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{Chapter: 387 The End of Algrim}
"Come out, you peeping bitch, I've found you," William roared into the air, his sharp eyes locked on a point in the sky.
But there was no answer.
No movement. No shift in the wind. Just silence.
William muttered with a scowl, "Tch. Just vanished like that? What a damn coward. Doesn't even have the decency to say goodbye after watching the whole show. So disrespectful."
Up in the sky, hovering amidst scattered clouds, White Queen calmly deactivated the holographic projection that had recorded the entire battle.
"Well, that's a wrap," she said, her voice sharp as ever. "Let's regroup. Time to check on our walking catastrophe."
With that, Alice, Pepper, Ada, Jane, Sif, and White Queen shot through the sky in formation, beams of air trailing behind them as they descended towards William.
William stretched his shoulders as they approached, still crackling with residual green-gold energy. He wore his usual smug grin. "Ladies, did you see that? That was me—crazy, cool, and absolutely dominant. Like a walking comic book panel."
"You were spectacular," Ada said sincerely, her eyes glinting with admiration. "The Transformers X-Burst form is no joke. You pulverized Algrim like a god."
White Queen looked at him with a calculating gaze. "But your reaction earlier... was that one spying on you during the fight?"
William nodded, expression turning serious for a brief moment. "Yeah. He was lurking in the shadows. Whoever it was, they were good—almost managed to stay hidden from me. Almost."
Everyone froze for a moment.
Alice narrowed her eyes. "Any guesses on who it might have been?"
"Could be the one manipulating that black flame from before," White Queen suggested, her mind already calculating possibilities.
William shrugged. "Maybe. But speculation doesn't help us right now. Whoever it is, they'll show their face again. Probably when we least expect it."
Alice crossed her arms, her expression tightening. "Anyone that can watch a battle of this level without being noticed until the end isn't just strong. They're dangerous."
"Pfft," William said with a cocky smirk. "Dangerous or not, worrying won't change anything. If they're coming, they're coming. No point in losing sleep over it. Live every day like it's your last, I say. Eat well, fight hard, fuck with a smile."
Pepper rolled her eyes. "Can you try once to be a little serious?"
"I am serious," William said, completely deadpan. "Serious about not worrying until it matters."
"Pure perverse logic," Jane muttered.
"Anyway," William said, changing the subject. "Is Algrim actually dead?"
"You're the one who blasted him off the map. Shouldn't you know?" Jane snapped.
"You're asking me? I just punched the guy across an island. You go check if he's still twitching."
With a grin, William shot downward toward the surface of the ocean where the island had once been. The rest followed, hovering above a few jagged reefs and scattered debris. The water below churned unnaturally.
White Queen's eyes glowed as data streamed across her vision. She pointed toward a jagged rock outcropping. "There. Movement."
Suddenly, the sea next to the reef parted violently. A single arm broke through the surface, fingers clawing against the stone. Algrim, bloodied and burned, slowly dragged himself onto the reef, gasping.
William flashed to his side in an instant, staring down at him with an amused expression. "Still breathing, huh?"
Algrim's voice was hoarse, yet strangely calm. "Hahaha... I lost. Just finish it. Kill me."
William raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect you to go out with dignity. That's... kinda manly."
Algrim coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. "The dark elves... are gone. I'm the last. There's nothing left to fight for. You beat me. You won."
The others hovered nearby, silent, watching the final moments unfold.
William tilted his head, then gave a half-smile. "Alright. You want it to end? I'll make it clean."
"Thank you..."
With a flash of green-gold light, a glowing long blade appeared in William's hand. He lifted it high.
"You fought with conviction. That deserves some respect."
With a clean swing—
Crack!
The blade sliced through Algrim's neck with a sharp hiss, and a gush of dark, tar-like blood spilled over the jagged reef. His eyes widened one last time in silent defiance, then dulled as his head slumped to the side. His body slowly crumpled, lifeless, like a toppled monument to a forgotten age.
The wind that had howled with the fury of battle gradually quieted. The restless waves stilled. The last of the Dark Elves was dead.
William let the luminous green-gold sword fade into particles of light, dissolving in his hand. He stared down at the fallen foe with an unreadable expression. "Let's go," he muttered, voice low but resolute. "This chapter is over. But I get the feeling the next one's already watching."
A soft breeze swept past them.
Alice descended beside him, her hair fluttering in the wind. She glanced at Algrim's corpse and sighed. "So much fury. He even stole another man's body just to keep fighting."
Ada crossed her arms, her voice quiet with rare introspection. "He sacrificed everything—his race, his name, even his soul—and still couldn't escape death."
White Queen tilted her head with a faint smirk. "Death is overrated. People cling to it like it's a tragedy. But sometimes, it's just the last page in a very boring book."
The green-gold deformed X-Particles, which had formed William's Transformer X-Burst form, now gently swirled around him like glowing fireflies before seeping back into his body. His muscular figure returned to its human state, only this time, his expression was more composed. His bare torso glistened with sweat under the sunlight, hair tousled but eyes sharp.
Jane gave a teasing smile. "Glad that spiky porcupine form is gone. You're easier to look at like this."
William stretched, flexing his muscles slightly. "Of course I'm easy to look at. Some people are born handsome—others just try their best."
"Get over yourself," Pepper deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "You're not even the best-looking man in this hemisphere."
"Blasphemy." William feigned shock, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. "You simply lack the artistic vision to appreciate true beauty."
"Please," Pepper scoffed. "People probably just say you're the most handsome because they're too afraid of being vaporized."
Sif, meanwhile, was staring intently at Algrim's body. Something didn't sit right. Her instincts, honed over centuries as a warrior, buzzed in warning. "Hold on... something's wrong."
Ada turned. "What is it?"
Before Sif could answer, a sudden hiss erupted from the corpse. A dark red substance, almost liquid yet somehow alive, slithered out of Algrim's chest like a vengeful serpent.
"Get back!" Sif shouted.
But it was too late.
The dark red mass darted forward like a bullet and struck William's leg. With a sickening ripple, it drilled into his body before anyone could react.
William staggered, his eyes widening. "Damn it—he tricked me..."
"William!" the women shouted, rushing forward in unison.
He held out a hand sharply. "No! Stay back! Twenty meters—now! I don't know what this stuff will do!"
They froze.
Alice grabbed Jane and backed away. Ada took Pepper. Sif followed closely, blades in hand. Even White Queen, usually calm and composed, looked stricken with rare guilt. "It's Algrim's soul," she muttered. "A residual consciousness encoded in dark matter... I should've caught it sooner."
"Don't blame yourself," Alice said, eyes focused. "William's strong. He'll fight it."
William, meanwhile, had dropped to one knee. His body convulsed. Green energy tried to flare out around him, but tendrils of dark red lashed against it from within. His fingers dug into the glass as if trying to anchor himself.
A cold, mocking voice echoed out—not from his mouth, but from within him.
"Hahaha… William, you arrogant fool. You didn't see it coming. My spirit survived. My will is eternal. I will have your body, your strength, the Aether—and with it, I will become the king of the universe!"
William clenched his fists, his teeth bared. "Algrim... I burned your body and shattered your pride, and still you cling to life like a coward."
Inside his Mindscape, William found himself standing in a dark, infinite void—confronted by a spectral version of Algrim, formed from shadow and flame.
"This is my mind," William growled. "You don't belong here."
"This will be my mind soon," Algrim sneered. "And your body will be my throne!"
In the real world, William's body convulsed harder, energy flashing green and red. Cracks of emerald lightning burst out from his skin, splitting the rock and glass beneath his feet.
Ada watched in horror. "He's fighting a battle in his Inner World now."
"Can we help him?" Jane asked, her voice trembling.