“It’s time to face this fairly,” I declared as I wrapped up my plan and ended the broadcast.

The Emperor’s face soured at my words, his anger and disgust so blatant it could slap you in the face.

“You… how low can you stoop?” he yelled at me, looking like I was the villain in this play.

His tone made it clear he didn’t believe my call for a fair fight at all. I felt utterly wronged.

Eventually, I could take it no longer and declared, “It’s disheartening. You don’t trust me at all? Alright, I’ll swear on my mana from now on—I’ll fight you with nothing but legit tactics.”

The implausibility of my oath triggered a puzzled expression on the Emperor’s face.

He was probably thinking if my claim was genuine or why I’d even say that at a moment like this. Of course, he’d be confused—it’s only natural.

And for me, that was more than enough.

A familiar shadowy passage appeared right behind the Emperor.

At the same moment, Lien zoomed in with the speed of a cannonball, her sword filled with the curse Lucy had packed away for three long years.

“……!”

Is he really the final boss? The instant he sensed that ominous power approaching from behind, he turned around.

Even he knew that getting hit by such a sneak attack in this situation would be catastrophic. He desperately reached out to block Lien.

-BOOM!

The speed of his response.

The power embedded in his counterattack.

Naturally, Lien’s ambush failed, and her momentum got crushed against a solid shield.

Seeing this, the Emperor turned back to glare at me.

He had just sworn on his mana, so how could I have broken that promise? It showed on his face, though it was overshadowed by an overwhelming rage.

“How heinous can you be…?”

His fury was palpable. Given my previous actions, such a reaction was completely justified. Despite my conscience, a twinge of guilt hit me. So, I decided to warn him.

“Watch your back. You know what they say, ‘don’t ignore the fires that have gone out.'”

“Shut it! Do you really think your cowardly tricks would fool me twice?” he snapped back.

That was quite a mean response to my overly polite advice.

Honestly, it was a bit disheartening. I was there trying to be helpful, but it was clear I had no obligation to do so. So, I simply shut my mouth and watched.

As if time was rewinding, Lien’s wounds healed, and she ascended once more, reverting to a few minutes ago.

And just like before, she shot toward the Emperor, radiating fury.

The Emperor flinched at that familiar energy.

However, his reaction was no longer quick.

I had deliberately lured him to look behind, making him suspect I was up to something.

That thought made him freeze for just a moment.

Was he realizing I wasn’t an easy target after all?

It took him less than a second to recognize that the energy behind him wasn’t a bluff.

But that single second was more than enough for Lien.

—CLANG!

The metallic clashing sound rang out.

Even though Lien was cutting through flesh, it sounded as if weapons were just clanking against each other.

I know it’s not my place to comment, but the guy’s physique had clearly transcended human limits.

Even struggling, Lien barely scratched him, but that’s what Lucy’s curse prepared for her.

“Well, curses don’t usually work well on someone magical, but…”

In this context, it was a whole different story.

Countless children served as tools to produce divine power. The grudges they left behind—it was the very source of Lien’s curse.

And with Charon dead, who do you think became the biggest target of resentment for those kids?

“This is the so-called ‘Emperor Special,’ right?”

Dark energy squirmed and flowed into the Emperor through the wounds. He desperately tried to purify it, but that too ended in failure.

His face contorted in agony.

A bead of crimson slipped from his lip.

I couldn’t help but mock him as I said, “You’re really something else. I warned you to be careful, yet here you are, sitting there like a fool getting hit.”

His skills—or lack thereof—were shockingly pathetic.

The thought that I’d have to pull the broadcast after seeing this spectacle made me regret it already. Although, if the camera had been running, I wouldn’t have had the chance to do this little act of trolling.

“…What kind of trickery is this?”

He murmured, glaring at me.

I half-expected him to rage at me with a string of curses, but oddly enough, he looked more confused than angry.

I briefly pondered the situation… and then it clicked.

“Looks like your powers aren’t working quite right, huh?”

The second those words escaped my lips, his expression twisted in reaction.

I must have struck a nerve.

What I supposed was true; the Emperor was in a state of gradual decline.

And the reason for that was crystal clear.

“How does it feel to be turning into a senile old man?”

I framed him as a crazed elder possessed by a demon.

A principle similar to the previous downfall of the God of Light.

“Honestly, I doubted this would even work.”

Unlike a god made purely of faith and without physical form, the Emperor had a body. So, I figured the impact wouldn’t be significant, and I wrestled with that thought.

But hey, it’s best to try something once.

“How far are you going to humiliate me?”

Same line. Yet this time, it brimmed with genuine emotion, far too genuine to cover.

As he lost his edge, his eyes dimmed, wrinkles deepened, and to top it off, his hair was falling out left and right.

In such circumstances, you’d be less than human if you stayed calm.

I, having experienced that phase myself in my previous life, felt a smidgeon of sympathy.

So, I offered him another bit of advice.

“I get it’s a bit awkward to say it now, but if you want to live, you’d better keep a proper lookout to your right.”

He paused, seemingly pondering… and then recalled what had happened earlier, turning briefly to look right. That was my cue to shift my stance.

-BOOM!

His fist flew through the air.

The moment he turned his head, he got blindsided, catching me with his most bewildered expression.

It wasn’t just the Emperor; the nearby Imperial troops stared at me as if I were trash.

“The Empire dudes just can’t comprehend anything.”

If your opponent shows a weakness, and you just sit there watching, isn’t that more bizarre? You take the chance to strike.

Plus, I didn’t even lie.

The fact that something required caution on his right contained not a shred of falsity.

Soon enough, a shadowy passage opened to the Emperor’s right.

From within, a familiar power emanated.

Yuri, who had turned back time for Lien, and her mother, Aria, the previous hero’s ally, were there too.

Realizing this, the Emperor stopped seething at me and redirected his focus to the right. And before long, the two women made their assault.

Of course, it wasn’t from the right but the left passage.

That one-hit wonder that had tormented me before was now being unleashed upon my enemy. A cliché that says if you turn an enemy into an ally, they grow weaker? This was the perfect counter.

This time, it wasn’t a mere scratch.

A stronger force than before bore down on the Emperor.

And with it, the writhing dark energy.

Naturally, the Emperor couldn’t let that slide. He summoned what little power he had left.

Blood spat from his mouth as he coughed.

His reckless power shoved Aria backward.

At a glance, it might’ve seemed like the ambush failed.

But a smile crept onto my face.

“That was just a fake.”

Lucy’s curse isn’t infinite.

In such little time, embedding curses into not one but two weapons would be pushing it.

So, one was just a cheap debuff scroll—a fake curse sword for show.

Bleeding the Emperor’s strength for the price of a few loaves of bread? Now, that’s what I call a success.

He ground his teeth.

It seems he finally realized he was duped. The Emperor shot me a kill-you-on-sight glare before closing his palms.

“I’m done playing into your cowardly schemes.”

Then, a black barrier unfolded. A spherical field enveloped me.

My companions rushed in to protect me, but despite the barrier engulfing me, they were pushed out.

“No more external interference or tricks.”

As if to prove his point, voices reporting my safety echoed from Siel’s shadowy passage.

Even when Lien exerted her power, she couldn’t cross through, suggesting this space itself repelled outsiders.

After confirming that, the Emperor smirked with confidence.

“We’ll face off just the two of us.”

My plan relied heavily on my companions’ backup.

Partial regression, spatial shifts, raw power, and foresight.

Having diverged from my force, I didn’t have to explain my situation any further.

Naturally, a laugh escaped my lips. No matter how hard I tried to hold it in, I couldn’t suppress the mocking laughter.

The boundary structure illuminated by the first prince’s talent.

Its design was impressive and resolutely impenetrable to outsiders.

But oddly, that was a critical flaw.

If you’re only blocking entry, why not just attack without letting anyone in?

“I think you’re a bit mistaken…”

-BOOM!

A sword soared through the air, soaring toward the Emperor’s face.

As he realized his error, his expression was one of dumbfounded shock. But it was too late.

“This isn’t a one-on-one; it’s a five-on-one.”

His side is trapped in their own barrier, unable to take hostages or escape. Meanwhile, our team, while unable to cross in, can freely strike through the passage.

The age-old tale of five heroes teaming up to gang up on one villain is coming to life.

Now was the time to deliver justice.