"Final Extreme Blade!"
Pitch-black energy erupted from my blood sword. My mana was being siphoned away at a staggering rate— Fine, let it! I'll end everything right here!
"Out of my way, brat!"
Verdict’s slash slammed into Silvia’s chest. The blow completely pulverized her armor, and the sheer force hurled her body down toward the floor below.
"Verdict!"
I swung my Extreme Blade at Verdict’s wide-open back.
However—
"Hahaha! Lowlife, have you already forgotten what you saw only moments ago?"
A crimson Blood Shield manifested across Verdict’s back, just as it had when it repelled Milia’s attack.
I smirked inwardly.
I remember. I remember it all too well.
That was exactly why I had attacked.
Because you are arrogant, you are convinced that your Blood Shield can stop any strike from behind. That was the opening I had been waiting for. For someone as cautious as you, a simple feint would never work. I had been searching for the blind spot in your absolute confidence—the moment you felt perfectly safe.
Kaname carved the path.
Milia showed the way.
Silvia bridged the gap.
I had been waiting for this exact second!
There was no resistance at all.
It was exactly like the time I had cleaved through Luxerion's Great Shield and his arm in a single motion. The sensation of swinging through empty air occurred at the same time the Final Extreme Blade shattered the Blood Shield.
The blade continued its path, gouging through and destroying Verdict’s physical form.
"Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?"
Verdict’s left arm spun into the air as a massive hole was torn into the left side of his torso. Even as he was blown back by the impact and lost a staggering amount of blood, the Blood Star King twisted his body mid-air to face me.
Damn it, I couldn't finish him in one blow.
"Fuha... fuhahahaha! Well done, lowlife! To think that you, who could barely manage a scratch even by staking your life, would inflict such a wound upon me!"
The blood pouring from his wound solidified instantly, stemming the flow. So, he could use his power like that as well. However, the damage hadn't been erased.
"So you possess it—an Original Magic! Will you also walk the path of the Demon King!?"
I had no intention of letting him stall for time. I didn't have the luxury of maintaining the Extreme Blade for much longer.
"Don't go senile just because you're old! I've told you a dozen times—I have no interest in becoming a Demon King!"
I lunged forward, swinging the Extreme Blade with everything I had. I would end this with this single slash, fueled by maximum Frenzy!
"Hahahaha! Very well! I shall meet you with my treasure sword!"
The shape of Verdict’s weapon shifted. The elegant, katana-like rapier he usually wielded transformed into a rugged, brutal blade radiating increased malevolence.
The Black-Red Extreme Blade and the Crimson Treasure Sword—the two powers collided head-on.
As expected of Verdict's Treasure Sword, it was formidable. My Extreme Blade, which had sliced through everything else, was halted, its edge locked against the treasure sword. The impact rippled through the air, vibrating the very foundations of the chamber.
With a harsh, grating screech, the Extreme Blade began to bite into the treasure sword’s metal. Yet, a calm smile flickered across Verdict’s lips.
"Heh... such a demonic blade. How much longer can you possibly hold it...?"
"I'll make it last until the end. Until you're dead!"
Even if I died, even after my heart stopped, I would maintain this through sheer tenacity. I hadn't come this far just to lose because my time ran out!
"Gugugugu... guh!"
I pressed the Extreme Blade harder, and it sank halfway through the treasure sword.
Just a little more. Just a little more!
I slammed every ounce of my will into the strike—all my regret, all my rage! I would burn my final bit of stubbornness right here! Pour it all out, Albert! Show him why you came here!
"Guuuuuooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The treasure sword shattered.
The Extreme Blade vanished from my trembling, exhausted hands at the exact same moment it carved a deep, fatal gash across Verdict’s chest.
"Ogu... guoa!?"
Vomiting a torrent of blood, Verdict’s body collapsed onto the floor. He no longer seemed to have the strength to even solidify his own lifeblood. The dying Blood Star King was finally powerless.
"...Magnificent... lowlife..."
His raspy voice felt hollow, as if his soul was already departing. Crimson light began to leak from his physical form. His very existence was peeling away from the world.
"...No. Albert."
"You... called me by my name?"
Ignoring my surprise, Verdict continued.
"That is a fine Original Magic. Truly, I am impressed. It is a pity you do not aspire to be a Demon King. Have you really not changed your mind?"
"I told you. I won't destroy the world just to satisfy a desire like that."
"...Hmph. You are a fool who does not yet know the pleasure one would seek even at such a cost..."
"I have one last question for you, too."
"...What is it?"
"Why did you accept a head-on clash at the very end?"
He could have fled. If he knew I was running out of time, retreating would have been the smarter tactical move.
The lips of the dying Blood Star King curved into a thin smile.
"I simply... wished to do so."
With those final words, the last of the red radiance flickered out. Klaus’s limp body slumped to the floor. The hair that had been stained deep red returned to its natural blue. His eyes were closed, but they had surely returned to their original color as well.
Verdict was gone.
But Klaus was gone too. His soul was no longer there. I knew instinctively, as an Ancient Magic User, that Klaus’s soul and spirit had been obliterated by the strain of Verdict’s manifestation.
Even if I could have saved him, was it ever really an option? I didn't have the finesse to drive out the Blood Star King without killing the host.
"...I'm sorry, Klaus."
My arms were numb, and my legs felt like lead. Lacerations ran across my entire body, weeping blood. It was a miracle I was still standing.
But I wasn't finished yet.
At the back of the altar, a pale blue light pulsed. Inside a massive crystal, a naked girl lay with her eyes closed.
Aristia.
I'm coming for you.
Staggering with every step, I began to walk toward the crystal.