The battlefield suddenly plunged into darkness.
Shadows spread across the land as if the world itself had gone blind.
A boy stepped forward.
One of his eyes shone like the full moon.
Everyone knew who he was.
Lucen froze.
"Romeo… how did you get here?"
King Aldaric turned sharply.
"Romeo!"
In the same instant, Romeo moved.
He lunged forward, the tip of his sword aimed straight at the king.
A divine shield of holy light burst into existence, blocking the strike just in time.
The impact shattered the ground beneath them.
Romeo's presence surged violently.
Power Increase: 10%
The king staggered as blood spilled from his side.
"How can you wound me?!" Aldaric shouted.
"I'm your father, damn it!"
Romeo's voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
"Father?"
"You're nothing but a true monster—
one who used the power my mother left behind to slaughter anyone who dared resist your tyranny."
His grip tightened on the sword.
"You don't deserve to be called my father."
"Romeo!" Lucen shouted.
"How can you— Radiant Sword!"
Lucen charged forward, unleashing consecutive strikes of blinding light.
Romeo's eyes fully transformed into moonlight.
Darkness erupted in every direction.
Shadows swallowed the battlefield.
Romeo vanished.
From the darkness, shadow clones rushed toward the king, blades raised.
The Sword Knight stepped forward instantly.
"I won't allow—"
He never finished the sentence.
Darkness sliced through him like thread.
In the same motion, the shadows turned—
And tore through King Aldaric as well.
Blood soaked the ground.
Silence followed.
Lucen screamed.
"No—! Father! Master!"
He rushed forward, collapsing beside them.
Nothing remained.
Only their power.
Tears streamed down Lucen's face as the energy flowed into his body.
Power Increase: 12%
At that moment, the sky burned.
The Three-Headed Dragon descended, unleashing a massive inferno from above, aimed straight at Lucen.
Suddenly—
A colossal bolt of lightning struck.
One of the dragon's heads exploded.
A familiar voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Did you really think you could kill me that easily?"
Queen Elia stood tall, lightning raging around her.
"Queen Elia… you're alive," Lucen whispered.
"O earth and sky," she declared.
"O thunder and storm.
O divine heavens—
grant me the power of lightning."
Black lightning surged from the ground.
White lightning crashed down from the sky.
They collided.
The Three-Headed Dragon—
known as the King of Dragons—
was annihilated in an instant.
Elia scoffed.
"I've killed eight dragons with my bare hands.
You were never special."
Her gaze shifted downward.
"…My knight."
Her expression hardened.
"The king is dead.
The Sword Knight is dead.
The Wind Knight is unconscious."
She turned to Lucen.
"Queen Elia," Lucen said quietly,
"please teleport the wounded away.
I still have unfinished business here."
Elia studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"Our pact ends here."
"Thunder Teleport."
Lightning engulfed the battlefield.
And then—
They were gone.
Only two figures remained.
Lucen straightened.
"Well then… Romeo.
It's just you and me now."
Romeo stepped forward from the shadows.
"Don't think I'll show you mercy," he said coldly.
"I'll kill you—
and take your power for myself."
Lucen ignited both swords with radiant light.
"Try."
Lucen charged at Romeo with twin blades
raised.
Final Battle: Lucen vs Romeo
The battlefield was nothing but ruins.
Cracked earth, scorched stone, and fading magic filled the air. No armies remained. No kings. No witnesses.
Only two brothers stood facing each other.
Lucen tightened his grip on his twin blades, their light flickering like dying stars.
Romeo stood calmly across from him, shadows coiling at his feet as if alive.
A cold wind passed between them.
Romeo moved first.
He vanished.
Lucen's instincts screamed. He twisted his body just as a blade of darkness sliced through the air where his neck had been.
Lucen teleported backward in a burst of golden light, boots skidding across broken stone.
"So fast…" Lucen muttered.
Romeo emerged from the shadows behind him, sword already descending.
Lucen raised both blades.
CLANG!
Light and darkness collided, sending a shockwave through the ground. Cracks spread outward like spiderwebs.
Lucen kicked forward, forcing Romeo back, then thrust his hand toward the sky.
"Light Spears!"
Five massive spears of radiant energy formed above him and launched downward.
Romeo snapped his fingers.
"Shadow Spears."
Five dark spears rose to meet them.
The collision detonated midair.
BOOOOM!
The explosion hurled both of them apart. Dust and debris swallowed the battlefield.
Romeo stepped out of the smoke first, eyes glowing faintly like a crescent moon.
Power Increase: 10%
Shadows wrapped around his arms like living armor.
Lucen wiped blood from his mouth and exhaled slowly.
"Then I won't hold back either."
Golden fire ignited around his body.
Power Increase: 10%
Lucen disappeared in a flash of solar light and reappeared above Romeo, blades crossing downward.
Romeo teleported away in a streak of black lightning. Lucen's blades slammed into the ground, carving a glowing crater.
Romeo reappeared behind him, fist crackling with black electricity.
The punch landed.
Lucen flew across the battlefield, smashing through stone pillars before rolling to a stop.
Romeo advanced without hesitation.
"You're slower," he said coldly. "Just like always."
Lucen forced himself to his feet.
"Then stop running."
He slammed his blades together.
Dozens of radiant swords formed in the air behind him, spinning violently.
Romeo answered in kind.
Dark blades emerged from the shadows, countless and sharp.
Both attacks launched at once.
The sky turned into a storm of blades.
Metal screamed against magic. Light shattered shadow. Shadow devoured light.
Lucen teleported again and again, weaving through the chaos, closing the distance.
Romeo did the same, appearing and vanishing, striking from impossible angles.
They clashed midair.
Sword against sword.
Punch against kick.
Lucen landed a slash across Romeo's chest. Blood spilled, blackened by shadow.
Romeo responded with a knee to Lucen's ribs, followed by a shadow-forged blade through his shoulder.
Both staggered back.
Breathing hard.
Their auras flared higher.
Power Increase: 12% — Lucen
Power Increase: 12% — Romeo
Lightning split the sky.
Romeo raised both hands.
"Black Thunder Descent."
Bolts of dark lightning rained down, targeting Lucen relentlessly.
Lucen spun his blades, forming a shield of light while teleporting between strikes. One bolt grazed his leg, burning flesh to bone.
He screamed—but didn't stop.
Lucen thrust his palm forward.
"Solar Flame Drive!"
A torrent of golden fire exploded outward, swallowing Romeo whole.
For a moment, there was only fire.
Then shadows burst apart.
Romeo emerged, armor cracked, body smoking.
His eye glowed brighter.
Power Increase: 15%
"You're done," Romeo said.
The ground beneath Lucen turned pitch black.
Shadow hands erupted, grabbing his legs, his arms, his torso.
Lucen struggled, muscles screaming.
Romeo walked forward, sword forming above his hand.
"This is where it ends."
Lucen laughed weakly.
"Not… yet."
Golden light surged from his chest.
The shadow hands disintegrated.
Lucen teleported directly in front of Romeo and drove both blades forward.
Romeo crossed his sword just in time—but the impact sent him crashing backward.
Lucen followed, relentless.
Strike after strike.
Slash after slash.
He forced Romeo onto the defensive for the first time.
Lucen's aura ignited even brighter.
Power Increase: 15%
"This is everything I have!"
Romeo roared and unleashed his full power.
Shadows exploded outward, forming massive spears, chains, and blades all at once.
Lucen countered with solar fire and radiant weapons.
The battlefield collapsed under their clash.
Mountains of stone crumbled. The sky fractured with magic.
Finally—
Romeo moved faster.
Too fast.
He slipped through Lucen's guard and drove his blade into Lucen's side.
Lucen froze.
Blood poured down.
Romeo pulled back and struck again, slashing across Lucen's chest.
Lucen fell to one knee.
Romeo stood over him, breathing heavily.
"I win."
Lucen looked up, bloodied, smiling.
"Yeah… you do."
He closed his eyes.
The sun.
His father's fire.
His remaining life.
Everything converged into a single point.
Romeo's eyes widened.
"Wait—!"
Lucen whispered:
"Goodbye… brother."
Light and fire exploded outward in a blinding cataclysm.
At that moment, the sky ignited.
A colossal roar shook the heavens.
The Three-Headed Dragon descended from above, its wings blotting out the light.
Flames poured from its three mouths, a massive inferno crashing down toward Lucen.
Before the fire could reach him—
A thunderbolt tore through the sky.
The lightning struck with terrifying precision, slamming directly into one of the dragon's heads.
It exploded.
Scales, blood, and fire scattered across the battlefield.
A familiar voice echoed through the storm.
"Did you really think you could kill me that easily?"
Queen Elia stood amidst the lightning, thunder coiling around her like a crown.
"Queen Elia… you're alive," Lucen whispered.
She raised her hand.
"O earth and sky," she commanded.
"O thunder and storm.
O divine heavens—
grant me the power of lightning."
The ground cracked open.
Black lightning erupted from beneath the earth.
At the same time, pure white lightning descended from the heavens.
The two forces collided—
And struck the dragon together.
The Three-Headed Dragon,
known as the King of Dragons,
screamed as its body was torn apart by divine th
under.
In a single moment—
It was annihilated.
Elia lowered her hand, her voice cold.
"I've slain eight dragons with my bare hands.
You were never special."
:Thank you so much for reading this chapter.
Your support truly means everything to me.