Majestic.
It was the best word to describe Fractus's new form.
I felt like I was holding a fabled sword forged by Hephaestus himself, meant for the chosen one or something along those lines.
Snapping out of my daze, I got up and prepared to leave.
It was time to confront the bastard one last time.
But just as I was about to leave, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
I paused, then turned and gazed into the mirror.
'My hair...'
It had changed.
'White?'
Not only that, but my entire body had changed with Fractus's transformation. My muscles became more defined and thicker.
In fact, the once baggy clothes I was wearing were now tightened on my body. Looking at myself, I could clearly see my figure. Though I wasn't bulky, I was certainly fit.
I may have done a few poses in the mirror, admiring myself. You can't judge me; you would've done the same.
Anyway, I reminded myself that now was not the time to do this. I'd have plenty of time once I got rid of that bastard.
"Haa..." I sighed. "Let's move Fractus."
------
I calmly walked through the mansion, Fractus in hand, until I reached a familiar open space.
I scanned the surroundings.
'He's not here yet.'
I stepped toward the arena platform and sat in the middle, resting Fractus at my side.
I had decided to wait.
------
Before long.
-step
He arrived.
-step
-step
He stepped onto the platform slowly and cautiously before stopping a few meters ahead of me.
Opening my eyes, I smiled.
"You're finally here."
"..."
"Oh, come on, not gonna speak?"
"...I don't converse with demons." He spoke, his tone much colder than ever before.
I tilted my head.
"Demons?"
'The hells he talking about?'
"Hmm..." I placed my hand on my chin. "I'm pretty sure I'm human."
"..."
He didn't reply and immediately threw those damn smoke bombs on the floor.
I got up Fractus in hand and watched as the cloud of smoke consumed the area.
"Wow... you really do waste no time."
Focusing mana on my ear, I could hear his footsteps all around as he circled me.
He then attempted to strike from behind.
Raising Fractus, I deflected the attack with ease.
He staggered back.
"Is that all?" I asked, unimpressed.
He ignored my words, regaining his composure and fading back into the smoke.
-phewww
A sharp sound cut through the air.
I leaned slightly.
Something sliced past my ear.
"Hidden weapons, huh?" I spoke in a bored tone.
One after another, they came.
And one after another.
I avoided them.
Effortlessly.
"…Haa."
I raised Fractus, channeling mana into the blade.
"That's enough."
I swung.
The smoke split apart and dispersed in all directions.
And there he was.
Frozen.
Eyes wide.
"H-how"
I moved fast.
Seemingly appearing in front of him.
I grabbed him...
And drove him into the ground.
-SLAM
The platform cracked beneath the impact.
I crouched down, grabbing his hair.
"How does it feel?"
-SLAM
I did it again.
"I said, how does it feel?"
He groaned in pain.
"You don't want to answer, huh?"
I smiled. "How about we play a game?"
"I will start by separating your limbs one by one, and you'll give me a rating from one to ten on which one was more painful."
"Doesn't that sound fun?"
His deformed face twisted as he tried to speak, but...
I grabbed his face, twisted and...
-crack
I broke his jaw.
"Oh no, didn't I say I want your opinions after?"
I shifted my gaze to his right hand.
"How about we start with the right hand?"
I took Fractus and...
Severed his hand.
"Mmmph!"
He let out a muffled scream as tears rolled down his face
"Oh my!" My smile widened. "Thats quite the reaction."
I began clapping and applauding his performance.
"Truly marvelous!"
Staring into his eyes, I saw it.
The way he was looking at me.
'Fear?'
"You... you're scared of me?"
"H-ha HAHAHAHA!!"
"I scare you?!"
"Thats hilarious!"
I wiped the tears of joy from my face and lifted Fractus.
"Haa... how the tables have turned."
I severed his remaining hand.
But...
Nothing.
No reaction
"...huh?"
I looked at his face.
-SLAP
I slapped him.
"Wake up"
-SLAP
"Wake up"
-SLAP
"Wake up!"
My voice grew hoarse as I continued to slap him harder each time.
Then I realised it.
He'd fainted from the pain.
"No-no-no-no"
I began to see red.
-SLAM
"WAKE THE FUCK UP!!"
-SLAM
"WAKE"
-SLAM
"THE FUCK"
-SLAM
"UP!!"
"YOU THINK I'LL LET YOU DIE SO EASILY?!!"
"I WO-!"
My sight blurred and...
-Thud
I fainted from exhaustion.
------
Opening my eyes, I saw the bright blue sky above.
Only then did I realise I hadn't seen the sky in so long I'd forgotten it even existed.
This moment would have been a precious memory if not for...
"Fuck! That smell!"
I brought my hands to my nose in an attempt to block the smell from my nostrils.
Looking to my side, my eyes widened. There lay the one man who had made my life hell, now nothing more than a rotting corpse.
I tried to stand up but...
'My legs'
My legs wouldn't move, and I quickly realized why.
'I pushed myself too hard.'
It was true I had. Remember when I had appeared in front of him in an instant during the fight? Well, I had used mana on both my legs simultaneously. Basically, I pushed past my limits, and it backfired.
I crawled away from the corpse in an attempt to get away from the stench, but to no avail; the fucking smell covered the entire arena.
"Haa... damn it."
I got as far from it as I could and decided to rest as I began replaying the fight in my mind.
'I lost myself.'
Thinking about how I acted, I realised my mind was in a mess, all the deaths and experiences I had, broke me, and I was now an unstable psychopath.
Okay, maybe not fully psychotic cause you know, a true psychopath wouldn't acknowledge their psychopathness, or maybe they would, I didn't know.
Anyway, after resting for a few hours and contemplating my mental state, I was able to get up and walk, albeit very sluggishly.
As I walked, stepping down the platform, I noticed a familiar necklace around my neck.
"So you can transform back, that's pretty cool."
Fractus was once again a necklace, and I could now call upon its sword form at will.
I walked back into the mansion and headed toward the servants' quarters. Honestly, I wanted to rest some more before I did anything.
------
Reaching the same room as before, I entered and flopped onto the bed.
The sunlight shone through the window, lighting up the room and feeling pleasantly warm.
In this moment, the feeling finally set in.
"Fractus... we did it."
"The hell it's over..."
Tears began falling from my eyes as I let out emotions I'd long held back.
"Sniff... haha," I rubbed my eyes, "damn... sniff... I'm crying."
"Haha, have I... sniff... always been this emotional?"
"Hahaha," I laughed at myself.
I had won.