(Juxta Military Base, Entrail’s POV)
Entrail did not buy into Charles’s explanation that he was just waiting for the barrier to go up before getting serious.
After all, who in their right mind would gamble with their life like that?
’He thinks he can play mind games with us with that false show of strength? Come on.... We are Monarch’s, not Master tier beginners.’
Entrail thought, as he scoffed at Charles’s actions.
However, although he doubted Charles’s words and wanted to dismiss it as last ditch bravado, when he and Charles clashed blades yet again, instead of holding his own, he was blown back on raw strength, as if his peak force was only half of what Charles possessed.
*CLANG*
*BOOOOM*
Entrail skidded across the fractured ground, his boots carving trenches, his arms trembling as he barely steadied his blade.
"What... What is this abnormal strength?" Entrail muttered, his voice sharp with disbelief as his eyes widened at the figure striding calmly out of the dust cloud.
"You wanted to fight the best Monarch in the universe eh? Well.... Careful what you wish for son," Charles said, his tone casual, as he rotated his pristine blade with a calm that indicated that he had all the time in the world to pick his attacks.
*Step*
*Step*
He moved forward slowly, his presence swelling like a storm tide, and with every step Entrail felt his own confidence fracture, piece by piece, as if the very air around Charles had grown heavier, pressing against his lungs, demanding recognition.
"Don’t let him get in your head, his boost in strength must be because of some skill activation, he can’t possibly be holding back that much strength for so long...." Streak hissed, darting to Entrail’s side, his eyes flashing with grim resolve.
"His body is healing fast, but he’s also using up massive amounts of mana to regenerate. If we push now, maybe we can break him."
Streak suggested, as Charles simply scoffed at his words.
"You spoke nothing for the first 25 minutes we fought, while the other one kept blabbering like a five year old.....
I almost expected you to be the wise one of the two.
Someone with a more mature demeanor in contrast to your partner’s childish delusion.
However, when you did eventually open your mouth you shattered that image instantly.
In the end, you’re just as foolish as your friend...." Charles noted, as he shook his head in disappointment.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*SWOOSH*
Entrail lunged with a flurry, his blade a blur of purple arcs, while Streak vanished into streaks of black light, reappearing on Charles’s blind side with a silent thrust.
Yet Charles turned on his heel with effortless timing, his blade carving a crescent that caught both strikes at once, the recoil sending sparks spiraling across the battlefield.
*BOOOOM*
The shockwave forced Entrail back yet again, while Streak staggered two steps, his wrist trembling as his blade nearly slipped from his grasp.
"No way... he read me even with the potion still active?" Streak muttered inwardly, his lips tightening as panic flickered in his chest.
"Of-course I read you.....
Come on now.
Who the fuck do you think I am?
I only mastered aura as a Monarch, up till then I was a dumb and blind fighter just like the two of you.
Which means, my basics are strong.
And that, I too can read the twitch of your muscle, the rhythm of your breathing and the tremor behind your stance to predict your attacks.
You are open books in my eyes, I just needed time to readjust to this old style of fighting, which I haven’t used in a century."
Charles explained, as his words enraged Entrail to no end.
"Shut your mouth!" Entrail roared, his pride fraying, as he pooled his strength into a technique that came at a great personal cost for him.
[Shattering Blade Waltz]
*THRUMMM*
*SLASHHHH*
His body twisted in a spinning storm of blade shadows, each swing carrying with it immense explosive force, as his own skin tore up in blisters from the action.
*BRRRRRR—-*
The attack threatened to destroy the entire Juxta Military Base if not contained immediately, as for the first time, Charles gripped his sword with both hands, his lips curving into a grin as he unleashed a fraction of his true strength.
"[Absolute Destruction]"
Charles declared, as he unleashed a single sword attack, so powerful, and so domineering, that not only did it cleave Entrail’s attack in half, but it also went on to split his torso, severing his left shoulder from the rest of his body completely.
*SLASH*
*SCREAM*
"ARGHHHHH—-"
Entrail screamed in pain, as his red hot monarch blood sprayed everywhere.
*FSHHH*
"STREAK HELP!"
He yelped, begging for his partner to cover for him while he reattached his arm and drank a healing potion.
However, before Streak could reach out to help him, Charles moved in a blur of speed and unleashed the [Mountain Splitting Slash], his blade descending like a continent dropped from the heavens.
*BOOOOOOM*
The ground caved in beneath Entrail, his knees slamming down as blood sprayed from his mouth, his body screaming under the weight of the blow.
"Entrail!" Streak shouted, his fury spiking as he arrived a heartbeat later, his blade glowing with black-violet light.
[Silent Void Rend]
The attack was invisible, inaudible, its trajectory unreadable. Yet Charles tilted his head ever so slightly, his blade rising with impeccable calm.
*CLANG*
The invisible slash met steel, sparks scattering as Streak’s face contorted with disbelief.
"How... how can you still see it?" he whispered, his confidence shattering like glass.
"Yeah, that confirms it for me, you’re an idiot, and hence I’ve lost all interest in you— you can very well fuck off," Charles replied coldly, his blade thrusting forward with lightning speed.
*SHHHK*
Blood sprayed as Streak’s shoulder was pierced, his body tumbling back with a ragged scream, his blade clattering against the broken stone.
"No, no, no, this isn’t possible," Streak thought desperately, his mind unraveling as he clutched his wound, eyes wild. "We are Monarchs, the same tier as you... there shouldn’t be such a gap."
"Tier?" Charles chuckled, his lips curling as his eyes gleamed with predatory light.
"Do you really think strength is decided by words on parchment, by neat little titles and ranks? I have spent my life training with a GOD. You two are nothing more than children with a playing knife to me."
*Step*
*Step*
He advanced again, each step now striking fear into the heart of his enemies, who shuddered and reeled back.
"Stop him!" Entrail snarled, his pride refusing to break as he lunged once more with one arm, his blade glowing with another desperate attack.
[Infinite Slash]
Dozens of afterimages flared again, slashes raining like endless ribbons across the field.
But Charles only grinned wider, his blade flashing with incandescent brilliance.
[Heaven Sundering Reversal]
*CLANG*
*SHHHK*
*BOOOOOOM*
In one impossibly swift motion, he cut through every afterimage at once, unraveling the entire technique like tearing apart a spider’s web, before driving a savage kick into Entrail’s chest that sent him crashing through a half-collapsed wall, coughing blood in ragged heaves.
"Entrail!" Streak cried, his voice broken as terror overtook him, his body refusing to step forward again.
Charles turned his head toward him, his eyes narrowing, his grin feral.
"Your turn."
"No—" Streak tried to retreat, his instincts screaming, but Charles was already there, his sword raised high as sparks of lightning danced along its edge.
[Thundering End]
"..... goodbye"
*Slash*
*THUD*
The lifeless body of Streak collapsed to the ground, twitching, his eyes wide and glassy as disbelief poured out in broken whispers.
"This... cannot be... we are equals... this... this gap should not exist..."
Charles stood over him, his blade dripping with crimson, his smile sharp as a predator’s.
"Equals?" Charles said, his voice low and mocking, as he jerked the blood off his blade.
"Son, you flatter yourself."
He said, as Entrail, bloodied but alive, dragged himself from the rubble, his eyes wide as he stared at the corpse of his ally.
"You... monster," Entrail hissed, his voice trembling with both fury and despair.
Charles turned his gaze upon him, his smile widening, his blade lowering casually to his side.
"Did you not want the honor of fighting the strongest monarch in the universe? Well.... Here I am," Charles said softly, almost kindly as he gave Entrail a gentleman’s bow with a mocking smile.
"Careful what you wish for.... Righteous weakling."