Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 617: Going for the kill

Chapter 617: Going for the kill

Sugar roared, swelling with adrenaline. Both heads howled as he hefted his massive war hammers, their steel heads etched with menacing glyphs. Muscles bulging, he charged Valeria directly, ignoring the smaller cultivators at her side. A thunderous impact reverberated when their weapons clashed, sending shards of molten rock and flame-touched metal flying in every direction.

Norman rushed forward, his shield shimmering with protective runes. He bashed aside a spear thrust from one of Valeria’s subordinates, countering with a swift sword strike to the man’s shoulder. Sparks flew as steel met steel, and the cultivator stumbled backward, blood trailing from a jagged wound.

Tyron, meanwhile, manipulated arcane sigils that hovered in the air around his fingertips. Each rune glowed a different color, weaving together to form an intricate magical matrix. With a grunt, he released the spell in a crackling burst.

The resulting shockwave hurled two of Valeria’s allies off their feet, sending them crashing into a broken statue. Even from a distance, it was clear that the runemaster’s cunning could keep powerful foes at bay—at least for a time.

But Valeria and her subordinates held the numerical advantage, not to mention a clear upper hand in raw power. Her azure flames were practically alive, swirling around her in a burning vortex. With each flick of her blade, she launched new arcs of searing energy at her opponents.

Sugar’s dual war hammers landed heavy blows, but defending against the sizzling arcs left him battered and scorched, his skin blistering from the magical heat.

Norman dove in front of a lance of flame intended for Sugar’s flank, raising his shield in desperation. Though the dwarf’s runic ward partially absorbed the impact, the force still drove him to one knee. Tyron managed to repel one cultivator with a blast of energy, only to be blindsided by another flanking him with a vicious staff strike that left him gasping for breath.

As each second passed, it became increasingly clear that Sugar, Norman, and Tyron could not hold out indefinitely. They were skilled, but the relentless onslaught was wearing them down.

Valeria spotted an opening in Sugar’s faltering defense and dashed forward, her speed enhanced by swirling flames. She aimed a lethal thrust at the ogre’s chest, where the thick muscle had been burned away to reveal raw flesh.

Valeria smiled coldly, already envisioning her blade piercing through the two-headed ogre’s chest. In her mind’s eye, she could see the surge of blue flames exploding around the wound, reducing the ogre to a smoldering husk.

Yet, before her ominous fantasy could become real, arcs of lightning shot out from the distance. One of those crackling bolts struck her flank with stunning precision, hurling her sideways and saving Sugar from certain death.

Although Valeria tumbled through the air, she quickly regained her footing, a testament to her formidable power and martial prowess. Fury flashed in her eyes, and she let out a venomous snarl.

"Who dares?" she demanded, turning in the direction of the lightning spell.

Her gaze landed on a small yellow cat perched on the shoulder of a white-furred werewolf. The duo sped across the battlefield with such astonishing swiftness that they arrived within seconds.

"Hmph!" Jormungandr snorted in contempt at Valeria’s glare, then sprang onto Norman’s shoulder. The dwarf exchanged a glance with the feline, and their energies surged in unison, launching them at Valeria’s warriors.

Almost immediately, the pressure on her subordinates intensified. Norman’s already monstrous combat ability skyrocketed further as jets of superheated plasma flared around him, leaving no easy opening for a counterattack.

"Ha! Don’t forget about me!" Tyron called out. The old runemaster let loose a barrage of explosive seals, forcing Valeria’s allies to scatter.

Valeria ground her teeth in frustration. The combined onslaught of the dwarf, the small cat, and the old mage drove her men back, yet she could do little to assist them. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the towering two-headed ogre and the white werewolf stalking toward her—both radiating murderous intent.

"There’s no difference between killing one ant or two," she muttered coldly, refusing to betray even a hint of fear. Runes etched into her armor glowed, and azure flames surged along the length of her sword until her entire body blazed with power.

Far from deterring the ogre and the werewolf, her display seemed only to spur them on. Sugar barreled forward with astonishing speed for a creature of his size, war hammers crashing down so powerfully that the very air trembled.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!"

A shockwave of force radiated outward as Sugar’s hammers smashed into the ground. Valeria narrowly dodged, vaulting forward to slash at his upper torso. Before her strike could land, a powerful kick caught her in the side, sending her rolling.

Stunned, she realized too late that the white werewolf moved much faster than she had anticipated. The moment she skidded to a stop, a surge of danger prickled at the back of her neck, and she sensed someone appearing behind her.

"Argh!" Valeria roared, igniting her aura of blue flames in a desperate wave around her.

The incendiary heat forced Ouroboros to retreat; he simply didn’t have the resilience to withstand such scorching fire. But Sugar’s endurance was another matter.

Ignoring the blaze licking at his flesh, the ogre tore through the flames and slammed one of his hammers into Valeria’s chest. She gasped, blood spewing from her mouth as the impact sent her hurtling across the battlefield.

Pain spread through her body. Yet Valeria refused to relent—she stabbed her sword into the ground to stop her momentum, forcing herself back into a fighting stance. Her vision blurred, but she could see Sugar and Ouroboros converging on her once again. A cold smile lit their faces; both had every intention of finishing her.

Just as they leaped to deliver what looked like a killing blow, Ouroboros’s eyes widened. In a split-second decision, he kicked Sugar to the right and threw himself to the left.

The two-headed ogre seemed baffled for an instant—until a massive blast of burning shadows obliterated the spot where they had stood. The scorching darkness hissed and crackled, melting rubble and leaving a charred crater behind.