Battle with 2 demon kings

The ground was painted in orange; the sun had set, though not completely.

William raised his sword. He knew he couldn’t kill Jack, but that wasn’t the goal. His goal was to test the sword.

He raised it as high as possible—

And slashed it through the air.

Jack teleported—

Just before the invisible energy, the energy from William’s sword, struck Jack’s body.

Jack reappeared behind William.

“Got you,” Jack said, his left hand striking.

Jack’s hand clashed against the sword, trembling. It hurt—of course. One of the hadrons in the exoferite nucleus, the Diomer hadron, granted a slight edge. Diomer hadrons had one unique physical trait: they convert a portion of photons into power enhancers. That’s what gave exoferite its distinct color.

“Wow, reflective,” Jack shook his hand.

“Reflective? What is this, glass?” William mocked.

Sudirja could only facepalm. Hearing that, he couldn’t believe his past self would say such a thing.

“What is it, Your Grace?” Arjuna asked, looking at Sudirja.

“I didn’t expect it,” Sudirja answered, “that he’d actually do that. Joking around in such a serious moment.”

“He is your past self, Your Grace. I say it’s expected,” Arjuna shrugged.

“Well, we were the same—cracking jokes while fighting Sidran Gasra,” Arga added.

Sudirja paused, trying to recall something.

“You're right,” Sudirja nodded slowly.

But he remembered one more thing. He punched Arga on the shoulder—not as an attack, but as a joking response and a jab of annoyance from a sudden memory.

“That ridiculous idea was yours, foolis!” Sudirja shouted.

“And it was you who started it first, Bastart!” Arga shot back.

“So noisy. Why don’t you all just die and stop yelling!” Jack groaned.

Jack dashed toward Sudirja.

Before he could attack, his hand was severed.

Behind him, William had slashed the air.

“That’s why you’re the demon, not me,” Jack turned to William.

His severed hand trembled, then reattached itself.

In the orange glow tinting the blade, the sword quivered.

To the alliance forces watching, nothing appeared to have happened—because only those attuned to magic detection could see it.

William’s hand trembled as he held the sword, yet somehow, he felt light.

“Is this the second feature of exoferite?” William observed the blade.

“So much chatter, acting like an analyst—just die already!” Jack lunged at William.

William’s sword clashed again and again with Jack’s hand.

Jack struggled to match William’s speed.

The sword brought more pain with each contact—far worse than before.

Still, William wasn’t attacking seriously. Every strike against Jack was an experiment—a result of thinking about a game. It had become a scientific trial for him.

He intended to strike again—not seriously. But as he swung the blade toward Jack—

Unknowingly, the sword began forming a magic circle.

And at that moment—he was transported to another fragthesis.

In the fragthesis where Jack and the alliance forces remained, William seemed to disappear. Of all present, only Jack didn’t realize—William hadn’t disappeared. He had merely shifted to a different fragthesis.

“Dion,” Sudirja signaled.

A large pattern formed on the ground. Sudirja observed the circle.

“Wow, my past self was clever,” Sudirja grinned proudly.

“No, the Uneren particles detected didn’t come from him—but from the sword he carried,” Dion corrected.

Dion knew something. From the Uneren particles detected, the magic circle told him something. He focused on it, then looked toward Jack.

“That weapon doesn’t deserve to be called an artifact,” Dion muttered, watching the Uneren particles vibrate through his detection magic.

“What’s going on?” asked Sudirja.

“Look—”

“Ah, I understand now. It even sets a re-entry point to strike; very strategic,” Sudirja commented, using a time-vector lens.

“No, that re-entry point wasn’t chosen by William,” Dion added.

“You mean... it was chosen by the sword?” Sudirja asked.

“Yes. That weapon has some kind of quantum AI software. My detection spell picked up a force that doesn’t yet exist in our scientific records,” Dion replied.

While Dion and Sudirja discussed, Jack remained confused. He didn’t know why William had vanished.

“What happened to him?” Jack asked to Sukmo Lawu.

“Ah, he just got fragtesized,” Sukmo Lawu replied.

“Fragtesized?” Jack tilted his head.

“Yeah, he moved to another fragthesis,” Sukmo Lawu explained.

“Fragthesis? Could you explain those two terms?” Jack asked.

“If you want to understand fragthesis, reverse the meaning of the word illusion,” Sukmo Lawu analogized.

“You mean... he's in a reality we can’t perceive?” Jack asked.

“Correct; he’s in a different reality—but within the same world, same timeline, and same location,” Sukmo Lawu explained.

“Can he attack me from another fragtesis?” Jack asked.

“Logically no—unless he reappears and strikes you in a vulnerable spot,” Sukmo Lawu answered.

Without realizing it, Jack’s hand was severed.

At that moment, William reappeared—

Then fragthesized again.

“Didn’t I just say that?” Sukmo Lawu quipped.

Jack knew he’d be attacked again. He scanned his surroundings, adjusting his stance to face William.

He knew, really—it was futile.

Because he didn’t know where William would emerge.

He didn’t know when or how William would attack.

Even so, he prepared himself.

Better to be ready than helpless.

William reappeared behind Jack.

There was no time to dodge. His leg collided with the exoferite blade—

And he lost his balance.

“It’d be a waste if I didn’t join,” Sukmo Lawu dashed toward William.

But only air was struck by Sukmo Lawu.

The sword fragthesized William once again.

And he reappeared—right above Sukmo Lawu.

If not for the sword, William might have died. Sukmo Lawu was in his strongest form. A terrifying state: his head emitting black smoke—and anything touching that smoke would be absorbed.

But because of the sword, William was safe.

Sukmo Lawu’s body was split vertically in half.

Of course, he didn’t die. He was merely sent back to his birthplace: Jagad Roso Island.

“Has Sukmo Lawu been defeated?” William asked.

“A vague question. It yields two answers,” Dion replied.

“What do you mean?” William tilted his head.

“If by defeated, you mean dead, then no; if you mean lost a major advantage, then yes,” Dion explained.

“Don’t celebrate just yet!” shouted Jack.

Jack’s head was severed.

He returned to his birthplace: Banyurekso Island.

William turned to Rogo Geni.

He stepped toward Rogo Geni—just one step—

And the sword fragthesized him.

It also fragthesized the entire alliance army.