239 Chapter 239: Demise of a Legend (1/2)
With a yell, Yuan Dao Yue Guang lunged at Cronus Wright. From the opposite end, Lionel Stuart also leaped at the imposing spirit-possessed Assassin, swinging his sword down to unleash a storm of razor-sharp petals.
Cronus merely stood still and weathered the blizzard of petals. The silver aura that permeated his body flared up and caused the petals to shrivel and wither, but the moment they all died down, Yue Guang smashed his Ba Qi wreathed fist into his back. The tremendous impact caused the ground underneath Cronus's feet to shatter and he was actually thrown forward with a grunt. Whirling around, he countered with a kick that Yue Guang ducked.
While he was distracted by the bodyguard, Lionel thrust his sword forward to stab him. Cronus threw out a hand behind himself to grab the blade, the silver aura flaring. Fortunately, even with the time-warping effect rushing forward to engulf the sword, Lionel's weapon had in-built magical resistance and defensive enchantments inscribed into it. The metal didn't corrode and dissolve as it would have in a few thousand years and managed to maintain its integrity.
”UWOOOOOH!”
Lionel let out a roar as he unleashed his mana in a single immense burst. Even as Cronus caught his blade with his finger, flower petals blossomed around the two and spiraled lethally upon his target. Locked in combat with Lionel, Cronus was unable to pull free and he found himself ripped into shreds by the devastating storm of dancing petals.
”Huff…huff…”
Lionel dropped to his knees, panting heavily. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head to look at the remains of his opponent, knowing that it wouldn't be so easy to kill him.
”!!!”
He was right.
A massive arm smashed through the scattering petals and slammed into his hastily raised blade. Lionel clenched his teeth as he fought to weather the immense impact, but he skidded for a centimeter before his body was lifted off the ground and sent hurtling across the cavern. Tumbling almost helplessly, he flipped himself in midair and landed on his feet and a knee.
”Ugh…!”
He coughed out a mouthful of blood, but managed to lean on his sword to slowly get up. Seizing the opportunity, Cronus barged out of the blizzard of petals and closed in on him.
”Oh no, you don't!”
At Glen's shout, White Tiger crashed into the charging Cronus, tackling him away from Lionel. The spirit possessed Assassin twisted around and grappled with the Soul Beast, grabbing it by its throat and suffocating it. White Tiger desperately unleashed bolts of high voltage electricity at pointblank range, attempting to electrocute its foe, but to no avail. The silver aura that enveloped Cronus protected him from certain death.
”!!”
Fortunately for White Tiger, Yue Guang arrived in time. Bellowing, he punched Cronus in the face with such force that the spirit inadvertently released his stranglehold on the Soul Beast and staggered. He spat out some blood, and then turned to Yue Guang, his expression as devoid as emotions as ever. Undaunted, Yue Guang hammered him, but the spirit possessed Assassin caught his fist, stopping the punch in midair. The ground shook from the tremendous impact, but neither man moved an inch.
”Kuh!”
Yue Guang tried to yank his fist free from Cronus's grip, but his efforts proved to be futile. Cronus smiled grimly and slowly pulled the resisting Yue Guang forward. Narrowing his eyes, the bodyguard drew his other arm back for another punch, but…
”?!”
Huang Shun Yin descended between them, swinging his flaming sword to amputate Cronus's arm at the elbow. The superheated flames lanced through the silver aura and dense muscle, slicing through bone as easily as a hot knife through butter.
Cronus retreated a step, staring at his cauterized stump in disbelief. Meanwhile Yue Guang grabbed the opportunity to pull his fist free of the now disembodied arm and toss it away. Synchronizing with Shun Yin, he waited for the fire mage to slash at an evading Cronus, and while the time spirit was half-distracted, he kicked the giant in the midriff.
Boom!
Cronus was sent flying several meters away, vanishing into a wall that exploded into a shower of debris.
”Thank you,” Yue Guang told Shun Yin, but the fire mage shook his head.
”You don't have to thank me.”
”But I do.” Yue Guang straightened up and glanced at the pile of rubble. ”Unfortunately, I don't think we've won just yet.”
”I concur.”
Pieces of debris shook and trembled, before erupting upward. Cronus rose to his feet, rocks and stones rolling off his dusty form. He shook his head, as if to clear the knock he received, and then dusted himself off casually with his remaining arm.
Right in front of the allied clans' disbelieving eyes, Cronus's missing arm glowed and restored itself. It wasn't regeneration – it wasn't as if his arm regenerated and grew right back. The silver aura that engulfed the place where his arm used to be glowed, and it seemed as if time was turning back. Arcane energies rippled over the form, over a faint silhouette, and reversed time to when Cronus's arm was still attached.
At the side, the disembodied arm that Yue Guang tossed aside glowed faintly before vanishing completely, as if taken away by the ravages of time. Or perhaps it was merely going back in time too, to a moment when it was still attached to its owner.
”Damn it…” Lionel growled as he joined Yue Guang and Shun Yin. ”I mean, we already saw how he literally came back to life by reversing time earlier, so I honestly shouldn't be surprised. But still…there has to be limits to his power. Otherwise we can continue killing him all day and he'll just continue coming back to life.”
”Just keep him off my back long enough for me to eliminate the summoner!” On the other side, Michael and Angelica were occupied with fighting Serena. Crimson and white flames flowed across the cavern, combating against the ominous greenish-black flows of mana that Serena cast. She giggled as she cleaved apart another torrent of flames.
”Are you really that naïve to think you'll be able to eliminate me?”
”We have no choice but to try, right?” Angelica responded wryly as she slashed at her head, but Serena ducked under the blow before retaliating with a kick. Angelica managed to parry it, but she was sent skidding backward. While she stumbled, Michael struck from behind, but Serena raised her other short sword to deflect his blazing blade.
”That was dangerous.”
Meanwhile, Shun Yin and the other three were facing down Cronus. Glen nodded to his White Tiger, who growled and pounced on the spirit possessed Assassin. However, the space surrounding Cronus appeared to distort, and White Tiger's movements appeared to slow to a crawl as soon as it entered the shimmering field that expanded a few meters around its target. Even the golden electricity that emanated from its fur appeared to slow down, the lightning painfully inching toward Cronus at a fraction of its usual speed.