At the same time, Ash, floating in midair, gradually became shrouded in black lightning, making him look like a twisted and bizarre black hole.
From a distance, the black night sky had already completely shattered, blocking out the moonlight hanging in the heavens.
The shattered "black moon" covered the sky, devouring the moonlight entirely. Even the light itself was distorted at this moment.
At this time, even though Ash was just quietly floating in the air, the overwhelming pressure radiating from him felt as if...
"It's practically, despair itself manifested in this world!"
"A Demon King who blankets the world in death and destruction?"
"Didn't the Demon King die? No… this isn't… this is even stronger than the previous one, isn't it?"
The three people in the distance stared at the broken sky and muttered unconsciously, their voices trembling slightly.
If not for the fact that the owner of that aura was still familiar, they might have believed humanity was about to face true despair… assuming that really was the Demon King.
Even though they knew him well, the three still couldn't suppress the fear rising in their hearts.
Because it wasn't a physical shock, but a pure sense of life-threatening danger.
The space between heaven and earth was filled with the scent of death. It awakened instinctive fear, tightening everyone's chest. Even farther away, monsters and beasts fled in panic without hesitation.
But compared to everyone else's shock and fear… Solitar, who had already retreated outside the fortress city, had trembling hands, yet her face showed indescribable excitement.
She couldn't even control herself, staring intensely at the "black moon" pressing down on the earth:
"—This is my true… Demon King! This is… just amazing~!"
Because that figure suppressing the golden land brought unprecedented pressure, making the air itself grow heavy, as if even its form had changed.
From afar, beneath the black moon—
The entire fortress city was caught in that strange distortion.
Such overwhelming pressure, even a steel-built fortress city, could be flattened into a thin sheet or crushed into dust in an instant.
Even though the fragmented golden city should have surged upward, forming a massive golden ocean rising into the sky, unleashing an unprecedented anti-gravity tidal wave—
At this moment, countless golden "projectiles" that could blot out the sky were all forced into a standstill, suspended in midair.
The scene looked as if time itself had been paused during this upheaval, the shattered city floating in the air.
From a distance, it resembled a golden desert suspended in the sky.
"…Even relying on emitted mana alone can't resist gravity anymore?"
Macht's hands gripping the trident trembled slightly. Sweat poured down his body as he stared at the sky and earth covered in gold.
Even so, he could no longer see any trace of moonlight, nor the figure that had "devoured" it.
Yet a smile without regret appeared on his face. "But this is better. Let's fight in the purest way a mage should. At the very end, let's have a fair duel—until the end!"
Before his words finished, countless golden fragments responded to his call, gathering into an upward-flowing golden torrent, soaring into the sky along with his upright figure.
Enormous magic power surged within and around him, like a golden dragon freed from gravity, rising into the air. The sheer mass alone was enough to shake mountains and rivers, to destroy everything.
At the same time, the immense gravitational field pressing down on all life underwent a sudden change.
All the power condensed into a single point, causing the surrounding space to cry out in pain. "—Not bad, Macht! Now… at this very end, show me everything—your beliefs, your magic, your lifetime of mastery—without a word!"
The shattered black moon transformed into distorted light and shadow, converging into a massive falling thunder that tore through space.
There was no sound. All sound and light were swallowed into the void, yet its terrifying presence seemed capable of shattering the entire continent.
And it could no longer be called "falling thunder."
Because as that strange singularity descended, it dragged a massive black tail behind it—what it truly was, was the trail of space being mercilessly torn apart.
It had surpassed the concept of lightning. It should be called a "falling moon"—an abnormal singularity descending from the heavens, striking directly at the golden dragon.
At the peak of this world, two titanic figures of the demon race, true monsters, clashed head-on in an unprecedented battle.
It was a terror beyond human reach, a power no one could interfere with.
But… the clash was not evenly matched.
The falling moon, far beyond the concept of divine punishment, crushed through the golden dragon like breaking bamboo. The "dragon" formed by Macht's magic protection visibly began to disintegrate.
Unable to stop the violent descent of the falling moon, the golden dragon's massive body exploded and collapsed without resistance.
The outcome was obvious.
When the falling moon completed its task and gradually dissipated into the world, the unleashed shockwave shook everything around it.
A tremendous roar echoed through the sky.
Countless golden fragments turned into a flowing torrent of golden light, spreading in all directions.
The shockwave that shot into the heavens blew away the heavy clouds, allowing moonlight to once again gently shine upon this land, left only with destruction.
———
On that devastated land covered in golden dust, Macht lay quietly at the center of the city ruins.
His chest had been pierced through. Blood poured out like a spring. With his body no longer able to sustain itself, it began to collapse, releasing something like black smoke from around him, making it clear he didn't have long to live.
No, he truly didn't.
Only at death does the magic that has long permeated every cell of a demon's body break free from restraint, escaping the body and turning it into magical particles that scatter away.
Even their clothes are eroded by the out-of-control magic and disappear into the air, leaving nothing behind.
Ash, now back to his normal state, stood beside him, looking down expressionlessly, "Do you have any last words?"
"Demons really are pitiful creatures," Macht stared blankly at the cloudless night sky, murmuring.
"The moment I put on the ring of domination, I thought I was no longer afraid of death. After all… if it was for emotions I couldn't understand, for coexistence with humans… for receiving retribution, even losing my life was something I accepted."
"Regret it now?"
"Yeah… if I could, now that I'm really about to die, I'd like to run. But even if you showed mercy, my body can't hold on anymore. My magic is leaking out… there's no saving me, right?", Macht smiled helplessly.
"Even with your heart destroyed, if you struggled a bit more, you could still manage, couldn't you?"
"Forget it. I don't want to keep doing something meaningless at a time like this," After saying that, Macht finally turned his head to look at Ash, yet showed a smile that didn't match his words, "What about you… have you understood human emotions?"
"Does that really matter?"
"Of course it does."
"Where? More important than your own life?"
"Actually… I'm thinking about that right now."
"I see…"
Just moments ago, he looked ready to face death without hesitation. Everything he had done seemed almost like he was seeking his own end.
At the very least, before this, Macht had shown extremely unreasonable behavior, making it seem like he wanted humans to defeat him.
But in the end, he was still like most demons, afraid of death. There was nothing much to say about that. After all, who isn't afraid of dying? Even Ash was.
Even so, Macht didn't beg for mercy. That part didn't quite match what he had said.
After a brief shake of his head, Ash gave up thinking further for now and asked directly, "At the very end, is there anything else you want to say? Like begging for mercy? Or last words?"
"I wouldn't do something like that. If you think about it seriously, this can be considered my retribution."
"A demon believing in retribution… that's something."
"Now that you mention it… that does feel a bit off," Macht paused, then looked at the moonlight again and slowly closed his eyes, "But… I guess that's how it is."
"But right now, you still have a chance to start over. There's still plenty of time. You could try another way to understand, instead of killing."
"You're saying that now? When my body's already like this?"
"It's not a big problem. Stabilize things first, then treat it slowly afterward."
Just as Ash finished speaking, a pink-haired girl walked over from the nearby ruins, followed by a group of soldiers.
Although Macht didn't explain much about his thoughts, and this situation could only be accepted as "it can't be helped," Ash still couldn't accept calling someone this capable a "lost cause."
So, one month ago, he had already informed Aura to come here in advance for today.
"What a sorry sight, Macht," Aura, who had long settled in a nearby village, lifted her chin and looked down at him with a lofty posture, a proud smile on her lips.
"Didn't expect it, did you? The one making the grand finale appearance is me."
"What's so strange about that? Weren't you his dog half a century ago?"
"Dog?", Aura's smile stiffened slightly, as if something in her head snapped, "If I'm a dog, then what does that make you, being a dog to humans? A servant? At least I don't grovel before Ash!"
"What's the difference? In the end, we're both obeying someone. Or are you planning to stab him in the back at some critical moment?", Macht sneered. His last words carried a hint of sowing discord. Normally it wouldn't work, but…
"Of course! I've been waiting for that chance all along! Didn't we agree on that from the very beginning, Ash?", Aura got so excited she nearly jumped up, turning her head sharply to Ash and even shoving him, demanding he confirm it.
"Why are you looking at me now? And maybe you should understand what backstabbing actually means, and think about how I'd feel as the one getting stabbed?", Facing the girl who had walked straight into the trap, Ash had no desire to deal with her. Even as she shook him, he sighed deeply and placed a hand on her head, trying to stop this ridiculous behavior.
Although it felt like dealing with a stubborn child, and in fact, that's exactly what it was, she was someone he had raised himself, so he couldn't really say much.
"Anyway… can we not say weird things at a time like this and focus on something important?"
"Isn't this girl only capable of controlling corpses or something? What else can she do?", Just as Ash tried to change the topic, Macht mocked, "Don't tell me her necromancy also has healing effects?"
"Of course not! My magic isn't necromancy! The system and precision of my magic are completely different! And… aren't you underestimating me a bit too much?"
Aura, who had just been calmed down, immediately flared up again, almost jumping in place.
Ash couldn't help but feel a headache. He grabbed her horn and tried to calm her down, "Don't get so worked up. He just… doesn't understand yet. But I'm different. I know exactly how strong you are."
"Hmph! I'm not exactly happy about it, but… as long as you understand," Too lazy to argue with someone about to die, Aura adjusted her mood, slapped his hand away, and resumed her arrogant stance, looking down at Macht coldly.
"You don't get to refuse. Whether you accept it or not, you're going to accept it."
"So your magic can control the living too?"
"Of course! As long as I want, all life falls under my magic," Aura replied proudly.
"...", Faced with such an overly arrogant answer, Macht fell silent for a moment before asking, "Then? What's the drawback?"
"My magic has no drawbacks."
Aura had no intention of answering. A scale of obedience appeared in her hand, and then…
"Obedience magic."
At that moment, both of their magic powers were placed onto the scale.
Naturally, in Macht's current condition, there was no way he could win. The scale tilted toward Aura.
"This binding force… stronger than I expected…"
Macht's body stiffened under the irresistible constraint. There was surprise in his voice, but… his will and words did not waver.
Even at this moment, he didn't look at Aura at all. Instead, he turned his gaze to Ash and calmly spoke the same understanding he once shared with a human friend when turning them into gold, "One day, you'll also face retribution, just like me."
"I think so too," Ash replied calmly.
"In that case… leaving this power in your hands for now isn't a bad idea. Let me watch, as a puppet, which path is correct, yours or mine."
After a brief resistance, Macht quickly calmed down. In the end, he closed his eyes and left one final sentence, "I wish you… a pleasant journey as well, my outstanding juniors."
Under normal circumstances, if Macht hadn't expressed willingness to submit beforehand, or if his final words were ambiguous and their sincerity couldn't be guaranteed, the safest method would be to directly cut off his head and turn him into a mindless soldier, or control him through brain surgery.
But once a demon dies, their uncontrolled magic turns their body into dust, so such measures are naturally impossible.
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