“No. It’s the same face, but it’s not Lezé.”

What could this be called?

Reincarnation?
A duplicate?
Or just a mere coincidence?

No, it wasn’t coincidence.

The figure held the Grim Reaper, the same weapon Lezé once wielded.

The difference was that the aura emanating from it was far more ominous than when it had been in Lezé’s hands.

“Reincarnation, most likely. Unlike me, they don’t remember their past life.”

A few days earlier, Lezé had asked Cassandra a question: could he become a king?

The answer to that question was standing right before him.

At the same time, Theo began to understand why Magara, the spirit bound to the Grim Reaper, had been drawn to Lezé’s side despite her resistance.

A figure with the same face and soul as her previous master had appeared—someone she couldn’t bear to part with again.

「Ah… I never thought I would see him again.」

Magara had appeared next to Theo, tears streaming from her eyes.

「You wouldn’t understand this,」 she said, her gaze fixed on her former master’s face.

「But when you see it… you’ll understand the gap between you and that person.」

At that moment, a booming voice echoed.

『You foolish wraiths of Lodbrok. Why do you persist in this pointless endeavor?』

From the opposite side of where the Vanguard stood, darkness descended, blotting out the sky. A massive entity emerged, so large it seemed to tower over the horizon. Beneath it, an uncountable horde of monsters spread across the land.

They were creatures of the Demon Sea.

-“What’s so pointless about it?”

The Vanguard’s leader chuckled coldly, dragging the Grim Reaper across the ground with a sharp screech.

Fwoosh!

Black flames burst forth, coalescing into the form of a skeletal reaper holding a death scythe.

-“There’s plenty to hunt.”

The flames swirled violently, climbing into the sky and forming a massive sphere.

The sphere expanded, growing to the size of a black sun, radiating a malevolent aura.

“That’s… Black Flame Solar Eclipse?”

Theo’s eyes widened as he recognized it. It was a technique he’d seen before.

This absolute technique was said to have been used by Granada, the head of Troivan, against Kyle.

But why was it here?

「Do you call it that?」 Magara sneered, looking at Theo.

「That name doesn’t do it justice. It’s ■■■ ■■ of ■■… Damn, I can’t even say it.」

Magara cursed in frustration before continuing.

「Whatever you call it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that it’s an ultimate technique your master created by unifying all of Ragnar’s swordsmanship and breathing methods. It exists in a realm beyond swordsmanship and breathing techniques—a third domain that transcends magic and supernatural abilities.」

“So the sword relic that Troivan obtained through Cassandra was this Black Flame Solar Eclipse. Granada merely disguised it as his own technique.”

Magara glanced at Theo with disdain.

「That’s why I can never recognize you as my master. Watch closely.」

The black sun swelled to a size exceeding ten meters, and the skeletal reaper slashed it with its death scythe.

Slice!

The sun split diagonally, sliding apart into two halves.

And then darkness descended.

<First Form – Solar Eclipse>

The black sun exploded, sending fragments flying like burning meteors that rained down upon the monstrous horde.

Boom! Boom!

Boom-boom-boom!

The explosions shattered the monsters, and black flames spread, consuming everything in their path.

-“What are you waiting for? Go!”

-“Finally, the command I’ve been waiting for!”

-“Charge!”

At the leader’s roar, the 299 members of the Vanguard surged forward across the plains.

『An intriguing idea, using the poison of the Demon Sea not to neutralize it but to enhance its toxicity and infuse it into your aura.』

Despite his minions being decimated, the Nameless Lord seemed amused.

『But that won’t suffice to defeat me, the source. You’ve always been more meticulous than this.』

-“Of course. Do you think I’d stop here?”

The leader began walking slowly toward the Nameless Lord.

With each step, monsters emerged from the shadows, aiming for her, but they were swiftly decapitated by the death scythe of the skeletal reaper.

Tremble…

The ground quaked where she passed.

The terrain crumbled, flames erupted, and the world seemed to reshape itself. Strange iron doors emerged from the ground, each adorned with intricate patterns of intertwined monsters.

Groan…

The doors creaked open, releasing an even greater torrent of black flames. From within emerged horrific creatures, rivaling the monstrosities of the Demon Sea, many of them resembling dragons.

<Second Form – Hellfire Inferno>

『Hahaha! Monsters to match monsters! Who would’ve thought those claiming to protect the world would become beasts themselves?』

-“They say when you stare into the abyss, it stares back. Spend enough time with you, and this is what happens.”

The creatures of the Demon Sea clashed with those of the Hellfire Inferno.

Rumble…

The battle was so intense it seemed as though the world itself might end.

The leader, now standing before the Nameless Lord, lifted her head.

Though her small stature was dwarfed by the towering figure, her presence was no less imposing.

『What else do you intend to show me?』

The Nameless Lord looked down at his long-time adversary, amusement in his voice.

To counter him, she had invented techniques solely to dismantle the Demon Sea. He could guess her thoughts:

To defeat the Nameless Lord, she must become the Nameless Lord. A being greater than the original.

-“This.”

Fwoosh!

The black flames of the Hellfire Inferno spiraled upward, encasing the leader in a vortex that shot toward the sky.

<Third Form – Yama>

And then her final form revealed itself—

[Foresight forcibly terminated.]

The vision ended, and Theo returned to the real world.

Magara’s voice echoed faintly in his mind before fading.

「You called it Black Flame Solar Eclipse. Whatever. That pitiful name doesn’t suit the master’s ultimate technique. Forget the foolish idea of restoring that relic—it belongs to its true owner alone.」

The ghosts surrounded Theo anxiously.

-“Did you see it?”
-“What did you see?”
-“Can it be restored?”
-“Say something!”

Their frantic questions made Theo’s head buzz. He raised a hand to calm them and began organizing his thoughts.

“Granada’s Solar Eclipse doesn’t compare to the sword relic.”

Theo hadn’t seen Granada’s technique firsthand, but he had heard enough.

It was no match for the Nameless Lord.

Moreover, Granada had been defeated by Kyle, proof of its limitations.

“Granada likely attempted to mimic the relic, but Troivan and Ragnar pursued completely different paths in swordsmanship. They never understood the foundation of the relic.”

But Theo was different.

He knew Ragnar’s techniques, had innovated new ones, and had been taught by those who truly understood the relic’s owner.

Looking at the 299 spirits, their anxious eyes fixed on him, Theo finally spoke.

“I believe restoration is possible.”

-“What?!”
-“Is that true?”

The ghosts’ mood shifted, excitement bubbling. They had half given up hope of ever restoring the relic.

Theo nodded firmly.

“Yes. I can’t say how long it will take, but I see the path forward. It’s all thanks to you.”

With the help of the spirits, Theo’s Nibelung’s Claw and Thunder Dragon’s Rapid Slash were being restructured into a system to restore the sword relic.

Though he couldn’t guarantee it would match the original leader’s power, he was certain it would come close.

“This aligns perfectly with the ultimate strike I’ve been pursuing.”

Theo felt a surge of inspiration, greater than anything Magara had taunted him with.

It was possible.

-“At last… We can finally build a grave for our master.”

The spirits began to weep, their tears flowing freely.

-“Stop crying, you old fools!”
-“You’re the one bawling the most!”
-“It’s dust in my eyes!”
-“Dust? For ghosts?”

Theo glanced at the stone grave. The tulip growing atop it swayed gently in the light streaming from above.

“This can never fall into Troivan’s hands,” Theo resolved.

The sword relic, designed to counter the Nameless Lord, could not be allowed to fall into the hands of those allied with him.

As Theo’s resolve solidified, Cassandra spoke again, her voice still carrying the weight of the Sorceress Empress.

“They haven’t stopped trying to seize it.”

The crypt trembled.

Somehow, the enemy had found this location and launched another assault.

But Theo gripped his sword tightly, determination burning in his eyes.

“They won’t take anything.”

He smirked, brimming with resolve.

“Because I’ll make sure of it.”