504 Chapter 504: The Nuclear Option (1/2)

”Say what?” Dong Fang Yue Chu gaped at me. I shrugged.

”Nuke spell?”

”No, that's not what I mean…”

”I don't think the Black Swordsman will just stand there and let you hit him,” Theodore informed me seriously. Glancing at the center of the smoldering crater, I saw that he was right. The Black Swordsman was taking a single step forward. As injured as he was, he could still move. While his movements were clearly slower than before, there was no doubt he could close the distance and attack us before I could nuke him.

”Hah!” Craig chortled. ”Then we'll just have to pin him down, don't we?”

The spearman always loved a challenge. He was already racing forward, his spear held in his hand. Halfway toward our opponent, he suddenly jumped up and soared into the air. I watched in astonishment as he drew his demonic spear back, the muscles in his arm bulging as he coiled them. Massive amounts of crimson mana swirled around his cursed spear, distorting the air around it in a terrifying manner.

Then he hurled it at the Black Swordsman. The Grimaldus ace scowled as he watched the demonic spear hurtle toward him, instinctively understanding that he couldn't dodge it. The curse enchanting the spear would ensure a sure-hit, no matter how quickly he evaded. Therefore he could only block it.

Holding his sword in both hands, he swung it to counter Craig's spear, and there was a huge explosion that sent soil crumbling down the sides of the crater, creating a smaller hole in its midst. Blood dripped down the Black Swordsman's face as he fell to a knee, his armor cracked in various places.

Then Theodore swung his hammer down and conjured a lightning cage that hemmed him in. The Black Swordsman gritted his teeth as he held up his obsidian blade to fend the lethal electricity away, but it refused to be conducted, instead forming a squarish cage around him. The imprisoned swordsman tried to slash his way out, but the lightning cage held firm, crackling fiercely as its golden bars resisted his attacks.

However, it was clear that he would eventually be able to cut his way free. I could see the lightning cage slowly diminishing in power, each strike from its prisoner slowly sapping away some of the electricity.

”That's where I come in!”

Dong Fang Yue Chu jumped to the front, right at the edge of the crater. He slammed his palms together and murmured an incantation.

”Reduce all Creation into Ash…Liu Ren Ruo Huo!”

Flames erupted all around him, surrounding him in a crimson and orange halo that simply seemed divine. Fiery wings burst on either side of him in an angelic manner, a conflagration so colossal that Dong Fang Yue Chu's form was dwarfed within it. I watched at the maelstrom of Pure Yang Flames blazed around him, consuming the remnants of the field like a god of fire.

The Black Swordsman watched him from inside the dwindling lightning cage, and his eyes narrowed.

Flames engulfing his entire right arm, Dong Fang Yue Chu gave a shout before punching it forward and unleashing a tremendous torrent of flames that swept across the crater. In just one instant, it swallowed up Theodore's lightning cage and its captive.

”!!!”

The Black Swordsman's expression remained somewhat impassive, but his eyes flickered with barely concealed emotion. Even he was impressed by Dong Fang Yue Chu's technique.

At first, it created a colossal ring of fire that surrounded the Black Swordsman, and then closed up over him, turning into an enormous inferno that raged and melted the once solid rock into molten lava. An enclosed, fiery space that cut the Black Swordsman off from the outside world, it blazed brilliantly, almost like a second sun.

”Cheng Guo Yan Shang (Fortress Blaze).” Dong Fang Yue Chu lowered his arm, upon which the flames flickered and dwindled away. Even as his body was no longer wreathed in flame, the blazing sphere of inferno that entrapped the Black Swordsman continued to burn brightly and fiercely. Dong Fang Yue Chu grinned smugly. ”Even the Black Swordsman wouldn't be able to get out of this wall of flames for a while.”

”Whoa!” Craig cried out, shielding himself. As stoic as ever, Theodore remained silent, but even he had to take a step back from the flames. I was also backing away in reflex, watching the powerful spell in awe. Despite the great distance, the embers were reaching even here, scattering onto our position and causing us to flinch. Craig brushed the glowing embers off his skin, visibly stung. ”You're pretty drastic as always, aren't you, Yue Chu?”

”Hey, powerful enemies call for drastic measures, don't they?” Dong Fang Yue Chu shrugged with feigned innocence. He then turned to me, his grin growing wider. ”Now then…shall we nuke him?”

”I'll wait until he gets out,” I replied with a shrug. ”Otherwise I might accidentally just blow away your Fortress Blaze and not do as much damage to him.”

��Richie has a point,” Craig agreed. ”Your damned fire technique also acts as a shield from external attacks.”

”Oh…whoops.” Dong Fang Yue Chu looked sheepish, but Theodore shook his head and placed a hand on his shoulder.

”No, you did the right thing. Whatever the outcome, it's clear that the Black Swordsman will no longer be able to move. Then Richard can nuke him once he's ready.”

”Yeah,” I told Dong Fang Yue Chu gratefully. ”You bought me all the time that I need.”

”Really?”

”Yeah, really.”

Even as Dong Fang Yue Chu breathed a sigh of relief, I turned back to my enemy. Within the inferno, the Black Swordsman thrust his obsidian sword forward and tried to cleave apart the powerful fire spell, but to no avail. He suffered a few horrendous burns, being trapped inside an inferno of such extreme temperature, but impeccable discipline forbade him from expressing any pain.

I couldn't help but be amazed. Not just at this guy's tenacity, but also his strict control over himself. If our positions were reversed, I had no doubt that I would be howling from the excruciating agony.

Too bad we were enemies.

The Black Swordsman regarded the wall of flames impassively, his features as stoic as before. He raised his sword and slashed at the hot inferno again, only to be met with the same result.

”Do you think this will stop me?” he asked, his tone dripping with contempt.

”Well, it did, didn't it?” Dong Fang Yue Chu pointed out dryly. He wasn't wrong. It certainly worked. A little too well, I might add. I shuddered to think what sort of level Dong Fang Yu Chu had reached, if he was capable of pulling off such a powerful technique now.