Chapter 569 Against the Prince
Clovis then saw the waning form of the last remaining Moonlight Specter, its spiritual essence was slowly dissipating into the air.
The toll of battling Arcanists wielding mastery over plant life, or Druids, was evident in the spectral entity's diminishing presence. The Specter was filled with holes and had its body ripped apart, but it was able to stand as a victor in its battle.
Then, looking behind the dissipating Specter, Clovis beheld the lifeless bodies of three Druids. They may not have external injuries on their bodies, but he could see that they fell from the Moonlight Specter's potent curse.
'It's still a fusion of three Advanced Realm Spells… Moonlight Specters are really strong.' Clovis mused as he recalled how his other enemies had been able to deal with his Fusion Spell before.
The Archbishop of the Church, the Gluttony, and the Vampire could easily deal with the Specters. This made him feel slightly disappointed, but seeing such a result now made him satisfied with the Fusion Spell again.
A wry smile graced Clovis's lips as he turned to confront the nobleman, the subtle curl of his expression concealed beneath the enigmatic veil of his mask.
"If you want me to spare your airship, you must be prepared to compensate me…" Clovis, the Masked Devil Incarnate, demanded, his words carrying an implicit weight of consequence.
"What?! Are you threatening me?! I'm Gregory Byron Ruri! The 14th Prince of the Kingdom! You have committed a grievous crime by boarding this Airship and killing my people! This is punishable by death!" The nobleman, incensed by the audacity of the threat, bristled with anger.
Then, he finally stepped forward to fight the Masked Devil himself!
Soon, everyone saw a luminescence from the tattoo marks beneath his clothes!
'These marks… Arcane Sigils?'
At that moment, a realization dawned upon Clovis, a recollection sparked by the resonating familiarity of the arcane sigils.
It was the gift from Heinz that Denise had sent to him!
'That's right… I remember now.'
At that time, he had extracted a few female Arcanists who had the same tattoo marks on their bodies! It happened in Roaring City before the start of the Twelve Academies Competition.
According to Denise, they were low-ranking nobles of the Ruri Kingdom!
Clovis's excitement surged the moment he laid eyes on this mystical ability. It was unlike anything he had encountered before.
The intricate tattoo marks distinguished themselves from both Rune Arts and Beast Arts, presenting a wholly unique manifestation of Arcane Magic.
'Then let's try it out…' Clovis thought as he secretly cast his Spell.
"What?"
Astonishingly, his Spell Dispersion had proven ineffective against Gregory, who seemed to emanate an unstoppable force as he steadily closed in on Clovis.
Cling~
At this time, Gregory drew his weapon.
What had initially appeared to be a ceremonial sword revealed itself as a mystical artifact, further intensifying the power he was releasing.
'Aren't you going to be exhausted at this rate? You're just releasing your energy to pressure me. Too wasteful…' Clovis commented in his mind.
Nevertheless, Clovis took this opportunity to release his Traceless Shift to steal the sword…
"Oh?"
To his surprise, the Traceless Shift that would rarely fail him was met with unexpected resistance.
Furthermore, Gregory showed no sign of reaction to the Spell he used! It feels as if the man didn't even notice that he just tried to steal the sword!
Piqued by this intriguing development, Clovis pondered his next move and decided to unleash his Fusion Spell – the Chain of Souls.
Darkness had suddenly surrounded Gregory, and several ethereal chains swiftly trapped him. Clovis's plan was to stab Gregory a few times using his Devil's Dagger, but the chain's hold didn't last that long.
In a matter of seconds, the chains succumbed to an unseen force, shattering with resounding cracks under the noble's protective aura.
"Hahaha! Was that Corrupted Chains? Pathetic…"
Gregory laughed after seeing how ineffective the Arcane Spell was against him.
Then, he taunted. "If that's all you can do, then you're mine!"
With those words, he charged at Clovis!
Clovis felt a chill after hearing how Gregory wanted him. He felt as if the Prince was affected by his charm!
However, Clovis didn't delve too much into it as he had to fight! He used his Lightspeed Spell and put some distance from the Prince.
In this critical moment, he already discerned the formidable nature of Gregory's tattoo marks.
It was capable of nullifying or obliterating any form of Arcane Spells that was targeted at his body. As a matter of fact, even his Divine Sense and Spirit Vision, a typically reliable method of perception, proved futile in deciphering the mystery that enveloped Gregory's body.
At this time, Clovis had no idea which Arcane Path the Prince was practicing.
'Interesting…'
Clovis understood that a shift in strategy was imperative. Close combat became the only viable option since he didn't want to use too many Arcane Paths in this battle.
He could not reveal the fact that the Masked Devil Incarnate could practice numerous Arcan Paths.
Gripping the dagger tightly in his hand, he steeled himself for the impending clash with Gregory.
Without any more hesitation, he wielded Shadowblade Dance, weaving a dance of swift and intricate movements to fight against the Prince.
With the Darkness Manipulation that was still active, each of his steps carried a shadowy grace, and the dagger moved with lethal precision.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Gregory responded in kind, unleashing Ruri Sword Style, a technique known for its grace and deadly effectiveness.
"Haha! An Arcanist that's capable of close combat! The Church of the Three Paragons wasn't overestimating you! No wonder your bounty is higher than that of the leader of the Fire Serpent Clan!"
Gregory laughed as he exchanged a few moves with the Masked Devil.
The Airship's deck was suddenly filled with the symphony of flashing blades and mesmerizing footwork.
Clovis, relying on his agility and mastery of the darkness, sought to exploit openings in Gregory's defense.
Meanwhile, Gregory's Ruri Sword Style demonstrated a harmonious blend of offense and defense, parrying and countering with the fluidity of a seasoned warrior!
He was able to match the Masked Devil's speed and strength!
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