The light the original Dawn Swordsman had wielded was not exactly as they saw it now.
It had been faster, stronger—a divine, dazzling, beautiful light that had given hope to all who had laid eyes on it, a light like a glaring silver dawn.
Not this…lusterless golden twilight, which made one’s heart ache like one was heading into a lonely, dark night.
Perhaps it was the difference between Rix and the Dawn Swordsman in terms of swordsmanship and their inner minds.
But there was no mistake that the light Rix and the Dawn Swordsman wielded was essentially the same.
“…What…?!” said Annie.
“Th-then, what exactly is it? That light?” Serephina asked.
“…I do not know.” Shino shook her head. “What I do know…is that it is not magic but the technique of a regular human. A human whose Sphere is completely closed off inside their self—an Ego. It is the result of the manifestation of that person’s mental image and inner mind. And…the light does not cut; rather, it opens.”
Then:
“No…more…gaaaames!!”
Anna screamed.
The angel had already been carved into bits—and Anna herself staggered, covered in blood.
“Faith magic is magnificent! It is the closest thing to the truth in this world—a sublime power, only granted to the chosen ones like myself!” she shrieked. “And yet! And yet! And yet! You, with that lowly sword! That joke of a weapon! With not a shred of knowledge, with no magic—with that trivial technique of yours! Do you think you can make me fall so easilyyyyyyyyyyy?!”
As if in response…
Whoosh!
…a massive amount of mana flooded forth from the angel’s entire body.
It gave off a tremendously violent magical power and presence that made its previous incarnation look like a mere housefly.
“Ah-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! I’ve had it! I’ve had it!” Anna hollered. “I was holding back, trying not to get Shino caught up in this! But if you must mock our divine faith magic…! I cannot take this silently, on my pride as a mage…! I’ll destroy you! I’ll burn this whole village! I’ll burn it all down…!”
She began to chant an incantation.
“O darkness, hearken to the end of times, deep, dark as oblivion…”
The next moment, a deep, ominous darkness started gathering above the angel’s head.
“O master, have mercy on us, comfort us; give us, your lost lambs, your hand of salvation…”
The darkness was like black flames.
Flames of the Astral Realm, burning unbound by the principles of logic in the present world.
“And lo, with the sounding of the third flute, thus spoke the angel…
“In emptiness itself find salvation, the hand of salvation outstretched from the great abyss…
“Thus I, sent by our master, bring the salvation of death and silence to this world, with a gentle black fire of tranquility…
“And permit the angel don the unblemished shining black robe of flame…
“O untainted black flame, the prayers of your congregation, and deeds righteous…”
This…this was true faith magic.
The exercise of the knowledge of the Great Beings, and the recreation of the mysteries and myths they embodied—that was the essence of faith magic.
And it was clear to see—the angel’s black flame was destruction incarnate.
Once it was unleashed, the town would be no more.
A flame of despair that wouldn’t cease until all was burned to the ground—down to the root, down to the very soul.
That black orb of flame hovered above the angel’s head and was growing more and more enormous.
“Y-you can’t…be serious!”
“I don’t think even Rix can stop that… I-is this the end for us…?!”
Randy, Serephina, and Annie trembled in fear when they saw the flames.
But it was Shino who spoke up and tried to calm them.
“It’s all right, everyone. Please believe in Rix.”
And then—
“DIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!”
—Anna released her magic.
The angel let loose the violent ball of flame.
The flames, deeper and darker than the abyss, became a torrent and rushed toward Rix.
“…”
Then he slowly readied his sword over his head.
He took one step toward the encroaching black flames.
As Shino looked on, something about this sight was somehow nostalgic.
“Back then…I had a name for that flash of light that killed me,” she said. “I, the strongest and most diabolical mage in all of human history… And that secret weapon, humanity’s last hope to draw a winning card that could trump me, the ultimate joker. I called it—
“—the Last Card.”
The moment Shino said this, Rix stepped forward at lightning speed and swung his sword down.
And a light burst forth into the world.
The dazzling flash given off by his sword sliced the encroaching dark flame in two…
…and with it, sliced the angel as well.
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
The sound of Anna’s shrieking.
And the angel, now vanishing.
With that, the curtain abruptly closed on the scene of the desperate battle.
After it was all over…
“He…did it…?” Randy whispered, but no one answered.
“…Ah…guh…”
It looked like Anna was somehow still alive. She was sprawled spread-eagle on the ground, covered in blood.
The angel, that projection of another self, was destroyed.
And there was already no doubt that it had no hope for recovery.
“…”
Rix turned toward Anna.
He stood silently, facing away from Randy and the others.
“H-hey…Rix…?” Randy managed.
Scuff…
Rix started walking toward the collapsed Anna…with his sword still at the ready.
The others shuddered in fear.
They understood exactly what Rix was about to do.
“Stopppppppp!” Shino yelled. “We have to stop him! Or else he’ll never be able to come back!”
That triggered Randy, Serephina, and Annie to spring toward Rix.
“Hey! Rix, stop it! Come back to your senses! Hey!”
Randy grabbed Rix from behind.