Chapter 57: The Roar of Fury

Lucy ripped through the corpse puppets with increasing ferocity, each of her strikes more devastating than the last. Her every movement was filled with a ruthless determination, and her strength seemed to grow with every puppet she obliterated.

As she advanced, her eyes locked onto Bork, blazing with an anger that burned hotter than the volcanic air. Each step she took brought her closer to the man responsible for the carnage around them, and her expression hardened with every inch.

"I will make you pay for what you did," Lucy growled, her voice dripping with fury. There was no mercy in her tone, only the promise of retribution as she closed in on the now trembling Bork.

Bork's bravado shattered in an instant. The closer Lucy got, the more terrified he became, realizing with dawning horror that he was facing a force far beyond what he had anticipated. His initial confidence had evaporated, replaced by a rising dread that made his heart pound in his chest. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"What... what are you?" Bork stammered, his voice cracking as he backed away, his eyes wide with fear. He had seen many things in his life, but the sight of this woman, fueled by such raw rage, was something he had never expected.

Lucy didn't answer, her silence more intimidating than any words could be. Her expression alone conveyed everything she intended—his end was near, and there would be no escape.

Desperate, Bork's mind raced for a solution. He knew he couldn't face her strength head-on, not like this. Summoning every ounce of his remaining courage, he decided to play his final card. "You think you can stop me?" Bork spat, though his voice betrayed his fear. "I'll show you what true power is!"

With a panicked shout, Bork commanded the remaining corpse puppets to swarm Lucy. "Get her! Jump onto her!" he yelled, his voice tinged with desperation as the puppets obeyed instantly, leaping at Lucy in a grotesque wave.

Bork's lips twisted into a wicked grin as he prepared his trump spell, his hands shaking slightly as he weaved the dark magic. "Now take this—Corpse Explosion!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the volcanic cave.

In an instant, the corpse puppets detonated violently, a series of deafening blasts that filled the air with smoke and debris. The ground shook with the force of the explosions, and for a moment, everything was obscured by the thick cloud of dust that rose from the site of the blast.

Bork's grin widened, his fear momentarily forgotten as he laughed maniacally, convinced that his plan had worked.

"Hah! Stupid woman! Did you really think you could stand against me?" he mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance as he reveled in what he believed was Lucy's demise. "I'll turn you into another puppet, just like the rest of them!"

Bork's laughter grew louder, the sound echoing through the cavern as the dust began to settle. His eyes sparkled with cruel satisfaction, relishing the destruction he believed he had wrought. In his mind, the battle was already won.

Turning his gaze toward Zeus, Bork sneered with contempt. "To think you didn't lift a finger to help your partner," he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "You must have been terrified of those corpse puppets. And now, you're all alone. You'll have to face me without her."

Bork's twisted smile widened, his confidence bolstered by the thought that he had instilled fear in the man before him. His malicious glee was evident in every word, relishing the idea of having Zeus at his mercy.

But as Bork's mocking laughter echoed in the air, Zeus merely smirked in response. It was a cold, calculated expression, one that sent an involuntary shiver down Bork's spine. The mage's bravado wavered, and for the first time, he felt a prickling unease.

Zeus spoke with a calm, almost casual tone that belied the gravity of the situation. "I think you've got it wrong," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You think I didn't help her because I was afraid of you? No," he continued, his smirk deepening, "it's because I didn't need to do anything."

Bork's confidence faltered, his grip tightening around his staff as doubt crept into his mind. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. "What... what do you mean?" Bork demanded, his voice trembling slightly as the first traces of fear began to take hold.

Zeus's smirk didn't waver. If anything, it became more pronounced, almost as if he was savoring the moment. "Let me enlighten you," Zeus said, his voice smooth and confident. "There's no need for you to face me... because you haven't finished facing her."

Before Bork could process the implications of Zeus's words, a thunderous roar erupted from the direction of the explosion. The sound reverberated through the cavern, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Bork's eyes snapped back to the site of the blast, his heart racing as the smoke began to clear.

What Bork saw drained every ounce of color from his face. There, emerging from the smoke and debris, stood Lucy, tall and unscathed. Her skin bore not a single scratch, and her eyes blazed with an intensity that seemed to scorch the very air around her. She wasn't just angry—she was the embodiment of wrath, her rage so tangible it felt like a storm gathering power.

Lucy's gaze locked onto Bork, and in that moment, she was nothing short of terrifying. "What do you think you're doing to me?" she snarled, her voice low, each word dripping with a fury that was barely restrained. Her fists were clenched at her sides, trembling from the sheer force of her anger.

Bork's bravado shattered like glass. His eyes widened in sheer terror, his breath catching in his throat as he took a stumbling step backward. He couldn't process what he was seeing, couldn't fathom how this woman—this force of nature—stood before him, untouched by his most powerful attack.

"How... how can you still be alive?" Bork stammered, his voice rising in pitch, each word tinged with desperation and disbelief. "It's impossible!" He shook his head, as if trying to will the impossible into being true, but the sight of Lucy, unyielding and unrelenting, made it clear that reality was far more terrifying.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, her fury sharpening to a deadly point. "Impossible? You think your pathetic tricks can stop me?" Her voice was a deadly whisper, filled with contempt. "You think you can walk into a village, slaughter innocents, and not face the consequences?"

Bork's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He was paralyzed by fear, his earlier confidence crumbling into dust. He had thought himself powerful, invincible even, but now, faced with the living embodiment of vengeance, he realized just how powerless he truly was.