The Author's POV

'You're in my domain. So long as we're in here, I'll keep getting stronger and stronger. Whatever you do, it's futile.'

The clues were always there.

It was just that such an option wasn't really feasible. If the pillar crumbled, what would happen to those who were within the pillar?

It was a question that had plagued my mind since the very beginning and stopped me from doing the obvious.

That… however, only crossed my mind at the very beginning.

Reminding myself of what had happened to my family because of my indecisiveness and realizing that I had no other option, I realized what I needed to do.

It was as if something had snapped within me, and such questions stopped bothering me.

All I cared about at the moment was winning.

I wanted nothing more than to kill and satiate the numbness I was feeling.

'That's right. Who cares about what happens next… I'll solve nothing if I keep pondering over these matters... I can always deal with the aftermath of my actions later.'

Thus, I didn't think twice before channeling the laws within my body.

Boom—!

Crashing against the dunes beneath, I injected the laws beneath the ground as golden runes and words sank into the sand beneath before moving to another dune and repeating the process.

"Stop dodging."

A hand came and grasped at my throat.

When I looked up, I saw the Prince of Wrath staring menacingly at me with his crimson pupils.

His power was a lot higher than it was before, and it only kept increasing as the fight went on. I was no longer his match, but that was of no concern to me.

'I think that's enough.'

Cr...Crack!

Raising both of my hands, I twisted my neck, and my vision grew dark.

A sharp pain spread across my neck, sizzling down my back like a web of electricity.

My mana, along with the laws, depleted rapidly, and the tightness that I felt in my throat disappeared.

I wasn't exactly sure what had happened next. I couldn't really see or feel anything. It was just… dark and silent.

Eerily silent.

I wasn't sure how long it had been like that, but the sensation didn't last very long at all. My vision quickly returned, and I found that I was standing in the clouds.

The normal sky.

The one that belonged to Earth.

What remained of the pillar and the surrounding debris were scattered beneath me. They dispersed themselves across the land, wreaking havoc on the echo systems that were buried below.

It wasn't a pretty sight, but that was of no concern to me at the moment. Raising my head, my gaze paused on the Prince of Wrath.

Finally, I smiled.

seems like you can no

been enveloping his body had completely vanished, and his body had

considerably strong, was a

no longer appeared as menacing as he once did. In fact, without the constraints of the Pillar weighing me down, I

"Y.. you… you maniac."

said, his words

were within the tower

finishing what you

warped, and the Prince appeared right in front of my eyes. Sword in hand, I

Clank—!

unsurprisingly, he was able to react to my movements. But it

was still considered to be

Still…

to come

shook as a searing pain engulfed every part of my body as I extended

"Stop."

I spoke, my voice sounded hoarse, but that was the last thing on my mind as the Prince's body came to a sudden stop in front

around him shattered,

This time…

time they managed

"Argh!"

dozen sword projections materialized all over his body as he let out an agonized scream, spraying black

they would all become lodged in his joints, stopping his

a step forward, I arrived

dripping down the side of

as I reached out to grasp his

y,you! What are you

tried to speak, but I wasn't interested

I grasped onto his head, and through the gap

that I wanted to say to him at the moment, but when I

time for such nonsense. I needed to

And so I did.

"Goodbye."

Swoosh—!

Prince's body scattered in the wind, revealing a small core that levitated in the air. Alongside it was a pitch-black

had its uses as I brought

core with

faint demonic energy that twisted the air around it, and the demonic blood that was within my body pulsed and writhed in response to

put the core away

looks like

that a lot of the wounds I sustained weren't

with this body was

this body was not fit to

what choice did I have? I

"Ren."

of my thoughts, and when I turned my head, I caught

they've made it out

when I saw that. Destroying the Pillar was a

portion of the laws within my body, I was able to

inside was still alive. I could only hope they

alright? What happened

one to

her face as she scanned my body from top to bottom, and on any normal occasion, I would've smiled at her, but I

"I'm alright."