The clash of steel rang out across the rooftop—a sharp, deafening crescendo that masked the sudden surge of dread in the Demon Lord's chest.
Nyx's breath caught, her crimson eyes widening in a rare moment of pure panic. 'Wait…' she thought, her mind racing as she parried another brutal strike. 'Kael is drawing out its absolute maximum potential without sacrificing a single thing… while my own mana is constantly draining just to hold it!'
Before she could adjust her stance, Kael lunged. He didn't give her room to breathe, his blades a blur of lethal motion. The sheer force of his direct assault drove her backward until the heel of her boot slipped over the precipice of the roof.
"Hey, do you know that Nyx can grow her power without wasting a single second?" Sara's voice echoed suddenly within Kael's mind, sharp and teasing.
Kael froze for a fraction of a heartbeat, his momentum breaking just enough for Nyx to stabilize. "Then… she is immortal," he murmured back, his brow furrowing.
Inside his head, Sara sighed. "Not really. True immortality is different, but yes—she possesses a power that mimics it."
Kael's frown deepened. His eyes locked onto the Demon Lord, a dangerous, unyielding fire igniting within them. He didn't want to hear about her god-like power. He just wanted her down.
"Replica!" Kael roared.
With a flash of light, a second blade materialized in his left hand. But he wasn't done.
"Crystal!"
Holding both weapons aloft, Kael slammed them together. Light fractured around him as the two distinct swords dissolved and fused, merging into a single, terrifyingly radiant blade.
A dangerous, feral smile spread across Kael's face.
Nyx stared at him in utter disbelief, the color draining from her face. "Wait…!" she gasped, her voice cracking. "You can merge both swords? And you… you are the holder of Redemption too?!"
Kael didn't even register her shock. His vision narrowed, fueled by a deep-seated rage. "You kidnapped my parents and now you're talking like we're friends?!" he growled, his voice vibrating with hatred. "I won't be manipulated by you so easily!"
In his mind, Sara smirked. "Wow. First time you're actually talking seriously."
"Sara, do you think this is funny?" Kael whispered back. Yet, despite the gravity of the moment, a dark, adrenaline-fueled smile tugged at the corners of his own lips.
Then, the world seemed to grow deathly quiet.
A new voice echoed in his mind—disordered, chaotic, and freezing cold. "I am giving you a gift, boy. No cost, no strings. Use it."
An explosion of dark energy erupted from Kael's back. Nyx stumbled backward, shielding her eyes as two massive, jagged appendages burst through the light.
When the smoke cleared, Nyx's breath hitched. "Who the heck are you…?"
Kael's smile grew wider, casting a shadow over his face. "Do you know what these are?"
Nyx stared at the fractured, skeletal appendages shifting behind him. "Broken wings…" she whispered, her voice trembling as a realization struck her like a physical blow. "Does that mean—you're—!"
Before the final word could leave her lips, Kael vanished.
He moved at a speed that defied the laws of physics. A concussive sonic boom shattered the remaining tiles of the roof as he reappeared directly in front of her, the cold edge of his merged sword already pressed firmly against her throat.
Nyx's instincts kicked in a millisecond before the blade could sever her skin. "You ten-year-old bastard!" she growled.
With a desperate burst of mana, she leaped backward, her demonic wings flaring open as she soared into the sky to create distance.
But Kael was already moving. The broken wings on his back twitched, and with a single, violent snap, he launched himself into the air. He didn't just fly—he tore through the sky. The shattered, jagged nature of his wings seemed to bypass the air resistance entirely, moving at a velocity that made the Demon Lord's wings look painfully slow.
Realizing she couldn't outrun him, Nyx spun around mid-air, her hands glowing with volatile dark magic. She unleashed a massive torrent of arcane energy straight at his face.
Kael didn't flinch. He straightened his form, bracing his body as a brilliant blue light began to shimmer and swirl around his free hand. He thrust his palm forward, meeting her magic head-on.
BOOM!
The collision of their powers triggered a massive explosion, painting the sky in a bruised purple and blue hue. A thick, black cloud of smoke billowed outward, masking the sky.
Through the haze, Nyx's silhouette stumbled, falling through the air in a controlled spin. She managed to catch her bearings, snapping her wings open to fly desperately away from the blast zone, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She looked back through the smoke, hoping she had bought herself time. But deep down, she knew the truth.
He was right behind her. And there was nowhere left to run.
Nyx gasped, her pride fracturing alongside her composure. Blood dripped from a fresh cut on her cheek. "You..." she spat, her voice tight with a mix of rage and reluctant respect. "You are the only one who has ever made me use this."
"She's fooling you," Sara's voice cut through Kael's mind, sharp and urgent. "Don't let her buy time!"
"Understood," Kael muttered aloud.
Before Sara's warning could even fade, Nyx pivoted in mid-air. With a feral screech, she unleashed her demon sword, her posture a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble. Kael didn't hesitate. He intercepted the strike with his own merged blade.
When their weapons clashed, the impact didn't just shatter the sound barrier—it generated a massive shockwave that rippled downward, tearing across the earth below and carving a massive crater into the ground before dissipating. The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocatingly dense with volatile mana. The very fabric of the battlefield was tearing apart.
Kael bared his teeth, locking her blade in place and preparing to force his weight down to break her guard completely. But just as his sword swung forward for a decisive blow, the space beneath Nyx's feet fractured. She vanished into thin air.
Teleportation.
Kael's blade cut through empty smoke. He lowered his weapon, standing suspended in the sky. For a brief second, a suffocating silence hung over the empty space where the Demon Lord had just been.
Then, Kael's head tilted. A creepy, mocking smile spread across his lips.
"Wait..." Kael murmured to the empty air, his voice dripping with faux-astonishment. "You can do it too?"
Silence stretched for another beat. Then, Kael burst into a sudden, unhinged laugh that shattered the quiet of the sky.
"Did you really think I was going to say that?"
From a dozen yards away, having just materialized out of her rift, Nyx froze. Her eyes widened, completely stunned by his bizarre behavior. "What... what are you saying?"
Kael didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes, his breathing perfectly calm.
The air behind Nyx grew freezing cold.
Before she could even turn her head, a soft whisper brushed against the nape of her neck.
"I'm already behind you."
Quote: "Even the Demon Lord realized too late—
some monsters are born from broken things."