Hundreds of supernatural abilities surged toward the Hero.
Yet, she countered them all with but a single blade.
With a brilliance that was breathtaking to behold, she cut down my lethal techniques one after another.
Unfazed, she continued her charge.
Had I been my former self, I likely would have been cornered by now.
But currently, I had achieved a sort of awakening.
I unleashed one ability after another at a speed that rivaled her own swordsmanship.
Maintaining my distance from her reach, I wove a tapestry of ever-shifting, multi-layered spells.
(My mind is so clear. Is the difference truly this vast?)
I marveled even as I bombarded the entire area before me.
Through my dialogue with her, my doubts and hesitations had completely vanished.
I was mentally fulfilled, and that sense of completion was what finally unlocked my power.
I had finally reached a state where I could draw upon my true potential.
Billowing clouds of dust rose from the impact site of my bombardment.
She leaped out from the haze.
Though she was slightly disheveled, I saw no visible wounds.
That she had survived was well within the realm of expectation.
(It matters not. I will simply keep firing.)
I lashed out with the Forbidden Art’s Chain.
The chains split into dozens of strands, a surging wave that slithered across the earth.
She warded them off with effortless swings of her sword, moving with absolute freedom.
Sparks flew and the shriek of metal on metal rang out incessantly during the clash.
A single chain possessed the power to overrun an entire army, yet the Hero shattered them with ease.
At that sight, I unleashed even more techniques.
Yet, she did not slow.
She tore through falling Hellfire, Lightning Strikes erupting from the earth, and even blades that severed space itself.
The more I assailed her with these Absurd Arts, the brighter the radiance of her blade grew.
Meanwhile, my own movements accelerated without restraint.
This was the power of the Time Manipulation Forbidden Art.
In a world where time had all but stopped, she alone moved at her natural speed.
She drew closer, her sword her only shield against the onslaught of Absurd Arts.
(—She’s coming. Here she comes. The Hero approaches.)
I was filled with an unspeakable joy.
It was the first time in my life I had ever experienced such a sensation.
Even if my life were to end here, I would have no regrets.
Such was the clarity of this moment.
Of course, I had no intention of falling.
I would surpass her, here and now.
I was no longer the Sage who simply followed in her wake.
As the Demon King who would strike down the Hero, I would reign over this world.
Finally, she closed the distance, coming face-to-face with me as she shifted into an all-out offensive.
I relied on raw intuition to defend, weaving counterattacks into the gaps to disrupt her momentum.
I fought on without retreating, even as my body was battered and broken.
(Still too slow. Faster. I must surpass her...!)
I integrated the various powers I had borrowed, sublimating them into a strength that belonged to me alone.
I bridged the gap in skill with indirect tactics, desperately matching her Ultimate Swordsmanship.
I poured my entire being into the Hero before me.
Leaving even light and sound behind, I lost myself in the heat of battle.
At last, one of my strikes parried her blade.
I had seized an opening so infinitesimal it could hardly be called a moment at all.
Her sword spun through the air, soaring high into the sky.
"...!"
Her eyes widened in genuine shock.
Refusing to let this golden opportunity slip by, I lunged forward with a Thrust.
She leaped to evade the strike, reclaiming her blade in mid-air as she came slashing back down at me.
(—Now is the time.)
As I watched the Hero descend, I knew this was the moment.
With Space Magic, I summoned a specific object.
Emerging from the void was a single, withered arrow.
The wood was decayed and discolored, so brittle it seemed a gentle breeze might snap it in two.
I launched it with a surge of magic.
Naturally, she saw through its trajectory instantly and angled her blade to deflect it.
The arrow struck the steel and was easily brushed aside.
Yet, with an unnatural motion, the arrow corrected its course, gaining sudden propulsion and accelerating.
The arrow plunged into her chest as if drawn by an irresistible force.