550: Astarat's War: Humans v. Terrors (III)

Astarat's War: Humans v. Terrors (III)

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Following the creation of his colossal axe, Brukti turned towards the Three Heavens while performing a wide swing. The action kicked up another wild gust of decrepit winds that collided against their Essence Aegis. If not for their cultivation as Zul Saints, the shockwave alone would be enough to disrupt the technique; that's how powerful the aftershock of Brukti's actions was.

Soren sneered in response, lifting his lip in disgust as he brandished his spear with an unorthodox stance. An occasional ding resonated in the atmosphere because Soren's spearhead occasionally tapped against the ground. It seemed to be a harmless action at first, but the tapping mixed with the ambient Natural Essence before turning into a sound-based attack.

The ground targeted by this attack turned soft, making Brukti sink quickly as his immense physique was accompanied by substantial weight. It was only fitting that he plunged at an exponential rate. 

However, Brukti didn't standby as this happened. He lifted his axe above head, encasing the colossal blade in an orb of Death Essence and then bombarding the ground. An explosion occurred, forcing another wave of debris hurtling into the distance.

Brukti launched himself into the sky from within the debris and shifted his gaze to the nearest target―Solomon. "It'll have to be you!"

Solomon barely processed Brukti's word when a quake occurred right before him. Brukti moved at a velocity almost similar to teleportation as he appeared seemingly out of thin air.

Left with no other choice, Solomon overlapped his blades and guarded his side once Brukti administered signs of launching a side swing. Of course, Solomon couldn't brace himself for the absurd strength of a Disaster as he had never battled a mature one.

Bang! Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrck!

A deafening explosion followed by a faint cracking noise occurred as Solomon was forced hundreds of meters backward until finally coming to a stop. His eyes widened with shock, showing an uncharacteristic amount of moment after experiencing the weight of the attack and the slight stinging pain on his forearm.

The cracking noise didn't come from his bone, but the Essence Aegis coating his arm. A considerable amount of it cracked open and fell off, exposing his skin to Brukti's toxic miasma. However, Solomon understood that this technique was cracked open by brute force alone because it was akin to a solid exoskeleton at this point.

Solomon didn't make any subsequent moves to retaliate against this attack. Instead, he took the time to reestablish a complete Essence Aegis. The longer he was exposed to Brukti's toxic miasma, the more it could jeopardize his stance in the battle.

Regardless of his reaction, Brukti didn't stop his onslaught. After he realized that Solomon was focused on replenishing the broken Essence Aegis, he rushed towards him with heavy steps.

Fortunately, Solomon wasn't in this fight alone. There were many allies nearby and not just limited to humans. By the time Brukti arrived and unleashed another ferocious swing of his axe, Solomon's appeared between them like an undetected wraith in the night. 

The Spirit clapped its hand together and caught the axe's blade before following up with an unusual hand movement. It was similar to a martial arts where the user employs the foe's energy in the form of reversals. Brukti was first spun around and then sent flying when a flash of dark energy succeeded by a shimmering gleam surfaced on the Spirit's palm.

"I appreciate the assistance, Xezos," Solomon muttered right after reestablishing his Essence Aegis.

"Your appreciation is unneeded. As your partner, I will always be tasked with maintaining your safety. After all, I took a deep oath," Xezos replied. Naturally, as a former Paragon, Solomon possessed a second Spiritual Mind. In other words, a deep pact with heavy repercussions along with many benefits.

"That is true," Solomon nodded. His expression lightened after Xezos appeared because he understood that Xezos's race possessed mysteries that even he couldn't unfold. If that were the case, how could they lose to these Terrors?

This thought is what gave Solomon confidence. As long as he fought alongside his Spirit, Solomon felt there was no storm that couldn't be weathered. Whether or not this was true remained a mystery in and of itself.

Meanwhile, Brukti recovered midair and landed perfectly without suffering much damage aside from Xezos' initial attack. "Annoying thing! You think you can stop me from accomplishing my goal?"

"I will do as I must to ensure the longevity of my partner's world," Xezos answered in a matter-of-fact tone. His approach appeared passive-aggressive, not overly forceful yet announcing his intentions directly. 

"Inconsequential action. You're not even amongst the strongest of your race," Brukti snarled. Afterward, he dashed towards Xezos, closing the distance in a single step as a heavy wind accompanied his next swing.

However, Xezos neither retreated nor made any advances despite Brukti's pursuit. Xezos fashioned two glimmers reminiscent of shining stars around his palm and redirected the attack, followed by an attack of his own. He whipped out his leg in a fluid motion, creating a lasso of dark energy.

A small laceration opened on Brukti's chest, which caused a brief moment. Brukti touched the wound with a mystified expression. "That… kind of hurt, y'know? But look at this!"

Another low hum occurred. However, the Death Essence migrated towards Brukti's finger this time, healing his wound instantly. This didn't come as a shock to any of the Three Heavens because an incomplete Disaster showcased this ability in the past.

Suddenly, Brukti sensed a hostile presence by his side. 

Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink!

Brukti used his axe to defend against Soren's pierce. Although it only seemed like one motion, Brukti was forced to make four subtle movements to appease the high alerts going off in his mind.

"Fast little vermin," Brukti spat before retaliating with a surge of monstrous blows. The exchanges forced Soren back, but once he was placed in a difficult spot, Solomon and Xezon stepped in, shifting Brukti's focus away from Soren.

'He's strong, but there's only one of him. As long as we wear him down, this fight will inevitably result in our victory, especially with her present,' Solomon thought while subtly glancing in Valerie's direction.

Despite the difference in numbers and the three constantly interchanging their position in the fight, Brukti didn't become incensed. In fact, Brukti released a peal of hearty laughter. 

"Interfere," Brukti said in a tone that seemed like a command.

Out of nowhere, a hundred Rank 4 Terrors and the precipice of the rank materialized, launching a simultaneous attack. If it were a simple attack launched by a single Rank 4 Terror, then it would be something that a Zul Saint could overlook. However, not only were these Terrors at the peak of their rank, but there were a hundred of them launching an attack at a single opponent.

Nevertheless, that wasn't what Solomon found to be most frightening. He hadn't sensed any of these Terrors in the vicinity, so where did they come from, and why could they escape his detection?!

Of course, these Terror didn't just appear out of nowhere. This was Brukti's unique ability he received from Lord Az'kayzak after absorbing a fragment of his power. It was known as Death Command, which allowed Brukti to control the presence, energy, and even sentience of all Terror underneath a certain threshold.

In this case, Brukti hid several mighty Terrors to manipulate at the right time. So while it looked like Brukti was fighting alone, that wasn't entirely true.

Solomon controlled a massive amount of Natural Essence to unleash two attacks. Each attack looked similar to a horizontal tornado formed by dark energies. The concentrated attack of the hundred Rank 4 Terrors and Solomon's dual dark tornados collided, unleashing a whirlwind of sporadic energies.

After the collision, Brukti took to the skies for a moment and spectated the battlefield. Numerous puddles of toxic liquids and mutilated human bodies were spewed across the battlefield despite barely starting the war.

But, this was to be expected when millions of combatants engaged in heated battles.

Shockingly, Brukti frowned at the sight. "It is far too slow! I want decimation! I want their despair! CRUSH THEM ALL!" 

The Death Essence in the area seethed, forcefully injecting itself into the nearby Terrors after experiencing Brukti's Death Command. Many of the Rank 1 Terrors were instantly empowered, evolving into an opponent that the weak soldiers were incapable of handling.

At the same time, Brukti dismantled the pools of toxic liquid, converting it back into gaseous Death Essence. More importantly, a large portion of the Death Essence Brukti commanded seemingly vanished as he returned to the fight with an eerie grin.

"I think I understand how to maneuver this battle now," Brukti said. He cracked his neck and extended his free arm. The Death Essence collected until it formed a sharp gauntlet with protruding green veins spanning his entire arm.

A reaction sparked once Brukti grabbed the axe with this gauntlet, making his body emit a pressure felt throughout the battlefield. "Death Command is truly exhilarating!"

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