The young boy made his choice.
He abandoned vengeance by his own will and chose the greater good.
And Lea received the Empire’s insignia from the boy.
The authority that had been granted to the boy was now transferred to Lea.
Witnessing this, Paula slowly relaxed her grip on her sword.
“…”
Finally, the last duty was fulfilled.
Even if it was only a superficial free will, the master of the Empire decided its final fate by their own volition.
In this way, the pride of the Empire was preserved.
The history of the Empire remained honorable and noble until the very end.
Paula had done her utmost to fulfill her duties, and now a sense of futility began to settle in her heart.
The countless emotions she had suppressed and turned her head away from pressed down on her exhausted mind.
Tsuek-!
Before long, a blue light enveloped the square.
When the light dissipated, everyone who had been in the square found themselves back in front of the sealed wall.
A moment of silence ensued.
Lea also struggled to regain composure as the tension momentarily eased.
Just as Lea was about to speak, Tuirpits laid down his weapon and armor.
Thud!
After disarming himself, Tuirpits bowed deeply to the boy before stepping back.
Having retreated far enough, Tuirpits humbly sat down and drew a dagger from his robes to commit suicide.
He had fulfilled his final duty and respected the boy’s choice.
His loyalty remained unwavering until the very end.
However, he did not wish to face the world after the boy’s decision and thus chose to take his own life.
“…”
Paula quietly watched Tuirpits’ retreating figure.
Paula fully understood Tuirpits’ choice and felt the desire to follow in his footsteps.
The destruction of the continent was imminent.
No matter what choice the boy made, darkness would soon cover the continent.
Even if the continent managed to survive for a few more years…
The Empire would execute the boy.
That was the way of things.
This wasn’t a matter where mercy could be given.
Paula had no intention of witnessing the destruction of the continent or the execution of the boy alive. But if possible, she wished to end her life on the battlefield.
There were plenty of places in this world where a knight could die.
Paula calmly paid her respects to Lea.
“Give your command, and I shall follow.”
“…”
Grant me permission to find a place to die.
Rather than self-execution or execution, bestow mercy and allow me to meet my end meaningfully.
Paula’s intent was intuitively understood by Lea.
The other Royal Guards standing beside Paula also bowed respectfully.
As Lea looked at the Royal Guards awaiting her orders, she slowly nodded.
*
Amidst the darkly glowing waves of illusion.
The fierce battle between the Empire’s knight Speira and the Apostle of the Dark God, Johanna, reached its conclusion.
After an intense battle, a clear winner and loser emerged.
However, the outcome of this battle had little significant impact on the fate of the continent.
For the battle between Speira and Johanna to hold meaning, the Demon King had to be defeated.
Though the Empire certainly poured all its efforts into defeating the Demon King…
They ultimately failed.
With the failure to slay the Demon King, the continent’s doom was unavoidable.
All the continent could do was flail helplessly.
After failing to defeat the Demon King, the Demonic Realm continued to spread without end, eventually encroaching upon the World Tree’s domain.
As a result, the World Tree’s blessing weakened, and its roots on the ground were eventually engulfed in flames, causing its domain to collapse.
With the disappearance of the World Tree’s purifying blessings, the entire continent began to be eroded by the Demonic Realm.
All organized resistance collapsed, and only a few individuals fought meaninglessly before being crushed.
Thus, the continent was destined to be completely destroyed and covered in darkness.
Certainly, that was its original fate.
Yet, Ray changed all this tragedy.
Ray saved countless lives.
The feat accomplished by Ray was truly magnificent.
And yet, Ray himself destroyed everything he had achieved.
Speira could not accept Ray’s choice.
Recalling the lost glory due to Ray’s actions, Speira could not dispel the evil within her heart.
“Die.”
Speira would kill Johanna.
It was revenge against Ray.
The resentment of those who fell because of Ray’s choice would ultimately lead to Johanna’s death.
Already, Johanna had lost most of her power.
Continuously eroded by the darkly glowing waves, her soul, body, and mind were cracking and collapsing.
Johanna had no means to repel the dark waves, having reached her absolute limit.
Moreover, nothing in this world possessed the strength to counteract the dark brilliance.
What Speira wielded was the ultimate power refined through the collaboration of transcendent beings beyond the stars.
Condensing this great power around the Sacred Sword, Speira brought it down upon Johanna’s head.
This is our conclusion, Speira believed.
At that instant.
The circle surrounding Johanna’s heart pulsed.
Simultaneously…
“The sword.”
Resina’s essence whispered in Johanna’s ear.
“Take it up.”
Chieck!!!
Summoning her remaining strength, Johanna swung her sword.
Johanna’s desperate attempt barely deflected the descending Sacred Sword, but the sword she held shattered under the dark brilliance’s opposing force.
With a hint of irritation, Speira intensified her power further to bring about the final conclusion.
Meanwhile, Johanna concentrated all her spirit to resonate with the circle and core.
Tet!
Johanna first learned the sword from Ray.
From childhood, she experienced the core vibrations that form the basis of Spatial Blade techniques by Ray’s side.
This became a vague clue towards mastering the Spatial Blade.
With Resina’s assistance, Johanna managed to concretize this vague clue enough to grasp it.
Of course, grasping the clue didn’t guarantee success.
Failure was more likely.
But there was no second chance.
Right here and now, Johanna had to recreate an ancient myth.
Tet!
Dut-Dut!
Johanna was born with unparalleled talent.
Even so, the core of the Spatial Blade was an exceedingly complex and perilous force even for her.
No matter how skilled Johanna was, perfectly recreating the Spatial Blade’s core was impossible.
And an imperfect Spatial Blade core mercilessly shatters both spirit and body.
Despite knowing this fact, Johanna began to recreate the Spatial Blade’s core.
Simultaneously.
An immense backlash erupted from the incomplete Spatial Blade core.
The entirety of this backlash was absorbed by Resina’s circle.
Tut-Dut-Dut!!
Resina’s circle rapidly broke apart.
Still, Resina’s essence willingly smiled.
The powerful surge breaking the circle was familiar to Resina’s essence.
Imperfect though it may be, Johanna was successfully recreating the Spatial Blade’s core.
Resina whispered to Johanna as she rose.
“Please…”
Blue light began to seep out from Johanna.
It was the light crafted from Harshia’s Nonagram.
It was the power to tear apart all the malevolence ravaging the world.
“That he couldn’t achieve…”
Harshia loved and respected this land and humanity.
Because of this love and respect, Harshia dreamed of the liberation of mortals.
Wishing for mortals to choose their destinies freely with independent wills, Harshia eventually passed away alone, leaving behind a bittersweet memory.
And now, as the continent faced extinction, the hope rested…
Ultimately on the legacy of that stubborn and foolish dreamer.
Zzz-Zuek!
The mana of the Spatial Blade began to permeate the Absolute Domain constructed by Johanna.
Sensing the anomaly, the darkly glowing waves attempted to erode and crush Johanna’s final struggle.
However, the moment these waves touched the Spatial Blade’s mana.
The power of Speira eroding Johanna’s Absolute Domain began to crumble.
Confused by the inexplicable phenomenon, Speira froze momentarily.
Zzz-Zzz-Zuek!!
The Spatial Blade was not merely a destructive sword technique.
Leap Sword Aura was merely a byproduct accidentally obtained during the creation process.
The true value of the Spatial Blade lay elsewhere.
The Spatial Blade was…
Harshia’s answer to defy the oppressive powers suppressing mortals.
Zzz-Zzz-Zzz-Zuek!!!
Johanna discarded her broken sword and clenched her hand toward the sky.
In response to Johanna’s call, the Empire’s divine sword finally revealed itself.
Moros, imbued with the ancestral dragon’s wish to protect humanity, amplified the Spatial Blade’s mana in Johanna’s hands.
The blue brilliance emanating from Johanna grew even more intense.
“…”
Speira stood still, watching Johanna.
The blue flashes spreading from Johanna began to crack Speira’s prison.
The dark waves could no longer erode Johanna’s Absolute Domain.
Now, even Speira realized.
The only miracle capable of countering the dark brilliance.
The Spatial Blade wielded by the mythical Harshia.
Understanding the nature of the power beginning to manifest through Johanna, Speira smirked faintly.
Finally.
Speira’s prison shattered completely.
!!!!!!!
As the prison crumbled, a tremendous backlash erupted.
Both Johanna and Speira lost their balance and were pushed backward.
After scraping against the ground, they regained their stances beneath the red sky and stared at each other.
At that moment, a massive wave of power emanated from the Obelisk of the Royal Magic Tower behind Johanna, shaking the area.
Kooong!!!!
Moments ago.
All the authority of the system established in the Imperial Capital had been concentrated entirely on Lea.
By opening all the remaining functions of the Imperial Capital, Lea focused them entirely on reinforcing the Obelisk’s defense system.
The support provided by Lea through overloading the Imperial Capital’s functions wouldn’t last long.
The circle surrounding Johanna’s heart created by Resina also wouldn’t endure much longer.
This fleeting moment was Johanna’s sole opportunity for victory.
Within this narrow window, Johanna moved her lips.
“I’m sorry.”
Johanna apologized.
She fully understood the wrath and malevolence of Speira, twisted by fate.
She empathized with and affirmed Speira’s choices.
But even so, Johanna…
“Will stop you.”
Could not idly stand by in the face of Speira’s malevolence.
Smiling with an incomprehensible expression, Speira soon nodded and stepped forward.
“Alright. If you can, I’ll let you.”
Chieck!!!!!!!
The Absolute Domains of the Swordmasters collided.
Together with it.
The Leap Sword Auras tearing through the air and the chains of erosion condensed with dark brilliance violently clashed.
