Chapter 358 The Power Of Words

"First Hero?...Did I hear that right?" Blimpo said in quiet disbelief.

"...Shit. This is the worst case scenario!" Vandread said.

It was rare to see such emotion from Vandread, though it was clear why as the red-haired figure known as the "First Hero" moved across the chamber with monstrous agility, instantly swinging his blade towards the two.

Luckily, Vandread blocked it with both daggers, though was thrown back from the incredible power behind the strike, knocked back along with the elf by the sheer wind. They both slammed through one of the walls, breaking into a courtyard as the "First Hero" followed.

"Nngh…" The elf groaned.

"Get up," Vandread said, catching his breath, "If you let up for a single moment, you'll die. That's the enemy we're facing–the first Hero-class swordsman…'Godfrey, the Crimson End'."

The crimson-haired figure of legend hardly seemed to even register the two as threats, not holding any guard or serious demeanor in the slightest.

The "First Hero" stuck his pinky in his ear, boredly checking for wax as he looked towards Vandread and Blimpo.

"I agreed to serve under him in exchange for exhilarating opponents to fight, but this is what I get? A malnourished elf and a dagger wielder?" Godfrey spoke with a rough, playful voice.

Not responding to the clear disappointment from the figure, Vandread swiftly tossed a set of needles towards the crimson-haired swordsman while dashing in.

"Oh? I see," Godfrey reacted with an unmoving smile.

With only minimal movements of his head, the legendary figure evaded the silent needles without any usage of sight. This feat was noticed by the elf, who was completely taken aback by the man's ability to dodge without seeing.

"--You use 'that' style, don't you?" Godfrey asked.

Vandread attempted to slash his daggers against the crimson-haired man's neck, only to be countered by a brutal front kick to the stomach, knocking the scarred figure back across the courtyard.

"Vandread!" Blimpo ran over, tossing a gadget out.

The tool expanded into a threaded wall of steel-like material that split the grassy courtyard into two sections, blocking off the man who fought with a single arm.

"Interesting," Godfrey remarked, "Magical tools have progressed a lot since my time, haven't they?"

In the meantime, Blimpo helped Vandread back to his feet, who coughed up after the devastating kick.

"What's up with this guy…? How'd he counter you with a blindfold on?! And his arm too…" Blimpo wondered.

Vandread straightened himself out, "I've read about it in books. Godfrey's time was centuries ago, but the term "Hero" doesn't apply to him at all."

["A hero, Godfrey was not. A battle-loving man whose very existence was dedicated to refining his own sword techniques and pushing his limits further and further. In his time, Godfrey was without peer; due to seeking a challenge, he handicapped himself by blocking his own vision and keeping his left arm kept in a sling. Even with these hindrances, he remained undefeated, slaying armies by himself before–he fell to an unknown warrior."]

The story that Vandread recounted sent a shiver throughout the elf's body as he looked over to witness the threaded wall be shattered, broken by a single kick of the fallen legend.

"That's who we're up against? Terrifying," Blimpo held an anxious smile.

Vandread breathed out, readying himself as he gripped his daggers, "There's no time to be scared. Swallow that fear and back me up–we're winning this thing."

"Right. I gotcha," Blimpo nodded, lifting his rune cannon.

Godfrey seemed delighted to find that the two were still willing to face him, flexing his body as a horrific aura manifested.

It was as if a storm brewed from the pits of hell had awakened as an unseen gale emitted from the legendary swordsman.

"I like your fighting spirit! Give this dead man something to live for!" Godfrey shouted with a smirk.

—

In the royal chamber, the Dragonheart called out in worry of his comrades, attempting to rush to their aid but was intercepted as a massive slash forced him to jump back.

"--" Emilio looked over.

The King of Spades held his halberd up, having used its giant reach to cleave through the tiles as if they were butter.

"You will face me, Dragonheart," the King of Spades ordered.

"--!"

It was inexplicable, as if an alluring force had taken hold of his body: Emilio felt those words from the snow-white man embed themselves into his mind, making the order of fighting him impossible to deny.

As he attempted to raise his hand to unleash a burst of flames towards his enemy, the strangely composed king let out a single word:

"Extinguish."

Following that utterance, the flash of azure fire was erased in an instant, vanishing and failing to burn the Dragonheart's enemy. It was confirmed for him then, without any sense of hesitance from his enemy to hide their own hand: the ability wielded by the King of Spades.

'His words…they have power to them!' He thought.

A terrifying ability to imagine and even more horrible to have to face as he found himself having to duck down in the face of an incoming attack–

"Extend."

The pale-skinned guardian's powerful word forced his halberd to mystically extend its length, sweeping through the room with a reach that allowed it to carve through the neighboring walls.

'...Close!' Emilio thought.

Bursting forward with draconic speed, he shot straight towards his enemy before–he stopped for a moment, faking out his foe as he pivoted around and instead rushed towards his left.

Even as he neared his blade to the neck of the snow-white man, the King of Spades was still as calm as an old mountain, standing still before emitting a single word once more:

"Repel."

"--!"

An overwhelming force of unseen power suddenly overtook Emilio, pulling against him like a fearsome wind before he was blasted back. He used the flames natural to his system to regain his momentum through reversing the direction he flew, rocketing back towards the King of Spades within a second.

[Draconic Might!]

Engulfing his sword in flashing fire, he once more used an unpredictable approach as the speed of the draconic flame propelling him was used to swerve around the statuesque guardian, swirling around him before he found an opening.

As he burst towards the back of the figure, going for an upward slash as he prepared to unleash the mighty blow–

"Fall."

Mere inches from the azure embers charring the neck of the calm king, it wasn't close enough as a colossal gravity plummeted upon the Dragonheart, slamming him down into the ground amidst his attempted attack.

"Ngh…!"

The tiles below him shattered as it felt as though an entire mountain was sitting atop his back. Even with the heightened strength he wielded, he struggled even to lift himself a few inches from the ground; fighting against the supernatural gravity made it feel as though his bones were on the verge of snapping and his flesh would peel.

'I can't move…!' He thought.

The King of Spades stood over him, looking down at him as Emilio was caked in sweat whilst trying to resist the force that kept him pinned down.

"Fly," The King of Spades ordered.

–The reverse effect took place as a total weightlessness gripped the Dragonheart, finding himself being flung upward as though gravity didn't exist, unable to stop himself from flying upward as if something from up above called upon him.

'I can't stop going up! What is this?!' He questioned.

He slammed straight through the ceiling, breaking through it and being left hundreds of meters in the air, swallowed by the darkness that was the endless "sky" of the After. There was no way to resist it; no amount of wind magic or propelling flames altered his trajectory as he continued being flung up.

After a minute of this, he found it, for what he could only imagine as an arbitrary reason, stopping; the mystical force completely vanished as he was now left falling back down through the abyssal sky.

"Nngh–!" He gritted his teeth.

It was far too jarring to keep up with, though he could only find himself relieved in that moment that he was freed from the restrictive force. As he plummeted, the view of the checkered castle came back into view as he prepared himself for his landing.

'I need to avoid those "power words"!' He planned.

Falling through the hole in the royal ceiling he made, he used a masterful swirl of wind magic to alter his momentum, instantly landing with a downward strike of his fist towards his foe.

[Dragon Strike!]

The unrestrained impact blew through the tiles below, cratering it and rumbling the royal chamber, though failing to make contact with the King of Spades. Though the descending punch landing wasn't what was intended by him; he instantly looked over to where the King of Spades had sidestepped the attack.

"Bla–"

'I won't let you!' He thought.

–Just as the King of Spades attempted to usher in another imposing word, the figure's voice was snatched away as Emilio pointed his hand at him.

A look of surprise twisted onto the blank slate that was the snow-white royal's face as he found himself unable to speak at that time.

"Surprised?" Emilio couldn't help but hold a partial smile, "Almost like I took the breath right out of your lungs, huh?"

That's exactly what had been done; a usage of wind magecraft that required such precision, focus, and overall mastery that the Dragonheart was already sweating just from a single use of it. Though its effectiveness was found as the King of Spades hyperventilated, jumping back and using his halberd to cut through the marble tiles and fling debris at the young man.

'He's good,' Emilio thought.

The debris broke his concentration for a split-second, causing the air-denying spell to fall apart as the King of Spades was able to bring oxygen into his lungs once more. That stoic expression had been wiped away as the kingly figure held his throat, breathing heavily as he was clearly shaken by the usage of magecraft.