Final Judgment
The battle upon that stage had reached its climax. Zachary, Adreana, and Finlay moved in unison against a single enemy who was far too powerful. Even with the three of them working together, they could hardly land a scratch on Lord William. His speed and strength, now amplified by the *Lumite* pulsing within his blade, was nearly beyond reason. Blades flashed and clashed, a high-speed deadly dance of parries, feints, and counters.
"[Azure Crescent]!" Adreana's sword swept, forming a shimmering blue crescent of energy—a signature technique of the [Moonlight Sword Art]—forcing Lord William back a step before he retaliated with his own attack.
"[Decimation]!" William's sword blazed crimson as he unleashed his strike. The crescent wave was obliterated by a brutal, blood-red downward slash, forcing Adreana onto the defensive. Zachary followed up with a quick attack, seizing the moment to deliver a swift thrust, but William merely deflected his blade with his left hand, encased in a steel gauntlet. The Lord Commander of Albion then countered with a powerful kick to Zachary's chest, sending the mercenary leader staggering back, gasping for air.
*Tch...!* Zachary clicked his tongue as he scrambled to his feet.
Meanwhile, it was now Finlay's turn to face the enemy. His twin swords, *Dawnlight* and *Dusk*, clashed against William's empowered blade.
"For a Crown Prince, you're not half bad with a sword. It seems you're more than just a mere poet," William remarked. "But do you think your pitiful swordsmanship has a chance?!"
"Hmph. My sword is not for the likes of you to judge, invader," Finlay shot back, his voice laced with disdain, parrying William's relentless assault. Yet it was clear Finlay was on the defensive; he couldn't find a single opening.
William then launched another kick, sending Finlay stumbling back several feet, creating distance between them. "You know nothing. Nothing! This is the law of the world! Strength dictates truth! That is the law of nature!"
"Ardenia will not bow to such thinking!" Adreana shouted, re-entering the fray, giving Finlay a chance to catch his breath. Zachary, having recovered from the kick, also rejoined the battle.
"Your Highness! Take the right flank! I'll cover the left! We'll hold him for a moment before unleashing our combination attack!" Zachary yelled, not as a mercenary commander, but as a comrade-in-arms.
"Understood, Zachary!"
*Tch, these bastards...* William's face was a mask of pure rage. He glared at them with his crimson eyes. "Very well... If you're so determined to die, I'll gladly grant your wish! [Blood Oath]!"
With a guttural roar, the shadowy energy surrounding William exploded outward. It condensed, coalescing into a mass of swirling darkness around him like a raging storm. His sword transformed into a monstrous scythe made of solidified blood-red light.
"Let all blood be spilled!"
---
In the town square, Asep stood back-to-back with Karl as they defended their position against waves of newly arrived Albion knights. The battle had devolved into a brutal, exhausting war of attrition. Every inch of ground was contested, every street corner a potential ambush point. Adeline's volunteers, though lacking formal training, fought with desperate ferocity to compensate for their lack of skill. Treste's explosive spells, while chaotic and wildly unpredictable, proved to be highly effective *Area of Effect* weapons, forcing the disciplined Albion forces to break formation and engage in chaotic individual combat where the rebels' superior numbers could be exploited.
"We need to regroup with Stark! He's pinned down on the west side of the square!" Asep yelled, ducking under a wild sword swing and slamming his brass knuckles into an open knight's jaw. The knight crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Easier said than done!" Karl roared, parrying a spear thrust with the shaft of his own weapon. "They've got a full *phalanx* unit over there! It'd take a miracle to—"
One of the pikemen lunged forward with his spear, screaming. "Die, you filthy Ardenian!"
But Asep moved fast. He caught the spear, halting the pikeman's charge before sending a hard kick to his groin, causing the attacker to lose his balance before his weapon was seized. He was then kicked in the neck. Using the spear, Asep thrust it forward, piercing through the chest of another knight.
"Who needs a miracle when you've got two hands?" Asep said, hurling the spear, using it as a javelin that tore through the neck of another soldier. "Come on, we need to regroup."
---
Meanwhile, Stark and Clara were in a dire situation. Pinned down behind an overturned merchant's cart, Clara held the front line against the Albion pikemen with her shield. But it wouldn't hold much longer; she was already exhausted.
"This is bad... Their formation... They're using the same formation as when I fought Kirsche during training," Clara said, breathing heavily.
"Yeah. The *phalanx* formation. The most basic, yet also the most effective defensive formation. You can't break through it without suffering heavy casualties," Stark grunted as he parried a spear thrust, then another, and another. *Tch! This is too much!*
Just then, a massive chunk of rock descended from the sky, as if summoned by a wrathful god, slamming into the Albion *phalanx* with a sickening *CRACK*, shattering the shield wall and sending the knights flying like bowling pins.
"What the—?" Stark stammered, but then he saw her. Treste, standing atop a nearby rooftop, her hands glowing with residual magic, an expression of smug satisfaction plastered on her face.
"Hahaha! What do you think of my *[Meteor Drop]* spell? Cool, right?" she giggled, her voice echoing across the now chaotic square.
"Treste! Watch your side!" Clara shouted from below.
"Huh?"
An Albion crossbowman, having climbed onto the same roof, took aim at the distracted mage. The bolt flew straight.
However, the bolt never reached its target. A crescent-shaped slash of blue light sliced the bolt in mid-air, shattering it into splinters.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The figure that appeared before her was Brenda, Princess Adreana's loyal handmaiden. However, she was no longer wearing the elegant gown she had donned when acting as the princess's decoy. Instead, she wore a practical yet elegant white uniform. Tight white breeches and a high-collared tunic were accented by a red cape flowing from a single engraved golden pauldron on her left shoulder. In her hand, she held a gleaming silver rapier, its hilt intricately designed with a basket guard. Her long blonde hair, previously styled to perfectly mimic the princess, was now tied back into a simple, functional braid falling down her back.
"It's Lady Brenda!" Clara shouted.
"Lady Brenda, huh... No wonder she could mimic the princess's moves! She's a practitioner of the Moonlight Sword Art too!" Stark said, his eyes wide with awe.
Brenda met the crossbowman's gaze before settling into a ready stance. "[Moonlight Sword Art - *Dawnmoon*]," she stated, her voice calm yet firm.
"Khhh... Take this—!" before the crossbowman could finish his sentence and fire another bolt, Brenda was already in front of him, dashing with incredible speed. "[Moonlight Strike]!"
Her sword moved like a flash of moonlight. It was a single precision thrust, designed as an armor-breaking strike to allow its user to target vital points. The blade plunged into the crossbowman's chest, and with a gurgling sound, he fell from the rooftop.
Treste just gaped, her mouth wide open. "W-wow... She's... she's amazing..."
"I've been trained from a young age to be her shield. It is my duty and honor to protect her, especially from the shadows that the light cannot reach." Brenda landed gracefully on the roof, her rapier held in a ready position. She glanced at Treste, her sapphire blue eyes now sharp and focused, no longer holding a handmaiden's gentleness. They were the eyes of a warrior. "You fought well, little mage. But your methods... are extremely messy. Leave the rest to me."
"H-hey! Who are you calling 'little'?!" Treste puffed out her cheeks.
"Oooi! Stark!" a voice called out. Asep and Karl had finally broken through and joined them. "Looks like we missed the fun!" Asep said, grinning before glancing towards Brenda, "Whoa, who's the beautiful lady?"
"It's Lady Brenda, the Princess's handmaiden!" Clara explained, her eyes still wide with amazement. "She's so cool!"
Brenda merely ignored the commotion, her gaze now fixed on the stage where the real battle was taking place. She could see Adreana, Zachary, and Finlay locked in a desperate struggle against the monstrously powerful Lord William.
"So, what's the situation now?" Karl asked.
"A mess. Especially over there," Stark pointed.
And it was true. The sight over there made Asep's stomach churn. The sight of William battling the trio... it was awe-inspiring, if one could put it that way.
"H-hey, isn't this a bit too much for normal humans to handle? That William guy... he's fighting like a wild beast. No. More like a demon..." Karl's voice trembled.
"That aura... Wait, he's using *Blood Lumite*!" Treste exclaimed. "I-I've read about it in the forbidden section of the library. It's artificial lumite refined using human sacrifices! It grants immense power but at the cost of the user's life force and sanity! He... he's turning himself into a monster!"
"Whaaat??!! Is there any way to stop him?!" Clara asked.
"Well... There is... but I hadn't finished that chapter. But... the only thing we can do is wait until the effect wears off, or... the user will die from mana exhaustion and bodily overload," Treste explained, her face pale.
"Dammit! Can't we do something from here?!" Karl asked, as he saw his boss, Zachary, thrown like a rag doll.
Asep rubbed his chin, his mind already thinking ahead. *We can't approach that battle. If we step onto that stage, we'd literally, literally die. But there has to be something, some way to help them...* "Hey Treste... How many healing spells do you have left?"
"Huh?" Treste blinked. "About five times before my mana runs out. No, six, maybe. Why?"
"Can you cast them from afar on three people simultaneously?"
"Hmm... I can? But the effect will be split evenly and might not be as effective as healing a single target. Wait, don't tell me..."
"Yeah. We can't help them directly, but at least we can prolong the fight. Clara! Stark! Roy! Mark!" Asep then looked at the big guy, the burly ex-city guard. "—and the other volunteers. We need to form a shield wall! Protect her while she chants. Make sure no one disturbs her! Brenda... Can you help Karl and me clear a path?"
Brenda simply nodded her head, her sapphire eyes narrowing with resolve. "Of course. Let's go."
"Alright! Let's do this!"
"Yes!" Clara and her volunteer group shouted. And with that, they quickly formed up, a circular shield wall surrounding Treste. Asep, Brenda, and Karl, on the other side, immediately charged towards the group of Albion knights trying to penetrate the wall.
"Hmph... What do you think you're doing, boy? Just because you've got reinforcements now, you think you can win?" One of the Knight Commanders said, "Attack them!"
"Karl, take the left! I'll take the right! Don't let anyone through!" Asep yelled, dodging a sword swing from an Albion knight before driving his fist into the knight's face, followed by a punch to the neck.
"Don't have to tell me twice! [Gale Thrust]!" Karl roared, turning his spear into a lightning-fast thrust, piercing the chest of an Albion soldier and another in the neck, "Come on, you bastards!"
Brenda was another story. Her fighting style was as calm as the moonlight itself. She waited for enemies to approach, and with swift, measured movements, she parried incoming attacks and immediately delivered counters, aiming for enemy vitals.
"[Rippling Moon]!" she chanted, her rapier now dancing before her like ripples of moonlight on calm water, creating a dome-shaped barrier, deflecting every attack coming her way.
"Wow... She's pretty good too!" Asep muttered, as he ducked under an axe swing from another Albion knight only to deliver a powerful uppercut to the knight's chin, snapping his head skyward before finishing him with a hard blow to the solar plexus. "Well, guess I gotta start getting serious too."
Treste raised both her hands, and a soft golden light began emanating from her palms. "O Light, hear my call! Bestow thy gentle embrace upon these weary warriors, heal their wounds, and restore their strength! [Light of Restoration]!" she chanted, her voice clear and strong.
---
"Haah... Hahh..." Zachary's breath came in harsh gasps, his vision blurring at the edges. His armor was dented and cracked, and a thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Adreana had also reached her limit, her sword already broken. Finlay's condition wasn't any better, despite being able to hold William at bay for a moment.
They were losing. Even with their combined might, William, amplified by the unstable and destructive *Blood Lumite* energy, was an unstoppable force, a vortex of shadow and steel.
But then, just as a wave of despair threatened to engulf him, Zachary felt it. A gentle, soothing warmth spreading throughout his battered body, easing his aching muscles and clearing the fog from his mind. It felt warm, like the morning sun in spring. Pure light, comforting light.
He glanced towards Adreana, who was staring at her hand in disbelief as a wound on her arm closed itself, leaving behind smooth, flawless skin. A few feet away, Finlay staggered to his feet, a renewed—though surprised—spirit shining in his eyes. He looked back, his cold gaze sweeping over the chaotic battlefield, and finally, he understood.
"Hmph... I didn't expect they'd be able to help us from this far away," he murmured, a hint of respect in his voice. "Heh, my little sister... She's chosen some interesting friends."
"You... you stubborn insects!" William roared, his voice a distorted, inhuman growl. He could feel the tide of battle turning, not just on the stage, but throughout the entire square. "Do you honestly believe your pitiful cheap tricks can save you?! I am the harbinger of a new age! An age of power! You will all perish!" He raised his blood scythe, a vortex of dark energy swirling around its blade, preparing to unleash a final, annihilating strike.
"[Endless Dawn]!"
Finlay didn't wait for William to launch his attack. He crossed his twin swords, *Dawnlight* and *Dusk*, before him. A blinding golden light erupted from *Dawnlight*, forming the ethereal image of a majestic stag, its antlers like jagged bolts of lightning. Simultaneously, churning, absolute darkness flowed from *Dusk*, coalescing into a shadow wolf, its eyes glowing like crimson embers. Light and Shadow, Life and Death, Order and Chaos. The two opposing forces swirled around him, a storm of primordial energy held in a fragile, explosive balance.
"I'll show you... The true meaning of balance, William." His voice was a low, echoing whisper that seemed to reverberate with the power of two opposing worlds. "This is not the end of a kingdom... This is the dawn of a new era! Taste it!" With a final, defiant roar, he lunged forward, the living embodiment of twilight, charging straight into the heart of William's all-consuming darkness.
The resulting collision was not a mere clash of steel, but a cataclysmic explosion of pure elemental force. A shockwave erupted from the stage, a blast of golden Light and shadow so blinding, it tore through the market square. Knights from both sides were thrown off their feet, the cobblestones cracking and shattering under the immense, unfathomable pressure. Asep, in the middle of twisting an Albion knight's arm into an unnatural angle, was hurled backward, crashing into a nearby fruit stall with a pained grunt.
For a moment, there was silence. Dust and debris settled, and through the haze, the figures on the stage were revealed. William stood there for a moment, before falling to his knees, the monstrous aura around him dissipating. "Bruelggh!" He vomited copious amounts of blood. "H-how... How is this possible...?"
"Nothing... is impossible," Finlay stated. The strain of using [Endless Dawn] appeared too heavy for him, and he also vomited a large amount of blood. But he remained standing tall.
He looked at Adreana, who was walking towards him. "I trust your judgment. Do what you will with him," he said, handing *Dawnlight* to Adreana.
Adreana caught the blade. Her eyes fixed on William with a flash of resolve. She raised the sword. "Lord William of House Crawford. You are guilty of conspiracy against the Kingdom of Ardenia and of violating international law. You are also guilty of the massacre of innocents during the Merlesia Incident. Therefore, as the Princess of Ardenia, I shall pronounce my verdict." Her voice was now filled with the authority of a ruler. A queen.
"Now, before the light of dawn... perish!"
Her sword fell, and the head of Lord William of House Crawford, the ambitious Lord Commander of the Avalon Knight Order, rolled across the blood-stained stones of the stage. In that instant, a heavy, profound silence fell over the square, broken only by the crackle of a few stray fires and the pained groans of the wounded.
The battle was over. The final judgment had been delivered.
An Ardenian soldier, witnessing the fall of their enemy, raised his spear and shouted. "For Ardenia! For Princess Adreana!"
His voice echoed across the square, followed by another. "For Ardenia!"
"For Ardenia!"
"For Princess Adreana!"
The voices then swelled into a thunderous roar. The entire city now celebrated their victory.
Asep pulled himself from the wreckage of the fruit stall, a slightly squashed apple still clutched in his hand, watching the scene on the stage. The princess, her face smeared with blood and dust, her borrowed sword raised high, no longer looked like the spoiled noble he had escorted, but more like a warrior queen from legend.
"Well," he said, taking a bite of the apple. "Looks like she won."
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