Chapter 147: A Fierce Battle
Boom!
Runard attacked Ignis fiercely, slamming him into the ground.
His red armor was half destroyed, and wounds and bruises covered his entire body and face.
"Hah… hah…" Runard gasped with a cold grin. "Do you realize it now, Ignis? You are nothing to me!"
Runard's condition wasn't much better. A quarter of his silver armor was destroyed, and blood dripped from his temple.
Even so, the burning fighting spirit was still clear on his face.
He had long wanted to defeat one of the three elemental generals decisively.
Unfortunately, that dream never came true because his soldiers were always suppressed by the Aldorian Kingdom's army.
He inevitably had to help them while defending against Ignis. One could imagine how difficult his situation was, fighting both sides at once.
Now, he could finally fight freely without worrying about his soldiers.
Hearing Runard's arrogant words, Ignis became furious.
Among the three elemental generals, he was the most hot-tempered and the worst at controlling his emotions.
That matched his element—fire, which symbolized arrogance, pride, and anger.
"Don't be arrogant, Runard! Do you think you've won?" He sneered coldly. "I haven't even unleashed all my power yet!"
Boom!
An overwhelming aura burst from his body and destroyed everything around him.
Runard quickly stepped back ten paces, covering half of his face with his right arm.
'What's happening? Why did his aura suddenly shoot up so fast?' he wondered warily.
He never underestimated anyone who had achieved the feat of becoming one of the Three Element Generals.
Although Ignis was weaker than him in raw strength, Runard knew that wasn't enough to make him superior.
After all, in battle, weapons, opportunity, momentum, morale, and many other factors played important roles.
Unless someone reached the stage where they could kill anyone with just a flick of their wrist, they could never expect absolute victory.
Ignis's aura slowly weakened before fading completely.
Runard lowered his arm and saw a two-meter-tall lion standing beside Ignis.
The lion was red, with thick and long reddish-gold fur.
A fire symbol stretched across its body, and its face looked terrifying.
Sharp claws protruded from its paws, giving it an intimidating presence.
Its eyes were blood-red. Its gaze pierced straight into the soul, and Runard felt a faint pressure that made him flinch.
'A Guardian Spirit?' Runard was stunned when he realized what it was. 'And its level… is very high. Three-star? Or even four-star?'
Unfortunately, he had no time to think. Ignis and his guardian spirit were already rushing toward him at incredible speed.
Ignis spun his spear with a wide grin.
"Feel my attack, Runard!"
Boom!
The spear slammed into Runard, who had already taken a defensive stance.
The ground beneath his feet cracked, then shattered into a hole one meter deep.
Runard felt his hands, which he used as a shield, nearly break.
He quickly channeled his power to heal them, then clenched his right fist and threw a punch straight at Ignis's face.
Seeing the attack, Ignis didn't dodge at all.
Instead, his smile widened as he shouted, "Attack him, Flame Lion!"
Roar!
A roar erupted from beside Runard. He was startled and tried to dodge, but Ignis had already turned his body and launched another attack.
Inevitably, Runard took the blow, while the lion monster struck him hard from the side.
He was thrown thirty meters away. Using the momentum, he twisted his body and landed safely.
Even so, the pain from the Guardian Spirit's attack was undeniable.
"Damn…" Runard gritted his teeth as he rubbed his left shoulder.
Even though it was only a simple headbutt, the force behind it was tremendous and terrifying.
If it had hit an ordinary person, their bones would've been shattered to pieces.
"Hahaha! Now, do you still dare to act arrogant, Runard?" Ignis burst out laughing.
He touched his lion's head and mocked, "From the beginning, I wasn't even serious. I just wanted to let you feel superior for a moment. But you got so arrogant that it pissed me off. Now feel the consequences, hahaha!"
Runard stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He admitted he had been careless earlier.
But that didn't mean he would repeat the same mistake.
He raised his sword and pointed it at Ignis.
"Our fight isn't over. No one knows who will come out on top."
With that, a golden aura erupted from his body, and Runard's power increased threefold.
"Come on, Ignis," Runard said defiantly. "This time, I'll finish you off!"
Suddenly, a playful voice came from his right.
"Oh? You're really fired up, Runard Tharot. How about I join in too?"
Runard was startled. He turned and saw a handsome man in golden armor.
His short brown hair nearly covered his ears, and a mocking smile rested on his face.
"Corin?" Runard instantly became alert.
Corin was the General of Earth, and his power was said to be the strongest.
Compared to Ignis, this man was several times more dangerous.
Facing Ignis—who had already summoned his Guardian Spirit—was difficult enough. But facing Corin as well?
"Don't forget me," another voice said from his left. "I want to join the fight too. Fighting those weak soldiers was boring."
Runard turned and saw Nereus, the Water General. His expression darkened even more.
Of the three generals, the one he least wanted to face was Nereus.
While Corin was technically stronger, Nereus's skills and intelligence far surpassed his.
He was incredibly clever, cunning, and possessed terrifying analytical abilities.
Fighting him required extreme caution, as no one could predict when Nereus would launch a surprise attack.
"Hahaha! Runard, you're finished this time!" Ignis laughed excitedly. "You'll die first, then your soldiers, and finally your kingdom will fall. That is your fate!"
His taunts ignited Runard's anger. Anyone could mock him—but not his homeland.
Whoosh
Runard vanished like lightning and appeared right in front of Ignis.
Ignis was shocked and tried to dodge but failed.
Bang!
Runard's powerful blow sent Ignis flying eighty meters away.
Roar!
The red lion roared and raised its claws, ready to tear Runard apart.
But Runard had anticipated it. He sidestepped and kicked the lion in the stomach.
Bang!
The lion was sent flying, crashing into the soldiers of the Aldorian Kingdom.
Corin's and Nereus's expressions darkened. They hadn't expected Runard to attack so suddenly.
But it didn't matter. They were ready to finish him off now.
Just as they were about to move, a terrifying aura descended from above, pressing down on everyone across the battlefield.
At the same time, a cold and deep voice echoed in all directions.
"Who dares cause trouble in the territory we guard, huh?"
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