Chapter 166: Explosion
Ren’s expression changed. A deep rage formed in his eyes. He suddenly planted his foot into the ground and completely stopped his backward motion. He stopped it with so much force that a shockwave travelled away from him in an instant, slamming into the mountains and causing rocks to fall.
Ken looked in shock. He thought for sure that he had the upper hand and he was dominating the situation.
"Get the hell out of my way," Ren thundered as his voice shook the entire mountain range. He grabbed Ken by the throat, spun around, and hurled Ken into the mountainside. Then he looked over to where his subordinates were. They were locked in battle, and he needed to help. He flapped his wings and shot in their direction, only to feel someone grab onto his leg.
Ren looked back and saw Ken holding onto him. Ren immediately unleashed a dragon breath. The flames surged toward Ken, who proceeded to use his sword to block the flames. His dark flames fought hard against it, and he survived.
The both of them separated and hit the ground. They faced each other with great intensity in their eyes. It was clear to Ren that if he did not deal with Ken.
Ren stretched out one hand, and lightning began to gather around it, massive bolts that hit the floor and left heavy marks. Ken looked at the lightning and then let out a crazy smile, the kind a psychopath had.
"Yes, yes, more," he roared and charged at Ren. He moved fast and tilted forward, his sword at his side engulfed in flames. When he got in range, he stepped hard into the ground and went for a slash. Ren stepped to the side and evaded the attack. He watched the sword pass right by his face.
A massive black flame arc shot from the sword and travelled through the air until it slammed into the mountains and caused another rock fall.
Seeing the opening now, Ren stepped in, a punch from below. Ken watched the punch approach, but he was not in a position where he could afford to dodge. The fist slammed hard against his abdomen, the massive surge of lightning rushing through his body.
He was hurled back fast and slammed into the mountain like a bullet, going half a meter into the wall. Rocks fell and hit the ground around them, and dust rose.
"So what was it all for?" Ren asked. "Giving your heart for strength only to not be strong enough to defeat me? Strength is not bought," Ren said as he charged up multiple spheres of energy in the air, and then, without holding back, began to unleash them all into the hole, each one landing and exploding.
Hahahahaha.
As the explosions stopped, Ken’s laugh could be heard from inside, and it grew more and more with every passing moment.
"You do not still get it. This is checkmate, Ren. I made sure I prepared everything."
Only after Ken said that did Ren feel another wound on his chest. He looked there and saw blood. When he had punched Ken, he got nicked by the blade, and the dragon bane had entered again, just like through the arm.
While Ren was looking at it, Ken hurled a small, weak pouch at Ren. Ren looked up fast and caught the pouch, only for it to explode and spill dragon’s bane on him.
The moment the liquid touched his skin and face, an immense burning sensation followed, with a wave of weakness hitting Ren.
He staggered backwards.
Ken walked out of the dust and smoke, his entire body a mangled mess, but it began to heal in real time as he approached. Each step brought him closer to full healing.
"That feeling you are feeling now, it’s dragon’s bane. It’s illegal, made from the blood of dragons and infused with so much dark magic that it could knock out a full dragon at the right dose.
Even for you, there is no victory, no win in sight." He got to Ren and then grabbed Ren by the hair. He yanked the hair and pulled him up, forcing Ren to see what was happening to his team as they struggled against the undead and mercenaries.
"Take it in, Ren. Watch as all of them die, and I’ll kill you afterwards."
Ren watched on his knees, his rage growing. He gritted his teeth hard, refusing to allow himself to lose and watch everyone that he had die right here and now. He focused all his attention on fighting the bane, and it started working slowly.
’Come on, Ren, fight it, fight it,’ he pumped himself up as much as he could and pushed through it. His fear was whether he would be able to defeat it before the time ran out.
Ken kept laughing like a maniac. His eyes changed completely. He was barely who he was before at this point.
Then suddenly, he heard a whistle. He looked up, and there he saw a lady at the top of the mountain. She had in her hand a skull with green flames in the eyes. He suspected that she was the necromancer, so she was on their side. He was not prepared for what happened next.
"Do your best, dragon," she said before dropping the skull. It fell through the air and hit the ground closer to Ken. A massive explosion of green flames erupted, and the force hurled Ren and Ken aside. Ken tried to get on his feet, only to realize that the smoke from the explosion carried something that weakened undead, the very thing he had somehow become. He collapsed to his knees.
Ren got on his feet slowly. He looked up but did not see the lady anymore, so he turned his attention back to Ken.
"Now let’s play," he growled and charged in, even in his weak state. Ken tried to attack with a punch, only for Ren to bite the hand clean off and proceed to bite a huge chunk off it and swallow.