I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Rampage (4)

I will make sure the young master comes to his senses.

Rio kept getting up, only for that one purpose.

Each time she rushed at Louis, Rio's body became tattered.

Broken bones from punches became a regular occurrence.

Even when she just barely managed to grab him, she would only suffer more burns in return.

Even when she imbued her sword with red aura and unleashed a slash, all she could do was barely push him back.

That was because Louis blocked every single strike.

"Huff... huff...."

As the fight dragged on, Rio gasped for breath, staggering.

No matter how quickly she regenerated, her body kept getting destroyed over and over, and the aftereffects were enormous.

The sword she was gripping was already battered and falling apart.

No matter how much she unleashed the Blood Sword Technique, before the absurd strength of Louis it was pointless.

"Cough!"

Perhaps because of those aftereffects, Rio coughed up blood.

Her legs shook, as though she might collapse at any moment.

Anyone watching would think, 'This is wrong.'

Andrew, who was standing beside the unconscious Pram, felt that way.

"Damn it."

Andrew clenched his fist at the gruesome sight.

A young girl was fighting, sacrificing her flesh and bones, and yet what was he doing right now?

He had once been called a hero and a Swordmaster.

For someone like him to be unable to offer even the slightest help to that girl—he was filled with self-reproach.

'If only I hadn't lost my strength...!'

Right now, his strength was in the hands of this so-called Hero named Bellain.

This guy couldn't make use of his swordsmanship at all—he was just a half-baked user who couldn't bring out the true strength.

As a result, he not only lost to Silia but also lost an arm by recklessly charging in.

It was clear the Holy Nation was out of its mind to bestow such a grand title as 'Hero' on trash like this.

'But that power the kid is wielding...'

Then, Andrew, seeing the way Rio fought so desperately, suddenly recalled something.

'I've seen it somewhere before.'

During the demonkin war, legions of demonkin and monsters stormed out as the demon realm expanded.

The demonkin now scattered throughout the empire were the remnants who survived back then.

Among those demonkin, some wielded peculiar powers.

They were ones who used their own blood as a weapon.

'The power enveloping that kid's sword. There's no doubt—it's the same!'

The power those demonkin used looked eerily similar to what the girl was using now.

Andrew could never forget those monsters he'd fought countless times in the demonkin war.

Naturally, he also remembered that power in detail.

Especially the strongest of them—the leader of the demonkin, the King of Vampires, Lord—the Demon King of that era.

That monster didn't just use his blood as a weapon; he transmuted it into the same aura as the knights and used it freely.

The slashes from that blood-composed monster had enough force to cut through both village and mountain at once.

And now, looking at Rio, Andrew thought,

'It's exactly the same as the power that Demon King used.'

When he first saw Rio's red aura, he couldn't tell what it was.

At first, he thought it might just be a special constitution, but the more he observed her fight, the clearer it became.

'Especially that regeneration ability...'

The Demon King had also possessed astounding regenerative powers based on the abilities of blood.

The regeneration Rio displayed looked exactly like that of the Demon King.

'Could it be...?'

Andrew, too, had heard of the prophecy.

The Hero of Prophecy would appear to save the world, and the Demon King of prophecy would appear to bring ruin.

That would mean the Demon King who died in that war had been reborn now—in the form of that girl.

Then why hadn't the Hero appeared?

Could it be Bellain?

There was no way trash who had stolen someone else's strength like this could be the Hero.

'What is this...?'

Andrew's mind was in turmoil.

Why—why was the one called the Demon King of prophecy fighting on their side?

"Hey, old man!"

At that moment, as Andrew was lost in thought, someone called out.

"What are you doing?!"

It was Bellain, who had lost the use of his strength from acupoint strikes, shouting at him.

"We'll all die to that monster if you just stand by and watch like this!"

"And whose fault do you think it is that I lost my strength?!"

Of course, it was because of the Holy Nation and elves, who had deceived him.

They were the ones who took his power from him—telling him not to just stand by was ridiculous.

"Then let me fight instead!"

"What?"

"Honestly, I don't even know what kind of power I have right now, but think—who here is actually capable of fighting at this very moment?"

Bellain struggled to move somehow.

He desperately pleaded with Andrew to release him, but Andrew hesitated.

"Can I really trust you? What guarantee is there you won't attack us the moment you move?"

"Even if I wanted to, I can't! If we don't stop that monster, we're all dead. Besides, that guy's main target is the Saint! Our Holy Nation needs the Saint of Prophecy!"

The key to saving the world was the Saint of Prophecy.

The Holy Nation constantly drilled that into them through education.

That's why Bellain also believed she was vital to the world.

"More importantly, have you forgotten who's present here right now?"

At the same time, Bellain glanced at the twin swords, Bloodline, planted next to Pram.

Now he also understood whose will lingered within those swords.

"The legendary heroes I only ever read about in books... they're standing right in front of me. There's no way I'd do anything weird in front of them."

Bellain spoke with a trembling voice.

It was a natural reaction, considering the stature those people had built across the continent.

"So give me my power back, old man!"

"With only one arm? You want to lose the other one too?"

Either way, if he charged in like before, the same damage would happen again.

When Andrew asked if he was really fine with that, Bellain answered,

"That only happened because you had sealed my power! If you return it, I'll have a chance to win!"

As Bellain retorted fiercely, Andrew pondered for a moment.

In the end, Andrew pressed his finger to Bellain's back.

That was the moment Bellain's power returned to him.

****

How much time had passed since she closed her eyes in sleep?

Pram had not yet woken, wandering in the darkness where no one else existed.

Where is this?

She definitely remembered coming to the elves' village.

Right. She met the young master again there.

Her own comrades from the legion were there too.

She was so happy to see them again.

Especially with the young master she'd missed so much right in front of her, she couldn't hold back.

She had hugged the young master without thinking—was that okay?

She wondered if it might have turned into a big problem.

But since she'd fallen asleep immediately after, she had no idea what had happened since.

'What's going on? I need to wake up quickly.'

For some reason, she felt she had gone crazy.

She'd shown such behavior to the young master out of nowhere.

What must have been on the young master's mind at that moment?

Maybe, because of her lack of manners, he was planning to beat her up.

If not, surely he'd think of some way to punish her.

'I need to apologize quickly.'

She felt so embarrassed she could die.

It was beyond shame—how could she ever face the young master again?

What must the young master think of her?

That's why she had to apologize before it was too late.

'Wake up.'

She wandered the black space, holding on to only that determination.

Suddenly, her surroundings flooded with light, and the space transformed.

'Where is this?'

The scene suddenly shifted to a forest.

Pram glanced around and saw some people.

People were standing in a circle.

Their ears were pointed, unlike normal humans.

'Elves?'

At the center of where the elves stood, one person was descending from the sky.

Rather than falling, it felt like they were gently floating down.

The moment that person touched the ground, they gradually transformed into a plant.

And then they turned fully into a tree, soaring upwards.

'That's...?'

It was a tree she'd seen before.

'The World Tree?'

Though small in size, it was the very tree known as the center of life.

'Why is this being shown to me...?'

Just as she was about to ask, light again filled Pram's vision.

And in that dreamland, she could finally taste the oxygen that did not exist.

****

"Guhhak...."

How many times had it been now?

Rio tried to grip her sword again, but her hands would no longer move.

Maybe because of the accumulating damage, the aftereffects were no joke.

With tears in her eyes, Rio forced her legs to move again.

Currently, Kelian and Silia were unconscious.

She was the only one left who could fight.

'Yeah... it's only me.'

There was no one but her to stop the young master.

With only that conviction, Pram once more approached Louis and bit his leg with her teeth.

All the while, she glanced at the sleeping Pram.

'Wake up already, you damn girl.'

It was only because Pram wouldn't wake up that Rio was in this state.

Maybe she was refusing to wake up on purpose.

'Aren't you just like me?'

She wanted to look good in front of the young master, too.

So why was she sleeping so comfortably?

'Then hurry up and wake up.'

Slam!―

At that moment, Louis kicked Rio in the abdomen as she lay on the ground.

Rio's eyes rolled back and she was sent flying, breaking through several buildings.

"Young... master...."

She tried to get up again, reaching out her hand.

But her body would no longer move.

The last blow seemed to have twisted her insides.

With all the accumulated damage, her regeneration had slowed as well.

She was at her limit now.

Her limbs no longer responded, and it felt like even her brain was shutting down.

In the end, Rio, like Kelian and Silia, lost consciousness.

No one remained to get in Louis's way.

Just as Louis turned his attention to Pram without hesitation—

"Not so fast!!"

Bellain's slash flew in, blocking Louis's path.

"To dare harm the Saint! In the name of the Hero, I will cut down your head, you monster!"

He held a sword in his single remaining hand to guard Pram.

But at those words, Andrew could only look exasperated.

He wasn't even a real hero.

"....!"

In that moment, Louis's glare turned gold and the sky darkened.

A massive bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens straight at Bellain.

KRRRRRAAAAM!!―

As lightning struck, Bellain released aura from his body.

Where normally one would emit pressure to intimidate, he used it as a barrier to protect himself.

"Ghrrk!!"

At the absurd power of the lightning, Bellain bit his lip.

It was humiliating, but even if he still had his other arm, he would have struggled just as much.

But he could not fall here.

"I am the Hero! The Hero chosen by the oracle!!"

Somehow enduring the lightning, Bellain funneled all the aura into his single sword.

"The Hero of Prophecy... is none other than me!!"

The sword in his hand gleamed yellow with aura.

Since it had once held a Swordmaster's power, its mere release made the air tremble.

"I, who will execute the monster threatening the saintly divinity!!"

The effect even reached Louis, momentarily slowing his movements.

Whether from sensing the threat or not, Louis attacked Bellain with flaming claws.

'Fortunately, his moves are simple!'

Bellain barely ducked to dodge the claws and slashed at Louis.

He struck every vital spot—neck, chest, waist, solar plexus—one after another.

At last, Louis's body was wounded for the first time.

"Yes!"

He had accomplished what no one else could.

He really was the Hero.

He basked in that sense of triumph—

"Huh?"

Bellain's expression stiffened again.

Louis was unscathed. The new wounds were regenerating instantly.

He'd finally managed to inflict damage,

but that was all.

"Ughhhh!!!"

Enraged that his sword couldn't bring Louis down for good, Bellain swung again in the same arc.

CRACK!―

The blade disappeared.

Louis was holding the broken sword.

"Haha...."

Bellain laughed helplessly.

Louis sent Bellain flying with a punch.

"I... haven't protected the Saint... yet...."

Thrown far away, Bellain blacked out after muttering those words.

Was there truly no one left to stop Louis?

It was a moment when everyone despaired.

"...."

"...."

Finally, Pram awoke—standing face-to-face with Louis.