Since he had already decided to lay all his cards on the table, Charles held nothing back.
"Faul!"
The fire dragon let out a roar midair, then fused directly into Charles's body.
"Spirit Assimilation: Blazing Flame Dragon King!"
The lengthened scarf lashed out with sparks, and the air around Charles, whose forehead now bore sharp horns, was visibly distorted from the intense heat.
Ed-Charles spoke, "Blinding, isn't it? But power has always been something dark and bloody. You've never seen hell, have you?"
His crimson eyes looked as if they could bleed. A blood-red mist spread around him, making Ed-Charles appear like a ferocious demon from the underworld.
Flames and blood mist split the battlefield in two. The overwhelming presence of each formed behind them—the dragon and the demonic asura stared each other down.
Then, the dragon and the asura charged into battle.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Secret Sword: Blood Rain!"
Charles's fist blasted through the crimson sword light. Though his gauntlet picked up several more sword marks, he shattered Ed-Charles's defense and sent him flying.
"Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!"
Charles chased after him, chaining in with a ferocious strike that looked like it would tear him apart.
Faced with this onslaught, Ed-Charles simply swung his Hell Sword.
"Secret Sword: Moon!"
A blood-red crescent moon appeared, intercepting all of Charles's attacks.
"Break!"
Charles roared, tearing through the crimson moon. But Ed-Charles wielded two swords—his Sword of Conquest came down next, slamming Charles to the ground.
Charles stomped into the earth, and even as the deep wound on his chest began to rapidly heal, he raised his head and unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roar toward Ed-Charles.
The pillar of flame shot skyward, lighting up what felt like the entire royal capital. But amidst the inferno, Charles saw crimson mist spreading.
"Secret Sword Ultimate Technique: Asura!"
To Charles's surprise, Ed-Charles burst from the flames like a demon god, plunging his sword straight into Charles's abdomen.
His body and face covered in burns, Ed-Charles looked more terrifying than ever.
Charles lowered his gaze to the glowing red runes now lit on the Hell Sword, then kicked Ed-Charles away.
He wanted to pursue him—but suddenly dropped to one knee, clutching his stomach with a pained expression.
His wound had already begun to heal thanks to Dragon Blood Mode and Spirit Assimilation—even his damaged organs were completely restored. But the pain remained.
It was an unbearable agony—even with Charles's willpower, he couldn't stay standing.
In this world, magic tool power levels could be adjusted.
As seen in the original story, when Natsu used a magic tool, he released a burst of fire far stronger than its usual limit.
Ed-Charles wasn't quite so extreme, but in that last strike, he had poured nearly half of the Hell Sword's magic into it.
The resulting curse clung to Charles's insides like a maggot on bone, refusing to disperse.
The Hell Sword's red runes pulsed like a heartbeat, and Ed-Charles's burns began to heal.
Ed-Charles spoke, "I used to think this sword should've been called the Sword of Pain.
Because not only does it inflict agony on others, it lets the wielder heal by enduring their own suffering. The worse the wound, the more excruciating the pain.
But then I realized—any world that forces you to hold this sword and keep fighting through the pain... must already be hell."
Charles furrowed his brow, but forced himself to stand through the agony. "Oh? That's how you see it?"
Ed-Charles's facial muscles twisted from the pain, but he still gave a cold smile. "You wouldn't understand, would you, naive as you are? What do you fight for? Justice? Light?
Such things don't exist in this hellish world. This world deserves only destruction."
Charles looked at the face identical to his own and smiled. "Justice? Light? I don't fight for those things."
Ed-Charles raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Then why are you standing in front of me?"
Charles answered, "For happiness."
"Happiness?"
Ed-Charles clearly hadn't expected that answer.
Charles recalled something a certain Magic King once said. Though that bone-loving overlord could be said to have lost his humanity, his words to those he cared for had moved Charles deeply.
He continued, "No matter who they are, all people seek happiness. My reason for fighting is the happiness of myself and the ones I care about.
And for my comrades' happiness, I wouldn't hesitate to crush an entire nation."
Ed-Charles froze for a second, then spoke with venom. "Indeed. People will do anything for happiness… even betray their comrades."
Charles held his head high. "You really don't get it, do you? Comrades mean that each person's happiness is everyone's happiness. If your comrade is suffering, how could you possibly feel happy yourself?"
Ed-Charles's expression twisted. "That's ridiculous. Humans are selfish. In this hell of a world, happiness doesn't exist."
Charles raised his guard. "I've seen enough. It's shameful that the me from another world is such a coward."
"You're the coward, clinging to fragile bonds!" Ed-Charles shot back.
No more words. The two clashed again.
Ed-Charles, like a demon possessed, tore off the rest of his ragged clothing, revealing his muscular frame.
His scarred body bulged with tension, made all the more terrifying by the red mist coiling around him.
Among the many scars, one across his chest stood out most—it had been left by a former comrade.
Wreathed in a demonic aura, Ed-Charles swung his swords down.
"Secret Sword Hidden Ultimate: Purgatory!"
This was a technique Ed-Charles developed in prison after being betrayed—his hatred given form.
Charles could feel the rising tide of power from his opponent. As he charged forward, his own fighting spirit summoned his finishing move.
"Four Symbols Fist Ultimate: Qilin Strike!"
Charles swung his dragon-covered fist, meeting the X-shaped cross-slash head-on.
The Evil Dragon gauntlet hit its limit and shattered—but Charles did not withdraw his punch.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art - Modified: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Fist!"
A torrent of fire exploded forth. The two blades that struck Charles's fist turned crimson, then melted and snapped in two.
And Charles's fist drove straight into Ed-Charles's chest.
"A man with nothing in his heart can't put any real strength into his sword," Charles declared.
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]