Daion wasn't sure what was happening. He felt his body crushed under the weight of the debris, his abdomen and face damp. He couldn't see anything except a faint light filtering through the cracks. He tried to sit up, but his body wouldn't react; there was no strength left in him, and his consciousness was fading little by little.
"I'm not really going to die like this, am I?" he told himself, trying to shout even though the air seemed unwilling to remain in his lungs. How pathetic… the 'hero' unable to even stand.
He didn't know if he was speaking or only thinking. All he could do was hope the Frontier's plan worked. Even if he died, if they managed to defeat the Behemoth, Thaloren could take care of Tinitos and begin reclaiming ground.
His life wasn't necessary for humanity's survival. That was the logical conclusion. And yet, a hollow ache pressed against his chest. He clenched his teeth with a frustration so intense it nearly brought him to tears.
"I don't want to die… damn it…" he whispered as the blood stopped flowing; there was probably nothing left his body could offer. "I don't want to meet that idiot god looking this miserable. I haven't even shown him what I'm capable of yet."
Daion closed his eyes in sorrow as darkness wrapped around him. He accepted his death… until a voice echoed in his mind.
"You're truly giving up now, chosen of the Primordial?"
He recognized it instantly.
Thero… he answered in thought, knowing the entity could hear him. I didn't expect to see you today. I thought you couldn't intervene.
"I can't," confirmed the spirit. Daion pictured her before him, ethereal and calm. "But I also couldn't just sit back and watch. You accept your death far too easily."
"What else can I do?" Daion felt his cells deteriorating every second. "You don't happen to have some magical solution, do you?" He tried to sound sarcastic, but Thero only pouted before glaring at him. "...Do you?"
"Not exactly." Thero let out a small laugh, and Daion would have rolled his eyes if he could. "But I can give you a chance."
A sphere of healing energy appeared in her hand. Daion remembered he still had one in his pocket.
"Will this heal the wound?" he asked.
"No, but it will stop the bleeding and give you enough energy to finish the battle." Thero smiled as Daion stared at her in surprise. "It's your own fault for rushing into this fight. It's a miracle you're still alive."
Daion nodded with resignation. He wondered for a moment if it was even worth getting up and continuing the fight. Then, from far away, a desperate scream reached him. He recognized Aelith's voice instantly.
It was true: he still had a promise to that girl… and to the people of SteelWall. He wasn't going to give up so easily. And above all, he refused to let that bitch Seraphine have the last word. Thero smiled and shoved the sphere into his mouth.
"It goes without saying that I was never here, understood? The last thing I want is for the corruptors to find out we've broken the pact."
"Why help me if it risks so much for you?" Daion asked as he ignored the sphere's awful taste and felt his body regaining a flicker of strength. Thero lifted her chin with a proud, mischievous smile.
"It's obvious. I like you, and I don't want your soul torn apart by corrupted energy." Her tone was bright and playful. Daion stared at her, puzzled by the mention of a shattered soul, but before he could speak, his vision dissolved into black and he woke up with a jolt.
He pushed himself up from the debris with difficulty. Light hit him with a blinding force for a few seconds. He looked around: his peripheral vision was ruined; he could barely perceive anything at his sides. Red blotches clouded almost his entire sight. Even so, he could make out Aelith's trembling face and, by reflex, gave her a small smile as he gently ruffled her hair. She let out a surprised squeak just before watching Daion move past her. Her gaze shifted toward Loryn.
"Your body is barely standing, don't think—" Loryn began to protest, but Daion sighed and looked forward.
Tinitos watched with curiosity as the summoned warrior dragged his feet toward him.
"Don't tell me you actually think you can beat me in your current state." The demon tilted his head, entertained.
Daion looked at him and ran a hand through his hair, smiling. Only then did he notice the sphere had been enhanced by Thero; it was true that his wounds weren't healed… but his body felt invigorated.
"Well… this is definitely stupid. I could die any second and everything hurts, but…" Daion made a hand signal that Loryn caught immediately; with a groan, the young man nodded.
Daion spun and landed a surprise punch to the demon's abdomen. Tinitos doubled over, stunned, and managed to glance up just as the summoned warrior used the momentum to land a kick under his chin. The corrupt smiled, lowered his gaze, and swung his sword.
Loryn felt his eye burn and the pressure of his power crush against his skull as he restricted the corruptor. Daion barely managed to block the sword; his arm trembled violently before he deflected the blade and slashed toward Tinitos.
The demon grinned again. The difference in power between them was obvious: Tinitos was still far stronger… but that no longer mattered. Daion kept a calm, steady expression.
Then Daion ducked, and the demon failed to react in time to Aelith's strike, which slammed him into the ground. Confused, Tinitos sprang back up just in time to raise his sword and deflect Loryn's shot.
"It's time to end the games," Daion murmured as he advanced.
Tinitos growled and fired a beam of red energy from his mouth, grazing Daion's face. The summoned warrior instantly noticed how the corruptor's eyes darted around in bewilderment, trying to locate Aelith.
Is he scared? Daion thought, surprised. Aelith's speed is enough to throw him off.
He had planned to avoid relying on her, but at this point, he had no choice. He had to win—no matter what it cost.
In that case…
"Aelith, unleash yourself completely."
Daion stomped down, letting Omega energy erupt around him, and hurled his sword. Tinitos managed to deflect it just enough for the blade to only slice his neck superficially.
Aelith nodded, and her golden aura burst free without restraint: her white fur rose and grew several centimeters longer, her animal features sharpened, and her form turned into a blazing blur. She shot forward, slashing the corruptor with enough force to carve a deep gash across his abdomen.
The demon tried to grab her face, baring his fangs with aggression, but at that instant Loryn fired—Tinitos's hand exploded into bone and flesh. The corrupt screamed and turned toward the young marksman.
Daion barely had time to lift his sword before the corruptor's remaining arm struck him directly. He was launched backward, crashing to the ground with a dull thud. He groaned and looked up just in time to see Tinitos swing his sword, leaving a reddish arc that reached Aelith from afar: a superficial slash across her abdomen—followed by a full-force tail strike that shredded her body.
Aelith hit the ground unconscious, eyes rolled back.
Loryn raised his rifle, but his eye burned unbearably; he covered it by reflex just before receiving a direct blow to the stomach from the demon, dropping him to the ground. For a moment, Tinitos regained full mobility and materialized in front of Daion, grabbing him by the face and dragging him across the floor, tearing through stone as he went.
Daion tried to stop him, but his body seized and weakened. He managed to grab Tinitos's arm, forcing himself to try to pry it off using every bit of strength he had left—but to no avail. The demon grinned and lifted his sword.
"I don't care about breaking you anymore. I need to kill you before you become a nuisance… and I'll inform my lord that you received help from a divine entity."
Daion's eyes widened at the accusation. How could he know?
"Tell me," Tinitos continued with a twisted smile, "what do you think will happen when they learn the Omegas cheated? The Apostles will come… and all of you will die. No one will remain. And all because some stupid entity decided to trust a low-rank summoned warrior and—"
He stopped abruptly, feeling his strength crumble again.
"You talk too much for someone stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice," Daion said, gripping his arm with the gauntlet and smiling as a surge of Omega energy flooded through him. He struck the ground, releasing a shockwave that collapsed part of the tunnel.
Daion stood as fast as he could. The passage was narrow, so he assumed Tinitos would have trouble moving… but he was wrong. The demon ignored the cramped space entirely and swung his sword, tearing through earth and stone alike. He snarled and lunged with a thrust. Daion flicked his fingers and his sword emerged through the dust, deflecting the attack by the smallest margin.
"Stop doing that, summoned one. Who do you think you are?" the demon snarled, beginning to lose patience. He screamed again, releasing another wave of corrupted energy that tore through Daion's body, grinding his bones further. But this time, Daion wouldn't fall so easily.
He flicked his fingers and his sword surged forward wrapped in Omega energy, cutting through the corruption and slashing open the demon's side. Tinitos grunted and stopped releasing energy for a few seconds—just enough for Daion to leap up and land a direct punch to his face.
"You know, Loryn's power isn't affecting us anymore," Daion said as he spun and kicked the demon's leg, forcing him onto one knee. "And you're still slower. Ha, you arrogant bastard… don't tell me you've gotten weaker."
Daion summoned his sword and raised it overhead, ready for the finishing strike. The corruptor twisted violently, eyes wide, and grabbed Daion's face again, slamming him into the tunnel wall. Daion grunted as his bones protested even harder.
"You won't beat me today. I won't die before experiencing the true pleasure of battle," the demon growled as he tightened his grip. Blood blurred Daion's vision and his body began reacting erratically.
"You know… that's your problem," Daion replied. The corruptor looked up, confused. "You got so obsessed with the ways others told you to enjoy life… that you forgot to look for what actually made you feel whole. That's why you're an idiot."
The corruptor's eyes opened slightly, confusion twisting across his expression.
"Tell me… do you really think you're nothing but a killing machine?" Daion tried to finish, struggling not to pass out.
"It's what I was born for."
"Of course not. It doesn't matter what you were born to do or what you're good at; if you don't feel like it gives your life meaning, then what's the point?" Daion said. He wasn't sure where those words came from. Memories from battles in his past life flashed through his mind, and a wave of guilt and self-disappointment stabbed through his chest. "You're the one who decides… and you chose to be the weapon they picked for you. You've got no right to complain."
Daion opened his palm. The gauntlet was fully charged. He grabbed the corrupted one's arm, and a violent explosion shook the ground. Loryn, confused, opened his eyes just in time to see Daion and the demon erupt from beneath the earth.
Tinitos was missing his right arm; only a smoking, bleeding stump remained. Daion's gauntlet arm hung at an unnatural angle. He could no longer control his sword from afar—he was down to close combat only. Even so, he didn't seem worried.
The soldiers rose to their feet, shouting in support. Some launched attacks, but Tinitos ignored the fireballs without even looking at them. His entire focus was on Daion's sword, determined to deflect it by any means. Every clash released Omega energy and corruption in equal amounts.
Loryn watched the scene, bewildered, searching for an opening to intervene. Daion shot him a glance, and he nodded, opening his eye.
The effect was immediate. Daion became faster. Tinitos snarled, swinging for his neck, but Daion ducked and slashed him across the abdomen.
"No!" the demon roared as Daion kicked his leg again, forcing him to kneel.
"Now… it's time to end this."
The corrupted warrior traded a few desperate blows. His sword flared and unleashed a slash—a streak of corrupt energy tore open Daion's thigh, sending him crashing to the ground.
Tinitos leapt up and raised his sword for the finishing strike.
Time seemed to freeze. Daion saw the descending blade clearly, yet for some reason he felt no fear. The soldiers clutched their heads, unable to understand what was happening. Blood trickled from Loryn's eye; in a second, the effect would vanish. Daion forced his legs to move and threw himself to the side.
The sword shattered the ground, releasing a burst of corrupt energy that briefly stunned Daion. But he reacted on pure instinct and thrust forward.
A spray of blood rose into the air. Daion blinked in disbelief as he saw his sword buried in Tinitos's throat—neither he nor his enemy could understand how it had happened.
Daion glanced toward Loryn, and he nodded, opening his eye once more.
Time returned to normal. The demon looked down at the blade impaled through him, wearing an almost curious expression.
"Ha… you've got to be kidding me," he muttered as blood began to pour out. "Did a damn low-rank summoned brat beat me?" he shouted, tensing his muscles even though his body no longer obeyed him.
"I'm sorry. This was fun," Daion said, gripping the hilt tightly. "I told you—I'd get strong enough to defeat you."
"Ha… yeah, you did… not bad. But…" the demon struggled to lift his sword, weakly pointing it at Daion. "We're both dying today…"
Daion didn't even flinch. He turned his body and, with a clean, precise motion, his sword answered: the corrupted one's head separated smoothly and rolled across the ground. Everyone stood in stunned silence as the demon's blood spilled onto the earth. Then their eyes turned to Daion.
He closed his eyes, ready to collapse—but at the last second, he stepped forward and lifted his head. He let out a scream that tore his throat, releasing all his frustration, yet he remained standing.
Not this time… he thought as he drove his sword into the ground and Aelith rushed to support him from the side. This time I won't faint, I…
"I won! You sons of bitches!"
He shouted toward the sky, certain that the Primordial—wherever he was—had heard him… and was laughing in satisfaction.
End of chapter 45.