And just like that, swords flashed, steel rang, and the earth trembled as the three clashed in one final duel.

Despite wielding a massive greatsword, Alter swung it with unbelievable speed and ease, as though it weighed no more than a branch in her hands. The royal swordsmanship of Ventaria was traditionally meant for lighter weapons like rapiers, yet she still performed its elegant techniques flawlessly with a blade twice her size. And beneath every graceful swing lay monstrous strength powerful enough to shatter the ground and send shockwaves roaring across the battlefield.

But the King and Princess of Ventaria were far from weak.

Their speed was terrifying, and their coordination was flawless. Together, they formed one of the deadliest duos the kingdom had ever seen. Fighting at full strength, they moved so quickly that even Alter was caught off guard for a moment, forced to take one step back… then another.

It seemed she had underestimated how much they had grown.

A small smile tugged at her lips, filled with pride and affection.

She was glad.

For the first time in a long while, her chest felt light, as though a mountain had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

Once she was gone, these two would be able to protect the kingdom in her place.

They were ready.

And with Azraphael there to guide them, everything would be fine.

The only thing that saddened her…

…was that she would no longer be there to watch them grow further. She would never see them return victorious from battle, nor witness the kingdom flourish beneath their rule.

"Hah!"

Purigon suddenly unleashed a lightning-fast slash aimed directly at Alter's neck.

At the same time, Fishia rushed in from the opposite side with a low sweeping strike.

At their speed, it looked impossible to dodge.

But Alter only smirked.

Clang!

She blocked Purigon's blade with her own, then instantly drove a powerful kick toward Fishia. The impact stopped the princess's attack cold and sent her flying over twenty meters away.

Fishia skidded across the ground, thrusting her sword into the stone to anchor herself. The blade carved a deep trench through the earth before she finally came to a stop.

Whoosh!

Before Purigon could even react, Alter had already moved behind him.

Bam!

A casual kick struck his back and launched him straight into his little sister.

The two tumbled across the battlefield together.

"Arrgh… Great Aunty…" Purigon groaned as he painfully pushed himself upright, rolling his shoulder. "This is our last fight, and you still won't even let us land a single hit?"

"Haha, of course not." Alter laughed.

With a flick of her foot, she kicked Purigon's fallen sword back toward him, and he caught it cleanly.

In the entire kingdom, Alter was unquestionably the strongest.

For years, aside from the terrifying demons she fought, nobody had managed to land even a single blow on her.

Well…

Except for her teacher, Azraphael.

So against these two children, she wasn't even using half her strength, yet she still overwhelmed them with ease.

But then Purigon exchanged a glance with Fishia.

The siblings nodded together, as though silently agreeing on something.

"Guess we'll have to go all out too," Purigon said.

The sudden confidence on the young king's face sent a spark of excitement through Alter's heart.

Before she could respond, Fishia spoke up.

"This is the ultimate technique Lady Azraphael taught us recently. She said that with this move… we'd finally be able to land a hit on you. Be careful, Great Aunty."

"Oh?" Alter raised a brow, now genuinely intrigued.

She briefly glanced toward the distance where Azraphael stood watching calmly, her posture poised and unmoving.

As far as Alter knew, her teacher was practically a god of war. Every technique Azraphael taught was absurdly deadly, capable of allowing someone far weaker to kill opponents many times stronger through skill alone.

Even several of Alter's own signature techniques had been heavily influenced by the mysterious one-winged angel.

So if Purigon was telling the truth…

…then she truly needed to be careful.

"But hey," Alter said with a laugh, "isn't a secret technique supposed to stay secret? Now that you've warned me, won't it stop working?"

"Don't worry, Aunty," Purigon replied confidently. "It'll work whether you know about it or not."

That answer only made Alter more curious.

Then Purigon and Fishia raised their swords upright in unison and poured their mana into the blades. Power surged through the steel until both weapons glowed with a pale radiance beneath the night sky. The pressure spilling from them stirred the air and sent loose gravel skittering across the shattered ground.

Alter watched quietly, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

Then Purigon suddenly repositioned himself. He moved swiftly to her right side while Fishia remained where she was, creating a two-directional attack angle around her.

Still, Alter simply let them do as they pleased. No matter how perfect their positioning was, even if they attacked from her blind spots, she was certain she could block them effortlessly.

The next moment, both siblings charged at her with all their speed.

The ground exploded beneath their feet as the two shot forward like arrows, moving so fast that the air itself screamed around them.

Alter blinked in surprise.

Because these attacks... this was really the technique Azraphael had taught them to use against her?

It was far too simple.

There was no elaborate footwork, no feints, no hidden setup that she could detect. They were simply rushing straight at her head-on like inexperienced recruits charging into battle for the first time.

For a brief moment, Alter genuinely thought she had misunderstood something. And because of that, her own mind began to work against her.

Azraphael would never teach something this crude. There had to be another layer to it. Some hidden follow-up. Some trick waiting for the perfect moment.

So instead of reacting immediately, Alter deliberately delayed her response slightly, waiting to see what they were truly aiming for.

But in the end, nothing happened.

"Hah!"

Fishia arrived first, thrusting her glowing blade forward with all her strength.

Even with her delayed reaction, Alter still deflected the attack effortlessly. She raised her greatsword, twisted her wrist, and swept the massive blade sideways in a brutal parry.

CLANG!

The clash thundered across the battlefield.

Fishia's entire body was thrown backward from the overwhelming force, sent flying through the air once again.

However, the heavy motion also dragged Alter's greatsword wide to the side.

And in that same instant, Purigon rushed in directly toward her with the exact same reckless attack.

Alter almost scoffed.

Seriously, what kind of ridiculous technique was this supposed to be?

But then her expression froze.

Because Purigon was not slowing down.

The violent parry from earlier had left the tip of Alter's blade angled perfectly toward his chest. At this speed, he was going to impale himself if he did not stop immediately.

"Purigon, stop—!"

Alter shouted instinctively, but Purigon looked completely unable to halt his momentum now. He was moving too fast for his own body to properly control.

"Fuck!"

Panic exploded through Alter's chest.

There was no time left to think.

Abandoning all thought of counterattacking, Alter threw all her strength into wrenching the massive greatsword away from Purigon's path. The ground beneath her feet shattered from the sudden movement.

But even for her, it was still too late to avoid completely.

SLASH!

The edge of the greatsword tore across Purigon's arm, carving a deep gash through flesh and armor alike.

Blood sprayed into the air.

****

Purigon crashed onto the ground and rolled across the battlefield, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

The moment Alter saw that, panic gripped her chest.

She immediately rushed toward him.

"Purigon! Are you alright?!"

But before she could even reach him, an arrow suddenly shot toward her.

Alter twisted her body just in time, narrowly avoiding the projectile.

Then, two massive royal guards landed directly in front of her and blocked her path. Both immediately drew their swords and slammed their blades against Alter's greatsword, forcing her backward.

At the same time, voices erupted behind her.

"Guards! Protect the King!"

"Princess Felicia has gone insane! She tried to kill His Majesty!"

"Stop her before she fully turns into a demon!"

Alter froze in confusion.

"What...?"

She had absolutely no idea what was happening.

But within seconds, the battlefield descended into complete chaos. The guards, the knights, and even the generals who had once fought beside her for decades all suddenly turned their weapons toward her.

And as they charged, they shouted the same accusation again and again: That Alter had finally been consumed by her demonic curse.