As Layland silently gazed at the wriggling, literal half-human on the ground called Logan, he couldn't help shaking his head in disappointment.
'This is not it,' he thought. 'I expected more from the Heroes, so what is this farce?'
Had he not tapped into his Demonic Essence, actually, he could have the fight he had envisioned. The half-human half-Demon him was, after all, was significantly weaker than the current him.
Previously, the trace of humanity in him held some of his power back. The forced maturation that was done by tapping into his Essence removed that trace of humanity, which also removed his limiter.
Although it seemed like he got a sudden boost in power; in actuality however, he had just attained the qualification to use his full power. He was now a Demon, a former human who had thrown his humanity away.
Boom! Boom!
"Oh? There seems to be an interesting fight there. Maybe, I should join them rather than staring at this pathetic microorganism," Layland remarked.
Logan was still conscious, but it was clear that he was barely holding on. He had lost so many blood, and the only thing keeping him alive was the Mana his Mana Pool contained.
Layland looked at that Logan for a couple of seconds before shrugging, and stomped his head to mush. He felt unfortunate that he couldn't make Logan suffer more than he had wanted, but he, at least, had already exacted his revenge.
'Well, there are still another twenty-six bastards who I can vent my anger on. I will just have more fun with them later.' At this point, he still didn't know that almost half of the Heroes—his "friends"—had already lost in nature selection.
Turning his body to the direction where he could sense Haletha was fighting Iorael, Layland kicked the ground. Due to the anticlimactic fight he had had, his hands got itchier—he couldn't help wanting to cut some more.
He wasn't arrogant to think he might be able to defeat Iorael by himself. He knew his power well, but he was sure he could help Haletha more than Vibiane could ever do.
Wearing his mask back, the manic grin on his face was hidden. Brimming with excitement, he joined Haletha's fight.
...
Going back in time, fifteen minutes ago.
"I think he forgot that his task is to guard the puppet Queen," Eliseus remarked as soon as she noticed Layland chasing after Logan. "Well, at least, he is on his way to eliminate his target."
Whoosh!
A mace swiftly came at her, but she managed to dodge it. Her movement was gracious; she didn't make any unnecessary move, showing that she was really ready to dodge it.
"It could have cost you your life, Demon. Do you think you have the leisure to think about another thing while facing me?"
"Heh... You sure view too highly of yourself."
Gazing at the burliest Dark Elf she had ever encountered in disinterest, Eliseus couldn't help scoffing in disdain. She knew who he was—Iorael's partner in crime, Elrohir, the third ruler of Lysimork.
"I am aware of my power, thus I am confident. This is not me bragging, Demon; this is me telling the truth."
"Unfortunately, for you," Eliseus disappeared into thin air, before reappearing in front of Elrohir, "your view diverges from the reality."
Clank!
Eliseus swung her sword so fast, Elrohir could barely block it. As he held her sword off with the shaft of his mace, the ground below him developed a crater due to the power Eliseus put behind her sword.
Crack!
"Keuk..." Elrohir's insides were twisting. "This power... As expected of a high ranking Demon—your Origin is really on a whole new level."
"Origin?" Eliseus quirked her eyebrow in amusement. "Boy, you won't ever see me activating my Origin before you make me sweat," she sneered.
"I WILL make you sweat! Oorah!"
"Delusional," she scoffed.
As Elrohir swung his mace powerfully to overthrow her, Eliseus immediately jumped away to make a distance. Although she didn't get overthrown, the shockwave his mace produced was enough to wind her up slightly, which was saying something.
Extending her sword to the side as she channelled her Mana into it, she formed a dense ball of Mana that looked like a mini black hole. It was the same Spell Valeria had used when she had a duel with Layland.
With a swing of her sword, she threw it towards Elrohir. Said Dark Elf knew it was a dangerous Spell the moment he saw it, so he encapsulated his mace with his Mana, and swung it powerfully at the mini black hole.
BOOM!
The ground below him immediately sank down; in fact, it kept sinking down as the mini black hole still kept its contact with his mace. This was the real power of the Spell, which Valeria obviously didn't showcase when she had a duel with Layland.
Immediately dashing at the deep crater where Elrohir was in, Eliseus abruptly stopped when she was right in front of it. She pointed her sword to the sky, gathered her Mana at the tip of it, then brought it down as soon as her Spell was ready.
Warp!
"Ah, curse that Demon!"
At the same time, Elrohir had just managed to deflect Eliseus' earlier Spell. The mini black hole devoured a huge chunk of earth in front of him, despite the fact that it was already weakened.
"Now, it was time to—oh, Mother Earth!"
As soon as Elrohir looked up, he noticed a meteor descending upon him. He knew he wouldn't be able to deflect it; panicked, he utilized one of the Elven Secret Arts he had learnt.
Gathering every root of the trees in Amizanima Forest that he could gather, he used them to encapsulate him. He couldn't tell if he could survive, but he was optimistic that the Earth Energy the roots contained could somehow negate Eliseus' Demonic Mana.
BOOM!
"What the hell is that?"
On the other side of the battlefield; Iorael, whose fight with Haletha was getting heated, couldn't help turning his head to Eliseus' direction as the meteor fell upon the gigantic crater. His eyes immediately darkened as he wondered if Elrohir could survive it.
"Give no mercy to them, who have picked the wrong side. Guardians, fret not! She is your Queen no more. She is but a traitor, who is moved by her own greed. Risk your life, and eliminate this disgrace!" Iorael shouted.
His speech worked well. The Guardians on his side were more riled up than before—their onslaught on Haletha and the Guardians on her side were getting more vicious.
Countless of Magical arrows that could turn a castle wall to dust upon contact were flying around. The Elven Secret Arts were also utilized; countless of sturdy roots emerged from the ground, lashing at the Wyverns maneuvering in the air.
"Stay focused!" Haletha shouted. "You have only two choices: fall down and die or stand and fight! Even an imbecile can easily tell the answer!"
"Hooh! Fight for the Queen!"
"For Lysimork's glory!"
Being rulers, both Iorael and Haletha have the skill to motivate their troops. The latter obviously did better, because her progenitors had all been great leaders.
"May, the victory favours the righteous, [Janua Justitia]!" Arieda shouted, baffling Iorael and Haletha.
Even before they could ask if what they had heard was what it was however, the answer was presented before their eyes.
Two wooden pillars that looked like aged, thick trunks emerged from the ground. They were 15-feet apart, but there was a layer of golden film between them, which made them look like a gate to heaven.
"This Art... How is it possible?!" Iorael was bewildered. "She should have to be, at least, a hundred years old to learn it!"
"That is the blood of the true ruler for you, Iorael—my blood!" Haletha exclaimed proudly.
Immediately, all of the arrows the Guardians on Iorael's side sent them and the product of the Elven Secret Arts were sucked into the portal. This gave the Guardians on Haletha side and the Riders the opportunity to kill a lot of their enemies.
The Riders piloted their Wyverns meticulously, cutting the Dark Elves' heads as they maneuvered in the air. The Guardians, who were sitting behind the Riders decorated every spot they saw with arrows like door gunners.
It had been difficult for them earlier, so they were really into it when there was a chance to turn the table. They were doing well; however, of course, not all of them could excel.
Boom!
"Kuhak! W-We are hit! Mr. Rider, what are we—he is already dead."
Crash!
Quite a lot of the Riders—considering their number—were shot down too, which resulting in the death of the Guardians riding with them. It pained the others to see it, but none of them had the leisure to mourn.
They added more vigour into their attacks instead as their form of avenging the dead.
"Ugh, I can't keep it any longer!" Arieda exclaimed. "I am sorry, everyone, but this is my limit."
The golden portal that Arieda made rapidly lost its luster after she said that. It stopped sucking all of the attacks aimed at them, prompting the Riders to stop focusing on offense, and focused on dodging instead.
"Should we retreat, Arieda?" Vibiane asked.
"No! I can help a little bit more," Arieda rejected vehemently.
"Alright, but we have to—"
Vibiane's eyes widened in shock as Iorael suddenly entered her vision. He was jumping onto their Wyvern with his rapier ready to puncture their skulls.
Clank! Clank!
Expecting the worst to happen, both Arieda and Vibiane were bewildered to find a figure suddenly stood on the neck of their Wyvern, deflecting Iorael's rapier swiftly with his daggers.
"Layland!" They exclaimed in unison.
Turning his head slowly at them, the figure said, "Pay more attention to your surroundings, weak-ass."
Too astonished by the majestic horns on the side of his forehead, the two didn't register the fact Layland had just mocked them.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺