Crackle!
Asher turned. His eyes widened as he saw lightning being shot out of Slade’s eyes. The corners of his eyes had turned red with visible veins underneath his skin.
His men being slaughtered by the lightning reflected in Asher’s golden eyes. Right there, a hundred men fell!
“General Slade!”
Tigris soldiers roared, swinging their weapons with vigor and aggressiveness as they pushed against the Desolate Wolves.
Slade, still on the back of his horse, directed his lightning towards the distance, destroying four trebuchets and killing about 50 trebuchet soldiers.
Others fled.
Seeing how the Desolate Wolves put themselves before the dreadful lightning, losing their lives in droves, Asher looked beyond and saw that they were trying to protect the Goshen Longbow Archers and mages.
Sapphira, who was busy blocking the flaming boulders launched by the Tigris trebuchets, couldn’t handle it anymore and flew toward Slade.
“Sapphira… No!”
Bezerk burst forward, outrunning Alex and Nero. Its eyes were fixed on Slade raining destruction and death amongst the ranks of Asher’s men.
Yet unlike the Tigris soldiers who fled before a strong foe, Ashbourne soldiers ran into the jaws of death, slamming their tower shields into the ground.
One by one, damaged shields fell to the ground, charred, and some had large holes!
While Asher charged toward Slade but was still far away, Slade pierced his lance through a soldier and lifted him high.
“Armor doesn’t make an untrained dog any different—!”
Suddenly, he looked up. Sapphira had already arrived. She swung her sword downward, but Slade deflected the strike only to discover Sapphira was behind him.
A battle skill!
His eyes narrowed. Without delay, he jumped off his horse, but Sapphira’s strike still cut a small part of his thigh, causing him to grunt.
After rolling, he got to his feet and saw the priestess clad in a silver breastplate above her white garment, walking toward him. Her bare feet sank into the soil.
It was a taint to her figure, which should be untouched, but she didn’t care. Her eyes were focused on Slade.
She could see it.
The desire to possess her was in Slade’s eyes, but his will was strong enough to stop the desire from manipulating his actions.
“Stay your hand or else.”
Slade clenched his teeth. Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears. In the next moment she was before him, causing him to slash his sword downward, only for her to appear at his right side.
‘She’s fast!’
Slade allowed her sword to come. When it was before his chest, he shot forward. Sapphira was stunned to see the blade of her sword break upon contact!
Bam!
Slade slammed his elbow against her chin, lifting her feet off the ground.
He was so fast that his fingers wrapped around her neck, slamming her into the ground so fast that it all happened in a split second.
Boom!
The earth imploded.
When the dust cleared, Slade looked down at the bleeding woman. Seeing the beauty looking so powerless made him squint.
“You—!”
He caught a lightning arrow and turned to see Eritrea galloping toward him.
With a smirk, he began to walk toward her, only for Sapphira to hold his cloak. Slade turned.
His eyes met her violet ones.
“You’ll die.”
A golden eagle materialized almost instantly. It was too close and too fast for Slade to react as it sank its talons into his helmet, tearing a hole through it!
Slade was fast enough to slap it away, but three deep wounds were now on his face!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Eritrea continued to shoot arrows, forcing him to avert his attention from Sapphira.
“Heed my call!”
Slade roared, causing beams of lightning to fall from the sky. It fell in a straight line, causing Eritrea to move off its path.
In that moment, she saw Slade before her, his sword gleaming dangerously.
That split second was enough for her to nock an arrow and release it. The collision caused an eruption that blew her off her mount!
Tapk! Tapk!
Slade walked out of the dust, heading toward her with firm steps.
‘What?!’
Eritrea’s eyes widened. It was as if she was looking at Asher, just not a friendly one. Only Exodus, the conqueror, could withstand her arrows up close and not even have a scratch!
As Eritrea got to her feet, Slade brandished his sword.
“Die!”
He swooshed past her, leaving a clean sword arc.
Eritrea looked at her abdomen but saw no cut. Right before her stood a young man in golden armor.
He fell on one knee, supporting himself with his sword.
It was Nero.
Having strained himself by teleporting several hundred yards just to save Eritrea, he happened to appear in the wrong spot.
At least…. Eritrea, a woman he considered his aunt, was still alive.
“Your father chose the right partner for you. He alone has subdued this battlefield with his excellence. Truly, the sun cannot be competing with other stars at night. Its brightness is so blinding that others would never be seen.”
Sofia said softly.
Liya chuckled. She felt exceptionally pleased when she saw what Slade did to Sapphira.
They watched Slade walk toward Nero. The kid clutched his abdomen. He was shocked that Slade’s sword was able to cut through his armor.
“Slade!”
A roar tore through the battlefield, causing Slade to turn his head. He saw a man atop a magnificent horse galloping toward him.
No doubt this was Asher!
For some reason, his golden eyes seemed to glow, piercing through the darkness of his visor. Just looking into those eyes, Slade got the feeling he stared right into the eyes of a giant white wolf.
A ravenous beast.
He couldn’t see Asher anymore but a giant. A giant wolf with golden eyes walking toward him with soft yet deep growls.
“That boy…. Isn’t a boy anymore. He’s a beast.” Sofia’s voice trembled as she watched Asher leap into the air, the Euodias raised above his head.
Finally, what Liya unknowingly started had happened. A clash between two bright talents, between two suns.
Unfortunately, Boundless could only accept one!
Clang!
Swords collided.