There was a distinct difference between defeating a Demon Lord and killing a Demon Lord. If it came to defeat, we might have won a dozen times already. We had continually weakened and damaged him over and over again, paying blood with blood. Deedee, Celeste and Shao were dead. Lydia and Salicia were out of commission. Terra’s mech was destroyed. Now, there was just a beaten Terra, Bernice who was out of bullets, an entangled Carmine, an exhausted me, and Miki, who had all of her focus on keeping his soul in his body.
We had pushed him closer to death than he had ever felt before, and all sanity seemed to have left the demon lord. His only goal now was to kill Miki. Killing her was life for him. We had pushed him into this corner time and time again, not giving him a chance to flee. His pride ultimately overwhelmed any caution he had in the beginning, but now that it came to this, he was like an unstoppable monster. With a roar that sounded more animal than human, he began to race at Miki. It was a horrifying sight that even made her flinch.
“This ends now! Final Blow!”
I attacked him using my last attack. He barely even blocked it, taking the attack head on. I felt him strike me. I felt something pierce my stomach, and then I was slammed into the ground. I looked up in shock to see him stumbling away. My attack had struck him, but the blow had only served to further make him inhuman. His skeleton was exposed in numerous parts. Blood dripped down his body from every pore. He no longer had lips or eyelids. He acted like he no longer felt pain.
{Last Chance Activated.}
I then looked down to see a hole in my stomach. I went to cast magic, but I realized I couldn’t cast anything but light heal. My mana was exhausted. I was slipping in and out of consciousness. Desperately, I rolled over, trying to crawl toward the skeletal monster that was once the demon lord.
“You won’t.” Carmine had managed to free herself and attack, but without her shield, he quickly dispatched her.
“Die, demon!” Bernice had managed to find a blade.
She had been a fast swordsman before a sharpshooter, but he handled her sword like it was nothing, letting it embed in his arm before striking her in the face. She flew back. It was unclear whether she was alive or dead.
“You’ll stop here!” Terra leaped between Miki and the demon lord, raising a wall of earth.
He smashed through it. She raised another. He smashed through it as well. By the time the third went up, he had closed the distance, and before she could get another, he was on her. She had stumbled back onto her butt, and could barely raise her arms defensively before he raised his foot and smashed it down. Terra’s head was crushed, and she died right there.
He lifted his head, and his eyes fell on Miki. She was the last one standing on the field.