WHOONG WHOONG WHOONG SHRIIEEEEKKKKKK

Deafening cries rang amidst the chaos, bolts of silver light forming al, throughout the battlefield. Storms of mana condensed into silver spheres, hovering all throughout as they gathered more and more mana, glowing ever so radiantly.

A lone figure ran towards the minefield of silver light, a young elf following after him. He brandished her spear and she brandished her daggers, clashes reverberating under the light of a dozen silver orbs, pulsing brilliantly.

They continued to clash and as the sands of time continued to trickle down the rigid hourglass, the wait was soon over. All the orbs have finally forced, ready to be fired and lay waste and ruin upon the already devastated battlefield.

《Star Torrent!》 ［Piper］

Piper didn't waste a single second. As soon as Yuna got into range, he flicked his finger and a downpour of silver light rushed towards the young lady. It was as pretty and mystical as a shower of stars, yet deadlier than any calamities.

BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH CRASH CRASH

The bolts of silver continued to pour and caters continued to be carved out in the now peppered ground. There was not a single spot to run, all nooks and crannies of the lonely battlefield graced by the light of the violent storm.

Clouds of dust swept throughout the battlefield and pillars of smoke rose towards the bright blue sky. The screams of the people and the clashing of swords and spears rang out like music in the ears. The ballad of the deadly battlefield.

However, such tunes of ruin and perdition weren't the only ones that could be heard. It was subtle, but it was surely there, the sound of crystallic chimes drifting in the air. The breeze soon turned cold and eyes of blue gleamed amidst the veil of dust.

《Frost Phoenix!》 ［Yuna］

The cry of the Phoenix reverberated throughout the battlefield and turned the clouds of dust into a veil of white and blue, snow and frost devouring the raging torrent of stars and swallowing the whole field without any shred of mercy.

The Phoenix flapped its wings and rushed towards its enemy. Its eyes gleamed sharp like the blades of a guillotine, soaring towards the sky, soon stooping down towards Piper like a falcon hunting down its helpless prey.

"Ugh...!" ［Piper］

It was a successful hit, an explosion of frost and devastation crashing towards Piper. It was an attack so powerful, all he could do was defend and stand his ground whilst the numbing and piercing frost slowly encroached his body.

Everything was soon over, half of his body swallowed by frost. However, his eyes remained to burn bright and so was his resolve, unwilling to give up a losing battle. Unfortunately for him, it seems like Yuna had a different plan...

"You withstood that, huh... That's impressive..." ［Yuna］

Before he even noticed, the young lady had already appeared before him and her sharp daggers were already pointed towards his neck. He immediately raised his right arm in response, hoping to protect himself.

《Mantis Cross!》 ［Yuna］

Yuna slashed down her daggers and connected towards Piper. His right arm was cut soon after and blood was spilled on the battlefield. He was already enduring the pain of the frost, and now, there was another searing pain he needed to endure.

It was difficult, however, he remained firm. Before his right arm was cleanly cut off, he promptly threw his spear towards his frozen left arm, forcefully breaking the frost that restricted his body and not minding the painful consequences.

There was no time to dwell on the pain. As soon as his left hand got ahold of the spear, he immediately poured mana into it and started swinging. He made sure to clear his head and strike Yuna where it hurts.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG

The spear and the daggers clashed once more, sparks flying towards all directions and shockwaves parting the clouds of dust away. It was a fierce battle, not a single one of them wanting to back down and pouring in their strength.

Just as the clash continued, corruption leaked once more and reached out to Piper's severed arm and reattached it to his body. As soon as he could clench his right fist once again, he poured mana into it and created a golden spear of light.

Spears in both hands, Piper swung with all his might and tried to catch up to Yuna's inhuman speed and incredible firepower. He swung and he swung, creating massive gashes across the ground with every bit of force he poured.

'No! No! No! This can't be happening...! This is impossible...! Why...?! Why isn't she getting pushed back?!' ［Piper］

However, all efforts were in vain. No matter how much he pushed himself and how much mana he used, he could never make Yuna take a step back. If anything, the young lady continued to tread forward, taking one step at a time.

"Booster"... Such was the enchantment attached to the Legendary Spear, Golgius' Despair. It was an enchantment which allows its user to draw out double the output of their physical attributes at the cost of mana.

With such equipment at hand, no S-ranker was his match. Yet despite using such a huge boost, Piper was still powerless against Yunaー No, rather, the young lady is getting power and more powerful, overwhelming him greatly with every second.

"Round 2, was it? It isn't any different than before though." ［Yuna］

"Shut up! You must be using some sort of trick! You're cheating!" ［Piper］

"Pretty rich, coming from someone who ate the pearl. Are you sure it's not because your skill just sucks? Are you really a High-Ranker?" ［Yuna］

"You...! I'll show you just how powerful I am!" ［Piper］

The difference in strength was so overwhelming, Piper couldn't keep his calm and playful facade anymore. He was getting impatient with every strike he took. His pride was crushed again and again by the same young lady less than half his age.

His "True Sight" was rendered useless by Yuna's "Nihility". His regenerative power was slowed down by the daggers' "Bleeding Edge". His spear's "Booster" was easily countered by Yuna's immense strength... It was the worst match-up possible.

"Let's see where your arrogance ends... 《Extreme Thrust》!" ［Piper］

He clenched his spear with all his might and poured every bit of power he could muster into a single strike. He thrusted his spear once more, a storm of destruction streaking across the battlefield at his whim.

Just the sheer force and pressure of the attack alone was enough to blow away all the debris in the vicinity and tear apart sheets of steel as if they were paper. Yuna received such an attack head on, her eyes never faltering.

He wasn't done just yet. Now that his left had been strained by the attack, he then threw back the spear to his right arm and poured a copious amount of mana into it. He grit his teeth tightly once more, slashing down as powerfully as he could.

《Mountain Severing Flash!》 ［Piper］

It was an attack worthy of its name. As soon as it landed, it split the ground clean into two, a large ravine formed in between spanning several meters wide. Everything on its path was ravaged, shattered into smithereens until there was nothing.

His body was already tired and his mind was already exhausted. He felt like he was going to cough up blood at any moment, yet he is yet to be satisfied. He had already decided to give it his all, a fierce glow shining in his demonic eyes.

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WHOOOONHGGGG WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH

The winds lashed out at his behest and thread of light, both gold and silver gathered at the tip of his spear. His battered body firmly planted his foot on the ground, heart racing wildly as he maximized the output of his attack.

Light continued to gather, the winds continued to howl, and the ground continued to roar. An impending storm befell along the battlefield, light shimmering all throughout the Royal Capital as Piper's crimson red eyes turned w bright golden color.

《Moonlit Symphony: Requiem!》 ［Piper］

He thrusted his spear once, twice, thrice, a thousand times. Rays of golden and silver light scattered throughout the battlefield like the petals of the cherry blossoms during spring. They danced and they fluttered, bringing colors in the field.

However, unlike cherry blossoms. Rather than life and joy, what it brought was death and despair, the ground turned upside down, the knights and demons blasted away, and the lonely ruins of the Court reduced into mere rubble.

It was the scene of the apocalypse, not even drops of blood to be seen as even they were blasted away into oblivion. The whole battlefield was overturned, a thundering echo ringing out as the strikes crashed into the barrier.

Silence soon loomed over the once raging battlefield, and soon enough, the clouds of dust quickly cleared out. Piper had already anticipated such a slim chance, however, seeing it before his eyes, he couldn't help but feel terrified.

"You... What kind of monster are you..." ［Piper］

Asked the man as he gazed upon the young lady before him. It was a devastating series of strikes which laid waste on the battlefield yet there was no semblance of a wound, even a scratch on the young lady. It was too unbelievable.

The young lady stood unscathed before him, tuck behind a barrier of magic and frost, her eyes unfazed by the recent torrent of attacks, a subtle tinge of disappointment in her eyes. It was his strongest attack, yet it didn't leave a single crack.

"Was that the best you can do?" ［Yuna］

"Are you mocking me right now?" ［Piper］

"Not really. I'm just curious." ［Yuna］

It was a harmless question, the young lady tilting her head ever so slightly as she looked at Piper. She had been anticipating a fight against demons, hoping to learn something from it. However, it was far too disappointing.

Other than the fact that they have slightly more mana, slightly more powerful, and their exceptional regenerative capabilities, they were just like mere thugs that she has fought before, Piper barely able to warm her up.

If anything, she had concluded that they were nothing more than monsters with a little bit of intelligence. Moreover, once they are provoked, they easily lose their reason and become extremely predictable. Defeating them wasn't much of a hassle.

"You... Tell me the truth... How did you get so strong?" ［Piper］

"You didn't answer my question. Why should I answer yours?" ［Yuna］

"Hah... You really are arrogant... Up until the very end..." ［Piper］

Arrogant this, arrogant that. Yuna had lost count about how many times Piper had called her such. She doesn't know whether it was the effect of demonification, but it seems like his vocabulary had been cut down quite a bit.

No matter. She wasn't hoping for much of an answer from him either way. He looked all proud and mighty, but Yuna knew all he was doing was buy time to recuperate and regenerate his mana. His body was already battered with not much life in it.

"Well, enough useless rambling... It's my turn, right?" ［Yuna］

A single word and the whole atmosphere completely changed. Yuna's aura had now turned cold and intimidating, a domineering mountain standing before Piper. It was as if she had become a completely different person, her eyes even colder than ice.

She sheathed her daggers and raised her hands towards Piper, the cold air starting to howl and the ground started to shiver from the frost. The winds brewed colder and colder, snowflakes forming in the once heated battlefield.

It was dangerousー no, it was extremely dangerous. Piper has yet to witness what Yuna was about to do, but his whole body was screaming danger, alarms ringing all throughout his mind, his body moving before he even knew it.

"Do you think I'll just let you do whatever you want to do?!" ［Piper］

Piper pounced towards Yuna, his spear held tightly. His body was still far from being healed, but he had to move unless he wanted to die. He gathered all the minuscule amount of mana he had regenerated, pouring it all into a single point.

《Extreme Thrust!》 ［Piper］

He thrusted his spear once more and his arms twisted in pain. Yet he didn't budge a single inch, still rushing towards Yuna with a single goal in mind. However, it was futile... Before he could even muster his strength, Yuna had already finished.

Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue color and cold winds swept through the fields like an unstoppable flood. A massive spear of frost had materialized before her, painted a majestic blue color. It was cold and deadly, screaming the name of a frozen hell.

《Endless Frost: Khione!》 ［Yuna］

The young lady's voice rang out in the air and the spear of blue was hurled at the speed of lightning. A blue streak cruised across the battlefield, turning the winds into howling blizzards as it passed, snow and frost encroaching everywhere.

Piper's spear soon connected to Yuna's spell, a brilliant flash of light enveloping all that there is to be seen. Piper had poured his everything into that final strike yet he was still pushed back, overwhelmingly.

It wasn't long before Piper was blasted several hundred meters away from the sheer force of Yuna's deadly spell. Bursts of winds lashed out violently and the ground was quickly engulfed by ice. A loud explosion rang out in the air.

BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM SHIK SHIK SHIK SHIK

...

There was silence, and there were explosions. Chaos was abrew in the battlefield, the scream of knights and demons entangled with one another. There were pillars torn down, ground charred black, and trees diced to nothingness. Ruin everywhere.

Amidst such a chaotic scene was a single man, his eyes peering towards the scene before him, observing every little happening as delight bloomed in his heart, a dark and vile smile painted on his hysterical expression.

He was a little bit hesitant to attend the trial today, however, it was one of the best decisions he had ever made. It was just as interesting as he hoped, unable to hide the disgustingly ecstatic expression on his face.

"Really... What a disgusting smile." ［Grey］

However, such a smile was soon lost as a sudden ringing reached his ears. A young man had appeared before him, his steps silent as can be and his presence barely present even when he was standing right before him.

"Are you enjoying the show... Gael?" ［Grey］

That figure was none other than Grey, eyes looking down on Gael as if he was the dirtiest rag in the whole city and not sparing him any bit of emotion other than his boiling and raging contempt, barely holding himself back from cutting him down.

"Or should I say, Young Lord Rodelier?" ［Grey］

"You... How do you know my name?" ［Gael］

"Well, a little talkative birdie slipped his tongueー No, rather, he told us without even batting an eye. Piper, his name, was it?" ［Grey］

"Piper, huh... That useless fool..." ［Gael］

He kept a calm facade, however, Grey could tell that his mood was ruined by such a sudden revelation. They have been colleagues for a long time, but that's the extent of their relationship. Whether one dies or not, they wouldn't bat an eye.

The same also goes for the Duke. It was a shame that he died from the King's hands, otherwise, he would have killed him himself. The Duke along with everyone else. The vicious, snake-like gentleman was planning to get rid of all of them.

"No, my identity doesn't matter anymore... Rather, how did you find me? As far as I'm concerned, I am using a Legendary-Grade item for defense and stealth. Even if you're experienced, it should still be difficult." ［Gael］

"Well, let's just say... I have quite the special eyes..." ［Grey］

"Special eyes... A 5☆ ability, I see... No wonder you were able to crack down on our case. You must have used your eyes then." ［Gael］

He was a smart man. His guess was a little off but the thought was there. If it wasn't for Grey's eyes, cleaning up such a massive mess on a national scale wouldn't have been so quick and easy. His eyes were the key.

However, there was no need to say such things to such a madman. Normally, Grey would be extremely cautious about spilling it all in front of an enemy, however, there was no need to worry about Gael. After all, unless they have eyes like Grey. a dead man cannot spill any secrets.

"Enough of that. Now that I answered your questions, why don't you answer mine in turn? It's not something too difficult so there's no need for worry." ［Grey］

"Oh? I wasn't aware we were negotiating." ［Gael］

"Are you really that petty? It's just a single question." ［Grey］

"A single question, huh... Normally, I wouldn't fall for such a trick, however, seeing as you're so interesting, we might as well. Go on. Ask ahead." ［Gael］

"Then, answer me this... Why are you doing this?" ［Grey］

A typical question for a typical scene, the hero asking the villain of the reason behind their hysterical plans. It was something Grey had been thinking about ever since the case had started, and so, he just wanted to hear it from the mastermind himself.

To quench the thirst for knowledge, to rule over the world, to take revenge against those who have wronged them, or to prove themselves in front of the world. There could be countless reasons, of which, no one but the mastermind knows.

Of course, Gael's fate was already decided. Whether his answer was insane or pitiful, it doesn't change the fact that he'll be dying today. No matter what the reason is, his crimes are inexcusable and unforgivable. Death is but a light punishment.

"Why...? Why... Why... Kukuku! How amusing... You truly are amusing... I didn't think you'd ask such a question... What a hero you are." ［Gael］

"Don't stall for time. Answer the question." ［Grey］

"Ah right, sorry... Well, there really isn't much of a reason... You see, the world is too impure and imperfect. I'm simply correcting it." ［Gael］

The reason was finally revealed, a psychopathic expression plastered on Gael's face. Grey had already expected that he was crazy, but his expectations were top low. The man before him wasn't just crazy. He was an insane bastard beyond saving.

"There's so many people in the world, and yet.. Doesn't it make you wonder? Why... Why are there so many inferior people amongst us? Thugs who knows of nothing but brute force. People who are less than animals.

So... I had a brilliant idea... Why don't I reshape the world and make it so that only the chosen ones like me... and you... Those who are blessed with special talents are able to live in the world freely. I have to make a perfect world." ［Gael］

"And so, it was fine to sacrifice the others for this 'perfect world' of yours?" ［Grey］

"Why not? They are merely parasites which rely on us in order to survive. Rather, they should be grateful to be helpful in realizing this grand masterplan. They may be worthless, but at the very least, they have some uses.

As someone who stands at the pinnacle, are you not exhausted of people clinging on your feet and begging like beggars? All they do is cry and beg, it's repulsive. For such useless creatures, death is the only salvation." ［Gael］

Gael blabbered and blabbered some more. The more Grey heard of his "reasons", the more sick and disgusted he felt about the man before him. Never had he met someone so narcissistic and someone with such a dysfunctional mind.

"Don't you agree so tooー" ［Gael］

"No, I don't. Don't lump me with the likes of f*ckers like you," ［Grey］

There was no need to listen any longer, Grey hands itching to beat the crap up out of Gael and male him feel hell he's never felt before. They only exchanged a couple of words, yet he couldn't explain the negative swirl of emotions flooding his mind.

"How hypocritical. Are you having fun playing hero? How dare you act so proudly when people are dying before you. Face it, you cannot save everyone." ［Gael］

"Yes, you're right, hundredsー No, thousands have already died. However, I didn't expect you to be so blind. You are more stupid than you look." ［Grey］

"Huh? What are you trying to imply?" ［Gael］

"Simple... That's because all that have died are all on your side." ［Grey］

Gael quickly flinched as soon as he heard Grey's words, turning his head left and right as he watched the battlefield once again. Only then did he realize how exactly the situation is playing out, shock painted on his face.

Some were wounded and some were injured. However, not a single knight nor soldier has been slain. Rather, they are already pushing back the demons, their dead and broken bodies lying coldly on the ground.

The same could also be said for the citizens. After all, before he found Gael, he was busy shooting arrows to defeat demons all throughout the Royal Capital, only leaving when everything was under control. Had it not been for it, he would have arrived earlier.

As for the Knights, he and Yuna had all given them magic charms which protects them from critical strikes and heal them whenever necessary. They may not be able to compare to the demons, but it was more than enough to deal with them.

The General had now subdued Haksen and Malia. As for Douglas, Johann, Callipso, and the King, despite sustaining heavy injuries, they have also cleaned up their sides. The final act is soon to reach his conclusion.

If there was anything Grey was not expecting, it was the fact that their familiars have taken Salferine forms whilst engaging in battle. He was so surprised, he stopped on his tracks for a quick moment. It was all too shocking.

"How impudent... You have still yet to defeat Piper. He may be an idiot, but he's not one who will go down without a fight." ［Gael］

"Yeah, Piper, right... Don't worry. My partner is handling him well." ［Grey］

"Hah... You sure are acting cocky for someone who abandoned his partner. Isn't your skin crawling from hypocrisy?" ［Gael］

"Abandoned...? If you really think so, then you're sorely mistaken..." ［Grey］

BAAANNNNGGGGGG CRASH CRASH THUD THUD

There was no need to explain any more. As soon as Grey finished his words, the walls they were hiding behind were suddenly broken, a single figure crashing into it and flying several meters away, rolling on the ground.

That figure was none other than Piper, his right arm now missing and large injuries present on his body. His whole body was swallowed with ice, his heart barely beating and his mouth barely breathing. He was thinly hanging on the thread of life.

"As you can see... Yuna is overwhelmingly strong." ［Grey］

Gael was speechless, his eyes unable to believe that such a powerful demon was now lying helplessly on the ground. It wasn't just Piper, but every single one of the stronger demons have been wiped out one after another. He was speechless.

"Just face it already. Your plan has already crumbled to the ground, Gael." ［Grey］

CHAPTER 430 END