Thales lay on the ground, trembling under the torment of pain. He was drenched in cold sweat.
His entire body was almost numb.
This was not the most intense pain he had ever experienced, but it was definitely one of the most unbearable, torturous, and protracted pain.
His left wrist, left calf, and right knee alternated with needles, blunt cuts, and even oppressive pain. It came in waves.
He wanted to stand up, or at least move a few steps on the ground to leave the battlefield. However, if he moved too much, the pain would spread from his wounds to his brain, and it would be magnified endlessly.
He could only shut his eyes tightly and try his best to breathe. He did not even care about the fight between the two men.
As he listened to the sounds of fighting, Thales' face contorted. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He felt as if a century had passed, and he suddenly had a great desire to 'faint'.
And reality seemed to be developing towards his desire. After the continuous pain gradually exceeded the limit of his endurance, Thales began to lose consciousness. His entire body, especially the muscles and tendons around his wounds, began to twitch uncontrollably.
He was about to faint from the pain.
But at this moment …
* Boom! *
The sound of surging tides rose in Thales' ears, temporarily drowning out the sounds of fighting.
The teenager, who was enduring the pain in his muddleheaded state, was instantly shocked, and he became slightly more clear-headed!
This feeling …
It was as if something had suddenly spread through his veins.
'It's it.'
Thales, who was suffering from his injuries, tried his best to turn his face away. His mouth and nose brushed against the ground, and he sucked in a mouthful of dusty air. He coughed laboriously, and then he understood.
That was the Sin of Hell's River.
It was the most dangerous power that Black Sword had warned him about.
It was one of the companions who had accompanied him the longest through disasters and pain. It was also one of the most unforgettable experiences in his life.
* Boom … *
At some point in time, the Sin of Hell's River, which had been passively summoned, surged uncontrollably.
It was like a fierce beast that had been released from its cage. It was extremely excited, and it let out a roar before it hunted its prey.
Its' voice 'grew louder.
Thales seemed to have an illusion. Pain, dizziness, and weakness. The Sin of Hell's River was like a fish in water in this heavily injured state. The Power of Eradication was like a river flowing over a dry and cracked riverbank, invading every cell in its master's body without restraint.
Including the brain.
At that moment, Thales took a comfortable breath. It was as if his entire body had been placed in warm water. The pain and pain turned into a gentle numbness that temporarily disappeared from his senses.
Time seemed to have stopped again.
Thales lay weakly on the ground and stared at the yellow rock wall in front of him with lifeless eyes.
It was very strange.
What flashed through his mind was the battle just now.
Nicholas' sharp blade cut through his shield, broke his longsword, and swept him to the ground.
The scene of the blade that would determine his future misfortune replayed in his mind over and over again.
He shouldn't have stopped.
Thales thought hazily as his consciousness blurred.
The Sin of Hell's River was like the flames of hell. It licked his wounds in an active manner and brought about a prickling sensation.
Yes, he shouldn't have stopped.
Thales gritted his teeth. An urge to get up and fight surged in his limbs.
When his weapon was rendered useless, he shouldn't have stopped. He could have gone against the flow and continued to let the Rising Sun Saber pierce through his shoulder.
Then, he could have pushed the broken sword in his hand forward. Nicholas' blade was unstoppable. He had placed all the momentum in his body on it. He must have been too weak to defend himself and had no time to push it towards his opponent's neck.
'I might have to pay a huge price, yes, but Nicholas will definitely suffer a huge loss.
'He will be miserable.'
Thales smiled subconsciously in his daze. He clenched his right hand subconsciously, as if the broken sword was still in his hand.
As he thought of this, the Sin of Hell's River surged cheerfully again and let out a roaring sound.
'Yes.
'I don't need to dodge. I can ignore defense and give up on retreating.
'Forward.
'Only forward.
'Towards the enemy …'
Thales trembled as his vision darkened. He coughed violently, and his mouth and nose were filled with blood.
'Blood …
He felt the feeling of his broken blade piercing through his enemy's artery, felt the heat of his enemy's blood gushing out of his neck, and felt the despair of his life gradually draining away.
He fought fiercely in blood.
'Until death.'
Thales slowly closed his eyes and grinned.
'Next time …
'If there is a next time …
'Just do it …
'Just do it …'
* Boom! *
As his last shred of consciousness disappeared, the Sin of Hell's River surged with a bang!
Not far away from Thales, Monty's expression was stiff. His entire body was tense, and he locked his arms around Nicholas' neck.
He felt the other party's struggle at the last second.
However, the Raven of Death was slightly stunned.
Nicholas, who only had a little bit of consciousness and strength left, raised the Rising Sun Saber with his trembling left hand. The hilt swayed in his hand.
In the next second, Monty suddenly saw a flash before his eyes.
A strong golden-red light that was as bright as the sun shone from the golden blade!
It was so piercing that Monty's vision instantly darkened!
"Ah …"
The Raven of Death shut his eyes tightly and could not help but let out a grunt.
But he, who had already become an instinct to kill, did not waver in the slightest. Instead, he arched his back and leaned forward again, increasing the strength in his hands!
He locked down the Star Killer's neck.
'Just a little more, just a little more …
'That's enough.'
Monty's face flushed red as he thought in pain with his eyes tightly shut.
But he soon realized that the Rising Sun Saber did not just bring a strong light.
Monty's arms trembled violently. His skin, which was pressed against Nicholas' skin, suddenly became extremely hot!
It was not scalding, nor was it burning.
It was a burning pain that went deep into his bones!
"AHHHHHH …"
Monty could not help but scream in pain. He could no longer keep his arms in their original position, and as if he had lost all feeling, he let go of Nicholas in an instant. He staggered backwards!
* Bang! *
The Raven of Death fell on the ground in pain, but he could no longer care about anything else. He could only desperately slap his hands and the flames that had ignited for no reason on his chest.
'No.
'No!'
Monty stared in disbelief at the unconscious Star Killer, who was kneeling on the ground. The latter's skin seemed to be enveloped in a layer of golden-red light, and waves of heat came from him.
'This is …'
Before the terrified Monty could understand what was going on, the burning sensation on his body increased in size.
Suddenly, many parts of the Raven of Death's body caught on fire!
It was as if an invisible, blazing flame had instantly enveloped Monty.
"F * ck you …" Monty roared in pain. His body, which had just gotten up halfway, fell backwards again.
Not only these parts, but also his head, shoulders, legs, waist, chest …
"Damn it, Spiky!"
The Raven of Death fell on the ground. His expression was one of pain, and he rolled around madly without stopping!
He tried to extinguish the flames that had ignited in a strange manner.
In front of him, Nicholas, who had been freed from his restraints, knelt on the ground weakly. He pressed his palm against the bright red Rising Sun Saber.
The red light around Nicholas' body gradually dissipated.
The Star Killer lay on all fours on the ground. His body trembled, as if he had not breathed air for a few lifetimes. He breathed in big mouthfuls of air, feeling the energy that he had been lacking in surge into his brain again. Even his fingers were trembling.
Nicholas' face had never been so red above his neck. It was as red as blood.
For a time, only the Raven of Death's pained cries and his rolling on the ground, as well as the Star Killer's panting without caring about the price he had to pay, could be heard in the field.
A minute passed. Monty finally extinguished the last bit of the flames on his body, but he looked incredibly wretched. White smoke rose from all over his body, and his clothes were covered in burn marks, especially on his arms.
The Raven of Death moaned in pain, and an unpleasant burnt smell spread into the air.
Nicholas was still lying weakly on the ground. The barren land around him had long since been charred black, and a small amount of light smoke rose from the man's body.
Both men fell to the ground. One was weak and could not get up, and the other was badly burned.
"What was that?"
Monty lay on his back on the ground, exhausted. His entire body trembled, and he spoke with his last breath, "I've never heard … that the Rising Sun Saber can be used like this."
Nicholas raised his head in Monty's direction with great difficulty and shook his head vigorously. His gaze was unfocused, as if he had just recovered from the nightmare of his neck being locked.
He panted laboriously and used the last bit of his strength to lie down on his side.
"The legendary anti-mystic equipment … will be affected by the user. In different people's hands, it will more or less adapt and change, just like the Power of Eradication."
Nicholas' expression was unfocused, as if he had just been tortured. He squeezed the Rising Sun Saber, which no longer shone, with all his might. He spoke weakly and intermittently, "I've seen … Tolja use the Rising Sun Saber as a Mystic Gun, and in a narrow tunnel … create terrifying flames and explosions."
Monty grunted hoarsely. He struggled to get up.
"Don't move, Monty." The Star Killer lowered his head. His voice traveled into Monty's ears faintly, and his words were filled with fatigue. "If you don't want to be burned to ashes.
"I can't … control it well … it …"
Hearing this, Monty froze a little.
He sighed softly and lay down again.
When he saw his enemy lying down, Nicholas, who had used up a lot of energy, heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the Rising Sun Saber in his hand with a dispirited expression. "As you can see, I, I … I really can't get along with this broken saber. It's been six years, and I can only … do this much."
There was a moment of silence between the two.
"'Can only'?"
Monty laughed wanly. Trembling, he stretched out his arms. His armor had been burned, and his skin was charred black. He felt the last bit of his strength disappear along with the burn. "You just used the Rising Sun Saber to make an armor of flames for yourself and roasted me until I was half-cooked, and you call this' can't get along '?"
Nicholas laughed. His gaze when he looked at Monty was especially complicated.
"No, you haven't been a captain before. You haven't read the records in the 'Legend of the White Blade Guards'. The Severing Souls Blade once fought against the Night Wing King's tens of thousands of Eastern Peninsula's army on its own. But when I held it, I could only seal and isolate around a hundred people at most."
The Star Killer seemed to have rested well. His speech became fluent, and he said dejectedly, "The Rising Sun Saber, which is said to be able to burn everything, has become an armor that uses flames to protect and defend itself in my hands.
"I'm guessing that even the Soul Slayer Pike, which once created a no-man's land that spanned hundreds of miles, in my hands, can only become the tip of the pike, which can 'keep the living away from it, and those who get close to it will die'."
Nicholas raised his head and flashed a bitter smile. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to fight in such an ugly manner."
Panting in pain, Monty's gaze froze.
"What?"
The Raven of Death stared at his opponent in disbelief. "Are you saying that the current situation was something you planned from the very beginning?
"You lured me to show up and used the Rising Sun Saber to end the battle?"
'Impossible.' Monty stared at his old comrade, his old superior, and his old captain in a daze. For a moment, he felt as if he no longer knew him.
Nicholas lowered his gaze and pursed his lips.
"From the start of the battle, I was at my greatest disadvantage.
"You gained the upper hand and hid in the dark, while I was badly injured, and my combat abilities declined. Plus, this terrain …" When the Star Killer said this, he looked at the seemingly unconscious Thales in the distance and pursed his lips.
"This is the battle you're best at, and the most advantageous battlefield. Even if I searched for another twenty years, I wouldn't be able to find you. I wouldn't be able to counterattack, and I could only suffer in vain.
"And with that brat's interference, I wasn't confident that I could survive until you ran out of arrows."
Monty's entire body stiffened.
"I could only grab that brat, pretend to have lost my mind, and risk taking two of your arrows. For this, I even sacrificed my leg." Nicholas seemed to have finally gotten rid of the aftereffects of having his neck locked. He slowly sat up and extended his hand to treat the injury on his calf. "I tried to lure you out and kill me in close combat."
Monty gritted his teeth lightly.
The Star Killer stared at the miserable Monty with a burning gaze. "Of course, it was still very risky. The timing of your appearance was too cunning, and the lock formed too quickly. I didn't even have the chance to counterattack, and I almost fainted."
Monty sucked in a deep breath. Fatigue appeared in his eyes.
"Son of a b * tch," the Raven of Death said dejectedly as he lay on the ground. "If I wasn't in such a hurry, I would have made a few poisonous arrowheads a few days earlier."
"Hmph." Nicholas curled up the corners of his lips and began to silently bandage his wounds. "Do you know why you lost?"
Monty did not speak. He clenched his burned fists slightly.
"You've been a scout for too long, and you're used to maintaining an absolutely safe distance."
Nicholas seemed a little sentimental. His hands paused for a moment. "You're used to attacking from behind and killing with one strike.
"I guess you've almost forgotten what it feels like to fight and bleed while you're face-to-face."
"Is that so?"
The Raven of Death frowned a little, then said in puzzlement, "But you, Spiky, you …
"Since when did you start thinking so much when you're fighting?"
Nicholas shook his head. The emotions in his eyes were complicated. "A commander always has to think one step ahead of others.
"You're different." Monty tried his best to sit up. Enduring the pain, he exhaled and said indignantly, "You're like Kaslan, a person who fights with his brain … Are you still the annoying, hateful, and bloodthirsty Spiky I know?"
Nicholas forced himself to smile. Enduring the pain, he pulled out the arrow from his calf.
"Can you tell me now?"
The Star Killer tore open his clothes and bound the wound on his calf tightly. The Rising Sun Saber was within his reach. "Why?
Why did you betray us? "
Monty closed his eyes in despair and placed the back of his head on the ground.
"Is it still important?"
"We're already like this." The Raven of Death's voice was unusually tired. "Hurry up and do it.
End it. "
Nicholas was silent for a while.
He turned his head. Thales was unconscious on the ground, motionless.
In the next second, the Star Killer exerted force on his hands, which were wrapped around his wound, and bound his calf tightly. "This is very important."
"Because I'm your captain." The Star Killer's gaze was as sharp as a knife. He slowly shifted his gaze from the wound to Monty, as if his gaze had a physical form. "I'm your leader."
Monty roared with laughter and shook his head slowly on the ground. "Ridiculous, you sure like to reminisce about the past —"
Nicholas suddenly raised his voice and interrupted him. "Because I'm the commander of the White Blade Guards!
"The leader of the White Blade Guards!"
His expression was contorted, and he gritted his teeth. "I should be the one who leads, protects, and urges you.
"Ned, damn you, Monty!"
Nicholas punched the ground beside him, which had been burnt beyond recognition.
He loosened his teeth and panted softly.
The man's pale face darkened. "And if … if anything happens to any of you, it's my responsibility.
I failed. "
The Raven of Death shuddered slightly.
Nicholas put his hand into his breastplate and squeezed a small stone tightly.
He tried his best to keep his expression unchanged. His voice was slightly choked. "And I … I need to know why."
"I need to know, I need to know." Nicholas paused for a while before he spoke dejectedly.
"Why."
The land returned to silence. Only the sorrowful whimpers of the breeze blowing through the cracks in the rocks could be heard.
"Hahahahaha." Monty opened his eyes again and stared at the clear blue sky. His laughter was a little bitter. "Spiky, you've really changed.
"I finally know why you could kill Kaslan, even when he was old."
Nicholas did not answer. He just tightened his grip on the stone.
"I can tell that you've … surpassed Kaslan in all aspects, be it in terms of fighting or fighting."
The Raven of Death's gaze was unfocused. "Even when the Ground-Shaker was at his peak, he was just like you now. You don't stand out in any way, you're usually inconspicuous, and you look normal, but when it comes to actual combat, no matter if it's good or dangerous, whether you attack first or later, no matter what kind of enemy you face, as long as they stand on the ground, they can't win against you."
Monty laughed in spite of himself. "It's worse, but it's also better."
Nicholas punched the ground again. There was slight anger in his voice. "Don't mention him anymore.
"After today, you'll have plenty of time to repent in front of him."
What answered him was Monty's forlorn laughter. "Hahahaha … Here comes the problem, Spiky …
"Do you worship him and the 'Iceberg' that much?"
The Raven of Death laughed so hard that he could not catch his breath. "But have you ever truly understood him?"
Nicholas frowned a little.
Monty tried his best to lift his upper body. He shifted his weight and leaned against a low rock. His chin was burned, which made his smile look even more ominous. "Do you know what kind of existence Kaslan Lampard really is?"
Nicholas' heart sank.
He remembered the day six years ago when Kaslan stopped breathing forever in Heroic Spirit Palace.
Monty sighed softly. His eyes were filled with endless sorrow and sentimentality. "I really miss that day …"
"Spiky, the day we officially swore the Oath of Blades and officially became new guards from the Royal Guards."
Nicholas seemed to have understood something. He raised his head as if he was deep in thought.
Monty said airily, "At least, we still had a choice that day.
"And after that day, my future and my life no longer had light." He was lost in thought.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
