Zald no longer had any desire to fight. His mind wandered, his heroic instincts derailed by the mental image of Alfia and Akira doing… who knows what.
"This… this isn't real…" He mumbled, eyes blank.
"Oi, uncle. You good?"
Akira could tell exactly what was going through the old man's head. He smirked to himself.
That's what you get for trash-talking me, Alfia.
With a shrug, Akira spread his arms and shrugged innocently.
"Why would I lie? It's not something I'd brag about."
Zald stood there, stunned into silence. His mind spun with a million possibilities.
Did it really happen?
"Alright, alright, enough mental breakdown." Akira said, standing up and brushing off his pants.
"If we keep dragging this on, we'll be here all day. Let's finish this with one final move." He raised his blade, flames flickering along its edge.
"You clearly don't wanna keep fighting, anyway."
Zald blinked, then exhaled slowly. "…You're really impatient, kid."
But a glimmer of respect flashed in his eyes.
I like that.
The grizzled warrior straightened his back, fingers tightening around his sword once again. His aura began to swell, the pressure radiating outward like crashing waves.
"Fine, then. One strike. We end it here." He clenched his jaw.
Can this broken body handle one final surge of magic?
"Don't die on me, old man!"
Akira leapt down from the rubble, magic pulsing around him. Deep blue flames ignited at his back, wrapping his body in a glowing vortex.
His greatsword was gripped in both hands, raised high into the sky.
"Don't look down on me, brat."
Zald's stance shifted as he prepared to chant.
The elemental energy in Akira's body surged like a tidal wave, coalescing into four glowing orbs, each one pulsing with the raw power of a different element.
Flame, Ice, Light, Darkness.
Each sphere shimmered and flickered, casting multicolored shadows on his face as they orbited his body. They collided and intertwined, releasing low, growling pulses like the snarl of a beast about to be unleashed.
Their convergence signaled only one thing—
An imminent explosion of overwhelming force.
Zald stared, not at the spell, but at Akira.
Why wasn't he chanting? How could he cast without chanting?
But…
It didn't matter.
There was no more time for questions. At this moment, Zald had only one thought—go all out.
A clash of life and pride between warrior and youth.
As Akira raised his sword, the swirling spheres spiraled toward it, converging around the blade, merging into a single luminous mass of chaotic energy.
At the same time, Zald's voice boomed like thunder, "Forgive me, father god. For partaking of the banquet of the gods. Hunger, entrapping tongue of flame. Devour all, fangs of scorching heat."
As his incantation ended, a divine flame erupted along his sword, one not born of this world, Rea Ambrosia, the flame of divine calamity, a fire worthy of gods.
The scorching blaze enveloped Zald's greatsword. It radiated an orange-red light like molten solar flares, burning with enough heat to warp the air.
Akira's voice rose as the spell reached its climax.
"Starlight Breaker!!!"
Zald's reply came instantly, roaring with wild fervor.
"Rea Ambrosia!!!"
Akira's massive sphere of starlight rocketed forward like a comet, trailing radiant arcs behind it. Zald met it with a downward swing of his blazing sword, the infernal flames howling as they surged.
BOOM——!!!
The impact shook the entire dungeon.
The walls of the 17th floor quaked, groaning as cracks split across the stone like a spiderweb shattering under pressure.
A torrent of blinding light surged from the collision point, flooding the entire battlefield. For a moment, it felt like the dungeon had been dragged into broad daylight.
The energy burst outward in chaotic waves, tearing through stone and steel. The very air screamed—twisting, sizzling, writhing under the sheer pressure of their attacks.
Ruins collapsed into dust. Entire walls disintegrated.
Above and below the 17th floor, adventurers dropped their weapons in shock as tremors ripped through the earth.
"W-What was that?!"
"Did the dungeon riot?!"
"S-Should we run?! We're going to die!!!"
Panic exploded through Rivira. People screamed and scattered in all directions as the stone beneath their feet vibrated like an earthquake.
…
Back on the battlefield, Akira gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot, arms trembling violently as he forced more magic into the spiraling beam.
The pressure was unbearable. But still, he endured.
Across from him, Zald's expression contorted in pain. Every muscle in his decaying body screamed as he pushed his corrupted form to its absolute limit.
Their powers remained locked—starlight and flame struggling against each other in a deadlock. But that balance didn't last.
The moment came when Zald's body, ravaged by Behemoth's poison, finally began to crack. Blood erupted from his lips. His eyes reddened, the whites turning crimson.
"Damn it…! Hold on… just a bit longer…!"
He roared inwardly, forcing every ounce of strength into the flame of disaster but his arms had begun to droop. The fire… was dimming.
Akira's gaze sharpened. He felt it.
The moment of weakness.
He took a deep breath. Magic surged. The massive energy sphere on his sword flared to blinding levels, colors spinning in a dazzling storm of elemental light.
"Let's end this—!"
He roared, stepped forward, and shoved the full force of the spell toward Zald. The sphere surged like a meteor with a tail of trailing brilliance, crashing into the failing flames.
Zald shouted in defiance, his body bloodied and trembling.
"AHHHHHHHH—!!!"
But it was no use. His flame shattered. The starlight pierced through like a cannon shot, smashing into him with full force.
Even after Akira cut the spell, the resulting shockwave thundered outward. Zald's body was hurled into the stone wall at the edge of the chamber.
CRACK—!!
The wall split open. Debris burst outward as stone rained down.
Zald collapsed, his body crumpling against the ground. Blood soaked the stone beneath him.
"…Cough, cough…"
The old warrior slowly raised his head, face pale, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
With a bitter smile, he looked up at the boy who still stood tall.
"You… you monster…" He whispered, voice faint, admiration laced with defeat.
Akira exhaled sharply, stepping toward him. His body ached, but he kept walking. Standing above the fallen Zald, he extended a hand.
"I guess this time… I win."
There was no pride in his voice, only a calm, quiet respect for the fight they just shared.
Zald stared at the outstretched hand, blinking slowly. In his eyes was a swirl of emotion—reluctance, regret… and acknowledgment. A slow, weary smile formed on his lips.
"You win this time… kid…"
His fingers tightened around Akira's hand. With a grunt, Akira helped pull him up. But just as Zald stood upright, his body slumped. His eyes rolled back.
The hero of a bygone age passed out in silence.
Akira caught him, holding the unconscious man against his shoulder with a wry expression.
"…Good grief."
A sigh escaped his lips as he glanced toward the ruined chamber.
"So much trouble…"
His voice drifted into the still air, heavy with weariness.
"Are all these legendary heroes going to show up just to mess with me?" He muttered, with a speechless expression.