Return of the Mythic Bloodline

"Protect the wall with your lives!" Erik shouted, pouring his Soulforce into the Madam Doom.

Ballistas and cannons rained destruction from the wall while the empire's knights on the ground fired arrows from bows and crossbows.

Hector, being at the Early-stage Eternal Sage realm, instantly rushed forward, avoiding the aftermath of Madam Doom.

"Attack Hector. I will try to hold back the army," Erik commanded, unleashing cannon fire upon the massive force.

The soldiers quickly redirected the ballistas, aiming them at Hector, who was closing in on the fortress at a terrifying pace.

Spear-sized arrows were launched at him, but his speed was too great to be targeted by mere Awakened Sages.

As he neared the wall, he drew his spear. A bright white light gathered at its tip like a star.

With a sudden flick of his hand, he hurled the spear forward.

In the blink of an eye, the spear appeared before Erik and plunged into the muzzle of the cannon.

An ear-deafening explosion followed. The entire area was engulfed in massive clouds of smoke and fire.

When the dust settled, what remained of the once-mighty wall of the Ironvale Duchy was nothing more than a pile of rocks and debris.

Hector's attack alone would not have been enough to destroy the wall, so he targeted the Madam Doom and used its explosion to his advantage.

On the other side, Erik was the only one within the range of the explosion who survived.

Blood trickled down his temple and dripped from his chin. Several of his ribs were broken, and his body was riddled with injuries.

He pushed aside the debris covering him and stood once more, breathing heavily.

"Oh, you survived that explosion," Hector said, raising an eyebrow as he saw Erik standing alone before the massive imperial army. "If you had stayed buried under the debris, you might have lived."

Raising his voice, he shouted, "The wall has been breached. Enter the city and spare no one!"

The knights roared behind him and surged forward, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground.

Erik ignored the charging army and lunged forward, stopping directly before Hector.

"So you have given up on protecting the wall?" Hector asked. "But it is too late to ask for forgive—"

"Hector Solaris! I challenge you to a duel!" Erik shouted, pointing his sword at him.

"How dare a traitor challenge His Highness to a sacred duel?" one of the soldiers shouted, raising his sword toward Erik.

"Wait," Hector commanded, stopping the knight.

"If I bring back the head of Erik Ironvale, the last heir of the Ironvale Duchy and a traitor to the empire, I will surely earn recognition as the Prince. Father may even pass the throne to me sooner," Hector thought inwardly before asking, "Why are you challenging me to a duel?"

"I know I cannot stop an army of millions by myself, but if I hold you hostage, I can drive them out of my country," Erik replied through gritted teeth.

His words were met with waves of laughter and mockery among the imperial knights. A mere True Sage expecting to defeat an Eternal Sage and take him hostage.

"Very well. As the First Prince of the Azure Sun Empire, I will grant you this final chance to protect your country. But you must defeat me quickly, because the more time you take, the more of your people will be slaughtered. Now come. I accept your challenge to a duel."

Turning to his army, he commanded, "All units except my personal knights, enter the city."

The army obeyed and marched past Erik, who kept his gaze locked on Hector.

Even though Erik was injured and a major realm below Hector, Hector still retained his fifty personal knights, all at the Early-stage True Sage realm.

Erik clearly understood the reason for this.

If Erik were defeated, they would sing Hector's praises to the emperor. And if by some miracle Hector was about to lose, they would intervene, ensuring no one would ever hear of it.

Even knowing he had been completely cornered, Erik did not waver.

He gripped his sword with both hands and began attacking Hector.

The barrage of strikes was effortlessly dodged by Hector, whose physical prowess and senses far surpassed Erik's.

It was like a child clumsily swinging a blade at a seasoned warrior.

Hector did not counterattack. With an amused smile, he continued dodging with minimal movement.

"Th-this bastard… he is using me to impress his knights," Erik muttered, his strikes slowing as exhaustion set in.

"Don't tell me you are already tired?" Hector asked. "You cannot protect your country like this."

"Now!" Erik muttered inwardly, thrusting his sword forward.

Hector stepped aside to dodge, or at least that was what he believed.

Suddenly, the blade bent sharply at the middle and curved toward his throat.

He leaned back at the last moment, but he was too late.

A faint scratch appeared across his throat, and a drop of blood slid down.

For a brief moment, Erik had reached Hector's neck. If he had been even slightly faster, he would have killed him.

The realization filled Hector with fury. Being wounded by an injured opponent of a lower realm was a deep humiliation.

As Hector faltered for a split second, Erik struck again. This time, the attack seemed aimed at his heart.

But as the blade approached, it twisted like a serpent, its tip darting toward Hector's temple.

Before it could land, Hector caught the blade with his bare hand and shattered it with his Soulforce.

"How dare you!" Hector roared, driving his other hand into Erik's abdomen.

The impact sent Erik tumbling across the battlefield like a ragdoll.

Before he could recover, Hector rushed forward and stomped down on him.

Blood burst from Erik's mouth as he groaned in agony.

Hector gave him no chance to breathe and continued stomping, his foot blazing with Soulforce.

Each strike crushed Erik's internal organs and shattered his bones.

All four of his limbs were broken. His armor was torn apart, and fragments of his ribs protruded from his sides.

Yet his gaze remained fixed on the imperial army pouring into the city.

"You are still worried about your people?" Hector asked, irritation evident on his face.

"Don't worry. I will make sure every one of your dogs joins you in hell—"

"Hahaha… it is my victory," Erik laughed as the final line of soldiers entered the city.

"What do you mean—"

Before Hector could finish, a massive pillar of blinding white light erupted, encircling the entire country.

After a few seconds, the light dimmed and vanished.

Along with it, the presence of the millions of soldiers who had entered the city disappeared.