The sword he holds in his hand gives him a sense of unwavering trust and an almost inexplicable composure, as if it were saying, "Don't worry."

Linus's rapid thrust was closing in. Baldus saw through it with minimal movement, deflected its trajectory with the flat of his sword, and as they passed, slashed across his back.

Against Borg as he charged, he didn't meet him head-on, but rather flowed with the force, and in the brief moment when the giant's body was thrown off balance, he struck a precise blow to the neck.

The countless arrows Elsa unleashed were all deflected as the sword was swung at high speed.

Baldus was calm. He didn't resort to reckless, forceful attacks driven by anger, but instead methodically utilized all the techniques he had mastered up until now.

With respect for his comrades and an unwavering determination to free them from suffering, he calmly, accurately, and with overwhelming skill defeats the souls.

With each dance of the sword, the souls are freed from their expressions of anguish and dissipate with a somewhat peaceful look. It's not that there's no pain in their hearts.

But now, more than sentimentality, a strong will to accomplish what needed to be done dominated Baldus.

"Kukakaka...!"

Perhaps losing patience, the Grim Reaper laughed shrilly again. At that moment, a vivid hallucination flooded directly into Baldus's mind. A burning fortress, a battlefield of utter chaos, and the sight of his comrades sinking into a sea of blood.

It was the memory of the battlefield where he once fought the Grim Reaper and lost his comrades.

With a grin, the Grim Reaper raised his scythe that had directly interfered with Baldus's mind through mental magic.

"Kukakakakakaka!"

As if certain of victory, laughter echoes.

But,

(...Shut up.)

Baldus silently spat under his breath and then shook off the hallucination with sheer willpower.

(Do not insult my comrades... They fought bravely to the end. And I, carrying their pride in my heart, stand here now!)

As the Grim Reaper's scythe swung down, Baldus raised the sword made by Darius head-on and met the attack head-on.

With a piercing, high-pitched metallic sound, a tremendous shock shakes the entire dungeon.

The scythe shrouded in black magic and Darius's sword clashed fiercely, as if negating each other's existence.

In the past, Baldus had experienced this desperate situation countless times. Each time, his beloved sword was brutally shattered, and he was forced to retreat helplessly. But―.

(...Darius-dono. With your sword, then―!)

Darius's sword not only doesn't succumb to the Grim Reaper's sinister magic, but it also doesn't even flinch. In fact, it pushes back.

The scythe begins to creak and groan.

"Ka...!?"

The Grim Reaper showed signs of panic and shock for the first time.

Baldus doesn't miss that opportunity.

(Here, I will cut off everything!)

"Uooooooooooooh!!!"

When Baldus uses his magic sword, the blade emits a brilliant light as if in response.

The Grim Reaper's scythe began to creak and groan as it was unable to withstand its overwhelming power.

The black blade is criss-crossed with spider web-like cracks, from which ominous dark energy gushes out like mist.

"Cough..?!"

The Grim Reaper exclaims in disbelief.

Losing its weapon and left defenseless, the Grim Reaper frantically tried to escape, but...

"There's no way I would let you escape."

Beyond that, Baldus moves forward. And into the unguarded embrace of the Grim Reaper, he pours everything he has ever lived, all his feelings for his companions.

―I hammered it in.

That single blow had such tremendous power that it shook the dungeon walls and caused debris to rain down from the ceiling. The sword flashed and sliced the Grim Reaper's body clean in two,

"G...ga...gaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"

This time, a death rattle, the Grim Reaper's scream echoed through the dungeon. Its massive body rapidly disintegrated... and finally vanished completely into dust.

What remained was only the silence after the evil presence had vanished, and the tattered, rag-like Grim Reaper's cloak discarded on the floor.

The battle was over, and Baldus knelt there, using his sword as a staff.

His whole body was extremely tired.

Even though it was short, it was a battle where he both poured everything he had into it.

The fatigue was so intense that it couldn't be measured in time.

His arms were as heavy as lead, and his breathing was shallow. But his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of accomplishment and deep relief.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw the souls of his comrades that had been fighting alongside him until just a moment ago were now surrounding him with radiant smiles.

"Baldus-san, thank you... Now, finally..."

As Linus said this in a peaceful voice, and that had been the adjutant, all the other companions nodded in satisfaction.

"...I'm sorry. It took me so long… And thank you. For believing in me... and waiting for me like this."

Baldus silently conveyed apologies and gratitude in his heart.

As if in response, the souls of their companions, one by one, transformed into particles of light and gently ascended to the heavens. Their expressions no longer held any trace of anguish.

When all the souls had ascended and true silence had returned to the dungeon, Baldus stood up and picked up the Grim Reaper's cloak that had fallen on the floor. Dungeon monsters drop parts of themselves when they die.

This will be proof of the end of the long years of fighting.

Baldus sheathed Darius's sword and, with the souls of his former companions watching over him, quietly but with powerful strides, left the dungeon.

The shocking news that Baldus Granger had single-handedly defeated the Grim Reaper, his long-time nemesis, spread through the royal capital in an instant and sent shockwaves across the continent. It is said that when he returned in triumph and presented the Grim Reaper's cloak as proof before his lord, the Langford Count, and His Majesty the King, he was met with a chorus of awe and praise.

And what people wanted to know more than anything else was, "How did the old knight defeat that legendary monster?" To that question, Baldus simply and quietly said this,

"Because there was a great magical blacksmith named Darius who forged this blade."

Following the words of the young Master Swordswoman Aria, Baldus, one of the most trusted heroes on the continent, also uttered "the name of Darius."

The number of those who dismissed Darius's name as mere rumor or joke would become even smaller, and it would be spoken of―.

Chapter 20