The Author's POV

'I won't bother creating a signal for you. I'm sure you'll know best when using the arrow, but… don't use it unless you're certain it's going to hit… I trust you'll know the exact moment when to release the arrow, and you only have one shot, so… make sure it counts…'

Standing at the top of the building with her empty bow drawn, Amanda kept reminding herself of the words that Ren had thrown at her just moments before leaving for one of the Pillars.

Right before her very eyes, a battle of a scale that she couldn't fathom was happening, and all she could do was stare at it with her breath held tightly.

'How am I supposed to interfere in that?'

Amanda kept wondering to herself the same thing over and over again as sweat trickled down the side of her face and her grip on the bow tightened.

BANG—! BANG—! The aftermath of their battle reached all the way where she was, and a strong wind pressure blew past her, scattering her hair away. She had to channel her mana on her feet in order to remain in the same spot, and when everything cleared up, she noticed a sudden change in the battle ahead.

"Oh, no…"

Amanda's heart clenched at the sight of Ren getting pummeled by the Demon King, who punched him directly in the face and tore the earth beneath the two.

Immediately, the circular projections behind her started to line up—from largest to smallest—and her entire body started to tremble.

She was just about to call forth her arrow when she was once again reminded of Ren's words, and she stopped herself.

'Not yet…'

The time wasn't ripe yet, and she knew it.

BANG—! Seeing Jezebeth punch him again, Amanda flinched but didn't look away and kept her gaze fixed on him. More than ever, she wanted to interfere, but she stopped herself again and silently clenched her teeth.

With another hit, Amanda watched as the Demon King placed his hand over Ren's face, exposing his back to her. Shortly after, a familiar set of golden runes manifested on his hand.

The same happened to Ren, whose face became colored in golden runes that slowly moved away from his face and moved to the Demon King's hand. The world around them started to twist.

Rather quickly, Ren's body started to shrivel up like a mummy, and Amanda could no longer sit still.

Placing her foot forward, she drew a silent breath, and an arrow manifested on her bow. Immediately after the arrow appeared, soft whispers echoed in the air, and golden runes floated around the area she was in.

Her bow became increasingly heavy, and Amanda felt her entire body burn at that moment as she watched her hands age. Even so, despite the pain she was experiencing, her gaze was fixed on Jezebeth's exposed back.

At the same time this was happening, Ren's body started to shrivel up more and more, and right when he seemed to be on the verge of dying, Amanda finally let go of the string.

TWAAAA—!

She was unable to recall exactly what occurred after that, but the moment she let go of the string, her bow disintegrated into a fine powder that dispersed in front of her, and the world around her became entirely white.

What followed after was a strange silence that seemed to envelop the entire world. The world soon regained its color, but…

her world turned white

Thump—!

***

TWAAANG—!

His entire body shook violently, and pain, unlike anything he

"Y,you…"

smiling weakly. With both hands on

"Akh."

something was sapping all of the energy from within his body, and he could literally feel himself

the other hand, Ren's body started to become fuller and fuller, and gradually he

'I can't…'

for slip before his very eyes, Jezebeth raised his head and smacked his head

and his head throbbed, but the pain

his actions weren't for nothing, and he felt the grasp

"Ah… ah!"

Thump! Thump!

himself from Ren, falling butt-first

"Haaa… haaa…"

he had left inside of his body, but much to his

Feeling movement from the direction opposite him, Jezebeth looked up to see Ren

taken his energy, he too looked rather weak, and with both hands hung low, he moved to where

his figure, Jezebeth clenched his teeth and forced himself

he stumbled forward, and despite everything that he was feeling, he continued to move toward him until

wasted any seconds, and they both threw a fist at each other. Both hits landed squarely on each other's cheeks, and their heads

their fists and punched

BANG—!

their powerful attacks that tore the air and destroyed the earth. At the moment, the fight had taken a complete

afar, be it demons or those from the four races, everyone looked in their direction as the two of

a single move

victor of the fight

of them were rather evenly matched as they exchanged blow after blow. When Jezebeth landed a hit, so

fact that their punches were getting sloppier and slower with the passage of time.

"Uakh!"

and just as Jezebeth was about to move again, he suddenly felt his back burst with pain, and his movements halted for a

rush forward and headbutt him squarely

Thump—!

his butt, Jezebeth tried to stand up but found that he no longer had the energy to do so, and as he moved his head up, he saw a foot land squarely on his face, sending his face

"Urkh."

up from that moment on as he blankly stared

Almost every part of his body was broken, and the energy in

empty shell of his former self, and realizing his own weakness, he couldn't help but clench his teeth in