Chapter 114: The Final Battle

Wrapped in his holy shield, he was reaching his breaking point. Although he existed as a non-human entity, this did not mean he was immune to the sensation of being bled dry. While he had been granted the power of darkness, he was no Death Knight; he could not calmly tear open his own chest and extract his heart to pass it off as an almond. At his core, he remained human. He had already abandoned the intention of killing those before him—a madman, a winged being, and a gunman. Individually, none of them could overpower him in a direct clash, but he could no longer land a clean hit on them either. Though losing a bit of blood for a short duration was manageable, he had no desire to bleed to death; such an end would be too pathetic. His only remaining option was to wait for "that person" to come and collect him.

"How unsightly." A voice echoed within a colorless world.

"Since you are useless, then be destroyed." No one answered her, and she spoke to herself before the world sank back into darkness.

"What is happening to him?" Vlad asked Zhao Kuo, having just slashed the opponent's arm with his nails.

"I don't know, but just keep doing what we're doing. At least we have the upper hand now." Zhao Kuo charged forward, his long spear sweeping horizontally. Although he could not land a killing blow, every strike drew forth a spray of blood.

"Heh, it seems the other side has realized it," Lancer added, running to their side with a smile.

"Arghhhhh!"

Following his scream, the wounds on his body began to widen inch by inch. If it had been a trickle before, it was now like a pump draining a reservoir.

"Why! My Lord!" With a roar directed at his master, his body burst like a fountain of blood, scattering everywhere before he collapsed to the ground.

Zhao Kuo and Vlad stood stunned. They could not understand why an opponent who had stood before them, nearly invincible, had suddenly fallen. Yet, they knew this must have something to do with the man standing nearby, wiping the blood from his body.

Lancer, whose ability was the manipulation of blood, would never have been touched by it even while submerged in a pool of it. His current appearance was purely for show; after all, a knight bathed in blood after protecting a princess was a dream for many young women.

"That shield seemed impenetrable only because we kept using conventional methods. We forgot there are other ways to attack an enemy—like poison, manipulating something within their body, or targeting the soul." Lancer explained to them. It was only after fully entering his berserk state that he sensed he could control the blood inside his opponent, which led to the subsequent strategy.

He glanced secretly at Asuna, who was still resting in Tianyi's arms. Their eyes met unexpectedly. Both froze, then turned away, blushing simultaneously.

*Damn it! I was caught! What do I do? Will she think I’m being fake? My perfect plan!* Though Lancer appeared composed, his inner world felt like a soda bottle that had been shaken for a minute before being popped open.

*I was seen! He caught me peeking at him, will he think...* Asuna’s face flushed a deep crimson, and she lowered her head, steam rising from her as if she were a boiling kettle.

Vlad and Zhao Kuo exchanged glances and offered a helpless smile. Lianhua, who had been ignored throughout the ordeal, drifted to the side of the fallen man, took a silent look, and muttered, "A discarded piece? Or perhaps not even worth being called a pawn?" She gave a mocking laugh and waved her hand; the body vanished, leaving behind only a black, pearl-like bead on the ground.

"Looks like luck is on our side this time," Lianhua mused. This was an object granted to the opponent's underlings when they received special powers. Usually, it would be taken away upon death, but since he was merely a discarded pawn, it had been left behind.

"Let's head back. Time to get some rest." Lancer’s blood-formed weapon dissolved into droplets and vanished. His altered skin, hair, and the magic crests covering his body slowly faded, and having lost the source of his strength, he collapsed without warning.

"Is this guy an idiot?"

Inside Lancer’s private residence, Kayaba used his supreme authority to bring them in. When Liz and Silica, who had been waiting anxiously, arrived, they saw Lancer enjoying a "blissful" lap pillow, with Asuna gently stroking his hair.

If it were just that scene, it would have been enviable. But the key was the word "just."

"Come! Let's have a drink!" A man in golden armor held a large beer stein filled with white liquor, shouting at another man dressed in classical noble attire.

The handsome middle-aged man, who would have turned heads on any street, held up a goblet, filled it, and toasted back.

"Who knows when we'll meet again after this."

"Who knows? Maybe you can apply to join our Hall of Heroes after you die! We never dock pay, you get at least ten years of vacation for every job, all kinds of benefits..." The man spoke like a street-corner pimp, his lack of integrity on full display as the whiskey bottles next to him multiplied at a rate of one per minute.

*Should we kick these two out so he can rest?* Both girls thought simultaneously.

Fortunately, they remembered the vampire they had met before and held back, looking toward Asuna on the sofa for guidance.

Asuna shook her head. She had hoped the noise would wake Lancer, but the girl who seemed to be Lancer’s superior had vanished after they left that area. Fortunately, she had told Asuna that Lancer would be fine before she left. The two men present seemed to need time before they could depart, though one could see their underlying worry and unease in the way they glanced over. Although they had proven their strength this time, they had been unable to help at the most critical moment, which was why they were drinking.

At that moment, perhaps sensing the concern of the two girls, Lancer actually woke up. His first words, however, were exasperating.

"You bastards, don't you know I’m not like you? Revealing my true form to fight consumes a lot of mental energy! And you dare disturb my sleep? Do you want to go have tea with Yahweh and chat about the meaning of life?" Two cushions flew through the air, hitting Vlad and Zhao Kuo square in the face.