Chapter 862: Chaotic Battlefield

>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<

A very chaotic clash occurred between two large figures—at least, compared to the rest on the massive battlefield.

Z'ark, the Dragon King, against Hugo, the Ultimate Golem.

They exchanged blows, clashing with pure power, and also defending with their sturdy bodies. Z'ark was in his mighty dragon form, doing his best to withstand and strike the Golem's taller frame. Before long, the fight entered into a stalemate.

Or so one would think.

'Tch... it's tougher than I thought.'

So far, he had barely done any damage to the Golem, and while he too hadn't sustained a serious injury, there was something more important to consder.

'Stamina... and Magic Power!'

Unlike a Golem, he had limited stamina. He got tired, and he also ran out of energy. Sure, Golems experienced the latter, but the former was foriegn to them.

Plus, Golems had ways to restore their powers faster, considering they had charged batteries and all. Plus, with what he had heard—and even the little he had seen of Hugo—he didn't expect it to go down anytime soon.

'Damn. Why did I end up biting more than I can chew?'

Everyone was engaged in one fight or the other, and even if they weren't, it would be shameful to call for help at this point.

'As long as it meant survival, I never really cared about Pride, but...' Somehow, this battle had him resurrecting the feelings he had in his youth.

The determination to be better. To be stronger.

'I can do this! Even if I have to risk my life... I will do this!' He glared at the stoic Golem, watching as it prepared its next attack.

'I'll pour all I have into defense now, and once this attack is done, I'll go all-out with offense.'

There was no need to drag the fight out. Hugo was going to outlast him, that was for sure. The only thing he could do now was to give it his all.

"RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Bring it o—!"

>WHOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHH!!!<

Speeding past Z'ark, much faster than he or even the Golem could percieve, was a beam of light that went straight for Hugo's bulky frame.

>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!<

In one strong, firm hit, the light tore through the giant, destroying it completely.

"A-ah...? What in the world?" Z'ark lost his composure, his eyes widening in disbelief as the opponent he struggled so much against was defeated with a single hit.

His motivation to get stronger. His deep-seated desire to surpass his limits, and his rising urge to risk his life—all of them fizzled out in no time as he witnessed something that humbled him once more.

Hugo's pilots were able to land to the ground safely, though the chaotic battle they met knocked them out almost instantly. Even with that, Z'ark was more focused on the beam of light.

Who was that?

"I see. So, even this cheap knockoff feels the same. And here I thought it resembled Hugo..." The voice from the light echoed, and soon the brightnes dimmed, revealing the entity within.

It was the Automaton on their side—the one Jared placed in charge of his mechanical suport that would be serving as their soldiers.

"Well, you did well holding it off for some time." The Automaton spoke to him with a casual attitude, but Z'ark instantly felt uncomfortable with that.

Someone of this being's power was more than fit enough to be his master. His people would jump at the opportunity to have a strong leader like him.

There was no way he could simply address him this way.

"I'm off then. Good job."

"P-please wait! What is your name?" Z'ark asked.

They were allies, so it was a bit strange to ask at this juncture. Still, he had to know who his benefactor was.

"Gawain. In any case, keep it up."

Before Z'ark could say any more, the Automaton vanished.

All alone, the Dragon King chuckled at himself, realizing he was far more tired than he earlier thought. Looking at how the battle was turning out, he doubted he was needed to ensure their side's victory.

'I think... I'll just rest a little...'

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Amid the destructive tension of the battlefield, two people stared at each other.

Surprisingly, despite being surrounded by chaos, their immediate vicinity was left completely untouched. No soldier or interference—just the two of them.

On one end was an auburn-haired Martial Artist. He held his blade with conviction, and a cool ambiance surrounded his frame.

On the end was a well-built man. He had a menacing grin, and his bulky frame was a pure reresentation of power that the Beast King was supposed to be.

Edward and Gerard.

Both of them stared at each other, engaged in silent assessment for a moment, and then one of them finally broke the silence.

"You won't attack? I thought you wanted revenge for that fool, Vaizer." Gerard chuckled, though a hint of impatience lurked in his tone.

Silence.

"Come on. Won't you say something? I don't have all day, you know? I still have to kill more of you and win this battle already!"

Still, silence.

"Hahahaha! Scared? Don't tell me you're scared! Hahahaha! Maybe I should have just—"

"Shut up." The silence was finally broken.

"Huh? So you can actually speak? I thought you were dumb or somethi—"

"I said... shut up."

The instant Edward repeated himself, a strong pressure circulated the area, forcing Vaizer to swallow any further words he had to say.

"I have the [Death] Arcana Spell. I could easily render 'death' to you at any moment, and this will be done with. But..."

Edward's hair slowly turned white, and his body glowed with pale light. His right eye turned blue, like the sky, and his left eye became amber like scorching flames.

"... Where's the fun in that?"

His blade took on an azure glow, and sparks of energy consumed it. He was in a astate that transcended anything his opponent had ever seen or known before.

"No, I think I'm going to use this as an opportunity. A chance to make you wish for death."

Gerard, who had been so cocky earlier, found himself trembling now. Was it because of the energy Edward was leaking? Was it because of his newly transformed state? Was itfue to his words?

Yes, it was all of the above.

Edward was simply frightening.

"Gerard. You killed the family of my dear friend. You took his kingdom. You've committed far too many atrocities for me to ignore." As Edward said these words, he took a step closer to his opponent.

"E-eeek!"

"An eye for an eye. Tooth for tooth. Bruise for bruise."

Just as Edward was about to take another step closer, he stopped. He heaved a sigh, and a mist-like breath proceeded from his lips.

"I will give you a chance to live. Show me your best attack. Do your best to kill me." Edward's smile was already widnened to the point of insanity.

"If you fail... you will die."

Gerard was still trembling, but it seemed his freedom had been returned to him. Thanks to the reduction in pressure, he could finally utter the words he had been longing to spt out.

"W-who... just what are you?"

In response, Edward could only render one explanation.

"The Martial Blade God."

*

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[A/N]

Now, that's some good rizz. Even though the Martial Blade God we know and love is gone, we can still enjoy this alternate version.

Here's the link.