62 New Pawn (1/2)
Inwardly, the Stolas Beast cursed its ten thousand ancestors, fate and all the deities of the universe. Most importantly, it also cursed itself. Never in its wildest dreams did it expect Konrad to be a direct descendant of a noble demon house. Had it been aware of that, it would have never dared open the hostilities.
”Overreach…I overreached myself…”
It complained with green blood gushing from its half-broken face. Konrad took a leisurely step forward and appeared before it. His hands tightly clenched around Man-Breaker while his cold, unfeeling eyes rested on the Stolas Beast.
”It's too late for such words. Don't worry, I will make sure your body doesn't go to waste.”
Konrad lifted Man-Breaker and lowered it in a crushing blow that bashed the Stolas Beast's head in, and crushed the life out of its body in a macabre concerto of breaking bones.
The Stolas Beast's lifeless body limply fell onto the ground.
”Do you want to start the refining process?”
The Flame Mark asked.
”Let's wait for one moment. We still have someone to deal with.”
A berserk force approached at breakneck speed. It moved past the trees and appeared by Nils' side.
Naturally, it was her brother, the fifth prince, Holger. He had first been alarmed by the flurry of spells that streaked across the sky. Spells he recognized as his sister's. Reckoning that she'd gotten entangled in a battle with the Accursed Beast that caused all to flee toward the lower levels, Holger decided to leave his team behind and rush toward this place.
However, when vast demonic energy buffeted his face, he knew the situation dozens of times worse than he expected. Therefore, he used the full might of his cultivation to cover the distance at his fastest speed.
By the time he arrived, the Stolas Beast had just perished; leaving only Konrad, Nils and the plethora of demonic energy.
Holger's blazing eyes moved between the unconscious Nils and Konrad whose body seemed to be the source of the demonic energy.
His mind reeled, his thoughts went wild, and assumptions ran rampant.
”What have you done to my sister?”
He bellowed in a frenzied tone upon kneeling by Nils' side to check her pulse and realizing the frailty of her current state.
Konrad glanced at him with a sneer.
”Regardless of what I did or did not do to her. What can you do?”
He had no intention to waste time pleading innocence when his status as a demon clearly meant an inevitable battle. And with Man-Breaker in hands, he simply didn't put Holger in his eyes.
Holger stood up, his scorching, silver gaze daggering Konrad while he stretched out his arms.
”True Spirit Form!”
Just like Nils before, silver light and grey fog burst from Holger's body while his hairs and skin glittered in a light akin to the moon's.
In a heartbeat, his cultivation rose from the fourth step Arch Knight to the seventh step Arch Knight and his battle power soared.
However, Konrad still didn't take him seriously. Wielding his lineage weapon, even a low-level Accursed Beast was no match for him.
Could he possibly dread Holger?
He tapped the ground with Man-Breaker, releasing vast suppressing force that smashed into the unprepared Holger and lowered his cultivation by half a rank.
He went from the seventh step Arch Knight to the second step Arch Knight. The same level as Konrad.
”What sorcery is this?”
Holger blurted in stupor. He wasn't well-versed on the topic of demons as they seemed like a distant enemy that served a greater role in justifying the church's power rather than pose an actual threat.
Thus, although he could identify Konrad as a demon, he possessed no understanding of his weapon and its abilities.
Suppressed by Man-Breaker, he now had to fight against his own body to maintain control and display a minimum of fighting power. The fight had not even started, that it was already lost.
Konrad gave him no verbal answer, appeared before him in a flash, and threw a punch straight at his chest.
*Bam*
It caved in, and he flew backward with blood gushing from his mouth, staining his lips and golden robe in its red. He then crashed onto the ground.
”Puh!”
Konrad once again appeared by his side and kept him pinned down by pressing the full weight of Man-Breaker on his chest. He was entirely at his mercy.