Pain tears through every fiber of my body, but I have no time to truly feel it. My fingers clench around the hilt of my sword, and sheer resolve keeps my feet rooted in the ground. The demon thrashes desperately, I cannot give it a moment's respite. I must press, I must strike it down now. Even if every nerve burns like fire, I can only hope Selene regains enough mana for the final blow.
I raise my sword and swing it in a merciless arc, the blade slicing the air with a metallic howl, as if death itself had forced its way through the shadows. The demon reacts by conjuring a wall of darkness, but my blade rips it apart. Sparks and fragments of shadow scatter around us. A guttural roar bursts from its throat, and the black aura surrounding it pulses wildly.
—"Stubborn fool… but you will fall!" the demon bellows, lunging at me with outstretched claws.
I meet its strike head-on, my sword clashing against its arms. The impact rattles my bones, but I use the momentum to pivot and counter. A vertical slash, followed by a diagonal one, then a quick thrust aimed at its chest, every move is swift, cold, calculated. I feel its resistance, but also its hesitation.
Shifting my weight to my back foot, I launch a new assault. My blade whirls in a tight circle, cutting down shadows that try to bind me, then I raise it overhead and bring it down with the intent to split the earth itself. The ground cracks beneath the force, and the demon staggers backward.
My breath grows heavy, my body trembles, but I do not stop. Every strike now is fueled not only by strength, but by fury and determination. I see its arms rise in desperation to guard itself, but its eyes betray it, fear has begun to gnaw at its soul.
With a final cry, I spin on my heel and unleash a crushing spin-kick that smashes into its chest, hurling it backward like a rag doll.
The demon crashes violently, rolling until it stops where the necklace lies. I don't even consider that this might be the very relic it so desperately craved. To me, it is nothing but a fallen target, prey ready to be finished.
But it stretches out its arm, claws clutching the jewel, and its face twists into a grotesque grin.
—"Ha… ha… what bitter irony, swordsman! You yourself have hurled me toward the very thing that grants me strength. Such foolishness… such naivety!"
My jaw tightens. Confusion pierces me. I didn't know. I had no idea what lay there.
The demon's eyes gleam with cruel delight, his voice booming like thunder:
—"Now, the battle ends. Not for you, no, for the entire world!"
He raises both arms, and the necklace pulses, unleashing waves of dark energy into the air. The sky darkens once again, clouds twisting into a vortex, and from his body erupt black flames laced with crimson lightning. The earth quakes, fissures open, and shadows pour out of them, howling.
In his palms, a massive sphere condenses, black as absolute night, streaked with red lightning that scorches the air. A force unlike anything I have ever seen, a cataclysm bound within his grasp.
—"Now witness true despair!" the demon roars, hurling the attack at me.
The air splits, the ground erupts, and the wave of darkness surges straight toward me. My skin crawls, the very air turns heavy, unbreathable.
There's no time to think. I drive my sword into the ground, both hands gripping the hilt, its blade glimmering faintly, and drop to my knees. Every muscle, every tendon strains as I scream against the crushing force that falls upon me like a mountain.
The earth cracks, stones rise into the air. The pressure is so immense I feel my bones vibrating, yet I do not let go. The sword is all I have, the sword and my will.
Through the smothering dark, I unleash a savage roar:
—"You will not pass!!!"
The demon's attack collides with my blade, fury against fury, shadows trying to swallow me whole. I feel myself breaking, my arms giving way—when suddenly, a blue light flares before me.
A wall rises over my blade, runes glowing like lightning etched into stone. The blast shatters against it like waves upon cliffs.
I freeze in disbelief.
—"Selene…"
She stands behind me, arms raised, face resolute. Her mana, restored, manifests into a colossal wall supporting my defense. The crushing weight eases, my breath steadies. I realize: Selene's barrier has taken the brunt of the blow.
I turn my head for an instant, my eyes burning with strain but also gratitude.
—"You… you came back."
She smiles, tired, yet unwavering.
—"I told you, Kaizen. I'm not going anywhere."
The wall cracks, my sword trembles, but together we hold. Gritting my teeth, I raise the blade higher, aligning it with her barrier. With a shared roar, we tear through the demon's attack, repelling it in an explosion of sparks and shadows that shakes the battlefield.
But there is no pause. Every movement from the demon radiates power, ever more dreadful. The necklace glows on his chest, pulsing like a living organ, feeding him endless energy.
I see Selene faltering, she's at her limit. Yet I need her power to end this fight.
—"Selene… we need the decisive strike now," I say, my voice sharp as an order. "If we give him more time, he'll become unstoppable."
She looks at me, gasping, her hands trembling.
—"Tell me what to do."
I tighten my grip on the sword, feeling its weight.
—"When I give the signal, cast a binding spell. No matter how weak, no matter how short, just hold him still for a few seconds. That's all I need."
Selene bites her lip, lowering her gaze.
—"I'll try… but it won't be strong. I'm at my limit, Kaizen. Soon I won't even be able to cast a spark."
I step close, gripping her shoulder, locking my eyes to hers.
—"That's enough. Just a few seconds. Leave the rest to me."
She breathes deeply, then nods.
—"Alright… but be careful. If the spell breaks, I'll have nothing left to give you."
Meanwhile, the demon sneers, the necklace pulsing violently.
—"What pitiful little schemes are you whispering? Do you truly think your toys, your spells and sword, can save you now?"
I grind my teeth, raising my sword, every fiber of me poised for the final attack, now or never.
—"It's all we need to bring you down," I answer.
Every muscle tightens. The final strike shapes itself in my mind. When the moment comes, Selene will bind him, and I will do the rest. We must be perfectly in sync, or everything ends here.
I grip the sword so hard my bones tremble. With a furious stomp, I smash the ground, sending a wave of dust and rubble into the air, cloaking the field in a warlike haze. The wind swirls the particles, and visibility drops to almost nothing.
Using the confusion, I dash forward, the earth shattering under my steps. With a booming voice, I shout:
—"Now, Selene! The time is now!"
Selene clasps her arms, her eyes burning with both focus and pain. With trembling voice, she chants:
—"Catena Obscura!"
Chains of darkness burst from her palms, glowing with blue energy, coiling around the demon. They wrap him swiftly, binding him, anchoring him in place, slowing every motion. Runes flare upon the chains, pulsing with Selene's heartbeat, while her fragile aura quivers under the strain.
Within mere seconds, the demon is bound just enough for me to strike. With a precise movement, I pour my entire strength into my blade and cleave him in two. His upper body soars through the air, yet he does not fall completely. With a last desperate gasp, his trembling hand conjures a spear of dark energy, pulsing like cold fire, aimed at a single target: Selene. She cannot dodge. She has no mana left to shield herself.
The spear pierces her chest. A scream rips through her body as the chains collapse, and she drops to her knees, blood spilling across her clothes.
Rage erupts within me. Reflexively, I ready to sever the demon's head and end this, but his voice cuts through, cruel and triumphant:
—"Ah, swordsman… we will meet again…"
With his last strength, the necklace upon his chest pulses violently, and in a flash of violet-red light, he vanishes, teleporting away.
Without a thought, I rush to Selene, pain, fury, and despair driving me forward. I catch her in my arms, feeling her trembling body, her life slipping away with each passing second.
—"Selene… no… no, please… please, don't leave! Stay with me!" I cry, breathless, my voice torn apart by panic and grief, every word crushing my soul. My whole body trembles as I desperately search for a way to save her, my heart breaking, helpless.
I hold her tight, feeling each labored breath growing heavier, each blink slower. Blood flows freely, her life draining away. Her eyes try to meet mine, but weakness overtakes her body.
—"Kaizen… I… won't… give up…" she whispers, her voice faint, trembling with pain.
Fury and despair churn inside me like wildfire. I try to lend her strength, to keep her here, but I am powerless.
—"No! You can't go! Not now! Selene, please, hold on!" I scream, my voice shredded with agony.
A faint shudder runs through her, her eyes locking with mine, and for a fleeting moment, I see her resolve shining, even at death's door.
—"I don't… want to… leave… without you…" I whisper back, holding her closer, feeling her life slipping away.
I know I cannot do this alone. I cannot keep her alive by myself. In desperation, my voice breaks into a raw, hopeless cry:
—"Help!!! Someone, anyone who can hear me! Help us! Selene can't die now!!!"
Dust and shadows stir at the echo of my scream, and I remain there, heart shattered, her blood staining my hands, every second stretching into eternity.
My eyes search for hope, any sign it isn't too late. Every beat of her heart echoes my despair, as if the world itself has stopped, focused only on us.
—"I won't let you go, Selene… not today… not ever!"
Still cradling her trembling body, hearing her breath fade, hurried footsteps approach. Hiro emerges through the haze, his face drawn with tension, eyes wide with worry.
—"Kaizen… the wounded are safe. We've secured them all."
I glare at him, fury and panic boiling in my veins.
—"What does that matter?! Selene is dying, Hiro! Bring a horse! Now!" I roar, my voice breaking, her blood burning against my chest.
Hiro flinches at my outburst but understands instantly. He doesn't ask what happened to the demon. Without hesitation, he dashes off, sprinting toward the tethered horses.
Meanwhile, I clutch Selene tighter, her body trembling, each breath more fragile than the last. My eyes stay locked on her, on the life flickering in my arms, while Hiro vanishes into the ruins.
—"Hold on, Selene… just a little longer… just a little, and you'll be alright…" My voice is thick with rage, pain, and hope, each second an eternity.
—"Kaizen… I never thought… I could be so happy… with a simple human," she whispers, her voice fading. "Thank you… for everything."
My heart tightens, fury and despair mingling with an unexpected warmth and reverence. I squeeze her hand tighter, trying to tell her without words that I'm here, that I won't let her go.
—"Don't give up… be… imperial," she breathes weakly. "Ordinary people need you, Kaizen… you are… their only hope. Can you… promise… to stay the same?"
My jaw clenches, my pain twisting into unshakable resolve.
—"Selene… I promise. I'll remain the same. For the people, for those who need me… and for you."
I gently caress her face, tears burning down my cheeks.
—"You only need to be strong now, Selene. Just hold on a little longer… and we'll be fine. We'll be together. Once you recover… we'll move. I promise. We'll go to your old home, together."
Her breath is ragged, but a faint smile graces her lips. Tears mix with the blood and dust on her face, her eyes shining with fragile, but genuine, determination.
—"Kaizen… then… never give up. You are their light… and mine," she whispers, her voice growing weaker, yet warm.
I close my eyes, the weight of the moment pressing down, my vow sealed in fire and tears. "No, Selene… I will never give up," I whisper, holding her tighter, every second precious, every breath of hers worth more than the world.
In that moment, the entire world fades. Smoke, dust, echoes of battle, all vanish. Only the beating of our hearts remains real. Her trembling body rests in my arms, fragile yet trusting. Her gaze clings to mine, and then, with a voice nearly lost to the void, defying the pain itself, she whispers:
—"I… love you…"