The True Hecleus’s Style

With a ferocious thundering roar akin to hundreds of lead bullets striking a steel plate, an immense shockwave erupted.

A terrifying attack that seemed to leave no chance of survival.

Yet when the aftermath cleared, there stood Berthe, arms raised in a guard with his body hunched low.

He had survived.

“Kughk…”

Still reeling from the impacts reverberating through his armor, Berthe grunted as he straightened his stance.

“Huu…”

Even he could not emerge completely unscathed from that assault, several obsidian scales across his body visibly warped.

However, they amounted to mere bruising, superficial wounds at best.

‘Indeed… to be regarded as a priority threat even among Heroes.’

Given his nature, the same situation would have unfolded even if they had battled outside the Holy Stones’ confines.

Against Berthe, deploying their full power including Hecleus’s Style was mandatory for Heroes to stand a chance.

“Huu… Very well. A formidable warrior, I must admit.”

Crunch. He twisted his neck audibly.

“But I can no longer hold back. Not just your prowess, but the Alliance’s reinforcements will soon arrive as well.”

“…”

“While other Heroes may stand a chance if Lord Brudhild joins the fray… even I cannot prevail against that.”

Unlike before, Haineken could not respond with cocky retorts.

This was his final opportunity.

In their previous exchange, he should have finished Berthe with that all-out assault. Then they would have no chance to harm his sister.

But that hope had failed, and now the inevitable would unfold.

“As much as I’d like to spar further, do not begrudge me. This is simply the way of war.”

Berthe grinned insidiously, raising his hand in a signal.

At that moment, Haineken’s deathly pale younger sister suddenly opened her eyes.

“…!”

Haineken failed to conceal his dismay.

“Where are you looking?”

And that brief instant was all the opening Berthe needed to charge forth.

Another vicious fist lashed out, which Haineken narrowly evaded by a paper-thin margin.

The gale pressure stung his temples, causing him to wince.

But then.

“Kkyaaaaaaahhhh!!”

His wide-eyed sister let out a chillingly emotionless shriek, a product of the Necrotic Gardener’s control.

Haineken flinched once more, and this lapse proved fatal.

Ttohng-!

Berthe’s fist, as large as Haineken’s head, struck him squarely in the temple.

As Haineken was sent flying, Berthe muttered under his breath.

“Do not interfere.”

A hostage negotiation tactic.

Faced with the dragon’s vicious grin, Haineken hesitated, his pupils flickering unsteadily.

Soon after, Berthe’s second fist plunged into his solar plexus.

“…!”

Haineken could not even scream.

A shockwave erupted from his contorted back, pulverizing the surrounding earth and air in its path.

Kwaaang!

Haineken’s body slammed into the Alliance ranks.

“Ah…”

“L, Lord Hero…”

The duel had concluded.

For Haineken, constrained by a human body, those two strikes had been fatal – he could no longer continue fighting properly.

“H, Healers! Quickly!”

“Disciples! Over here!”

The soldiers scrambled to treat him, but Berthe did not give them that chance.

Pahng!

With an earth-shattering leap, the soldiers looked skyward. Berthe gazed down upon them from above.

“U, Uwah!”

“Scatter!!”

They frantically shoved and trampled each other to flee for their lives as Berthe descended like a meteor.

But it was not a singular meteor.

Sswahhhng-!

“Kuhohk!”

Just as Berthe was about to plunge towards Haineken, something shot forth trailing a crimson contrail, piercing his solar plexus.

“Kuhuhuhohng–!!”

It was Leah, the Demi-Dragon Hero, who had rushed over sensing Berthe’s overwhelming killing intent.

“Kkyaaaahhhh–!!”

The half-dragon and armored dragon roared ferociously at each other.

However, contrary to her fierce aura, Leah’s palm strike failed to inflict any damage upon Berthe, who immediately kneed her in the plexus in retaliation.

“Kuhahk-!”

Followed by a hammering strike – raising his interlocked fists, he viciously smashed Leah’s back.

Kwahng-!

“Keh, Hehk…!”

Leah’s body slammed into the ground, carving out a sizable crater.

But Leah, with her Endurance Level 7, gritted her teeth through the blood she coughed up, rising once more to charge at Berthe.

The fury of the young dragon who had torn apart the Tsunami Tamer’s beast tides.

However.

“An immature whelp ignorant of martial arts…”

As Leah charged forth, Berthe caught her head-on, seizing her collar and waist to hoist her up instead.

“How dare you!”

Leah’s legs flailed helplessly in the air before being slammed back into the ground.

A perfect body slam.

Kwahng!

The earth cratered further where Leah was embedded.

“Keh, kuhurkk! Kuhuhkk…!”

She coughed up mouthfuls of blood-tinged spittle.

“Huu… So the so-called Lowest Hero is merely a child. Haineken wasn’t too shabby either, but… Is there truly no other worthy adversary remaining like that man?”

“Kkurh, rughk…”

Ultimately, even Level 7 Endurance Leah lost consciousness, foaming at the mouth.

Berthe shouted disdainfully, ensuring the distant Haineken could hear him as well.

“Hecleus! That man said he was glad to have fought a most formidable opponent until the very end.”

At those words, Doyun’s eyes shot wide open.

“He was more tenacious than any other until his dying breath! Yet those who inherited Razvolnic’s title…”

“You.”

“…Hmm?”

Berthe turned towards the source of that voice.

There stood Doyun, unconsciously emanating a potent aura.

“That’s…!”

Berthe’s eyes widened at the sight of a human exuding such an aura.

Then, baring his vicious fangs, he grinned insidiously.

“As I thought… I’ll have to bring you to the Demon Lord’s castle…”

“You didn’t kill Hecleus.”

“What?”

Unable to comprehend Doyun’s words, Berthe furrowed his brow.

Towards that 3m colossal figure, the diminutive human form of Doyun slowly approached.

“You didn’t kill Hecleus.”

At those words, Berthe’s face contorted hideously.

“…What did you just say?”

The dragon growled lowly, savagely, like nails scratching the ground.

All present on the battlefield struggled to breathe amidst that densely oppressive aura.

But Doyun walked unfazed, completely at ease.

“He wasn’t the sort to spout drivel about death’s requiem or whatnot.”

“If you wish to die.”

Berthe too stomped towards him.

“Then say it again.”

And so, the two faced each other.

Glaring down at Doyun, Berthe peered into his eyes and recoiled slightly.

‘This guy… what is…’

Within those deep, dark eyes like the ocean depths.

An unfathomable, bone-chilling fury smoldered, beyond even his draconic senses could comprehend.

“The Hecleus I knew… in the 4 deaths I witnessed. In every single one of those moments.”

“Just what are you blathering about…”

“He left the exact same words.”

“…!”

Through his draconic intuition, Berthe sensed this was no idle lie.

Yet his instincts screamed at him not to listen to this human’s words.

“You damned reptile daring to sully that man’s legacy…”

Kwahng–!!

That massive, hammer-like fist swung forth.

Striking Doyun squarely in the temple, the fist left a powerful shockwave in its wake, upturning the surrounding earth.

A savage strike no human could possibly withstand.

“Im…!!”

But Doyun remained completely unharmed.

“Just what in the world are you, you brat!!!”

“My friend.”

Dark energy rippled around Doyun as he slowly, ever so slightly, pushed back that gigantic fist with his arms.

“Was not so weak…”

Hecleus’s friend, Enoch Razvolnic.

“As to fall to such paltry fists…!”

His eyes glistened with a golden radiance.