Clang!
Leviathas' trident came crashing down with terrifying force, aimed directly at the trembling duck. But before it could reach it, Theo's saber intercepted the blow, sparks flying as metal screamed against metal. The impact reverberated through the room, and Theo gritted his teeth, his arms trembling under the overwhelming strength. His eyes burned with mix of fear and determination.
"Step aside, lowly insect," Leviathas snarled, his voice colder than the depths of the ocean, each word dripping with cruelty. His didn't waver, still locked onto the duck as though Theo was nothing more than an inconvenience in his path.
Clang!
Another strike came crashing down only to be deflected by Theo's trembling saber. Leviathas' attacks rained down in a relentless storm, each strike precise and deadly. Within three minutes, the room was filled with the deafening sound of metal clashing as Theo struggled to keep up.
Meanwhile, Yuni dashed away with the duck in her arms, desperate to create distance. But before she could take more than a few steps, Leviathas appeared in front of her in a blur, his presence suffocating. She froze, her instincts screaming at her to move, but her body refused to obey.
"Going somewhere?" Leviathas asked, his venomous tone sending chills down her spine.
Theo, seeing her peril, pushed through the pain and charged at Leviathas, swinging the saber down with all his might. Leviathas didn't even glance back as he caught the blade mid-swing with his bare hand. With a seemingly bored look, he crushed the saber like brittle glass before backhanding Theo with such force that he was sent flying across the room, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
"I'll deal with you first." Leviathas said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion as he began walking toward Theo. Each of his footsteps echoed through the massive chamber, a grim reminder of the danger looming closer.
With a sudden burst of speed, Leviathas charged forward, his trident aimed straight for Theo's chest. Just as the deadly weapon was about to strike
—
Boom!
An explosion erupted near Leviathas' left side, forcing him to halt and take a step back. Smoke billowed from the spot, and his eyes narrowed as he turned toward the source of the blast.
Emerging from the haze stood Sticky and Jae. Sticky's formed shimmered with residual sparks from the explosive, while Jae's predatory grin revealed sharp, glinting teeth.
Leviathas' gaze turned icy, his fury bubbling just beneath the surface.
"How many more ants must I crush beneath my feet?!" he roared, his voice a venomous snarl that reverberated through the room.
Sticky split into five smaller forms, each one darting behind Leviathas in an attempt to stab him from behind. However, Leviathas reacted instantly, slicing through four of them with effortless precision. The main form of Sticky desperately extended a tentacle to attack, only for it to be severed by the swift strike of Leviathas' trident.
Jae transformed into a blazing flame wyvern, her scales radiating heat as she prepared to unleash a barrage of fireballs. But before the flames could reach him, Leviathas crushed them with a single swipe of his left hand, dispersing the heat like it was nothing.
"All this to protect a being you don't know?!" he roared, his voice filled with venomous disbelief as he lunged toward Jae. His trident gleamed with lethal intent, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
Just as the trident was about to strike her, a deafening shot rang out.
Boom!
A bullet from Theo's blunderbuss struck Leviathas' left hip, forcing him to stagger slightly. The cold fury in his eyes deepened as he turned his gaze toward Theo, his grip tightening around the trident. "You insignificant pest," he growled, his voice low and seething with wrath.
Leviathas gripped Jae by her neck with ease, his grip tightening for a moment before hurling her toward Theo. Theo managed to dodge at the last possible second, narrowly avoiding the collision.
Sticky seized the chance, rushing forward and slicing into Leviathas' left leg with a dagger.
With a snarl of rage, Leviathas retaliated, kicking Sticky aside with enough force to send the slime flying. He turned his attention to Theo, his cold eyes blazing with contempt.
"Your friends are pathetic," Leviathas growled, his voice dripping with venom as he charged forward, trident aimed directly at Theo, "and so are you."
Leviathas struck Theo's chest with a brutal thrust of his trident, lifting him off the ground by his throat with ease. Without a shred of emotion, he pulled the weapon out and stabbed him again, each strike methodical and merciless. Over and over, the trident pierced Theo's body as blood splattered onto the floor.
Jae roared in fury, transforming to a flame wyvern once more as she unleashed a massive wave of flames at him. With a single swipe of his trident, he dispersed the flame effortlessly, not even sparing her a glance as he tossed Theo aside like a broken doll.
"One down," Leviathas said coldly, his icy tone carrying an unsettling finality. "Four more to go."
In the blink of an eye, he rushed toward Jae, his trident aimed directly at her throat, his movements swift and lethal.
Bang!
A bullet tore through the air, striking Leviathas in the nape and forcing him to his knees. He winced slightly, turning his head to see Theo leaning against the wall, his breathing shallow and labored. Blood poured from his numerous wounds, his left hand clutching his chest while the other gripped the blunderbuss with unwavering determination.
"Tch…" Leviathas clicked his tongue, his frustration voice carrying an edge of frustration though still cold and detached. "So, I have to slice your head off to end this, do I?" he stood once more, his piercing gaze locked on Theo, his trident glinting menacingly.
Just as he began to step forward, a sharp pain shot through his legs. Slash! Sticky, now split into two forms, had darted behind him, slicing through both his heels with twin daggers. Leviathas faltered, his movements momentarily halted, his glare snapping toward the slime.
Leviathas dashed forward with blinding speed, driving his trident straight through Sticky's face. The slime shuddered violently before falling limp, its split forms merging back into one as it struggled to reform.
With a flick of his wrist, Leviathas unleashed a devastating wave of mana pressure, forcing everyone to the ground. The air grew thick and suffocating as the oppressive force pressed down on them like an invisible weight.
"For two centuries..." he hissed, his voice trembling with fury as his cold gaze swept over them. "For two centuries, I cried out to Mother to acknowledge me, to give me the throne that I deserve. And yet... she gave it you!"
He swung the trident forward, its gleaming tip pointed directly at the duck. His expression composed, was a chilling mess of rage and bitterness, "A prince of envy," he spat venomously, "Is this your grand choice, Mother?!"
Leviathas slowly advance toward the duck, his eyes burning with cold fury as he raised the trident high above his head. Every step he took seemed to deepen suffocating the mana pressure, forcing Yuni to the ground, her limbs trembling beneath the weight of it. She struggled to move, but it was futile. The air itself was too heavy, too oppressive.
With a cruel, almost detached gaze, Leviathans stared down at the duck. His gaze voice was a chilling whisper that sliced through the tense air, "No more waiting... no one shall save you now." his words were laced with venom, yet there was an undeniable excitement in his tone. His grip on the trident tightened, his face twisted mix of cold determination and exhilaration.
Whoosh! Splurt!
Right at the critical moment the trident was about to land, a blade tore through Leviathas' throat. His eyes widened in shock as he turned toward the attacker. Standing before him was none other than Aralia, her body battered, bruised, and drenched in blood. The chains that bound her were shattered, and in her hands, she gripped a massive greataxe that weighed 3 tons with exuded immense power.
"You hurt my friends... my dear friends?! This will be your fate!" she roared, her voice echoing through the chamber with unrelenting fury. Without hesitation, she swung the greatxe with all her strength, cleaving toward Leviathas' left torso.
However, the wound healed immediately—muscle, bone, and flesh stitched together in a swift, seamless manner. Leviathas moved with lightning speed, grabbing Aralia by her throat with a crushing grip.
In that fleeting moment, an arrow struck his back, followed by a bullet that shattered into his knee, forcing him down don't his right leg.
"Damn pests!" he snarled, his voice venomous and seething with rage. Water began to swirl around his left hand, condensing into a dense, lethal bolt. With a quick motion, he hurled it at Aralia, the bolt piercing through her left shoulder and leaving a gaping wound in its wake.
"Ahh! No matter!" Aralia cried out, her voice strained as she clutched her left shoulder, blood seeping through her fingers.
"Oi! So-called King of Altissa, take this!" Theo shouted, his voice raw with fury as he unleashed a barrage of bullets from the blunderbuss.
Leviathas swung the trident downward in a brutal arc before pulling it back up, aiming to cleave through Theo's jaw. Clang! Sticky intervened just in time, blocking the strike with both daggers, their slimy form ripping from the force.
In the same instant, an arrow shot through the air, piercing through Leviathas' left eye with deadly precision.
"I will not allow you to hurt anyone else!" Aralia screamed, her voice trembling with both rage and resolve. Despite the gaping wound in the shoulder, she raised the greataxe high, her strength defying her injuries.
"Leviathan... Dominus." His voice was cold, devoid of emotion, as he began to rise in the air. Water swirled violently around him, his presence commanding the very elements. The ceiling above shattered, revealing the chaos outside as the ocean itself obeyed his will, spiraling into a massive, towering tornado.
From Altissa, it appeared as though the was being ripped from the earth, a vortex of raw, unrelenting power.
"I will show you why I am the rightful ruler of this city." Leviathas declared, his words sharp and venomous as his gaze bore into them, a promise of destruction in his cruel, unyielding eyes.