Almost at the same moment, the last drop of sake fell from the flask in Gabriel Michaelis's hand.
He gazed into the empty vessel.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"Is it… all gone?"
The tone of his voice sounded genuinely surprised.
But the moment the words left his lips, tendrils of blood suddenly shot out from every direction.
The attack came from Elisabeth, raining down like deadly projectiles targeting Gabriel from all sides.
Before any of the blood tendrils could touch him, a soft voice rang out.
"Dark Matter Magic: Spell Construction."
"Chrono Stasis."
Suddenly, tiny spheres of magic appeared in the air.
The moment the blood tendrils were trapped, they froze.
Completely froze.
It was as if time itself within the area had been suspended.
The blood tendrils hung motionless in the air, trapped inside the magical spheres.
Everyone witnessing it was stunned.
Even Elisabeth herself stared sharply at the phenomenon.
Meanwhile, Gabriel lowered the empty flask in his hand.
He looked at it for a moment, then casually tossed it aside.
The flask fell and shattered on the tower floor, as if it had lost all value to him.
But at the same moment, through his Ki perception, Gabriel sensed something first—an intent that arose even before the attack had fully taken form.
His body moved almost without thought.
A short step, and in an instant he was directly in front of Elisabeth.
His hand rose.
GRAB.
Elisabeth's wrist was caught in his grip.
The next movement happened so fast it was nearly impossible for ordinary eyes to follow.
Gabriel twisted his body slightly—his motion light, almost effortless—and then hurled her away from the tower.
BOOM!!
The Vampire Queen's body shot through the city like a red meteor.
BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!
She smashed through a building—piercing it without slowing—then the next building… and the next after that.
In a straight line, a series of structures in Lawless City were torn open, struck by her body moving at brutal speed.
Dust and rubble exploded into the air, forming clouds of ash that spread among the ruins.
But just a few seconds later—Elisabeth's body came to a halt.
With a graceful motion, she spun in midair. Her skirt swirled softly like red petals caught in the night wind.
The remaining momentum was cleanly cut off.
Now she hovered steadily above the city.
Her bright red eyes fixed once again on the tower.
Almost simultaneously, Gabriel Michaelis moved his hand.
The motion was calm. Almost casual.
Yet from the emptiness beside him, something slowly emerged, as if the space itself were tearing open a rift.
A pale white shovel appeared from the void.
Ragnarok: Sword of Ruin.
A faint gleam traced its surface, reflecting the red moonlight hanging over the night sky of Lawless City.
Gabriel grasped its hilt.
"Ragnarok…"
His voice was soft. Almost a whisper carried by the night wind.
The true name was partially released—the surface of the shovel began to peel away. Its outer layer unraveled like shards of light falling apart one by one, revealing its true form.
A white sword radiating the cold glow of the red moon. On its blade were etched irregular red circuits—vein-like paths of pulsating energy.
Along the edge were also runes in the Faerie language, ancient inscriptions left behind by Morgan le Fay.
"Output: five units," Gabriel continued calmly. "Release output."
In the next instant, his body vanished.
His movement was so fast that even eyes enhanced by mana could not follow.
A pale white flash streaked across the night sky.
DANG!!
A deafening boom shook the air.
Elisabeth's weapon and Gabriel's Ragnarok collided midair.
Shockwaves erupted in all directions.
The air trembled violently.
Kinetic waves swept hundreds of meters from the point of impact, rattling rooftops and sending dust swirling across the city streets.
The white sword and the blood scythe pressed against each other.
Sparks of red and white energy scattered across the air.
Gabriel squinted slightly at Elisabeth.
"Blood Queen," he said calmly. "Do you mind if we dance tonight?"
Elisabeth didn't answer.
In the next instant, both of them moved simultaneously.
Their bodies vanished from their original positions.
Red and pale white streaks began chasing each other across the night sky.
Strike after strike was exchanged at a speed impossible for ordinary humans to follow.
Sweeps of the blood scythe.
Clashes of the white sword.
Tiny bursts of mana erupting every time their weapons collided.
The sky above Crimson Tower transformed into a breathtaking battlefield.
Drops of blood splashed from Elisabeth's attacks, falling slowly like petals from a hellish rose.
Meanwhile, sparks of mana and the pale white mist flowing from Gabriel's body descended gently—like snow falling from the sky of destruction.
And amid this storm of red and white—both figures continued to move.
A deadly dance unfolding in the night sky.
***
At one of the open windows of Crimson Tower, a shadowy figure stood silently, gazing at the sky.
Cid Kagenou watched the ongoing battle above Lawless City.
In the distance, two streaks of light kept colliding in the night sky: Gabriel Michaelis' pale white and Elizabeth's blood-red.
Boom after boom echoed through the air, accompanied by shockwaves that occasionally rattled the buildings below.
Cid observed the scene calmly.
Yet behind his impassive face, his mind was working seriously.
Hmm…?
Wasn't…
His original plan actually quite simple?
First: of course, to loot a bit of treasure from this tower.
Second: as the dramatic climax, he himself would confront the Blood Queen.
A perfect stage for the emergence of Shadow.
But now…
Why was it Gabriel fighting her instead?
Cid narrowed his eyes slightly.
Of course, he could intervene immediately.
But if he joined the fight now…
His stage would be ruined.
Appearing in the middle of an ongoing battle would only make him look like someone meddling.
Not elegant.
Not dramatic.
Not fitting for the emergence of Shadow.
Cid slowly folded his arms in front of his chest.
Besides…
He observed the pale white streaks cutting through the night sky—Gabriel's attacks that occasionally dimmed the moonlight.
And the blood-red streaks of Elizabeth slicing through the air like a storm.
Hmm.
Their battle… was quite interesting.
If he stepped in now, it would feel like stealing the climax from someone else's fight.
And more importantly, Cid tilted his head slightly.
If he waited…
Perhaps an even more dramatic moment would appear.
For example, when one of the two sides had reached their limit.
Only then…
The shadow would emerge from the darkness.
Cid imagined himself stepping out from the tower's shadow, his black cloak billowing gently.
Then a single line.
Simple.
Iconic.
Cid smirked faintly.
Yes.
That was far more fitting for Shadow.
For now…
He would simply watch.
After all…
Cid's gaze returned to the sky.
The battle itself was entertaining enough.
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the duel in the air.
A few seconds passed.
Then his expression relaxed once more.
…Well.
No matter.
In fact, this could make for a perfect grand opening.
Gabriel would open the stage.
Then—Shadow would appear.
Gabriel would surely understand my meaning.
After all…
They had always been in sync in matters like this.
No explanation was necessary.
It had to be that way.
Cid nodded slowly.
A subtle satisfaction played across his face.
An extraordinary improvisation.
Perfect.
A few moments later, the battle had ended.
In the night sky over Lawless City, Elisabeth slowly lost momentum. Her body, which had earlier surged with brutal force, now floated weakly in the air.
Yet Gabriel did not finish her off.
He took a slow breath, calming himself first—as if suppressing the residual heat of the battle still pulsing within him.
Then he raised his hand.
The surface of the space before him shimmered gently, like the ripples of calm water.
Mirror Water magic.
A faint glimmer of light sparkled briefly.
In an instant, Elisabeth's body vanished from the night sky.
Moments later, the Vampire Queen reappeared on the ground—right next to Mary, who had been watching the battle with bated breath.
At the open window of Crimson Tower, Cid Kagenou was still observing everything.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Oh?
So the fight was over.
And the winner was clear.
Cid was actually ready to make his move.
This was the perfect moment for Shadow to appear.
Yet his steps froze before he could leap from the window.
His gaze fixed on Gabriel.
In the distance, after the intense battle that had just occurred, Gabriel seemed to be staggering slightly through the city streets amidst the rubble.
Not dramatic.
Not grand.
He was just… walking.
A few steps later, he stopped in front of a small bar, nearly destroyed by the shockwaves from the battle.
He went in briefly and came out again carrying a bottle of alcohol.
Cid watched the scene for several seconds.
"…"
He observed the way Gabriel opened the bottle.
The way he stood slightly off-balance, leaning against the wall.
The way his breathing seemed heavy after the battle.
Cid raised an eyebrow slightly.
Hmm.
So even Gabriel could look like that after a fight?
Perfect acting.
And because of that—the stage became even more interesting.
Cid pictured the scene in his mind.
A mysterious warrior who had just defeated the Vampire Queen…
Standing alone in a ruined city…
Then from the darkness—Shadow appears.
Yes.
This was even more cinematic than his original plan.
Cid gave a small nod.
The decision had been made.
In the next instant, his body vanished from the tower window.
___
Author's Note:
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