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  Honda attacked first, his fist cutting through the air like a wrecking ball. I ducked low and tried to use Hogan’s sword to counterattack, but—

  ‘Huh?’

  I failed miserably to draw it. I rolled to the side immediately, putting some distance between us.

  It was obvious. I had never used a sword in my life. I had no idea what it was like to wield a real one, it was far more difficult than it looked.

  “Die!!!” he shouted, spinning toward me as his body reinforced itself with mana.

  It was strange. Ever since the sky darkened, controlling my mana had become harder. And yet, Honda handled it with mastery. He truly was a master, honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to call someone like him a failure.

  Using the scabbard, I knocked his fist to the left while striking his face with my right hand, closing the distance between us.

  To deny him any chance to react, I did something no one would probably expect. I gripped the sword tightly and swung it at him like a baseball bat.

  'Knowing how to use it is just a bonus right now! With my strength, I can just attack with everything I’ve got!'

  But then the blows began to lose their effect as his body grew increasingly rigid.

  Using my claws and speed, I leapt forward and slashed his face and back. The cuts drew real blood, but the wounds regenerated far too quickly.

  ‘The severed arm isn’t regenerating… so he can’t restore lost limbs? If that’s the case, tearing off his head is the only way to kill him.’

  I swallowed hard.

  “Listen to me, Honda. If you stop now, you might still survive!”

  His teeth ground together. Honda slammed his fist into the ground, sending stones flying.

  “I want to kill you! I don’t want your pity! You’re just trying to ease your own conscience!”

  It was true. He would be executed no matter what. A crime of that magnitude would never be forgiven. But…

  ? Sir. Do you see his mana? ?

  ‘Yes… what’s happening?’

  ? I believe the individual known as Honda is dying. Most likely as a consequence of the transformation. ?

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ? Yes. His mana is completely out of control. It will soon be depleted, and his core will shatter. ?

  “You’re dying, Honda. Give up now!”

  He charged at me at a terrifying speed. His arm struck me head-on, hurling my body against the wall with full force.

  “I know that very well… it’s part of the plan. But I want to kill you more than I want to follow the plan!”

  The charged blow came straight at me. I leapt over his arm, stretched out my fingers, and condensed my mana, firing a beam-like burst of fire straight at the back of his neck.

  The damage was severe. Even with that barrier in the sky interfering, condensed mana attacks were absurdly powerful.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Honda spun around and grabbed my leg. The impact slammed me into the ground, the earth cracked beneath my back, stones exploding in every direction.

  I rolled aside before the next blow could land.

  His fist crushed the spot where my head had been a second earlier, leaving behind a shallow crater.

  He advanced again. There was no technique. No finesse. Only monstrous strength compressed into wide, brutal movements capable of destroying everything around him.

  I extended my hand. With my palm open, I condensed mana once more, using [Fire Manipulation].

  The air heated up abruptly. The flames formed imperfectly, unstable, but it didn’t matter. They surged toward Honda.

  He raised his arm and pushed through the attack as if it were nothing more than a gust of hot wind. His skin burned and regenerated almost instantly.

  Honda smiled.

  Then he hit me.

  The blow struck my abdomen. I felt something give way. My body was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing through the castle wall and into the snow outside.

  'Damn it… if I knew how to reinforce my body with mana like Pumpkin said, this would be so much easier.'

  I staggered back to my feet.

  The heat around me plummeted. Crystals of ice burst from the ground, rising like jagged spikes. I detonated them forward.

  Honda’s arm was pierced as he tried to block, but he ignored it and charged again in an explosion of speed.

  “You think I didn’t try to be better?!” he shouted. “I trained until my body broke! I accepted everything they gave me! Everything!”

  I didn’t answer. I attacked leaping forward and driving a kick straight into his face.

  A brutal exchange began.

  Fist against fist. Kicks against chest. Every collision sounded like an explosion. My body kept attacking and evading, I had never been this focused before.

  I used fire to force distance. Ice to lock down movement. Nothing was refined. Nothing was efficient. But it didn’t matter. It was the best I could do.

  Then I noticed something had changed.

  Honda was slower.

  His breathing came uneven, breaking between charges. The blows were still strong, but they no longer carried the same weight.

  “I…” He tried to advance and nearly collapsed. “I was… wrong…”

  His arm trembled.

  I watched in silence. The fight was no longer against me. He had reached his own limit, exactly what I had been waiting for.

  Honda took another step. Then another.

  His knee gave out first. His body hit the ground with a dull thud. His head slumped forward, and a heavy silence fell.

  I stood there for several seconds, my body still tense, ready to react. But he didn’t move.

  Honda had died there, exhausted.

  I slowly let out a breath. My hands trembled as I held the sword.

  “…I see,” I murmured, unsure to whom.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and moved on. I felt no victory in it. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to.

  I looked up at the darkened sky. Then toward the distant city. A massive monster was flying there, wreaking havoc.

  ‘That’s the other prisoner, isn’t it? Do you think he’ll die too?’

  ? I believe so. I do not fully understand what happened to them, but this unnatural transformation appears to be, essentially, suicide. ?

  I sighed. It might have sounded cruel, but those were my most honest feelings.

  “Then we have nothing to worry about.”

  The adventurers would surely handle it until it died. Besides, Merlin was still there. For now, I decided to check on the castle.

  I returned in silence. The corridors were far too quiet, save for the echo of my footsteps.

  A fallen soldier lay near the staircase. His armor was crushed. His sword lay several meters away. His eyes were open, empty. There were no signs of a struggle.

  My stomach sank. I quickened my pace, climbing the stairs and spotting another soldier. Then another.

  Some were slumped against the walls, as if they had been thrown. Others lay on the floor, motionless, their expressions frozen between surprise and pain.

  “Hogan…? Majesty!”

  I found Hogan near the entrance to the upper corridor. His body had been thrown against the wall, cracks spreading through the stone behind him. His chest still rose and fell weakly. He was alive, barely.

  The king wasn't in much better shape; he was bleeding and had fainted a little further ahead. It seems there was a fight here while I was battling Honda outside.

  Hogan wouldn’t respond now. I had no healing skills. All I could do was hope he held on until help arrived, so the king.

  Then I looked to the left, farther down the corridor. The door to Serena’s room was open.

  My body moved before my mind could.

  The room was in shambles. The bed destroyed. Curtains torn apart. The window… was gone.

  For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Countless scenarios flashed through my mind in a single second.

  I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, and walked to where the window should have been. Shards of ice were scattered across the floor.

  The sign was clear. [Ice Rose] had activated and had likely taken Serena away, trying to protect her from something, or someone.

  ? Sir. I am detecting a high concentration of mana being emitted beyond the kingdom’s walls. ?

  'Then [Ice Rose] took Serena to the forest… I can’t waste any time.'

  With that thought, I leapt through the window.

  Amidst all that chaos, I pressed forward, without a moment to rest.

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