Chapter 333 The Truth [Part 1]
Reacting with lightning reflexes, Sura raised his hands, shifting the spears' trajectories with a flick of his wrists.
The glassy weapons veered off course, embedding themselves in the walls with thunderous impacts that disintegrated the wall.
But Northern's assault did not end there.
A black lance, like solid darkness, crackled into his hands. He narrowed his eyes to a slit and slid forward with little to no effort, piercing the air and reaching Sura in a jiffy.
Taken aback, eyes widened, Sura staggered back yet again in a desperate attempt to save himself from the ominous black lance that Northern was now hurling towards him.
He tripped clumsily and fell, causing Northern's black lance to sway over his head, cutting a few strands of hair.
That was the initial look, but looking upon the area of impact once more, Sura was very lucky to have fallen just at the time that he did because Northern had redirected the lance he was thrusting to a swing mid-motion, to take a perfect hit at Sura the moment he'd be running away.
However, coincidence saved him.
Northern clicked his tongue in disappointment.
The inner workings of Sura's palace, however… everything was gone.
Severed with a clean cut from the black lance. The force of the cut was so sublime, indestructive and gentle.
Such that the upper part of the palace that was severed gently floated off like a cap blown away by the wind from a man's head.
The fall, however, was what sang of the cruel and unfair power behind Northern's black lance. Shaking the entire rift so powerfully that the skies seemed like they would fall.
Sura touched his hair lightly and exhaled since there didn't seem to be much damage there. But he looked at his palace and blinked a couple of times.
He stood up and dusted his clothes, shaking his head a little bit.
"Damn, I need to sober up."
He glared at Northern. For long, both of them stood almost five feet apart, staring at each other.
Northern had a blank expression on his face; he was neither smiling nor frowning.
He even looked a little bit surprised in fact. He didn't remember black lance having such a powerful impact.
But then…
'Black Flame was also like that too, on a whole different level.'
Black flame and black lance were both active abilities from Chaos Flames.
It is possible that something had happened to Chaos Flames after his soul evolution.
Either way, Northern couldn't care less, at least for now; they all worked to his favor.
"Looks like I will be able to end this faster than I thought I would," he said to himself, but loud enough for Sura to hear.
"You insolent fool. You affront me because I have been drunk and lenient with you so far."
Northern rolled his eyes away.
"Then stop being lenient. I have so much to do."
"Do you realize if you kill me, you will be lost in this realm forever? Trapped with no way to your world."
Northern cocked his head and let out a wry smile.
"Is that your way of begging for your life?" He whined.
Sura grimaced and shot both hands forward.
Chains made of ethereal, glass-like ice extended from his hands.
"These chains can phase through solid objects, making them difficult to avoid or block," Sura once again boasted as the chains made their way for Northern.
But sadly, they never got to him.
They reached his front but still continued to be in motion like they had been directed into another space reality.
Sura frowned in confusion.
'What is he?'
He understood not what was happening right now, and that fact alone placed more burden on his soul than the realization that he had not been in control of this battle since it began.
Immediately, another chain shot towards Northern from behind.
But the white-haired boy didn't even flinch, knowing full well it was coming.
They met the same result, streaking towards him but never reaching.
The result again caused Sura to open his mouth in shock. Pale shock.
"What? Did you think you'd be able to cow me with such parlor tricks?"
Sura gritted his teeth.
"I expected more from you with all I've heard, Sura. Come on, don't bore me out. I've not even started attacking you."
Sura continued to grit his teeth; his gritting of teeth became even more pronounced. It was getting harder by the second to maintain a calm demeanor.
He felt his grip on that thing called control slowly slip away.
He was barely holding onto that thin thread and was a tad bit away from unleashing the turmoil of madness that dwelt within his soul.
Still, he was doing a great job, seriously trying to hang on.
Northern could tell he was struggling to maintain his cool. He breathed in and out and in, then sighed, bringing his face up to Northern with yet another pleasing smile.
"Alright, I'll take you on more seriously now…"
'This is getting irritating; why is he holding it off? I don't understand; is there something I am missing? Or maybe I can try to pry the information out of him.'
Northern looked a little bit forlorn for a while, then asked him.
"Why?"
The question caused Sura's demeanor to go deadpan for a second. Then he frowned.
"Why what?"
"Don't you desire to kill me? Right now, shouldn't protecting this rift be your priority?"
Sura looked at him with distant eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter.
His laugh proceeded for a couple of heartbeats before simmering down.
"Why? I bear no animosity towards you. I am only aggravated because you took what should have come back to me, and I don't even know how you do it. Kill you? Protect this Rift?" Sura chuckled once more.
"This is only but a place of exile for me. If you destroy it, I shall be free to return to the underworld and get my vengeance," he ended, folding his hand into a tight fist.