Kro looked at Arthur with an annoyed face, thinking how he would deal with him because he was constantly getting in his way. He was like a thorn in his side that would never go away even if he wanted to do so. Especially when he ruined his last meal right before he finished him off.
" You again? How many times do I need to hurt you before you understand you are prolonging the inevitable? Whether you want it or not, this planet is doomed. The humans are already pointing their weapons at your throat yet you are protecting them naively"
Kro laughed coldly, mocking Arthur who was protecting them as their guardian. He saw the cruelty of humanity and he knew they would backstab him like last time when he almost died due to the explosion.
" You won't dictate my fate and my choice."
Arthur said coldly, summoning his sword from the space. He then dashed next to him, slashing his shoulder with his sword but Kro managed to protect his shoulder. Even so, Thena who was next to him immediately appeared next to him, kicking him as Arthur stabbed him with his sword.
Kro grimaced with pain due to the intense heat of his sword burning his inner organs. He saw his insides burning from the heat, so he instantly distanced himself from them while touching his abdomen with pain.
" I do not need to hold back anymore."
Arthur's eyes were filled with a sharp light, indicating he was serious about killing him, unlike usual imprisonment.
" How generous of you!"
Kro spoke with a hint of sarcasm, extending his tentacles to such their energy. The grotesque-looking tentacles surrounded them as they charged toward them with intent to kill, but they weren't stupid.
" I will rip that heart of yours."
Thena gritted her teeth with hatred, slashing the tentacles with halberd before reaching him. However, just as she was about to behead him with her weapon, a tentacle pierced through her back. It sucked a huge chunk of her energy while healing Kro who was injured from Arthur's attack.
" Fool!"
Kro smiled evilly, thinking he won this battle since she was incapacitated but that wasn't the case.
However, he didn't notice the shadow that was creeping behind his back.
Rip, splatter*
Arthur appeared from his back, beheading him before he could understand what was happening as he widened his eyes with surprise. He felt his life was sipping away.
" How?"
He asked with a hoarse voice, not understanding how he managed to get behind them without any notice. It was essentially impossible to move without his awareness, yet he was able to do that.
" Look at your neck."
Arthur said lightly, pointing at his neck which was marked by him. He used this as an anchor to move to the location where he was and was directly beheaded after doing so.
"..."
Kro closed his eyes unwillingly, recalling the moments of his life and purpose. Perhaps it would have been different if he was an eternal, not a deviant but he made his choice and he paid for that, so it was no use for regretting.
" What should we do now?"
Thena looked at his corpse with a slight emotion and longing. However, her duty as a protector of this planet was calling now, so she had to answer it. This was no time for sadness.
" Now, we have to stop Ikaris. He is the sole obstacle before us."
Arthur spat out words filled with determination to stop his former ally even if it was meant killing him. This was their burden to carry and he wasn't backing out now.
" I see."
Thena didn't say anything except to look into his eyes. She killed her former lover and now it was time to hunt her friend.
Two of them ran to the place where they heard the fight was going on.
Meanwhile on the other side of the island
" Ugh!"
Ikaris groaned with pain, holding his injured hand with his tattered clothes. He was badly injured by Makkari who used her speed to generate powerful punches that could injure even the toughest people. Fortunately, he was able to defeat her by using her kindness since she was the most kindhearted among the eternals. Thus, he showed his weakness deliberately during the fight and exploited it.