Chapter 97 Royal Battle
Chapter 97 Royal Battle
Iryoku couldn’t take it anymore.
His whole body shook—rage boiling, pressure so intense he nearly spat blood.
His hand moved faster than anyone could see.
Crack!
The harpoon exploded from his grip, a streak of white light trailing a glowing rope—fired at a speed no human could track.
Slash!
A barrier flashed into existence before King Alden—Eidrith’s instant reaction spell.
It shattered in the same breath. The Alpha Wolf Fang tore through it like wet paper, screaming toward the king’s heart.
Even with only a thin coating of Leben at its edge, the weapon’s killing power was monstrous.
Alden and his sons moved as one—
weapons raised,
edges gleaming, fully coated in Leben.
CRASH!
Darragh swung, his sword glowing—then split clean in half.
Garron’s massive axe, crackling with energy, came down hard—only to shatter like glass.
The harpoon closed in—
—but Alden’s hand flashed.
A golden spear appeared in his grip, radiant and heavy. He thrust it forward, meeting the incoming weapon in a blinding flare of power.
CLASH!
Leben met Leben.
Metal screamed. Sparks exploded as a shockwave erupted.
The golden blade of the king’s spear was nearly split in two, the harpoon carving halfway through before being knocked aside—just barely.
The rope snapped taut—
whip!—
and the harpoon flew back into Iryoku’s hand in the blink of an eye.
Alden’s gaze followed it, desire burning in his eyes.
Around them, chaos erupted.
Knights surged forward.
Court mages began chanting.
Reika and Yumi moved without hesitation—fear gone.
Alessandra seized her cannon, teeth clenched, planting her feet firmly on the ground as she cranked its core to maximum.
BOOM!
A thunderclap tore through the hall as the magic shot struck a knight, shattering his armor and hurling him backward.
“Piercing Arrow!”
“Lightning Bolt!”
Two blazing spells streaked toward the royals.
Darragh stepped forward—shield raised, Leben coating it in a thick, unbreakable glow.
Behind him, Eidrith and the other mages wove walls of wind, water, and reinforced magic—shields of shifting color, barriers that roared.
Jonas and the healers chanted—sending out waves of restoration, bursts of strength, surges of speed.
Carla and Diana, the two maids, hurriedly ducked behind the group.
Iryoku’s arm twitched.
The harpoon launched again—straight toward the king.
The royals braced—smiles curling on their lips.
But mid-flight, the weapon swerved.
It snapped around—locking onto a mage in the back line.
Iryoku’s snarl cut through the chaos.
“GET OVER HERE!”
Fwooom!
The rope snapped taut, yanking the mage through the barriers and the girls’ spells—slicing, burning, and shredding him with raw magic as he hurtled forward.
He reached Iryoku’s grasp—
—and Iryoku lunged, slamming a savage kick into his chest.
CRUNCH!
Jonas’s body flew sideways, smashing into the stone floor with a sickening impact.
Bones burst through skin. Limbs twisted at impossible angles. Flesh hung in ribbons, burned black and slick with blood. A pool spread beneath him, steam rising from the charred meat that had once been his torso.
Meanwhile, both Yumi’s and Reika’s attacks slammed into the magical barrier. Lightning splintered against the revolving wall of wind, its crackling charge fading into the air. Yumi’s piercing arrow drilled through the spinning currents, breaking past—only to strike the wall of water beyond. The shaft slowed, its force spent, until it halted entirely.
The two girls were already preparing their next moves when Alessandra burst forward from her position. Leben flared around her as she intercepted two knights charging from the flank. She caught a sword strike on her shield, grunting under the force, while her other hand swung the long magical cannon like a war club. The heavy barrel smashed into the second knight, shattering his Leben and hurling him into the wall. His armored body slumped to the floor.
The first knight attacked again in a flurry of strikes. Alessandra swung the cannon once more—the blow crashed into his helmet, snapping his neck at a sharp, unnatural angle. He collapsed without a sound.
She exhaled through clenched teeth.
Three more knights rushed in at blistering speed. Yumi moved first, loosing three arrows in rapid succession, each one threaded with faint magic. All three found their marks—eyes and throats pierced—dropping the attackers before they could take another step.
Reika advanced, raising an invisible barrier in front of the group. The faint shimmer caught the light of the surrounding chaos, holding firm as the battle raged on.
Iryoku fired his harpoon again—this time cutting down every warrior not behind the royals’ barrier. It zigzagged through them, penetrating with deadly precision, ending them quickly.
Reika thought fast, spinning toward the doors behind them. “We need to flee—now.”
Alessandra nodded and rushed to the door, slamming her cannon against it—only to rebound hard. The walls flared with heavy energy, sealing off any escape.
“Dammit,” she cursed, glancing back toward the royals and their mages.
Yumi drew another arrow, the tip glowing brighter with concentrated power. Reika followed suit, weaving her strongest attack; electricity crackled violently around her hands.
Iryoku, nearly vanishing from sight, poured all his rage into the tip of his harpoon.
They unleashed their attacks in unison.
“Piercing Arrow!”
“Lightning Storm!”
“Infinity Edge!”
But their strikes were abruptly cut short.
King Alden and his group smiled behind their shimmering barriers.
Eidrith and his mages exchanged a quick nod.
“Gravity Shake!” Eidrith roared, finishing his spell. A dense sphere of magic swirled around their group.
At the same time, another mage shouted, “Magic Disruption!” A wide cone of disruptive energy surged forward.
Yumi’s arrow and Reika’s storm fizzled into nothing the moment the cone touched them—missing the royals entirely.
Iryoku’s harpoon, however, was faster than the rest. Even as the black glow at its dagger tip faded, it kept going—crossing the threshold.
In that instant, every barrier and Leben coating on the royals vanished.
But then, the harpoon’s blade grew suddenly heavier under the gravity spell, slamming down hard. Iryoku tried to call it back, but it didn’t respond.
A sudden unease hit him as he saw the king and his sons grasping the harpoon blade, pulling it toward them. Iryoku tried to resist but was dragged closer.
Immediately switching to attack mode, Iryoku used the momentum—drawing his twin daggers and lunging at the king. But midair, his body felt unbearably heavy. He faltered and fell toward the ground.
He flipped, landing weakly on his legs, then spun to face the royals.
“Motherfuckers,” he cursed.
At the king’s signal, the doors behind the royals swung open. Knights and mages flooded in, closing in behind the girls.
They tried to summon their magic and Leben—but nothing happened.
“What’s happening?” Yumi cried, desperation in her voice as the tip of her arrow refused to glow. She loosed it anyway in a quick, reflexive shot, but it was quickly deflected.
Iryoku’s eyes trembled as he watched the girls being surrounded. A chill of danger ran down his spine. He tried to dodge—but the crushing weight pressing down on him slowed his every move.
A heavy punch landed on his ribs.
“Argh!” He fell to the side.
The girls turned to him, worried. “Iryoku!”
But they were quickly overwhelmed as heavy knights swarmed and subdued them.
Alessandra grunted, dodging one knight and swinging her cannon at a guard who blocked her path. The knight’s movements were precise and seasoned—he struck her with the blunt side of his weapon.
“Ahhhhhh!” She spat blood.
“No, sensei!” Yumi cried, trying to help her, but she was shoved aside, her bow wrenched from her hands.
“No!” Reika struggled as rough hands seized her wrists.
With the help of more knights, they slammed Alessandra, Yumi, and Reika to the ground. Fear flashed in the girls’ eyes—the three of them pinned, blades pressing cold against their necks.
Iryoku lifted his head, panic and fury twisting his face as he glanced back at them.
“AHGRHHH!” he roared, forcing his battered body to rise.
A heavy armored boot slammed onto his back, crushing him against the floor.
He turned his head to see King Alden looming over him, a sinister smile on his face.
“Hahaha… you lose, boy.”