Chapter 141 The unexpected move.
Chapter 141 The unexpected move.
The appearance of the powerful entity from the heavens—an Archangel Michael—threatened to annihilate not just my life, but the entire empire.
This was far beyond what I had anticipated. I couldn't protect the populace if he launched an all-out assault. The Archangel boasted stats exceeding 100,000; I would be obliterated if I tried to parry him.
A Level 7 magic spell costs 100,000 Dark Lord points, and I only had enough reserves to cast it twice. Furthermore, if I unleashed such power, the resulting blast would destroy the entire Dark City.
I could burn my remaining points on a Level 7 defensive barrier, but that would only delay the inevitable—it wouldn't help me defeat him.
Even if I managed to defeat the Archangel with two Level 7 spells, I would be left completely drained of my Dark Lord points while Lance remained unscathed. In that state, he would easily overpower and finish me off.
I needed a desperate gamble—a strategy to take down both of them simultaneously. It was the only way to win.
"Hey, you!" I shouted. "Are you that terrified of me that you had to drag out your oversized pet?"
I unsheathed the Dark Lord sword, mocking Lance for his reliance on others. "You had to find an accomplice just to fight me? Why can’t you fight like a man?"
"What’s the issue?" Lance retorted. "The Archangel is my weapon. I don't see any problem with him being here to finish you off."
"No problem? He’s five times stronger than you! Even without you, he could defeat me alone. Is that the kind of fight you want?" I roared, my frustration boiling over.
"I don't understand your point. This is pointless. Are you just trying to stall for time?" Lance asked, dismissively.
"I’m not stalling. I just want a fair fight," I shot back. "Since I’m not using the dark energy of other entities, why are you relying on borrowed power?"
I pressed the attack, pointing out that while he prided himself on being the strongest and the leader of the Knights of the Cross, his only real strategy was to summon an Archangel to do his dirty work. He wasn't the one winning his battles; he was just lucky enough to have an Archangel on his side
"What? Are you saying I only win because of the Archangel?" Lance demanded.
"Exactly! If that’s your secret weapon for being 'the strongest,' what are you without him?"
Lance’s eyes narrowed, his irritation palpable. He argued that throughout our fight, he clearly held the advantage. He claimed he could easily defeat me using only his Heaven Sword, even without the Archangel.
"Oh, really? That’s just what you want to believe. If you weren't actually afraid of me, why did you summon him?" I taunted.
"I summoned him because I use him to end fights. I’ve already proven you’re no match for me in direct combat, and it’s time to end this," Lance answered.
"Ha! See? In the end, you’re just hiding behind the Archangel. If you look back at all your past victories, you didn't win because you were strong; you won because you were lucky enough to possess an Archangel."
Lance’s face twisted in genuine annoyance. "Your words are meaningless. I will not accept insults against the power of the heavens from someone like you."
A smile tugged at my lips. I sensed his ego cracking and flared my aura, gripping my sword tightly. "If that’s the case, why not fight fairly instead of hiding behind him?"
Lance swung his sword, releasing a torrent of overwhelming energy. "I didn't know you were so loud. Regardless, you have no chance against me. Fine. I'll destroy you with my own hand. "
He readied his stance and charged at me with blade in hand.
I felt a surge of relief—I had goaded him into a duel, forcing him to keep the Archangel at bay.
He moved with blinding speed. My feet skidded back, carving trenches into the earth as I deflected his first strike.
"Yahhh!"
My entire body shuddered as the Dark Lord Sword clashed with the Heaven Sword. Every blow felt like a lightning strike—heavy, swift, and infused with pure, holy energy.
Sparks of dark energy and golden light erupted with every impact, tearing at the sky above us.
"Too slow, Dark Lord!" Lance screamed.
He didn't give me a second to breathe. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, reappearing on my left. His blade sliced through the air, aimed directly at my arm. I had no time to parry, so I instantly unleashed a Fire Burst to shield myself.
BOOM!
A massive explosion of fire erupted between us, throwing Lance backward. But he was relentless. He knew it took me a few seconds to recharge my magic, and he seized the opening.
Through the lingering smoke, he rushed back in, his sword wrapped in a golden aura that sliced right through my flames.
"Damn, he's fast, "I thought.
I couldn't keep up with his speed; he danced around me like lightning. Every block sent tremors through my defenses, his golden aura slowly grinding me down.
Moments later, I felt a sharp pain—he had managed to graze my arm.
"Damn it, he hit me."
"Water Blast!" I shouted, channeling a pressurized jet of water from my palm to push him away.
He was knocked back, but he balanced himself instantly and prepared for another strike. And because of that i fired another blast to stop him.
"Water Blast!"
Lance dodged with ease and was back in my face in an instant. The tip of his blade hummed through the air, stopping just inches from my chest.
That was close. I ducked, feeling the razor-sharp wind of his blade graze my cheek.
"I have to stop him."
I had been forced into pure defense, my boots sinking deeper into the ground under the weight of his onslaught. I couldn't out-swordfight him, but I know i didn't need to be the better swordsman. I just needed to trap him.
"You cannot escape your fate. You will die here, Dark Lord!" Lance mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance as he unleashed a flurry of strikes that shattered the ground around us.
I caught the rhythm of his assault and intentionally retreated, step by step, leaving behind traces of magic in the soil. As we reached the center of the battlefield, I let him become increasingly aggressive.
"Game over!" Lance shouted, raising his sword for a final, finishing strike.
I didn't retreat. I took a deep breath, pouring my remaining energy into a single magic circle.
"Ice Trap!" I shouted.
In a heartbeat, a massive magic circle erupted beneath Lance, birthing thick, jagged pillars of ice. It wasn't just ice—it was a prison that coiled around his body, slowing his every movement.
Lance’s eyes widened as he realized he couldn't lift his feet. Even as he shattered the ice, it instantly reformed, gripping his legs tighter.
"What is this?!" he shouted in shock, frantically trying to break free.
"You can't stop me with this worthless ice!"
He destroyed the surrounding ice with his Heaven Sword and leaped into the air to escape, but the ice pillars rose like serpents, chasing him mid-air.
His attention was completely fixed on the ice constricting him— i know this was my chance so I didn't hesitate. With every ounce of strength left in my body, I leaped toward him.
My Dark Lord Sword, wreathed in black energy roaring like flames, led the way. I didn't think about strategy; I thrust my blade with every ounce of force I had, straight toward his chest.
"Yaaaahh!! Dark Sword Strike!"
I surged forward like a bolt of lightning. Caught off guard by the ice, Lance couldn't evade. The Dark Lord Sword plunged deep into his armor.
"What? This is impossible!"
The shock was etched onto his face as his own blood welled from the wound. The sheer force of my strike carried us both into the Archangel body, my blade embedding itself into the angel's chest plate as well.
"You!! You insolent fool!" Lance screamed in rage, unable to comprehend what had happened. His body began to wrap in dark energy, his skin sizzling as if it were burning.
He tried to break free, grabbing my sword to pull it out, but his eyes went wide as he realized parts of his body were turning to frost.
"What’s happening to me?" he gasped, his body stiffening until he was forced to drop the Heaven Sword as his right hand had completely turned to ice.
"Did you forget that the spell was already cast on you?" I replied. "The Ice Trap wasn't just on the ground; it was already on your body, slowly freezing you from the inside out."
Lance stared at me, trembling, unable to believe he had fallen for such a simple trick. I laughed at his arrogance..
"My dark energy eats away at your body, breaking down your defenses. Since you were so busy underestimating my magic, you didn't even bother to fortify your resistance."
"His dark energy... it's suppressing my power," Lance muttered to himself, terror finally dawning in his eyes.
He realized his defenses were failing and the dark energy was corrupting his core. He couldn't move; his body was effectively becoming a frozen statue.
"Curse you!" Lance shrieked in desperation. "You can't do this to me!"