Chapter 175 (1/2)

Chapter 175

Chapter 175: Appeared

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ARTHUR LEYWIN

A gli sun could be seen behind the Grand Mountains, casting a large shadow over the glades, a flat plain of grass with large boulders and splintered logs scattered throughout the area

This place appeared to be a part of the surrounding forest long ago before an avalanche had struck Snow still lingered, hiding in patches in the shadows of the debris of fallen trees

Uto stood a dozen or so yards away, swinging his ar stretch

‘Arthur’ Sylvie’s voice was filled with unease

I know, I replied, taking off my woolen cloak Even I can already sense the difference between hiht

“Do you knohat , thin neck

I didn’t answer Instead, I took out Dawn’s Ballad fro and withdrew it from its scabbard

“You don’t know? I’ve found that it’s an eneusto,” he answered nonchalantly

An ethereal glow enveloped the teal blade of ed remains of the broken tip still sent an ache to my heart, but I knew that even in this condition, Dawn’s Ballad was still the best weapon I could hope for right now

I raised“You think this is a battle for revenge?”

“Isn’t it?” he shrugged, taking a step closer as he tapped his chipped horn “You were pretty riled up when you found out that I was the one responsible for killing that elf”

“My first ti a step forward as well “So revenge wouldn’t be quite my motivator I simply consider you someone that needs to be disposed of”

Uto frowned “Well that’s disappointing Here I was, so excited that you’d be hell-bent on using every ounce of your being to seek vengeance for your comrade, companion, or even possibly lover—scratch that, you’re a little too young for her, unless she’s into that kind of…”

The lanky retainer continued to muether “Aha! Grandpa elf! His precious granddaughter is around your age, isn’t she? Considering how close you are to that family, it would make more sense for you to fancy her than that elven lan—”

The sickle-shaped blade of frost that I had launched at the lanky retainer dissipated after hitting a black spike that had round in front of him The ink-stained metal spikes froze on impact but ree and iers in regret “I should’ve killed the little elf princess orall the way out here for you to show up”

“Are you done?” I asked through gritted teeth, holding my sword out in an offensive stance

Uto ed “You oing to need all the help you can get”

“Coaze remained locked on the retainer

My bond hopped out of my cloak, her eyes sharp and fur-like scales bristled

“It’s a sha us aren’t as well-knit as I thought they’d be, Pup That ele e first met left a deep impression, you see It made me think that I hurt you deeply—personally” Uto let out a deep, exaggerated breath “No matter Let’s see if you can humor me for at least a few minutes”

Uto took a step forward, but unlike the casual saunter he had before, the space around him suddenly distorted His presence became almost palpable in the air as each step sent ripples of vibrations into the ground

I immediately unleashed Realmheart while Sylvie shi+fted into her draconic for his head

With Sylvie’s powers sealed since birth by Sylvia, she just resembled a very powerful mana beast, but no more than that I had stayed cautious since the war, but it was a relief seeing how even a retainer couldn’t tell

“Why? Does that scare you?” I pushed

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He responded with a wicked sneer before he nonchalantly flicked his right hand

With Real us, my body sensed the disturbance in front of me before I could actually see Sylvie and I both dashed in opposite directions just in tie of black spikes that had instantly round that we had just been standing on now looked like the back of a really large and angry porcupine with each of the seven-foot spikes glealy

“Brandish your weapon, Pup!” he spat, siphoning a large black harpoon froht Dawn’s Ballad close to my side as I pointed the weapon’s fractured tip at Uto The runes glowing ontheme

The blade ofarray of colors as I infused ice, fire, lightning and wind It was only because the weapon was Dawn’s Ballad that it was able to hold strong despite the overbearing ao! I charged with Sylvie by my side

I held round beneathnature was the least of ed as well, his harpoon arm recoiled like a snake ready to lash out

In an instant,a spherical wave from the sheer concussive force of our ied out but Uto held on effortlessly

He waggled his eyebrohile our weapons were still intertwined “Not bad”

‘Duck,’ Sylvie ordered

I tail, hitting hiround

Uto flew to the side, sla into a nearby boulder which shattered upon impact

The veil of debris had yet to clear when I flourished Dawn’s Ballad A polychro the very cloud of dust as it traveled

The earth shook violently as round The shockwave dropped the row of trees closest to Uto

‘He’s still alive,’ Sylvie, as already prepared for her next attack, infor more mana around my body in case of a surprise strike, but rather than a retaliation at our barrage, a laugh rang froain, I saw the flickering fluctuations of mana around e pillars of the black metal fired out fros

I parried the thin spikes with Dawn’s Ballad, which sent a jarring amount of force up my arms Meanwhile, Sylvie knocked aside the thick pillars that had sprouted froed to withstand most of the attack, but the sheer volue left both of us wounded and bleeding

Don’t heal us, I ordered when Sylvie gathered mana into her breath Not yet, at least

Fortunately, the spikes weren’t laced with poison, but it was almost unfair how the retainer was able to conjure thees had to shape the earth around the them out Uto seemed to be able to just manifest his attacks wherever he pleased

“I expected hed as he walked out of the depression of earth that I had created from my last attack

Defendmorehair turn white as I fell deeper into the Realmheart Physique The runes became more complex and I could feel its er to obeyseamlessly into spells that would normally take immense concentration

Dawn’s Ballad was emblazoned in a silver aura of frost while

Uto’s broere knitted, but he had no ti a torrent of attacks My crystalline sas noonly streaks of silver in its path I weaved in punches, elbows, knees and kicks like how Kordri had taughtDawn’s Ballad, he instantly countered with a black spike, which froze and shattered on impact Meanwhile Sylvie stayed close behind, her limbs a flurry of scales and claws as she hacked and ripped away at the neverending barrage of black spikes Uto conjured Soon, the area around us became a ruin of frozen rubble and severed spikes of black ood, Arthur Uto’s attacks are firing in greater volurunted

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My eyes rele wound Every time it seemed like I was about to land an attack, a black slate ofhis body

I’ll have to kick it up a notch

The thick tendrils of black lightning coiled around ic, heighteningic

The very world see Colors seeh Real Dawn’s Ballad once more as I easily dipped under Uto’s thrust Just as my blade was about connect with Uto’s exposed side, I saw it

I saw the retainer’s black spike ic that once seemed instant, rapidly coalesce just where my attack was about to hit Immediately, I redirected my strike upward just below his ar—to nedmy fist into his sternum

The retainer buckled over froht while a thin trail of fluid too dark to be blood trickled down the side of his mouth

Surprised that my attack had actually connected, I paused for a beat before lunging forith another strike