NOVEL NEXT Chapter 145: The reason Shin was the strongest of all
Cassian studies them, deciding who to kill next, like a sadist savoring the psychological torment of powerless prey.
And now… his gaze locks onto Shin.
«Dad, watch out!» Hakuto screams in a desperate cry, tears welling in his eyes.
Once again, he tries to rush to the aid of Cassian's chosen victim. And once again, even though his speed now rivals a bolt of lightning, it is still not enough to match the avatar of Nyratalir.
Yet…
A blinding white flash—an explosion of pure flames—erupts, dazzling everyone for an instant. When the light fades, Cassian is farther away from Shin than he was a moment before.
Around the man's body, the Sacred Flame roars with explosive might, equal to the outburst unleashed the year before during his battle with Velshekar, when he painted the skies of New York in white and shook the city so violently that the people believed it to be an earthquake.
A release of Sacred Flame unmatched by any Monster Reaper in the world, not even those currently much stronger than Shin, like Chris Kendrow, Zayn Bekan, or even Hakuto himself. Shin has repelled an assault that even Itsu, just moments earlier, had been unable to deflect and had only endured as best as he could.
But that intense outburst of Sacred Flame lasts barely a second before vanishing.
«Truly remarkable…» Cassian murmurs, genuine astonishment mixing with a faint note of admiration. «So this is the power that made you the nightmare of the strongest beings of N'Raeth for years. I am honored you chose to show it to me before dying—a gesture I shall reward with a quick and painless death.»
«Yeah, but unfortunately, I'm no longer at the age to fight opponents this strong,» Shin replies with a shrug. «Twenty years ago, I could keep the Sacred Flame burning at this intensity for nearly an hour straight. Now, after only a handful of seconds, I'm already struggling. Growing old is such a nuisance…»
Meanwhile, Hakuto finally reaches Shin, placing himself between his father and Cassian, his sword pointed at the dark being.
«Hakuto,» Shin murmurs. «I don't want to sound needlessly optimistic, but I think I've found a way to defeat him.»
Hakuto simply nods, signaling to his father that he is listening and urging him to continue.
«The first suspicion struck me when you and Chantal attacked him simultaneously with long-range strikes. In that moment, he didn't lift a finger to defend himself—his mere presence was enough to nullify them. That made me think his body is composed of anti-magic, the dark particle that lies at the core of Shadow Magic, capable of disintegrating ordinary magic on contact. But that was only a guess, confirmed moments later when Chantal tried to strike him with her Sacred Flame sword. Why bother repelling her with that black wind? If he had allowed her to approach, killing her would have been trivial. The final confirmation came just now, when he retreated before my massive release of Sacred Flame instead of trying to break through it as he did against Itsu.»
«In other words…» Hakuto murmurs. «You're saying Cassian's weakness is the Sacred Flame?»
«It is the most logical conclusion from what has happened. The Sacred Flame was granted to us directly by the emissaries of the God of Light after Nyratalir's imprisonment—when the first dimensional rifts between Earth and N'Raeth began to open. We always believed it was given to us to defend against creatures from N'Raeth. But what if that wasn't the only reason? What if it was also bestowed to give us an answer should a threat on the same scale as Nyratalir appear here as well? It wouldn't be so far-fetched. After all, the dark emissaries created the Corrupted Flame—a power designed to annihilate their nemesis. Unfortunately, there are no historical records of clashes between Sacred Flame wielders and Shadow Magic users, so I cannot be entirely certain of my theory…»
A sudden explosion of white fire bursts from Shin.
«…there's only one way to find out!»
Now Hakuto's body too is wrapped in Sacred Flame, with no trace left of his violet electricity—using it against someone capable of destroying magic, as his father just said, would only be a waste of energy.
«I hate being left behind! Don't think I can't fight at your side!» Chantal snaps. White flame erupts from her body as well, though it remains battered by numerous wounds that refuse to heal—her Sanguis energy nearly drained.
The three of them dash toward Cassian like white comets, Hakuto in the center, Shin and Chantal flanking him.
Itsu also joins the assault, his hand gripping the rapier of metallic blood. He can rely only on his skeletal orange armor, blazing with an intense scarlet aura. He has deliberately chosen to set aside the Corrupted Flame, avoiding any interference with the Sacred Flame surrounding Hakuto and the others.
«This waste of time has gone on long enough,» Cassian declares coldly, irritation in his tone. «I allowed you a taste of what it means to face a tiny fragment of Nyratalir's infinite power. Now it is time to end this farce!»
Like a porcupine, razor-sharp spikes of shadow erupt outward from Cassian's body in every direction.
–SWING! SWING!
Hakuto, followed closely by Chantal and Shin, hacks through the black thicket with his sword, like an adventurer forcing a path through a dense forest. With each slash, dozens of those thick spikes are severed and disintegrated.
-Dad was right! By using only the Sacred Flame, my attacks are so much more effective against him! Perfect, I just need to close the distance and— -
—SLASH!
-…d-damn it…!-
One of the shadow spikes pierces through Hakuto's guard and impales his left shoulder.
A stream of blood gushes from the wound, and only a few drops of the pink regenerative liquid—gifted by the Succubus Kiss—flow out. His Incubus energy has long been depleted, as has the power of his crystal. The diamond armor barely covers the arm holding his sword.
But Hakuto does not slow down. To falter even for an instant would mean being overwhelmed by countless other spikes.
With a sharp strike, he severs the spike lodged in his shoulder and pushes forward, without turning back, without yielding to pain or exhaustion. He doesn't falter even when Chantal's agonized screams echo behind him, screams so sharp they rattle his very bones.
He keeps carving his way forward, blow after blow, his left shoulder burning in agony, leaving behind a trail of flames, blood, and tears streaming from his eyes as Chantal's cries grow weaker until they fall silent.
-Chantal… please, Chantal… hold on, I beg you… HOLD ON!-
All he can do is pray for her. Even though every part of him longs to turn back and protect her, he knows he cannot.
The fate of not just their lives, but millions—perhaps billions—hangs on whether he can kill Cassian.
Shin, right behind Hakuto, presses on as well, though slightly slower than his son—he too struggles to contain the rage and pain of leaving Chantal behind.
Not far from them, Itsu forces his way through the dark thicket with far greater difficulty, unable to rely on the Sacred Flame. His skeletal armor holds, but it is terribly cracked and chipped by the relentless barrage of shadow spikes.
Where a Sacred Flame wielder can cut through dozens of spikes with a single strike, Itsu needs two or three blows to sever just one. Even resorting to Blood Words would be useless. Those razor-sharp tendrils are made of the same material as Cassian's body—that anti-magic Shin described. Completely invulnerable to any magical assault. The only way Itsu can destroy them is with his blade.