Zion knew from the moment his sword aura struck the Demon God.
The darkness within the Demon God was cut cleanly, just like when the Abyssal King perished. The mere touch of Exceed Rain's darkness had erased the Demon God's power.
‘…Has the Immortal King already fallen?’
The Demon God now harbored a denser darkness than before. He must have regained some power to reclaim his physical form. With the Abyssal King gone and the Ocean King facing Brandish, it seemed the Demon God had taken power from the Immortal King.
‘He's moving faster now.’
Zion sensed the Demon God and moved to counter him. However, the Demon God quickly approached the Ocean King, forcing Zion to hastily attack. The increased mobility likely came from the Immortal King's flying abilities.
‘I understand now.’
Zion realized the Demon God's plan. Originally, he intended to revive using the Magic Sword of Rest, La Bler, to seal all the Magic Swords. Without the Magic Swords, there would be no way to defeat him. But with La Bler destroyed and the Abyssal King gone, he had to hasten his revival.
‘Now we have the upper hand.’
The King had become the master of Guerganvo and was completely overpowering the Ocean King. This forced the Demon God to appear, and when he tried to absorb the Ocean King's power, Zion ambushed him. How the Demon God responded would now determine their strategy.
‘I managed to cut through the darkness.’
This meant that if they could inflict proper damage, the Demon God could be eradicated. But even when he exposed a part of his darkness, he still managed to evade serious harm. Now, he was wary, making another attack unlikely to succeed easily.
‘Even if he escapes, it's not a problem.’
Failing to kill the Demon God now would be unfortunate, but not critical. Eliminating the Ocean King would weaken the Demon God, leaving him unable to face Setinos Quasar and the Magic Sword users with only the Immortal King's power.
‘As long as I keep the Demon God in check, we'll win.’
Magic Sword users were converging on the area. The Blue Sage would arrive soon, and the Silver Phantom was already present. With all of Alain Kingdom’s strongest gathered, none of their enemies could escape.
‘We can kill them both, even without resonance.’
Like with the Abyssal King, Zion could cleave through the darkness of the Demon God and the Ocean King. Whether one fell first wouldn’t change the outcome, only the process.
‘I could use deception, but…’
Zion pondered his next move and came to a halt. Pretending to attack the Ocean King might provoke the Demon God. Yet, he didn't want to squander this opportunity and aimed to act more cautiously.
‘I’ll wait for the Demon God to make a move.’
As time passed, the situation became more unfavorable for the Demon God. Deep thought could paralyze him. Without a decisive action, both the Demon God and the Ocean King would be eradicated.
‘What will you do, Demon God?’
In the silence, Zion watched the Demon God and the Ocean King. Brandish, understanding Zion's strategy, kept her eyes on the enemies. Hanette moved with her knights, aligning with Zion.
“Grrrr…”
The Demon God, anxious, hesitated to act. Approaching the Ocean King would draw attacks from the Magic Sword users. Fleeing alone would lose the Ocean King's power. Either choice placed him in danger.
‘I need to escape.’
The Demon God sensed defeat. For some reason, this Magic Sword user could cut through his darkness. Normally, such a feat required the combined power of a light and dark Magic Sword, but the darkness alone sufficed here.
‘I have to abandon my power again…’
He had already lost the Abyssal King and now faced losing the Ocean King. Moreover, part of the Immortal King's reclaimed power had vanished. Revival seemed increasingly difficult.
‘I must retrieve the Magic Sword at least.’
Though it didn’t match his strength, the Magic Sword held value. It was crafted with painstakingly acquired materials and years of effort. Despite being less complete than the seven true Magic Swords, its potential couldn't be underestimated.
‘It should be nearby…’
The Demon God sensed a change and grew suspicious. The Dragon’s Magic Sword, Duran Calgonis, was drawing closer. Without proper qualification, it couldn’t be wielded, let alone moved independently.
‘That means…’
Suddenly, fierce magic enveloped his back. The Demon God cloaked himself in a crimson shroud, disappearing from view. Zion felt the disturbance but quickly recognized the face.
“Ah, I could have killed him.”
A pure white sword caught his eye. Above, gray horns sprouted, and purple eyes turned orange. Black hair had white tips, and patches of white scales dotted the body. Enrite and the Sylase knights arrived, drawing their weapons.
“I told you to leave it alone!”
“I’m still fine, right?”
“You don’t know what could happen next!”
“Shouldn’t we keep holding it to find out?”
“What’s in that head of yours? If something goes wrong, it can't be undone!”
“I'd prefer it if you took care of it. I'd be at peace dying by your hand.”
“….”
Enrite was speechless, locking eyes with Lesia. Despite the drastic change in appearance, the familiar gaze and atmosphere remained. When the time came, she would give up her life, but why make such statements now?
“Sigh… I’ll let it slide this time. We need to deal with the enemy first.”
“Ah, planning to scold me later?”
“Do you want to die now?”
“I never said I wouldn’t listen to you.”
“…And don’t rush off on your own. Do it again, and I'll cut you down.”
“How can I walk slowly with the enemy ahead?”
“That’s why I told you not to interfere. You’re a hindrance!”
Enrite infused El Tesoykve with magic, mindful of Zion. They had discussed this beforehand and agreed to operate separately before regrouping. Given the earlier situation, Lesia might have disrupted their plan.
‘Has it found a master?’
The Demon God, suppressing his magic, observed Lesia. With both his body and magic concealed, no one could detect him. But this immobility made it impossible to act, and with his magic drained, he couldn’t defend against an ambush.
‘…I can’t let that one go.’
The Demon God linked his consciousness to Duran Calgonis, interfering with Lesia. Using the Magic Sword, he could briefly hold her hostage. If he could dominate completely, he might turn her into a subordinate.
‘They won’t attack an ally.’
Humans hesitate to see allies as enemies. They’d rather waver and reluctantly fight. By exploiting this trait, he could escape and even seize the Ocean King’s power.
‘That’s your limit…’
“Found you?”
Lesia infused Duran Calgonis with magic, slicing through the air. A pure white aura emerged, forming a shape and flying away. The Demon God tried to dodge but couldn’t move quickly enough. Concealing his body and magic took time to reverse.
“You dare reject my power!”
The Demon God was struck by the white sword aura, sent flying. Though made from dragon bones, Duran Calgonis contained his magic, meant to obey his will. Yet, the user suppressed the sword, blocking his magic and tracking his location.
“Gah…”
The Demon God coughed black liquid, struggling to move. A deep white mark marred his body. Instead of healing, the white magic continued to burrow deeper.
“My power… failed me…”
Like the Three Demon Kings, the Demon God possessed immortality, unaffected by most attacks. But the combined forces of light and dark Magic Swords nullified his immortality, causing severe damage. Duran Calgonis, with its conflicting magic, weakened him similarly.
“Arrgh…”
Enduring the pain, the Demon God tried to release magic. Meanwhile, the Ocean King, quietly observing, sought an escape route.
‘If he dies, the curse might lift.’
The Ocean King was already planning his next move. The Demon God had fallen easily, and Fendalzous and its crew were obliterated. He couldn’t win against the humans, and with his demise, the chance to reclaim Fendalzous would vanish. He needed to survive, no matter how dishonorable, and plan his next move.
‘If I can just leave this continent…’
As the Ocean King moved, a dark blue light surged toward him. Knowing he couldn’t dodge, he didn’t stop. The attack would crush him, but he would quickly recover and move again.
“Oof…!”
The Ocean King realized something was wrong. The blue sword aura should have pierced and passed through, but it clung to him, draining his magic. Staggering, he collapsed. His strength ebbed, and the wounds grew.
“What have you done to me?”
“…I cut through your darkness.”
Zion answered briefly, watching the Ocean King disintegrate. The Moonlit Magic Sword, El Tesoykve, could repel darkness but not erase it. The Divine Radiance Magic Sword, Exceed Rain, could destroy the source of darkness, nullifying even the immortality of the Demon God and the Three Demon Kings.
“I… will grasp… the sky…”
The Ocean King, collapsing, looked at the sky. He could no longer reach it. What had led to this state in a seemingly advantageous battle?
“I could have…”
As the dark blue magic evaporated, the Ocean King crumbled to dust. Confirming his demise, Zion turned to the Demon God.
“Now, once you’re gone, you won’t come back.”