Chapter 191: The Final Act

"Impossible…"

Of everyone present, Aldrich was the most shocked.

But it wasn't because Ethan had managed to deflect the colossal sword.

It was something else entirely.

"That power… Why is the Cult of Balance helping him?!"

As a follower of one of the Night Lords, the one known as Wisdom, Aldrich naturally knew of the Demon of Balance.

What he couldn't understand was why the cult serving one of the most dangerous and mysterious Night Lords would go so far as to help a mere human.

Then he saw it.

That cursed symbol on the back of Ethan's neck.

"The Bloody Eclipse…"

Aldrich's eyes trembled violently.

"It has finally appeared? The demon prince born from darkness…"

For a moment, Aldrich froze, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

And because his consciousness was controlling the Golden Dawn Knight, that momentary distraction affected the knight's senses as well.

Against an opponent like Asterion, such a mistake came at a terrible price.

"It's time to put an end to this nightmare."

A horrifying surge of aura erupted from Asterion's sword, forcing Aldrich to turn his attention back toward his opponent.

The Red Demon had finally played his last card.

Using his Blessing, Asterion concentrated every last remnant of his aura into a single point at the tip of his rusted sword.

So much power had been compressed into that tiny space that the very air around the blade began to tremble, as though it might explode at any moment.

Asterion had originally intended to use this attack to stop the colossal sword and save everyone inside the cathedral.

But thanks to Ethan…

He no longer needed to.

"King's Step."

The Uncrowned Emperor vanished.

He reappeared directly before the Golden Dawn Knight, thrusting his rusted sword forward with every ounce of strength his remaining arm could muster.

The knight immediately attempted to intercept the attack with his divine sword.

But Asterion's thrust slipped past it.

And struck the golden knight directly in the chest.

All the aura compressed into the tip of the rusted blade erupted at once.

BOOOOOOM!!!!

The horrifying explosion finally shattered the Golden Dawn Knight's armor, sending him flying into the distance.

His body tore through the ruined remains of the cathedral before crashing through six buildings in Old Ashvarn, destroying each one in succession.

Only upon striking the seventh did he finally come to a stop.

Asterion, meanwhile, nearly collapsed from the strain.

But he forced himself to remain standing.

Pushing his exhausted body beyond its limits one last time, the old hunter activated King's Step again, this time to catch the young hunter who was falling from the sky.

Ethan was drenched in his own blood.

His entire body trembled violently as he lay supported by Asterion's only remaining arm. Blood streamed from his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears, leaving his face almost completely covered in red.

And yet…

He still managed to give the old man a bloody grin.

"Heh… Nice timing, old man."

Asterion wasn't in good condition either.

In fact, he was in an even worse state than Ethan. With his Red Demon transformation gone, every wound he had forcibly sealed had reopened, causing blood to pour from his body at an alarming rate. Even so, the old man managed to laugh.

"If I'd known you'd still have enough strength to run your mouth, I would've let you fall."

Using a strange dimensional artifact, Asterion retrieved a Flask and brought it to Ethan's lips, intending to make him drink its contents. Ethan, however, immediately refused.

"You first. You're in much worse shape than I am."

"Shut up and drink it. These things are meant to save the people who'll lead the next generation, not some old bastard whose time has already passed."

Left with no choice, Ethan reluctantly swallowed the contents of the Flask. The liquid, created from the ashes of hunters and the Maiden's Blessing, spread throughout his body, healing his injuries as it went.

In the blink of an eye, most of Ethan's wounds had recovered, and strength returned to his limbs, allowing him to stand once more.

"You're unbelievably stubborn… But thanks. I would've died if it weren't for you."

"That's what I should be saying, you idiot. I wouldn't have won without you."

Asterion replied with a smile before retrieving another flask to use on himself.

It was true that they had defeated the Golden Dawn Knight, but the creature controlling him was still alive, which meant the battle wasn't over yet.

Knowing this, Asterion intended to heal himself and recover enough strength to fight again, at the very least. He raised the Flask toward his mouth, preparing to swallow its contents.

But the moment he tried to drink…

The world around him darkened.

"Watch out, ethan!!! i haven't lost yet!!!!"

The Golden Dawn Knight's voice came too late, warning Ethan of a danger that had already reached them.

Asterion froze.

The Flask slipped from his fingers as a golden sword pierced through his back and emerged from his chest, tearing open a horrifying wound in the Uncrowned Emperor's torso.

And behind him…

The Golden Dawn Knight had appeared once again.

His armor was shattered, finally exposing the body that had remained concealed beneath it throughout the battle.

"Impossible!! he should've died the moment his armor broke!!"

Ethan shouted furiously as the Golden Dawn Knight's true appearance finally entered his field of vision.

For the first time…

He could see his face.

But what he saw hardly resembled a human being.

It was a monstrosity.

The knight had no hair, nor did he possess anything resembling a normal nose. His skin was hardened and covered in grotesque blisters, while his long, pointed eyes looked as though they belonged to some kind of goblin.

Those crimson eyes were unnaturally large, and where his nose should have been, there was only a horrifying hollow opening through which he breathed.

His skin was deathly pale, resembling the bloated corpse of someone who had spent several days submerged in a lake.

The armor had been destroyed.

But the body beneath it remained intact.

And at that moment, Ethan finally understood what had happened.

'Asterion's attack destroyed his armor… but the armor absorbed the entire impact, preventing the body underneath from taking any damage.'

He immediately activated Wise Raven Insight.

The Golden Dawn Knight's health hadn't changed.

It was still sitting at exactly 1 HP.

"Damn it!!! night lord's aura!!!"

Summoning the Executioner's Sword, Ethan unleashed Night Lord's Aura and charged straight toward the Golden Dawn Knight.

With his armor gone and his aura exhausted, the knight was no longer beyond Ethan's reach.

Even Ethan could kill him now.

Throwing everything he had into the attack, Ethan collided with the Golden Dawn Knight just as Asterion collapsed onto the ground.

The battle within the cathedral entered its final chapter.