"...I’m a true student of death!"

Or was he? Even now, a voice fought against that notion – no, it rejected it. What was he? No, that didn’t matter! Was he the son of a prominent mother, or the son of an ambitious father? NO! It didn’t matter!

Rias was lit up like a match. A broken match.

He had outsmarted the Unlimited Stars, but he was on his last leg.

While fighting Kintar, he had been so overwhelmed by her powers and Uyuniya’s that he’d opted to stow away his original body and use a replica that Aimon had made, which possessed thrice the physical prowess, and was immune to all forms of magic and Nitros. It might have been a spiteful move, but it had ensured that none of the mortals other than Pherdanta could harm him.

(A/N: Refer to Ch.1559)

But there was a downside. Since he needed to pilot the body with his own soul, Rias was left himself in a situation where a devastating attack that exceeded typical Divine thresholds would reach his Broader Existence or outright kill him. (The natural defense afforded by having a Broader Existence only applied when the original body and soul were bonded together. Thus, separating the two led to a circumstance where attacking either would allow the damage to reach Rias’ Broader Existence.)

...And Rias’ Broader Existence was a mess currently. He didn’t have enough Amras or Undeath energy to heal it completely. It was no easy feat restoring the Broader Existence. Thus, he needed to end things quickly.

His body began bleeding. The trauma carried over from his soul over to it seamlessly.

...But he would deal out some trauma of his own.

"Get over here!" Rias streaked towards Yuyui, who took a breath and postponed the sinking feeling of fatal exhaustion and tried for another miracle. When Rias grasped for her, Savast warned her with the mental network, and she reacted, moving out of the way as Rias was dealt a Charged Stroke.

...But the necromancer healed his brain and mind almost immediately with his version of Kintar’s powers and materialized six doors that hung in different places within his vicinity, one of which was right in front of him. He jumped into it and came out of all the other doors. Five Riases.

He caught Yuyui. She’d been near one of the doors. It didn’t help that she’d fumbled over her steps. She couldn’t have resisted when Rias immediately lit her up with his Undeath essence, like wood to the flame.

"YUYUI!" Grim screamed and charged at the necromancer, but he was slow – too slow – without Yuyui’s aid. His body was heavy and cold. Another Rias blew his back out with a punch to the gut. Literally.

"And that’s why you’re a fake. Death should be impartial." Rias lit him with Undeath as well, but Grim gritted his teeth and struggled.

He grabbed Rias’ neck and locked eyes with him. He was losing control of the death energy inside of him. It staved off Rias’ cruel Undeathly flames, but kept draining him as well.

Yet he squeezed all the same at Rias’ neck, even though the necromancer didn’t even flinch.

"Good on you, if you’re an authentic student of death, then," he said, his voice rapidly growing weaker. "I...I...wouldn’t want to be eternal, undying, and alone just for fear of impermanence." His form began shedding away, and he let go of Rias, dropping to his knees. "I almost... pity you."

...And then his face fell to the sands.

Rias scoffed. "Pity? Fool. You’re the one who’s dead."

He propped his fingers at Grim’s body and fired jets of Undeath again and again and again and again. He pointed at Baddan, who was wheezing, and fired again and again and again and again.

He was angry. He was spiteful. He didn’t know why.

He fired at the three again and again and again and again and again....!

His face grew uglier each time. By killing them all, he rejected them. He rejected their ideology. He wasn’t lonely. He wasn’t worth pitying. Rising above everything to live forever was the essence of living!

He almost went mad and felt for his face again. Right. The mask was gone. He snapped over to Pherdanta. The Stark Troops had kept her safe behind a series of Stagnant Parameters. The shielding Starmation absorbed all phenomena that met it, whisking it away from the user. Of course, it had a limit, hence why several of the Stark Troops had already died. Only Gerriey, Ruge, and two others remained, maimed but determined.

’I won’t half-ass it this time,’ thought Rias.

He changed his approach.

He had to eliminate everyone here beyond a shadow of a doubt.

He hardly cared that Soizar was here, battling that damned beetle-man.

Rias planted his hand on the ground and expended the rest of his Undeath essence.

’I don’t care what you are, I don’t care what you become. It’s time to become whole and swallow everything in here! Bear what you will, become what you want! I don’t care anymore! Devour everything!’ he thought.

...And finally, the Egg of the Future Dawn was sealed.

The Stagnant Parameter barriers the Stark Troops were using faltered at once. All power systems were broken inside the Egg. As it happened, Savast also lost access to his Mind Casting abilities. Now, he could do Rias no harm. The Unlimited Star faltered. Rias turned to him and used Kintar’s Infinitesimal Division to wipe a great portion of him away. Savast struggled and finally returned to his flesh form. He didn’t have any strength left, and Rias made sure to destroy his Granted Star Armament by compelling its inanimate soul to collapse in on itself, which obliterated its physical shape.

"There. You can join that wench you were bawling for and the rest of your star-studded friends." Rias riddled the former Cluster General with holes using his imitation of the Aggrante.

Shortly after, though, he cursed. He could still feel them, lingering strands of life, of tenacity, determination, and resolve. The Stars wouldn’t die so easily. Even with mangled, torched bodies, they clung to life.

’It’s fake. They’re all fake!’ he said, eyes twitching.

The Egg was ready. It would take them all and wring out of all their being from their bodies. When it was done, he would present the remains to Skullius. Maybe all except Pherdanta. He had to make sure nothing of her remained.

However...

Outside the Egg, something had changed.

A Micro-dimensioning portal buzzed alive and spilled out three figures.