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It felt transparent. Not something to be taken lightly. Seletina’s single, slender sword was in complete control of the giant swords controlled by Lichter.

Lichter felt a sense of déjà vu. This experience of being unable to reach something was one that he was familiar with. He had felt it during his brief exchange with the kingdom’s strongest, the knight captain Loggins Bell Actoria.

The result had been an overwhelming defeat. From the outside, it may have looked like a good match, but Lichter himself actually experienced a complete defeat. He had been confident in his abilities and speed, but when Lichter encountered the strongest in the kingdom; he couldn’t help but imagine himself crushed if they fought for real.

Loggins seemed like an ocean. Lichter was going to challenge this rampaging ocean with nothing else but his two blades. This was how powerful Loggins had been. The image that Lichter had of Seletina now was that she was “unreal.”

It was like she was made out of magic. The skills he had honed and the strength he had acquired by selling his soul had faded, and he felt as if he had become powerless.

His movements were restricted before he could act, and his sword’s path was easily redirected, led by its weight, and flung away.

Although she appeared to be an ordinary girl, this young girl harbored the great hero Orthus’ soul inside of her. Although Lichter knew this, he found it surreal.

To begin with, Lichter knew that Orthus had been the same as him, a normal human. However, a significant disparity in their strength persisted, even though their capabilities had now diverged so greatly.

The movements of Seletina’s sword grew even sharper as time went on. Her blade shone more brightly each time it clashed. The robust black armor, which couldn’t be scratched, began to scream.

The same spot was slashed repeatedly, and each subsequent strike followed the trajectory of the first one. Just like constant dropping wore away a stone, Lichter’s iron walls began to crack.

He couldn’t keep up, even after gaining so much power. Lichter finally realized his weakness, and his heart opened up to the possibility of his death. And in a last-ditch effort, he screamed.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” He shouted as he wielded his giant sword. He had accepted his death. He had no regrets about losing to someone this strong.

Up until now, Lichter had not landed a single strike properly. Suppressing his dry laughter, Lichter relentlessly pushed forward.

The terrain around the two changed with each blow, accompanied by gusts of wind. Houses were torn down and cobblestones shattered. A continuous display of unrelenting strength.

Seletina easily avoided the flurry of attacks with minimal movement. She lazily swung her body from side to side and delivered a powerful, whip-like blow. But Lichter remained unharmed thanks to his sturdy armor. However, he gradually began to feel the accumulation of damage.

The results finally started to show.

Seletina’s petite body appeared right before him and slashed sharply from the bottom to the top. A sharp sound rang out, and a crack appeared in its path. The armor around his chest, the darkness, cracked open.

The cut was superb. As if it had been drawn with a ruler. The crack exposed Lichter’s flesh. There were no longer any other obstacles in Elyutinias’ way.

“Lichter…” Seletina’s deep blue eyes let out a dull, determined light. She raised Elyutinias high. All that was left was for her to swing down. All that awaited when Seletina swung down was…

“……”

Death.

Lichter’s heart was exposed. His swords had been pushed to the side, leaving his upper body wide open. At that moment, Lichter contemplated everything and made up his mind.

He awaited his death and his defeat. But the decisive blow never came. With this big of a target, it should’ve been easy for Seletina to finish the job. Yet instead of a heavy blow, what came was a dull sound.

Seletina had let go of Elyutinias. She didn’t lose her grip on it; she willingly let it go. Seletina looked firmly into Lichter’s eyes.

“This is it.” She said. Her words were powerful, yet they carried a hint of tiredness.

Confusion filled Lichter’s mind.

As if being able to read his thoughts, Seletina continued speaking. “The match is over. There’s no need to continue.”

“What?” Lichter was left even more confused.

In his mind, it was incomprehensible that someone who had lost someone dear to them would offer a truce. His standards could not allow him to believe that a straightforward conflict could be resolved in this way.

“Are you really okay with this?” Lichter asked.
“I am.”
“You’re one crazy b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲.”

Lichter grabbed her by the chest. He easily lifted Seletina’s light body.

“Aren’t you frustrated?! Aren’t you angry?! Do you not have a heart?! Your darn valiant quest for justice has totally screwed you up!”
“……”
“Revenge is the true way! The cycle of hatred is the truth of this world! You kill so that you’re not killed!! You kill so that you do not have your precious things stolen from you!!! You become strong enough not to be killed by anyone and not to be a weakling! That’s what this damn world is all about!!!”

Seletina gazed at Lichter with eyes full of pity, sadness, and compassion. Her gaze remained steady and unflinching, meeting Lichter’s anger head-on and undeterred by his confession.

“Then take my head, Lichter Willgame.” Seletina said, “Take my… Orthus, Seletina ul Gold Aldelight’s head!! I won’t run, nor will I resist. If that’s your truth, then prove it right here and now by taking my life!!!”