The bullet breaks through his skin and its property mixes into his bloodstream. Adrian feels power wells up like never before, as mana burns up inside his body. It’s like he can walk on air and grind a boulder to dust with his fingers.

“So this is what real power feels like. Hehehe… Hahaha hah! I can get used to this!”

Adrian creates fireballs on his palms.

“Is this the kind of power you wanted to wield, Bailey? Cause it’s fucking amazing!”

Adrian shoots both flames into the sky and it explodes like a bomb between Xanxas and Ambrose. Both men are sent flying in different directions.

“Who was that?”

“Who dares to interrupt this king’s battle?!”

“Oh, right, I can’t use this face, can’t I? No, no, no, this is the face of the devil! Hahaha haha!”

Adrian changes into a female form and sprouts wings from her back. She soars to the night sky and bombard spells at Xanxus.

“C’mon, baby oil! Let’s dance!”

W-wait, is that…?

Of course it’s her… At this point, everyone is secretly the devil in disguise. Everything is a lie. History is a hoax. Knowledge is a farce.

I need a drink, man. I can’t even with this shit anymore… I can’t…

Adrian… Amelia creates a flame sword to attack Xanxus. Both of them trade swings in mid-air. Xanxus’s fists and overwhelming mana sends Amelia flying back, but Duke Ambrose catches her.

“Girl, I don’t know who you are, but we must work together to defeat him!”

“Let go, old… I mean… Yes, your grace. I shall follow your lead.”

“Good. I see you are blessed with mana but your spells are subpar… Although I don’t know how you create your wings.”

“Ah heh heh…”

“Fly around and attack from a distance. I keep him occupied. Don’t worry about hitting me—you can’t.”

“...Yes, your grace. I understand.”

The father-daughter pair attack Xanxus as planned. The giant herald grows mad with rage as he has to deal with the duke’s devastating spears and Amelia’s endless fire arrows. Xanxus roars and decides to take out Amelia first, but she quickly ascends above the clouds. Blood leaks out of her nose and lips. She turns around and commands the electricity high above to slash him in a blinding flash.

Lightning strikes Xanxus, momentarily immobilizing him. The duke uses the opportunity to create steel spears and pieces the giant’s body.

“Do it now, girl!”

Amelia burns through her mana and sends down another lightning strike. The electricity cooks the king of the desert from the inside, sending him crashing down to the earth below.

But he isn’t the only one.

Yes, the booster is wearing out and Amelia feels intense heat burning her insides.

“N-no… I still have… I still have… a role to play… can’t die… here…”

As the duke look down at Xanxus’s still figure, Amelia flies behind a rubble and changes to back to Adrian.

“Tonight… Tonight is my big night… I can’t let a little s… side-effect ruin it… Let’s see… face, check. Hair, check, Suit, check. Mustache… Nah… Ha ha…”

Adrian uses the hatred he gathered to stabilize his body. Duke Ambrose is landing near the still alive Xanxus. Some of the other guests also approach the scene, one of which is my young self. Adrian sees that the stage is set and figures it’s now or never.

“Ugh…”

“So you’re still alive. Quite a tenacious one aren’t you?”

“Kill you… Kill for the master…”

“Master…?”

Clap Clap Clap!

“Who’s there?!”

Adrian walks towards Xanxus while making a slow clap.

“Adrian, you’re okay!”

I shout in excitement but Adrian glances back at me with cold eyes that freeze me in place. He turns back to the duke with a wide grin.

“Excellent! Truly marvelous! But I expected no less from one of the Nine Elders. Hehehe!”

“You? You’re the knight who saved Grace!”

“Ah, yes, that little charade. The valiant knight who saved the princess. Hahaha hah! Oh, and it was going so well too. But those bastards in the knight order had to ruin it! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Such a shame. If only I had one more day, my grand scheme would have been completed. Instead, I had to resort to this bundle of disappointment. Yet, even he failed me.”

“A-Adrian? W-what are you talking about? If this is a joke, I’m telling you it’s not funny!”

“Y-you! Preten—”

Crush!

Adrian crushes Xanxus’ head beneath his feet, turning his brain to mince meat. I scream in horror as the duke creates a protective barrier around them.

“You really can’t find good help nowadays. And I had such high hopes for him. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!”

“You! You’re the one behind all this! Who are you?! What do you want?!”

“What do I want? What do I want?? Ha hahaha! Look around you, elder! This is what I want! This destruction! This chaos! Oh, sweet, glorious chaos! Hahaha haha!”

“You’re mad!”

“Oh, no! No, no, no! Not mad. Visionary! I see a world on fire. Rivers run red with blood. Corpses stack as high as the sky. And there I will be, sitting on the throne, as the people sing my name. Can you hear it, Duke? All hail Adrian Acker, the Devil! Mwa hahahahaaa!”

“If you think I’m going to stand idly by while you spout bullshit—”

“Ashton! Ashton, where are you?!”

“Gilda!?”

Duke Ambrose turns to the duchess’ voice. When he turns back, Adrian is gone.

Oh, so that’s where you went! You turned into a puddle on the ground. Very clever, Amelia!

Tsk! I don’t need your praise, you old fool.

The puddle of goo slitters behind the rubble and reforms a body.

“Can’t use Adrian… Can’t use… Amelia… The girl…”

Amelia turns back to the form she used to battle Xanxus. She tries to stand up but she’s too weak. Her blood is boiling and her hatred reserve isn’t filling fast enough.

“No… Can’t die here… Can’t… Cough! Cough!”

Amelia…

Mama…

Adrian… you stubborn brute. You broke my heart, you know that? Sigh… it was for the better, but still… Narrator, I give the stage back to you.

Yes, your majesty. A-hem! As lady Amelia lay dying on in the rubble, Duchess Ambrose uses her compass to track her down. The duchess rushes to Amelia’s side and quickly uses every healing spell she knows to stabilize her.

“Amelia! Amelia, baby, stay with me! Your mother is here! Amelia! Ameliaaa!”

“Shut up… head… ache…”

Amelia closes her eyes, and the image turns black.