With a swift release, Eva let the arrow fly, slicing through the air with a trail of sonic waves, each pulse amplifying its speed. As it surged toward the knight, the arrow's tip ignited into a fiery glow, and suddenly, it split into multiple arrows, each glowing intensely as they swarmed toward the knight like a cloud of radiant fireflies.
The knight attempted to dodge, its movements a blur, yet it couldn't unfreeze its immobilized arm fast enough to regain full mobility. The arrows moved unpredictably, weaving around it in erratic patterns. The knight's speed faltered against the chaotic swarm, every feint and sidestep matched by the relentless assault.
Caught off-guard, one of the arrows struck the knight's back, exploding with the force of a small grenade and sending it stumbling forward. Regaining its stance, the knight spun around to face the unexpected attack, only for another arrow to strike its front with a powerful impact, forcing it to stagger again. The relentless barrage pinned the knight in a whirlwind of explosions, each blow chipping away at its defenses.
Kai's eyes widened, realization dawning as he watched Zarek and Eva's coordinated onslaught. "So that's it... The knight can't regenerate without wielding its sword. When I froze its arm, Zarek's slice was a calculated move to keep it from recovering...Not bad for a so-called weakling."
With each surprise strike from Eva's arrows, the knight's movements grew more desperate, its strategy faltering as it struggled to keep pace with the relentless, unpredictable assault. Every attempt to evade only left it vulnerable to the next incoming blow, the once-imposing figure gradually being chipped away, its armor scorched and battered from all sides
With a fierce surge, the knight unleashed a powerful explosion of lightning mana, crackling energy radiating outward and disintegrating Eva's arrows in a single flash. The intense blast melted the ice encasing its body, white steam rising from its armor as it freed itself from the frost. The knight extended its hand, summoning its sword back like a returning boomerang, the blade spinning through the air, mere inches from its grasp.
Zarek sprang into action, his movements fluid and calculated. He materialized in front of the knight, airborne and poised for the kill. Dual blades gleamed , their edges hungering for the fatal strike.
His gaze zeroed in on the knight's helmet, where a slender gap revealed a soft, blue pulsation. The armor's weakness lay exposed, beckoning Zarek's blade. With deadly precision, he sliced downward, aiming for the vulnerable spot.
Just as the sword was about to reach the knight's hand, Kai's eyes went wide. "This is bad !"
A sudden voice cut through the tension. "Absolute Division!"
From a distance, Cain's slash tore through the air, its presence palpable despite the gap. The blade's energy sliced across the battlefield, striking true. It cleaved through the knight's arm, severing it cleanly and halting the sword's return.
Seizing the moment, Zarek's blade connected with the gap in the knight's helmet, slicing through the opening with unyielding force. His other blade stabbed directly into the glowing gap, anchoring himself as the knight staggered in place, powerless without its arms. The knight thrashed, trying desperately to shake Zarek off, but Zarek's grip was like iron, unwavering and resolute.
The knight's movements grew frantic, its towering form buckling under the assault, yet Zarek held on, his resolve burning with an intensity that matched the battlefield's heat. The mighty knight, stripped of its defenses, was now at the mercy of the hunters.
Blue flames erupted from the knight, blazing like a furnace as Zarek tilted his head to avoid the searing heat. The knight's body began to crystallize, its iron armor hardening and fracturing, the transformation crawling up its form. Sensing the end, Zarek arced his sword upward, slicing cleanly through the knight's helmet. Bits of iron flew as his dual blades left their final mark.
In a dazzling moment, the knight fully froze, then shattered into countless tiny shards, glittering in the air like fragments of broken glass. The battlefield fell silent as the remnants of the once-mighty foe rained down, leaving only a glowing core hovering midair the prized S-rank crystal.
Zarek's hand closed around the crystal, a symbol of their hard-won victory. "We've won!" he declared, his voice ringing out.
The hunters' weary faces transformed, hope and elation igniting in their eyes. The murmurs grew, swelling into a deafening roar: "We've won! We've won!"
Tears of relief mingled with cheers as the crowd celebrated, their collective weight lifted. The darkness had receded, and victory's warmth spread through their ranks.
Cain grinned, his pride evident as he watched Zarek stand tall. "So, you pulled it off, kid. You might just be the only D-rank hunter in the world to defeat an S-rank monster. You've done well," he thought, his satisfaction mingling with the muffled cheers around him.
Kai let out a quiet, frustrated chuckle, while Eva's eyes softened, a relieved smile spreading across her face. She whispered softly, "Zarek, you did it… thank goodness." Tears welled up as the weight of the battle lifted, and she allowed herself to feel the moment's joy.
Zarek held the crystal aloft, his gaze steady as he looked at the glowing proof of his accomplishment. He breathed deeply, a quiet, personal victory flashing through his mind. "Wait for me, Mom. I'll meet you soon."
The ground trembled, and Zarek looked back in surprise as the massive wall behind him began to crumble. Rocks cascaded down like a landslide, the rumbling echoing across the battlefield. The wall gave way, unveiling something hidden beneath—a crystalline structure, its ethereal glow bathing the surroundings in an eerie light. Embedded within the crystal wall was a large, egg-shaped gem, and inside, a dark silhouette of a figure rested, its presence ominous and still.
As everyone stared in stunned silence, a glint of blue eyes flashed through the crystal. Cain's heart raced as a surge of recognition washed over him, a sense of dread he hadn't felt in years. Acting on instinct, he shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "Zarek, get out of there!"
Zarek turned, catching the warning just in time to see the crystal prison crack and then explode outward in a shower of glittering shards. He instinctively shielded his face, barely able to comprehend what was happening. But before he could react further, a sudden, sharp pain shot through him,his eyes widened in shock as he looked down to see a spear impaled through his chest, its shaft slick with blood.
In front of him stood a towering figure, at least seven feet tall. The man's eyes were a piercing blue, glowing with a cold intensity, and his hair was long, silky white that fell gracefully over his shoulders. His armor gleamed with an otherworldly sheen, intricate and foreboding, unlike anything Zarek had ever seen. The figure's gaze was impassive, almost chilling, as he watched Zarek struggle, pinned and defenseless.
Time seemed to slow as blood dripped from the spear, staining the ground below. Zarek's breaths grew shallow, his vision dimming as he tried to process the overwhelming presence before him.