A shocked hush came over the battlefield.
It wasn't that it was truly quiet. The clash of weapons, the cry of men, the stomping of hooves — they were all still there. However, there was a hard to describe stillness to the atmosphere.
Leonel was deep within enemy territory, standing all alone. It should have been a dangerous situation. He should have been scratching and clawing just to keep his own life. Yet, the truth was that he stood all alone, the surrounding space around him littered with corpses.
A deep breath sunk into Leonel's lungs. He felt his Force Nodes throbbing, recovering his stamina at unimaginable speeds. His stamina was already frightening after activating his Nodes, he could only imagine what level it would reach once he formed his ninth and tenth.
BANG!
The ground Leonel stood on heavily shook. He looked up calmly from his thoughts to find the massive Minotaur Demon Lord standing before him, his bloodied ax leaving a massive fissure in the ground.
In the distance, Lancelot frowned. He was still a distance from Leonel, there was nothing he could do about this.
For one, Leonel had rushed forward first. Secondly, Lancelot couldn't be as free spirited as Leonel, he had an army to lead. If he broke free and charged forward alone, it wouldn't have been impossible to already catch up with Leonel. However, as things stood now, it was impossible for him to abandon his men for one Leonel.
At the same time, he was still greatly worried. Leonel was a great talent, it would be a massive blow to Camelot if he were to fall here.
Though Leonel had been chopping down Demon Generals like weeds, it had to be said that Demon Lords had an average strength just marginally below that of the Knights of the Round table and the Magi of Camelot.
This was just their average strength. The top echelon of them didn't lose out to the best Camelot had to offer by much at all. In fact, aside from King Arthur, the top three Knights of the Round Table and Pope Margrave, they were stronger than anything Camelot had to offer.
Lancelot knew the three Demon Lords that had come this time. Though their abilities weren't so exaggerated, they weren't the worst of the Demon Lords either. They could be ranked within the middle echelons of the Demon Army. That was enough to be as strong as some of the weaker Magi and Knights of the Round Table.
The minotaur that just landed before Leonel was Demon Lord Gorgo. He was ranked 26th amongst the Demon Lords and had astounding power. How could Lancelot not be worried.
"Little baby boy, I've never met someone as eager to die as you."
Leonel didn't respond. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that he couldn't hear Gorgo's words at all.
The beating of his heart was growing wilder. His blood rushed through his veins like rushing tides. He felt as though a waterfall was crashing through his body, one capable of shattering rocks and drowning whales. It was to the point that even the Demon Lord before him could faintly hear it.
Leonel brandished his spear. As though he didn't know fear, he looked up at the minotaur that stood almost a full meter taller than him, his piercing violet-red eyes tearing through his veil of superiority with indifference.
"Hehe…" Gorgo laughed, his mouth spreading open to reveal two neat rows of pearly white teeth. They were so clear that Leonel could have even seen his own reflection should he have wanted to. However, this laughter wasn't jovial in the slightest.
"… I don't like that look in your eyes, little baby boy. Why don't I gouge them out for you?"
Gorgo slowly raised his ax, his aura imposing and looming. Even compared to Leonel's own, it didn't seem to lose out in the slightest. But, after a moment, it became clear why.
Gorgo's aura was an aggregation of killing intent. Leonel's own was nothing but an intense will toward competition. While it seemed Gorgo's matched Leonel's, this was only because of its sinister attribute. It made it more memorable. This was compared to Leonel's which was a rich, steady stream.
It was like comparing two dishes. One might have a potent smell to it, but it wouldn't necessarily taste better…
However, the minotaur didn't seem to realize any of this. In his mind, this was only right. How could his own aura lose out to this baby boy? He was a mighty Demon Lord. Ants like Leonel were destined to fall beneath his blade,
At that moment, the battle ax reached its apex.
Leonel's eyes narrowed, sweeping one of his feet backward to sink into a steady stance.
SHUU!
The bloodied ax descended. It tore about the wind and left a whistling streak of air in its wake, seeking to tear Leonel in half.
Leonel felt his heart thump. Countless calculations streamed through his mind. In the end, he found that dodging this strike was actually impossible.
The strike seemed simple, but it actually cut off all paths of retreat. It felt like the blade was a void, sucking everything toward it without regard. It took Leonel only a moment to realize that this must be a special ability of the minotaur.
There shouldn't be abilities in this world, but that didn't mean that there weren't creatures born with special characteristics. Or, in this case… Demon Lords who practiced special Force techniques.
Without a choice, Leonel poured everything he had into his spear.
"[Reinforce]. [Harden]. [Earthen Armor]."
A violent wind surged around Leonel, quickly coalescing into scales of earth that formed a metallic sheen of armor around his arm and spear.
Leonel's back and arm flexed, his bronze Runes pulsing with life.
He stabbed upward, meeting the descending ax without the slightest hint of fear.
Lancelot's eyes widened. He had actually feared that Leonel wouldn't retreat. That would fall right into Gorgo's hands. But, meeting him head on was also not the greatest option either. Gorgo was simply too strong.
BANG!
Leonel's spear bent like a bow, his knees bending under the strain of the strike.
BANG!
The battle ax continued, but Leonel had taken advantage of the small delay to step outside its range, barely dodging the blade.
SNAP!
Leonel's spear couldn't withstand the strain. Even after being protected by Leonel's magic, it snapped in two, one of its halves rebounding into the air and spinning wildly.
Gorgo took several steps back. It might very well have been more had his ax not sliced against the ground, slowing his momentum.
As though in shock, Gorgo looked toward his ax then back toward Leonel, his gaze growing serious.
The second half of Leonel's spear fell to the ground, not even having enough strength to pierce the earth.
Leonel could only sigh. This spear was truly too weak. And, he hadn't quite learned how to integrate his Metal Synergy with his Spear Force just yet…
"Little baby boy… It seems you have some skill. But… What are you going to do without your weapon?"
Gorgo's sneer deepened as he slowly walked forward, regaining his calm.
Leonel remained calm. It was as though he hadn't heard Gorgo's words at all. The rushing of his blood was only growing. That single strike… It wasn't enough…
Leonel put the half that remained of his spear away, calmly tracing the band of his spatial bracelet in a somewhat absentminded manner.
Then, as though a magician, he pinched with two fingers, slowly pulling as a new spear manifested itself.
The clang of rattling chains grated against the ear as a long, black polearm was pulled from Leonel's spatial bracelet. Though it was just an illusion of the mind, it felt as though it was endlessly long, as though there would never come a point where its pole stopped.
However, soon, Leonel had pulled it out completely.
The chains around its black body continued to rattle. Even with its butt remaining planted on the ground, it stood more than a head taller than Leonel, its flat, shimmering blade being almost two feet long alone.
Leonel swept the spear forward, causing the banging of the chains to become even more grating. Even without touching the ground, its sharpness left an arc on the cracked land before Leonel as though marking his territory.
He looked up and met Gorgo's eyes. His gaze seemed to say all that needed to be said.
Come!