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.

like you can

completely vanished, and his body had shrunk back to its

strength, while still considerably strong, was a far cry from what it was

as he once did. In fact, without the constraints of the Pillar weighing me down, I

"Y.. you… you maniac."

said, his

really risk the lives of all those that were within the tower just to kill me?

bother finishing what you wanted to

front of my eyes. Sword in hand, I pointed it straight

Clank—!

to react to my movements. But it

without the pillar supporting him, he was still considered to be one of the most powerful

Still…

come to

a searing pain engulfed every part of my

"Stop."

the last thing on my mind as the Prince's body came

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

This time…

they managed

"Argh!"

as he let out an agonized scream, spraying

so that they would all become lodged in his joints, stopping

forward, I arrived before the

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

mind was even number as I reached

y,you! What are

but I wasn't interested in anything that

hand, I grasped onto his head, and through

lot of things that I wanted to say to him at the moment, but

such nonsense. I needed to end things

And so I did.

"Goodbye."

Swoosh—!

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

its uses as I brought it to

for the core with my hand and calmly observed

air around it, and the demonic blood that was within my body pulsed and writhed in response to the power that was hidden within the

I put the core away and finally took a

looks like I've overdone

observed my body and saw that a lot of the wounds I sustained weren't healing, I knew that I had

with this body

put, this body was not fit to hold the

what choice did I have?

"Ren."

when I turned my head, I caught sight

like they've made it out alive without

Pillar was a reckless move, but I didn't do so without

within my body, I was able to

alive. I could

you alright? What happened to

to come was

from top to bottom, and on

"I'm alright."