The demon's growls grew louder, its massive form shifting beneath the rubble as it slowly pushed the stone off its body. Hiroshi's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the creature rise once more, more furious than before. Its fiery eyes burned with rage, and its jagged claws tore through the debris like it was nothing.
Hiroshi tightened his grip on the mysterious sword he had found in the ruins, the weight of the blade unfamiliar but somehow comforting in his hands. The moment he touched it, a strange energy surged through his body—a power unlike anything he had ever felt before. It wasn't just mana. It was something deeper, something ancient.
"I've got no other choices…" Hiroshi muttered to himself, his voice trembling.
The demon roared, shaking off the last of the rubble. Its gaze locked onto Hiroshi, its towering figure casting a dark shadow over him and Selene. There was no escape now. He was out of mana, out of tricks, and Selene was still unconscious at his feet. It was all up to him.
He looked down at the sword, feeling its strange energy pulse in sync with his heartbeat. The ruins had whispered to him that this weapon was special, but he had never understood its full power. Now, there was no time to question it. He had to act.
"Please… let this work," he whispered, raising the sword in front of him.
He could feel the ancient power inside the blade calling out to him, begging to be used. But something about it felt dangerous, like tapping into it would come at a cost. His instincts screamed at him to stop, to find another way. But there was no other way.
Closing his eyes, Hiroshi focused his mind, activating his [Spellcrafting] skill. The air around him seemed to shift as he called upon the last remnants of his mana, combining it with the sword's power. His thoughts raced as he crafted a new spell, one strong enough to take down an SS-rank demon—a divine skill. It would be the strongest thing he had ever attempted, but it would take everything he had.
The process was unlike anything he'd experienced before. Usually, crafting spells was a slow, deliberate task, requiring focus and precision. But this… this was raw, wild, and untamed. The sword's power flowed into him like a torrent, overwhelming his senses, threatening to tear him apart.
His mind swirled with ancient words and symbols, glowing in the air around him as the spell took form. He could feel his life force being drained, faster than he expected. Each second that passed, more of his energy slipped away, the sword greedily consuming it.
But he kept going.
He crafted the spell piece by piece, weaving together holy energy and raw mana. His vision blurred as the strain of the spellcrafting took its toll on his body, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. If he did, they were both dead.
As the final piece of the spell clicked into place, the sword began to glow with a blinding white light, illuminating the entire summoning chamber. The demon, sensing the danger, roared and charged at him, but it was too late.
Hiroshi raised the glowing sword above his head, the weight of the divine spell pressing down on him like a mountain. He could feel his body weakening, the edges of his vision darkening as his life force continued to drain away.
"This is it…"
With one final push, he brought the sword down, unleashing the divine skill he had created.
"Celestial Severance!"
A brilliant beam of light shot forth from the blade, tearing through the air with the force of a thousand suns. The entire room shook as the spell's power collided with the demon, cutting through its thick armor like it was nothing. The demon let out a deafening scream as the light enveloped it, its body disintegrating under the sheer force of the attack.
For a moment, everything was blinding white.
Then, silence.
The demon was gone. Completely obliterated by the divine spell. Only the charred remains of the summoning chamber bore witness to the destruction that had taken place.
Hiroshi stood still, his body trembling, the sword now dull and lifeless in his hands. The divine power had vanished, leaving only emptiness behind. He could feel his strength fading rapidly, his legs giving out beneath him. The spell had taken too much from him.
His breathing grew shallow as he collapsed to the ground beside Selene, the sword clattering to the floor. He stared up at the ceiling, his vision growing hazy.
"I did it…" he thought. "But at what cost?"
He could feel his life slipping away, his heartbeat slowing with each passing moment. The divine skill had drained everything from him—his mana, his energy, and now… his life.
"I'm sorry, Selene… I couldn't protect you… for longer."
His mind drifted, the world around him growing quieter. He felt a strange peace wash over him as his vision darkened. There was nothing left for him to give.
As the last of his strength ebbed away, one final thought echoed in his mind:
"I had no other choices…"
And then, everything went black.