"Alvara is mine," I said and raised Trinity Nihil summoning Wrath. "I wonât let you touch her, Durathiel."
Durathielâs gaze remained locked onto me as silver particles began gathering in his palm.
Without hesitation, he released his sword.
The weapon tumbled down into the sea with a soft splashâonly for the silver particles to coalesce in midair, reforming into a long, shimmering blade infused with the essence of Sloth.
The moment his fingers closed around the hiltâ
-CRACK!
A shockwave tore through the air, accompanied by an eerie, ripping sound that sent a shiver down my spine.
That weapon⊠it was dangerous. Far more dangerous than his previous sword.
Durathielâs eyes narrowed. "You donât seem accustomed to wielding your Sin. Then allow me to teach you, Edward Falkrona."
He launched himself forward, vanishing in an instant.
The next secondâhe was right in front of me.
"Reflect."
A shimmering mirror materialized between us, but Durathiel barely hesitatedâ
His blade sliced through the mirror like paper. A wave of silver particles followed, carving through the boats behind me. Even the sky bore a long, jagged gash from the sheer force of his strike.
But I wasnât there.
In the blink of an eye, I stepped through another mirrorâ
Reappearing above him.
With Trinity Nihil raised high, I summoned Vysindraâs Fire and brought the blade down.
âBOOOM!!!
The moment our weapons clashed, the air trembled. Durathiel parried it, his silver sword holding firm against mine.
But I wasnât finished.
Particles of Wrath wove into my flames, swirling into a violent storm of destruction.
-BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion was instantaneous. The ship beneath us shattered from the impact, splitting cleanly in two. Wood splintered, debris flew in all directions, and the raging sea churned beneath us.
Alvara and Bryelle stood safely on the other half of the wrecked vessel.
I shot Durathiel a sharp glare. "I might as well learn from you!"
Pouring Ruah into my strike, I drove Trinity Nihil forwardâ
And sent him crashing into the sea.
-SPLASH!!!
The water erupted, swallowing him whole.
"Take that," I growled laughing a little.
Raising Trinity Nihil, I summoned an overwhelming surge of mana, coiling six Rings of Vysindra around the blade.
"Burning Claws of Vysindra."
âBOOOOM!!!
The ocean exploded. Water blasted upward in a towering pillar of steam and mist as fire and water clashed violently.
I narrowed my eyes, scanning through the thick haze.
Where is heâ
There.
I barely caught a flicker of movement before my instincts screamed at meâ
Left!
I swung Trinity Nihil to interceptâ
Only to realize my mistake.
"Shitâ!"
Durathiel was already on my right.
âBAM!!!
I barely managed to shield myself, raising my arm coated in Wrath, but the impact sent me flying. My body crashed against the oceanâs surface, skipping like a stone before finally slamming into solid ground.
Ground?
What the hell�
I groaned, pushing myself upâonly to freeze.
Something wasnât right.
I turned my headâand my breath froze.
The Utopian Capital.
The Tower of Utopia loomed ahead.
We were back to the first step.
-BAM!!!
Before I could react, a fist slammed into my cheeksâ
And I was airborne again.
I plowed through several buildings, rubble collapsing in my wake as I finally skidded to a stop, coughing blood.
I covered my mouth as I spat out a mouthful of blood, gasping for breath. The sharp metallic taste lingered on my tongue, but when I glanced down at the blood splatters staining my hand, I couldnât help but let out a chuckle.
"So this⊠is what a battle between two Sin Holders feels like?"
A familiar fire stirred inside me, surging through my veins like molten lava. With a smirk, I unleashed my Wrath once more, purple energy erupting from my body. The air around me cracked with my Wrath as I lifted my gaze, locking onto Durathiel.
"Now this is something!"
Without hesitation, I propelled myself forward, tearing through the air toward him.
"Answer my call, Vysindraâreduce him to ashes!"
A thunderous roar shook the battlefield as an enormous magic circle materialized in the sky. Unlike any ordinary spell formation, this one pulsed with ancient runes, flickering ominously.
Durathielâs eyes widened as he looked up at the looming death above him.
"Vysindraâs Burning Breath!"
I lowered Trinity Nihil, my smirk widening.
-BOOOM!!
A pillar of purple fire cascaded from the heavens, swallowing Durathiel in an inferno of devastation. The flames didnât simply burnâthey consumed, devouring everything within a twenty-meter radius. Houses crumbled, the ground beneath us cracked like fragile glass, and a searing wave of heat rippled through the battlefield.
The earth trembled beneath my feet.
But I knew.
It wasnât over.
âSpurt!
A cold sensation pierced my chest.
I lowered my gazeâDurathielâs silver sword had run me through from behind.
I turned my head slightly. He was standing behind me, his silver hair now dirtied and matted with sweat and blood. His calm, composed face was twistedâhis brows furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line.
But that wasnât what made me keep my smirk.
It was his expression of disbelief as my body scattered into countless white particlesâdissolving like sand in the wind.
Appearing behind him in an instant, Trinity Nihil already raised high, I brought it down with full intent to kill.
But Durathiel wasnât slow.
His instincts screamed, and he spun around, his sword meeting mine.
âBOOOOM!
The clash sent another shockwave ripping through the field, forcing both of us backward. Dust and debris danced wildly in the air, caught in the aftershocks of our collision.
Still flying away mid-air, Durathiel spat out.
"Answer me, Spirit of Wind!"
A eight-layered mana circle spiraled into existence, glowing with a sublime radiance. From its depths, a monstrous bird emergedâits entire body composed of raging winds, each feather carrying enough force to shred stone to dust.
"Kill him."
The wind spirit shrieked and shot toward me at blinding speed.
Still midair, I barely had time to react. My body was already being thrown backward by the previous impact.
Reaching out my left hand, I summoned Aegis.
-BOOOOOM!
The birdâs sharp beak collided against my shield, releasing a high-pitched, ear-splitting screech. The force sent me rocketing even further back, my body crashing through the towering structure behind me. Stone and steel exploded outward, the shockwave rippling through the battlefield as my vision blurred from the impact.
I clenched my teeth, blood dripping down my chin.
I pushed myself up awkwardly, my body aching from the impact.
"W-Whatâs happeningâŠ." I muttered, my breath ragged.
Panic-filled voices echoed around me.
"Itâs His Majesty! Heâs fighting against this human!"
"Run away!"
I blinked, realizing I had landed right at the entrance of the Tower of Utopia. Dust and debris swirled in the air, the scent of burning stone and scorched metal filling my lungs.
"Cleenah."
[<Yes?>]
"Freyja. Will she be able to heal Bryelle?" I asked through my ragged breath.
[<Yes.>]
"Annabelle!" I called loudly in my mind. "Bring me Freyja. Tell her if she wants her body back to come to Utopia!"
[<You are lucky, she is already in Utopia.>]
"Really? Can you give Anna her whereaboutsâ"
-Whoosh!
A sharp gust of wind interrupted my words. My instincts screamed, and I barely managed to sidestep.
[<I will.>]
Durathielâs Sloth-clad figure slid past me, his entire body gleaming silver along the wind swirling around him.
But before he could reactâ
I slammed my palm into his face.
âBOOM!
The impact sent him flying backward, his body smashing into the grand elevator behind him, shattering through sculptures and sending marble fragments scattering across the hall.
Screams erupted as nobles and knights bolted in every direction.
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Durathiel coughed, blood trailing from the corner of his lips as he glared at me with narrowed, seething eyes.
"You mere humanâŠ"
I laughed, my grip tightening around Trinity Nihil.
"Ahahaha! Thatâs it! Yeah!"
I swung my sword in a wide arc, unleashing a torrent of purple flames that roared through the entrance hall, consuming everything in its path just purposefully.
âBOOOOM!!
Fire spread, swallowing walls, furniture, and fleeing Utopian nobles and knights alike. The air twisted with heat, turning the opulent hall into a blazing inferno.
I breathed, watching Durathiel through the haze of destruction. His silver hair was no longer neatly tiedâit was dirtied with soot, blood streaking down his cheek.
I smirked.
"You look better like this, Durathiel."
-BAM!
He kicked off the ground at an even faster speed, his leg cutting through the flames toward me.
I raised my arm just in time to block, but the force sent me flying backward, rolling through my own flames before I skidded to a stop.
I forced myself up but Durathiel was already there.
His silver sword glowed with mana, Ruah and Sloth as he swung.
-BOOOOM!
I barely dodged, rolling away as his strike split the marble floor, leaving behind a deep crater.
The moment he turned toward me, I was already chargingâTrinity Nihil raised, aiming straight for his chest.
-BOOOM!
He barely managed to block, but his stance was off. The impact sent him crashing through several pillars, stone and dust exploding in his wake.
âRUMBLE!!
The entire tower groaned. Cracks snaked along the walls, and from aboveâ
Large chunks of debris began to fall.
I lifted my gaze.
Chairs, shattered furniture, and massive stone blocks from the upper floors plummeted toward the ground.
I dodged a tumbling chair, butâ
âBAM!
"Ugh!"
A chunk of stone struck me square on the head. My vision blurred, my head snapping to the side as I staggered.
Durathiel didnât miss the chance.
-BAM!
His foot slammed into my chest, sending me hurtling backward into the last remaining pillars behind me. The impact rattled my bones, pain blooming in my ribs.
He prepared to rush forward, butâ
A falling stone smashed into his face, splitting his forehead open. Blood streaked across his features.
"Arghhh!!!"
-BOOOM!!
With a furious roar, Durathiel unleashed his mana at full power.
A violent torrent of wind erupted from his body, tearing through the entire tower.
Chairs, rubble, and shattered stone spiraled into the air, caught in the raging storm. The very foundation of the tower shook, the force of his power twisting my purple fire into spiraling tornado.
I leaped out of the collapsing tower, landing a fair distance away as I turned to watch.
The magnificent tower trembled violently, its very foundation giving way.
âRUMBLE!
With a final, deafening crash, the entire tower crumbled slowly in on itself, stone and debris collapsing in a monstrous cloud of dust and fire.
Thenâ
A whirlwind of silver burst forth from the wreckage.
Durathiel emerged, his entire form engulfed in a tornado of wind. But this wasnât just ordinary windâhis mana had fused with Sloth, dyeing the spiraling storm in a silvery hue, distorting the air around him.
I clenched my fists. I was reaching my limit.
And so was he.
This would be our final attacks.
Taking a deep breath, I steadied my grip around Trinity Nihil. Closing my eyes for a brief second, I let out a slow exhaleâthen unleashed Wrath.
My flames roared in response.
Vysindraâs fire surged around my body, coiling like a living serpent before exploding three meters above me, burning like an infernal aura. The heat warped the air, turning the ground around me into a furnace.
Durathiel slowly raised his silver blade, pointing it directly at me.
-Whoosh!
The air groaned with force as winds violently swirled around his sword, shaking the ground beneath us.
Thenâ
I saw it.
Two silver horns emerged from his forehead. At the same time, silver markings crawled across his face and arms, glowing faintly with energy I couldnât even describe.
We hadnât even moved, yet the distance between us collapsed.
Our mana and our Sins clashed violently, battling for dominance. Wrath burned against Slothâs swirling storm, each force trying to consume the other.
I pushed everything I had into this final attack.
All my Ruahâall my remaining strengthâcondensed into Trinity Nihil.
Six rings of Vysindraâs fire wrapped around my blade, their flames crackling with Vysindraâs hatred and emotions. Trinity Nihil pulsed, burning with Wrath.
Pain stabbed through my arms.
My veins bulged from the sheer pressureâsome even burst open, blood mixing with the burning heat of my flames.
A heavy silence fell.
The only sounds that remained were the roar of my fire and the howling winds surrounding Durathiel.
Thenâ
{Samael.}
When I heard her whisper, I snapped my amber slit eyes open.
âBAM!
At the exact same momentâwe both kicked off the ground.
We blurred toward each other at blinding speed, the force of our movements cracking the earth beneath us.
One second.
Our blades swung.
-CRAAAAACK!
-BOOOOOOOOM!!!!