The forces that reached me from a distance—barely perceptible even with Ki Sense—were faint.

They managed only to slightly twist the trajectory of Brunhilde’s perfectly straight long spear.

But that slight distortion had devastating consequences.

Splat!

Droplets of Brunhilde’s blood scattered from the tip of my greatsword.

The long spear that had been impaling my waist vanished, leaving blood flowing from the wound.

“Huh.”

Brunhilde’s short spear fell to the ground.

Thud, Crack

Grimacing, she completely tore off her left arm, which had been dangling by mere strips of skin.

“I thought you were tough. But maybe not.”

Her severed arm burst violently into flames as it fell. Ash with a thick, acrid smell scattered through the air.

At that same moment, a surge of scorching divine power gathered at my side. It penetrated through the hole in my body, burning away Brunhilde’s demonic energy that had begun to corrupt me, starting the healing process.

Excruciating pain threatened to black out my consciousness.

I bit down hard and gripped Frey as if I might crush it, barely managing to stay alert.

Brunhilde alternated her gaze between my steadily healing body and her own arm, which refused to regenerate despite her severed limb.

“That cunning priestess burned away the severed area with divine power.”

She ripped off part of the bone armor covering her body and jammed it into the stump of her severed arm.

Crunch — The mismatched bones at her left arm entangled, broke, and regenerated, forming a complete arm. Scrape, Scrape — The unpleasant sound of ill-fitting bones grinding against each other. A fresh short spear materialized in her hastily reconstructed arm.

The wound at my side had completely healed as well. Though the residual demonic energy in my body was irritating, I could endure it.

But…

“Judging by your expression, this wasn’t just psychological warfare. You didn’t expect that either, did you?”

As Brunhilde said,

The unexpected assistance had left me bewildered.

I had only hoped for somewhat sturdier ground and divine protection just strong enough to prevent my body from being completely severed.

I never dreamed I’d receive such significant help.

It had all happened in the briefest of moments. A decision made in a time stretched beyond perception, where a single second was divided into hundreds. It was a somewhat impulsive action, executed instantly.

Yet, someone had managed to slip into that impossible sliver of time to help me—as if they had foreseen the future.

…I’m not entirely sure, but the most suspicious person in this situation would be—

Whoosh

As if telling me to save pointless thoughts for later,

As if warning me that time was running out,

An urgent gust of spirit wind tousled my hair.

Following its message, I steadied my breathing and focused on the situation before me.

Approximately seven minutes remained.

Gusts of wind tossed Rubia’s hair with each passing moment. With every breeze, waves of divine power surged downward.

She was likely receiving battlefield information through the spirits’ eyes and healing those with serious injuries accordingly.

But even she seemed to be approaching her limit.

The increasingly dense divine power and strengthening winds indicated things weren’t going well.

Serr’s work was also nearly complete.

Time was running out.

In the three minutes that had passed—of the promised ten—I had landed only one effective hit. Even that had only succeeded with my companions’ help.

Of course, if I went all out, I was confident I could win within ten minutes. But if I revealed everything now, it might hinder me when facing Laila.

I needed to choose the best move available to me right now.

A way to break through Brunhilde’s relentless attacks and land a decisive blow.

Without using my full power.

A strategic trade—sacrificing flesh to gain bone.

‘Carpeng.’

[Yeah!]

Having received my thoughts directly, Carpeng responded without the slightest hesitation.

[Are you sure? Rubia’s right behind you, you know.]

‘…The pain might dull my movements, so… this is the best approach.’

[Well… I guess so. Just don’t get too absorbed. Keep it moderate, okay?]

Kartia reluctantly agreed with my decision, sighing heavily.

I wasn’t thrilled with this choice either, but I had no alternative.

The most efficient option in our current situation:

Erasing all pain and using both my blood and my enemy’s as nourishment to heal all wounds.

Carpeng’s [Thirst].

There would be consequences once the [Thirst] ended, but I simply wouldn’t let it end.

I’d start the battle with Laila before it wore off.

“Haah…”

I steadied my breathing.

Sharp ice lacerated my entire body. Feathers infused with demonic energy sliced my skin. The intensifying blood energy erased the pain.

My heart began pounding violently.

The blood in my veins raged wildly.

My emotions surged.

My body grew hot.

A dizzying pleasure clouded my mind, while a sensation like dozens of needles stabbing my throat—

The [Thirst] was rising.

“You really are tough after all.”

Brunhilde’s expression transformed completely as she witnessed my sudden change. In that instant, my body had already closed the distance to her. I swung Frey, and with a slash, tore her flesh.

Without stopping, I reached out with my left hand and ripped away at her torn flesh. I twisted my muscles with blood energy. With my right arm—forcibly steadied against the recoil—I swung Frey again, slicing through her body once more.

Splash — The blood flowing along my greatsword, the blood bursting from Brunhilde’s torn flesh, it wet my throat. It amplified my emotions. It squeezed my heart like it might crush it.

From behind Brunhilde, countless bone short spears materialized and shot toward me. Alongside them came swirling long spears, knees, flames, and innumerable minions rushing up from the ground.

The frost I had scattered pushed back the flames. Feathers drifting through the air attached to the minions’ bodies, generating curses of instant death. Blood energy burst in every direction, detonating the curses and annihilating the minions.

Thud — The fired short spears embedded themselves in my limbs. The rushing long spear pierced my side. The demonic energy erupting from inside shook my entire body.

I used blood energy to pull out the short spears stuck in my body. I reached out with my left hand and grabbed the long spear impaling my side. I concentrated all my power into my right hand and thrust Frey forward. Crash — Shattering the bone shields that had instantly formed, Frey drove deep into Brunhilde’s shoulder.

As Brunhilde tried to grasp Frey, just as I had, I kicked her abdomen, forcing distance between us. As the greatsword pulled free, thick blood sprayed across my body. I licked away the sticky droplets of blood that had run down my lips. Feeling strength surge once more, I immediately charged at Brunhilde.

Rich blooms of blood flowers painted the sky behind me. Upon touching Brunhilde’s body, they bloomed even more magnificently.

In our unrelenting exchange of attacks, there were no calculated mind games. No distinction between feints and real strikes. Brunhilde and I focused solely on attacking.

I offered my left shoulder to grab her spear, then swung Frey to sever her shoulder. When a spear pierced my abdomen, I tore her midsection apart with claws formed from blood energy.

A sharp spear tip grazed past my carotid artery.

My teeth sank into Brunhilde’s neck.

Countless spears embedded themselves in my body.

I drove Frey deep into her.

Flesh split open.

Bones shattered.

Arms broke.

Legs were torn away.

Blood energy seeped into my wounds.

Divine power burrowed into Brunhilde’s injuries.

My condition was forcibly maintained at peak performance.

Brunhilde’s stamina diminished with each passing moment.

Faster.

Harder.

More intensely.

More desperately.

More.

More.

More.

Two minutes remained.

Brunhilde’s armor had completely vanished.

Her limbs were all reconstructed from bone—not a single original limb remained. Her breathing grew ragged. Her magical energy wavered.

Yet the black flames burned even more intensely. The wings stretching from her back spread widely, as if to cover the sky.

Her relentless offense became even more precise.

She did not yield.

She did not fall.

She did not stagger, bend, or flee.

Even though prolonging the battle would have worked in her favor,

Brunhilde pressed her attack even more fiercely.

She received my attacks.

She extended her arms. She swung her spears. She detonated magical energy. She slashed with her wings. She threw her entire body forward.

She was fighting with everything she had.

For what purpose?

Like the beings who had merged with my soul,

For a goal she had failed to achieve.

For a scattered, vanished past.

For wishes reduced to ashes.

To test me.

If that was the case,

Then I too would—

Boom! I detonated blood energy to create distance between us.

I steadied my breathing and suppressed the rising [Thirst].

“Ahaha, so you’ve finally decided to show it. Then, I’ll show you too. The path I’ve walked. My burden, crumbled by regret and defeat.”

Joy-filled lamentation, regret glistening with madness echoed throughout the world.

“What I desired was the ‘end’ of war, the end of everything that torments this world.”

I focused my mind, ignoring Brunhilde who quietly recited these words while watching me.

“That’s why I chose to walk the most monstrous path.”

I reached toward the depths of an endless abyss.

Toward that which slumbered at the end, connected to my soul.

Toward ‘it.’

“At the end of that path, what I chose was—”

Simultaneously,

The deathly magical energy constituting her erupted.

“What I wished for was—”

The blood she had absorbed, the souls she had extracted, surged upward.

“Neither to follow the abominable heavens, nor to resist them—”

The path she had walked.

A forgotten past.

Achievements made in that past.

Anger that had once reached to the heavens.

“But to shatter the heavens.”

The flame of a hero who had once ruled an era.

The most terrible flame.

“It is called—”

Burned fiercely.

“Heavenbreaker.”