Silence lingered in the ruined throne room.
Dust drifted through fractured sunlight.
Saare and Garde lay broken against shattered marble, blood staining what remained of royal elegance.
Loki looked down at them quietly.
Then—
He raised his palm.
A small purple orb of energy bloomed into existence above it.
It was calm.
Compact.
Beautiful.
Yet the space around it trembled, as if reality itself recoiled.
"This," Loki said lightly, examining it as though it were a curious toy, "is called Hakai."
The orb pulsed once.
The air distorted violently.
"It's a technique I've recently created. I'm still testing it."
His golden eyes flicked toward them.
"It erases whatever it touches… into nothingness."
Saare's breath caught.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
'Am I about to die here?'
Cold sweat ran down his back.
'Why would Hinata even suggest we fight this monster?'
The pressure in the room had long surpassed anything they had prepared for.
'We stand no chance against a Primordial.'
His fingers dug into broken marble.
'Zero chance… especially one this dangerous.'
Beside him—
Garde groaned.
Slowly.
Painfully.
He pushed himself up.
Blood trickled from his mouth, staining his chin.
Loki's brow lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
He tilted his head.
"You still have the strength to stand."
A faint smile formed.
"As expected of a Holy Knight."
Garde swayed but steadied himself.
"Saare…"
His voice was hoarse.
"Get up… and run."
Saare's eyes widened.
"I'll hold him back," Garde continued, breathing unevenly. "Even if it's only for a few seconds."
His grip tightened into a fist.
"You have to live. You have to live and get this information back to Hinata."
Saare's vision blurred.
"What are you talking about, Garde…?"
He forced himself onto his knees.
"I can't leave you here."
He staggered up beside him.
"If anything, you should be the one to run."
His jaw clenched.
"I'll hold him back."
Garde almost laughed.
"Don't be ridiculous."
His shoulders trembled from blood loss.
"As one of the Captains of the Crusaders… it's my job to protect you."
Saare wiped blood from his mouth.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm not part of the Crusaders then, isn't it?"
Garde chuckled weakly.
"You stubborn kid…"
Loki watched the exchange with widening eyes.
Then—
He clapped his hands together once, delighted.
"Could this be?"
His voice brightened theatrically.
"The legendary sacrificing-one's-self-for-another act?"
His shoulders trembled slightly with excitement.
"You're telling me I get to witness this live?"
Saare glared.
"So we're just entertainment to you, you damn demon?"
Garde exhaled bitterly.
"I've never been so humiliated in my life."
Saare's fists tightened.
"Yes…"
His gaze locked onto Loki.
"I just have to land… even one hit on this bastard."
Loki blinked innocently.
"Oh?"
His eyes lowered.
"But you two don't have your weapons anymore."
Indeed.
Saare's blade lay shattered.
Garde's spear had long since disintegrated.
"How exactly," Loki asked gently, "are you planning on doing that?"
Saare raised his fists.
"I still have these."
Garde mirrored him, raising bloodied knuckles.
"Yes."
For a brief moment—
The two stood side by side.
Bruised.
Broken.
Weaponless.
But unyielding.
A tear formed at the corner of Loki's eye.
He wiped it dramatically.
"The spectacular last stand…"
His voice softened.
"To think I would one day be on the opposite end of the receiving side."
His smile faded into something calmer.
"Very well."
The purple orb vanished.
"I promise to make your deaths swift."
Garde inhaled sharply.
"Let's go, Saare!"
Saare nodded.
"Yes!"
They stepped forward and in that instant.
Loki disappeared.
No sound.
No warning.
No movement detectable.
He simply ceased to exist from where he stood—
And reappeared between them.
Before either could react—
His left palm rested lightly against Saare's chest.
His right palm pressed against Garde's.
His voice was almost gentle.
"Cleave."
And then—
Countless invisible slashes erupted simultaneously.
Saare's holy reinforcement shattered instantly.
Garde's defensive aura imploded.
Blood sprayed outward in controlled arcs as their bodies were carved by precise, measured strikes, each cut calibrated, deliberate.
They were launched backward like discarded dolls.
Their bodies crashed through broken pillars and slammed against the far wall of the throne room.
The remaining structure groaned violently.
Dust rained down.
Silence followed.
Saare hit the ground hard.
Blood pooled beneath him.
His breathing grew faint.
Beside him, Garde lay unmoving, chest barely rising.
The world blurred.
Saare stared weakly at the fractured ceiling.
'It's impossible.'
His thoughts trembled.
'It's absolutely impossible.'
Every lesson.
Every year of training.
Every battle fought in the name of faith—
Rendered meaningless.
'I'm too weak.'
His fingers twitched uselessly.
'We cannot beat this thing.'
Across the ruined hall—
Loki stood quietly.
Looking down at them.
Loki suddenly lowered himself to the floor.
He sat cross-legged like a spectator at a festival, elbow on his knee, chin resting on his palm.
"You know," he began casually, "the Kingdom of Falmuth classified me as a Special Rank A threat."
His golden eyes flicked toward the two collapsed Holy Knights.
"The same rank given to the Holy Knights."
He smiled faintly.
"That means you and I are technically the same rank."
A pause.
"Good job you guys."
Garde's vision swam. He could not move a single muscle.
'He's… mocking us again…'
A familiar pressure formed.
Loki raised his hand once more.
The purple orb reappeared.
Hakai.
It was larger this time.
Denser.
The air screamed around it.
"Well," Loki said softly, "it's about time we ended this, isn't it?"
Far from the center of the throne room—
Concealed perfectly—
Rain watched.
Her normally composed expression was gone, replaced with rare panic.
'If Loki kills two Holy Knights…'
Her fingers tightened.
'Lady Luminous will be furious.'
And if Luminous Valentine was angered—
It would ripple.
It would reach El Dorado.
It would reach Guy Crimson.
And if Guy was angered—
Rain swallowed.
'He will take it out on me.'
Her eyes fixed on the swelling Hakai.
'What can I even do? If Loki truly wanted to kill them… I couldn't stop him.'
A tremor ran down her spine.
'What if he killed me instead?'
The purple sphere intensified.
Space bent around it.
Reality thinned.
Rain inhaled sharply.
'I have no choice. I have to step in—'
Suddenly—
The Hakai flickered.
Then—
Dispersed.
Rain blinked.
"…Huh?"
Loki stared at his now empty palm.
A slow realization crossed his face.
'Actually…'
His lips curled upward.
'Me defeating the Holy Knights is a feat that deserves an audience.'
He glanced around the shattered throne room.
Coleus. It was remote and Insignificant on the world stage.
'Doing it here would serve no purpose.'
He stood up.
The demonic pressure in the room softened slightly.
"You two," he said, looking at the barely conscious Saare and Garde.
"You're in a bit of luck."
Saare forced one eye open.
Loki's smile was calm now.
"I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let you live."
A pause.
"But I have terms."
The air tightened again.
"You will return to your fellow Holy Knights."
His gaze sharpened.
"And inform them that in ten days' time…"
A faint aura flared around him.
"I will be waiting at the Barren Lands, also know as The Land of Giants."
His smile widened slightly.
"I shall come alone."
His voice carried a promise of violence.
"You may come together."
His golden eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"And we will have a battle for the ages. One that would forever serve as entertainment for the world."
Saare's thoughts were hazy.
'What… is he talking about…?'
Before either knight could respond—
A magic circle formed beneath them.
It pulsed once—
And they vanished.
Without another word.
Rain remained frozen for several seconds.
When no further killing intent emerged—
She exhaled slowly.
"…That idiot."
Relief washed over her.
At least no international incident had occurred.
At least not yet.
---
Holy Empire of Lubelius
Within a quiet office lined with religious tomes and tactical maps—
Hinata Sakaguchi paced.
Her boots echoed sharply against stone flooring.
The name "Loki" lingered heavily in her mind.
Information.
They lacked it.
According to Razen—
The demon possessed Gravity Magic.
Was highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat.
Skilled in barrier techniques.
But even Razen admitted—
"That is far from what Loki is truly capable of."
Hinata stopped pacing.
Her eyes narrowed.
The biggest threat was not raw power.
It was the unknown.
Suddenly—
A magic circle flared to life in the center of her office.
Hinata's hand immediately went to her sword.
Two bodies fell out of the circle—
Crashing onto the floor.
Bloodied.
Broken.
Unconscious.
"…Saare?"
Her heart skipped.
"Garde?!"
She rushed forward instantly.
Their life forces were faint.
Rapidly fading.
Without hesitation she stormed to her office door, flung it open—
"Get me a medic! Healing potions! Now!"
Her voice cut through the hallway like a blade.
She rushed back to them, kneeling beside Saare first.
"Hey."
Her voice lowered, urgent.
"Don't you dare die on me."
Garde's breathing was shallow.
Saare's pulse weak.
Moments later—
Footsteps thundered down the corridor.
Medics burst into the room carrying potions and emergency kits.
Glass vials were uncorked.
Healing magic activated.
Potions poured carefully between blood-stained lips.
Light filled the room.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Saare's breathing steadied.
Garde's chest rose more evenly.
Color slowly returned to their faces.
Hinata exhaled for what felt like the first time in hours.
They were alive.
________________________________________
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