A massive hammer swung down with brutal force, ready to crush Anin in an explosive impact. The commander dodged by a hair and retaliated with a black slash that tore through the air toward the tyrant. But Babadar simply dissolved into the wind — vanished — and reappeared in front of Anin, already preparing a blow that would knock her out instantly.
Then, a voice roared:
— "Flaming Serpent!"
A colossal serpent of fire surged from Laura and charged at Babadar with a fiery roar. The tyrant spun her hammer and struck once, dispersing the spell like smoke. But that tiny opening was enough: Anin leaped back and unleashed more black slashes.Babadar merely frowned in annoyance, blocking each strike with monstrous precision.
Suddenly, a sharp pain burst through Anin's chest. Her lung failed; she dropped to her knees, stabbing her sword into the ground. Her vision darkened at the edges.
"I can't… I've been out of energy for too long… I'm fighting with strength I don't even have anymore…"
She spat blood. Her guard dropped.Babadar noticed.
The tyrant dashed forward at absurd speed, hammer pulled back, ready to end Anin with one single blow.Laura was too far away to help.Anin looked up — and all she saw was that massive hammer coming toward her in slow motion, huge, inevitable.
That was her end.
But then — a voice split the air.A yellow light exploded across the battlefield.
— "Perfect Block!"
Carlius appeared in front of her like a wall. His greatsword intercepted Babadar's hammer, and the impact was so colossal that a two-kilometer radius was devastated, dust and debris crashing upward like a hurricane.
Unmoving, Carlius held the tyrant's hammer with an iron grip. The two glared at each other for long, heavy seconds.
He inhaled deeply.His aura flared violently — and with a fierce push, he shoved the hammer aside and launched Babadar into the air.
The tyrant tumbled, then rose to her feet gripping her weapon, fury burning in her eyes.
Carlius sheathed his greatsword for a moment and spoke without looking at Anin, who was still collapsed, nearly powerless:
— "Recover whatever energy you can. I'll hold her off for a few minutes."
Exhausted, Anin only watched in silence. She understood — and let him go.
Carlius advanced with steady steps.Babadar moved to meet him, dragging her hammer across the ground, sparks flying at each step.
— "You really think you can trade blows with me, don't you?" she growled.
Carlius didn't answer.He burst forward and delivered a brutal slash. Babadar blocked it perfectly, but Carlius used the opening to punch her straight in the face, launching her backward.
Unsatisfied, he spun his greatsword to cleave her in half.Babadar ducked under the attack and countered with a heavy swing toward his torso.
Carlius blocked, but the impact knocked him several meters away.
Seeing the opening, Babadar charged — but a crimson circle opened under her feet, releasing a colossal beam of fire. She leapt away in the last instant.
When she landed, Carlius was already behind her, whispering:
— "Rending Spin!"
He twirled his sword with mastery, yellow aura spiraling into a tornado. The attack struck Babadar cleanly, launching her once again.
She staggered to her feet, face twisted in pure rage.
A heavy breath filled the silence.Babadar realized the battle was getting complicated — her strikes were weakening. As she glared at Carlius, she thought:
"The poison that bastard made me drink… It's acting up again. I thought it was over… but this poison won't disappear that easily… I'll have to use more power."
She steadied her hammer and lunged at Carlius. He dodged and countered, aiming at her back.Babadar blocked and kicked him violently, throwing him far away. She advanced again, landing fast, crushing blows. Carlius blocked with mastery and activated:
— "Rending Slash!"
Babadar dodged the blow that would've split her stomach, leapt, and fell with a devastating hammer smash. Carlius jumped aside at the last moment. Taking advantage of the dust cloud, she rushed him with an even faster barrage.
Their collisions were catastrophic.Every impact birthed explosions; debris flew like shrapnel.Two overwhelming forces clashing to prove which one was truly superior.
Meanwhile, Laura was beside Anin, healing her wounds and extreme exhaustion. As the energy flowed, she said:
— "Anin, if you keep fighting like this, you won't have enough strength to recover later… I want you to keep fighting, but… this might kill you!"
— "I DON'T CARE!" Anin screamed, rage and bitterness twisting her expression.
She forced herself to her feet, bleeding, sword trembling in her grip.
— "If we don't end her now… there won't be another chance. So I don't care if I die.If I die, it means I'm taking her with me… That's the deal."
Laura stared wide-eyed… and then proud.
She rose too, serious, determined, extending a hand:
— "I can give you half of my vital energy. You'll fight longer. That means I'll be ruined too… but if the three of us keep this pressure, we can win."
Anin looked into her eyes — saw the resolve — and accepted.
Their hands met.A fierce aura exploded around them.
Meanwhile, the ground shook violently.Carlius fought the tyrant with strength he didn't know he had. Their weapons clashed, unleashing waves of destruction. Carlius gripped his sword with both hands, sweating, struggling to match the sheer force of Babadar, who swung her hammer with just one arm.
Suddenly, she smiled a monstrous smile:
— "I see you're reaching your limit…Tell me — can you withstand another Infernal Mist?"
Carlius' heart tightened.He forced his greatsword and pushed her back.
Babadar landed, lifted her chin, and smiled — smug, terrifying.
— "I knew it."
She rushed forward.Carlius pushed his aura to the maximum, trying to keep up. He lacked her speed, but his sword mastery let him block her relentless attacks.
But he was fading.Her overwhelming power pressed harder and harder.
— "Damn it… at this pace I'll—"
A sudden strike from her right caught him off guard. He blocked just in time, but the impact flung him away. Before he could recover, Babadar was upon him, hammer raised to crush—
— "Black Slash!"
A massive dark blade tore through the air.Babadar blocked — but didn't realize Anin was already beside her.
With a swift strike, Anin cut her cleanly.Babadar recoiled, clutching the wound.
— "Fire Star!"
A huge fire projectile crashed onto Babadar.Laura approached, sword raised.
From the smoke, the tyrant emerged again — face twisted, aura blazing with hatred.
— "You pests! I'll kill ALL of you!"
Anin narrowed her eyes and charged with abnormal speed.Babadar reacted at once, attacking.Anin dodged and slashed to behead her — Babadar retreated at the last second.
Carlius appeared out of nowhere to block the counterattack.Laura struck from behind, but Babadar spun her hammer and blocked both.
Anin jumped back, raised her sword:
— "Blade Barrage!"
A rain of black blades shot toward the tyrant.
Babadar kicked Carlius' sword aside and dodged every slash with fluid, terrifying movements.
Laura gave her no breathing room:
— "Flame Serpent!"
This time, the serpent bit deep into Babadar's arm, burning it completely.The tyrant screamed, fury mixing with agony.
Carlius charged and slammed her with all the strength he had, sending her crashing into a mountain of debris.
Laura panted.— "Did we… win?"
Anin glared at the rubble, hatred burning.
— "No."
Babadar rose instantly.
Her aura exploded.
A monstrous scream shook the land.Her power spiked to terrifying levels.Debris floated as if weightless.
She was stronger than ever.
— "I will NOT… lose to any of you! Your pathetic attacks are NOTHING compared to my power!I am a High Demon! My pride won't let me die to WEAKLINGS!"
Her muscles tightened — not grotesque, but radiating monstrous strength.Black horns sprouted.Her aura ignited like wildfire.
She vanished.
And reappeared between the three.
Her hammer warped from the raw force.
She swung at Anin—
— "PERFECT BLOCK!"
Carlius intercepted — and even with the skill, he was hurled dozens of meters away.
Anin didn't hesitate. She charged.Laura followed.
Their coordinated assault clashed against Babadar's whirlwind of fury.
Then Anin saw an opening.Gathered all her power.
— "BLADE BARRAGE — ULTRA!"
Heavier, denser slashes tore forward.
Babadar vanished and reappeared holding Anin's blade with her bare hand.
Anin bled from nose and mouth — her life force was crumbling.
Laura intervened, but Babadar dodged easily.
Anin stabbed her own leg to stabilize herself and lunged again.Babadar blocked with her hand as if she were a child.
Laura's flaming blade struck — blocked again.
The tyrant smiled.
Then—
KRAAACK!!
Carlius appeared like a falling star and punched her so hard the ground shattered under the impact.
His sword had been destroyed earlier.Now he fought bare-handed.
Babadar rose — and charged.
They collided like monsters.Fists, hammer swings, dodges — pure brutality.
Laura staggered behind them, raising her sword:
— "F-Flame… serpent…"
The attack hit Babadar.Laura collapsed to her knees, blood dripping, vision blurry.
Anin struck her back sharply.
— "Don't quit! Get up!"
Laura breathed deeply and forced herself to stand again, trembling.
Babadar smiled — then stopped.Blood dripped from her nose.
— "What… is this…?"
Anin roared:
— "Now!!"
She vanished.Babadar kicked debris at her; Anin sliced them apart. Then she disappeared again.
The tyrant squinted, tracking her movements. She sharpened her hammer into a blade-like form and disappeared too.
Their exchange became blinding — sparks everywhere.
Laura slid in, blocked a strike, counterattacked.Anin slashed the tyrant's stomach — barely missing.
The battle was insane.
Babadar slowed.She was being overwhelmed.
Then—
— "AAAHHHH!"
Anin's fastest strike finally landed: a cut straight across the tyrant's neck.Laura simultaneously severed Babadar's left arm.
Time froze around her.
She stared at the two women — both burning with righteous fury.
"I… I'm going to lose…"
Darkness.
Then a tender voice echoed:
— "My daughter… please stop…"
A soft, feminine voice followed:
— "Ana… my love… surrender…"
A small child lost in the dark looked around.
Then—
A demonic roar tore reality apart:
— "BABADAR!! DON'T LISTEN! KILL THEM!!"
Her consciousness snapped back.Her eyes blazed.
Reality exploded.
She roared:
— "I AM… ANA IZIUS BABADAR!!!"
Her arm regenerated instantly.A sword formed in her right hand; the hammer returned to her left.
She charged.
She unleashed Infernal Mist repeatedly, chasing Anin relentlessly.Anin countered with black slashes — but Babadar raised her sword and activated:
— "King's Path!"
A golden beam cut the field, erasing everything in its way.
Laura froze.
— "T-That's impossible! That's King Edrian Izius' sword style!"
Babadar appeared beside Anin, ready to decapitate—
Two blades clashed.
Anistina had arrived — heavily wounded, blood covering her body.
— "Let's… finish her together!" she said, struggling but fierce.
Anistina attacked like a hurricane, body moving with deadly elegance.Anin backed her with waves of black slashes.
Babadar began to falter.
She roared, using Infernal Mist combined with her father's sword art.It didn't matter anymore.
Anistina was a monster in close combat.Every movement was a lethal petal.
Between strikes, memories flashed in her mind:
— "Let's form a group to defeat the tyrant!"— "Anistina could be our leader!"— "Let's end her rule together!"
And one voice — warm, loving:
— "Hey, miss… after we defeat the tyrant… why don't we just live for real?I think you'd make an amazing leader.We all love you."
Her heart trembled.
She screamed alongside Anin.Babadar couldn't keep up.
But both Anin and Anistina were at their limits.
Anistina made her choice.
— "I'll do this… even if it costs my life.Because I love them… all of them… those who love me…I love the roses…"
She planted her foot, raised her dagger—
— "Rose Dance!!!"
A spinning attack so fast it was invisible.
In an instant, Babadar's arms were severed.Her legs, shattered.And Anistina grabbed her from behind and plunged her dagger deep into her neck.
Babadar screamed, thrashing.
Anistina had no strength left — but she didn't let go.
— "NOW, ANIN!!"
Anin blurred forward, aura erupting.
Babadar unleashed a massive burst of energy, throwing everything away.Anistina was blown aside.
As she fell in slow motion, she thought:
"I wonder… did he love me… more than the roses?"
Anin appeared like lightning — piercing Babadar's chest and tearing through her heart.
— "Blade Barrage!!!"
Black slashes detonated inside her.
Anin was thrown far away.
Silence.
The tyrant, coughing blood, struggled to regenerate — but failed.Her vision turned white… two gentle silhouettes appeared before her, reaching their hands toward a little girl.
"It's over now, my daughter. Come home."
A single tear fell.
Anin watched in disbelief as Babadar… cried.And then… her body began to fall apart, flaking like ash.
"D…did we…? D-did we actually…? WE DID IT!"Anin screamed, tears streaming down her face.
But deep inside…
Something felt wrong.
The demon, enraged, began twisting violently.
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME, BABADAR!""DO NOT GIVE UP! IF YOU DIE, I DIE TOO!! BABADAR!! BABADAAAAR!!!"
The voice of the little girl echoed softly:
"I… can finally… rest now…Mother… Father…"
Babadar's body turned entirely to ash.White hair.Wrinkled skin.And then nothing.
Anin fell to her knees.She didn't celebrate.She didn't smile.
"We… won…" she whispered.
But then—
The demon seized the collapsing body, possessing it in desperation.
"DAMN IT ALLL!! I'M NOT DYING HERE!""IF I GO DOWN, I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!!!"
He grabbed Anin by the throat and slammed her into the ground.She struggled to breathe.
"I'll die… but not alone! You're coming to hell with me!!"he laughed, even as his form crumbled into ash.
Anin tried to call for help, but Carlius, Laura, and Anistina were unconscious.She pried at the demon's burning hands — but she was losing strength.
"…p-please… someone… h-help…"
Then—
A shout tore through the air.Footsteps.Fast.And a devastating punch crushed into the demon's side, ripping him off her.
Anin's eyes widened.
It was Shizu.
He saved her at the very last moment.
She threw her arms around him, trembling.
The demon's head, nearly gone, whispered:
"…why… why must I die… alone…"
And with that… it turned to dust.