The aftermath of the explosion lingered for a long time before it finally dissipated. A crater several hundred square meters wide had formed on the ground, its surface covered in charred black scars. Fire and lightning swept over it again and again, wave after wave of random raids crashing down.
At the very center of the devastation, a pitch-black humanoid form twitched faintly. Somehow, Claude was not dead yet, but death was already very near. Only a burning unwillingness in his heart kept him conscious.
Claude could not understand why things had turned out this way. The defeat of his four most trusted subordinates baffled him—how could they have lost to Ron? Ron's sudden appearance at the church had caught him off guard, but even then he had not believed Ron could be a true threat.
Against his four lieutenants, Ron should have suffered heavy losses even if he had won. Instead, Ron's performance had once again surpassed Claude's expectations.
Claude had intended to take things slowly, to defeat Ron with minimal cost. The priests of the church were undoubtedly stronger than Nina and the others; their combined strength was certainly higher. But Akame's appearance had overturned the balance of the battle.
The sudden deaths of more than ten priests had filled the others with fear so deep that they dared not act rashly, terrified they would end up the same. Akame's power alone, together with the mystery surrounding her abilities, placed the priests on the defensive from the start.
Even then, Claude had not thought he would lose. To reclaim control, he had unleashed his aura, prepared to end Ron quickly even if it cost him something. Yet Ron's Nen beast had withstood his power. Even at full release, Claude could not bring it down, and all he could do was watch helplessly as Ron moved to support Nina and the others, worsening the priests situation further.
Then came Ron's counterattack: bombs of devastating force that left Claude grievously wounded, lightning storms that bound his body, seas of fire that scorched his flesh, and finally a colossal Nen blast.
Claude had been defeated, and the bitterness was suffocating. By all measures, his side's combined strength had been superior.
How had it come to this?
The reason was simple: the scope of Nen's possibilities. Ron's abilities were too unpredictable, and Claude had lacked the intelligence to counter them. Just Akame alone had paralyzed the priests. Combined with Shizuku, the two formed a perfect synergy, their teamwork greater than the sum of its parts. With Machi adding formidable defensive support, Ron's team became unbreakable.
Claude, however, had underestimated Ron. Once Ron understood the basics of his abilities, he unleashed direct, overwhelming assaults—sheer heart attack Bomb, Lightning Net, Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame, Grand Nen Fusion Blast. None of them was subtle, none of them gave him time to breathe. They simply surged forward in endless waves, leaving Claude no room to even think about his next move.
The moment the sheer heart attack Bomb struck him, Claude could only endure the onslaught. His strength never had a chance to fully emerge, which was the bitterest part of all. He thought that if only that first strike had not landed, if Ron had not pressed so mercilessly, the outcome could never have been this. Most of his abilities had not even been used when he was already grievously injured.
Ron walked toward him step by step. Claude opened his eyes and fixed them on him.
"Ron, do you know who I am?"
Ron drew his blade. Claude saw his intent and grew frantic.
"You cannot kill me—I am a Red Cardinal of Begrossé!"
Ron stepped closer.
"If you kill me, Begrossé will never spare you. Even if you are a Zoldyck, it won't matter."
Another step.
"Wait—don't you want to know why I targeted you? Don't you want to know my true identity? I was once a Zoldyck too! I was one of them! Don't you want to know what happened back then? Don't you want to know why I hate the Zoldyck family? You can't kill me. At least hear my story. Don't you want to know their true face?"
But Ron did not stop. When he came close enough, he tightened his grip on the blade and drove it into Claude's heart.
Puchi!
The blade pierced through, withdrew, and pierced again. Blood sprayed in twin jets.
Claude's pupils contracted sharply.
Ron spoke evenly. "Sorry. I don't care about any of that. The moment you tried to kill me, our relationship became nothing more than life or death. That is all."
What did it matter that Claude had once been a member of the Zoldyck family? Ron had no interest in the grudges of the past. The only thing that mattered was this: Claude had tried to kill him, and so Claude had to die.
Puchi!
The blade swept across. Claude's neck was severed and his head fell, rolling across the ground. His breath ceased completely.
Ron straightened and returned to the edge of the crater. He drew out the Dark Sonata and immediately sensed a resonance. Somewhere nearby, the same aura pulsed.
Following the trace, Ron entered the church. A massive stone gate loomed before him. Killer Queen advanced, a silent explosion detonated, and the gate crumbled into nothing.
Ron stepped inside.
The chamber beyond was filled with Claude's collection—piles of gold and silver, treasures that radiated Nen. Ron was not picky and stored them all in Sumas's space before moving on.
At last, he reached a chest. The resonance of the Dark Sonata flowed out from within, responding to the one in his hand.
He opened it.
Inside lay not one, but two Dark Sonatas.
Ron raised an eyebrow. An unexpected fortune. He gathered both into Sumas's space and turned to leave.
By the time Ron emerged outside, the battle beyond had already concluded.