Chapter 94: Strength vs Speed

Strax completely disarmed Darius.

The Black Iron Sword flew far away, spinning through the air before embedding itself into the ground, out of Darius's reach.

Darius fell to his knees, disarmed and hopeless. The frenzy of energy around him dissipated, leaving only a broken and defeated man. He looked at Strax, his expression a mix of hatred and despair. "This can't be... I'm stronger than you! Always have been!"

Strax didn't respond immediately. He looked at Darius with a cutting coldness, his Claymore still in an attacking stance, ready to deliver the final blow if necessary. "Having power means nothing if you don't know how to use it. This is just the result of my effort. Unlike the coward who kidnapped my wife."

Darius trembled, his body exhausted, his mind struggling to process the defeat. He tried to rise, but his legs gave way, leaving him powerless on the ground. "You... can't... defeat me... like this..."

"I already have," Strax said, his voice a deadly whisper. "And now, it's time to end this."

"Strax, is this really what you want to do?" came Diana's voice from behind. Strax didn't turn his back; it would be foolish to give the enemy such an opportunity. "He's going to be used as an example," his cold voice sounded. "I endured your treatment for many years this way, now there are no more excuses to be given.

If it was just me I would let it go, as I always did, until because nowadays, you are all the cockroaches to be stepped on, the only opinion that matters is of my wives." He said, the cold gaze remained.

"I see, so that's how it is." Albert said, something that caught Strax's attention and he unconsciously turned around. "Do as you wish." Albert said.

Turning, he saw Darius, still kneeling, with a look of frantic despair in his eyes. "How pathetic," Strax commented, but suddenly from his tattered clothing, Darius took out a small glass flask containing a bright liquid and swallowed it in a single gulp, at an absurd speed.

"No... it can't end like this," Darius muttered through clenched teeth, the vein in his neck pulsing violently.

The effect was almost instantaneous. A sinister aura enveloped Darius, causing everyone to quickly move away, including Strax, who took a big step back feeling danger. Darius continued with his body trembling as his skin turned a reddish hue. His muscles grotesquely swelled, stretching the already tattered clothes.

He grew, surpassing two meters in height, his eyes now glowing with a supernatural fury. The dark energy around him intensified, forming chaotic whirlwinds of power.

"This won't end here, Strax!" Darius roared, his voice echoing through the room like thunder.

Before Strax could react, Darius lunged forward with overwhelming speed. His fist, now colossal, cut through the air towards Strax with the force of a catapult. Strax barely had time to raise his Claymore in defense. The impact was explosive, pushing Strax backward with such force that he was thrown against one of the room's columns, cracking the stone upon impact.

Strax felt the weight of his decision as he prepared his strategy. The Claymore in his hand glowed with intense flames, while his left hand, enveloped in icy energy, began to release a cold mist. He had tried to defeat Darius with sword skills alone, but now the situation demanded that he use all his resources.

"You asked for this," Strax murmured, his eyes fixed on Darius.

With a fluid motion, he hurled the Claymore towards Darius. The hot blade cut through the air like a comet of flames aimed at its target. Simultaneously, Strax unleashed a blast of ice from his left hand, creating a frozen surface on the ground in front of Darius. He knew Darius's balance, now overloaded by monstrous power, was completely precarious; the bigger the target, the harder the fall.

Darius, with his brutal strength and uncontrollable rage, attempted to dodge the fiery blow. But Strax's tactic worked perfectly. In trying to move, Darius's foot slipped on the icy surface, causing him to stumble and momentarily lose balance. The Claymore, now a living flame, narrowly missed Darius, its fiery energy scorching the air around him.

Though it didn't hit directly, the intense heat affected Darius, forcing him to instinctively retreat to avoid the flames.

"Damn!" Darius roared, his voice reverberating with a monstrous tone. The frustration and hatred in his eyes were palpable.

Strax seized the distraction to advance. He felt mana flowing through him, albeit in a limited capacity. His reserves were low, but he needed to use them wisely. While Darius struggled to regain his balance, Strax moved swiftly, gliding on the frozen surface with an agility that Darius, in his overloaded form, couldn't match.

"I need to improve my stats after this," Strax thought, feeling the urgency of the situation. "I can't keep fighting like this, with little knowledge of cultivation and mana."

He knew his understanding of this world was still superficial. He hadn't yet met people who cultivated mana, at least to the power that could be taught to him. It was a problem he had created himself, and he was well aware of that, but this could be arranged later. He focused on Darius, now struggling to stand, glaring furiously at Strax. "Do you think this will be enough?

I'm invincible!" He shouted, his voice reverberating with supernatural strength. The black energy around his body pulsed, and he launched himself at Strax again, his sword cutting through the air with devastating force.

Strax dodged, spinning in a fluid motion, his left hand still releasing ice. He reached out to retrieve the Claymore he had thrown, now embedded in the ground, flames still dancing around the blade. With a quick movement, he pulled it back, feeling elemental energy pulsing through it.

"Invincible is just a word!" Strax shouted, raising the Claymore in a wide arc, fire intertwining along the blade.

Darius roared again, but this time, his charge was less precise. The frozen surface hindered his movements, and Strax's Claymore, now a weapon of fire, found its mark.

He struck with precision, aiming for Darius's joint. The incandescent blade cut deeply, the heat fusing to create a devastating impact. Although Darius's hardened skin was difficult to penetrate, the combination of iron and fire created a crack in the protective armor, forcing Darius to recoil with a cry of pain.

"Ah!" He roared, feeling the burn in his arm. Darius, panting and enraged, tried to compose himself, but it was clear that the combination of fire and ice had shaken his confidence. He glared at Strax with hatred, his eyes burning with uncontrollable anger.