Endless Evolution: Last Star-Chapter 1002: Revenge or Strength?

A long sword with amber-glowing edges was in Arnoth's right hand, large and heavy enough even for him. It would be easier for him to hold this weapon with two hands, but his left hand was in charge of the massive shield.

If the sword was heavy, his multi-layered shield seemed capable of destroying an entire floor if it fell out of his grip.

But the main weapon was his aura.

Golden streams of gold rained down on Adam and Heret like a wind. It wasn't Arnoth's spirit, just a presentation of his energy surging inside his great body.

Adam's eyes ran from shield to sword, something alerted him and he couldn't figure out what it was.

'Hmm... A great weapon for a great warrior, but why does it seem to me that the sword and shield are unnecessarily thick in some places? It's like they're covered in a protective layer like the plates on the chests of three goliaths.'

Step.

Arnoth stepped forward, the ground shook, but the marble held, not a single crack on the surface.

"Alright, one of us seeks revenge, two of us crave power. I think it's obvious to everyone which of the three of us is the extra," Arnoth proclaimed before pointing his sword at Heret.

In a heartbeat, all of Heret's instincts reached their limit, with only one goal - to survive.

He turned into a green flash as a thin line of sparse, tiny stars appeared in his place.

In the next breath, each of the stars exploded, creating a line of destructive light. The impact zone was not wide, no wider than a cannonball, but very long - sweeping across dozens of columns in the distance of the throne room.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The rubble crashed to the ground, small stones rolling into the craters that formed, not deep but fuming with unbearable heat.

Adam gasped in disbelief, and a strange delight came over him.

'Wait, he did all this with a simple swing of his sword? No, it wasn't a swing, a simple energy ran through his arm activating the ability.'

Unlike Adam, Heret was not thrilled with what was happening.

"Agh... Agh... Agh..." he breathed heavily, his legs burning in green fire. He was nervous and used more strength than he needed.

It didn't matter, though.

If he didn't react in time, there would already be a wide hole in his chest. The exploding stars would leave him no chance.

"Oh, not bad Heret, not bad. Looks like you've become considerably stronger in the past few months."

Arnoth praised him sincerely, slowly guiding his sword towards the ground.

"If you were decades older, no... just ten more years. Then perhaps you could protect the queen and the king. Though if it was the desire for revenge that made you stronger, then you should be grateful to me."

"Shut up! You're nothing but a murderer and an invader!" Heret shouted in outrage.

Arnoth lifted his chin.

"Hmm? Every monster kills, sooner or later. Whether it's a Phantom or another monster. It's a natural process."

"Yes, but you, me, the queen, and the king were at a high enough stage to at least start a dialog!"

Heret's eyes narrowed, and he got into a fighting stance, about to use his ability.

"But, you and Kreyna just went on a slaughter streak!"

"Stop going back to the past. Your memories of the queen and king and the dead serpents won't bring them back to life."

"Sure..." Heret hissed as his flames grew stronger. "But, this will help me win!"

In the blink of an eye, Heret turned into a flash, crashing into Arnoth with all his might. This attack would easily kill Adam before he opened the fourth lesser gates.

A glint ran down his claws, ready to tear through any obstacle in his path.

CLASH!

Shards flew in front of Heret's wide-open eyes - his claws shattered into tiny pieces.

His bare fingers crashed straight into Arnorth's shield, simultaneously throwing the full power of his surge into a single point.

Even without his claws, his flames were capable of much.

At least that's what he wanted to believe.

"That's..." Arnoth's voice wheezed out.

Streams of green flame swept along his armor, coating the rough edges of his heavy shield.

"Was not good enough to earn my praise."

Thrust.

Arnoth's sword plunged into Heret's stomach, most of it coming out the other side.

"ARGH!"

A stream of blood rushed from Heret's mouth as he tried to pull the sword from his body. His fingertips trembled as he tried to move the blade.

"Don't worry. I'll help you."

Arnoth swung the sword, throwing Heret dozens of meters away like useless trash.

It wasn't far from the truth. Arnoth saw no reason for Heret to be his opponent. It didn't make sense since the difference in their strength was too great.

Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.

Heret rolled across the ground until he reached the column, crashing with his back.

Blood flowed quickly from the wide wound, creating a crimson puddle beneath him, but he was still awake. His energy quickly headed towards the cut, trying to stop the energy and tense his muscles.

It could only help him survive if Arnoth didn't try to finish him off.

Heret struggled to get up, he was sure Arnoth had already pointed his sword at him.

He was not mistaken.

Whoooooooosh.

Before the ray could form, Adam's foot slammed into Arnoth's right shoulder, covered in white, fiery energy.

It was enough to shatter Arnoth's balance and force him to take a step to the side.

A ray of exploding stars was created a few meters away from Heret, leaving him alive.

Thump. Thump.

In two heavy steps, Arnoth regained his balance, slowly directing his gaze towards Adam.

"Why? Do you care so much about the life of this serpent?" Arnoth asked serenely. "Whether he lives or not, it has no bearing on the outcome of the battle. He knew he was weaker than us, he shouldn't have come here."

Adam stepped forward.

"Yeah, maybe. But, he's here and that's what matters most!"

With a heavy sigh, Arnoth nodded.

"Which is why he must be ready to die!"

Arnoth was right, yet Adam couldn't let Heret die. After all, he was grateful to this monster for the opportunity to become stronger.

For this period, he was an ally of the serpents and had to act accordingly.

Tap.

The first needle appeared in Adam's hand, a heavy and sharp sword exuding darkness.

"Instead of discussing who should live and who should die, let's better test how durable your shield is."

With a cold stare, Adam raised the needle, not a hint of fear in his eyes.