'This is it! This is how I go out! Yes! This is it! If it's like this, then I have no regrets!'

Gerard's dragon-like face smiled as his body finally ran out of strength, and he was unable to return another hit.

>BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<

His massive body was sent crashing to the ground with a kick from the ferocious woman, causing his body to spasm in agony.

One final hit was all it would take for his life to end, even in his current state.

"Guark!" Coughing out heated blood, he looked above him to see the vastly superior being hovering with another punch being prepared.

It flickered with unquantifiable heatthe fist that would bring about his end.

Gerard could not move fast enough to evade it, neither did he have the defenses or any offensive maneuver to match itnot like he desired it.

'This is... truly the end.' He cracked a twisted smile on his pummeled face.

His death was going to be grander than he had ever imagined. And so, he had no complaints.

>WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH<

The god of destruction drew closer with her glistening body and unstoppable force.

Serah's blow was already nearing the Beast King, ready to render him into nothing but cinders.

However

"Haaa..."

She suddenly stopped.

Gerard was shockedno, disappointedby her sudden refusal to fight any longer.

"W-wha?!" Why wouldn't this being end what she started

"... I guess this is it. I won."

"Eh?"

Gerard struggled to understand what was going on, but he desperately pleaded for his death. His expression told her not to let such a glorious moment go to waste and simply end him.

There was no way he would get a better chance than this.

This was the time when he could go down in the blazes of glory! It was the precipice of his entire existence.

"P-please kill me!" His voice was hoarse, and his body lacked enough energy to last much longer.

Getting one final strike from her to send him off was what the Beast King now desired with all he had

"Hm?"

"I know it is not my right, as the loser, to make a request from you, but..."

Winners called the shots. The strong decided the fate of the weak. Gerard knew that quite well.

However, this was something he wanted more than anything. That was why, even though it was shameless, he begged with every ounce of his weak body.

"... Please, kill me with your power."

Nothing would give him greater pleasure.

"I see. You badly want this, uh?" Serah Crimson, still in her [Invincible] state, asked the pathetic Beast King.

"Yes." He managed to utter.

After looking at him for some time, the lady sighed.

>VWUUUSH<

The energy coating her completely vanished, and she was back to her normal form.

"W-wha? Please wai!"

"I would have loved to grant your request, but that's impossible this time around. We're here on a mission, and your existence is integral to that."

It was like a complete switch from her bloodthirsty nature, the way Serah spoke with formality.

"Besides, even if I could kill you, it'll be a waste to do so..." Serah smiled at the defeated Beast King.

Of course, she didn't forget the fact that one kid in her group could simply resurrect him if he suffered death. But, Serah simply didn't want to end the life of such a promising man who was in his prime.

"You are strong. Even if it was for a while, you could match my power. Plus, you can still grow stronger than this. Why would I end your life now?"

Upon hearing her weird compliment, Gerard's heart fluttered.

But, even though he was happy to have been praised by such a woman, he couldn't bring himself to be happy.

A bitter smile crept up on his face.

"I actually... can't grow beyond this." He murmured.

"If this is an excuse to make me kill you, I've said it already... I won't do it." The redhead spoke, slightly frowning.

"N-no, it's not like that..." Gerard didn't know how to phrase his words well.

The complicated emotions within him made it hard to form words properly, and his severe injuries impeded his words.

How could he tell the woman before him that

"He's going to die very soon."

Before Gerard could finalize his inner thoughts, a voice appeared.

It sounded like that of a young boya third party.

He lifted his gaze and noticed the presence of a blond boy, watching as he descended from his heights.

The boy had a smile on his face, and a somewhat innocent expression, but Gerard could tell that a deep and complicated power resided within him.

"What do you mean by that? Is it because of our fight?" The woman called Serah turned in the direction of the boy, appearing panicky.

It was the first time he had ever seen her look so flustered, so Gerard thought she was pretty cute.

Such a strong and powerful female besting him... the Beast King could only imagine how strong their child would have been.

'If only she was my Mate...' It was a shameful thought for himwho was a loserto make.

But, he couldn't ignore the feelings in his heart that produced such an appealing prospect.

"No. It wasn't because of you... though I suspect that your fight merely quickened the result. Am I correct?" The boy was now looking in Gerard's direction.

"How do you know about that?" The Beast King asked, staring at his unassuming face.

The boy said nothing.

"Fine. Yes, you're right... I don't have long for this world. I could have lived for some months longer, maybe even a year, but... this fight has strained me already. I'll probably not last the next ten minutes."

That was why he desired death so much. While he still lived, he wanted her almighty power to send him off.

Serah stared at his body with surprise, but the boy didn't seem fazed at all. He looked as if he already surmised that much.

Still, Gerard was too caught up with his desperate desires that he couldn't think of much else.

'I want to die at the hands of this woman!'

Was that being too greedy?

No! This was what every member of his race would dream of. As their King, it was also what he desired above all else.

To die by the hands of one more powerful was the desire of every Beastfolk. That way, they would live their lives with exhalation and excitementspending their last moments in pure exhilaration.

The most pertinent reason for their desire, however, was so deeply rooted in them that everyone lived their lives desperate for such an end.

After all...

... It was better than expiring as a result of the Curse.