Chapter 479: The Star-Piercing Lance (Triple Release!)
Cocotte's brow furrowed as waves of bewilderment crashed through her mind.
She had encountered all of Aubrey's offspring.
Whether the Second Prince or Aurelianne, each had demonstrated their distinctive characteristics.
Though the Second Prince was far from virtuous, his audacity to conspire with demons revealed considerable mental fortitude.
She firmly believed that neither the Second Prince nor Aurelianne would ever display such cowardice and terror under these circumstances.
Yet here stood the First Prince—the eldest of them all.
At this critical moment, before the terrified masses, confronting the stone colossus.
He was afraid?
Cocotte found this utterly incomprehensible.
But even as confusion clouded her thoughts, the earth resumed its violent trembling.
That earth-brown giant had risen once more.
During Cocotte's momentary distraction, the rock giant enduring human assault broke free from all restraints, hurling aside every surrounding knight and demon hunter.
Its boulder-like legs thundered across the earth as its sky-eclipsing form charged inexorably toward the square.
Hearing the residents behind them erupt once again in panicked, terrified cries, Cocotte jolted back to awareness, recognizing the crisis's severity.
She'd been too fixated on that golden prince's condition, neglecting to handle the rock giant.
All because this earth giant harbored no malice toward her—a fact that had scattered her focus.
Cocotte swiftly unleashed nature magic as emerald vines erupted from the ground in successive waves, striving to halt the giant's advance.
Under relentless interception, the giant's charge gradually decelerated.
These vines crumbled and shattered beneath the giant's impact, yet their sacrifice steadily weakened its momentum.
Thank goodness... thank goodness.
Cocotte exhaled in relief.
Though merely a fifth-tier mage, her intimate bond with the divine tree granted her unimaginably potent natural magic.
This had allowed her to obstruct the rock giant before catastrophe struck.
Given sufficient time, she could handle this stone behemoth at will.
Just as she permitted herself slight relaxation, the stationary earth giant tore through the swirling dust clouds.
A massive fist of solid rock detached from its arm, hurtling down from the heavens above.
That terrifying projectile actually ripped through the air itself, its passage generating howling wind that shrieked in all directions.
Cocotte's eyes flew wide in shock.
This earth giant possessed ranged attacks!?
This was completely beyond her expectations—she'd prepared no defenses against such an assault.
The stone's velocity was overwhelming—if it crashed into the square, the resulting casualties would be unthinkable!
Cocotte frantically channeled her magic as thick vine tendrils wove through the air, forming two colossal whips.
The whips rapidly interlaced overhead, creating an enormous net designed to intercept that approaching boulder-fist.
But the rock, carrying devastating momentum, still smashed through the earth-rooted vines, dragging the emerald mesh as it continued its deadly trajectory toward the square.
Her hastily conjured magic proved utterly inadequate for interception—capable only of marginally reducing the impact force.
Though this did slow the projectile's speed, as it plummeted toward the crowd, Cocotte could only watch helplessly as it descended.
And its target destination was precisely where the First Prince stood.
The family beside the First Prince squeezed their eyes shut in terror, parents desperately shielding their children's vision.
Now they could only witness the stone's inexorable fall.
Waiting in absolute despair.
Awaiting death's embrace.
However, in that moment of ultimate hopelessness...
A brilliant golden radiance erupted from the earth!
His movement wasn't swift, yet he appeared exactly when needed—directly in the massive rock's path.
Everyone—including Cocotte—stood transfixed, staring toward that stone's direction, toward that luminous golden figure.
It was the First Prince—
Aubrey Sol.
In that instant, he performed an act that would astound every witness.
With his own mortal flesh and blood, he unhesitatingly intercepted that colossal projectile.
The crushing stone slammed into the First Prince as devastating impact forces coursed through his entire frame.
Bones and organs shifted violently in that split second—even those fragile bones produced audible cracking sounds.
Yet despite everything, he maintained his death-grip on the boulder.
Within that single precious second, the surrounding civilians snapped to awareness.
Even that family of four instantly understood, scrambling desperately toward safety.
Finally, the rock thundered to earth, shattering against the now-empty ground.
As dust clouds gradually settled, the First Prince lay motionless beside the boulder, his golden armor rent and broken.
His eyes stared vacantly like death's own ashes while fresh blood streamed continuously from his lips.
Hovering on death's very threshold.
Cocotte stared in stunned disbelief at the First Prince's devastating condition.
But at that moment, the earth giant that had just been thwarted prepared to strike again.
Its remaining arm rose, preparing to hurl another massive projectile.
Cocotte realized that should another boulder come flying, there might be no second hero willing to make such a sacrifice.
Therefore, she readied her magic early, attempting to block the stone giant's assault.
However, at precisely that instant...
The giant's entire form froze as though someone had pressed a cosmic pause button—utterly immobilized.
Though puzzled, Cocotte had no time for contemplation, feeling only waves of unexpected elation.
Perfect opportunity!
She swiftly channeled her magic as verdant life-force surged beneath her cloud-throne.
But almost simultaneously...
WHOOOOSH—!!!
A star blazing with celestial radiance required merely half a heartbeat's duration.
As though tearing reality itself asunder, it screamed past her ear.
As that luminous streak passed, the entire world plunged into thunderous, deafening silence.
Instantly, shockwaves erupted through space like apocalyptic tsunamis, spreading relentlessly toward the crowd in every direction.
Even the earth itself launched fragments that exploded and scattered due to this incomprehensibly terrifying impact.
Even the pitch-black sky shrouded in earth-brown clouds was rent open by a razor-thin fissure.
Ethereal blue moonlight cascaded through the breach, illuminating the devastated, muddy landscape.
Cocotte turned her head in bewildered amazement, discovering to her shock that space itself had been cleaved apart by a void chasm.
This fissure extended impossibly far, reaching directly to the rock giant's chest.
Finally, her gaze settled upon the giant at the trajectory's end.
That terrifying stellar lance had completely pierced the rock giant's body, embedded firmly within its stone form.
The silver star's brilliance gradually faded as the friction flames it bore slowly subsided.
Every soul present fell into absolute silence, staring transfixed at the impaled colossus.
BOOM!
The next instant, the sky-reaching giant exploded into countless fragments, crashing to earth like a collapsing mountain range.
Only a single spear remained, its silver radiance dimming, standing firmly embedded in the ground.
The spear tip had been completely destroyed, its iron head fallen away near the scattered rocks.
Yet through sheer force alone, it had driven deep into the earth, half its shaft buried beneath the surface.
As the spatial rift gradually sealed, every gaze traced that perfect trajectory backward.
Their vision swept across the square, ascending countless stone steps.
The residents beheld an elderly figure draped in the most magnificent regalia, seated regally upon a throne wrought from pure gold.
He wore the imperial crown, one hand supporting his chin while the other maintained the casual posture of having just hurled a spear.
Beside this sovereign, a servant stood respectfully, cradling a bundle of ordinary iron lances while awaiting orders with serene composure.
In that moment, every witness stood frozen like petrified statues.
Under countless staring eyes, Aubrey radiated an aura of absolute, crushing majesty.
His voice remained steady, yet carried indescribable imperial authority.
A single quiet phrase—like a lion's earth-shaking roar—piercing the very heavens.
"Pathetically fragile."
"However..."
His gaze shifted directly toward his son lying broken upon the ground, barely clinging to life.
As though for the very first time, his features softened into the faintest trace of a smile:
"My son."
"This time... you have done exceptionally well." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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