The Earth After Rebirth
Chapter 148 - 148: Unexpected Arrival

Hubris landed a few meters away from the crack that slightly threatened to break the field into two.

He could sense a large army beyond. They were still pretty far but they had just entered his domain.

He swiped the air with his claws, 4 wind blades flew at a distance and cut clean the enemy that was hiding beyond the tree line. His eyes bulged in surprise. He couldn't understand how he was found out, he fell as the light dimmed from his eyes.

"Your highness, we can't get through!" Belial cried from the other side.

"I know that much and Belial, don't call me his highness, I haven't been crowned yet. I was lost but I still remember this much." He said not taking his eyes from the enemy he had just taken down.

He'd never been in a serious fight before, he'd always had Kiro by his side. It would be a great lie if he said he wasn't nervous at all.

"I'm sorry Sire, slip of the tongue." He bowed with sincerity.

He forgave him. It was treason to call someone who wasn't crowned like that. Although they were in such a state as a kingdom, Hubris still wanted to uphold the laws and rules his ancestors put in place.

"So, then, Sire, how do we hope to get rid of this structure that has trapped us in?" He asked, looking around.

"You'll be glad to be in there when they arrive, trust me." Hubris answered him, without a care.

"No way Sire, I want to protect you with my life! There's no way I'd be glad I'm not there. I'm not as big or as strong as you are, but I think, I'm not entirely useless." With determination swimming in his very black eyes, he said proudly.

Hubris examined the dome, it wasn't anything he'd seen before. He tried attacking it with hellfire, but it just bounced off like it were rubber. While his claws did a lot of damage, it healed itself just as quick.

"What a pain!" He bellowed, annoyed that something as simple as this wasn't his match.

The feeling of hopelessness was starting to seep in through his essence, but he managed to shrug it off. He made a promise after all, that he will never let himself feel like that ever again. He planned on keeping it.

He'd try his damnedest to break the barrier. He just hoped he didn't run out of magic, before his master arrived with some potions. Though he believed in Kiro, he believed would arrive, so he didn't hold back, as he attacked the barrier.

His next attack was affliction, if it was a self healing barrier, he'd make sure that it healed slow or not at all.

"Belial, tell them not to panic, I'm here."

"B-but Sire..." He said in a frantic voice.

"I know, but believe in me."

Belial nodded, looking at the tree line, he could see silhouettes that were not exactly in hiding. He concluded that was no doubt their enemies. Which made him scared for Hubris.

They had just gotten the rightful heir back, they didn't want to lose him in a senseless way. He berated himself as to why he was so weak, looking at Hubris, he understood why though.

They were two hounds that were many kilometres apart. In fact, Hubris was better than any hound around here. The differences weren't apparent but they were there, he was bigger, stronger and faster.

With skills none of them even knew. If anyone could do it, if anyone could rescue them from this hell, it'd surely be him.

"Oh and Belial, tell them not to attack the barrier with Hellfire that'll just bounce back. Claws are good. Quit freezing in place and get going."

He hadn't meant to freeze up, his limbs just refused to carry him to the others. What he saw beyond the tree line frightened him. There were thousands of soldiers, compared to their little army. They made up only a quarter of them.

"I'll say this for the last time, quit freezing up, time is of the essence. That army is nothing. All of you would only need to kill 3 soldiers at maximum to defeat them, now go."

With that ironclad logic, it didn't sound too bad. So he bit his tongue, blood rushed out and he immediately came out of his stupor. He forced his limbs forward, at first, he could only walk, but eventually he ran full speed toward his comrades.

Hubris was wary of them at first, but as time passed they weren't moving or attack. He of course still kept his eye on them, while at the same time fighting to crack the barrier open.

It seemed as if it were made of glass but also plastic, it was hard to burn it, it was harder to shatter it. But he persisted, this took a dent on his magic but he had no other choice. He attack for about an hour without rest, it had cracks, but that's all it showed.

The army beyond started walking forward, headed straight for Hubris and his trapped comrades. They were lead by a thin, almost sickly looking hound.

'Surely, that can't be the King? Why's he so thin.' Instead of feeling the hatred he had felt for hundreds of years, seeing the man that killed his father, he just felt pity.

Make no mistake that King Azazel looked frightening from the perspective of a normal hound. But Hubris, at that moment, could see through more than just flesh and it wasn't pretty.

'Can he even fight?' He stood with more confidence than ever. 'Master, you better get here before they start this fight. I'm confident I could buy time, but I doubt I could defeat thousands of them.' He said a little silent prayer.

The other party stood close, but far enough. The distance between them was about half a kilometre.

King Azezel's face turned into a twisted grin, "Are you the imposter who claims to be my dead, dear nephew?"

A thunderous voice came out of the body Hubris thought to be frail, they didn't match with one another at all. Clearly the King was still very much strong, but not in the eyes of an ancient beast.