Chapter 72: The Duel (2).

Words : 1215 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

As the heavy claymore swung down, aiming for the neck of the K. Champion, the blade shattered upon contact, its fragments scattering into the air, without even an scratch appearing on the Champion’s skin. Rex’s eyes widened. "You’ve got to be kidding me..." With a grin, the K. Champion raised his arm and unleashed a powerful punch that sent Rex hurtling backward. Rex slammed into the ground, rolling across the gritty sand, dust kicking up in clouds around him. "Kukuku... what is this? Have you grown weaker?" The Champion sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "You’re a disgrace as my prey." Rex pushed himself up, struggling to find his footing as he gasped for breath. But the K. Champion was already on him, slamming a brutal kick into his stomach, sending him sprawling down the slope of a sand dune. He tumbled and slid, finally skidding to a stop at the bottom. Coughing, Rex staggered to his feet, spitting golden blood onto the sand. He looked up to meet the K. Champion’s gaze. "Even now... in this state... you still can’t finish me off?" The champion chuckled, cold and menacing. "I’ve killed thousands of champions from countless races, but you... you’re the first one who talks more than he fights." Rex smirked, wiping blood from his lip. "Oh, is that so? Guess that means I’ll be living in your head. How cute." He flexed his fists, crafting a pair of heavy, spiked gauntlets that glinted in the sun "Your resistance is futile!" The K. Champion’s laughter echoed as he leapt high into the air, crashing down right in front of Rex. But before he could even straighten, Rex struck with a fierce punch to the face, followed by another, each blow landing harder than the last. Discover more stories at novelhall.Côm "Where’s that smug grin now?" Rex taunted, but his words were cut off as the Champion retaliated, a brutal fist slamming into his stomach and knocking him back. "I’ll take my time ripping you apart, inferior!" The K. Champion roared, his voice filled with raw hatred. Suddenly, a thunderous explosion rocked the ground, shaking the very air around them. A massive shockwave threw both warriors off their feet, sending sand spraying in every direction. Rex landed hard, tasting blood and sand as he coughed, his ears ringing from the blast. Blinking through the haze, he could barely make out the distant, flashing light of the thousands of missiles raining down from allied artillery. As his vision slowly cleared, Rex looked up to see the silhouette of the K. Champion, standing hundreds of meters away. In that instant, a missile streaked through the sky and struck the champion directly on the head, erupting in a fiery explosion. Rex managed a strained laugh, his vision dim. "Serves you right... " But the K. Champion was already regenerating, his flesh knitting itself back together as he glared furiously at the gunboats responsible for the artillery assault. With a savage roar that echoed across the battlefield, he spread a pair of massive, dark wings that burst from his back, looking like the wings of a demon. Hearing his call, every K. Skydancer in the sky abandoned their targets, turning to swarm toward the distant gunboats. And with one powerful beat of his wings, the K. Champion launched himself into the air, a dark shadow hurtling toward his next victims. "R...x... C...n... H...r... m...?" In the depths of unconsciousness, Rex began to hear a faint, familiar voice echoing through his mind, as though it were calling to him from a great distance. The words were confusing and distorted, slipping away before he could fully grasp them. His chest bore the sigil of the Kælzar Dominion, a stylized circuit board interwoven with fractal designs, symbolizing both order and infinite complexity. Rex swallowed, feeling dwarfed by the figure before him. "So... you’re some kind of... machine emperor?" Xynithar’s eyes narrowed, though there was a glint of humor in their depths. "Once, perhaps. Now I am merely a remnant, just a memory of a power that once ruled the cosmos. But enough about me." His gaze sharpened, a force of will that cut through Rex’s uncertainty. " The question is... are you ready to wake up and finish what you started?" The void around them seemed to tremble, as if Xynithar’s words carried the weight of worlds. And deep within, Rex felt a spark reigniting, a fire that had been dormant, waiting for this moment to flare back to life. "I’ll be honest... I don’t remember this task you mentioned," Rex admitted, looking slightly ashamed as he rose to his feet. "But I do remember two promises I still need to keep... and a reward I still need to claim. So, yeah, I guess I’m ready to wake up." Xynithar let out a booming laugh, filled with pride. "Good, good! My daughter chose well." He nodded approvingly. "Rise once more, my heir. You cannot rest until your purpose is fulfilled. Ah, but before you go, there’s a message. Words left by someone who came here long before you." Xynithar’s eyes closed for a moment, as if searching the depths of his memory. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more solemn. "Child of mine, forgive me," he began, the words flowing as if from a distant soul. "I know the burden I place upon you is heavy, too heavy for one so young. But as the mother of your race, I beg you... bring them home. I know you must have countless questions about who I am and about who you are." He paused, and there was an aching sadness in the air, something ancient and sorrowful. " But I promise, every question will be answered when you’ve brought your brothers and sisters back to where they belong." Xynithar opened his eyes, and his gaze was both fierce and compassionate. "That’s the message the other one left for you. Two tasks of this magnitude... it’s a burden few could bear, even among the strongest. Surround yourself with allies worthy of the journey, kiddo. Never stop moving forward, no matter how difficult the path becomes." He placed a heavy hand on Rex’s shoulder, his touch both reassuring and final . "When you feel like you can’t take another step, those who walk behind you will push you forward. Always remember that. And to help you in this task..." He paused, his face softening. " I leave you a gift. Use it well. Keep my daughter safe." Xynithar’s form began to flicker, his body fading back into pure golden light. The smile on his face was calm yet filled with a pride that spanned ages. "Time’s up, kiddo. This is the last you’ll see of me, the last fragment of Xynithar, the last spark of a long-forgotten emperor." As his hand rested on Rex’s shoulder, the golden light began to envelop Rex, filling him with a warmth that felt both powerful and ancient. Xynithar’s voice echoed one final time, ringing through the darkness. "Go forward, Rex. Start your own legend." And with that, Xynithar vanished, his form scattering into rays of golden light, leaving Rex alone in the void but no longer alone in spirit, a newfound resolve burning bright within him.

Chapter 72: The Duel (2).

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