Chapter 187 Royal Spirit

Borris's gazed at his hands as they trembled with such ferocity that it seemed as if they were dancing to the rhythm of an unseen force.

Truly, they were shaking!

The needles that punctured his skull felt like fiery stakes, and as time ticked by, the weight of his sword grew heavier, bearing down on him with each passing moment.

Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, realization dawned on him with the snap of a finger. Knight Boris, the last ascendant of the Eser Kingdom, had lost faith not only in himself but in his entire kingdom.

The Grand Duke's head nodded with an air of understanding. "Ah, I see," He murmured. "Very well, if the favoured knight of King Kanit has chosen to take such a miserable path, I shall do my utmost to fulfil the promise I made to my junior brother and fallen King Kanit himself. I will do my best to guide you back onto the proper path".

With a sudden burst of energy, Knight Borris erupted into a brilliant crimson blaze, the fiery aura enveloping his entire being and reaching several meters above his head. The intense heat generated an invisible wind that blasted away anything and anyone in his path, daring them to come any closer.

"It would be wise for you to go back from where you came and allow me to carry out my business in peace" He growled, his voice carrying a weight of authority that brooked no argument.

Adorned in his shimmering black armour, it was impossible to tell when his face was contorted in a twisted expression of rage and fury.

Once more, the Grand Duke shook his head, his eyes filled with sadness. "If only you could see yourself now, you would understand how deeply you have lost yourself" He lamented with a heavy sigh. "As the leader of the fallen Houya Kingdom, I will allow you to use me as a medium to release your rage and sadness".

Boris craned his neck, his eyes blazing with anger. "Do you truly believe that you alone are capable of quenching my vengeance?" He demanded, his words punctuated by the sickening pops of cracking bones echoing around them.

The Grand Duke smiled enigmatically, refusing to be intimidated. Instead, he closed his eyes and spoke with a voice that carried an aura of unbelievable authority. "I am the Grand Duke of the Azulioth Kingdom" He declared, his words cutting through the violent storms of magical energy that surrounded Boris. "I consider myself capable of quenching whatever anger or vengeance, be it mortal or ascendant".

Undeterred, Boris strode forward, his body still set ablaze with a violent immense aura as the invisible air around him churned and overturned everything in its path. He stopped in front of the undaunted Grand Duke Liam, his eyes flashing with defiance as he spoke.

"Words alone cannot stop me…"

The grand duke merely smiled, radiating a quiet confidence. "I am not just a man of words".

"BOOOM!!!"

Suddenly, a bright blue hue enveloped the Grand Duke, covering him from head to toe as his magical energy erupted with the full force of a raging river. The energy clashed against Boris's immense aura, creating several bursts of shockwaves that tore through the air, each vying for dominance.

But neither force could overcome the other, and their magical energy suddenly came to a standstill and intertwined with each other, before pushing several hundred feet into the air, illuminating the sky above.

The repulsion around them grew stronger by the second, isolating them from their surroundings as the invisible winds evolved into a miniature hurricane, with both men standing in the eye of the storm.

The Grand Duke continued to speak, his voice ringing out clearly despite the howling winds. "I am also a man of strength!" His voice rang within the eyes of the storm.

With a flick of his wrist, Boris' aura emerged like a serpentine tendril, wrapping around his sword. Although Boris respected the grand duke, he knew that actions spoke louder than words. As ascendants, what use was it to spend their lives searching for power, only to resort to words when it was time to seize what their hearts desired?

"This would be a disadvantage for you if we were to start right away" Knight Boris added. "Why don't you call upon your spirits to help you? It would be only fair".

The Grand Duke's expression deepened into a frown. "Do not underestimate me. Do you think that I have grown weak over the years?" He asked, his voice laced with a quiet intensity.

He waited for an answer. But the fallen knight merely gazed at him with a fierce stare, refusing to speak.

"Very well, do not say that you were not forewarned" The Grand Duke replied, his tone resolute.

Without hesitation, he stretched out his hands and began to recite an incantation, calling upon the powers of his spirits.

"Faceless spirit of 32 kings

Twelve hands! Six faces! Thirty-two judgements!

Obey my orders,

Descend!".

The words of the incantation hung in the air, reverberating through the fabric of reality itself. The grand duke's voice was steady and commanding, his power undeniable. As he finished the final syllable, his magical energy dissipated into nothingness, leaving nothing but a vacuum of silence.

And then, it returned

"Too-too-too-toom!"

A sudden blast of energy erupted from the sky behind him. A massive gate, ornately decorated and pulsing with otherworldly power, had materialized out of thin air. Its arrival was accompanied by a deafening fanfare, as trumpets heralded the arrival of something truly magnificent.

In a stunning moment, it became apparent that a regal, noble, and prestigious spirit had shattered the veil and answered the summons of its master.

"CREEEAAAKKK!"

As the echoes of the fanfare faded away, the gates slowly creaked open, revealing a sight that would have left any mortal awestruck. From within the gate, two colossal hands emerged, and with a mighty grip, the hands clasped onto either side of the gate, holding it firmly in place.

And then --

"BANG!" "BOOOM!!"

A figure, taller than any mountain, at a height of a staggering 200 ft emerged from the other side. It had six faces, each adorned with a different expression that was hidden beneath a veil, and twelve muscular arms that rippled with strength. The spirit radiated power and wisdom, with the weight of thirty-two kings behind it.

Boris lifted his head, his eyes locking onto the ethereal figure before him. He was not afraid, and neither was he intimidated.

"A royal spirit" He murmured. "It's been too long since my sword has tasted its sharpness on their bones" He paused, his gaze never wavering from the spirit. "But I will make this battle worthwhile".

Then, he uttered.

"Emerald Rite Sacred Art: Unfolding Re-emergence: Rite Of Storm".

"ZZZZZZZAP!" "PENGGG!!" The very air around him crackled with electricity as his aura became more intense, preparing to face the otherworldly foe before him.

With his sword held high, Boris gazed up at the towering, twelve-handed giant before him, completely unbothered at the sight of each of its hands wielding a different weapon with deadly precision - longswords, axes, spears, hammers, lances, and even a bow with a quiver of arrows at the ready.

But it was the spirit's regal gown, adorned with countless jewels and gold, that truly caught Boris' eye. And yet, it was the veil that covered its face, obscuring its features and lending it an eerie, faceless quality, that would send shivers down the spine of an ordinary ascendant.

Boris tore his gaze away from the colossal, multi-armed giant and fixed his eyes on the figure of Grand Duke Liam, who stood before him in a bluish, transparent barrier. For a moment, the two men locked eyes, a tense silence passing between them.

"I will wait until you are done and have cooled down" Grand Duke Liam said wearily, his voice betraying the exhaustion of having summoned such a powerful spirit.

Boris didn't respond, knowing that words were no longer necessary between them.

"Whoosh!" He vanished.

"BROOOMM!"

His spot was empty. The ground beneath him collapsed into a bottomless crater, as though a man in shimmering black armour had never been there before.

"Damn it!" Grand Duke Liam cursed. The fallen knight had completely disappeared from his senses. Quickly, he raised his head and spoke, "Be careful. Don't let tha--"

But it was too late!

"ARRRGGGHHHHH!"

With a thunderous roar, the giant staggered backwards as Knight Boris materialized 194 feet in the air, his sword poised to strike. In a single swift motion, he swung his blade, desecrating the giant's arm and sending it scattering like a decapitated chunk of wood, dissolving into specks of light.

Grand Duke Liam cursed under his breath once again as he watched the spectacle unfold.

Even with just one swing of his sword, the Knight had already caused a casualty. It was a testament to his skill and dedication, and Grand Duke Liam realized that he had underestimated him. The Knight had kept his skills polished over the years, despite the passing of time.