In the snow-covered forest, Kaito and Roswaal stared at each other. Unlike the previous frenzy and lack of calm, Roswaal was now calmer, but beneath that calm was a murderous intent that couldn't be hidden.
—Aren't you going to attack? —Kaito asked, raising an eyebrow.
Roswaal didn't answer him, he just stared at Kaito as if studying him, more like a wolf studying its prey and thinking about the most feasible way to attack.
Kaito just waited, he wasn't in a hurry to attack Roswaal; rather, if he did, it would literally only take a thought. While waiting, Kaito noticed how Roswaal finally attacked. With a quick movement, he stretched out his arm and a burst of fire engulfed Kaito.
He immediately distanced himself and launched a large sphere of fire, which exploded upon impact where Kaito was, destroying the trees and the ground for hundreds of meters. As if that wasn't enough, Roswaal summoned a strong wind storm, which mixed with the fire, creating a fire whirlpool.
Which grew hundreds of times, destroying the forest even more for over a hundred meters. Even the snow falling from the sky could not weaken this fire whirlpool. Even after a while, he joined his hands in which a condensed sphere of fire was formed, which he launched at the place where Kaito was supposed to be.
Immediately, a flame flare that rose towards the sky and covered hundreds of meters materialized, destroying the forest, melting the snow, and destroying the surroundings.
—Was that enough? —Roswaal murmured uncertainly.
For a while, he only observed the flames that covered the surroundings and the mist as the snow melted. Although after seeing no movement, he walked slowly toward where Kaito was, but stopped.
Feeling a great crisis, he blocked a blow with his arms that sent him flying hundreds of meters, yet he felt a bone crunch in his left arm. More importantly, he felt as if a mountain had fallen on him.
He could only slow down by burying his feet in the snow. Even so, he hit some trees until he could stop. While recovering from the attack, he looked somewhat annoyed at his left arm. Quickly, his right hand lit up with a faint blue color; it was a small healing magic.
Yes, healing magic, it is foolish that he didn't have it. Having lived for more than 400 years and having the Divine Blessing of Sorcery, it is normal for him to have simple healing magic derived from the water attribute. He just didn't use it before for his own personal reasons.
While leaning against the tree, light footsteps on the snow reached Roswaal's ears. Fixing his gaze forward, he saw Kaito emerging from the mist, without any trace of injury on his body, even his clothes were intact.
«This guy... is he really not hurt?» Roswaal thought this, somewhat frightened.
But he quickly came to his senses. Right now, he couldn't feel anything, he just wanted to get the secret that Kaito had, since according to the Gospel, the guy in front of him had a skill related to life, which he has been looking for for a long time.
Even if it wasn't a resurrection skill, it would be enough. Everything available to save his master he was going to use, no matter the price he had to pay.
—So quiet? It seems you've calmed down, don't you worry about those two girls anymore? —Kaito asked curiously.
—At this point, do you think it's worth it? Although I was told they were useful, they are no longer... I'll just look for another way since they are not there —Roswaal replied dryly.
—You talk as if you were going to win, are you sure of your victory? —Kaito said, smiling slightly, clearly mocking.
Roswaal frowned with anger, even his golden eye glowed faintly but he calmed down. In a fight, blind fury leads to nothing but a faster death.
—Aren't you also confident? It was simply a barrier or magic nullification, nothing more —Roswaal replied.
At those words, Kaito only smiled. It wasn't any barrier or magic nullification, he is simply already immune to any fire attack. That is, even if he lets Roswaal spend all his mana bombarding him, he would be completely fine.
While looking at Roswaal, he simply moved his arm and hundreds of wind blades attacked him. Looking at the blades heading towards him and the attack of ice spikes at his sides, Kaito thought and then simply materialized a normal sword.
Then with a simple left-to-right movement, a terrifying sword energy shattered Roswaal's attack and went further, destroying the trees for more than a hundred meters. Of course, Roswaal wasn't going to be so foolish as to stand and be cut in two.
He quickly floated into the sky, although the strong gale almost made him fall but he quickly regained his balance.
«Is this guy... not as strong as Reinhard?» Roswaal thought as a drop of sweat formed on his forehead.
«What do you think, Marquis Mathers?» Kaito's voice reached Roswaal's mind.
Making him pale, even his white paint didn't make him look so pale. He quickly turned back only to be held by the neck by Kaito.
—Look at you... just as defenseless as 400 years ago, nothing changed, right?
Roswaal's eyes widened like saucers, he didn't know why Kaito had that knowledge of him, that he had lived 400 years.
—Your skill? Can it even glimpse the past? —Roswaal asked, trying to contain his emotions.
—Still with that? Well, it's normal, for someone like you —Kaito replied dismissively.
He really didn't want to talk politely to this guy. No matter how desperate a person is to save a loved one, they shouldn't harm third parties. Even he, if something were to happen with his current strength, he would only blame himself for being incompetent.
—Didn't it disgust you to hurt others? Even killing your descendants... no guilt? —Kaito asked, looking into Roswaal's eyes.
Roswaal also stared into his eyes, then simply laughed slightly.
—What would you know? Nobody knows, nor do I have to say... anything! —Roswaal roared as he raised his hand.
In doing so, six spheres of different colors materialized, then they joined, creating a larger sphere with an extremely terrifying power, which without hesitation he crashed directly against Kaito.
«This guy, he really is a lunatic.» Kaito thought as he was engulfed by an explosion.
So gigantic, that it seemed as if a second sun had manifested in the sky. Even if the explosion occurred in the sky, the shock wave destroyed a kilometer all around and beyond.
•••
In the cabin, Emilia, Puck, and the two sisters could notice the bright explosion in the distance, they could even see the fire in the distance, they could even feel the ground shaking.
—Kaito... —Emilia murmured in a low voice.
Although she was worried, she trusted Kaito, so since she trusted him, she stayed in the cabin taking care of the two sisters.
—Lia calm down, that guy Kaito is stronger than you think —Puck gently placed a paw on Emilia's cheek.
He, more than anyone, knew perfectly how exaggeratedly strong Kaito was. Even Roswaal who was fighting him could beat him, albeit with a little difficulty. Even Echidna didn't give him that unfathomable feeling that Kaito gave him.
—Thanks Puck, but I also believe in Kaito —Emilia replied with a smile and confidence.
On one side, the two sisters held hands while looking at the light in the distance, they could even slightly feel the vibration of the ground. But the two were silent. This situation was too much for them. Even if they seemed mature, they were really just children.
No matter how much they had survived the cult's attack, even having been forced to be strong to protect themselves, they were still overwhelmed.
—Sister... —Rem looked at Ram as she moved closer to her.
Ram, for her part, was still processing the whole situation. She doesn't know why she acted that way, she even believed the words of that young man. Perhaps before she became numb to accept the situation of serving Roswaal, the light she was waiting for appeared.
«Maybe... I was just looking for this... to feel protected.» Ram thought, looking at Rem.
She protectively hugged her, providing her with protection, even if they were safe now. For her part, Rem felt like crying but restrained herself, she didn't want to cause more problems for her sister.
On the other side, Emilia didn't know how to intervene. She barely knew these two girls. On the other hand, her mental age is almost the same as the two of them, so she has zero experience in dealing with these types of situations.
Although then she saw, amazed, how the two sisters holding hands walked towards the battlefield.
—Wait! Where are you going? —Emilia asked as she went after the two sisters.
Neither of them answered her, they just kept running. The reason for doing this is that Ram wanted to see Roswaal die. Rem, for her part, would follow her sister unconditionally without separating from her.
—They probably want to see that guy die —Puck said, floating next to Emilia.
—Die?... —Emilia murmured to herself.
She was not ignorant of death, she had already gotten rid of the hunter contaminated by Melakuera's power, even Melakuera himself along with Puck.
While the group of four went to the battlefield, the battle was still going on in said field.
•••
The two people were in a different situation. Kaito still remained unharmed, Roswaal on the other hand did not. His clothes were a mess, blood was coming out of his mouth, and his left arm seemed a little weak.
Although even so, Roswaal continued fighting Kaito hand-to-hand. Yes, hand-to-hand. The charred field around and the craters in the surroundings are living proof that he spent all his mana.
—So persistent? —Kaito asked, blocking Roswaal's blows.
He didn't say much, he just kept hitting Kaito relentlessly, even if with each blow his knuckles broke more and more, he just persisted.
Kaito only looked at him plainly. All this struggle of Roswaal seemed pathetic to him, but even so, he could also see how persistent he was. He didn't expect to see a person with so much persistence to fulfill his oath.
Although he admired that aspect, the person Roswaal was made him quickly forget that. Besides, for him, it was time for this fight to end.
So with a quick movement, a blue energy spear pierced Roswaal and immediately knocked him to the ground. Before he wanted to stop, Kaito pierced his knees and shoulders.
—Ahhh! —Roswaal couldn't help but scream.
Even if he was tempered to endure pain, his body still acts normally and can transmit that pain. Furthermore, Kaito's energy spears not only hurt physically, but also spiritually, directly to the soul.
Kaito only looked at Roswaal on the ground, then slowly approached him. Then from the clothes on his chest, he took out a black book.
—No! —Roswaal shouted, angry and almost desperate.
—Your little book... just because of the stupid things that appear in it, you hurt others... what a thing —Kaito said coldly, as the book turned to ashes.
Roswaal only opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, anger, listlessness, and an endless stream of opposing emotions. He didn't even know what to say.
Kaito only looked at him in silence, then slowly sat down on a nearby rock as if waiting for something. A few minutes later, four figures approached them, it was the group of Emilia and the others.
When they arrived, they first looked at the destroyed surroundings, then they set their gaze on Kaito sitting and Roswaal on the ground. The first to do something was Emilia, who quickly ran towards Kaito and hugged him.
After hugging him, she quickly checked him to see if he was not hurt. All this situation made a smile form on Kaito's face. He gently stroked Emilia's hair.
—I'm fine, calm down.
Emilia calmed down, looked into Kaito's eyes and smiled.
—I was just worried, but I'm glad to know you're okay —Emilia hugged him again and then stayed by his side.
Puck looked at the scene speechless, yet he just rolled his eyes at Emilia's innocence and floated next to her. Kaito, for his part, looked at the two sisters who were staring intently at Roswaal, with clear hatred and sadness in their eyes.
Kaito didn't say much, he just approached them and materialized two small spears, then he stuck them in front of them and stood aside without doing anything.
Emilia wanted to say something but Puck stopped her. Having heard Kaito's statements, he himself could reconstruct the situation in his head. Moreover, he also disliked everything about the Witch Cult.
The two sisters only glanced at Kaito, then at the spears stuck in the ground, and finally at Roswaal who seemed to have had a mental breakdown. After a few minutes, Ram took out the spear and approached Roswaal, without pressuring Rem to do the same.
Although unexpectedly, Rem also took out the spear and approached Ram.
—You don't have to do-...
—I want to —Rem interrupted Ram, staring at her.
Ram, surprised, smiled slightly, then the two approached Roswaal who was looking at them with bloodshot eyes.
The six eyes stared at each other, then the two sisters plunged both spears into Roswaal's heart... they simply held the spears for a while, then as if all the repressed emotions were pouring out, both cried uncontrollably.
Kaito, watching this, approached the two sisters. He gently pulled them both away, although to his surprise, both hugged him tightly. Kaito hadn't experienced this before, although he knew he shouldn't speak at this moment, he simply gently stroked their hair, letting them vent.
Emilia watched this whole situation in silence, she did not intervene, she only looked at the two sisters with pity in her eyes. Puck, for his part, only sighed slightly at this situation.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Roswaal only looked at the sky. Looking at that white sky reminded him of the color of his master's hair. The slight snow falling on his face reminded him of the softness of her lips, which he will never forget.
«Master... I couldn't fulfill... what I swore to do... I couldn't avenge you against Volcanica... much less save you from the seal... I'm a mess... 400 years only to not be able to save you in the end.»
At that moment, two trails of tears fell from Roswaal's eyes... who in his blurry vision, saw again that beautiful face that was smiling at him... reminding him of the first time he met, that beautiful woman... the only woman he loved in the world.