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"{Heaven Sundering Holy Blade Style}: {Third Form – Piercing Thrust}"
CRAAASH!
"Ngh?!"
Hercules vomited a mouthful of blood as he felt his heart pierced, sliced, and then...
Exploding.
Jonathan smiled faintly.
There was no way Hercules could escape this fate.
Regrowing his heart was impossible—Jonathan had already flooded his internal body with holy runes!
Without a heart to pump blood and vital energies, Hercules was dood to die.
Then Jonathan noticed sothing.
He had been wrong.
"...What?!"
Hercules gathered every flow of energy in his body and wove a new heart from threads of Consciousness and Blood Energy.
An artificial heart!
He was evolving even further!
"His head...! Aim for his head!"
Tear's urgent voice rang out behind Jonathan as she hurled sothing toward him.
Hercules roared, his fists smashing into Jonathan's face and yanking the finger free from his artery. Blood sprayed everywhere.
"Nngh...!"
Jonathan quickly covered the wound with a small aura barrier, desperately trying to stem the hemorrhage.
And then...
Hercules bellowed, channeling every ounce of his remaining power in this desperate life-or-death mont!
"{Heavenly Blood Demon Style}: {Fifth Form – Absolute Death}!!!"
Using his fingers like deadly blades, Hercules struck every ridian, nerve, and Dantian in Jonathan's body while targeting every vital organ.
Sharp waves of destructive energy erupted inside him.
Blood splattered in all directions.
Jonathan was dying!
"G-Gahh...! Not...! Not yet...! Nnngh...! HAAAAH!"
Jonathan scread.
mories of Maria flooded his mind.
Her radiant smile.
The precious days they shared in her first life.
The cheerful, innocent young woman she had been.
The adventures they had together.
Her eyes sparkling with honesty and warmth...
All his life, Jonathan had tornted himself for failing to protect that smile.
That love had never faded...
With trembling hands, he grasped the ice sword Tear had thrown him.
He poured his "Love" into it.
And his "Life."
In that fleeting instant...
His "Flow" surpassed Hercules'.
"{Heaven Sundering Holy Blade Style}: {Fourth Form – Sacrificial Sword: Unrelenting Love}"
"Please... forgive ... Maria... I'll have to go first."
SLAAASH!
"Ah..."
Hercules felt his neck sever cleanly. His head tumbled from his shoulders.
But he felt no pain.
No rage.
Instead, a beautiful vision unfolded before him.
Pink petals drifting gently...
A blonde knight and a black-haired lady strolled through the streets of their city.
Sharing sweets, laughing, smiling.
"I see... So this is your sword."
Hercules laughed softly, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
"I was so consud by martial arts and revenge... I never sought sothing as simple as love."
"I wonder what it feels like... to love... and to be loved."
Hercules fell.
And in that mont, he died.
"He did it...!" Celes cried. "Jonathan, you did it!"
Jonathan collapsed.
His eyes dimd, blood pouring from countless wounds.
"Ah!"
Brunhild caught him mid-fall, pressing her hand desperately against the worst of the bleeding.
"J-Jonathan?!"
"Bring him here!"
Alma and Celes combined their powers, pouring everything they had into healing him.
They managed to seal the gash on his carotid artery.
But...
He had lost far too much blood.
His brain had effectively shut down.
"Jonathan...! Uncle!" Celes scread.
His heart had stopped beating.
Yet a faint fragnt of consciousness lingered within Jonathan.
He felt delicate, warm hands caressing his face.
Tears fell onto his skin...
Maria, who had just slain Annette, rushed to his side the mont she saw him defeat Hercules.
"Jonathan...! No...! Don't leave , Jonathan!"
Her hands shook as she watched him slip away.
She channeled her magic desperately to heal him.
"Ma... Maria...?"
Jonathan's eyes slowly regained a flicker of light.
"You idiot...! What were you trying to do?!"
"I..."
"I love you!"
Maria cried, pressing her lips to his and pouring warmth back into his fading body.
Her lips felt exactly as he rembered.
"It's... my fault you died..." Jonathan whispered, tears welling. "I thought... I should've died too... back then..."
"But what about your family?!" Maria asked. "You can't just die! And I don't want to turn you into an undead... speaking from experience, it's not the sa. It's... a very lonely, depressing existence."
"..." Jonathan looked at her with a faint, bittersweet smile.
She hugged him tightly.
"Do you hate , Maria?"
"...?"
Maria t his gaze—eyes filled with sha, self-loathing, and deep frustration.
He had hated himself for so long.
For failing her.
For letting her die...
That guilt had haunted his entire existence.
"I don't... I never did..." Maria smiled through her tears. "And... I forgave you long ago."
"...Maria," Jonathan murmured. "I... I love you..."
"I love you too. Now stand up—the fight isn't over," Maria said, kissing him again.
"Yes..." Jonathan replied, rising slowly. "Thank you... you truly can make miracles."
"No, you did," Maria laughed softly, beaming with pride. "You killed that guy? He was so damn strong...! Haha."
"I... sohow managed," Jonathan said, staring at his bare hands. "I guess I no longer need a sword. I've beco the blade myself."
"That's incredible..." Maria smiled. "I'm so proud of you..."
"Truly?" Jonathan flushed slightly. "I... my family... have they found them yet? I know I should've gone to save them, but everything happened so fast... I'm so worried now...!"
"I know," Maria nodded. "Let's go there. Everyone else—rest and recover your strength!"
Maria flew quickly to Hercules' corpse and raised her hand.
"Arise, Hercules!"
FLUOSH!
A phantasmal, ghostly fla erupted from his severed neck. Hercules' eyes snapped open in shock.
He grabbed his own head, reattaching it with a bewildered look.
"Hey, didn't I just die?" he asked.
"This is Maria's power—Necromancy, like your sister," Jonathan explained.
"Huh?! And you survived?!" Hercules exclaid. "I was hoping you'd die with so we could fight in the underworld!"
"Hahah, maybe we can spar later," Jonathan said. "Fighting you would definitely help grow, so I wouldn't mind."
"Heh! You bet!" Hercules grinned proudly. "Now... wait, what do I do now that I'm a zombie? We were supposed to wipe out all humans and let our clan conquer the world, right? But now? Ah, Dad's still alive?"
"Hercules!" Annette's Dream Spirit appeared and hugged him tightly.
"Annette! You... what happened to you?" Hercules asked.
"I died... just like you!" Annette said. "You beca a Dullahan because your head got sliced off?! Hahahaha!"
"W-Why are you laughing?! Your body was completely destroyed!" Hercules shouted.
"Hah?! Well, my genius brain is still intact!" Annette retorted. "You literally lost your head and you're still the sa—guess you weren't using it anyway!"
"You dare...! Co here, you little pest!" Hercules started chasing her.
Everyone stood speechless...
Despite being such powerful, ruthless, overwhelming beings...
They were still siblings at heart.
"Maybe their father influenced them more than we realized..." Jonathan said quietly. "Though they bear as much responsibility as Sirius... there seems to be a strange disconnect between his shattered mind and his two children."
"Hm," Maria nodded. "Well, let's go."
"Yes!"
Jonathan and Maria took to the skies, heading toward the noble district farthest from the battlefield.
As they approached, swarms of vampiric chiras lunged at them.
Maria raised her hand and unleashed hundreds of Void Tears, disintegrating the creatures instantly.
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