Chapter 533: The Final Showdown [Part 1] Alex and Fran had resolved themselves to fight the Demon Lord once and for all before coming up to the surface. They had no idea how he had been able to survive without eating, drinking, or moving. In any case, it was pointless to wait any longer if he were alive. With this mindset, they had decided to stay underground for one more year to train hard and fully understand the extent of their powers. Only after doing so did they decide to fight him one last time. Fran flew out of Alex’s shirt. Facing him, she extended her clenched fist toward Alex. The teenage lightly met her fist with his own, their Gaia Rings clinking against each other as if to toast for a promise. Golden light erupted from the rings and cloaked the pair, drastically enhancing their physical, magical, and spiritual powers to its limits. From outside of the barrier, the Elves who were keeping watch on the barrier of the Shadow Forest all looked up to the sky, sensing a powerful presence spread across the land. A moment later, the tolling of a bell reverberated in the heavens, as if to announce a once-in-history event... at least in the next few thousands of years. "Divine power..." one of the Elves muttered in surprise. "It’s really divine power. The power of The World!" The other elves also felt this incredibly familiar sensation, for they had always been protectors of nature and worshiped both The World and The Moon. The Demon Lord frowned slightly, but he sensed that he was still more powerful than his opponents. In his eyes, this was simply Alex’s and Fran’s last desperate attempt for survival. He had sacrificed all of his subordinates to create this special domain, the perfect trap for Alex and Fran. The two could never escape his grasp. Fortunately for him, the two had no plans of escaping. Fran hovered beside Alex and started to chant. "O World that bears all life, Witness my resolve and answer my vow. I cast aside flesh and fleeting form, Returning what was borrowed to the soil of creation." "Let my will be honed beyond its limits, Let my spirit be tempered by eternal law." "Not as fairy, nor as companion, But as judgment made manifest!" "By covenant sworn beneath heaven and earth, By the promise sealed within the Gaia Rings, I offer my existence to be a temporary blade for the person I hold dear." "Become edge. Become silence. Become divine." "I am the dagger that slays the impossible!" Fran’s body glowed brilliantly as she transformed into a dagger. On its cross guard emblazoned the emblem of the Gaia Ring. Alex held the Divine Dagger with his right hand, which wielded his own Gaia Ring. The two rings resonated better, further empowering the weapon Alex wielded. This was the attack that would give them a winning chance against their opponent. With Medina’s dagger on his left hand and Fran on his right, Alex took the stance of a dual wielder, his golden aura wrapped around his body, ready to assist him in battle. "Petty tricks." The Demon Lord sneered before lunging at the teenage boy, planning to finally end his long imprisonment from the forest. Alex didn’t move and simply waited until the Demon Lord was only dozens of meters away from him. The teenage boy then took a single step forward, and his figure blurred from the world. "Flash Step." With a single step, Alex appeared right in front of the Demon Lord and stabbed his sword forward, aiming for the latter’s chest. The Demon Lord had fought countless battles in the past, so the moment Alex moved, he immediately sensed a threat that could possibly end his life. Knowing this, he had also prepared to dodge whatever attack aimed at him. When Alex reappeared, he’d barely stepped to the right. The blade grazed the side of his chest, the wound superficial. Seeing his attack fail, Alex moved forward and distanced himself from his enemy in order to prepare for another strike. Naturally, the Demon Lord wouldn’t kindly let him have his way. He unleashed a wide area of effect spell, meant to annihilate the pesky insect that refused to die. "Crimson Annihilation!" A cone of flames expanded outward, scorching everything in its path. Alex ran to his right, barely escaping the raging flames that would have killed him if not for Fran timely casting a barrier, which bought him a few precious seconds to escape. "Be careful, Alex." The dagger in his hands hummed, prompting him to nod his head. "Thank you, Fran. This guy is really a pain to deal with." "Don’t worry! We will defeat him together!" Without even waiting for the Demon Lord’s spell to stop, Alex once again increased his speed and headed to where their enemy was standing. The Demon Lord sensed his presence, and moved his hands to target Alex with the remaining power of his spell. "Flash Step!" Alex didn’t use the spell to close the distance between him and the Demon Lord and instead evaded the deadly spell that would have turned him to ashes. When the spell was finally expended, the teenage boy crossed the distance to unleash a strike at the Demon, who had also summoned his Cursed Sword. The sound of two weapons clashing against each other spread in the blazing battlefield, sending sparks flying every time they clashed. "Don’t worry, Alex! I’m strong, this measly sword will not break me! Just focus on fighting!" Alex was still holding back a bit, fearing that Fran, who had transformed into the dagger in his hand, might shatter if he continued to clash with the Demon Lord. Because of this, he primarily used Medina’s dagger to parry from time to time, only switching to his Divine Dagger to launch an attack when an opportunity arose. The Demon Lord suddenly grinned as he stomped his feet on the ground, creating a wave of flames that expanded outward. Caught by this surprise attack, Alex was blown away and found himself in mid-air. "Try to dodge this!" the Demon Lord roared as he slashed the teenage boy, whom he believed couldn’t escape in mid-air. "Annihilation Slash!" The cursed sword blazed in crimson flames, making this particular strike more deadly than ever. But Alex remained calm. He firmly planted his foot in the air and used it to propel himself to the side, which made the Demon Lord’s eyes widen in shock. "Flash Step," Alex said calmly before stepping a second time on the air, propelling himself to the Demon Lord this time. "Gaia Slash!" The arm of the Demon Lord was neatly severed from his body. His blood sprayed in front of him, dying Alex’s clothes with demonic blood. But the teenage boy wasn’t done yet. He understood that if he missed this opportunity, he might not get another chance again, so he once again used his Flash Step, allowing him to step on anything, regardless if it was the ground, water, or air. With a resolve to kill the Demon Lord, Alex slashed sideways, cutting the Demon Lord’s body in half. After that, he initially thought that the Demon Lord was finally down, but he had doubts. When he had supposedly cut through the enemy’s flesh, he felt no resistance at all. The body that he had cut in half turned into blood mist, covering Alex’s entire body in blood. The blood then moved toward the teenage boy’s mouth, as if trying to possess his body. Suddenly, Alex stood motionless, even dropping the daggers in his hands on the ground. The Demon Lord was not only a powerful warrior but also a very talented sorcerer. The one field of magic that he secretly cultivated without telling anyone was Blood Magic. Using his own blood as a medium, he could manifest in many ways, even directly attacking his opponent’s body and taking over it, making it his own. "Alex!" Fran, who was still in dagger form, called out to the teenage boy, who was frozen in place. She didn’t know what just happened, but there was no way that her partner wouldn’t let go of his weapons, especially at this very crucial moment. Deep inside Alex’s Sea of Consciousness, the Demon Lord had taken form. He planned to take over his body. To do that, he must erase the young man’s spirit first, which he bound by chains made up of the blood that had invaded the young man’s consciousness. "Your body is trash, but it will still serve its purpose," Vanaac said. "You should be honored that I will be using your body for the greater good!" "Who are you calling trash, you bastard?!" Alex roared in anger. "Fight me like a man if you dare!" Alex tried to break free from the chains that bound his soul, but they were simply too strong and too hard for him to break. He could feel that he was at a great disadvantage on what was going to happen next, so he did what he could only do. He reached out to the power of the Gaia Ring, which had also called out to Fran’s soul so she could help Alex inside his Sea of Consciousness.