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 sand

toward the back of

Pak—!

kick was about to connect with his neck, he raised his hand, and it

leg connected, the sand around us shattered, and pressurized wind waves spread outward from the point of contact. My hair fluttered, and in that split second, our eyes

I had seen him,

and a tangible, dark red hue of demonic energy circulated around

that spread out from them, and his entire body towered

rapidly that by the time

Swoosh—!

arm down, I felt his hand

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

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

Boom—!

My arms disappeared.

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

an unbearable pain coursed through my body. It was so painful that

remind myself that the current pain was nothing compared to

and that it was just

'I've been through worse.'

may or may not have worked, but I didn't have much time to contemplate

"Nope."

half of my mana vanished, and my entire body turned a hazy

elbow with both hands

and in one quick motion, I cut off my right

"Ukh."

of pain, but I kept reminding myself that this wasn't the worst I had

all

Swoosh!

my mana, my leg returned, and I heavily gasped

"Haaa…"

again on me. Thrusting his fist forward, his figure appeared behind

Swoosh!

laws bind me all over as golden runes and words

"Shatter."

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

knew this beforehand. It was clear from

the laws, his

"Stop."

mouthed, 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 also appeared

fist, which was previously headed my way, warped and reappeared from the fissure that

entire body shot away from where I was, and finally, I was able

"Haa… Haaa…"

my face at that moment

"Shit."