We locked blades, his immense strength and mana reserves pressing down on me alone. The aura covering his blade overpowered my mana while his strength pushed me back slowly despite my efforts to anchor myself to the ground with ice. I was about to lose a battle of pure strength and when I finally did, Thalia behind me would be on the receiving end of Kaelvor’s blade.

  “Fuck that.”

  (Monstrous Strength is activated. Strength is increased by 35 for 165 seconds.)

  (You acquired a body similar to Magical Beasts. Duration of Monstrous Strength lengthens by 15 seconds.)

  I activated both Beastification and Monstrous Strength to equalize our stats. Kaelvor's strength was titanic, but so was my resolve. As I unleashed Beastification and Monstrous Strength, my body transformed. My muscles surged with power, my senses sharpened, and a feral edge overtook my movements. Ice spread from my feet like claws anchoring me to the ground, and my eyes locked with Kaelvor’s baleful gaze, daring him to press harder.

  The Luminous Willblade now pulsed in my hands, infused with the raw, untamed energy coursing through me. With a guttural roar, I shoved back against Kaelvor, the ground beneath us cracking from the sheer force.

  “Blanche!”

  I roared as I felt my skeleton being crushed under Kaelvor’s power. Even with all my buffs, I wouldn’t last long. With Artemeni and Aurora blocking the spectral dragons, I could only call Blanche. Blanche didn’t hesitate. With a burst of agility, she leaped over the chaos, her rapier crackling with electrified mana. She landed on Kaelvor’s back, her blade stabbing into a gap in his armor near his neck.

  “Keep him steady!” she shouted as she poured lightning into the wound, causing Kaelvor to recoil and roar in anger. Then just like before, bones erupted from his body, forcing both of us to retreat to the opposite sides.

  “Champion! You are bleeding.”

  I landed on Thalia’s side who immediately covered me with golden light which warmed up my wounds, accelerating my healing. I grabbed her as Kaelvor thrust his blade toward us, covering the distance between us with a single step. While I managed to dodge the thrust itself, I was hit by a spectral dragon head manifested with his attack, forcing me to skiddle back while shielding Thalia.

  “Fucking hell.”

  And that’s when it started. Kaelvor started to swing his sword wildly, not only releasing waves of aura but also manifesting dragon jaws, claws, and tails. I manifested several Megalithic Wards of the Water to block them but it was clear that they wouldn’t last long.

  Kaelvor’s onslaught was unrelenting. With every swing of his colossal blade, the air cracked with energy, and the spectral dragon's jaws snapped hungrily at our defenses. My Megalithic Wards of the Water shattered one by one, and the ground around us was riddled with craters from the barrage of attacks.

  Aurora’s voice echoed over the chaos. “I can dispel his summons, but I need more time!” She was already weaving a complex spell, violet energy spiraling around her as she chanted incantations at a blistering pace.

  “Time’s a luxury we don’t have!” Artemeni shouted, barely deflecting another swipe from a spectral claw with her shield. Her halberd crackled with energy as she retaliated, but it barely slowed Kaelvor down.

  G?kb?rü growled beside me, his sapphire eyes locked on the nearest spectral dragon. “Stay close to Thalia,” I ordered him, my voice strained as I dodged another strike. “Protect her at all costs!”

  Lightning crackled as G?kb?rü used Wolf King’s Crown, transforming into his adult state. He lowered his head, throwing Thalia on his back before unleashing a massive wave of ice toward spectral dragons.

  I dashed toward him, my body screaming in protest as I channeled Mana Erupt again. The blade in my hands sang with raw power, and I aimed directly for the core of his chest where the corrupted mana seemed to pool.

  Kaelvor raised his massive sword to meet me, but this time, I didn’t collide with brute force. I feinted, shifting at the last second to slash at his side. The Willblade connected, carving a deep gash that oozed dark energy.

  (You absorbed some mana.)

  “Gah!”

  Shifting the momentum of my strike seemed to be too much for my body as I felt something clearly snap before pain radiated from my back, overshadowing even the massive mana I absorbed from Kaelvor. Unfortunately for me, the undead body of Kaelvor didn’t feel pain. I was barely able to lift my blade to block before he struck me down, his aura completely overpowering my mana and sending me flying toward the opposite side of the area.

  “Shit.”

  My vision blurred for a moment as I crashed into the shattered remains of a stone pillar. Blood trickled down my brow and my armor was in ruins but I managed to get up.

  Aurora’s voice rang out, triumphant. “Got it!” Her spell detonated in a burst of light, and several of the spectral dragons dissolved into nothingness. But the victory was short-lived as Kaelvor roared, the remnants of his summons converging around him in a swirling vortex of elemental energy.

  “Alright, Poyraz. Just mana and Armor Collapsing Claw are not enough. You need aura to combat his aura.”

  I muttered to myself as I watched others clash against Kaelvor.

  “They are going to die! Go and join them!”

  A voice in the back of my head shouted. I ignored it.

  “They are not porcelain dolls. They can manage themselves.”

  I said to myself. I had the put my trust in them and find out how I use aura.

  “Combination of mana and will. Shouldn’t I be able to use it?”

  I had a skill called Iron Will, for fuck’s sake. But what does will even mean?

  “The key is to channel your willpower into a singular purpose.”

  That’s what Artemeni told me. But wasn’t I already doing it? I was already swinging my sword to protect others. To survive, to get stronger so I don’t lose anyone else. Why can’t I do it?

  I remembered Bolverk’s words. How even though actions didn’t change, intent mattered.

  “That’s bullshit! Only results matter!”

  I gritted my teeth. It made no sense to me.

  Kaelvor’s aura grew even more oppressive as the elemental vortex around him solidified, tendrils of fire, ice, and shadow spiraling outward. Each step he took shook the ground, his corrupted mana warping the very air. My companions fought with everything they had, but the tide was turning against us.

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  I put Willblade back on my back and manifested Requiem for Unfinished Dreams. As my sacred sword was born out of my representation of heroism, maybe manifesting aura would come as more natural?

  Why? I was already throwing all my willpower into my strikes to save everyone. Why can’t-

  My fight against reflection flashed in my mind.

  “Am I fighting to save them or fighting to not lose them?”

  At first, it sounded like the same thing. But no—there was a difference, subtle but unmistakable. A sense of inevitability. Of hopelessness.

  “In my mind, I was always afraid.”

  Even though I did everything I could, I never saw people I cared about as safe. They were like cinders about to be extinguished on a windy day. I could never see them bright and proud.

  “It’s almost like I was sure I would lose… and fail.”

  The thought twisted in my gut. How could I ever truly win if I was convinced I’d lose? My perception—no, my belief—had been flawed from the start.

  I tightened my grip on Requiem for Unfinished Dreams. The answer wasn’t in the fight. It was in how I saw the fight.

  I reactivated Monstrous Strength and took my stance. The Requiem for Unfinished Dreams shimmered, resonating with my shifting resolve. Its ethereal glow pulsed, not with borrowed power, but with something distinctly mine. A surge of warmth coursed through me—my aura. It wasn’t the overwhelming energy Kaelvor wielded, but it was steady, unyielding. The manifestation of my belief, my will to protect and forge a future worth fighting for.

  So, with a single leap, I covered the distance between us and thrust my sword towards Kaelvor, so fast that none of my companions managed to react as I got into their range. Kaelvor on the other barely managed to lift his massive sword but it was not enough. Mine and his aura clashed and I sent him flying towards the other side of the boss area.

  (You acquired the active skill Blade Aura.)

  “Champion?”

  Thalia called out. I turned towards them, seeing how roughed up they were.

  “It is okay. Thanks for holding up the line. Rest and recover. I will take him on.”

  (Soulboundry Awareness ranked up to C rank. You can sense and interact with the Soulboundries of others.)

  (Beastification ranked up to C rank. The stamina required for your transformation lessens.)

  (Unwavering Focus ranked up to B rank. Your mind becomes an unshakable fortress, cutting through chaos and distraction with precision.)

  “That was the payback for throwing me across the area.”

  I said as I approached recovering Kaelvor. Kaelvor rose from the rubble, clearly not very harmed. His aura flared wildly, spectral dragons reforming around him in even greater numbers. Their translucent forms radiated menace, their jaws snapping at the air as they awaited their master’s command.

  Kaelvor roared and charged, his spectral dragons surging forward in tandem. But this time, I was ready. My aura enveloped my blade, allowing me to cut through the dragon’s claws and clash against Kaelvor’s blade. Even with that, fighting against 3 dragons and Kaelvor by myself proved more difficult than I ever envisioned it to be.

  However, a sudden third party interrupted our fight as a massive golem slammed into one of the dragons and started to wrestle with it. I quickly grasped that it was the golem Aurora acquired on the first floor.

  Aurora’s voice echoed above the din, sharp and commanding. “Champion! We’ll support you from here. The golem will keep one of the dragons busy while I dispel the rest!”

  Blanche and Artemeni showed up behind the golem, one jumping on top of a dragon while the other took the aggro from the front. The next one was G?kb?rü who bit into the neck of the last dragon.

  The battlefield became a maelstrom of clashing wills and elemental forces, each of us fighting tooth and nail to gain the upper hand. My companions rallied behind me, their renewed determination igniting my own. Kaelvor's aura was still monstrous, but with my newfound Blade Aura, I could meet it head-on.

  “Push forward!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos.

  Aurora’s hands glowed with violet mana as she chanted another incantation. The spectral dragons writhed under her spell, their forms flickering and distorting as the golem slammed another into the ground. Blanche moved like a bolt of lightning, her rapier slicing through the spectral defenses of the dragon she faced. G?kb?rü’s fangs tore into the throat of his target, his icy breath freezing its core and shattering it into nothingness.

  Kaelvor roared, his fury reaching its zenith. His sword erupted in a torrent of corrupted mana, and he swung it in a massive arc, aiming to obliterate us all in one strike.

  “Get back!” I bellowed, activating Armor Collapsing Claw to coat my sword in piercing energy. I surged forward to intercept the attack, my blade clashing against his with a deafening explosion. My aura flared brighter, pushing against the tidal wave of his power.

  "Hold!" I grunted through gritted teeth, my muscles screaming in protest. My aura wavered but didn’t falter. The clash of our blades sent shockwaves across the arena, forcing the others to shield themselves.

  “Come on now!”

  The skin in my hands tore off as we clashed.

  “Just a little bit more!”

  With a final roar, I poured every ounce of my strength, mana, and will into the clash. My aura surged, burning brighter than ever, fueled by my refusal to back down. The corrupted mana of Kaelvor's sword cracked and splintered under the relentless pressure of my blade. A fissure of light raced along the edge of his weapon, and with a thunderous crack, his blade shattered into a hundred jagged pieces.

  Kaelvor staggered, his spectral dragons momentarily frozen in place. The vortex of elemental energy around him dissipated, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing and the faint hum of my aura-charged blade.

  I didn’t let up.

  "Kaelvor!" I roared, charging forward once more. My blade struck true, piercing through his corrupted chest and embedding itself in the pulsing core of dark energy.

  “It ends here.”

  A deafening explosion of light erupted from the point of impact, engulfing Kaelvor and the battlefield in a blinding radiance. His roar turned into a guttural howl as his form began to unravel, the corrupted mana spilling out like smoke dissipating into the wind.

  When the light faded, Kaelvor was gone. Only the faint shimmer of broken chains remained where he once stood, dissipating into the air like fading embers.

  I collapsed to one knee, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Blood dripped from my torn hands, and every muscle in my body screamed in protest. But we had won.

  (You have slain the last boss. 0 bosses remain.)

  (You conquered War God’s Battle Area.)

  (All stats increases by 3.)

  (Strength of Champion of Aliera increases.)

  (All stats +11 to all stats +12.)

  The others gathered around me, their expressions a mix of relief and exhaustion. Thalia placed her hands on my shoulder, her golden light soothing some of the worst of my wounds.