Veins bulged on Daemon's forehead.
He didn't understand.
He couldn't understand—
How?
How could his opponent rise every time he knocked him down?
How could he counterattack even from such a state?
It defied all logic.
But no matter what it cost—
"I'll crush you here and now!"
Gathering every last drop of aura left in his body—
Daemon launched himself toward Frey,
Engulfed in a black lightning storm,
Trapped within a violent gale.
Frey—
Unleashed a monstrous amount of dark aura in return ..
Charging to meet him without hesitation.
And once again ...
They smashed into each other violently.
Amidst an endless spiral of explosions—
The audience watched, faces blank.
Even the Titans didn't know how to react.
*Huff*
*Huff*
A massive intake of air ..
Then release—
From that beast on the battlefield.
Daemon was panting hard.
But—
He was the only one gasping.
Daemon stared in disbelief at the young man exchanging blows with him.
Frey ...
Didn't even look tired.
Injured, yes.
Burned, yes.
Covered in filth, yes.
But that face—
It stared at him as if saying:
"Come."
"I'll keep going for an eternity if I must."
Daemon—
Felt his mind tearing apart.
His fists were dripping with Frey's blood.
Was this even real?
"What the hell are you, Frey Starlight?!"
BOOM
BOOM
BOOOOM!!
The third exchange ..
Maybe the fourth—
Daemon stood there,
Breathless,
Arms hanging heavily at his sides—
Barely able to stay on his feet,
While Frey lay crumpled before him.
He had knocked him down again.
Inside that proud warrior's mind—
He wished.
No,
He begged.
That this time ..
That man wouldn't rise again.
But of course—
Frey stood back up.
Standing there once more before him—
Daemon felt his sanity slipping.
"This isn't a battle anymore..."
Commented Oliver Khan,
The crimson eyes behind his mask gleaming coldly.
"Daemon Valerion has already defeated him four times."
He had fought Frey four times—
Knocked him down four times.
But this wasn't a battle anymore.
This—
Was a war.
"A war… that Frey will win."
Maekar turned sharply—
Surprised by the masked man's declaration.
He wasn't used to hearing such statements from him.
Could it be ..
That even he had been moved—
By that boy still standing in the arena?
Inside the arena ..
With an earth-shattering roar ..
Black lightning surged wildly around the furious Daemon Valerion.
He too had suffered serious injuries after four brutal clashes—
But rage burned hotter than any wound.
"I'll kill you!!"
The amount of aura Daemon gathered—
Was far greater than anything he had unleashed before.
But Frey ..
Simply laughed.
"You can't."
With that same bloodied smile—
Frey pointed at Daemon.
"You've already hit your limit."
And just as he said those words—
Daemon's nose exploded with a violent gush of blood, Drenching his face in red.
Daemon clutched his face immediately,
Feeling a surge of pain coursing through him.
Frey stepped toward him again.
"Black Lightning Aura… it's the strongest variant of lightning."
"But it consumes an insane amount of stamina ,And aura alike."
"Tell me, Daemon…"
"How long have you been fighting while using it?"
Daemon Valerion was strong—
Yes—
But he had barely reached the middle of B rank.
His aura and stamina had limits—
Unlike Frey.
Frey ..
Who was also burning with pain.
Daemon's attacks were no joke.
But ..
What did that matter to him?
Compared to the countless brutal blows his body had already endured—
Were Daemon's strikes really the worst he had taken?
Of course not.
"You cannot defeat me, Daemon Valerion."
"You're not on my level."
"You're not even qualified..."
"To exist in the same world as me."
Frey gathered the darkness around him.
Even though pain meant nothing to him—
His wounds were real.
It was time to end this.
As for Daemon ..
Hearing those words ..
Words that cut deeper than any physical wound ..
The proud lion roared back—
No longer caring about anything.
He continued to gather Black Lightning Aura,
Even as blood poured from his nose,
Even as it streamed from his eyes.
Even as he vomited it.
For the first time since the battle began ..
Frey's eyes widened slightly—
Surprised at his opponent's desperate struggle.
Surprised at how Daemon, too,
Was willing to destroy his own body just to continue fighting.
"I won't lose!!!"
Instantly—
Frey's expression hardened.
He activated Ascension.
His opponent ..
Would strike with everything he had left.
And Frey ..
Decided to do the same.
One gathered crushing Black Lightning—
The other—
Summoned an absurd amount of Dark Aura around his blade.
Both warriors—
Were swallowed by storms of explosive energy.
"Dragon Gate..."
"Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow..."
They glared at each other—
Standing within a whirlwind of aura and blood.
Then—
They unleashed it all.
"Spirit of Lightning!!"
"Infinite Darkness!!"
Daemon summoned a black dragon of lightning—
While Frey—
Unleashed a wave of darkness that swallowed the world whole.
The entire world ..
Watched as they collided.
Sword against fist.
Lightning devoured darkness—
Darkness engulfed lightning—
An explosion erupted, deafening and blinding,
Drowning everything in smoke and chaos.
The impact consumed the arena in dust and destruction.
The lightning seared the darkness.
The darkness devoured the lightning.
Everyone held their breath—
Pressed against their screens—
Waiting.
Who had won?
Who was still standing?
Who had survived?!
From within the smoke—
Two figures emerged.
Both covered in blood and filth.
Daemon—
With a deep gash across his chest.
And Frey—
His entire body battered and broken.
Both—
Still standing.
But ..
Frey moved first.
Despite that broken body—
He charged at Daemon from out of nowhere.
Daemon tried to respond.
But his body refused to move.
The shock tearing through him had paralyzed him where he stood.
Daemon Valerion cursed under his breath.
"Damn it!!!!"
With the last drops of aura left in him ..
The wounded lion formed ten blades of cutting wind.
Those blades ..
Were fired chaotically toward Frey.
The attack was weak.
But even in his battered state—
It was barely enough to put Frey under pressure.
He dodged four of them ..
Blocked five others ..
But surviving completely ..
While still guaranteeing victory ..
Was impossible.
Ascension made Frey's mind work faster than any normal human's.
That tenth blade—
Was flying straight toward him.
A blade that showed no mercy.
A blade ..
That sliced his hand clean off—
With a horrifying spray of blood.
Frey's right hand ..
Severed.
But Daemon ..
Could only stare blankly at his opponent.
Because in that final instant ..
Right before losing his hand ..
Frey had thrown his sword into his left hand.
As if he had willingly sacrificed his right arm without hesitation.
Frey—
Was still coming.
His sword—
Gathered only the faintest aura ..
But it was enough.
He was coming.
His figure grew larger and larger in Daemon's eyes.
And then—
Frey slashed with everything he had.
Everything—
He poured into that one attack—
Aimed straight for Daemon's neck.
"Killing Blow!!"
The protective mechanism of Daemon's armor activated instantly—
A burst of defensive force shot out ..
Throwing the proud warrior backward.
Daemon collapsed ..
Staring blankly at the bloody youth before him.
And in that final moment—
His last, fading thoughts spilled unconsciously into words.
"Frey Starlight… you are…"
"A true warrior."
Daemon fell.
And standing before him...
Barely able to stay upright ..
Was Frey.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
Frey staggered, clutching the stump where his arm had been severed.
The giant screens above the arena finally displayed the result:
---
Winner: Frey Starlight.
---
He had won.
But he didn't look happy.
He simply bent down—
Picked up his severed hand ..
And stumbled toward the arena wall, using it for support.
Focusing what little aura he had left—
He tried to reattach his arm.
Frey stared wearily at the vast stadium before him.
"One match…"
Only one match left.
One last battle.
"One more match… and it will all be over."
Between the shocked crowd—
And the broken young man—
The semifinals of the Victoriad finally came to an end.
---
Victoriad Semifinals, Match Two:
Frey Starlight vs Daemon Valerion
Winner: Frey Starlight.
---
Final Match:
Snow Lionheart vs Frey Starlight.
The countdown ..
To the end ..
Had begun.