Rhazan exhaled sharply, looking down at Astrid's lifeless body.
Then, he looked at me.
But not shocked.
Not horrified.
"Hah. Expected no less." He rolled his shoulders, the wounds on his body still fresh, still bleeding. "You lot always find a way, don't you?"
I barely heard him.
His voice was nothing but a whisper beneath the rush of power surging through me.
I felt it.
Coursing through my veins.
Burning in my muscles.
My breathing was steady.
My grip on my sword was firm.
At the start of this fight, I saw Rhazan as an unstoppable force.
A beast beyond my reach.
But now?
Now, I saw him as manageable.
I could feel it—the shift in power, the raw strength now pulsing inside me.
And he could feel it too.
I could see it in his eyes.
It should terrify him.
But alas—he was the strongest Skarnhaal for a reason.
He didn't back down.
His fists were still raised.
His stance was still solid.
Ready to strike at a moment's notice.
But this time?
I was ready, too.
Rhazan launched forward.
A heavy hook, aimed straight for my skull.
At the beginning of this fight, I wouldn't have seen it coming.
I would've had to rely on my distortion time to react in time.
But now?
I saw it clearly.
Even without my power.
My body moved on instinct.
As his fist came hurtling toward me, I caught it.
Firm. Unshaken.
His massive arm locked in my grip.
Before he could react, I twisted my body—
His own momentum worked against him.
I shifted my weight, pulled him over my hip—
And threw him.
His massive body lifted off the ground.
Then—
He slammed into the earth.
Hard.
The entire arena shook on impact.
Rhazan grunted, his body twitching from the impact.
He was hurt.
That much was clear.
But I wasn't about to let him get back up.
Playtime was over.
I raised my sword.
No hesitation.
No wasted movements.
And with one brutal thrust—
I drove it straight through his face.
The blade sank deep, piercing through bone, through flesh—
Killing him instantly.
His body jerked once.
Then went still.
The strongest Skarnhaal was no more.
But unlike Astrid—
When I killed him, I felt nothing.
No surge of new power.
No rush of strength.
Just… the usual.
Then, I remembered Eindva's words.
"The closer you are to your victim, the stronger their Echo becomes."
To me, Rhazan was nothing.
No bond. No relationship.
Just an obstacle.
A stepping stone.
A means to an end.
His death gave me nothing.
And that was fine.
Because honestly?
I didn't need his power.
I was already stronger than him.
The moment the battle ended, the sound of slow, deliberate clapping filled the arena.
I turned, my breathing still steady, my grip still tight on my sword.
Uzhgar descended from his place above, stepping onto the battlefield with a calm, satisfied expression.
"Fought like a true human," he mused. "Thank you. That was a spectacular show."
I said nothing.
He stopped just a few feet from me, looking down at Rhazan's corpse.
"Now, I know what's best for my race… what's best for our future."
His golden eyes flicked up to meet mine.
"In our current condition, forcing a war with humans will only mean our extinction."
A long pause.
Then, he exhaled.
"But you, Erik. You gave us the better option."
His voice was calm. Resolute.
"I will command all of my people to move through the tunnel we have built and live elsewhere. We will leave Valkthara behind."
He nodded toward Rhazan's lifeless body.
"You may take his head and leave now."
Another pause.
"Thank you."
With Rhazan's head strapped to my hip, I took my exit.
Everywhere I walked, eyes followed.
Some filled with shock.
Some filled with rage.
But I paid them no attention.
I kept moving.
Past the guards.
Past Veyna, who was already snarling curses at me, her body trembling with fury.
She tried to step forward, but a few guards held her back.
I barely spared her a glance.
I kept walking.
Past the city.
Past the streets filled with Skarnhaal, staring, whispering.
They didn't hide their killing intent.
They wanted me dead.
I could see it in their eyes.
So I looked back.
And the moment our gazes met—
They backed down.
They knew.
I was too powerful for them.
I reached the same hole where Astrid and I had first descended.
Then, without hesitation, I gathered all the strength in my legs—
And propelled myself upward.
Stone and dirt rushed past me, air whipping against my skin.
And then—
I landed.
Feet firm.
Body steady.
Back in the underground sewers of Drakenburg.
Alone.
"How does it feel to be this strong?"
The voice slithered through the darkness.
Then—everything went black.
When my vision returned, I was no longer in Drakenburg.
No stone beneath my feet.
No air.
Just emptiness.
And in front of me—
Eindva.
Seated on her throne, one leg casually crossed over the other.