Death stared down at Anukus.

The Grand Fire Elemental was far taller than Anukus was, and its imposing build put his muscular physique to shame.

The weak, pathetic one was none other than him.

As he was forced to raise his head to meet the creature's gaze, he felt a sense of inevitability.

The fear he thought he had forgotten slowly began to rise to the surface.

His body seemed paralyzed; with both arms still outstretched and his form the same.

Perhaps he feared that if he took a single step, the creature would notice and strike him down.

He couldn't even tremble for fear that it would register it as movement and end his life.

The doubts that seared his mind weren't present any longer.

Now that he was up close with the thing… Anukus knew.

This was a Grand Fire Elemental.

'H-how…?! How did he do it!' Anukus thought about the masked man that summoned this monstrosity.

'Does this mean he's on par with the Grand Mage? No… could he be stronger?'

No… that was going too far.

'Ahh… I don't even know what to think anymore!'

The only thing he knew was that if he didn't do anything, he was going to die.

'I won't be dying, though…'

There was one other way he could win this fight that he hadn't yet forgotten.

'I admit that this monster is far behind my capabilities, but…'

Anukus' eyes turned to see the man who had summoned the thing.

He was just standing still, almost as if he was a statue.

'He must be exhausted after summoning this thing. Now is the perfect chance to strike him down.'

Anukus knew what he had said before—about how he would save him for later—but now wasn't the time to mess around.

If he didn't do anything drastic, he was going to die.

'But…'

Anukus grinned as he activated an item that was disguised as a tooth.

The insides of his mouth instantly flowed, and a swift warping of space occurred around him.

Before the Grand Fire Elemental could strike him down, it was already too late.

~VWUUSH!~

He vanished from his position and appeared right in front of the masked man.

'Killing the Summoner cancels the Elemental Summon. I only have to eliminate this guy!'

With a demonic smile now spreading all over his face, his outstretched hand released the last ounces of Mana he had.

Anukus was not going to take any chances here! He was going to use his full strength—going all out, even against a weakened foe.

That was how desperate he had become.

"DIEEEEEEE!!!"

And so, ~Fiery Severance~ was activated once more.

A rain of destruction, focused on only one person—only one position.

Slashes of unimaginable mass and numbers struck one after the other, and the flames attached to them added to the intensity of the overall attack.

Surely, this time it would succeed.

"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Haha—!"

~SPLOOSH!~

Interrupting Anukus' maniacal laughter was the dismemberment of his two arms, with blood spurting out of them as they flew off.

'H-huh…?'

The attack came behind Anukus, in the form of two flaming projectiles—arrows—that sliced through his two arms in an instant.

"GUARGHHH!" He screamed, stumbling a few steps backward as his body absorbed the pain.

'B-but how…? Why…? I… I killed the—!'

"Sheesh! Such an annoying breeze, am I right?" The voice that came forth belonged to the man who was meant to be dead.

The slashes and plumes of flames were soon discarded with the wind, revealing the masked figure—completely unharmed.

"H-how…?!"

Not even a single scratch was on his body. No damage had been dealt whatsoever.

But that wasn't possible!

He was meant to be weakened after summoning the Grand Fire Elemental, and there was no way a Mage would have the durability to tank his intense assault.

Yet… YET…!

"Sorry, but your attacks won't work on me. I have barriers that protect me all the time, you know?"

No…

"And even if you got past those barriers, you'd have to deal with my Resistance and Rapid Regeneration."

That couldn't be…

"Not like you'd make it past [Damage Nullification] since you're too weak."

There was no way he was hearing these words correctly.

He—Anukus The Destroyer—was being called weak.

How was that even possible?

He collapsed on the ground, his weak knees slamming upon the heated earth.

The pain he felt from both his dismembered hands made him forget every other physical sensation.

"Fshuu…"

The heavy breath of the Grand Fire Elemental began to weigh down on him.

The terrifying entity was right behind him, brandishing the two blades that were fixed on its back.

Anukus, having lost in every regard, could barely even command his body.

The only things that could properly move were his lips.

And so, as the blades descended to grant his execution, he muttered the only things he could think of at the moment.

"You are… the true Destroyer."

~SWISH!~

In two smooth swings, the blades of the Grand Fire Elemental sliced off Anukus' head.

His body plopped to the ground, turning to ash as the flames burned through it in an instant.

The descending head also suffered the same fate right as it bounced on the ground.

The two hands that Anukus lost had also suffered the same fate moments before his execution, leaving nothing of him.

He was gone—turned into nothing but dust.

"And with that, it's a wrap." The voice of the true Destroyer reverberated through the early morning air.

His tone was unamused, yet there was a tinge of unseriousness etched within.

As if everything that just happened was nothing more than a drama that was staged in front of him.

There was no sanctity of life in the way he spoke, or remorse in the gleaming crimson eyes that shone from within the mask.

His words merely rang hollow.

"Thank you, Sir Ralyks." The reverent, but slightly fearful voice of the man beside Ralyks echoed.

Ralyks turned to look at him, shrugging as he spoke.

"I told you, didn't I? I never lose."

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Thanks for reading!

This was a fascinating way to end things. Though, I wonder how long Ralyks/Rey can keep his winning streak.