https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-846-The-Empire-s-Strongest-Man-Part-2-/12937134/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-847-Loren-s-Resurrection-Match-Part-1-/12937136/
Chapter 846: The Empire's Strongest Man (Part 3)
Chapter 846: The Empire's Strongest Man (Part 3)
"Hestinos, keep going!"
At this moment, Hestinos needed their faith and power.
His chances of victory might be slim, but he still chose to fight and fulfill his duty.
If Hestinos could achieve another breakthrough, even in his current state, he would still have a chance against the immortal ninth-rank Vampire Progenitor.
"Hestinos, we're counting on you! We'll do our best to stop the frenzied Archons!"
The lucid Archons gradually pieced together the cause of the entire incident and began to understand why the Crete Empire was embroiled in such a war and the recent discordant yet inexplicable events within the empire.
Unbeknownst to them, five of their companions had already fallen under the control of the Vampire Progenitor.
They couldn't even imagine how deeply the vampires had infiltrated and corrupted the empire.
If it weren't for tonight's uprising, they wouldn't have been able to identify how many of the twelve Archons had been controlled and who they were.
Fortunately, at the most critical moment, Violet had found the vampires' traces, forcing them to launch a full-scale attack ahead of schedule.
But Violet had paid a price for it.
Now, Violet might have sacrificed herself, and Hestinos was also severely injured. The situation seemed to have reached its worst.
Even so, all they could do was believe in Hestinos and trust that he could defeat the Vampire Progenitor, the source of the empire's turmoil.
The residents of the entire Crete Empire held their breath as they watched the intermittent live broadcast from the source.
The fearless journalists continued reporting from the outskirts of the square, and the number of surviving war correspondents was dwindling.
Whether it was the fleeing citizens in the square or the residents watching the uprising through the broadcast, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
They prayed for the Archons, hoping for a miracle to save the Crete Empire.
On the eastern side of the palace, amidst the ruins that had been sliced open, Lachar stood lightly at the highest point, coldly facing Hestinos as if accepting his mental will signal.
"Hestinos, do you think you can still stand against me in your current state?"
Before Lachar could finish speaking, black-red mana gathered in his palm again, and the light around him distorted.
As soon as Lachar finished speaking, a beam of light burst from his palm and shot towards Hestinos.
Wherever the beam passed, the ground cracked, the air warped, and everything turned to dust under the terrifying power.
"I'm the only one who can stop you."
Hestinos's eyes were unusually calm, and the sword in his hand burst with silver radiance. He poured all his strength and will into this one strike.
Sword energy encircled him, like arcs of electricity, and the atmosphere exploded with thunderous roars as the sword energy struck, causing the entire palace barrier to tremble.
The two forces collided in mid-air, black-red and blue-white intertwining like two enraged dragons fighting in the sky.
They clashed, intertwining and unleashing a storm of ferocious energy.
Under the blood-red moonlit sky, lightning flashed within the clouds, illuminating the entire city of Brillada.
This collision seemed like a battle between deities for the fate of the world.
In the face of this terrifying impact, both Hestinos and Lachar took a few steps back.
Blood gushed from the wounds on their bodies.
But Lachar quickly recovered, while Hestinos spat out another mouthful of blood, his vitality weakening further.
The two charged at each other again, colliding mid-air with a deafening impact.
Claws slashed towards the sword, unleashing a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth, followed by a destructive peal of thunder.
They fought amidst the ruins of the palace, weaving through collapsing buildings with such speed that they were barely visible to the naked eye, leaving only fleeting shadows and the constant disturbance of air currents.
"Look at you, Hestinos," Lachar taunted, attempting to shake his opponent's resolve. "Your human body is so useless, while I possess eternal life."
But Hestinos merely smiled, his expression resolute even as blood trickled from his brow.
"Lachar, you'll never understand the honor of being a War God," he replied, his voice weak yet filled with strength. "Even if I die here, as long as I can protect the Empire and its citizens, my life will have meaning."
Hestinos gripped his longsword, its blade shimmering with divine radiance. As he swung it, countless dazzling trails of light were left in its wake.
The sword's radiance was like lightning, unstoppable, and it struck Lachar with full force.
Hestinos' sword aura was tangible, slicing through Lachar's dark barrier and leaving deep wounds on his body.
Blood gushed from Lachar's chest, but it was quickly devoured by dark energy, transforming into an even denser blood mist.
"Idiot," Lachar sneered.
Lachar showed no mercy in his attack, his blood energy like a pitch-black spear, aiming for Saint Baldor, the Great Emperor, who was protected by the sword array behind Hestinos.
Hestinos had no choice but to use all his strength to block the attack, using his body as a shield to protect Saint Baldor.
This defense further worsened Hestinos' injuries, and blood gushed from his body like a spring.
Severely wounded and distracted by protecting the Emperor, Hestinos' movements slowed, and his defenses weakened.
"Still stubborn even at the brink of death," Lachar mocked. "If you let go of that burden of an Emperor, you might be able to buy some more time against me."
Lachar was surrounded by a vortex of dark red energy, and with each periodic release of his mental magic, residents within a few kilometers found themselves unable to breathe and emotionally overwhelmed.
The battle between Hestinos and Lachar affected almost the entire city of Brillada.
Even the other War Gods who were fighting in the distance were knocked over by the impact, forcing them to retreat further to avoid being caught in this divine battle.
After all, Lachar was a powerful Ninth Rank being.
Moreover, Hestinos had to divide his attention to protect Saint Baldor, leaving him vulnerable in combat.
"It's time to end this," Lachar declared, seizing the opportunity. His dark red blood energy surged like a tide towards Hestinos and the Emperor behind him, intending to devour them completely.
Saint Baldor, the once-powerful ruler of the Empire, revealed his true cowardly nature at this moment of life and death.
He cowered behind Hestinos, trembling, his eyes filled with fear.
It seemed that Hestinos was his last hope for survival, regardless of the burden it placed on the War God.
Lachar observed this with a cold smile.
Those who witnessed this scene from afar were emotionally stirred by Hestinos' actions.
They cheered and shouted for this heroic War God.
At the same time, they felt anger and disappointment towards Saint Baldor's behavior at this critical moment.
The once-great Emperor had become a cowardly burden!
"Haha," Hestinos laughed, turning to glance back at Saint Baldor. His expression was one of relief and determination.
It seemed he was determined to protect the Emperor to the end.
But at that moment, Saint Baldor felt a shiver run through him as he looked into Hestinos' eyes, for they held the same gaze as the Blood Clan Ancestor had when he looked at him.
Soon after, Hestinos' aura weakened significantly. The sword's radiance and blood energy intertwined in the air, causing the ground to tremble and the air to burn from their power.
To everyone's horror, Hestinos' longsword was shattered by Lachar's dark energy.
He fell to his knees, blood spilling from his mouth and staining his chin.
His body trembled, and his breathing grew faint as his life force rapidly faded.
As expected, Hestinos suffered defeat.
Lachar was also injured, his body covered in sword wounds from which dark energy seeped, swirling in the air.
But as the victor and a superior life form, a blood clan member, Lachar possessed immortality during the night.
"Look, Great Emperor Baldor," Lachar said, walking towards the paralyzed Emperor with a smile. "Your most loyal knight has been defeated by me once again. What else can stop me in your country?"
Lachar slowly approached Saint Baldor, who was slumped on the ground.
"No... no... Hestinos, get up!" Saint Baldor cried, his eyes wide with fear. He wanted to run, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead.
He could only watch helplessly as Lachar approached, death drawing ever closer.
His pleas for mercy only elicited Lachar's cold laughter.
"Your Majesty, do you remember the Holbein family?" Lachar asked in a voice only Saint Baldor could hear. "They had a firstborn son, nine years old twenty years ago, who should have been killed with his family during the chaos you orchestrated..."
Lachar's tone was eerily similar to Hestinos' usual demeanor.
"You..." Saint Baldor's mind raced with a terrifying thought, sending a chill through his body.
The next moment, Lachar's hand pierced Saint Baldor's chest, his fingers clenching and crushing the Emperor's heart.
Blood gushed forth, and Saint Baldor let out a heart-wrenching scream before slowly, permanently, falling silent.
His eyes remained wide, his face forever frozen in an expression of fear beyond death.
The onlookers screamed in terror, witnessing the defeat of their strongest War God, Hestinos, at the hands of the Blood Clan Ancestor, and the Emperor's death before their very eyes.
And now, with so many War Gods under the control of the Vampire Progenitor, the Empire had lost all hope.
Despair swept through the entire nation like a tidal wave.
People knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly, terrified of the tragic fate that awaited them.
"Hestinos!"
"Hestinos, get up!"
They could only shout Hestinos' name in unison.
Perhaps the barely surviving Hestinos was their only hope.
They hoped that he could stand up once more and fight against the invincible Vampire Progenitor.
At that moment, the dying Hestinos slowly opened his lifeless eyes.
He lay on the ground, his fingertips trembling.
As if summoned by some mysterious power.
He clumsily crawled to his feet and, with his last ounce of strength, lunged towards the Seros Spirit Sword embedded in the ruins.
His entire life's purpose was tied to this sword.
Everyone was stunned, including Lashar.
"A foolish move, Hestinos."
Lashar not only wasn't afraid but also laughed in response.
Not only the Kreithians, but he also knew that only those with royal blood could be acknowledged by the founding spirits of Seros and wield the power of this divine sword.
For others who tried to forcefully claim the sword, it would only lead to their demise.
Hestinos' current feeble attempt to touch the divine sword was no different from a desperate suicide.
The blood energy condensed in Lashar's hand once more, forming a pitch-black spear.
He aimed at Hestinos' back and threw this deadly strike, intending to send Hestinos to his end.
The residents of Brillada couldn't bear to watch.
Because they knew what the outcome would be.
Attempting to forcefully grasp the divine sword would only result in being burned to death.
Even if there had been a fleeting illusion-like shadow, as if the sword was summoning Hestinos, the fantasy of Hestinos being able to wield the sword was just a fairy tale-like miracle.
The unrealistic hope would soon be shattered.
But.
The next moment, a miracle occurred.
When Hestinos grasped the hilt of the Seros Spirit Sword, a blazing light instantly filled the entire palace ruins and even illuminated the night sky of Brillada.
The light was sacred and dazzling, as if the sun had risen again in the pitch-black night.
All the people of Brillada, and even the Kreithians thousands of kilometers away, couldn't believe their eyes.
The Seros Spirit Sword had acknowledged Hestinos, the Empire's Guardian who lacked royal blood.
At this critical moment of despair, the spirits of Seros granted Hestinos the qualification to use this divine power to save the Empire.
Behind Hestinos, countless spirit shadows began to appear.
They surrounded Hestinos, generously bestowing their power upon this brave warrior.
Hestinos' dying body regained some strength, and when the Kreithians witnessed him being acknowledged by the divine sword, the heroic poem was complete, and the faith power of the entire Empire surged towards him!
At this moment, people woke up from a dream, and cheers swept through Brillada and the entire Kreithian Empire like a tidal wave.
"Hestinos! The Guardian of the Kreithian Empire!"
"You are the true Emperor chosen by fate!"
"Even the spirits of Seros have acknowledged you exceptionally!"
The Empire's voices turned into faith power, converging on Hestinos, enveloping him in an invisible aura until he transformed.
Lashar finally showed a look of terror.
He stared in disbelief at his dark spear, which shattered the moment it touched Hestinos.
This once feeble First Archon now radiated an aura far more powerful than his own.
Not only had Hestinos obtained the divine sword, but he was also showing signs of breaking through the Ninth Rank!
Countless faith power surged into Hestinos' body, elevating his strength to unprecedented heights.
His body emanated a dazzling azure glow, and every inch of his skin exuded the aura of the divine domain. The divine sword in his hand burst forth with blinding radiance, turning into a scorching sun in the sky, piercing through the eternal night.
That light seemed to burn away all darkness in the world.
"This is impossible! This is unfair! Goddess of Fate, this is unjust!"
Lashar's voice trembled, his face contorted with rage.
Blood-red mana swirled around him, but in the face of Hestinos' sword energy, it seemed insignificant.
Hestinos slowly stood up.
"Lashar, don't always blame the gods."
Hestinos' voice was loud like a bell, suppressing a smile at the corner of his mouth.
He raised the divine sword, pointing its tip directly at Lashar's heart.
The inscriptions on the sword gleamed with dazzling light, ancient Serosian words telling the tale of a hero's song.
"With my blood, I forge the Empire's shield, with my soul, I open the gates of dawn, spirits, fight alongside me."
As Hestinos recited the ancient Serosian curse engraved on the divine sword, the sword, lightly swung, erupted with unprecedented radiance.
The power of the Empire's spirits, accompanied by the silver radiance of the Divine Era, rushed towards Lashar.
Lashar managed to summon a dark barrier, attempting to withstand the deadly strike.
But in the face of Hestinos' sword, Lashar's mana barrier was as fragile as paper, instantly shattered by the sword energy.
The sword energy slashed through Lashar's body, leaving visible bone-deep wounds.
The gushing blood of the Progenitor quickly evaporated in the sword energy.
Lashar let out a piercing, miserable scream, as if he was being shredded and burned in a meat grinder.
"No, don't!"
Lashar's voice twisted in pain.
Even as an immortal vampire, under Hestinos' terrifying strike, he couldn't recover at all! Lashar struggled and fought back with all his might, but his blood energy transformed into blades and demonic claws, raging towards Hestinos.
However, none of it could touch Hestinos.
Hestinos' momentum reached its peak, even showing signs of briefly surpassing the Ninth Rank.
He was enveloped in the silver radiance of the Divine Era.
Under such pressure, Lashar could no longer withstand it. His mana shield was completely crushed, and even with all his strength, he couldn't leave a scratch on Hestinos' body.
Pure sword energy storms erupted around Lashar, erasing his body, and Lashar let out a piercing, miserable scream as his body disintegrated in the light.
Even the other War Gods dared not approach Hestinos' sword energy.
In the distance, they could only watch and drool.
At this critical moment, Hestinos finally broke through and reached the Ninth Rank.
And they witnessed the birth of a Ninth Rank Divine Domain powerhouse.
Hestinos, already the strongest among the Eighth Rank, now wielded the Sacred Sword and had reached the Ninth Rank. They couldn't imagine how powerful Hestinos had become.
The sword energy entangled and swallowed La Shar completely.
La Shar let out a heart-wrenching scream, filled with despair and unwillingness.
But soon, the sound disappeared, turning into a writhing pool of bloody mud.
Hestinos stood atop the ruins, the Sacred Sword shining in his hand.
Behind him, the phantoms of the Spirits gradually faded, but their power and will seemed to merge into Hestinos' body.
La Shar's Ninth Rank mana also dissipated at this moment.
The world returned to tranquility, and the darkness dissipated.
The aftermath of the battle also affected the other controlled Archons.
They awoke from their daze in the blast, clutching their foreheads in pain, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
The other lucid Archons quickly stopped and distanced themselves from the previously frenzied Archons.
After a long while,
"What happened to me?"
The Fourth Archon, Jasper of the Emerald, held his forehead, his mind filled with lingering impressions.
"We were probably controlled, and Hestinos saved us."
The Fifth Archon, Ladis of the Mica-Seat, shook his head vigorously, injecting a vial of potion into his arm, and was the first to regain his composure.
Recalling the recent memories, he pieced together the cause and effect.
"Hestinos... defeated the Blood Ancestor."
"We encountered this Blood Ancestor earlier, and then... he planted the seeds of mental control in us, causing this disaster. We are truly sorry!"
"We have Hestinos to thank for everything. He defeated the Blood Clan and saved the Kreith Empire."
The other controlled Archons, now recovered, looked at the scene in the center of the square and understood everything.
"Simonro, let's seal the Blood Clan together."
The Third Archon, Gayaht of the Twisted Carnelian, was the first to react. He immediately called upon the Eleventh Archon, Simonro of the Emerald, and they sealed the remains of La Shar.
They weren't sure if Hestinos had the strength to fight again. He seemed heavily injured, and the Blood Ancestor he defeated hadn't died; given time, he would recover. This was the best opportunity to seal the Blood Ancestor.
"No problem."
Simonro walked towards the blood mud of La Shar, and a magic array unfolded beneath him and Gayaht. In its center, La Shar's remains were attracted by the light and slowly floated into the air.
As Gayaht chanted his incantation, a translucent liquid carnelian appeared in the center of the magic array. It constantly twisted and merged, sealing La Shar's remains within.
"Great, we finally subdued him."
Gayaht breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
The other Archons also showed relief.
But at this moment, Hestinos, after witnessing the completion of the sealing, finally succumbed to his injuries. His eyes lost their focus, and he collapsed.
They heard the clear sound of Hestinos falling to the ground.
The other Archons rushed forward, carefully supporting him. Ladis treated the unconscious Hestinos.
"After reaching the Ninth Rank, Hestinos recovers quickly. There's no danger."
Ladis explained to the other Archons.
"Then the problem now is, with the death of Emperor Saint Baldor and the ongoing war with the Kingdom Alliance, what should we do?"
The Second Archon, Salom, fell silent for a moment before bluntly stating their biggest dilemma.
"Indeed, we need a leader."
The Fourth Archon, Jasper, closed his eyes, deep in thought.
The remaining situation of the Kreith Empire was dire. Emperor Saint Baldor had been assassinated, leaving the empire without a leader. After today's events, the people's disgust for Emperor Saint Baldor's ugliness and incompetence had likely reached its limit.
In the midst of war, the Kreith Empire couldn't afford to be without a spiritual leader.
Who should lead the Kreith Empire from now on also became a question.
The ten Archons present were now the highest authorities and powerhouses of the Kreith Empire. For a new emperor to take office during this chaotic time, they would have to consider their influence.
Moreover, their current leader had become the only Ninth Rank human powerhouse on the entire Southern Continent.
"But..."
Jasper looked at Hestinos, who was being treated, having lost consciousness completely. Yet, the Sacred Sword still glowed in his presence.
"Is Hestinos becoming the emperor truly suitable? By tradition, it should be one of Emperor Saint Baldor's descendants..."
As a priest, Simonro was inherently conservative, and he understood Jasper's implication.
Even the Sacred Sword acknowledged Hestinos, making him, in a sense, a legitimate choice.
"Even without the support of the people and us, he is undoubtedly the strongest. Moreover, the people's hearts are surely pointing towards Hestinos' succession. Let's wait for him to wake up and see his own thoughts."
Gayaht explained to them.
"Indeed, I can't think of anyone who can rival him. He can achieve whatever he sets his mind to. There's no need for us to worry."
Philip looked at Hestinos' condition, shaking his head in jest. He had a clear perception of strength.
Even if Hestinos wanted to conquer the empire by force, Philip believed no one could stop a Ninth Rank Hestinos.
At least, no one among the living. As for the dead... well, perhaps not even them.
The smoke of war dissipated, leaving the Kreith Memorial Square desolate.
The blood-red moonlight that had enveloped the sky hadn't dispersed. Instead, as night deepened, it took on a purplish hue, an obscure color that illuminated the artisan words engraved on the walls of the Saint Asteri Palace.
The once-glorious palace was now reduced to ruins, with only the wind howling over the shattered throne, emitting a mournful wail.
The ten Archons stood before the ruins, their expressions complex and eyes wandering. Behind them, cracks appeared on the faces of the statues of the First Archons.
They were once the strongest guardians of the Kreith Empire, the pillars that upheld the empire.
But during tonight's chaos, they had become the greatest threat, failing to detect the Blood Clan's presence and even falling under their control. If not for Hestinos, they might have become the culprits of the empire's downfall.
Regardless, the Archons on the ruins knew that with the rising sun tomorrow, the Kreith Empire would undergo a complete transformation.
(End of Chapter)
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