The Author's POV Chapter 857 The Last Battle – What Is An End Is Also A Beginning [4]



'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…'

Perched atop the building with her bowstring pulled on an empty bow, Amanda repeatedly recalled Ren's words from moments earlier, right before he departed for one of the Pillars.

A colossal clash beyond her wildest imagination raged directly before her eyes, leaving her frozen in place, breath caught in her throat as she watched.

'How can I even intervene in something like that?'

The same desperate question looped endlessly in Amanda's mind while sweat slid down her cheek and her fingers clenched tighter around the bow.

BANG—! BANG—! The shockwaves from their ferocious fight blasted all the way to her position, unleashing a fierce gust that whipped her hair wildly. Channeling mana into her feet, she anchored herself firmly, and once the dust settled, a dramatic shift unfolded in the battle below.

"Oh, no…"

Amanda's heart tightened painfully as she witnessed the Demon King hammering Ren with brutal punches straight to his face, ripping the ground apart beneath them.

Suddenly, the circular projections behind her aligned—from biggest to tiniest—and her whole frame began to shake uncontrollably.

Just as she prepared to summon her arrow, Ren's warning echoed in her thoughts once more, forcing her to hold back.

'Not yet…'

The perfect moment hadn't arrived, and deep down, she understood that clearly.

BANG—! Flinching at Jezebeth's next devastating strike, Amanda refused to avert her eyes, locking her stare on Ren while battling the urge to act. She bit down hard on her lip in silence.

After yet another blow, she saw the Demon King slap his hand over Ren's face, leaving his back wide open to her. Moments later, glowing golden runes appeared on his palm.

The identical runes soon spread across Ren's face, drifting away toward the Demon King's hand as the surrounding reality warped unnaturally.

Ren's form rapidly withered like a desiccated corpse, and Amanda could no longer hold back.

Stepping one foot ahead, she inhaled deeply in silence, materializing an arrow on her bowstring. As it formed, faint murmurs filled the air, with golden runes swirling around her location.

The weight of her bow grew immensely heavier, and a searing burn engulfed her body while her hands visibly aged before her eyes. Yet, enduring the agony, her focus remained laser-sharp on Jezebeth's vulnerable back.

Meanwhile, Ren's body shriveled further, teetering on the edge of death, when Amanda finally released the string.

TWAAAA—!

Everything blurred after that release—she couldn't remember precisely—but her bow crumbled into dust scattering before her, and pure whiteness swallowed her world.

A profound hush descended over everything next. Colors slowly returned to the scene, but…

Tragically, just then, her vision faded to white again, her body slumping forward powerlessly.

Thump—!

***

TWAAANG—!

In an instant, blinding white light flashed, and Jezebeth suffered an excruciating stab in his back. His body convulsed wildly as unimaginable agony surged through every fiber of his being.

"Y,you…"

Glancing downward, he met Ren's faint smile, hands gripping his forearms while a radiant glow pulsed from them, unleashing laws from Ren's core.

"Akh."

Some force drained his inner energy relentlessly, his strength ebbing away second by second.

Conversely, Ren's shrunken frame plumped up steadily, restoring his original appearance bit by bit.

'I can't…'

Horrified as his hard-earned power slipped away, Jezebeth snapped his head up and bashed it against Ren's.

BANG—! Sharp pain throbbed in his skull, but it paled against the torment in his back.

His desperate move paid off, though, as the hold on his hands slackened.

"Ah… ah!"

Thump! Thump!

He staggered backward, breaking free from Ren and collapsing onto his rear.

"Haaa… haaa…"

Gulping air desperately, he struggled to muster any remaining energy, only to discover his reserves utterly depleted.

Rustle—! Rustle—! Detecting motion from across the way, Jezebeth lifted his gaze to find Ren staggering toward him.

Even after siphoning his energy, he himself appeared quite feeble, his arms dangling limply as he shuffled toward his position.

Gazing at his form, Jezebeth gritted his teeth and hauled himself upright.

Just like him, he staggered ahead, pushing through all the pain he felt, inching closer until only a few meters separated them.

BANG—! Without wasting a moment, the pair launched fists straight at one another. The strikes connected perfectly with each other's cheeks, snapping their heads backward.

That… clearly wasn't sufficient, for they pulled back their fists and swung again at each other.

BANG—!

Their devastating strikes that ripped through the air and shattered the ground were no more. Now, the battle had shifted entirely, with the duo clashing using only their physical forms.

From a distance, whether demons or members of the four races, all eyes turned toward them as they traded blows relentlessly.

Though visibly diminished from their prior strength, no one dared intervene, holding their breath while watching the pair intently.

Everyone understood that the fight's winner would determine the war's outcome…

BANG—! BANG—! Perfectly matched, they traded punch for punch. Whenever Jezebeth connected, Ren did too, the pattern repeating endlessly.

In spite of their blows growing clumsier and slower over time, both kept pressing the assault, unconcerned by the decline.

"Uakh!"

BANG—! After another exchange, they both reeled back, and right as Jezebeth prepared to advance once more, agony exploded in his back, freezing his motion for an instant.

That brief pause gave Ren the opening to charge and slam a headbutt right into his face, hurling him backward.

Thump—!

Landing hard on his rear, Jezebeth struggled to rise but lacked the strength, and lifting his gaze, he watched a foot smash directly onto his face, grinding it into the dirt.

"Urkh."

From then on… he kept his head down, staring vacantly at the sky.

He yearned to rise but couldn't. Nearly every inch of his frame lay shattered, and his inner energy had vanished long ago.

Reduced to a hollow remnant of his past glory, acknowledging his frailty, he ground his teeth in fury.

"I… I was so close…"

Those faint words escaped him as he gazed at the sky, now restored to its blue hue.

Something in the clear blue expanse had always soothed him. It evoked memories of his home… the world he once claimed as his own, where his parents resided.

He'd intended to withdraw from everything right after seizing the records and uncovering the reality.

His scheme involved retreating to a realm like this—serene and tranquil.

A place echoing his home planet, yet…

Thump—!

Darkness fell across his sight as a pair of intense blue eyes filled his view.

Locking eyes with them, Jezebeth sensed his world collapsing, and despite the bitterness… he yielded to the reality.

At his core, he'd always recognized defeat as a likely end, preparing for it ages ago.

The preparation proved worthwhile, as his eyelids drooped shut and silence enveloped his surroundings.

No regrets filled his thoughts, merely sorrow…

If only…

That notion remained unfinished. In that instant, all ended, and Jezebeth's presence vanished from existence.

***

"I… I… haaa…"

Breathing and talking proved nearly impossible right then. My body felt utterly wrecked, eyes struggling to stay sharp.

The blurry shape of Jezebeth's form dominated my sight, and I strained to maintain my hand pressed against him.

Golden runes and inscriptions swirled through the air, yet staying awake grew increasingly difficult.

Still, I held my palm firm on Jezebeth's corpse, feeling reality warp around me. A heavy pull dragged at my being, my sight fracturing apart.

Right before blacking out fully, the landscape shifted dramatically.

I seemed to stand amid lush greenery, though certainty escaped me.

Suddenly, Jezebeth's body faded away, golden runes drifting above me. My palm hit the earth, a strange sensation tingling my fingers.

Through sheer will, I glimpsed metallic fragments shrouded in a subtle black vapor.

My fingers grasped for the shards, and darkness claimed my vision completely.