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

that had been enveloping his body had completely vanished, and his body had shrunk back to its

a far

once did. In fact, without the constraints of the Pillar weighing me down, I discovered that I was becoming

"Y.. you… you maniac."

Prince said,

really risk the lives of all those that were

what you wanted

front of my eyes. Sword in hand, I pointed

Clank—!

react to my

was still considered to be one of the most powerful beings in the

Still…

need to come

pain engulfed every part of my body as I

"Stop."

last thing on my mind as the Prince's

space around him shattered, revealing over a dozen sword projections that shot in

This time…

time they managed

"Argh!"

body as he let out an agonized scream, spraying black

would all become lodged in his joints, stopping his

a step forward, I arrived before the Prince

was dripping down the side of his mouth, I didn't

my mind was even number as I reached

y,you! What

I wasn't interested in anything

I grasped onto his head, and through

wanted to say to him at

such nonsense. I needed to end things

And so I did.

"Goodbye."

Swoosh—!

a sudden breeze flew past, the Prince's body scattered in the wind, revealing a small core that levitated in the air. Alongside it was a pitch-black orb that materialized as a consequence

doing, and it had its uses as I brought it

core with my hand and calmly observed

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

the laws, I put the core

like I've

the wounds I sustained weren't healing, I knew that

with this body was simply… a

put, this body was not fit to hold

I have?

"Ren."

my thoughts, and when I turned my

they've made it out alive without

I saw that. Destroying the Pillar was a reckless

portion of the laws within my body, I was

everyone inside was still alive. I could only hope

are you alright? What happened

first one to come was

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

"I'm alright."