Ateen opened her eyes to see Aziron taking a violent punch from Basil, sending him crashing forcefully into the wall as stones collapsed over him.
Basil stood before Ateen and quickly asked, "Are you alright?"
Ateen looked at him and noticed that his tattoo was no longer black as it once was, but glowing gold, pulsing with power.
Before she could answer, Basil swiftly turned around and saw Aziron rising from the rubble, rage blazing in his eyes as he roared fiercely before charging at him.
Basil rushed forward as well, and the two collided in a violent clash that shook the entire place.
The immense force released from the impact pushed them both backward.
Basil paused for a moment, catching his breath, then pulled back the bracelet to secure an extra boost and charged again, raising his fist and throwing a direct punch toward Aziron.
Aziron reacted quickly and raised his weapon to block it.
The strike collided with tremendous force, sparks exploding between them as the deafening impact shook the surroundings.
During the clash, Aziron's spear began to crack under the force of the powerful punch, visible fractures spreading across its length.
Aziron realized what was happening, but before he could retreat, the spear shattered completely, its fragments scattering through the air.
Aziron stood there panting, his body beginning to slow down, his eyes widened in shock.
Before he could even process what was happening, Basil unleashed a barrage of rapid punches upon him, each strike driving him farther back until he slammed violently into one of the power station walls.
Basil approached him, raising his hand as the gauntlet transformed into a sharp claw. He stared at him coldly and said, "This is your end."
At that moment, just before delivering the finishing blow, Aziron emitted a sound from his horns, causing Basil to suddenly hear a strange noise behind him.
He quickly turned and saw the giant beast awakening and beginning its attack.
Basil dodged the beast's powerful strike, then raised his left arm and tried to control it once again… but failed.
On the other side of the palace, while the battle continued, Nikola stood before a massive lever.
Nikola pushed the lever with all his strength, causing the chains stretched across the pillars in the waiting hall to move, while the circular symbol slowly rotated before one of the palace's enormous domes opened, revealing the weapon hidden inside.
Novich sat in the control chair, carefully guiding the weapon toward the giant beast.
The weapon was a colossal metallic structure equipped with multiple mirrors arranged in a circular formation upon a rotating platform. At its center was a glowing stone pulsing with energy, surrounded by massive metallic rings intertwined with one another and slowly rotating around it.
A pure white energy mass gathered at the center of the weapon, condensed into a single point before transforming into a dense beam that fired with overwhelming force toward the giant beast.
At that moment, King Aziron stood atop the beast's back, watching the battle with savage eyes, before suddenly turning toward the palace and seeing the massive beam racing toward him at blinding speed.
Aziron screamed in fury, "Nooo! I will not be defeated this way! Not again!"
When the beam struck the beast's body, flames erupted violently, and it seemed as though the energy erased a massive portion of its body, leaving behind a charred gap stretching across its entire upper-left side.
The beast screamed in agony, its enormous body trembling with every staggered step backward. It tried to regain its balance, but the energy continued devouring it, thick smoke rising from the point of impact.
The beast swayed for several moments before collapsing onto the ground with tremendous force, causing a violent quake that shook the entire area.
As it fell, Aziron was thrown from its back and slammed harshly into the ground. His injuries were horrifying; his right arm had been completely severed, while his left leg was charred and deformed from the beam's strike.
Deep burns spread across his chest and shoulders, blood pouring from his open wounds.
But… amidst the dust and smoke, Aziron began crawling forward, his eyes still glowing with dark fury. With great difficulty, he forced himself upright and stood, swaying unsteadily.
Inside the palace, Novich and Nikola watched the scene in heavy silence, the signs of victory fading from their faces.
Novich muttered anxiously, "It's not over yet…"
Amid the smoke and ashes, Aziron stood barely holding himself together as his body slowly began regenerating.
His appearance was terrifying; the charred skin tore apart to reveal new flesh beneath, while his veins twisted around his severed limbs like black serpents.
He raised his head and spoke in a hollow voice:
"Did you think this would kill me?! I am Aziron, King of Estlazon. I shall make your final breaths the anthem of my victory… and from your blood, I shall forge a throne upon which I will be crowned once again!"
He took a step forward, nearly stumbling from the severity of his injuries, then continued in a louder voice:
"I shall erase every trace of this kingdom, and upon its destruction, I will build a world ruled by nothing but my fist!"
A heavy silence spread across the battlefield. The people were horrified by Aziron's terrifying words, consumed by despair as fear crept into their hearts.
At that moment, a voice echoed through the air, saying, "Before you declare their end… start with me first."
Basil emerged from among the crowd, stepping forward with unwavering strides.
Aziron looked at him with contempt and mockery. "You? There is no difference between you and them."
Basil smiled faintly and replied firmly, "They are not like me, and I am not like them… I am like those who have no equal."
He then clenched his fist, raised his head high, and added in a resolute voice:
"I must dare the impossible to achieve the possible."
The spark of challenge ignited within Basil's eyes, and those present felt the atmosphere around them change as hope slowly began returning amidst the darkness.
In a flash, Basil charged toward Aziron and transformed his gauntlet into a hook attached to a chain. He hurled the hook with precision, locking it tightly around Aziron's neck before violently pulling the chain to drag him closer.
As he was being pulled, Aziron attempted to throw a powerful punch at Basil, but Basil dodged swiftly, and in the same instant transformed the gauntlet from a hook into a sharp claw.
With one swift strike, Basil severed Aziron's arm amid a deafening scream of pain, then followed with several consecutive powerful punches.
Aziron staggered backward from the sheer force of the blows and opened his mouth, attempting to retaliate by spitting a sticky liquid toward Basil, but Basil swiftly avoided it. Then he lunged again, launching the claw of his gauntlet and stabbing deeply into Aziron's chest, piercing directly through the place where his heart was.
Basil spoke in a cold voice, "I told you before… this is your end."
Then, with a decisive motion and an enraged roar released by Basil, the weapon tore through Aziron's body from the wound in his chest all the way to his head.
A final thunderous scream escaped Aziron before his body collapsed, the entire upper half of it completely torn apart, falling to the ground like a mangled mass.
The echo of the strike continued resonating throughout the battlefield, before a grim silence descended, filling the place with its imposing weight.
Silence spread across the battlefield filled with smoke and rubble, everyone standing in disbelief, unable to comprehend that the nightmare had finally ended.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from every direction. People embraced one another, while the warriors raised their weapons high and shouted in celebration of their victory.
Nikola and Novich walked toward the large window overlooking the city, where they saw the citizens cheering and embracing one another with joy.
At that moment, they saw Basil being carried on people's shoulders while everyone chanted his name as a hero.
Nikola placed his hand on Novich's shoulder and said with a faint smile, "You deserve to be proud of yourself. This victory belongs to all of us."
Novich nodded slowly, his eyes carrying a mixture of relief and heaviness, fully aware that the price paid had been immense, and that the scars of the battle would not fade easily.