For the first time, it felt like the world was as fragile as a glass ornament.
“…It can’t be.”
Ignoring Luminous, who was gritting her teeth and muttering, I took a look around and began counting.
Only after confirming that everyone was safe through familiar smells and heartbeats did I let out a small sigh of relief.
It wasn’t too late. It felt close, but thankfully, it seemed like we had arrived at a point where we could avoid the worst.
I turned my gaze to Luminous.
The world in front of my eyes had become much simpler than just seconds ago. Luminous was kneeling on one knee, gripping her blood-soaked neck with her left hand. But what caught my attention was not Luminous, but what lay behind her.
“My goodness.”
Lavinia’s murmur reached my ears unnecessarily distinctly, but I had no retort.
The world had been completely sliced away. Above the height where I swung my right arm, nothing existed.
From the half-burned ruins to the distant low hills, everything within the range an ordinary person could visually identify had vanished without a trace.
Thank goodness that Luminous had already devastated her path; otherwise, if there had been allied troops or facilities over there, it would have been a grave situation.
But with what just happened, I had a rough idea. Focusing my power over a narrower range. Next time, I won’t make a mistake.
“Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”
Seeing my people, who looked miserable after fighting for days, I felt both gratitude and sadness.
Moreover, while my closest aides were safe for now, judging by the situation, there must have been significant troop casualties.
Even with the power I’ve gained, I can’t bring back the dead or turn back time. So at the very least, I need to ensure that the great warriors who sacrificed their lives to buy time for my return can rest peacefully.
After a brief moment of silence, I raised my head again.
I’m going to end this war from now on. So that their families and friends can live in a peaceful world.
“Don’t ignore me, standing right in front of you!!”
With a furious roar, Luminous swung her sword. I felt the space warp as the spirit of light stirred with her overwhelming power.
Is this similar to the attack that severed my neck last time? I braced myself, channeling my strength and canceling out the spirit of light to fix the space.
Kaaaang―!!
As I closed the distance and slapped the side of her glowing sword, a clear sound rang out.
An attack with its divine aspects nullified is just a simple swing. And a mere slash wouldn’t be enough to scratch me.
“This can’t be! I am a god of light! A god can’t be like this—!!!”
“You’re not a god. Just a mere spirit wishing to become one.”
Luminous’ face twisted in desperation as she swung her sword with all her might.
While her attacks were certainly threatening, being the strongest knight of the age, that was the case only when compared to the past. There was no longer any reason to be afraid.
I gathered the shadows. Drawing my power inward to prevent it from dispersing, I hit Luminous right in the torso.
“Kraaak!!!”
Luminous fell back, a loud explosion echoing.
But still, perhaps as an ancient spirit of two thousand years, I intended to turn her to dust in one blow, yet she was still breathing.
She was barely clinging to life, covered in wounds, using healing magic on herself, and light particles were emanating from her injuries, but the bleeding wouldn’t stop easily.
Just as her power had interfered with my regeneration, my power that I had just forced into her likely served a similar role.
Perhaps Luminous reached the same conclusion. Having given up on recovery, the glowing particles disappeared in an instant.
“I thought I had certainly dealt with you, but was that still not enough?”
With a thud, Luminous, half-buried in rubble, stood up as blood splattered on the ground.
There was a round hole in her abdomen. As a human body, unless she gave up on recovery, that was a fatal wound—she couldn’t survive.
Yet Luminous’ breathing had become more steady. It was clearly not a normal reaction. In the next moment, brilliant light burst forth from her.
“Yes, I admit my defeat.”
With a demeanor that was 180 degrees opposite to how she had been until now, calm to the point of being detached. I hastily called forth my shadows in response to the ominous power radiating from her.
“If it continues like this, I cannot escape death. But…”
Just as I built a wall of shadows, a terrifying divine force surged in like a tide.
I held my ground. It wasn’t impossible to withstand, but it was beyond my expectations. I sealed the wall of shadows into a dome shape to prevent the light from seeping out.
“I don’t plan on dying alone.”
In that instant, within the walls, a sun was born. Scorching heat and blinding divinity whipped through the air.
“I have never given my all until now. Do you know why?”
Looking down at the hole in her abdomen and the mass of light where her heart should be, Luminous asked.
“Because there has never been a vessel capable of withstanding my full power.”
For the past two thousand years, Luminous had meticulously preserved her power by always adapting for a solid 28 days before switching vessels. Otherwise, her powerful strengths would cause her body to collapse.
However, she was still a human body. Even while using the body of a knight and having enough time for her soul to settle into a vessel, limits existed.
That is why, for some time, Luminous had been unable to use her full power.
As she absorbed tremendous faith through the church, there simply hadn’t been a body capable of containing her growing power.
“The light shall never succumb to darkness. I shall kill you, and then I will die.”
“You think that will let you win?”
Luminous smirked slyly.
In her expression, filled with strong confidence, I sensed a looming presence from behind.
“Well, we’ll see if your underlings can handle this.”
In that moment, the dazzling sun illuminated the ground.
This was no metaphorical meaning. I realized that the flood of light spirits had banished the dawn.
The reaction was immediate. Sounds of screams and the smell of burning began to arise from various places on the battlefield.
How could ordinary vampires withstand the heat that was so intense it even pricked my skin? It was certainly a surprise attack. But—
“Eclipse.”
This time, darkness consumed the world, and once again, night fell, calming the tumult.
If that was their plan to take me down, then they were mistaken. No matter how similar the methods of using light and darkness are, the secret move Lavinia and I crafted over years is not so rudimentary that it could be instantly replicated.
Luminous struggled to push back the incoming night. However, the sun no longer had enough strength to dispel the darkness.
“I had a feeling, but those old tricks won’t work.”
With a light click of her tongue, Luminous raised her sword of light high. Surprisingly, she gave up quickly.
An undefended move. And a hilariously poor stance.
But I sensed it. This moment would decide the outcome of life and death.
“With one blow, I shall contain everything of these two thousand years.”
“You knew you couldn’t counter the eclipse and still went for it.”
All the light spirits that had been scattering from the sky coalesced into one single sword. Only then did I fully grasp that the magic which chased away the dawn was simply a means to unleash the spirits of light.
Luminous smiled.
“That’s right. I don’t know where you got such power, but you won’t be able to protect everything. You will inevitably lose something.”
Her tone was more prophetic than confidently brimming with self-assurance.
Truly, with such power, I could understand why someone would say so. An attack that intended to burn even its own existence was always a threat. But—
“No. I will protect everything.”
Because that is the power I obtained.
Because that is the wall I overcame.
No longer restrained by instinct and impulse, as long as those I wish to protect are behind me, I will not lose to anyone.
“I will no longer acknowledge a victory obtained through someone else’s sacrifice.”
I will end this without losing even one more person.
Closing my eyes and concentrating, ripples began to spread from the quietly dormant power within me.
Gathering. My power, my wishes, everything from the path I’ve walked, I gathered and united it into one.
There was no signal to announce the start like in a knight’s duel.
At the same time, Luminous and I stomped the ground, and light and darkness collided.
Colors vanished. Sounds disappeared.
In the upside-down world, the last thing I witnessed was Luminous disintegrating like sparks scattering into oblivion.
Kwaaaang!!!!
A deep, thunderous sound echoed through the heavens and earth, albeit a tad slowly.
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