Chapter 86: I’ll make you eat those words
Leon dashed towards the king at blinding speed, hoping to catch him off guard using the blinding smoke and shock of the explosion as cover.
He kept his posture low to the ground and moved silently through the dark expanse, leveraging the chaotic blast to conceal his approach for a decisive secondary strike.
Even though the massive crescent flash had struck Arthur directly on his golden throne, Leon didn’t feel at ease in the slightest and instead felt like he was in grave danger.
Trusting his instincts, he swiftly got behind Arthur, swinging his golden blade horizontally straight at the king’s exposed back.
However, he suddenly stopped his swing in mid-air, frantically leaping backward to distance himself away from the man.
Every alarm in his head screamed at him to retreat immediately, forcing his feet to push him far away from the throne.
Cold sweat dripped rapidly down Leon’s face, splashing onto his bare chest as his heart started racing out of control.
His palms grew slick on the hilt of his weapon, and his breath hitched in his throat as a primal dread washed over his entire body.
He stared at the unmoving silhouette in front of him, his mind reeling in deep confusion.
’What is this terrifying feeling... his back was surely completely open, so why did I stop?’ he thought, staring at the unmoving silhouette in front of him.
He couldn’t comprehend why his body had refused to complete the swing when the target had been wide open for a clean hit.
All he knew was that if he had moved even an inch closer to Arthur at that moment, he could have lost his life.
The dust and residue from the heavy explosion fully cleared a moment later, revealing the heroic figure of Arthur, who stood there unscathed without a single scratch on his clothes.
The majestic golden throne behind him was equally undamaged, looking pristine as if the explosive arc of lightning and fire had simply dissolved into nothing upon touching it.
Arthur scoffed softly under his breath, turning his head slightly to look down at Leon with disdain.
"What’s wrong? Are you too much of a coward to even attack? I thought you were going to beat me, and get me to acknowledge your strength?" he said.
The mockery in his tone was clear, deliberately poking at Leon’s pride.
Leon gnashed his teeth, his jaw aching as he glared back at the man.
’This bastard... he’s deliberately taunting me...’ he thought.
His blood boiled with pure rage, yet the oppressive instinctual terror gripping his muscles refused to let him act impulsively.
Despite Arthur’s provoking words and heavy insults, Leon didn’t move an inch from where he stood.
Arthur’s golden eyes suddenly turned icy cold, the light within them hardening into a terrifying glint that made the air itself freeze.
"You tried attacking me from behind, such a cowardly move. As expected of a dishonorable fighter such as yourself."
Leon’s face twitched violently in pure anger, his jaw clenching so hard that his muscles throbbed beneath his skin.
He glared at the legendary king standing before him, his dark eyes burning with fierce resentment as he muttered through his teeth, "Dishonorable...? You think I’m dishonorable?!"
The insult struck a raw nerve deep within him, reigniting the bitter pain of being abandoned and judged by those who claimed to hold power.
He refused to stand there and let an Arthur look down on him or question his resolve after everything he had sacrificed to gain his strength.
’Fuck it,’ he thought, deciding to throw caution into the wind.
He then dashed towards at Arthur, his figure blurring as he swiftly closed the distance.
He poured all the strength in him into his blade, swinging the sword at the man’s chest.
To his surprise though, the strike never connected with Arthur’s body.
Instead of feeling the impact of his blade hitting flesh, he suddenly felt a blinding, bone-crushing kick connect directly with his chin.
The force of the kick struck him like a mountain falling from the sky, sending him flying uncontrollably to the side.
He spun wildly through the air before he crashed hard onto the floor.
Leon grunted in agonizing pain as his heavy body skidded along the cold, dark ground meters away from Arthur.
He gripped his jaw and desperately tried standing up, his vision swimming with dark spots as his legs buckled beneath his own weight.
He stumbled right back to the ground, his knees hitting the cold floor as he struggled to regain his balance against the severe dizziness clouding his mind.
Blood slowly dripped down the corners of his lips, pooling on his chin and falling onto the dark ground below.
He wiped the crimson trail away with his trembling hand, staring at the King in complete shock as he thought to himself, ’He only kicked me... but it did this much damage?’
Arthur exhaled a slow, calm breath, looking down at the struggling young hunter with absolute indifference as he relaxed his fighting posture.
He shook his head slightly and said with cold confidence, "I doubt I’ll even need Excalibur."
Despite his words, he casually reached down and held the blue hilt of the sword standing in front of him, wrapping his fingers around the familiar grip.
With an effortless, smooth motion, he pulled it out of the ground, the golden metal ringing softly as it cleared the dark floor and radiated a blinding, divine light that filled the entire space.
He raised the weapon with flawless grace and pointed the glowing golden blade directly at Leon’s throat, his ethereal eyes flashing with unyielding authority as he said, "Come on dishonorable warrior, let’s finish this."
Leon scoffed at the taunt, wiping the remaining blood from his mouth as a dark, unyielding rage washed over his features once more.
He forced his battered body to obey his command, slowly rising back on his feet and gripping his own sword tightly as he glared straight into the King’s eyes, saying, "I’ll make you eat those words."