I took another step forward, feeling the weight of my own body, but keeping my sword steady. His presence was still there, weaker now, but far from gone. The sand around us still trembled from the impact of the last strike, and the air carried the remnants of that explosion of energy that had nearly split the horizon in two.
He began to stand.
Slowly.
Even with his body wounded, even with his axe destroyed, he still found the strength to get back on his feet. One of his arms hung uselessly, and part of his body seemed unable to respond as before, but his eyes remained fixed on me.
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
"That was a strike worthy of respect," he said, his voice lower now, but still firm.
I didn't answer.
The blessing was still active, but I could clearly feel time running out. My body was already beginning to show signs of strain, as if it were being crushed from within.
I needed to finish this.
Now.
I advanced again.
He did the same.
Even in that condition, he could still move fast enough to face me head-on. Our weapons no longer met in the same way, but the battle continued.
I attacked first.
My sword cut through the air toward his torso. He tried to dodge, but not completely. The slash landed, stripping even more endurance from his body.
He responded with a direct strike, using what remained of the strength in his functional arm. I tilted my body and barely avoided it, feeling the force of the attack pass close enough to displace the air around me.
I didn't retreat.
I spun and attacked again.
This time faster.
More precise.
More direct.
He tried to block with his own arm, but couldn't fully stop it. The impact forced him back once more, creating even more distance between us.
I took a deep breath.
The energy around me began to fluctuate.
The blessing was reaching its limit.
I could feel it clearly.
He noticed it too.
A faint smile appeared on his face, even in that situation.
"So that's your limit," he said.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
"It's enough," I replied.
He charged one last time.
There was no more strategy.
No more restraint.
It was simply final strength against final strength.
I ran toward him.
Our paths crossed.
At the moment of impact, I concentrated everything I had left. My mana, my strength, my will. There was nothing left to hold back.
My sword shone with maximum intensity.
The strike was unleashed.
The blade completely pierced through the remainder of his defense, cutting with absolute precision. The impact was clean, direct, with no real resistance.
His body stopped.
For a second.
As if time itself had frozen.
Then it began to break apart.
First into fragments.
Then into particles.
Until nothing remained except ashes carried away by the wind.
Silence took over the battlefield.
His presence disappeared completely.
The battle was over.
My hand loosened.
The sword fell beside me.
The blessing ended at that very moment.
My body lost its strength.
I fell to my knees.
My breathing came heavy and uneven. Every movement seemed to require far more than I still had left to give. The armor began to dissolve slowly, returning to its inactive state.
I had won.
But barely.
Very barely.
The world around me began to feel distant for a few seconds. My vision became unstable, but I still managed to stay conscious.
That was when I felt the presences approaching.
Fast.
Familiar.
The girls.
They reached me almost at the same time. Scarlett was the first to catch me before I collapsed completely. Liriel was already beside me, beginning to channel healing magic without wasting a second.
"You did it," Scarlett said, her voice firm, but clearly relieved.
Liriel said nothing, focused entirely on stabilizing my condition. Her energy flowed through my body, easing part of the pain and preventing the injuries from worsening.
Rai'kanna knelt in front of me, gently holding my face.
"You almost died," she said.
I took a deep breath.
"But I didn't," I replied with difficulty.
Elara, Lyannis, and Vespera stood around us, watching carefully, ready to act if necessary. Their expressions carried relief, but also something deeper.
Tension.
That had been far too close.
I closed my eyes for a moment, simply feeling my body still responding. The pain remained, but now it was under control.
Liriel continued using her magic for a few more seconds before finally letting out a light sigh.
"You're going to be okay," she said.
I nodded slowly.
The sun was already beginning to disappear beyond the horizon, painting the sky in softer colors. The light reflected off the surrounding sand, creating a strange contrast against that ruined battlefield.
Everything had ended there.
No armies.
No interference.
Just him and me.
And in the end... I won.
Scarlett helped me stand carefully. I still couldn't fully support myself on my own, but I could at least remain on my feet with assistance.
"Let's get out of here," she said.
No one disagreed.
We slowly left the battlefield behind, leaving only deep scars in the terrain and absolute silence.
...
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying down.
The ceiling was familiar.
My mansion.
It took me a few seconds to understand how much time had passed, but before I could think too much about it, I realized I wasn't alone.
They were all there.
Around me.
Sitting, leaning nearby, some simply watching me in silence.
The moment they realized I was awake, the reaction was immediate.
Relief.
Rai'kanna was the first to approach.
"You're finally awake," she said.
I tried to sit up, but my body still responded slowly.
"How long?" I asked.
"Two days," Elara replied.
I took a deep breath.
"So quite a bit of time passed," I murmured.
Scarlett crossed her arms, but her expression was clearly lighter than before.
"You overdid it this time."
"Maybe," I replied.
A brief silence settled in.
Then Liriel spoke.
"But you won."
I stared at the ceiling for a moment.
"Yeah... I won."
After a few seconds, I carefully got to my feet. There was still pain, but it was manageable now.
I walked to the balcony.
The morning breeze touched my face.
The world was at peace.
Without that pressure.
Without that immediate threat.
Days later, I learned that it was true.
All the demons connected to him disappeared the moment he died. Exactly as he had said.
He kept his word.
The war ended right there.
I received recognition from every nation. Rewards, money, respect. Altogether, it amounted to around sixty thousand gold coins.
But at that moment, none of that seemed very important.
I simply stood there.
Watching the horizon.
Knowing that this was not the end.
That night, when I closed my eyes, the silence didn't last long.
The darkness changed.
And then I saw it.
A presence.
Heavier.
Deeper.
The First General.
He stared at me.
"You've made it this far," he said.
His voice was calm.
But it carried something far more dangerous.
"But don't think that will be enough."
Another presence appeared.
The Demon King.
Watching.
"This has been interesting," he said. "But now you've reached the limit of what you can face."
The pressure increased.
Even though it was only a dream.
Even so, I was able to answer.
"We'll see who wins in the end."
The vision faded.
I opened my eyes.
My heart was still racing.
I looked at the ceiling.
Took a deep breath.
And said quietly,
"Then come... I'll defeat you too."