As pale blue Sealing Magic flowed from Nero's hands, delicate blue patterns spread across Licht's body like rippling water.
Yuuki immediately sensed the change.
The mana around Licht—
It came alive.
Yes. Alive was the only fitting word.
Previously, Licht's mana had been overwhelming—nearly indistinguishable from Mana Zone itself—but the natural mana in the air had remained still. Quiet. Dormant.
If the earlier Licht had been like motionless air—
Now he had become the wind.
Humm—
Licht's golden, previously vacant eyes cleared. Warmth returned to his expression as he looked at the man before him.
"It's been a long time. Thank you, Lumiere."
His voice was gentle.
Lumiere smiled softly in return.
"It has indeed been a long time, Licht."
Boom! Boom!
An immense surge of mana erupted from both of them simultaneously.
Blazing white mana enveloped their bodies, even transforming the golden aura that had surrounded Licht into a purer, more radiant white.
"Oh my… we made it in time this round," the Word Soul Devil mocked, spreading his slender black fingers. "Five hundred years ago was such a tragic farewell."
"This time, I'll send you both to the afterlife together."
In a flash of white—
Licht vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Yuuki and the others.
"So fast—!"
Asta and Yuno both stiffened instinctively.
Yuuki, however, had already followed the movement.
His gaze flicked to the Demon-Destroyer Sword in his hand.
"Lord Licht…"
Patry looked at the Elf Leader standing before him, overwhelmed with guilt and regret.
But Licht showed no anger.
Only warmth.
"My soul watched from the depths of chaos. Five hundred years ago, we lost to the devil's scheme. In despair, I chose not to harm the innocent… not to give birth to greater despair."
"Lumiere stopped me."
"No matter the form… it seems someone came to stop you as well."
His golden eyes swept briefly over Yuuki, Asta, and Yuno.
"Patry, when you raised your sword, perhaps you believed it to be justice. But to those you struck down, it was an unforgivable sin."
He stepped forward and pulled Patry into an embrace.
"And even if it cannot be forgiven… I still want to say this."
"You did your best, Patry."
Yuuki watched quietly.
He truly is a gentle man.
At least—gentle to his own people.
The dead.
The humans whose souls had been sacrificed.
Those sins were real.
Five hundred years ago, the elves had been slaughtered. That too had been the sin of the Clover Kingdom's royals and nobles.
Now both leaders stood here once more.
If there was ever a moment for this hatred to end—
It was now.
As for Yuuki?
He would simply… stand and watch.
Only the Elf Leader and the First Wizard King had the authority to untangle a hatred spanning two races.
If someone had to bear ultimate blame—
It was the Word Soul Devil.
If both sides chose to let go, then as someone outside that history, Yuuki had no right to interfere.
His expression remained calm.
The future he sought—
Was his own.
Licht finished comforting Patry and turned toward Yuuki.
His golden eyes were steady.
"May I borrow the Demon-Dweller Sword in your hand?"
Yuuki raised a brow.
Without hesitation—
He tossed it over.
Snap.
"Thank you."
Licht caught the sword, white mana flowing into it.
The blade shone brighter than ever.
"It was yours to begin with," Yuuki replied casually. "I'd like to see its true power."
After all—
In the hands of a Sword Magic user—
The Demon-Dweller Sword could unleash its full potential.
The enhancement it gave Licht was far greater than the Demon-Dweller Sword would ever provide him.
"No," Licht shook his head gently. "The moment it came into your hands, it became yours."
Then he turned toward the devil.
"Let us settle these five hundred years—here and now!"
The Word Soul Devil watched with amusement, in no hurry to attack.
Like a cat toying with mice.
"A wonderful declaration."
"Rest assured, I'll devour all those meaningless ideals… and bring everything to an end."
His tone dropped cold on the final word.
BOOM!
The black-blue gel surging across the floor exploded upward, forming towering waves from every direction—
Intent on swallowing everyone in a single sweep.
They were surrounded instantly.
Before anyone else could react—
Boom! Boom!
Mana exploded once more from Licht and Lumiere.
"Light Magic: Mana Zone — Sacred Light of the Savior!"
"Sword Magic — Conquering Flash Barrage!"
Natural mana throughout the chamber ignited instantly, radiating blinding white brilliance.
The entire hall flooded with light.
No one could even keep their eyes open.
Massive pillars of light erupted outward from their position, blasting in every direction.
Dozens of white mana-infused slashes cut through the air in an instant.
Through ki, Yuuki clearly sensed it—
The tidal wave of black-blue gel that devoured magic—
Was obliterated in a heartbeat.
It didn't even have time to consume the spells before being erased entirely.
As the light faded—
Everyone stared at the cleared chamber in shock.
"This level of Light Magic… far beyond Patry's."
"And the power of the Demon-Dweller Sword in Licht's hands… it's on another level."
Yuuki's eyes widened slightly.
The residual mana lingering in the air was staggering.
These two—
Were monsters.
In pure attack power—
They were nearly equal to Conrad in his Four Element State.
Yuuki had defeated Conrad.
But he knew the truth.
In raw destructive force—
He was inferior.
Without Permeation Magic…
Without Chain Magic…
Without even invoking Fate Magic…
The outcome might have been uncertain.
To put it bluntly—
His fighting style was somewhat unfair.
But that, too, was his strength.
Yuuki's gaze sharpened as he scanned the remnants of the shattered gel.
As expected.
When facing a devil—
If one wielded Netherworld tier magic capable of harming them—
In the end, it still came down to one thing.
Mana.
Sheer, overwhelming mana.
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