(Let the final battle begin!)

Alec’s voice echoed as Miko laid on the beach. His eyes were closed and he was grimacing. Sweat covered his face as he dug his claws into the sand. His heart and his breathing became heavy. He lifted his eyelids and revealed a pair of pitch-black eyes.

“Miko.”

He turned his head to Regis who was stooping at his right. She wore a worried expression.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this? Your current condition is very unstable. I don’t think that you can suppress the side effects any longer. The chances of you running wild are extremely high.”

“Don’t worry, Regis.”

Miko sat up.

“I still have everything under control. Besides, I need to do this.”

“To make everyone acknowledge you as the Clan Leader? That’s not worth your mental stability.”

“Like winning this competition would convince anyone anything. Even if I had defeated everyone in my generation by myself, as I had originally planned, it wouldn’t be enough to convince anyone. That’s how big the title of the Dragna Clan Leader is.”

“If you knew that, then why did you create this competition?”

“The same reason for all of my actions of late.”

He stood up.

“I did it for the future.”

“Miko.”

He turned to his left and looked at Ishma.

“Use Crow King in your next fight.”

Miko smirked.

“Are that eager to fight?”

“You aren't in the condition to, so I’ll do it.”

“You want to fight my battles for me? No, thanks.”

“Aren’t we partners?”

“We are.”

“Then, your battles are my battles. My battles are your battles. So I just want to fight my battles. Is there something wrong with that?”

“….No.”

“Miko, don’t use Crow King.”

“Regis, You—”

Regis lifted her hand to stop Ishma from raging.

“Use Draconic Crow King, instead.”

Miko’s eyes widened.

“You want to fight for me too.”

Regis nodded.

“Just like Ishma, I’m your life partner. I’ll only leave you when one of us is dead. So, I too wish to fight in your battles.”

She placed her hand over her heart.

“I’m your sword, so please use me until I break.”

Miko silently looked at the two for a bit before smiling.

“Alright, I’ll let you two fight. However, I doubt that Draconic Crow King will be enough to beat Krul.”

“Hmph! I’m a legendary demon. That brat is nothing in comparison to me.”

“I’m sure he isn’t.”

Miko smiled and turned away from them. Azure blood flowed out of his mouth. He silently wiped his mouth without letting the girls notice.

“Since that’s settled, Alec.”

Miko looked towards the sky.

“I’m sure you don’t want to waste time on me and Krul searching for each other. So, teleport us to the same dimension.”

(That was the plan.)

The world became distorted along with Alec’s voice. Meanwhile, Ishma and Regis transformed into their sword forms and appeared in Miko’s hand. Miko held both swords in front of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His body pulsated like a beating heart. He slowly lifted his eyelids to reveal a pair of eyes of two different colors; Green and Azure.

“Demon Art: Soul Fusion!”

Green flames engulfed Ishma and azure flames Regis. The flames spread to Miko and completely engulfed him until you couldn’t make out his silhouette. The flames burned brightly for nearly a minute before disappearing. A new Miko appeared. His hair was long, wild, and the perfect mix of azure and green. He was taller with chiseled muscles. He had on a black unzipped jacket with a green crow on it. His torso was bare under the jacket, so a crow tattoo could be seen in the middle of his large chest. He wore black gloves with an azure dragon on them. His arms had dragon tattoos covering them. He smiled and showed off his fangs.

“Huh? Did he just fused with his swords?”

Karim was baffled.

“It’s the first I’m seeing it myself, but that’s definitely the Demon Art Soul Fusion. I read about it in a grimoire once before. It’s a pretty risky technique. If the two fusing aren’t compatible both souls might explode.”

Sophia looked at the monitors with great interest.

The space stabilized and Miko appeared in a world filled with overflowing volcanoes. The sky was a sinister crimson and was filled with clouds of volcanic ash. The ground was pitch black as if it was scorched. There was no sign of wildlife in sight.

“Miko.”

Miko turned his head. A kilometer away, Krul walking towards him.

“That’s you, right?”

He wore a welcoming smile.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you look like that.”

“……..”

“Man, they really got us huh? Even though the competition is over.”

“Over?”

Miko’s voice came from behind Krul. He was standing back to back to him.

“Yes, it’s over. Your team collected the most points. You won.”

Despite Miko practically teleporting behind him, Krul spoke as if nothing happened.

“You’re still standing, aren’t you?”

“…I suppose, but is that really important?”

“It is. It’s very important.”

Krul’s eyes narrowed when he sensed a change in Miko’s voice.

“As long as you oppose us, you must fall.”

It sounded as if multiple people were talking at once.

“I don’t remember opposing you though. I even supported you becoming Clan Leader.”

“The words of a fake mean nothing to me.”

“What?”

“I have nothing else to say…My partners will do all the talking.”

Krul turned around.

“?!”

He bent backward to avoid a kick to the face.

“Oh? Good reflexes.”

A smirk formed on Miko’s face.

“Looks like this will be fun.”

“….You’re not Miko. Who are you?”

Krul was lifted off the ground.

“Ugh?!”

He felt a sharp blow to his stomach.

“Show some respect, brat.”

Miko pointed at himself.

“You’re in the presence of the Great Ishmavael.”

Krul landed a couple of meters away.

“Ishmavael? Did he fuse with his swords? Is that even possible?”

Miko appeared at his side with a leg in the air.

“Anything is possible for us!”

He swung his heel down. Krul lifted his hand and blocked it. The ground underneath him cracked.

(Heavy!)

He pushed Miko back and stepped in with a punch. Miko countered his punch with a palm strike to his arm. Krul’s body opened up. Miko punched him over his heart.

“Ugh?!”

Krul’s body froze up. Miko followed with a kick to his face. Krul stood his ground and countered a right hook. Miko ducked underneath. Krul was hit with an uppercut. Krul slammed his leg in Miko’s side. He was forced off his feet and flung to the right. Miko’s eyes widened.

(That’s the first hit he got in and it feels like we’re gonna break into two.)

Regis’s voice echoed in Miko’s head.

“Not bad, kid!”

Miko rushed at Krul the moment his feet touched the ground.

(Wait, Ishma!)

Ishma ignored Regis and threw a kick. Krul took a step forward and punched out. His punch hit Miko’s leg and a crack reached his ear. Miko was blown away.

(Don’t engage in a fistfight with him! His physical prowess is more than what Miko’s body can handle!)

“How about you shut up and watch?!”

Miko’s lifted his fists.

“This body isn’t that weak!”

(Tsk. Then use these.)

The gloves on Miko’s hands turned into gauntlets.

(I’ll take care of the weaponry, you focus on the martial arts.)

“You were always a weapon so that makes sense.”

Miko slammed his gauntlets together.

“I, on the other hand, was born a fighter.”

(My strength is making the difference for now, but I can’t let my guard down when it’s 3 vs 1.)

Krul entered a fighting stance.

“Time to get a bit serious.”

The two moved simultaneously. They cut the distance. Miko threw a fast jab. Krul blocked it with his arm. The air shook. Krul punched at Miko’s stomach. Miko countered with a palm strike. The fist hit his palm causing a shockwave. The two were forced apart. They rushed at each other again. Krul threw a kick. Miko slid underneath it. Krul spun around and ducked under a hook. He followed up with an uppercut. Miko stumbled back. Krul chased with lightning-fast jabs. Miko blocked with his gauntlets. Every hit caused a boom. Miko found himself stumbling in no time.

(Dammit! This guy really packs a punch!)

Miko dug his feet into the ground to stand firm. He blocked the punches and stepped in with a liver punch. Krul replied with one of his own.

“Ugh?!”

Miko gritted his teeth. He punched Krul’s chin. He stumbled with shaky steps. Miko jumped and grabbed his head. He slammed his knee in his face. Krul’s head was flung back. Azure aura gathered around Miko’s fist. It took the form of a dragon’s head.

“Draconic Fist!”

He hit Krul with a powerful punch to the stomach.

“Guah?!”

It forced all the air of Krul’s body. Azure aura gathered around Miko’s other fist and turned into a dragon’s head. He stepped in and hit Krul with another punch. Krul’s body was thrown back. Miko stepped in with another punch and another and another.

“Draconic Mad Rush!”

Punches rained down on Krul nonstop. Explosive sound resounded as his body danced in face of the onslaught. The punches chipped away at him as if he was being attacked by a pack of hunger dragons.

(These punches are tearing my skin apart!)

He leaped back. Miko instantly cut the distance. Ishma had no intention of letting him escape.

“Ishmavael Original:…”

A demonic crow appeared behind Miko. It had its eyes locked on Krul.

“Feast!”

With a flash of green, the crow rushed at Krul. Miko vanished and reappeared behind him. Krul turned around and looked at him. Miko’s fists were dyed in blood. Miko smirked.

“Thanks for the meal.”

Krul looked down.

“?!”

His eyes widened. A chunk of his side was missing. All that was left was a gruesome wound. It looked like something bit it off.

“…That’s brutal.”

“Is Miko trying to kill Krul?”

The audience broke out into an uproar.

“…You know, there’s something I was curious about when Miko asked us to design this field.”

Kirika looked at Alec.

“Why did Miko ask for us to make it so that no one can leave or enter until the competition is over?”

“To stimulate a real battle.”

Alec answered.

“Is that really all there is to it?”

Kirika stared at Alec from the side. He didn’t reply immediately and only showed a smile. This caused a chill to go down her spine.

“Hahaha! As I thought, a brat from this era can’t keep up!”

Miko burst out laughing. Ishma’s voice was the dominant one coming from his mouth. Krul placed his hand on the wound.

(Ishma, something isn’t right.)

Regis's voice spoke in Miko’s head.

(Despite such a wound he doesn’t look any weaker.)

“I admit that I didn’t see that one coming.”

A golden light covered him. Miko’s eyes widened. The gaping wound sealed before his eyes.

“But it isn’t enough.”

“I don’t what you’re concerned about, Kirika.”

Sophia spoke up.

“Krul is the child of a Higher Being and his Proxy. Meaning that his biological makeup is almost identical to a True God. Wounds on that level aren’t enough to permanently harm him, much less kill him.”

(Unlike the others who coincidentally were born with a Celestial Body, Krul was destined to have one because of who his parents were.)

Alec thought to himself. He was all smiles as he looked at the monitor.

“It’s not enough? Why the smudge attitude? So you can regenerate?”

Miko pointed at himself.

“I can regenerate from being beheaded.”

(No, you could. Miko can’t .)

Regis reminded Ishma.

“I see. I must’ve come off as disrespectful.”

He took a step forward.

“Allow me to repay that with my full strength.”

Krul vanished.

“Hah! I can see you as clear as-”

A boom resounded. Miko’s body was flung into the air with several fists marks in it.

(What the? I could see him but the body refused to move?)

Ishma’s confused voice resounded in Miko’s head. Krul appeared above Miko.

“I can see—”

Miko’s body crashed into the earth so hard cracks ran through the ground. Magma leaked out of those cracks and covered the ground.

“Cough! Cough!”

Miko laid in a crater with bruises all over his body.

“What the hell?!”

Ishma’s scream came out of his mouth.

“I can see his movements! They’re slow as hell! So why can’t I move?!”

“Because it’s not your body.”

Krul landed nearby.

“You’re in control but at the end of the day, it’s Miko’s body. You had no problem earlier because you were still fighting within his capabilities, but once I stepped my game up you had to do the same. The problem is Miko’s body wasn’t trained to handle the level of power you wanted to use.”

Krul pointed at Miko.

“Basically, you’re too strong to use Miko’s weak body and that’s causing a delay in your movements.”

“Huh?”

Miko sprung to his feet.

“Weak? Are you calling my partner weak?!

His eyes became demonic as Ishma and Regis’s voice overlapped.

“We’re gonna crush your head with these weak limbs, you son of a-”

(Ishma, Regis, stand down.)

Miko’s body illuminated. Once the light faded, Miko was in his normal form. Ishma and Regis were in their human forms.

“Huh?”

They confusingly looked at Miko.

“Why did you undo the spell, Miko?!”

Regis grabbed his clothes.

“Weren’t you going to leave this us?!”

Ishma looked furious.

“Calm down. I undid the spell because what Krul said was the truth.”

He placed his hand on their heads.

“I’m just holding you two back. Besides, it wouldn’t feel right if you guys won this fight for me.”

“But…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Miko walked away from them.

“Now then, Krul.”

A burst of mana escaped his body. The ground and air trembled. The volcanoes erupted one after the other. The clouds started moving wildly across the sky. An overwhelming pressure fell on the world keeping everything rooted. Veins bulged in Miko’s head as he smiled.

“Let’s decide who is strong and who is weak between us.”