Jevil’s body pulsed with power.
A silver aura surrounded him, thick and heavy, laced with the unmistakable presence of all ten of his cards, each burning with their own energy, now completely under his control.
His power was so overwhelming that the very air around him quivered.
"So~" Jevil said, stepping forward with a leisurely grin.
As his foot touched the floor, a silver shockwave rippled outward, splitting the stone tiles beneath him like glass.
"I really wanted to see how far that Determination of yours could push you~"
He wasn’t sure what to say, what could even be said at this point?
Jevil was far beyond what he had expected.
"You’re the last of them after all," Jevil continued, voice light and teasing, "and once you’re gone... haha~"
He trailed off with a chuckle, not even bothering to finish.
But Sam already knew what he meant.
Once he fell, he guessed that something would happen with these beings, or even the realm itself.
"We’ll never find out what happens, so it’s fine," Sam said flatly.
His voice held no fear, just a sense of quiet resignation.
He and the [Forsaken Clone] were already in place.
But deep down, Sam could see it clearly.
He barely had a chance.
Jevil, in his new form, was wearing a full suit of glimmering armor, metal forged directly from the power of the cards.
It shone silver and violet, glowing with a harsh radiance.
It was the same suit that Grint had once tried to wear. But Grint had failed.
The armor had overwhelmed him, overloading his body.
Now, Jevil wore it effortlessly.
Not only did it not strain him, it seemed to enhance his already monstrous abilities.
’We couldn’t even pierce through Grint’s armor...’ Sam narrowed his eyes, a cold pit forming in his stomach. ’Shit.’
Jevil’s half-smiling, half-weeping mask glowed with silver light, thick strands of aura pouring from the eyes and mouth.
Veins of dark energy crawled across the surface, spreading like cracks across a mirror.
And his weapons, he had every single one.
In one hand, he held the [Jester Hammer], massive and pulsing with force.
In the other, the [Jester Scythe], its blade jagged and oozing darkness.
Floating above his head were the ten [Jester Blades], each one twitching with anticipation.
And orbiting him slowly, like a moon circling a star, was the [Jester Beam] orb.
All of his weapons, all at once. Each at their peak. Each under perfect control.
"Well~" Jevil purred, taking another step, "Do you think you can handle this~?"
"Fuck... you..." Sam muttered, his eyes beginning to leak aura again, this time even more than before.
He was cornered. Every single one of Jevil’s weapons was a lethal force on its own.
Together, they created something nearly unstoppable.
But even now... Even now, he wouldn’t give up.
[Don’t give up! Stay Determined!]
’I will never give up,’ Sam thought, shaking his head, ’Let’s do this.’
The [Hatred] in his chest was rising steadily.
The pressure of Jevil’s presence, the overwhelming danger, everything fed into it.
Jevil’s laugh exploded through the tower.
"HERE WE GO~!" he screamed, spinning with mad delight, "ARE YOU WATCHING THIS~?"
Sam’s gaze sharpened at those words.
Who was he talking to? The sixth [Forsaken Lord]? Or something else?
He didn’t know. Didn’t care. Because in the very next instant—
Jevil disappeared from view.
A blur of silver and madness as he lunged forward.
He crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, raising the [Jester Hammer] and slamming it downward with all his might.
But Sam didn’t dodge.
He planted his feet, raised the primordial sword high above his head, and blocked.
The hammer struck like a meteor.
The ground beneath Sam cracked and split as he strained to hold his ground, the force driving into his arms like a landslide.
The stone beneath his feet fractured deeper, spiderwebbing out in all directions.
He glanced around. The entire floor was crumbling.
Not just the ground, the walls too. Cracks stretched across every inch of the top of the tower.
If this fight dragged on too long, the whole structure would collapse.
"HAHA~" Jevil lifted the hammer again and brought it crashing down once more.
Sam grunted, feeling his legs give slightly under the second blow.
But before Jevil could swing again, the [Forsaken Clone] charged in, slashing with the primordial sword.
"Nope~" Jevil smirked, effortlessly spinning the [Jester Scythe] to deflect the blow, then following up with a swift kick that knocked the clone away.
Without missing a beat, he extended his hand and launched five [Jester Blades] at both Sam and the clone.
Simultaneously, he brought the hammer down again at Sam.
’Hell no,’ Sam grunted, dodging the attack and knocking the blades away with a quick swipe of his sword.
"Come back here, you cannot win~" Jevil laughed, hammer slamming into the floor over and over.
Each strike sent tremors through the tower, shaking it violently.
Sam was constantly moving, dodging, deflecting, just barely staying alive.
But each time he deflected a hit, it sent him skidding backward.
"Gargh..." Sam coughed, blood staining his lips, "Fuck you..."
Jevil’s expression changed slightly.
He stepped forward slowly.
"Don’t give me that look," he said, suddenly more serious, "You think your kind were merciful when—"
Before he could finish, the [Forsaken Clone] lunged again, blade raised high.
"Stop trying," Jevil roared, swinging his scythe to intercept.
But this time, the clone dodged the scythe entirely.
Its expression was calm, almost joyful.
With glowing aura surrounding its form, it surged forward, charged the sword, and swung.
A deep wound tore across Jevil’s chest.
Even when they had faced Grint wearing the same armor, they couldn’t hurt him.
But now? Somehow, their combined strength was enough to damage Jevil through it.
’Is that the power of [Determination]?’ Sam wondered. ’Or did my affinities just grow strong enough to adjust?’
Whatever the answer was, it didn’t matter.
Jevil raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
The [Jester Beam] orb began to pulse, then fired a massive blast of energy toward Sam and the clone.
At the same time, he launched more [Jester Blades] and then lunged forward himself, swinging both hammer and scythe at the clone.
The clone didn’t dodge. It didn’t resist.
It simply turned to Sam one last time, smiling like it always had.
[Hatred fuels your soul, it’s time to end this =)]
[Your "Forsaken Clone" has been killed.]
The cooldown of [I Always Come Back] was once per day. Meaning that it couldn’t revive.
Jevil turned slowly. His steps were calm now. Tired of playing.
"Alright," he said, pointing the scythe at Sam, "You’re the only one left now."
He grinned, mask glowing again.
Sam, despite the chaos, had managed to block the [Jester Beam] in time.
But now, Jevil was rushing at him again.
Sam moved as fast as he could.
Deflecting the hammer.
Dodging the blades flying at him.
His determination flared, pushing him to his limits.
But even then... Even then, he made a mistake.
The [Jester Hammer] struck him square in the chest, sending him flying into the wall.
"Argh..." Sam groaned, vision blurred, bones aching.
Jevil approached, step by step.
"The end of your journey is here, Primordial~" he laughed, "And you do not deserve to say any final words."
Jevil raised the hammer again, ready to crush him once and for all.
And in that moment... The hatred within him finally reached its peak.
His eyes flooded with crimson aura, thick, suffocating, and overflowing.
Jevil paused. Only for a split second. But it was enough.
Sam’s vision turned white.
[You have summoned a "Star of Hatred".]
[Deal with him, Primordial =)]