Chapter 60: Blood-red [2]
BOOM!
Like lightning striking the earth fiercely, Norian crashed into a nearby hotel not far from the coliseum, the same one Marlon and others had lodged in the night before. Immediately, the first few floors of the tall structure crumbled into debris.
The destruction would’ve continued if Norian hadn’t quickly twisted the energy around him to flare his body back up toward the agitated noble who was now descending at alarming speed.
The two of them clashed only a few meters above the hotel, and the after-force of the collision completed the destruction of the hotel and several smaller establishments around it.
But the two remained and clashed once more.
"You’re weak and pathetic."
The noble’s face twisted with anger as he rounded up another world-shaking attack.
"You would run out of breath soon, and I’m barely getting started."
He continued rambling as their attacks connected, once again twisting the atmosphere.
After Norian counterattacked, he blasted higher into the sky, and the noble went after him without wasting a single moment.
"Your stupid courage earlier would crumble."
The two of them exchanged several rounds of rapid strikes.
"Those puny humans who looked up to you would know true despair." The Lunaris grinned with hatred.
Norian responded this time.
"The Originless One..."
He uttered a single word, and the noble fighting him seized his attack midair. Gazing at him, the hatred on his face was replaced with a dumbfounded expression. But the energy around him was still flaring, strong and lethal as it had always been.
"The reason for your attack twenty years ago was simply not to dominate Arden, but to find the Originless One."
Norian continued, his voice calm, contrary to his fierce bloodred energy spiraling around him and his hair fluttering like flames.
"Y-you... how did you know about this?"
Agitation could be heard in the noble’s response.
Norian disregarded his question and continued.
"Since you failed the last time by using violence from the beginning, you decided to take a different approach—come under the veil of a peaceful competition, get all of our guards down, and then strike at the right moment."
His red eyes glowed with more intensity as he continued speaking even louder and colder.
"Nonetheless, your plan was a failure from the start. We, the people of Arden, never forgave the visit twenty years ago, and thus even though the competition seemed a little peaceful and fair, none of us—not even the kids—believed you, you shitty, honorless bastard, were pure."
After he finished, he continued with a question that had always bothered him.
"I am curious... what is so important about the Originless One? What kind of cosmic prophecy is he going to fulfill? How serious is it for you guys to invade and slaughter millions just to get your hands on that person?"
His question echoed across the sky.
The dumbfounded noble was speechless.
How did a human learn of the prophecy and even decipher their true intention so easily?
He wracked his brain, but there was no answer.
The Lunaris were the only intelligent aliens that had landed on Arden since the planet was formed, and even they hadn’t given a hint about the prophecy.
In the cosmic realm, only a handful of planets had received the prophecy, and those planets were several times stronger than the Lunaris, who were superior over Arden. And none of them had bothered to contact Arden so far.
So how did he know?
He scanned his memories further, and a single face appeared. Instantly, his dumbfounded expression twisted.
Norian observed this and could tell what was going through his mind. He did not allow the Lunaris noble to respond before spitting out the name, "Sylon."
Hearing the name, the noble’s face went through a series of changes and then landed on an even more enraged one—fiercer than his previous state.
"T-that traitorous bastard..." he cursed, then shot Norian a glare. "How much do you know?"
"Enough to tell that Sylon was right, and you and the other nobles at the meeting are senseless."
Norian responded.
As he did, he emitted an even stronger aura and wrapped his body around it.
Before the Lunaris noble could respond, he shot toward him, becoming the first to attack this time.
His face twisted with nostalgic anger. All the emotions he felt on the day he watched his parents die flared up within him as he closed the distance.
He struck at the disoriented noble.
"He wanted peace..."
He declared as his fist sent the noble tumbling in the air, and before he could regain himself, Norian closed the distance once more, leaving a trail of red in the sky, like the bloodied path of a predator who had just slaughtered its prey.
"His peaceful approach would’ve worked."
Landing another attack, he said,
"But you guys..."
Another explosive sound parted the clouds.
The two other Lunaris nobles, who had previously been enjoying the show of power by their colleague, stood up abruptly, watching with tense expressions.
"You guys should be the universal symbol behind the word ’brainless.’"
Norian’s rage surged.
Another attack sent the disoriented noble blasting in another direction.
The two nobles gritted their teeth as they witnessed the embarrassing way their colleague was being tossed around in the sky.
Both exchanged a knowing look, and without a single hesitation, they blasted into the sky, leaving craters on the spot they launched from.
They gradually closed the distance between the ground and Norian, who had closed in on his current opponent and was about to launch another attack.
But he paused.
He felt the extra killing intent closing in on him at an astonishing rate and swiftly moved his gaze toward the approaching enemies.
His expression crumbled slightly. The fight was about to become several times more difficult, but he was ready.
He left the disoriented noble and turned toward the incoming two.
The aura around him flared even more as he poured all his aether into them, ready to engage in his last fight.
Even if he died, he wanted to at least take down one of them with him.
But he had underestimated the combined powers of the nobles too much to think that was possible.
Just before he launched at them, one of them teleported behind him while the other attacked from the front. Their speed was unbelievable, leaving him no chance to make a move.
The one behind delivered a kick, sending him tumbling toward the one approaching from the front.
"Hehe."
Grinning, the noble flexed a punch wrapped with energy and delivered a powerful strike that sent Norian tumbling back toward the one who had kicked him.
The two of them turned the vice-president of the Hunter Association into a ball they could toss around.
Even worse, the opponent he had been beating earlier regained his composure and joined in.
With their immersive strength, he had no chance to regain himself or counterattack.
Overwhelming pain engulfed him.
His body was quickly filled with injuries as he bled profusely. A large number of bones were broken, and he even sustained injuries to his inner organs.
If he didn’t have S-rank powers, he would not have been able to hold on this long.
As an attack sent him flying through the air once more, his mind dulled, and only two thoughts appeared:
The safety of those he cared about, and a subtle prayer that the true hero of humanity returns.
Only he could turn this situation around quickly and save humanity from destruction.
His prayers seemed to have been heard by the heavens.
The sky began to roar and crackle with lightning and thunder.