Zero was at a loss for words. I had just revealed that I knew his true identity, a secret he had likely guarded for most of his life. The fact that I spoke of it so casually, as if it were common knowledge, had clearly rattled him, making him falter in both stance and confidence.

He stood before me now, his initial arrogance dimming as the weight of his exposed identity seemed to press down on him. And to think, he had been foolish enough to give us the first strike.

“Who cares how I even know?” I taunted, watching his expression carefully. “But I do have a question: do you still believe that I can’t use aether?”

Zero’s composure cracked further as he glanced over his shoulder at the giant sword still pulsing with residual purple energy. “Stop lying, you stupid demi-god. There’s no way you gave your soul away, Caedrel Stuart. If you had, you’d be either dead or a weak shadow of yourself by now. Yet here you stand, smiling at me, taunting me, stronger than when I saw you at the auction house. None of this makes sense.”

I let a smug smile spread across my face as I activated [Future Sight]. I could see every detail of his aether armor now, noting the tiny fractures running along his left side, where he had lost his arm, with fresh blood seeping through the cracks in the armor. He was vulnerable, even if he thought otherwise.

“HANK!” I called out, keeping my voice steady and commanding. “Get over here! I need you for this one.”

Yet, there was no response, no reassuring footsteps approaching to back me up. My mind raced with possibilities: either Hank was ignoring me, letting me handle this alone, or something had incapacitated him. But as I studied the unsettling look in Zero’s eyes, I realized something was very wrong. Zero seemed far too composed, as though he knew I was left without backup.

“Do you think mortals can wield aether without consequence?” Zero sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “There’s a reason aether is only wielded by those with divine blood. I don’t know why you’re able to use it, but there’s definitely something unique about you.”

My gaze darted back to where Hank had been, only to find him sprawled unconscious on the ground. Relief flooded through me as I saw that he was alive; he’d simply expended his strength on that last powerful strike. Hank had pushed himself to his absolute limits, a move I hadn’t foreseen.

But he had done enough. Zero was bleeding out, his lifeforce literally draining away with every passing second. This fight was mine to win. I had to believe that. And yet, the look in Zero’s eyes grew fiercer, his arrogance rekindled by my sudden solitude. He must have thought I would crumble without Hank’s help. He’d forgotten who I was and the lengths I was willing to go to finish this.

Even though Zero blocked most of my strikes with the palm of his aether-enforced hands, I maintained the upper hand, my every move perfectly countering his as I read his intentions through [Future Sight]. The battle had become an intricate dance of attack and parry, his aether sparking off my blade as it clashed with his defenses. If I had been able to infuse aether into my own weapon, the fight would’ve been over already. But instead, I would need to capture him—a far more challenging goal.

Summoning the fairy’s power, I created multiple illusions of myself, each one moving in tandem with me to surround Zero. Every strike from my illusions confused him, his eyes darting from one false image to the next. He wouldn’t die from losing another limb, but my goal was clear: to overpower him without ever giving him the chance to flee.

As I pressed my advantage, a shout echoed from behind me.

“Caedrel! Don’t move. I’ll freeze him so we can capture him!”

Without turning, I knew the voice belonged to Amelia. She’d left her hiding place, disobeying my explicit orders to stay out of sight.

“AMELIA, LEAVE!” I shouted, not breaking my focus on Zero. But a twisted grin spread across his face. In a flash, he vanished, reappearing right behind her, his intent as clear as day—he would use Amelia as a shield, a bargaining chip to slip out of this.

I surged forward, intercepting him before he could reach her.

“Amelia, either freeze him now or get out!” I called, bracing myself between her and Zero, ready to defend.

She raised her hands, her fingers weaving through the air as she conjured her magic. Frosty tendrils snaked from her fingertips, ice forming delicate arcs through the air as she cast her spells. But her magic was too slow for someone of Zero’s caliber; he sidestepped each freezing bolt with ease, a mocking smirk on his lips. Amelia’s strength wasn’t enough to hold him back.

Yet, as Zero dodged her spells, a shimmer of magic appeared beneath him—Amelia’s secret spell, cast in the shadows of her other attacks. It took him by surprise, breaking his balance for a brief moment, enough to throw him off.

Taking advantage of his stumble, I lunged forward, swinging my sword in a deadly arc that struck both of his legs. The blade cut through his knees in one clean motion. It was a strike requiring precision beyond measure; I had aimed directly at the minute cracks in his aether armor, perfectly timed to exploit the opening. Only someone with my level of skill could have pulled it off.

Zero collapsed before me, both legs severed at the knees, his blood pooling onto the ground. He was left helpless, missing not only his arm but now his legs as well. The fight was over. He was at my mercy.

I glanced back to Amelia, who was visibly shaken, her face pale with shock and relief. We had done it—together, we had managed to bring down Zero without ending his life. This victory was hard-won, but the cost was worth every second.

Breathing heavily, I turned to face Zero, a mixture of triumph and exhaustion settling over me. The threat was subdued, and our mission was a success.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep