Nathan was still levitating high above the clearing, watching Elio slowly rise from the ground. In his right hand he held his crimson-and-black sword, its blade suddenly flaring with an intense red light.
Countless sparks raced along the blade, leaping between its edges and releasing small bursts of energy. Nathan tilted his head and studied his opponent with obvious amusement.
"You still have the strength to fight, Elio?" — he asked, his voice carrying across the clearing. — "I have to admit, your stubbornness is starting to surprise me. For so many years, you followed my orders, believed every lie I fed you, and it never even crossed your mind that I was the one responsible for your suffering. And now that you've finally learned the truth, you intend to stand against me, as though a few recovered memories could change everything that's happened."
Nathan's smile slowly faded, and his gaze grew much colder. The crimson energy around his sword began pulsing more intensely, red sparks illuminating his hand.
"Tell me, Elio, do you really believe you can defeat me? Or can you simply not accept that your life stopped belonging to you long ago?!" — He shouted the last words in anger, and a wave of his energy swept across the area, stirring the grass and kicking dust up from the ground.
Elio placed a hand on the hilt of the sword embedded in the ground and slowly pulled himself up
For a moment, his body trembled from the earlier blow, but he had no intention of letting Nathan see just how badly the attack had hurt him.
When he finally stood upright, he tightened his grip on the hilt, pulled the blade from the ground, and released it, allowing the weapon to hover beside him.
He looked at Nathan, his eyes filled with a determination that even fear could not break.
"My life belongs to me." — he replied firmly. — "I can't undo what you've done, and I can't get back the time you stole from me. But I won't let you hurt anyone else. I'm not fighting to prove I'm stronger than you. I'm fighting because I'm the one making the choice now, and my choice is to stop you once and for all!"
The first blue electrical discharges began appearing around Elio's Demon Arc
The warrior slowly rose into the air, and the higher he climbed, the more violently lightning coiled around his body.
The lightning bolts accelerated, slicing through the air and leaving bright streaks behind them, while the energy gathering around him made small stones tremble across the clearing.
When Elio reached Nathan's height, his Demon Arc shone with a brilliant light-blue glow, and he drew both arms back as if gathering every last bit of power he could still unleash.
"AAAAAHHH!" — he screamed, his voice echoing far beyond the clearing.
In an instant, the lightning around him went wild. Branching bolts struck the ground, throwing up dust and lighting the area with repeated flashes. One bolt shot toward Arthur, who immediately raised his red spear and deflected it to the side.
The energy scattered through the air without harming him.
"Watch where you're aiming, idiot!" — Arthur shouted, shooting Elio an irritated look.
Elio did not answer. All his attention was focused on the energy filling his body. After a moment, the violent discharges gradually began to fade, and the last lightning bolts dissolved into the air, leaving behind a low rumble.
Yet Elio's power had not weakened at all. On the contrary, a light-blue sphere made up of countless swirling lightning bolts began forming around his Demon Arc.
The discharges circled it at tremendous speed, while a light pulsed at its very center so intensely that, for a moment, it even outshone the crimson glow of Nathan's sword.
Nathan stopped smiling. For the first time since the clash began, he examined Elio's new power with clear interest, his fingers tightening around his sword's hilt.
Elio slowly raised his head and looked him straight in the eyes. The sphere of lightning flared even brighter, and the air between them trembled under the pressure of the gathered power.
Elio bent his knees slightly, and the sphere of blue lightning surrounding his Demon Arc suddenly blazed with intense light.
The next instant, he shot straight toward Nathan, leaving behind a long trail of lightning that tore through the air.
Nathan immediately raised his crimson-and-black sword, trying to block the incoming attack, but this time he was too slow to react. He felt a tremendous blow to his stomach, and a short groan escaped his lips.
"Agh…!"
He looked down and saw Elio's right fist buried in his stomach. The impact doubled Nathan over, and a moment later he was sent hurtling toward the ground at incredible speed. Just before impact, however, he managed to regain control of his body.
His feet touched the ground, and he performed a backward somersault, landing on his feet and sliding several more meters. His boots gouged deep tracks into the earth before he finally came to a stop. But before he could even properly raise his head, Elio attacked again.
In an instant, the warrior appeared behind Nathan. Nathan immediately began turning, bringing his sword up to defend himself, but once again he was too slow.
Elio struck him with all his strength, then vanished in a blue flash and reappeared at his side, landing another blow. Nathan staggered, losing his balance for a moment, and before he could retaliate, Elio was already behind him. The young man spun around and kicked his opponent hard in the back, sending him flying forward.
Elio landed on the ground, bent his legs, and immediately gave chase. He had no intention of giving Nathan even a moment to recover. Midway through his sprint, his figure once again dissolved into light-blue light, leaving only the crack of thunder where he had stood a moment earlier.
Nathan slammed into the ground, rolled several times, and sent a cloud of dust into the air. Despite the repeated impacts, he eventually managed to plant his feet and come to a stop in a fighting stance.
"Wretched mortal…" — he hissed through clenched teeth.
Anger filled his eyes, and crimson energy began surging violently through his sword.
Nathan straightened and charged toward the approaching Elio, determined to finally seize the initiative. When only a few meters separated them, he suddenly pivoted on his left heel, turning sharply.
Elio was right behind him, but Nathan was already preparing a counterattack. His sword's blade flashed crimson, and he swung with tremendous force, releasing a wide, red slash of energy.
The attack raced across the clearing at incredible speed, but Nathan realized almost immediately that he had made a mistake. Elio had vanished before the red blade of energy reached his position.
The slash cut through the air and sped toward the nearby forest, felling trees in its path. Trunk after trunk crashed down as the wave of energy tore through the dense woods, until it finally struck a nearby mountain. A deafening boom rang out, and part of the mountainside shattered under the impact, leaving a massive gouge and billowing clouds of dust.
"Tch…!" — Nathan clenched his fist, clearly displeased that even such a powerful attack had missed its target.
Suddenly, he sensed a familiar energy approaching from the opposite direction. He turned his head and saw Valdor making his way toward him. The Dragonari prince held his dragon sword in his right hand, a green aura slowly wrapping around the blade.
His steps were confident, and his gaze was fixed solely on Nathan. When he stopped a few meters away, a light-blue flash of lightning appeared beside him, and Elio emerged from it. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to continue the fight.
Nathan looked first at Valdor, then at Elio. A cold smile appeared on his face, but this time it no longer carried the confidence it once had.
Not long ago, he had been convinced that no one could threaten his power. Now two warriors stood before him, ready to bring his reign to an end together.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Arthur and Sylphia had managed to subdue Emi. Arthur pinned her to the ground with his knee while holding her arms behind her back so she could not use her magic. Sylphia stood beside them, pointing her sword toward the girl's head and watching her every movement closely. Emi tried to move, but quickly realized she would not be able to break free without help.
"Stop struggling." — Arthur said firmly. — "We don't want to hurt you, but we won't let you attack our companions again."
Emi did not respond. She merely turned her gaze toward the battlefield. Unease was still visible in her eyes, but above all, she feared for Leo, whose fate remained uncertain.
A few meters away, Kael knelt beside a white magic circle where the unconscious Noah and Leo lay.
White energy flowed through the patterns etched into the ground, surrounding both warriors with a gentle glow. Kael focused on maintaining the spell, trying to stabilize their condition and prevent it from worsening.
Mayuri and Arwen stood on either side of him, ready to defend them against anyone who tried to interrupt the magic. Mayuri held her scythe, while Arwen gripped white daggers in her hands, constantly scanning their surroundings.
At one point, Mayuri turned her gaze toward Valdor and Elio, who had just taken their places opposite Nathan. Her fingers tightened around the scythe's handle, and sadness crossed her face.
She wanted to be with Valdor and fight at his side, but she knew that her duty now was to protect the others. For a moment, she watched the prince, remembering everything they had been through together. Then she whispered softly, almost as though she feared that speaking the words aloud would make the coming battle even more real.
"Valdor… win this…"
Valdor and Elio exchanged a knowing glance before charging toward Nathan at the same time. Green and light-blue energy flared across the clearing, heralding the final confrontation.