Chapter: 157

Chapter: 157

Gladiator.

He was currently feeling incredibly disgruntled about the situation.

Until he faced Rai, he had been quite pleased.

It had been a long time since he’d fought someone this strong, which made it interesting.

However, everything was ruined the moment that guy appeared.

In the Blood Heaven, a space meant for a one-on-one fight, the sudden intruders had put Gladiator in a very foul mood.

Losing one arm and getting himself burned to a crisp—of course, he was feeling quite irritated.

Now, that foul mood was spiraling even further.

Amidst the storm of Emperor’s Destruction, a dancer appeared, wielding her sword with the grace of a goddess.

She attacked Gladiator as if she knew for sure that the Emperor’s Destruction Sword wouldn’t harm her.

And true to her expectations, the sword actually opened up a way for her.

In dangerous moments, it forced a block, and during attacks, it created opportunities to strike with finesse.

And that finesse was entirely due to Rai’s skills.

It was an impressive swordsmanship that could make anyone stick out their tongue in awe.

“Damn it, there are no more openings.”

Rai’s swordplay was originally specialized for dealing with World Eroders.

If we were to limit it to battling World Eroders, Rai could easily be the best of the Ten Great Lords.

But because of that, he had some shortcomings when it came to individual combat.

Thus, it took a significant amount of time to fully suppress Gladiator.

Yet now, the situation had changed drastically.

With Seina Meyer by his side, battling alongside Rai, they formed a powerhouse duo.

While she might not match the Ten Great Lords, she definitely lived up to the title of a strong fighter.

The synergy between her and Rai was beyond imagination.

Rai specialized in hunting World Eroders, while Seina excelled in direct combat.

Together, Seina was darting around the battlefield, driving Gladiator to the brink yet again, severing another part of his body.

Gladiator gritted his teeth as yet another slice was taken from his side by Seina’s swift blade.

But at that moment, Rai’s sword descended to block his path.

Rai’s Emperor’s Destruction Sword boasted incredible space control.

In addition, its resilience was such that even Gladiator’s Blood Blade couldn’t cut through it.

What else would you expect?

The sword Rai wielded possessed the properties of the hardest ore in the world: adamantium.

Rai’s skill, Lepetent.

This skill allowed him to manifest desired forms using the aura imbued in the minerals he held.

The Emperor’s Destruction Sword was born from the fusion of that skill and Rai’s swordsmanship.

Dozens of these swords floated above in the sky.

Just seeing that made it clear how tremendous Rai’s aura was.

However, there was something that bothered Gladiator even more than that.

As he pulled back, he felt a chilling presence, prompting him to swing his Blood Blade instinctively.

Yet all he hit was air.

Frustration bubbled on Gladiator’s face as he swung at the empty space.

The reason for this irrational outburst was simple.

It was Kraush, who had been stealthily approaching and striking him from hiding since earlier.

Considering that unsettling presence he felt before, Kraush had intentionally revealed himself for a moment before retreating.

Gladiator’s aim was to weaken him.

“This bastard!”

Gladiator, usually calm, yelled out in fury.

But time wasn’t on his side.

A fresh slice from Rai’s Emperor’s Destruction Sword was falling down from above once again.

There was no chance to catch a breather while he was still wounded.

While Gladiator possessed a degree of self-healing, it slowed to a crawl when using the Blood Blade.

Because the Bloody Blade siphoned off his life force.

But he couldn’t just drop it; it would be like abandoning his weapon.

Gladiator’s mind was racing.

The situation was clearly not in his favor.

It felt as if Ebelasque had betrayed him.

Regardless of the importance of absorbing the power of World Erosion for Ixion’s goal, being pushed back this hard made him forget his priorities.

He simply exhaled deeply, causing his eyes to glow.

“It’s time.”

The moment Kraush uttered those words, a short ringing sound echoed, followed by a light-based sword zipping past his head.

It ignited as it struck the tentacles.

BOOM!

In that split second, the squid tentacles exploded like ink bursting forth.

The radiant sword shot in a straight line toward Gladiator.

“Ugh!?”

Gladiator swallowed hard, faced with the unforeseen situation, and lashed out with his Blood Blade.

Caught off guard by the Black Witch’s sudden initiative, he failed to evade in time.

KABANG!

And that turned out to be a colossal blunder.

The striking light sword pushed aside the Blood Blade and shoved Gladiator back simultaneously.

The overwhelming might of the light sword forced a scream from Gladiator’s lips.

If not for the Blood Blade, it would have shattered and been wedged into his body.

THUD!

Gladiator’s back slammed against the ground, colliding with the Emperor’s Destruction Sword.

But the impact barely registered against the crushing strength coming from the radiance of the sword.

The remaining arm was already in a disastrous state.

Now, the other arm was straining, as if it would scream in agony too.

The light escaping from the sword bewildered Gladiator’s senses.

He felt like he was about to merge with the Emperor’s Destruction Sword.

Blood rushed through Gladiator’s body like a wild river, fueling the power of the Blood Blade.

KABANG!

His muscles bulged, fighting against the light sword as he tried to push it away.

His body turned a deep crimson, his blood boiling with raw power.

“Black, Witch!”

He yelled, cursing the Black Witch for her chaotic actions.

He had no idea what kind of madness had overtaken her, but what she did was tantamount to abandoning him.

And just then—

Thud—

He heard something—clear footsteps.

Following the sound, his eyes widened as a familiar figure emerged.

It was Kraush, smoke billowing from his mouth, sword in hand, and his hair turning fiery red.

Flames ignited within Kraush once more, surging forth from the thunder he gripped.

Zap!

Lightning danced around the sword, sparks flying as ferocious heat clashed against each other, amplifying the energy.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Gladiator’s heart began to race wildly.

Crisis, crisis, crisis, crisis.

An alarm blared inside his head.

The light pressing down on him felt like it could crush his Blood Blade and arm at any moment.

In a situation like this, taking another direct hit was death.

It was obvious that if he lost focus, the light sword would tear through his heart.

He absolutely couldn’t allow Kraush’s strike.

“Black, Witch, Black Witch!”

Desperately, Gladiator called out for the Black Witch as if searching for his mother.

But no response came in return.

His blood-red eyes convulsed with rage as he watched Kraush approach step by step like a grim reaper.

“Get away, you bastard! Don’t come any closer!”

Even with the insults, Kraush was calm.

In this moment, he was focused solely on his sword.

As the dark flames whirled around him, they transformed into a surging torrent.

And that torrent reached the heavens, finally arriving at Kraush’s lightning sword.

Boom!

When the thunder-like sound echoed, the scabbard surrounding Kraush’s sword shattered.

“YOU BASTARD!”