwhelming victory.

Furious at her loss, Shirayuki slaughtered all my apprentices—right in front of me.
I was enraged and drove her to the brink of death. But just before the final blow, she escaped.
Since then, I avoided all interaction with humans for the next 50 years.

“What it’s been like…? It’s been hell. Losing to you, I thought of nothing but revenge!”

“That’s some twisted grudge. I fought you once, but I didn’t take your life.”

“You don’t get it! I am one of the chosen humans aboard the Ark that rules this world!! Using those worms wasn’t a crime!!”

Shirayuki was a textbook ‘vixen.’
Usually refined and elegant, but when angered, her cruel, self-centered nature came out.

Now, she was rambling like a victim, spouting tyrannical nonsense.
Elitism? Ridiculous. If someone like her ruled the world, it would be chaos.

“Then why—why do you keep getting in my way!?”

“Getting in your way? That’s rich. You’re the one who keeps picking fights with me. —But I suppose you’re not entirely wrong, seeing as I’m leagues ahead of you.”

Pointing at the enraged Shirayuki, I began to speak.

“Shirayuki, you’ll never defeat me. And you know why? Because I’m the freest being in this world.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“A free person doesn’t control others. Nor are they controlled. You’re the opposite—desperately trying to escape the reality of aging, so you try to control others out of fear.”

“You’re no different—!”

“Me? I’m not halting my aging. When you live freely, you can retain this level of youth no matter how old you get.”

Shirayuki clicked her tongue.
She must have realized by now—the gap in our abilities was insurmountable. She would never defeat me.

But I wasn’t about to let her go. This time, I’d end her life—right here and now.

“Raize and the others are waiting for me, so I’ll wrap this up quickly. You’re in for a special treat—I’ll show you my full power.”

I took a deep breath and began to chant.

“Eternity and fleeting moments, finite and infinite,
Oh world that governs all, guide me beyond the boundary—
And bring me to the ‘End of All Things.'”

“W-what is this!?”

As I chanted, the scenery around us changed.
The ground turned to barren brown soil, and the sky became pitch black like lacquer. The sun and moon overlapped, forming a glowing white ring.

“This is my ultimate technique—. Welcome to the end of the world I’ve created.”

“The end of the world—? Impossible! You can’t create a world!!”

“Nothing is impossible for the .”

The reason is my ultimate technique? It temporarily allows me to create a world.

But more importantly, in this space, a single rule applies.

“In this world, both our magic power is infinite. So go ahead and fight to your heart’s content.”

“Hah!? You’ve gone senile! That just means my magic is infinite too!”

She really doesn’t get it.

“The biggest reason is my ultimate technique is—here, I can never lose.”