“I’m gonna Destroy everything in this godforsaken world!”

Miko roared before throwing Isabel away. She twisted her body and safely landed on the ground. She looked at Miko with cold sweat flowing down her face. Miko spread his arms and his swords flew into his hands. He then took a step forward and the ground burst open.

“Hahaha!”

He then started sprinting towards Isabel.

“I don’t know what happened but it’s clear that I can’t take this lightly anymore.”

The glow on her sword changed to a bloody red. She sheathed her sword and slowly unsheathed it. The area was dyed red and a red moon appeared in the sky.

“Do you know what a Sword Boundary is? It’s a special field created using sword intent that boosts the attack power of the user. In other words, it brings out the true power of one’s Sword Arts. This is the Slaughter Moon’s Sword Boundary…..”

Her eyes turned a bloody red.

“Sword Boundary: Blood Moon.”

She pointed her sword at Miko and thrust it at him.

“Bloody Lunar Strike!”

A red full moon rushed at Miko carrying an overbearing force. In the face of the attack, Miko smiled and lifted both swords overhead.

“Satanic Sword Art…!”

Isabel’s eyes widen when she saw a monster with 12 demonic wings appear behind Miko.

“Devil’s Cut!”

He swung the swords down and the moon was cut apart by the red monster’s claw.

“What kind of sword art was that?! An original?!”

Isabel was both shocked and excited.

“This could be my chance!”

A sinister aura started glowing out of her body and sword.

“If it’s against him then I might be able to take the next step towards swordmaster!”

She rushed at Miko and went to meet his charge.

“First Quarter!”

She swung her sword down from overhead and clashed with Miko’s, causing an explosive sound and the ground to crack underneath him.

“Waxing Crescent!”

She swung her sword from the left and slashed at his gut. Miko parried this and countered with a slash of his own. She leaped back to avoid it while sheathing her blade and launching forward while pulling it and thrusting at Miko’s heart.

“New Moon!”

Miko blocked it with the flat part of his blade but was pushed back a little. Isabel leaped over him, swung her sword behind her and slashed at his neck-back when their backs were facing each other.

“Wanning Crescent!”

Miko ducked underneath it and spun around to stab at her but the moment Isabel’s feet touched the ground she spun around, lifted and swung down her blade from overhead forcing him to switch to defending.

“Third Quarter!”

She kicked him away before pouncing at him with a thrust at his heart.

“Wanning Gibbous!”

Miko deflected the strike with his sword before quickly steadying his footing. He then slashed at Isabel’s neck but she blocked it with her sword and took a leaped back and drew a circle in the air with her sword before thrusting it and firing a red light at Miko.

*BAM!*

Miko swung his sword down and cut the light down the middle. When he did, Isabel was over him with a grin on her face.

“Waxing Gibbous.”

A bright light shone and covered the area. When it faded Isabel was standing behind Miko. She then slowly sheathed her sword before saying-

“And that’s the Lunar Cycle.”

*BAM!*

The spot Miko was standing in suddenly exploded and Miko's body started swaying back and forth with the 8 phases of the moon appearing one after the other. By the time the last phase disappeared, his body was cut up so badly that his skin color couldn’t be seen. He was stained entirely with blood.

“I haven’t used that combo attack in ages. It’s really hard to pull off after all.”

“……..”

Miko stood in silence as blood flowed from his body.

“Did I overdo it and kill him? That would be a problem…Hm?”

Isabel saw Miko slowly lifted his sword and point it at her

“…Destroy everything.”

Her showed a savage grin and then lifted his sword overhead and swung it down.

*BAM!*

The earth burst open as a powerful force rushed towards Isabel. She leaped to the side to avoid it.

“It’s great that you’re still full energy!”

She accelerated and pulled her sword while heading towards him. Miko rushed forward and swung both swords from different directions. Isabel leaped over it and slashed at his neck.

“Heh!”

Miko grinned and lifted his arm in front of him. Isabel’s sword then cut his arm clean off. Him sacrificing his arm caught her off guard and Miko capitalized on this.

*BAM!*

He slammed his remaining sword into her side and forced her to the ground.

“Guh?!”

Immense pain assaulted Isabel’s body but she didn’t have time to cry. Miko lifted his sword and swung it down to cut her into two. She rolled out of the way and the ground burst open from the impact. She quickly got to her feet but by that time Miko was already attacking her again.

“Satan’s Judgement Hammer!”

Isabel lifted her sword overhead to block the downward swing.

*BAM!*

“Guh?!”

She blocked it but her body was forced into the ground so hard that she even bounced a little. She even let go of her sword. Miko grinned sinisterly as he thrust down his sword on her defenseless chest.

“Sword Embodiment!”

*CLANG!*

When his sword hit her it was like he had hit metal. Isabel swung her leg upwards and Miko was cut along the torso as if her foot had turned into a blade.

She rolled away and quickly got to her feet.

“I-I told you already didn’t I? We can even turn ourselves into swords.”

Isabel’s blouse was badly torn up and blood was flowing out of her. Even so, she looked like she was enjoying herself. She leaped at Miko and swung her hand and cut him across the face. He roared and then slapped her away with his sword.

“Ugh! It hurts but this is a perfect time to train my Sword Embodiment and Self Forge techniques.”

She rushed at him again and threw a kick which Miko deflect with his sword. She then flowed up with a palm strike that blew Miko’s arm back when he defended against it.

“You can’t defend yourself with one arm now can you?!”

She slammed both palms on his chest.

“Impact Cut!”

*BAM!*

A large X cut appeared on Miko’s chest as he started falling over.

“Rah!”

He roared and swat her to the ground before falling.

“Did he finally kick the bucket?”

Isabel asked while struggling to her feet. She then started to search for her sword.

“Ah, there it is.”

She was about to go get it when a shadow cast over her. She looked up in shock and saw Miko looking down on her with his eyes completely red; he was even shedding tears of blood.

“H-How are you still alive?”

Fear started creeping into her. Miko started moving her lips but she couldn’t hear anything. However, she could see what he was saying from reading his lip.

“Fight. Fight. Fight.”

“….What the hell is driving you to go this far?”

Miko responded by swinging his sword down on her. Isabel blocked it by crossing her arms and then leaped towards her sword and grabbed it.

“Moon Drizzle!”

She stabbed her sword into the earth and a full moon appeared on the ground. Droplets of light then rained down on Miko and chipped away at his body. Tearing the scales off his body along with pieces of his skin. He lifted his sword overhead and swung it down and destroyed the moon.

“….Fight…Fight!....Fight! Fight! Fight!”

He started shouting at the top of his lungs and his muscles started growing. His worn-out skin started tearing and his raw muscles started becoming exposed.

“….Is this person even human anymore?”

Isabel couldn’t believe the monster Miko was becoming just to continue fighting.

“……”

After a while, Miko stopped shouting and turned his back to Isabel. He then walked over to his severed hand, stabbed Regis into the ground, and then took Ishma out of his severed hand. He then looked at the sword a bit before doing something horrifying.

“Wha?!”

Isabel saw Miko force Ishma’s hand into the bloody stump where his arm was; “successfully” replacing his arm with the sword. After witnessing this scene, the smile and aura of excitement left her.

“This Isn’t even funny anymore…If you’re just going to destroy yourself to continue then I might as well just put you out of your misery.”

Her body flickered and she appeared in front of Miko. She stabbed at his sides but was blocked by Miko’s “new arm”. She then immediately circled around him and thrust at his neck. He stepped to the side while turning around and swinging his sword. Isabel ducked under his attack and then kicked his knee and caused him to stumble over.

*Swoosh!*

In one swift motion, she then slashed Miko’s eyes and instantly blinded him.

“Ahhh!”

Miko roared out in pain and swung his sword wildly which she easily dodged.

“You’re nothing more than a mad beast now.”

She pounced at him and thrust at his heart.

“Just die already!”

She shouted as she readied to deliver the final blow. However, before she could Miko spoke.

“@$&%€£!”

Suddenly a sinister aura surrounded him and his swords.

“?!”

Isabel had to move back to avoid a lightning-fast slash from Miko.

*BAM!*

A long trench appeared in the direction he swung his sword. Miko then turned his head in her direction.

“He can still sense me even though he lost his eyes…”

Miko took a step forward and the sinister aura spread out and engulfed the whole area; causing a stifling atmosphere when it clashed with Isabel’s Sword Boundary.

“Seriously….”

Isabel clenched her sword and rushed toward him.

“Just what the hell are you?!”

“Satan Sword Art…”

Black flames covered Miko’s sword.

“Eternal Damnation.”

He swung his swords down and it was like time had frozen as all light faded away into eternal darkness. When the darkness also faded away Isabel was laying on a mountain of rubble bleeding from multiple wounds.

“Cough!”

She coughed and looked at the sea of black flames in front of her.

“That monster actually got stronger again.”

She stood up and spat the blood from her mouth.

“It’s not enough to kill me but it did deal some real damage.”

She said. Miko’s started walking towards her while surrounded by the sinister aura.

“He’s growing stronger as we fight but his body is falling apart. I could just continue fight him until he destroys himself but I can’t rule out the possibility of him being able to deal serious damage to me.”

(More than anything, I don’t want him to get used to my Sword Arts. If he does, I’ll lose my effectiveness in this war.)

“Alright.”

Isabel held her sword with both hands lifted it overhead.

“I’ll use this final attack to finish the job. It might take a toll on me but it’s better than nothing. If he survives this, then I’ll immediately retreat.”

Her sword started shining brightly like a blood-red sun. The area started shaking and the magical power could be seen swirling around the blade until the point it looked like it was about to create a Storm.

“You should be proud, Miko. I’ve decided to use my strongest attack against you. This is me literally giving it my all!”

Miko said nothing as he slowly approached her.

“Let’s end-”

Isabel’s body suddenly froze.

“……”

She silently dispelled her attack and look behind her.

“I see we have guests.”

Behind her were Miko’s family and allies. They all had a furious expression on their faces as they glared at Isabel.

“You….”

The first to speak through the anger was Momo, who had the face of an enraged demon.

“I will kill you!”