As Frelisk let out his battle-cry like a lion, his sword expands as he slashes down with every ounce of his strength to make sure he defeats Key.

“Die you Heretic!”

In reply, Jane pulls the trigger of her transforming mini-gun. The instant it reverted back to a cannon, a violet sphere of dense magic power got blasted out towards Frelisk.

Both the sword and violet sphere have high levels of magic power enough to level the whole capital. If these two magic clashes with each other, it could kill everyone in an instant.

Cherlaine and Matilda can feel both magic’s power enough to make their knees shake in fear.

But to their surprise, what happens next is beyond their expectation.

[Spell Augmentation >]

The moment the sword touched the sphere, the sphere becomes distorted and becomes semi-dematerialized. Instantaneously after that, the ball gets absorbed into Frelisk's sword is made of sponge.

Making use of the open window, Jane pulls the trigger once again with a weaker load.

Because of the surprise, Frelisk wasn't able to dodge it and received the attack head-on blasting him down to the ground.

“We got him Key! We got him!”

Jane make's a happy remark as she flies down to Cherlaine and Matilda. On the other hand, the other girls were wearing complicated expressions as they look at Jane.

“What happened just now?”

“I didn’t know you cold do such feat, Jane.”

As the three of them stand by each other, they look at to where Frelisk crashed. Because of the smoke, they can't see any traces of him.

They didn't let down their guard. But a slight feeling of relief is occupying their heart. It's not because of Frelisk getting defeated, but because of the fact that Key is still alive and fighting back.

“Jane. How did you fuse with Key's magic and soul?”

Cherlaine looks at Jane from head to toe. Using her >, she could feel and see how the magic is made and how it's intact.

“I don't know. All I remember was that Key instructed me to sing a poem. I couldn't really understand what was happening, but I was able to tell that Key wanted to protect us.”

“Is that true, Key?”

Matilda looks at Jane's armor with a warm smile. She could feel the truth behind Jane's words that it made her feel warm inside.

However, such smile didn't last long.

“Key?”

The three of them suddenly felt quiet when they notice that Key isn't responding.

“Wasn't he able to communicate awhile ago?”

“I can feel his magic, but for some reason, I can feel him at all unlike before.”

Before they could come into conclusion, all of a sudden, they heard a loud explosion from the rubbles of where Frelisk was.

“Now you've done it! I'll kill you all without mercy!”

Emerging from the pile of rubble, Frelisk roars out his rage after getting hit directly.

Like resonating with his anger, spikes grow out from many parts of his armor. Even the air around him trembles as he holds a sword in his arms while making steps towards the girls.

“After I kill you all, I'll cut your heads and impale them and present them to the gods! As for your husband, I'll turn him into minced meat and feed him to the wolves!”

Every step Frelisk makes, his magical aura and pressure increases significantly. The pressure is so strong that Jane, Cherlaine, and Matilda felt like the whole world has fallen against their shoulders.

“What the… he's way stronger than before!”

“You don't have to point that out, Cherry.”

“I… I can't breathe…”

Though Cherlaine and Matilda could endure the sensation to a certain degree, Jane couldn't since she has no experience in combat until today. Unlike earlier, Jane was riding Key's momentum and was able to ignore Frelisk's pressure.

But now, Key himself is suddenly missing. Knowing that, the three of them became weaker emotionally.

“I… no. We, we can't cower here!”

Cherlaine clenches her teeth and holds the golden sword up with both arms. Even with a shaken heart, she didn't allow it to weigh her down.

Seeing that, Matilda and Jane stands up desperately using all their strength and brandishes their weapon against Frelisk.

“As the bride of the man who fought even after his last breath, I cannot shame his name.”

“You may be a prince, but he's our groom! We'll bring him back!”

Seeing them stand up against him again, Frelisk gets even madder and his power doubles again.

But this time, the girls didn't cower. Instead, they are able to stand up against the pressure like it's nothing anymore.

Because of their unyielding will, Cherlaine's sword, Matilda's bracelet, and Jane's armor glows responding to their feelings.

“Then you can all die together then!”

The moment Frelisk buried his sword's blade on the ground, countless swords bursts out from the ground and into the air.

“DIE!”

When Frelisk points his sword to the girls, every single sword zooms down to them.

“>”

Jane jumps in front of Cherlaine and Matilda.

Pulling the trigger, a rain of thousand deaths per minute strikes the swarm of swords destroying them.

“Let's fight back!”

“Let's go!”

With Jane's cover fire, Cherlaine and Matilda splits away to both sides.

Using her wings of light, Cherlaine speeds up in a curve from the left with the golden sword.

“Spirits of earth and water, grant life on barren land! >”

After invoking, roots bursts out beneath Frelisk and ensnare him to prevent his movement.

“Take this!”

As Cherlaine tries to cut him into two, Frelisk breaks the root from his arm and holds out his sword.

Clang!

Their swords clash and sparks fly. Cherlaine failed her attack because Frelisk is able to parry on time.

“Not yet!”

Without him noticing, Matilda is already above him with her blade-like wings and scythe ready to cut him in 9 ways.

“Weak.”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Without any invocation or chant, Frelisk grows out dozens of swords from the ground and intercepted every one of her blades.

“Now!”

“How annoying.”

With fully changed cannon, Jane pulls the trigger and fires a straight line of concentrated magic power towards Frelisk.

Yet despite that, Frelisk just looked at the incoming beam of death like it's something insignificant.

In just one stroke, he sweeps off Jane with sheer strength like nothing and pushes Matilda up higher in the air by summoning more swords.

After that, he faces the beam while holding his sword with both arms.

Cling!

In just one slash, the beam gets split in two using his magic-enhanced sword and evades him.

“Just line up and let me cut your heads off.”

Cherlaine and Matilda ignored his words and continue to attack.

“Spirits of grudge and malice and death, stand and reap the living! >”

Upon invocation, dozens of skeletons creep out from the ground while burning in green fire. As Matilda commands them, every single skeleton runs to attack Frelisk.

“Earth of end and might, imprison him in the name of your peerless pride! >”

Two giant pillars of earth grow out beside Frelisk to answer Cherlaine's incantation. As the name implies, the two pillars tries to connect with Frelisk as the center.

“Useless!”

In a single swing of his sword, both pillars got destroyed and crumbled. And because of his immeasurable strength, the skeletons also got blasted away by the force of his swing.

Some of the skeleton survived and continued to charge, but only to get turned to dust by a sword with fire magic flying above Frelisk.

“Just die!”

BOOM!

With just one step, Frelisk accelerates in high speed like jumping horizontally towards Cherlaine. The step he made is so strong that the ground itself exploded like a bomb.

Because he was too fast for Cherlaine, she couldn't react on time and only barely able to guard against Frelisk's sword with her sword. However, Frelisk's power is still above her and she got blasted away from the impact.

“Cherry!”

Jane and Matilda were worried when they saw Cherlaine crash into a building. Not only that, it even crumbled with her in it.

“How dare you!”

Instantly conjuring another scythe, Matilda charges while dual-wielding scythes.

“It's futile.”

Without doing anything, swords pops-out from the ground and goes flying towards Matilda. It's like the scabbard's power responds to Frelisk's will.

Matilda uses her wings to cut down the swords, but the overwhelming number made her stop from running and defend with all she has.

While she's busy, Frelisk is already in a lowered stance while holding his great sword with both hands. Judging from the intense magic aura he's emitting again, he's obviously charging.

“Serpent of endless greed and gluttony, bear your fangs against my enemies! >”

The fire that was bursting out from Frelisk's sword became more intense as it shapes itself to a snake's head. As he swings his sword the snake of flames moves and opens its jaws.

Matilda couldn't move due to the pincer attack by the flying blades. Unable to do anything, she prepares herself for the worst with her eyes closed.

“>”

BRRRRRRRRRT!

All of a sudden, an ear-deafening vibrating sound echoes from afar. Looking at that direction, it was Jane who is firing her minigun.

“Don't—forget about me!”

For some reason, Jane seems to be exhausted while carrying the minigun. Not only that, her face is looking pale and she's sweating buckets.

But because of her attack, it made Frelisk jump away from Matilda thus saving her.

“Tch! So you're still there huh. I'll kill you first, you're annoying.”

“Don't underestimate me!”

Jane continues to hold the trigger while trying to hit Frelisk.

Frelisk continues to evade the rain of bullets. He's faster than Jane with only millisecond of a gap. But that's not all.

Jane's accuracy is dropping each second due to the recoil of the minigun and the numbing feeling on her hands from the vibration caused by the gun's rapid-firing. To make matters worse, due to incompatibility, she's getting weaker from using magic that isn't her own.

Right now, she's so weakened that she can't shoot in a straight line anymore.

Seeing that opening, Frelisk jumps above the zigzagging line of fire. While swinging his sword to the front, the fire serpent stretches out to attack Jane.

“>”

All of a sudden, the ground between Jane and the fire serpent cracks open and water sprays out. Because of its wall-like properties and elemental affinity, the fire serpent’s attack failed and steam goes into the air.

“I'm amazed you survived after that attack. I guess you aren’t a saint just for your powers.”

As the pile of rubble collapses, a golden ball of light shines while visibly going up and out of the rubble.

“I’m not a saint!”

With words of denial, Cherlaine's power explodes which threw away the rubble all over the place.

Cherlaine gives Frelisk a cunning glare with her eyes that are brimming with golden colored magic power.

“I'm may be called a saint, but I'm not. I've thrown away my faith for Key to be able to stand by his side.”

“So you're going against me out of love? Pathetic, you have fallen low.”

Frelisk sneered at Cherlaine while creating more swords from his back. Because of her words, his rage grows as his power increases along with his swords.

However, Cherlaine shakes her head saying that Frelisk is wrong.

“You're misunderstanding one part there, Prince Frelisk. I didn't throw away my title as a saint because of love.”

As Cherlaine stretches out her hand with the sword, she then lets go of it.

However, it didn't fall to the ground. Instead, it floated instead and points its own tip towards Frelisk.

“The real reason why I did all this is different. Though I do love Key, but I love magic more. And being a saint limited my opportunities because of my affinity towards holy magic. But because of Key, he released me from my shackles and opened a path for me. I owe him my life for that.”

While floating above Cherlaine, the Golden sword starts rotating like a drill in high speed. After a few seconds, it starts releasing golden sparks and then becomes a bursts of light.

“To think that the heretic corrupted you to this level… this just means that he's truly evil.”

In response to Cherlaine's sword, Frelisk summons a mimic of the sword except in color red and black, in large quantities no less.

“Fine, I'll give you one last chance. Surrender now and be spared, or follow him down into the afterlife with your pride.”

Frelisk glared at Cherlaine with an expression not losing to a monstrous beast. His anger is raging so much that the swords he summoned have each of their power multiplied by a large magnitude.

But even though he gave her some slight mercy, he got answered by Matilda and Jane instead.

“I was also saved by him too. Do you really think we'll turn our backs against him?”

“He is my first and only love. He even became a hero just for me. If you call him evil, then you're wrong. There is no such thing as an evil hero. And what you are now? You are the villain.”

The moment Matilda and Jane grabs their weapons and points it to Frelisk, he understood what they'll do next.

Frelisk lets out a disappointed sigh then looks at them with a frowning look.

“You all wasted my mercy. Then I'll kill you girls for real now.”

With a flick from his fingers, some swords switch their targets in equal numbers towards the three girls.

“DIE!”

And with a single word, every sword flies towards their target with flashing speed.

But with the incoming death bringing doom to them, all three of them closes their eyes and loosen their body to the warm sensation overflowing in their mind and bodies.

They didn't fear nor welcome death. Instead, the ignored it and felt joyful about the sensation in their mind.

And with that, they speak out their thoughts with the time itself seemingly slowing down just for them.

“In life and death, our souls entwine.”

“Golden thread of fate, tie the red strings of life.”

“In joy we look up, the twilight smiles.”

[And the story of love and life will never die.]

With the final phrase spoken by a familiar voice, everything around them instantly stops and becomes still.

Every sword created by Frelisk are suddenly locked in place like time has stopped, but Frelisk on the other hand, he's frozen from a different reason.

His eyes grew in shock as he tries to remember the last sound her heard. Without knowing, his arms and legs started shaking like crazy.

But even though he wanted to move, for some reason, he can't. Not because his body won't respond, but because or his armor that suddenly became solid and refuses to move. His armor has suddenly become a coffin.

[Can't move right?]

“Y-you!”

When he heard a familiar voice, he became enraged like mad. He understands what is happening to him and let out a begrudging roar.

Even with all his strength, he can't move his body even for an inch.

[Struggle all you want, you're not in control anymore.]

“How dare you corrupt my magic!”

Every one of the magic swords disappeared one by one like dust scattering into the air. With that, Cherlaine, Matilda, and Jane's magic were released like a wave of light. In addition, those three waves of light are flowing towards Frelisk. Specifically, to his armor.

Also, the Immortal Sword of Giants is now flying two meters above Frelisk while continuously rotating like a drill.

[You were too preoccupied by my girls that you actually forgot about my sudden disappearance.]

“H-how did this happen!? What did you do?!”

[Well, to make the long story short, the magic I used earlier allowed me to enter your magic. It took me a while to combine myself with the scabbard to override your affinity with it. And now that I've successfully taken over the magic, you're not worthy anymore.]

“I-Impossible! Such magic shouldn't exist! Even if there is one, it will be absorbed into the scabbard!”

[It didn’t exist until now. I created it myself. And also, you are correct, it did get absorbed into the scabbard, but that's what I used as an entrance. Using my girls’ powers as catalyst, I am able to work even without my infinity.]

While rotating at high speed, the sword creates a line of connection with the armor and drains the scabbard's power by force. Not only that, it’s also draining away Frelisk's own strength.

[Also, because you kept on increasing your power, it made it easy for me to make use of it and possess every part of the scabbard. For that, I'm thanking you for giving me this opportunity to steal the sacred treasure.]

“Aaahg! Damn you!”

The armor forcibly rips itself off from Frelisk giving him a pain similar to having his limbs ripped off. Moreover, it isn't just physical pain. His soul is also in pain as the binding and affinity is also taken away by Key making his mind and body reject the Scabbard.

True enough, Key's way is merciless fitting to be called evil. Or so Frelisk thought.

“So after this, you're going to kill me. Torturing me beforehand fits for you as the evil heretic. AGAAAA!”

Because of what he said, the armor got peeled off from the back instantly leaving wounds on his skin.

[Don't misunderstand. This is just payback for hitting my girls. For them, I can become your worst nightmare.]

That said, Key peels off the armor from Frelisk in the most painful way possible without any shed of mercy. His ruthlessness made Cherlaine, Matilda, and Jane's skins get goosebumps despite doing it for them.

The pain is so intense that the moment the paralysis got lifted, he drops on his knees while trying hard go keep his consciousness from fading away.

After the armor got finally peeled off, the pieces mixes like liquid metal and then transforms into a scabbard. Not only that, the Immortal Sword of Giants floats down and then sheathes itself on the Bottomless Scabbard.

With that, diamond-like gems bursts out from the scabbard and starts glowing in different colors. These diamond-like gems are Divine Fragments in their physical form.

[I have taken away every piece of your power. You will become no less than a normal human now. If you weren’t the prince, I would have killed you already.]

Slowly, Key's image is projected by the fragments while standing in front of Frelisk. His expression is indifferent, yet it carried so much pride that one could mistake him as a god.

“Just kill me! I would rather die than live in shame of defeat from a heretic like you!”

Frelisk scowls at Key even though he has rough time breathing from the pain.

He wanted to stand up, but his knees wouldn't respond and he couldn’t muster any strength. All he could do is look down on the ground on his four limbs.

[What's so shameful about getting defeated? You faced a powerful opponent and got overtaken by it. That's normal. Rather than that, what you should be ashamed of is raising your sword against women. For me, such act is considered disgraceful as a man.]

While listening to Key's words, rather than becoming angry, Frelisk became confused instead.

“What are you talking about?”

[You know what I'm talking about! Being a heretic isn't an excuse to hit women! Though I'm not the first person who should say something like that, but you understand my point right?]

Frelisk couldn't comprehend Key's words. More like, he couldn't believe that that's the first thing that's running in his mind. Even though he said that he aimed for Key's life, Key took priority of his fiancée’s first more than himself.

Frelisk forced himself to look up to Key who's projected illusion standing in front of him.

“I killed you! Yet you're still thinking about your women? Are you not supposed to be evil who is only thinking about overthrowing the gods and balance of this world?! Offf!”

Out of the blue, Frelisk receives a kick on the face from none other than Key's projection.

[Yes, you killed me, but that is normal because we're enemies. But the girls aren’t your enemies. I hate to admit, but I do hate dragging them along into my trouble. If possible, I want them to go to the safest place I know which is away from me. But the thing is, I love them. I will do everything in my power to protect them even if that means killing a god. That's how much resolve I have right now.]

Upon hearing his words, Cherlaine, Matilda, and Jane’s heartstrings were pulled that they can't help but cry in joy.

Seeing how resolute Key is, Frelisk slams the ground with his last strength and clenches both fists.

“I-I admit defeat.”

-End of Chapter-