Osian felt a shiver run down his spine.
His combat prowess was impressive even as a monster, but the aura emanating from him now was beyond imagination.
'That is the power of a knight possessed by Rommel, the Knight of Twin Stars.'
A being who had become a monster over the long years, with a clouded sense of self, and finally fell without even remembering who he was.
At last, realizing who he truly was, he grasped his weapons with his own strength.
The power of starlight burning brilliantly from two weapons.
He was no longer screaming and even his pure white eyes gazing this way with a calm and upright gaze.
He was no longer an underground monster who had lost his reason.
Though cursed, he was still Knight Rommel, who retained his own starlight.
-Chiiik.Along with a sizzling sound from Rommel's two hands where starlight burned, something black dripped down.
Looking closely, black worm-like tentacles were unable to hold on and were emerging from Rommel's skin.
Those black tentacles were the ancient curse that had been consuming Rommel's body and mind until now.
Being opposite to the power of starlight, it was natural for them to have a rejection reaction from Rommel's body using the starlight sword.
The curses that melted from Rommel's body fell to the ground like mud.
Rommel's once massive form became gaunt, as if greatly emaciated.
Even though it must be painful as if his soul was burning just from holding the swords, Rommel was calmly looking at Osian.
Rather, his consciousness became clearer than before as the curses that had been eating away at his body for a long time suddenly disappeared.
Pain that burns the skin is nothing.
Because a knight is one who endures and overcomes even pain.
Only by surpassing that can one truly be called a knight.
Finally, Rommel, having washed away most of the curse, took his stance and saluted Osian, as if thanking him for waiting.
Osian returned the salute in response, facing him.
They both took their stances simultaneously.
Though it had been a long time since they met, no words were needed between them.
Rommel's upper body lowered slightly, then his two legs struck the ground.
With a boom, the cursed remnants pooled on the ground splashed up, and Rommel's massive form shot toward Osian like a cannonball.
And the starlight swords crossed in an X-pattern, aiming for Osian's vital points.
Osian deflected one with the starlight sword in his right hand and the other with the shield in his left hand.
'This can't be avoided. I have to block it somehow, no, deflect it.'
In the game, you could somehow endure it by rolling with about 4 frames of invincibility, but now that it had become reality, that wasn't the case.
The twin star swords that swept away space itself in one stroke had to be confronted with the technique and strength possessed by a real body.
-Kwagagak!
Even though he somehow deflected the attack, the pressure on both arms was considerable.
Despite trying to stand firmly on both legs, it was inevitable that his legs scraped the ground as he was pushed back.
-Kwaang!
However, fortunately, thanks to deflecting the twin star swords, Rommel passed by Osian and collided with the debris beyond.
From within the collapsing debris, Rommel slowly rose to his feet.
He seemed not yet adjusted due to his physical abilities being greatly reduced compared to before.
'But still, he's stronger than me.'
Osian took his stance again, feeling the tingling sensation in both arms.
The dual swords cross slash that he just showed while wielding the twin starlight swords was one of Rommel's specialties.
If he hadn't seen that technique with his eyes while fighting dozens of times together against dark wizards, he would have been completely defeated by that attack just now.
'Here he comes again.'
After rising, Rommel took his stance again and rushed toward Osian.
His movements were lighter and smoother than before. He had quickly adapted to his body's condition. As expected of the excellent Knight Rommel.
The starlight sword in his right hand swept through space itself in a fan shape as it was swung.
When Osian dodged by lowering his body, the starlight sword in his left hand naturally fell like splitting firewood.
Sweeping horizontally and splitting vertically.
It was a natural combination attack possible only with dual swords.
-Bang!
When he blocked with the starlight-imbued shield, a shockwave spread. The water pooled up to his ankles was pushed outward in concentric circles around Osian as the wet ground was revealed.
The power of starlight lies in overwhelming cutting, but it could be temporarily blocked with the power of starlight imbued in the shield.
Osian once again tilted his shield to deflect and dropped the sword to the ground.
-Kuung!
Ignoring the impact of the massive starlight sword falling like a guillotine right beside him, he dove straight inside.
The fluttering nebula silk cloak split in two and grabbed Rommel's wrists.
And immediately swung the starlight sword toward his abdomen, but Rommel succeeded in defending by tearing the nebula silk with brute strength.
A bright light exploded around them from the collision of starlight against starlight.
From that impact, Osian's body was pushed back slightly, and Rommel also staggered backward.
Rommel gripped the starlight swords in both hands in reverse grip and merged them into one.
Then he deeply thrust the twin star swords toward the ground.
-Kuung!
Along with the light washing away darkness, waves of starlight spread in all directions, blowing away debris and threatening to swallow even Osian.
Osian wrapped himself in nebula silk and held his shield forward.
As the massive storm swept past, Osian's body was pushed back with a sliding motion.
'A wide-area technique used by thrusting swords into the ground. This too is exactly as I remember.'
The power of starlight that spread around remained burning like flames on the ground.
The water on the ground completely evaporated into white steam, and the ground that couldn't withstand the power of starlight was cracked like during a drought.
White light flickered through the cracks.
Through the scattered white sparks, Rommel's figure could be seen slowly pulling the sword thrust into the ground.
It was truly a sight that made every hair stand on end.
Rommel, who had split the merged twin star swords back into two, leaped high after kicking off the ground.
Drawing an arc through the air, Rommel brought down the star swords like splitting firewood.
Osian disappeared from the spot as he transformed his nebula silk cloak into a propulsion form.
Rommel's pure white eyes scanned the surroundings to find Osian.
Following the traces of starlight, Rommel could see Osian's figure suddenly appear right in front of him.
If he had been a mindless monster, he wouldn't have been able to block it, but now he was Rommel who had regained his memories as a knight.
He naturally demonstrated the swordsmanship he had honed over many years, even with his monstrous body.
The twin star swords that spun like a windmill deflected Osian's sword outward.
And just as he was about to strike upward at Osian with his other hand, Osian's shield deflected the sword outward.
-Kwagagagagak!!!!
A fierce exchange continued as they blocked, deflected, and parried each other's attacks.
The ground couldn't withstand the collision of the two starlights and began to crack more and more.
Starlight caught on the surrounding debris. The entire space filled with light as it burned with pure white flames.
In that mythical scene, the two knights exchanged lethal blows aimed at each other's lives.
Rommel merged the twin star swords and swung the enlarged weapon. Osian tried to deflect it but the power was too strong and his body was lifted into the air.
As Osian was knocked back toward the cavity in the wall, Rommel split the twin star swords and swung them.
Following the trajectory of the sword swing, white slashes spread like crescent moons and shot toward Osian.
Osian's body slammed into the cavity wall, and the slashes covered him.
-Kwagwagwagwang!
Successive clouds of dust rose as debris fell in showers.
Breaking through that smoke, Osian ran along the wall.
A path of ice formed on the ground following Osian's running trajectory.
The once white-armored Osian had transformed into a shimmering blue moonlight.
Osian's figure sliding across the ice faintly disappeared.
Rommel's eyes scanned the surroundings.
Rather than disappearing due to speed, he had concealed his appearance by distorting light with the power of moonlight.
Rommel heightened his battle sense to the extreme. Soon his eyes turned toward his ankles.
His ankles were now covered in bluish frost.
The moment his attention was drawn there, a moon blade flew at his shoulder.
When he thought to shake off Osian by swinging his sword, an attack would come from behind, and when he came to his senses, the moon blade would be thrusting toward his eyes.
The continuous attacks came without a moment's rest.
Though not as powerful as starlight, if this continued, the accumulated damage would cause great difficulty in movement.
-Hwaryryryryk!
The starlight burning from Rommel's twin swords intensified.
It was enough to affect the surroundings, melting away the frost on his body.
Beyond that level, Rommel's entire body began to slowly burn in starlight so intense it even damaged his own flesh.
Clearly, it was an excessive output beyond his original power.
Osian, who had distanced himself from Rommel, revealed himself in midair.
'Here it comes.'
Osian realized what Rommel was trying to do.
The reason he was called the Knight of Twin Stars wasn't just because he used two swords, there was another major reason.
One of the techniques shown by Rommel, the Knight of Twin Stars, and what could be called his ultimate move.
'Meteor Falling Flowers.'
Rommel, holding two swords, crouched his legs and leaped high.
After jumping high enough to almost touch the cavity ceiling, Rommel threw the starlight sword in his right arm toward the ground.
-Sswaeeaek!
The starlight sword made of pure white flames plummeted toward the ground like a meteor falling from space and struck the ground.
-Kwaaang─────!!!
With that alone, along with a massive shockwave, pure white flames spread widely in concentric circles across the ground.
The remaining debris that had somehow survived the two's battle couldn't withstand that shockwave and flew far away. The nearby scrap heaps crumbled and disappeared, unable to withstand the heat.
The same was true for Rommel's abandoned armor.
Among the debris scattered in the pure white light, Rommel's symbolic rusted armor turned to powder and disappeared.
Osian had to maintain his focus even amidst the shock coursing through his entire body.
Rommel's attack wasn't over yet.
Rommel, hovering in the air, threw the starlight sword in his left arm at the ground.
Like the first one, a second collision occurred, and another massive explosion of light happened around them.
The scattered holy sparks looked like flower petals dancing in the air.
And finally, Rommel's entire body was dyed in pure white starlight, taking on the form of Starlight Armor, though faint.
And Rommel became a single meteor, falling straight to the ground.
──────!!!!
The impact was so massive that even sound couldn't be heard. An explosion that felt like it was tearing both eyes and ears occurred.
A force that made not just the entire cavity but the whole underground world shake for a moment.
"Wh-what the hell! What on earth is happening?!"
"An earthquake? Here?"
"Everyone be careful!"
The impact was felt even in Zero Ground, far from Area B-3.
The residents were startled by the sudden earthquake and looked around.
Even the Slithering Sisters, who had withdrawn leaving the scene to Osian, felt the impact of the explosion.
"This is from the direction we came from, isn't it?"
"Wh-what in the world is happening?"
After a moment of tremors, silence fell.
The starlight that had swept through Area B-3 for a moment disappeared as its power was exhausted, and the flickering lights around all went out as darkness arrived.
From the center of that destruction, Rommel slowly rose to his feet while staggering.
The attack just now was a technique that even Rommel in his normal human days could only use once.
It dealt damage to himself, and moreover, his emaciated body was covered in terrible burns from using starlight while cursed.
Now with no curse left to regenerate his body, only death remained.
Rommel picked up the bone sword stuck in the ground.
The other scrap sword was broken due to the overwhelming power.
-Woooo.
After retrieving one sword like that, Rommel finally shed sorrowful tears at the fact that he had survived.
"Why are you crying?"
At that moment, Osian's voice was heard from the darkness.
Rommel's pure white eyes, filled with disbelief, turned toward the direction of the voice.
From the darkness where nothing was visible, a pure white light arose.
It soon transformed into armor, taking the form of a knight.
"I haven't fallen yet."
Saying that, Osian charged at Rommel wielding the starlight sword.
The emotion in Rommel's eyes upon seeing that sight was relief.
Ah, thank goodness. For not dying. For being able to fight with you until the end.
Rommel forcibly twisted his barely moving body and poured all his remaining starlight into the bone sword.
Once again starlight arose illuminating the darkness, and thus the two knights launched their final strikes at each other.
-Seogek.
A brief, intense flash of light flickered.
Osian and Rommel's forms seemed to cross as they quickly passed by each other.
They both remained motionless for a while, backs turned to each other.
The sword fell from Rommel's hand with a thud and rolled on the ground.
When Osian finally turned around, Rommel's knees touched the ground.
-Kuung.
Rommel's head turned limply toward Osian.
-My lord, may you safely reach the end.
Was that an auditory hallucination from the past? Or was it actually said by Rommel who had become a monster?
Osian had no way to confirm this because Rommel's body collapsed.