The dome trembled when Balor's roar echoed like a primal beast as his transformation completed.
His body swelled, twisted, and reshaped itself into a nightmarish colossus of pulsating shadow.
Hundreds of glowing red eyes blinked open across his mass, writhing and twitching, tracking everything in a gaze of madness.
His form nearly engulfed the entire black dome, the sheer scope of his presence forcing the very air to retreat in terror.
Darkness surged outward in violent tides, smothering the inferno that had blanketed the ground.
But the flames refused to die.
Arthur remained steady.
He pushed forward through the suffocating darkness, wings outstretched as his aura surged like a hurricane of fire and destruction.
The blaze surrounding him spiraled violently against the shadows, clashing like two primal forces of nature, neither yielding an inch.
Every step Arthur took melted the ground beneath his feet, and his presence forced even the corrupted dome to groan under the pressure.
Arthur gripped his Longinus Imperium Dominator with both hands, his fingers curling tightly around the hilt as flames hissed from the exhaust pipes lining the blade's sides.
Inside the Balance Breaker, Ddraig's voice called.
(Get ready, partner. This is your last shot. Put everything into it.)
Arthur gave a slow nod, eyes locked on the abomination in front of him.
The blade responded.
A radiant glow enveloped it, crimson, gold, and green swirling together.
The sword began to shift, the two halves of the blade splitting open at the core, revealing a molten interior of pure flame.
The exhaust vents on the side burst to life, releasing jets of fire that screamed through the air like dragons howling their final cry.
[BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!]
The command echoed over and over, the sacred gear pumping energy into Arthur's body and weapon in rapid succession.
The heat from the blade intensified, licking the surroundings with divine fury.
Flames coiled up his arms, his demonic wings blazing behind him.
Balor's mass writhed.
"I am Balor! The Evil Eye! The Evil God of Shadows and Despair!"
His distorted voice roared across the void.
"I will not die to the hands of a mere halfbreed!"
Arthur didn't flinch.
He spread his wings wide.
Behind him, the twelve Destruction Blades spun rapidly in perfect formation, hovering like orbiting moons.
Even the shadows themselves seemed to pause, as if recognizing what was coming.
Arthur lowered his stance.
Balor's monstrous body began to shift, his main eye widening as a vortex of pure darkness spiraled inward, absorbing every ounce of darkness in the dome.
Smaller eyes across his body all turned toward Arthur, each one glowing brighter, converging their energy into a singular, colossal beam of red-black destruction.
Arthur gave one last breath.
Then the moment exploded.
"DIE!"
Balor screamed, unleashing the vortex in one horrific instant.
The beam erupted from his eye like the fury of an evil god, tearing through space as it surged toward Arthur.
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
[HEAVENLY DRAGON DESTRUCTION!]
With a roar of power, Arthur swung his blade in a massive arc.
A titanic wave of crimson energy surged forth, shaped like a great slash of divine judgment, crackling with the power of countless [BOOST!].
The blast of destruction collided with the shadow vortex, and the world went white.
The explosion was cataclysmic.
Light and darkness detonated into one another in a blinding, deafening conflagration.
The black dome shattered like glass, each shard spiraling outward and vanishing into the sky.
The blast wave blew away everything, fire, shadows, air itself, until there was nothing left but a smothering silence.
For a long moment, the island was still.
The smoke that followed was thick and endless, hanging over the battlefield.
Not a single sound stirred.
The ground, or what remained of it, was a broken crater larger than the castle itself, scorched and splintered like a meteorite had struck.
Eventually, the smoke began to fade.
And what remained… was grim.
Balor, now returned to Connla's form, knelt in the center of the crater.
His body trembled violently, covered in wounds so grievous they barely seemed survivable.
His right arm and left leg were completely gone, torn off at the root.
The left side of his face was scorched to the bone, a melted ruin where an eye once glowed. Black blood poured from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
He blinked through the haze.
And saw...
Arthur.
Lying motionless across the crater, his body a mangled heap.
All four of his limbs were gone, armor shattered and melted into his flesh.
Blood soaked the earth beneath him, and his once radiant form was burned beyond recognition.
He looked ruined and broken.
Balor coughed violently, then began to laugh, hoarse and cruel.
"Ha… Haha… Ha…"
He rolled over onto his back, groaning in pain but laughing like a madman.
His voice echoed across the crater.
"I… I win…"
He rasped to the night sky.
"I win, damn it… You're a fool… thinking you could fight against a god… Now... I'll show this world… true darkness… hahahaha…"
He laughed louder, delusional, triumphant, oblivious.
Until...
*Crack.*
He froze.
The sound of glass shattering echoed in his ears.
He blinked twice.
The sky above him began to… fracture, the stars faded, and replaiced with the light of dawn.
His vision blurred, and then cleared.
And what he saw sent terror through his bones.
He was not resting, he was pinned to the ground.
His vessel scorched, dismembered, and ruined, all four limbs gone, and blackened skin fused to earth.
His eyes are wide in disbelief as he looked down at his chest, where Arthur's crimson greatsword is buried deep into his abdomen, pinning him down.
Arthur stood before him alive and breathing.
His hand gripped the sword's handle, his body barely bruised.
Only shallow cuts and burns marked him, and even those were already healing.
His demonic form stood tall, imposing, calm, resolute.
Balor gasped.
"…How…?"
Arthur's eyes stared down with quiet intensity.
[HEAVENLY DRAGON NIGHTMARE!]
Arthur explained.
"At the moment our attacks collided, I used a technique so complex, it fools all your senses into a complete illusion while I severed your limbs and pinned you down."
Balor struggled, trying to move, to call on his divine strength, but nothing came.
His body refused to respond as the darkness he summoned didn't respond.
"Don't bother. Try to do something dumb, and I'll end you."
Arthur said simply.
Above him, hundreds of Destruction Blades hovered in the air, all aimed at Balor's head.
"You lost, Balor. Leave Connla's body. If you do, I'll grant you mercy."
He said coldly.
Balor coughed hard, black blood dribbling from his lips.
He chuckled bitterly, voice hoarse.
"You're too late… Connla… is dead... It's your fault... You killed him… when you fought me…"
Arthur's grip tightened.
"Leave. Connla. Alone. I'm not gonna ask again."
Balor screamed.
"Don't you understand?! I devoured his soul! He's gone! He belongs to me! You can only blame yourself for this mistake!"
Arthur sighed, lowering his eyes.
"I gave you a chance. Don't say I didn't warn yoy."
Balor's eyes widened.
"No-Wait-!"
[HEAVENLY DRAGON BLESSING!]
Light exploded from within Balor's chest.
He screamed loudly as holy energy surged through him, a holy power of Arthur's sword.
Balor's body convulsed violently, eyes glowing as the light consumed the darkness from within.
"NO! NOOO!! Don't do this to me!! I am a GOD!! I CANNOT DIE...!"
Arthur closed his eyes, his voice soft as he whispered.
"Dear Lord, please free Connla's soul from evil. Amen."
A brilliant glow filled the crater.
Balor's roar became a dying breath.
And then silence.
The light faded.
The twisted corruption peeled away from Connla's body like ash.
His wounds mended, his form restored.
He lay still for a moment, then gasped violently, his chest heaving as he drew breath for the first time in what felt like eternity.
"Ah…! Ha! HA!!"
Connla sat up, eyes wide with confusion, pain, and fear.
His hand clutched his chest, heart racing.
He looked around, gasping.
Then he saw him.
Arthur stood a few feet away, his greatsword resting on his shoulder, flames still softly burning at the vents.
His devil form towered under the light of dawn, his wings gently unfurling, his green eyes calm.
Connla froze.
"…A-Arthur… is that…?"
He asked hesitantly, voice shaking.
Arthur gave a small smile.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Connla."
A few moments later.
The sky began to shift as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon.
The black dome that loomed over the island was gone, and in its place remained a landscape scarred by craters, scorched earth, and shattered stone.
Arthur walked with Connla beside him, both of them slowly ascending from the center of the ruined crater.
The two didn't speak for a while, only the sound of distant waves crashing against the shore and the occasional crunch of their boots on debris-filled soil broke the silence.
Connla's expression was distant.
His eyes stared ahead, but they didn't seem to be focused on anything.
"So… you're saying… I was possessed? All of this mess… that was me?"
He finally muttered.
Arthur gave him a brief nod without looking back.
"Yeah. But it wasn't really you. Balor hijacked your body. You were barely there. He was the one in control."
Connla massged his temple.
"I… I can't remember much. Just flashes. I heard voices. I think I even saw you… but I couldn't move. Couldn't speak…"
Arthur glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"You're fine now, that's all that mattered."
He said simply.
"But I..."
Connla started, then stopped.
His shoulders slumped slightly.
"I'm sorry. I was a burden. If I hadn't gotten caught, you wouldn't have-"
Arthur raised a hand and waved it dismissively.
"Don't even start with that crap."
Connla blinked in surprise as Arthur looked at him directly.
"You think this was all about your so-called mess? If you hadn't been there, Balor would've slaughtered the hostages and disappeared. You gave us a shot. Doesn't matter how it went, what matters is you're here now."
Arthur asked, tone blunt.
Connla bit the inside of his cheek but nodded silently.
They continued walking toward the docks, the wooden pier barely visible through the mist rising from the ocean.
The air was cooler now, the smell of salt strong and grounding.
Then Connla's expression changed.
"Wait. What happened to Jeanne and Siegfried?"
Arthur stopped in his tracks.
"…Shit."
He muttered.
He turned, gripping Connla's shoulders.
"Connla, split up. I'll take north and west, you take east and south. They could still be somewhere on the island."
Connla's eyes widened.
"What?! Then let's go! We need to find them!"
Before he could take a step, a calm, regal voice echoed from behind them.
"There's no need for that, children."
Both Arthur and Connla turned instantly, on edge.
A man stood a short distance away, his presence radiant and commanding.
He wore flowing white robes adorned with golden embroidery, his long blond hair cascading down his back.
His features were noble, sharp and refined, but there was a warmth in his smile that seemed to soften the air around him.
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he heard Ddraig's voice within his mind.
(That's Lugh. The Chief God of Light and Sun. Be respectful.)
Arthur relaxed just a bit and nodded his head in greeting.
"Chief God, Lugh, I assume. Is this about us messing up the island?"
Lugh just chuckled softly as he replied.
"While it is unfortunate that such a location is devastated, it is a small price to pay to stop Balor. You are forgiven, Red Dragon Emperor."
Arthur sighed in relief as he then asked.
"By the way, do you happen to know where our teammates are?"
Lugh gestured with a fluid motion of his hand.
"Of course. Let me show you"
He stepped aside.
Behind him, on the dock, sitting side by side on some crates, were Jeanne and Siegfried. Both looked a little banged up but alive and very much in one piece.
Jeanne was wrapping a bandage around her arm while Siegfried leaned back with a sword resting against his shoulder.
They looked up and saw Arthur and Connla.
Jeanne's face brightened.
"Arthur! Connla! You're both okay!"
Siegfried let out a laugh.
"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."
Jeanne elbowed him in the ribs.
"Can't you just be a little bit worried!"
"You elbow me one more time, and I swear..."
Siegfried muttered, rubbing his side.
Arthur chuckled as he watched the two banter.
"Just like an old married couple."
"SHUT UP, ARTHUR!"
Jeanne and Siegfried yelled in unison.
Connla couldn't help but laugh, the tension slowly easing from his shoulders.
"You guys are… something else. But I'm glad you guys are safe."
Jeanne smiled warmly at him.
"Glad to see yoy safe as well, Connla."
Lugh cleared his throat politely, drawing their attention.
"While I do enjoy friendly reunions. I would be remiss if I did not express my gratitude. You've all done more than we could have asked. And rest assured, your efforts will not go unrewarded."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Rewarded how?"
Lugh smiled.
With a graceful snap of his fingers, a rainbow burst from the sky, arcing across the ocean and landing nearby with a radiant shimmer.
The ground trembled slightly, and from the end of the rainbow emerged a massive pot of gold.
Silence.
"…Holy shit."
Siegfried whispered.
"He's a leprechaun."
*Thud!*
Jeanne elbowed him again.
"Are you TRYING to break my ribs, Jeanne?!"
He groaned.
Arthur stood wide-eyed, visibly drooling as he stared at the mountain of gold.
"That's… are you for real right now?"
Lugh gave a small laugh.
"Oh, it's real. And only a fraction of your reward."
He turned to Arthur.
"You've done what no other Longinus user has in history, you killed a god, even if a minor one. It may not have been your goal, but the result speaks for itself. As a reward, you're now granted one request from yours truly... within reason, of course."
Arthur pocketed his hands into his coat, still eyeing the gold.
"I guess the supernatural community's gonna know sooner or later, huh?"
Lugh's smile faded slightly, but he nodded.
"Unfortunately, yes. These things tend to spread… especially among the Three Factions. You'll be watched closely in the future."
Siegfried slapped Arthur on the back.
"Congrats, Art. My rival is famous now."
Jeanne looked concerned.
"Are you going to be alright with that? People coming after you, trying to investigate you?"
Arthur shrugged.
"Let 'em come. If they try to make my life harder… they burn."
Lugh gave a final nod.
"Spoken like a Red Dragon Emperor."
Then, with another snap of his fingers, a second rainbow descended from the sky.
He stepped into the light, and just before vanishing, he gave one last glance at Arthur.
"Well then, I will be off now. Safe travels, children, and may your path be filled with fortune, Arthur. You'll need it."
With that, he disappeared in a flash of colors, leaving the four of them alone by the shore.
Arthur watched the sunrise for a moment, the sky now fully painted with orange and gold.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."
Arthur's stomach growled.
Connla stretched his arms.
"I wouldn't mind a bite. It's been… a long night."
"Agreed."
Jeanne said, tucking her rapier away.
Siegfried grinned.
"You better tell us what happened during that fight. No skipping the cool parts."
Arthur laughed under his breath.
"Fine. But only after we get some food."
The four of them walked down the battered pier toward a small fishing boat docked nearby, it was enough to leave the ruined island behind.
As the boat pulled away from the coast, none of them noticed the coming storm that was approaching.
Whispers were beginning from one pantheon to another.
The tale of Arthur Pendragon, the first Longinus user to ever kill a god, had already begun to spread.
DxD
Hello readers!
A little bonus chapter as an apology for missing for making you readers wait for too long!
Please give me your Power Stones and add to Library.
Thank you everyone and see you later!