Back at the altar where it all began, the battle between the "King" and Lust was about to unfold.
The sound of swords clashing with claws echoed through the air, punctuated by furious growls.
The "King" unleashed powerful slashes at Lust, who countered with strikes from her claws, whips, and stabbing tails.
To him, it was child's play—he dodged and retaliated with magical spears erupting from beneath Lust's feet.
They both leapt back to regain momentum.
"Are you tired?" the "King" taunted. "You were so loud just now."
"You... You dare act arrogant with just that?" Lust growled, extending her tails and launching them at him.
One after another, the tails solidified and stabbed forward. Unfazed, the "King" raised his sword.
It gleamed with light, and as the tails pierced through, they struck something solid.
When the glow faded, a circular shield the size of the "King's" body was revealed—blocking every tail.
"How disappointing," he mocked.
With a surge of strength, he bashed the tails aside with the shield, then hurled it at Lust.
While spinning through the air, blades extended from the shield's edge, turning it into a deadly saw.
Lust recoiled, pulling her tails back to defend.
The collision sparked a flurry of explosions.
"Damn it," she snarled. "This isn't enough!"
"How about this?"
The "King" teleported in front of her, grabbed the shield's handle. It glowed once more—this time morphing into armor along his arm, pulsating with magical veins.
He seized one of Lust's tails. The engines embedded in his arm roared to life. The outer layer opened, revealing rows of turbines that ignited with flame, launching him forward as he dragged Lust by her tail.
Lust dug her claws into the ground. "You dare—!"
A thick mist spread from beneath her feet, engulfing them both.
From within the fog, skeletons emerged, charging at the "King" with swords drawn.
"They're…" the "King" blinked, stunned.
"Surprised?" Lust grinned. "They're the ones who died because of your ignorance."
The skeletons attacked.
The "King" dropped Lust's tail, engines retreating into his arm. He leapt back, light bursting from his fingers to form claw-like projections.
With a powerful stomp and a wide spin, he slashed in a full circle, cutting down the surrounding undead.
The claws vanished. He clenched his fist and punched the ground, unleashing a shockwave that sent the rest flying.
He soared upward, arm glowing as it shifted into a spear. Gripping the shaft tightly, surrounding engines flared, launching him forward at blistering speed.
Lust stomped, conjuring a wall of fog. From it, sharp-tipped bones jutted forward.
The "King" slammed both feet into the ground, halting his movement but not the spear's momentum.
Releasing it, the spear surged ahead, pierced through mist and bone, and slammed into a pillar behind Lust.
As the fog cleared, she reappeared, tails coiled around a glowing orb of energy near her mouth.
Lust glared and rolled the energy ball with her tails. As she did, the energy slowly dyed her tails, spreading from the base all the way to their tips.
Her eyes locked onto him.
"Die."
Her tails flung forward, releasing a barrage of energy blades.
They twisted unpredictably, darting in countless directions.
"This is new… quite troublesome," the "King" muttered, standing amid the storm. "But interesting."
He raised his hand; the spear quivered, broke free of the pillar, and returned to him.
Just as he grabbed it, the energy blades closed in.
"No time," he muttered, grimacing.
He blocked what he could, but there were too many. Several blades cut into him. He attempted to open a space gate—but it shattered on impact.
"As expected… that won't work," he thought. "Then let's try this."
The spear shifted back into a sword. Its blade split into multiple segments, connected by glowing energy lines.
The "King" swung it rapidly, the segmented blades orbiting him to form a defensive whirlwind.
"You think that's enough to protect you?" Lust roared, amplifying her attack.
The "King" swung faster, the blades striking and shattering each energy blade, absorbing traces of their power.
After a while, he stopped. The sword reassembled and pulsed with light.
A wave of energy erupted, freezing all of Lust's attacks in place.
"Try tasting your own attack," he said, aiming the sword forward.
The frozen blades turned and surged toward Lust.
"Let's see what you've got."
Lust countered with more blades of her own. The sky lit up with countless explosions as the opposing forces collided.
But the "King's" stolen blades weren't enough to fully counter her barrage.
He prepared to act—but a sudden pain shot through his chest. He staggered, dropped the sword, and vomited blood.
"What… the hell…?"
He clutched his chest—no wound, no blood. Just pain.
"No injury… then where's this pain coming from?"
"Distracted?" Lust shouted, launching another volley.
Snapping back to his senses, the "King" snatched his sword and dodged.
"Thanks for the warning," he smiled wryly.
Just as he tried to rise, the battlefield trembled—explosions, howls, the ground shaking violently.
He collapsed to his knees again.
Lust lunged. Her tails seized him in a crushing grip.
"Hey… that's too rough," he said, grimacing.
"Like I care," she snapped. "Can you feel it? The power engulfing the battlefield? Your allies… they're dead."
"What do you mean?"
"Am I not being clear?" she smirked. "I said they're dead for sure."
"You're underestimating them," the "King" growled.
"That's right. So what? They're just weaklings unaware of their limits."
Another roar. Another explosion.
"Can you hear it?" Lust laughed. "Destruction… everywhere. It's beautiful."
"You… are wrong," the "King" tensed.
"What, still in denial?"
"You forgot something."
"Oh?" she sneered. "Was it your scream?"
Her tails tightened. He winced—but stayed silent.
"Come on, scream for me. Let me hear it."
"I…"
His voice weakened. The sword slipped from his grasp.
But then, his lips moved.
"You…"
"What? I didn't catch that," Lust leaned in. "Tell me… are you ready to give up?"
Silence.
The sword fell to the ground.
Then a smile formed on his lips.
"You misjudged us."
In a flash, he and the sword switched places, startling Lust.
"How do you still have strength?!"
"Lucky guess?"
He grabbed the hilt—the sword transformed into a chainsaw.
With a roar, he swung it, shredding through Lust's tails.
"You—!"
Before she could recover, he aimed the saw upward—it became a cannon.
He fired, blasting them both backward.
They dug into the ground, stopping their momentum.
"What's wrong?" the "King" taunted, shouldering the cannon. "Feeling defeated?"
"Stop talking like that," Lust snarled.
"Why? I think it's a fun way to tease someone. The kids used to do it—it works."
"I'm no kid—and I'm not yours to tease!" Lust charged.
"And I still feel pretty young myself."
He swung the cannon—it became a greatsword. He met Lust head-on. Sparks flew.
They locked eyes—until an unsettling sensation washed over Lust.
From afar came pained roars—not destruction, but agony.
"Impossible…" she trembled. "Greed, Envy, Sloth—even Gluttony? I've lost my link with them?"
"Do you regret it?" the "King" grinned, pressing his blade forward.
"It's not over yet—!"
Before she could finish, a violent shockwave erupted. A beam of blazing light soared into the sky and exploded, lighting up the heavens.
"No… He lost?" Lust stared in horror.
The "King" lunged, forcing her to retreat. He followed—until another quake shook the ground.
He looked up. Chunks of earth floated, converging, and began falling from the sky.
"What is that? I need to stop it."
But Lust blocked his path.
"I won't let you," she hissed, attacking furiously.
He parried—until a giant bone tree descended from the sky, caught the falling landmass, and unleashed a barrage of magic that obliterated it.
"No way..." Lust trembled with fury. "There's no way we could lose to lowly beings like you!
Her body dissolved into mist. The sky turned crimson—the moon stained with blood.
The mist turned from pink to deep red.
"I've had enough… I didn't want to use this form… but you left me no choice."
From within the mist, Lust's bloodthirsty eyes gradually emerged—no longer just two, but countless eyes opening one after another.
A giant foot stepped forward, parting the fog.
Lust raised her leg and cleared the mist, revealing her full form: a thorn-covered body with legs soaked in blood, tails ablaze with mystical blue flames, jagged fangs jutting from her mouth, and a monstrous face with six glaring eyes locked on the "King."
Surrounding her floated eerie flames, each with an eye opening at its center.
"I see why you hate this form," the "King" said dryly.
Lust howled, and the flames instantly surged toward the "King"—with her charging in right behind them.
"Alright..." The "King" took a deep breath. "Time to get serious."
The greatsword glowed, enveloping him in golden light. When it faded, his body shimmered with glowing veins.
He immediately took a stance and rushed forward. As he clenched his fists, a series of phantom fists materialized around him—poised and ready to strike anything in his path.
This battle would decide everything… or perhaps mark the beginning of something far more terrifying.