The Author's POV

Boom—!

My entire being writhed in agony as my back collided with the ground. I previously thought that falling into the sand wouldn't hurt, but I was dead wrong on that assumption.

It hurt like hell.

'That's right; how come I only realized it now?'

I came to a sudden realization.

VOOOM—! While keeping an eye on the approaching punch, I twisted my body to the side and just managed to avoid getting hit by it. It was just by a hair's breadth, but I was still able to avoid the incoming attack.

I was lucky enough to react on time.

BOOOM—!

My eardrums shattered as a result of the impact between the Prince's fist and the sand next to me. With no sound reaching my ears, all I could hear was a constant ringing noise.

If that wasn't bad enough, the aftermath of his fist sent me flying in the opposite direction.

With that said, I understood the reasoning behind the Prince's sudden increase in strength.

'…This is the Pillar of Wrath. It only makes sense that he becomes stronger the angrier he is.'

Swoosh—!

As I twisted my body in the air, a fist materialized in the area I was previously in, and my eyes landed on a long, muscular red arm.

I tried to cut it with my sword, but it disappeared before I could even move my sword, and a powerful force hit me from above.

Boom—!

"Ukh."

I once again crashed against the ground and let out a soft groan. By now, my whole body ached, and the ring in my head only grew louder.

I tried to pull myself up by pressing my hand against the sand, but just as I moved, something grabbed the back of my head and pushed me down against the sand.

BANG—!

"Ukh."

From the moment the Prince changed, the fight had been one sided.

I tried fighting back, but no matter what I did, he was already before me. He was relentless. He kept attacking me before I even had the chance to breathe or properly distance myself.

As if that weren't bad enough, he grew more powerful with each attack, and the injuries in my body started to accumulate.

Inevitably, the mana within my body drained at astounding rates, and my body began to lose color.

Boom—!

I pressed my hands against the

my body, I kicked toward the back

Pak—!

my kick was about to connect with his neck,

sand around us shattered, and pressurized wind waves spread outward from the point of contact. My hair fluttered, and in that

I had seen

body was now red, and a tangible, dark red hue of demonic energy circulated around him. It was denser and thicker than it had

spread out

so rapidly that by the time I reacted,

Swoosh—!

I felt his hand grasp my

air shortly after that as he pulled my body toward his direction, and I

at which his elbow was coming, and the only thing I could do was bring my arms forward and block

Boom—!

My arms disappeared.

all happened so fast that the moment that I brought my hands forward to defend against his elbow, my arms,

through my body. It

thing I could do was clench my teeth and remind myself that the current pain was nothing

this pain wasn't real and that it

'I've been through worse.'

have worked, but I didn't have much time to contemplate this as his elbow

"Nope."

earlier, reappeared. In that instant, nearly half of my mana vanished, and my entire

I held onto his elbow with both hands and

motion, I cut off my right leg, which was still being held

"Ukh."

felt a sudden wave of pain, but I kept reminding myself that

all just

Swoosh!

of my mana, my leg returned, and

"Haaa…"

have much time to think as the Prince was once again on me. Thrusting his fist forward, his figure appeared behind me, and I could only

Swoosh!

me shattered, and I felt the laws bind me all over

"Shatter."

mastery over the laws was far inferior to mine, and I was easily able to break the

that the Prince already knew this beforehand. It was clear from the get-go

his

"Stop."

channeling the laws into my voice. The space around the fist distorted as golden runes appeared in front of me, and a small fissure appeared before the fist. That wasn't the only fissure that appeared; another

and reappeared from the fissure that had appeared behind him, crashing directly at his

where I

"Haa… Haaa…"

down the side of my face at that moment as I rested my

"Shit."