A barren land, long since withered.
Black clouds churned overhead. A dry, lifeless wind howled across the wasteland, weaving through rows of dead trees stripped bare of leaves.
The waters of lakes and rivers remained eerily clear—yet tinged with a faint shade of red.
At the very heart of the Demon Realm stood the Demon King’s castle.
And in its deepest chamber—the throne room—the Hero and the Demon Queen now clashed in battle.
…
I’ve only got enough strength left for one more strike.
This next move… I have to bet everything on it.
The Hero could feel it in his bones.
His body was covered in countless cuts and abrasions. Even standing still, the pain alone was enough to steadily drain what little strength he had left.
I have to end this before I collapse.
He poured every last ounce of power into his sword.
A pale blue light began to gather along the blade—faint at first, then growing brighter… stronger.
He steadied his breathing and fixed his gaze on the Demon Queen.
She, too, was on the brink of collapse.
In terms of strength, they were evenly matched.
Still… he never would have imagined that the Demon King he was meant to defeat would be a woman.
He had expected something far more monstrous—hulking, grotesque.
Instead, the one who awaited him in the throne room was a slender woman who looked no older than her early twenties in human terms.
Aside from her faintly violet-tinted skin, she looked almost entirely human.
At first, facing such an opponent had given him pause.
But once the battle began—and he witnessed her overwhelming physical ability and monstrous magic—he quickly cast aside any hesitation.
The one before him was not a delicate woman.
She was the Demon Queen.
The enemy he had to defeat.
The Hero tightened his grip and poured even more power into his blade.
Sensing his resolve, the Demon Queen did the same—channeling her strength into the jet-black sword in her hand.
Her blade began to glow with a deep, obsidian light.
The power gathered within their weapons shook the very earth and air around them. A low rumble spread through the throne room like distant thunder.
For a brief moment, the Hero glanced behind him.
There lay his four companions—along with two of the Demon Queen’s lieutenants.
His allies had managed to defeat the lieutenants after a brutal, desperate struggle… but the damage had been too great. They were now collapsed on the ground, unable to move.
He never would have made it this far without them.
Because they had held the lieutenants back, he was able to stand here now—facing the Demon Queen alone.
But if he unleashed his final strike here…
if it collided head-on with hers…
The shockwave would almost certainly reach them.
At worst, it could kill them all.
And yet—
This was his only chance to end it.
Do I strike… or not?
The Hero’s face twisted in anguish.
“…Don’t… worry about us…”
A voice called out.
The party’s mage struggled to push himself upright, his body trembling from his wounds.
“I’ll put up a barrier… I’ll protect everyone.”
Trois—the mage.
Sharp-tongued and difficult, but the one who never broke his word.
When it mattered most, he was the most reliable of them all.
If Trois said he would protect them—
Then he would.
The Hero’s hesitation vanished.
“Let’s go, Demon Queen! This ends now—with this one strike!”
He dashed forward at full speed.
The Demon Queen responded instantly, rushing toward him as well.
“UOOOOOOO!!”
CLAAANG!!
A deafening clash rang out as the blade of light and the blade of darkness collided.
In that instant—
A black sphere, no larger than a softball, appeared beside them.
It began to expand—rapidly.
“W-What is this…? It’s pulling me in…! Is this your magic?!”
Locked in their struggle, both the Hero and the Demon Queen felt their bodies being dragged toward the growing sphere.
They tried to resist—but it was no use.
The sphere continued to swell, its gravitational pull intensifying with every passing second.
“…No. This isn’t my doing. I’ve never seen magic like this.”
The Demon Queen narrowed her eyes.
“Hero—we should disengage. Now.”
They broke apart, attempting to retreat—
But they were too late.
The sphere expanded again, its pull becoming overwhelmingly violent.
“Damn it…! I can’t hold on any longer—!”
Neither of them could resist it any further.
The Hero and the Demon Queen were swallowed whole by the black sphere.
And the moment it consumed them—
It vanished.
As if it had never existed at all.
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