Damien remained still for a brief moment.
Then, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
And in the very next second, something changed.
The golden energy that had been spilling from his wound suddenly slowed, before dropping completely.
Not a single drop fell any further.
Instead, the radiant liquid hovered in the air around the cut, suspended unnaturally as though time itself had frozen for it.
It rippled faintly, like a pool of molten gold defying gravity.
The energy gathered around the wound, swirling slowly, yet not a single strand of it escaped or dissipated.
The knight's eyes flickered slightly.
A hint of surprise crossed her face as she took in the sight.
"Hoh…" she murmured softly.
Her silver gaze sharpened as she observed the controlled flow of energy.
"For a useless mortal…" she said, her lips curving faintly. "…your control of energy is quite good."
Damien didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he slowly raised his hand and stretched it forward toward her.
The golden energy around him pulsed, then gathered.
In an instant, it condensed within his grasp, forming into a golden sword.
Its surface gleaming with a radiant glow similar to hers, yet distinctly different in aura.
He tightened his grip around the hilt, then spoke.
"Save your praise," he muttered calmly. "I don't need it."
The knight scoffed at his response.
Her expression returned to one of clear disdain.
"You still refuse to know your place?" she said sharply.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You stupid, disgusting pervert."
Damien's smirk didn't fade.
If anything, it deepened slightly.
"I do know my place," he replied. "And it's not below anyone."
The moment the words left his mouth, the knight moved.
Her figure blurred as she dashed forward with incredible speed, her blade thrusting straight toward him in a precise, lethal motion.
The tip of her sword shot toward his chest, moving even faster than before.
But this time—
Damien reacted.
His golden blade shifted instantly, moving to intercept hers.
CLANG!
The two weapons collided.
A sharp metallic sound echoed through the white space as Damien deflected her strike to the side.
The force behind the clash caused a ripple of energy to spread outward.
The knight's eyes widened slightly.
Just for a moment.
That single reaction didn't escape Damien's notice.
He smirked faintly.
"Surprised?" he said.
His golden eyes glinted.
"All I had to do…"
He adjusted his grip on the sword.
"…was set my energy to counter the flow of yours."
His tone was filled with confidence.
But inwardly—
His thoughts told a different story.
'She's strong…'
His grip tightened ever so slightly.
'I could only barely block that strike.' he thought.
The impact had been heavier than he expected.
If his reaction had been even a fraction slower—
That blade would have pierced straight through him.
The knight quickly pulled back.
Her figure retreated several steps, putting distance between them.
Then—
The sword in her hand vanished, dissolving into particles of light, before fading into the surrounding space as if it had never existed.
Damien's eyes narrowed at the sight.
"You're sure that's the right thing to do?" he said slowly.
The knight let out a soft scoff, her expression filled with clear disdain as she stared at him from a distance.
"Crossing swords with a disgusting pervert like you," she said coldly, her lips curling slightly, "wasn't what I should have done in the first place."
Her voice carried a quiet finality.
As though she had already decided how this would end.
Before Damien could respond—
The space above her began to shift.
A radiant glow gathered overhead.
Then, in an instant, a massive circle of light formed above her.
It expanded rapidly, growing wider and wider until it loomed high above them like a second sun.
The brilliance it emitted was overwhelming, and blinding.
Even within the already white space, the intensity of that light made everything around it seem dim in comparison.
The air itself seemed to tremble under its presence.
The energy radiating from it was suffocating.
The knight slowly raised her hand and pointed a single finger toward Damien.
Her silver eyes glowed faintly as she spoke.
"I should just crush you," she said, her voice calm yet filled with killing intent. "…like the bug that you are."
Damien's eyes widened.
For the first time, a clear sense of danger surged through him.
Not just danger, but dread—pure, overwhelming dread.
The golden energy around his body flickered instinctively as his senses screamed at him.
The thing above her head—
It wasn't something he could casually block, or simply deflect.
It was on a completely different level, and he could tell.
His body tensed, his mind racing.
But before he could even think of a proper response—
The circle of light pulsed.
And then—
A massive beam erupted from it.
The column of light shot downward with devastating speed, tearing through the space between them in an instant.
Damien barely had time to react.
His body moved on instinct.
But it was too late.
The beam swallowed him whole.
Light engulfed everything.
The space trembled violently as the attack continued, pouring down relentlessly like a divine punishment from above.
For several seconds—
There was nothing but light.
Then—
It stopped.
The massive beam faded.
The circle of light above slowly dimmed.
And what remained… was Damien.
Or rather—
What was left of him.
His body stood barely upright.
A thin, trembling husk.
The golden energy that once surged powerfully around him was still there…
But now—
It was faint, reduced to a thin layer clinging to his body, flickering weakly like a dying flame.
It was so fragile that it was almost invisible.
His form looked hollow, as though everything that made him whole had been stripped away.
The knight observed him silently.
Then—
A sword of light materialized in her hand once more.
The radiant blade hummed softly as she began walking toward him.
Her movements were calm, as she no longer found a need to rush.
Damien didn't move.
He couldn't.
His body trembled faintly as she approached.
Then she stopped in front of him.
Without hesitation—
She thrust the blade forward.
The sword pierced straight through his chest.
There was no resistance.
No struggle.
The weakened golden layer around him couldn't even attempt to stop it.
The blade sank in effortlessly.
Damien's body jerked slightly.
Then—
It gave out.
His thin, dried husk collapsed to the ground.
The moment the sword was withdrawn, it dissolved into light, vanishing instantly and leaving behind a hollow hole in his chest.
A faint grunt escaped Damien's lips.
His body twitched weakly as he lay there.
He tried to gather his energy, to circulate it around his body so he could at least heal.
But—
There was barely anything left.
The golden energy within him was almost completely depleted.
What little remained flickered weakly, refusing to respond properly.
His fingers twitched faintly against the ground.
But nothing happened.
Above him, the knight looked down coldly.
"Instead of a sword fight," she said, her voice steady, "it was better to dry up your energy at once."
Her gaze remained fixed on him.
"You may be meeting your end here…"
A faint pause followed.
Then—
"…but rejoice, you disgusting pervert." she said, stretching her hand like she was giving him the best offer in the world. "For you'll be serving the goddess… for the rest of your life."