Kai Seung instantly vanished from sight, reappearing in front of Art as he swung his sword toward the deity’s neck. Art mirrored his movement, their blades colliding with a resounding clash. Meanwhile, Oliver was locked in battle with Jinwoo and the others, but he still had enough awareness to observe Kai and Art’s fight. His eyes narrowed as he muttered, "Both of them… are monsters."

As Oliver cast a fire spell, Calista quickly countered with an ice spell, while Hyunsoo unleashed a powerful gust of wind. Jinwoo and Taeyang engaged Oliver in close combat, while Seojin chanted a buff spell to empower their team. Jiwon and Daehyun launched arrows to keep the deity occupied, all while Minseok focused on gathering energy for his most powerful attack.

Oliver, unfazed by their efforts, smirked. "Even if you all attack together, you won’t be able to defeat me. You need someone like your friend over there, the one fighting Art."

Calista's voice rang out with unwavering determination. "Yeah, we need him. Because he’s the strongest hero of all humanity—not just in strength, but in every quality that makes a true hero. Even if we’re weaker, we can still stand our ground against you!"

Oliver's smirk faltered slightly. He hadn’t expected the monster fighting Art to be the so-called "greatest hero." Even more surprising was the determination of his comrades—they weren’t fighting to win, only to hold him off. He decided to stop underestimating them and conjured an immensely powerful magical circle. At once, everyone tensed, raising their defenses in preparation.

Meanwhile, Kai and Art’s battle had escalated to an entirely different level. Their speed was so great that their figures flickered in and out of existence, their clashes sending violent shockwaves through the city.

For Kai, the purpose of the fight had faded from his mind. The only thing that remained was the exhilaration of combat.

With a deep breath, he activated his aura, his body glowing with a smoking red and white energy. At the same time, flaming ether manifested at the tip of his sword, burning in shades of red and yellow. Inside his body, his mana cores spun furiously near his heart, pushing his power to its peak.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

With a single swing of his sword, Kai cleaved through everything in his path. Art’s twin daggers were cleaved cleanly in half, the broken blades scattering through the air. The two warriors came to a halt, their heavy breathing the only sound in the battlefield. Then, suddenly, they both let out maniacal laughter.

"The Sword Master of the Heavens," Kai declared.

"The Greatest Hero of Humanity," Art countered.

And in unison, they both grinned and said, "More. I want more!"

Art materialized a sword, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from their positions once again. Their weapons clashed, and the sheer force sent violent tremors across the entire city. Buildings crumbled, the ground split apart, and their blades shattered under the pressure.

With their weapons gone, they turned to hand-to-hand combat.

Art lunged at Kai, aiming for his face. Kai dodged, countering with a strike to Art’s stomach. Art evaded just in time, stepping back, but Kai pressed forward. With a powerful leap, he slammed his leg into Art’s head, then followed up with an elbow strike—slamming it directly into Art’s face.

The impact was brutal. Blood splattered as Art stumbled back, momentarily dazed.

Seizing the moment, Kai kneed Art in the stomach, then gathered ether energy in his palm while reinforcing his body with aura.

Meanwhile, Oliver and the others had completely stopped fighting.

Jinwoo, Calista, Hyunsoo, Jiwon, Daehyun, Minseok, and Taeyang all stared in shock at Kai’s state. The undefeated monster—their strongest warrior—was covered in bruises and wounds. But what stunned them even more was Art’s condition. He was far worse, his body nearly broken beyond recognition.

Then, with one final blow, Kai struck Art down. The impact was so powerful that it left a massive crater in the ground.

Art’s upper body was completely destroyed.

Kai dropped to one knee, extending his hand forward. "You fought well," he said softly. "Rest assured, even if this world rejects you, I won’t."

As the battlefield faded, Kai found himself in a vision—standing before a young boy, a smaller version of Art. The child gazed up at him with wide eyes.

"Can you see me?" Little Art asked.

Kai nodded. "Yes, I can."

Without hesitation, the boy hugged him.

Back in the real world, Art’s broken body began to crack, golden light shining from within. Slowly, he disappeared, his form dissolving into nothing.

Kai looked up at the night sky and smiled gently. "Live in peace," he murmured. "And if you ever feel lonely, come find me again."

But the moment of peace was short-lived.

Oliver wasted no time. Using a binding spell, he ensnared Hyunsoo and immediately unleashed a devastating electric attack.

No one had time to react.

Only Kai moved.

His body blurred as he sprinted toward Oliver—his eyes burning with fury.