Despite how ridiculous it sounded, [Just Die], was an extremely difficult Spell.


    It targeted the internal organs of the target by using Spellcraft to invade their body and affect them as he pleased.


    If he wanted the target to suffer prolonged pain, he could first destroy a lung, and then watch as the person struggled to breathe, before eventually seeing them die.


    For the case of his current enemy, though, as much as he wanted him to suffer, Jared understood how dangerous he was.


    ''He might figure out the trick to my Spell before I''m done.''


    It was highly unlikely, but it was still within the realm of reason. He was a different version of ''Jared'', after all.


    As a result, Jared decided to go for the heart, using his most ridiculously OP Spell.


    A Spell worthy of being the Trump Card Jared wielded; a surefire way to win against any of his opponents.


    So why...?


    ''Why isn''t he dying?!''


    Jared''s jaw tightened automatically, and his eyes kept twitching as he watched his enemy lookpletely normal.


    "What are you looking at? Is there something that''s supposed to be happening?" He asked.


    ''H-how...? It has always worked before! Why is nothing working!''


    Frustration began to set in. Deep frustration that made him feel anger and yet fear beyond description.


    He felt powerless even though he had reached his most powerful state.


    Could it be that dark energy wasn''t ultimate power?


    ''I... I...''


    At that moment, something broke within Jared. And once it did, there was finally nothing holding him back.


    ... So he gave in to his desperation.


    "UWAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    *


    *


    *


    A deafening roar resonated from Evil Jared''s location, but to me it seemed more like the whining of a child.


    After his earlier Spell, which I didn''t quite understand, didn''t work for some reason, it seemed he had finally reached a breaking point.


    ''What will he do now?''


    The answer I got was something so straightforward and simple that I didn''t expect it from my alternate self.


    >WHOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<


    That''s right! He wasing for a head-on attack.


    ''I''m literally in Martial State. That''s like the equivalent of Mage Mode for Martial Artists.'' Well, something like that didn''t exist here until I taught Edward, so he probably didn''t understand it.


    However, what that meant was...


    >CLANG<


    ... I wasn''t ever going to lose a one-on-one close range fight with this guy.


    Deactivating my Elemental Chamber, I used a de of light to parry his sword of darkness, causing sparks to dance around us.


    He instantly summoned a second one, deciding to wield it on his second hand, but I swiftly projected an energy de that shattered his second sword before it could fully manifest.


    >SWOOOSH<


    Twisting my body in mid-air, I gave him a roundhouse kick, sending him flying a great distance from me.


    ''Might as well engage in this...''


    >VWUUUUSSSHHH<


    I swiftlyunched myself from my position and dashed at him, feeling the wind whipping my face.


    It didn''t take a second before I caught up to the recoiling Jared, but I was just getting started with him.


    He saw me appear from behind him, and he sharply moved his body in order to close at me with his Miasma-coated hands, but I vanished from my position and appeared behind him.


    A little p on his back sent him flying another great distance, but I closed in on him once more and sent him back to the position he wasing from.


    Eventually, I began to treat him like a ball, and out fight became a game.


    Anytime I sent him flying, I would appear right where he was headed and push him to a different location.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After going on and on like this, I realized I was besting Jared to a pulp already, so I decided to end things in a much more preferable way.


    "Last hit..." I whispered, tightening my fist and costing it with a little more energy than usual.


    >BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<


    His body crashed yo the ground, reacting a massive quake while forming thergest crater on the battlefield.


    I floated in the air above him, watching the smoke clear up and everything slowlye back into perspective.


    Waiting, I watched Jared''s defeated, bloodied state.


    Miasma still poured out of him, but it seemed way less than before, and to obtain more supply, he would need to tap into the portal above.


    Not like I was going to let him do so, though.


    "So, you''re not going to fight again?" I asked calmly.


    His Dark Mage Mode vanished, and practically all the other transformations.


    All he was left with was the slithering Miasma around him and his slowly healing body.


    "Do you see it now? You''re not going to rule an entire world. You''re not going to conquer your universe. You''re not superior to anyone. You''re human, just like the rest of us."


    His hunger for power must have driven him tomit atrocities in his first life, but why did he not learn from his past mistakes and live a different life after reincarnating?


    ''Why didn''t he decide to live a mode fulfilling life?''


    Instead, he continued spiralling down that path—killing innocents, including his new parents.


    "I can''t save you, Jared. I have no say what your punishment will be. However, I will say this..." My eyes narrowed on the shuddering figure beneath me.


    "... You shouldn''t let your past define you."


    As I said that, I reflected on all my choices and regrets of the past. It was finally time to let them go too.


    I was Jared Leonard now. While I had my memories, and friends, and regrets from the past, I was living apletely different life now.


    And that meant I needed to have apletely different ending.


    "I told you... to SHUT UP! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME, HUH?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I WORKED HARD TO GET HERE? YOU KNOW NOTHING! YOU DONT KNOW HOW IT FEELS FOR YOUR PARENTS TO LOOK AT YOU LIKE A PIECE OF DIRT! FOR EVERYTHING YOU LOVE TURN THEIR BACKS ON YOU! FOR EVERYTHING TO LOSE MEANING!" The pain and bitterness heavy in his voice was heartbreaking.


    "ALL OF THAT WAS DUE TO MY LACK OF POWER! WITH POWER, EVERYTHING GETS SOLVED EASILY! I JUST NEED TO HAVE IT! MORE AND MORE!"


    I really couldn''t say any more to him at this point.


    "Jane, where the hell are you? Don''t just stand there and be useless! Stop that bastard! Do something! Help me, damnit! Move and do something now!"


    I nced at the Fairy he was referring to, and she lookedpletely somber.


    Tears fell from her eyes as she just stood still,pletely paralyzed in her position.


    ''I see...'' I nodded as our eyes met when she looked at me.


    If not for anything, I was d that one of the two could at least understand the message.


    ''I don''t think she''ll be fighting anymore.''


    As I stood above the ruinedndscape, watching the chaos that shrouded everywhere, I could finally say it with confidence.


    "This war is over."


    *


    *


    *


    ''Haha... it''s just as I thought!'' Neronughed internally, though his face contained a smile that rang with disbelief.


    After watching the fight between the two Jareds, he was d he had chosen to be more careful.


    ''You''re too strong, Jared. I really am no match for you.''


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Next chapter, we''ll try to wrap this up and keep the story moving.


    Sorry I made this fight drag on for so long


    Thanks for reading.