The Air Iron Tail slowed all movement within its range.
For the first time, the concealed Manfred saw his own strike move with such deliberate slowness.
A Rapier Thrust—the most basic technique—was now executed through Nephalian's blade.
Recalling Nephalian's movements, he gathered Sword Qi and Forbidden Fire into a single point with absolute focus.
He had never swung a sword with such complete concentration before.
Yet, despite this focus, stray thoughts drifted through his mind for some reason.
They were the words Nephalian had spoken before.
Was protection a passive retreat, or an offensive destruction?
As his thoughts scattered, the slowed movements in his eyes grew even slower.
Sword Qi and Forbidden Fire condensed at the tip of the rapier, compressing and merging.
Now.
Thrust!
The Wall of Holiness that Claude was forced to shroud himself in was instantly pierced by Manfred's peak strike.
The blade glowed red from the heat of the Forbidden Fire, and the Sword Qi shimmered with its light as if tempered a thousand times.
Flowing Forbidden Fire drifted like ribbons, coiling around Manfred's body.
Claude stared at the approaching Manfred, seeing eyes reflected in a brilliant orange-red by the Forbidden Fire.
Once, in the Grey family, Manfred had been nothing more than a tool, unworthy of a second glance.
Because Manfred was at the bottom of the family, a mere instrument.
Claude had never considered that Manfred might have something important—something he would risk his life to protect.
To him, the concerns of such a minor figure were as insignificant as an ant's nest.
But now.
But now!
He remembered the name Manfred.
He understood that Manfred swung his sword to protect that tiny ant's nest.
However, he felt no profound realization, only a sense of the ridiculous.
Then, he let out a roar of fury and interrogation.
"Manfred!!"
Boom!!!
The two bodies were hurled through the air as Forbidden Fire surged and coiled in a frenzied blaze.
They were enveloped like a flaming meteor crashing into the invisible barrier wall.
Manfred gripped the hilt tightly, driving the fire-wreathed rapier inch by inch through Claude's layered Wings of the Light Angel.
The Forbidden Fire on the blade spread along the wings, growing like a living thing.
The madness gnawed at Claude's sanity—a sickening, unbearable sensation.
The two men stared into each other's eyes, both filled with madness.
Holy light and Forbidden Fire tore at their bodies simultaneously.
Finally, the rapier pierced Claude's chest. The last of the Forbidden Fire from the Candelabra poured out, staining his chest along the blade.
Claude collapsed weakly against the barrier wall created by the Air Iron Tail.
Manfred wrenched the rapier out; its blade was already ruined by the intense heat of the Forbidden Fire.
He tried to use the sword to prop himself up, but it snapped in half with a sharp crack.
Just as he was about to fall to the ground, Nephalian caught him.
Vines coiled around him, beginning to heal his wounds.
"Heh... Hahaha!"
Claude laughed manically. The unquenchable Forbidden Fire spread from his wound, burning through his chest cavity.
Whether his laughter came from the fire's madness or his own was unclear.
Amidst the frenzied power of the Forbidden Fire, Claude's life flashed before his eyes.
He never imagined he would fall in such an insignificant dungeon on the border.
Like the child of a lowly maid, he was dying in a place that befitted his status.
He loathed those of lowly birth and blood.
He loathed the half of his own blood that didn't belong to the Grey family—the half from that lowly maid.
He had been desperate to prove himself, to prove the nobility of his blood.
He clawed at the invisible barrier wall behind him, but his body slid down uncontrollably.
By the time he hit the ground, the Forbidden Fire had burned him into two pieces.
He looked up, realizing he could no longer escape death.
He was dying by the sword of a lowly orphan.
His eyes widened as he raised his hand, squeezing out the last of his life force and all the power of a fourth-rank priest.
Eomer sensed the danger first, quickly manipulating vines to pull Manfred and Nephalian toward him.
The vines grew rapidly, forming a vine sphere that enveloped them in layer after layer of defense.
The elven heavy warrior raised his shield, activating Immovable Fortress at the innermost layer.
Boom!!
In a world-shaking roar, holy light entwined with Forbidden Fire erupted.
Like a detonating bomb, it tore through massive sections of the walls.
'How can it be this strong?'
'Did the Forbidden Fire burning on his body amplify the power of the holy light?'
'What a terrifying flame.'
Eomer struggled to maintain the vines, hardening them, yet the holy light tainted by Forbidden Fire continued to annihilate them layer by layer.
The elven heavy warrior gripped his shield, exerting every ounce of strength to maintain the Immovable Fortress.
The ground trembled violently, forcing everyone to stay low to maintain their balance.
Outside, the Giant Emerald Tree that had imprisoned Caiman began to crumble under the impact.
Caiman gripped the Forgotten Hero, gritting his teeth.
Claude is dead!
Killed by the Forbidden Fire and Manfred's sword!
The Giant Emerald Tree shattered completely. Caiman held onto the Forgotten Hero, relying on its defensive power to keep himself upright.
However, it wasn't just holy light hitting him, but Forbidden Fire mixed within it.
Looking at the fire that had just burned a fourth-rank priest alive, Caiman nearly screamed in terror.
His fear of the Forbidden Fire had reached its peak.
As had his desire for it.
Watching the burning fire, he suddenly remembered something and pulled a ruby from his chest.
It was the ruby taken from the Candelabra, given to him by the prisoner of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment, Origami Mane.
Suppressing his fear, he held up the ruby.
Sure enough, the powerful Forbidden Fire was absorbed into the ruby.
Caiman was overjoyed. While using the Forgotten Hero for protection, he used the ruby to absorb the incoming Forbidden Fire.
This truly is a treasure!
With this, I might actually have a chance to obtain the Forbidden Fire!
Walls, partitions, and the vaulted ceiling were ground to dust by the shockwave.
His body continued to fall.
The entire palace labyrinth shook, and everyone within felt the tremor.
Those furthest away felt only a slight swaying of the palace.
Exploring the labyrinth, Serafina looked up.
"What's that noise?"
"Whatever. Nothing is surprising in the Well of Eternal Imprisonment. I shouldn't judge this place by the standards of other dungeons."
"Finding my companions is more important. This damn labyrinth even has spatial teleportation."
"Is this really the difficulty level for the tenth floor?"
Rate on N.U.
