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Darius fully transformed into his Demoid form. “You have decided to become one of Marduk’s dogs!?” he roared at the blind swordsman, baring his claws and fangs.

“I have merely decided to be sensible,” Ruyo retorted calmly with a faint disparaging smile. “Lord Grid, just what could have possessed you?”

“Me? Possessed?” Rylan scoffed. “You mock me…” He gritted his teeth.

“Did you perhaps have amnesia or you’re simply willingly ignorant? All of your achievements, every single one of your accomplishments, were made possible by the Covenant’s intervention. Your viceroy position is not of your blood, sweat, and tears. Nothing about you is self-made. So, what makes you think you can go against Marduk?”

“What makes you think I can’t?” Rylan shot back. “He believes he made me who I am today, that’s his folly. I would have become the viceroy even without his aid. The process would have just been less smooth. The Covenant overestimated itself. Marduk is not as smart as he loves to think.”

“Spare me the denial, Lord Grid. I’m no mirror. This defiance of yours is nothing more than a bratty tantrum to Marduk, a bratty tantrum he has no time for.”

“Bratty tantrum?!” Rylan shouted. “He sent a dog of his just to tell me that?!”

“Ruyo, I’m disappointed in you,” Darius said.

“And what of it? I fail to see any relevance unless you are under the delusion that my life is meant to impress you.”

“Y-you…!”

“In any case, cease this tomfoolery now, Lord Grid, or Marduk’s next response won’t be so… pleasant.”

“Pleasant? You call this pleasant?”

“My blade is still in the sheath. So yes, this can be considered pleasant. Or would you prefer that I draw my blade right here and now?”

“Try it if you dare,” Darius challenged him with a growl.

Meanwhile, Erin was just watching the whole exchange from the side with an amused expression. She kept her silence for the entirety. The greater the conflict was between them, the higher the chance she would have later on should an opportunity for escape present itself. Her current dread was the diagram she was sitting on that was suppressing most of her abilities and strength.

“Do you really wish to go down that path, Darius?” Ruyo asked, his hand falling on the hilt of his sword.

“Do you think I am still the same as before? Do you believe that I would never better myself?” Darius laughed. “Your mind is small, Ruyo.”

“That’s ironic considering you don’t seem to think that I could have been doing the same things as you, bettering myself.”

Darius’ grin dropped and a hint of consternation wrought his face.

Ruyo chuckled. “So, what will it be, you two?”

“Fuck you and Marduk!” Rylan spat. “I will never be that pretentious fuck’s tail-wagging dog. Darius, kill this greedy traitor!”

Though Darius didn’t like Rylan's tone, he obeyed the order nonetheless. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, Rylan was paying him and thus, Rylan was his employer. For now, he added in his head. Black lightning draped over him as he lunged at Ruyo.

The blind swordsman lowered his stance and gripped his sword tight. The moment Darius swung his claws, Ruyo drew his sword. Their blows met halfway and the clash repelled the two from one another. Ruyo sheathed his sword in his staggering while Darius was focused on recovering his bearings as quickly as possible.

It was clear that the loser of this clash was Darius as he was using his Demonic powers and Ruyo wasn’t. With just this clash alone, the gap in their abilities was made apparent. Of course, Darius was not the type to just obediently swallow that fact without a struggle.

“I’ll see you dead!” Darius snarled and leapt at Ruyo with the black lightning shrouding him in a sphere.

“Hoh?” Erin made a sound when she noticed the space around Ruyo blurred and rippled. “A domain?” she muttered out loud unconsciously. She appraised the blind swordsman and found the information she was looking for. He was level sixty-seven. Apparently, he had used a skill under his level ten Sword Art called Domain. She distinctively remembered Spatial Art having the same name as a spell and the effects were largely similar.

Tendrils of black lightning darted towards Ruyo as Darius closed the distance between them. But as soon as the tendrils entered a certain range from the blind swordsman, the lightning tendrils were cut down by invisible blades.

Erin’s watchful gaze brightened in delight over Ruyo’s display of his skill. “A domain of aura made by his blade intent… I see. So there’s such a thing as Blade Intent in this world.” Blade Intent was one of the few mystical skills Erin had in her past life. It wasn’t magic nor was it a conventional skill of swordsmanship. It was simply something that existed. She did think she would be able to learn that skill again eventually but she didn’t think it already existed in this world.

“What in the hell’s name?” Darius blurted out in surprise. He ceased his advance and stopped just right before he entered Ruyo’s Domain. “What sort of devilry is this?”

“Devilry? Oh, Darius, you are very unlearned. This is no art of darkness. This is simply the result of one’s continuous and unrelenting honing of one’s skills.”

“What are you blathering about?”

“You sought the powers of demons to compensate for what you lack. I sought the powers of demons to enhance the strength that I already have. But even before that, my prowess had far surpassed yours. I don’t need to use my Demoid powers to fell you, Darius.”

“We shall see about that!” Darius snorted and unleashed a flurry of lightning bolts on Ruyo.

The blind swordsman stood his ground and lowered his stance like before. The moment the lightning bolts entered the vicinity of his domain, he drew his sword and flourished his blade in a motion of a half moon. The dozens of lightning bolts were all cut down with just that single slash and it didn’t end there. The slash continued on, surging towards Darius.

“Impossible,” Darius cursed and dove out of the way as the aura of Ruyo’s blade devastated the floor, pillars, and walls behind Darius, leaving a vast trail of ruin.

“Is this why you betray me for Marduk!?” Rylan cried. “Be truthful with me, Ruyo! You only got to this level of strength because of Marduk, ain’t it?”

“I can tell you that it’s not the case but I won’t bother. You won’t accept the truth anyway. Lord Rylan Grid, I appreciate your partial treatment towards me all these years but unfortunately, you just can’t grow out of your vanity. I’m sorry, old friend. This is the end of your acquaintance.”

“Silence, you dog! Darius, stop messing around and finish him!” Rylan shouted and hurried out of the hall all the while screaming for reinforcement down the corridor he disappeared into.

“Some viceroy he truly is…” Erin remarked in her heart.

Darius too scoffed at Rylan inwardly. He calmed his nerves with the thought that he would deal with Rylan after he was finished with Ruyo.

“Why do you follow that pitiful man, Darius?”

“Why do you care, Ruyo? And don’t tell me it’s because you considered me as a friend. We’re not friends, and never will be.”

“Well, Ruyo, this shall be our farewell. Can’t say it has been an honour. It never had been but for what it’s worth, I do appreciate the opportunities you two have given me.”

“Keep your fucking trap shut, Ruyo. I don’t want to hear more of your petty excuses for your betrayal.”

“Betrayal? Your barefaced audacity is impressive as always.”

Darius tutted and sent a huge bolt of black lightning towards Ruyo.

Once again, the blind swordsman did not move a single step from where he was standing and merely lowered his stance and prepared to draw his sword. As the black bolt of thunder was travelling towards Ruyo, Darius flanked the blind swordsman from his left. Darius then unleashed another bolt of lightning at Ruyo.

“You never learn,” Ruyo muttered and brandished his sword from its scabbard. The large bolts were felled into half and disappeared into nothing before they were even close to Ruyo. Just as he was about to sheathe his sword, Ruyo quickly spun around with his sword swinging.

Darius raised an arm and blocked the sword aiming for his neck. “Is this all you got!?” he sneered. “Looks like you are unable to keep up your domains if you’re pitted against two colossal attacks. You’re good but no better than Demoids.”

Ruyo frowned lightly and pulled back but Darius did not allow him to do so. He grabbed Ruyo’s sword firmly with his claws and drew him in. Ruyo was forced to abandon his sword to salvage his head.

Darius snapped the sword in his grip and chased Ruyo down. With black lightning doubling as his flesh and blood, he caught up to the blind swordsman in less than three seconds. “I got you!” Darius cheered.

“So did I,” Ruyo retorted with a smirk and thrust his palm at Darius.

Obeying his instincts as a Demoid, Darius hopped back to avoid Ruyo’s palm. Though he dodged it just in time, there was a fresh small cut across his cheek.

“The sword is the sworder’s physical embodiment of their intent while a sworder’s aura is the spiritual embodiment. You severely underestimated me, Darius.”

“You overestimated yourself, Ruyo. Have you forgotten where you are? Do you think you can just walk out of here unharmed even if you defeat me?”

“Darius, I have not forgotten where we are. And pray tell, don’t you find it odd that no one came to your assistance even after your pathetic employer screamed for help as he ran away with his tail tucked between his legs?”

Now that Ruyo mentioned it, Darius was beginning to find it odd that none of his peers had come to help him. Some time passed after Rylan cried for help but no one came. Just as his suspicions grew, a man ran haggardly into the hall.

“It’s terrible, Darius,” the haggard man cried.

“What is it!?”

“I-it’s… it’s the Venerers and the Ruvan Paladins! They’re here! They found us!”

“What!? How!?”

Before the haggard man could answer, Darius shifted his bloodshot glare to Erin. “You… You led them here! Was this your plan all along?”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “Of course, not,” Erin answered calmly. “But I certainly wish I had.”

“Then who—” Darius’ eyes widened and cocked his gaze slowly to Ruyo. “Y-you?”

“Who else can it be?” Ruyo responded smugly.

“Marduk is working with the Ruvans?”

“That’s a joke even Marduk won’t make. Sadly, it isn’t what you had imagined. Marduk had merely led them here by sprinkling a few hints and clues here and there.”

“That fucking coward!”

“We’re all cowards, Darius. We’re all operating in the shadows and darkness. Cowardice is our friend but unlike you, Marduk had long since accepted that fact.”

“D-Darius, we should—”

“Shut up!” Darius roared at the man who came to relay the news to him, not straying his gaze from Ruyo.

“You want to continue this fight?”

“I’ll see you dead even if it’s the last thing I’ll do!” Darius roared and let loose the black lightning blazing within him.

“Then I wish you all the best in that endeavour of yours but unfortunately, I won’t be condoning it,” Ruyo said and drew out a card from his pouch. The card began to glow.

Erin instantly recognised the card as he remembered Aedan telling her about it. It essentially functioned similarly to a spell scroll or a spell gem but in the form of a card. She knew what spell the card contained through Appraisal.

“What are you playing at now?” Darius asked.

“He’s getting away!” Erin shouted.

“What?”

“Farewell,” Ruyo bade and disappeared out of everyone's sight as the card shone brightly for a brief second.

“Nooo!!!” Darius screamed at the empty spot where Ruyo had been just a second ago.

“D-Darius. We should get out of here before the—”

Darius lashed out his anger at the poor man with a wrathful cry, severing the man’s head from his neck and charring his body with his black lightning.

Just then, a group of fully armoured knights with Ruva’s insignias engraved onto the armour plates poured into the hall. A smaller group of distinctively armoured knights followed behind, the Venerers. At the vanguard of the Venerers was none other than Lucan.

“Well, great…” Erin sighed.