Chapter 459
Chapter 459 Now It Can Shine. (3)
Belinda had finally solidified her own world completely.
The foundation of that world was boundless love and devotion for Ghislaine and Elena without conditions.
The world she had established was manifesting right here.
It was the birth of a new superhuman.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The trail of light sliced through Melkihr, countless times.
“Graaaah!”
Trapped within the space, Melkihr could do nothing but scream as he was slashed.
Ghislaine also felt a chill for a moment. Once trapped inside, no one could easily evade or block an attack.
Zap!
The daggers engulfed in light scattered once more in all directions. Melkihr’s bandages were already soaked in blood and torn, exposing what lay beneath.
“Grrr…”
Melkihr, stripped of his bandages, looked utterly grotesque. Scars covered his face and body; there was not a single unblemished spot.
His body, already densely packed with wounds and pus, became drenched in blood from the gashes made by the daggers.
Looking down at his body, Melkihr mumbled with a vacant gaze.
“Anette… Anette… you’re back…”
Most of the wounds on his body were inflicted long ago by Anette. Those injuries remained grotesquely swollen and oozed pus.
Having lost his life force due to the shattered mana core, he could not properly heal his wounds.
It was truly miraculous that he could move and fight in such a state.
Whir!
A dense darkness gathered in front of the staggering Melkihr. Despite seeing the warping shadow ahead, he could do nothing.
Zap!
The darkness tore apart, and Belinda sprang out from within.
With all her might, she plunged two daggers into Melkihr’s body.
One pierced his heart, and the other his neck.
Thud! Thud!
“Grrr…”
Already badly wounded and staggering, Melkihr could not stop it. His tendons had long since been severed. He was merely sustaining himself with overwhelming energy.
With a single tear rolling down her cheek, Belinda spoke. Her eyes were filled with hatred.
“I really thought you were dead.”
Melkihr gathered the last remnants of his strength and painfully opened his mouth.
“Grrk… Hah. I might as well be dead. Just look at me now.”
“I thought as long as I raised the Young Master and Young Lady well, it would be fine. If I had known you were alive, I wouldn’t have done that.”
Melkihr was the mastermind behind the downfall of Belinda’s organization and the death of her master. Had she known he was alive, her life would have been filled with the torment of revenge. Perhaps it was lucky for Belinda that she had not known.
Melkihr chuckled, his body heaving.
“Hic… I can’t believe that bastard was that woman’s son. To not have known for over twenty years… hehehe… Everything has been a mess since that day… The Duke Faction must be in a tight spot… What a coincidence…”
“It’s not a coincidence; it’s fate.”
Yes, this was fate. Who would have known that a long-ago grudge would manifest in this way?
It was clear that Melkihr was still alive due to the Duke Faction and the Salvation Society. The child of Anette, whom he had harmed, had now grown up to be the greatest threat to the Duke Faction and the Salvation Society.
The grudge between them and Ghislaine had been ongoing for far too long.
Belinda bit her lip tightly and continued.
“You won’t come back this time. I’ll be sure to cut your head off. This time, there won’t be anyone to help you.”
“Haha…. To end up being defeated by you too… I should have mastered that trick…”
“You’re not the kind of coward who could master it.”
Zap!
With that, Belinda swung the two daggers.
The daggers, imbued with the aura of the Void Blade, intersected as they aimed for Melkihr’s neck. Or, so she intended.
Clang!
The daggers were blocked by the dark energy erupting from Melkihr’s wounds.
“Huh?”
Feeling something strange, Belinda quickly retreated.
Boom!
Black energy surged wildly from various wounds across Melkihr’s body. That energy soon firmly enveloped him.
Crash!
Melkihr’s muscles began to bulge and grow larger. Grinning with exposed teeth, he spoke.
“I’m decorating my end in this way. Still, it’s fortunate that Count Penris is here.”
Belinda’s eyes twitched. She recognized that phenomenon well.
It was the “Holy Knight” of the Salvation Society.
Melkihr’s eyes began to shimmer with ecstasy. He gazed into the void as if watching an illusion.
“Thanks to this power, I can just barely cling to life. But living like this isn’t really living. Now I can rest.”
His gaze returned to Belinda.
“I’ll be satisfied just by killing you and Count Penris, the descendant of Anette. If that happens, it will be my victory.”
Boom!
A massive energy erupted from Melkihr’s body. His eyes had completely rolled back, leaving only the whites visible.
After writhing a few times, saliva dribbled from Melkihr’s mouth.
“Grr… Anette… I’ll definitely kill you…”
“Targets are… Count Penris… Marquis Perdium… Elena…”
“Anette… Belinda…”
Even the newly fashioned superhuman could not evade the fragmentation of his mind. The power of the Holy Knight was that potent, and the cost was immense.
“Tsk.”
Belinda stepped back and levitated her daggers again. Although her wounds were severe and her mana depleted, she had no choice but to fight the now stronger Melkihr.
At that moment, Ghislaine, who had been watching, finally stepped forward.
“Enough, Belinda.”
“Sir.”
“Now it’s my turn to handle this.”
“But that guy is!”
“He’s no longer the person you knew. He’s finished. Now he’s just another existence.”
“……”
“How about heading to the castle to help Gillian instead? According to Dark, there shouldn’t be any issues, but who knows.”
“… Will it be alright?”
Ghislaine chuckled.
“Stop worrying so much.”
At that, Belinda smiled too.
No matter how strong Ghislaine became or how great his power was, he would always be a child to her.
Probably until the day Ghislaine grew old and died. That’s simply how it is.
Belinda stepped back. Right now, she had to trust Ghislaine. Elena was also someone truly precious to her. She had to protect her.
“I’ll go first. You need to handle this quickly.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Let’s talk afterward. I have quite a few questions.”
“Graaaah!”
The transformed Melkihr charged at Belinda. But Ghislaine intervened between them.
Boom!
Ghislaine wore a fierce smile.
“Now let’s see if you can keep up with me.”
Zap!
Ghislaine’s eyes turned red, and black energy enveloped his body. It was stronger and denser than the energy Melkihr emitted.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Melkihr’s large hand tried to grab and break Ghislaine’s sword. However, Ghislaine’s movement was faster.
He immediately dropped the sword and punched Melkihr in the face.
Boom!
Melkihr’s head spun around in a flash. Ghislaine shook his hand and smiled.
“I usually don’t discriminate when it comes to weapons. But actually, my first skill wasn’t weaponry.”
Graaagh!
Melkihr let out a monstrous roar as his head returned to its original position. Meanwhile, Ghislaine pulled his fist back again.
“What I learned first was hand-to-hand combat. I liked throwing punches since I was a kid.”
His fist shot out like light.
Boom!
“Grr?”
Melkihr’s head flew back again. Now a monster, he could not comprehend the situation. He didn’t understand why he was being struck.
Belinda chuckled at the sight. This time, it seemed there would be no need for worry.
‘Anyway, his temper is just like when he was a kid. Still…’
Ghislaine had always been a reckless lad who resorted to punching when things didn’t go his way. Everyone around him had always found it troublesome and loathsome.
Yet, Belinda never gave up and always embraced him with love. She believed he would change one day.
And now.
Ghislaine had truly transformed. His fists were no longer meant to trouble others but had become a hope to protect many.
‘Anette, can you see this?’
As Belinda headed toward the Lord’s Castle, she smiled. Perhaps it was because she recalled buried memories. Or possibly because she would finally share about her mother with Ghislaine.
Today, tears seemed ready to spill again.
‘Really, am I getting old? How foolish.’
But once this battle was over, she felt she could cry her heart out, indulged in the past.
Melkihr, in his frenzied mind, attempted to chase after the departing Belinda. Even in a state of unconsciousness, he sought the targets he wished to kill.
But Ghislaine was not one to let that happen.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Boom!
Ghislaine’s fist plunged into Melkihr’s abdomen, which had grown nearly twice its size.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Melkihr rolled on the ground, bouncing away.
“Graaaah!”
Melkihr sprang up and growled at Ghislaine. He had realized he needed to eliminate the interference before he could move.
Ghislaine shook his head and dusted off his hands.
“Phew, you’re really tough, huh?”
To him, Melkihr could not fully unleash his powers. His mana core was shattered, and the energy from the Salvation Society kept him clinging to life.
Even when he fought Belinda, Melkihr could not exert his full power. Yet, Melkihr had acted overly confident before him and Belinda, having had some faith.
“Was he so reliant on his luck?”
Becoming a Holy Knight amplifies one’s powers several times over. Even if Melkihr could not use his strength properly, he could still explode his energy at critical moments.
Only then did Ghislaine understand why the Duke Faction was so bold in executing this plan.
“Since it’s a one-time superhuman ability, they probably didn’t mind losing it as a pawn.”
Melkihr surely thought this place was the best to burn through his last life.
Although things wouldn’t go their way.
“Graaaah!”
Melkihr reset his target. He resolved to eliminate the one he didn’t like right in front of him.
Boom!
As Melkihr stomped his feet, his figure vanished in an instant, only to reappear in front of Ghislaine, as if teleporting.
Boom!
Melkihr’s fist struck Ghislaine’s body. Ghislaine quickly crossed his arms to block, but he was sent reeling back.
Graaah!
Melkihr puffed out his chest and roared. He resembled a beast emitting a triumphant cry.
Ghislaine also smiled. His arm felt as if it would fall off, but he was thoroughly enjoying the current situation.
It felt like he could finally let loose after a long time.
“I haven’t had a chance to use my strength like this in ages.”
Finding an opponent who fought only with their fists is rare. Especially if they’ve reached the height of a superhuman.
Melkihr was an outstanding opponent. Although his mind was gone, his strength and resilience were surely far beyond ordinary superhumans.
In a battle against such a foe, he could unleash his full power. The anticipation grew that it would be a rather satisfying fight.
“Graaaah!”
Seeing that his well-functioning fist did no harm to Ghislaine, Melkihr’s temper flared.
Just as he was about to attack again, Ghislaine moved swiftly.
Closing in at breakneck speed, Ghislaine delivered a punch to Melkihr’s face.
Boom!
“Graaaah!”
With a sound explosive like something bursting, Melkihr screamed and fell over.
Ghislaine flexed his fist. Despite concentrating immense power into his strike, his opponent wasn’t destroyed.
As expected. It had been a long time since his blood boiled.
“Graaaah!”
Melkihr sprang to his feet and charged at Ghislaine. But Ghislaine did not dodge and advanced to meet him.
Boom!
Their fists collided powerfully. Black energy writhed between them as it seemed they would swallow each other whole.
Each struck the other, staggering slightly as they withdrew.
“Graaaah!”
Watching Melkihr, who was continuously letting out roars of fury, Ghislaine chuckled.
“Come back again.”
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Fists flew back and forth endlessly. With every impact between the two beasts, the surroundings exploded from the shockwaves.
Boom!
Once more, Melkihr swung his fist. Ghislaine did not evade but blocked instead. In that instant, he felt the pain as if his bones might shatter. It was indeed colossal power.
Yet he did not falter, swinging his fist back just as fiercely.
Boom!
Melkihr retaliated with equal force. However, as they exchanged blows, Melkihr found himself being pushed back little by little.
“Just a bit more strength!”
Boom!
With a devilish grin, Ghislaine swung his fist, striking Melkihr in the face, causing him to tumble back.
As time passed, it was Melkihr who was being pushed back. At some point, he could no longer counter and was merely taking hits.
“Graaaah!”
The beastly Melkihr managed to spring up once more, swinging his fists again. His strength and speed remained formidable.
Boom!
Thud!
Ghislaine’s feet carved deep tracks into the ground as he held his ground. Now, even when struck, he no longer budged easily.
“Is this all you’ve got?”
Boom!
In contrast, with every punch Melkihr received, he stumbled backward or fell over. The areas where he was struck bruised and swelled.
“Just exploding power isn’t what makes you strong.”
Ghislaine smirked as he swung his fist once more.
Boom!
Melkihr’s body fell backward again. The intensity of the attack was so sharp that even his deranged eyes turned to surprise.
Ghislaine looked down at Melkihr arrogantly and said.
“Let’s finish this up.”
Boom!
Enveloped in black energy, Ghislaine with shining red eyes approached Melkihr.
