The Author's POV

[Pillar of Envy]

WOOOM―!

The moment the gigantic sword appeared in the air, the structure of the Pillar shook. The waters crashed against each other, and waves the size of skyscrapers started to form.

Kracka! Kracka!

Lightning came pouring down from the sky, and the rain stopped moving.

"What's this?!"

Prince Murdock's expression changed dramatically at the sight of the sword, and his entire body started to morph at that moment. His wings expanded, his skin changed―scales forming on top of it, and his entire body became larger.

Long gone was the elegant demon from before as what replaced it was a hulking figure whose presence towered just like the sword in the sky.

Kracka.

A lightning came down, and Ren and Prince Murdock gazed at each other. The world was quiet at that moment, and just as everything seemed peaceful, Ren's mouth parted open.

"Fall."

.

.

.

"What's that!?"

It started with a distant rumble, barely noticeable at first.

But as it grew louder, those within the island realized that something was terribly wrong.

They looked out to sea and saw an enormous wall of water rising higher and higher, heading straight towards them.

At that moment, silence swept over the entire world. All of those within the pillar were unable to stop themselves from looking at the commotion, and their gazes paused on the large wall of water that surrounded the entire island.

They also noticed the two that were responsible for all of this, and their body stiffened right then.

WOOOM―!

Suddenly, a massive sword projection materialized in the sky, glowing with an eerie, pulsating light. It hung there, suspended for a few moments, before starting to descend towards the earth with terrifying speed.

The sword was enormous, easily as long as a city block, and it blazed with an otherworldly energy that made the air around it crackle with electricity.

As it fell, it sliced through clouds and stars alike, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Everyone halted their breaths as they looked at the sky, which had become empty almost instantly. Prince Murdock had not attacked yet, but his aura had already pressed on everyone's heart like a mountain.

Rumble! Rumble!

When the sword started to fall, the entire Pillar shook, and the waves came hurling toward the land like enormous tsunamis.

the realization of what

the shore, but there was nowhere to go. The wave

shore, sending water and

the water swept, only disaster was left behind

"Move back!"

"Retreat, quickly!"

they were doing, everyone retreated further into the island. Those who could, flew in the sky, but such individuals numbered far less than those that couldn't, and the water continued to flood the entire island, slowly

Drip. Drip.

pour down from the sky, and anguished cries

your

the island. He could hear the anguished

sympathize with the death of his soldiers, he was shocked to find out that the human in front of him was even more ruthless

him, he spared nothing and even put his own

That…

very long to be impressed as the

distorted, and so did Prince Murdock's expression. Glaring at the large sword that was headed his way, a wave

were crashing on the people came to a sudden stop, and

suddenly started to

Thump! Thump! Thump!

the ground, lifeless. In the meantime, the power that surrounded Prince Murdock increased, and his

glared at the approaching sword and concentrated all of his power on his right

seconds, and just as the sword was about a few inches away from his face, he brought his hand forward, and his hand reached

Wooom!

around him shattered, and the sword

"Uakh!"

pushed back onto the ground. He let out

and it became progressively worse by the second. But despite the change in his complexion, the

slowed

"Haaa…haaa…"

Murdock let out several gasps, but his face was unable to hide the

"I,is this your st―"

"Boom."

his ears and his

understand the meaning of those words, the world around him turned

***

Boom―!

the volcanic ground. Lowering his head, he looked

back. He was trying

finally taking

Ren up, he had finally started to throw attacks of his own. While they had no major effect on him, they still did

Even so…

this was

Swoosh―!

attack that left Ren with no room to dodge, but just as he thought the attack

Swoosh―!

figure disappeared like the drift of the

of Ren standing a few meters away from him,

how

lot of dodging from Ren in

time? Just what