Hero Slayer

The giant ball of Scorch Magic exploded, kicking bits of molten rocks at us.

Mavros swiftly evaded the raining lava, Saeva stood there as the heat didn't affect her, Vampa and Burya flew away before any of it hit them, and Mirtis blocked them with his Bone Shield.

*Thump!*

I cancelled my Wind Magic and landed on the ground.

*BFFFT!* *PSSSHT!*

"Guess I still didn't recover enough magic, huh?" I thought.

More of my blood vessels burst and then recovered, thanks to my regeneration being stronger. But to avoid suffering damage, I turned off my magics on my Red Moon and myself to recover more of my magic.

I looked around to see my monsters are still alive and well, especially those still within the shadows. But then I looked back to see Arex stood there, not moving.

Arex stood there with fear and reluctance in her face, looking down.

"Arex, what's wrong? You haven't moved from this spot." I called out to her.

Arex soon looked up and smiled awkwardly. "Oh...apologies. I looked at his status and saw that he is resistant to my Light and Holy Magic."

"Well, you should at least give me some Blessing Magic and Healing Magic for support." I said. But her smile faded to a frown.

When I was about to speak again, I felt a big chill run down my spine.

*BARK!* *BARK!* *BARK!* *BARK!*

Saeva began barking as she sensed great danger. I looked to see that Saeva is barking at the crater.

*Swoosh!*

*BREEEP!* *BREEEP!*

[Danger! Incoming fatal attack!]

I reflexively activated Body Armor, Earth Elemental Armor, and then...

*CLANG!!* *SLASH!!*

*CRASH!!*

Everything became a blur and the next I realized, I was faced with a stone wall on the mountain.

[Warning, your rib cage has been fractured.]

[Danger! Your skull has fractured!]

[Damage detected, now regenerating...]

I quickly turned around and see Zaneth running towards me. He swings his sword and it was much faster and stronger than before.

*Woosh!*

*CRASH!*

I dived out of the way, barely dodging the horizontal strike that would kill me even with my regeneration.

What I noticed is that Zaneth's body has been shown extreme burns. His long golden mane has been burned black and brittle, the flesh on his arms and legs are charred black and some of it showed bone. Lastly, his entire face is burned where his left jaw is exposed.

His spartan-like armor is completely charred black and melted from the heat. Damaged to a point where it should be scrapped.

Despite all of these injuries from my attack that is no different from cremation, he's still alive. Him being a hero barely saved his ass.

And now, I will finish him off while he got a foot in his grave.

*WOOSH!* *WOOSH!* *WOOSH!*

*CRASH!*

But even with that, he'll put me six feet under and many more if I'm not careful.

*GRAWWR!*

"WROOOOOH!!"

"Shyaaaaa!"

Saeva and Mirtis rush towards me to help me kill Zaneth.

"Arex, I need your support too!" I yelled. I looked back to see that she hasn't moved at all and her hands trembled.

"I...I can't..." Arex said with a fearful look on her face.

"Why not!? You're a great at support and attacking!" I said. Arex shook her head that it is not that.

*Fweee...*

"I'm sorry." Arex said as the silvery light surrounds her.

*Bwing!*

Arex disappears in a flash of silver light.

[Arex has returned to the Celestial Realm.]

"No! Come back!" I yelled.

[Arex will not be summoned back until the Hero, Zaneth is dead.]

Zaneth continues to attack me relentlessly despite the grievous wounds he suffered. They miss as I keep dodging them since I continue to keep my distance. Seeing that his movements have dulled, the Inferno and Scorch Magic is working!

I imbued my weapon with Scorch Magic and myself with Dark Magic. I then retaliate by using Scorch Magic and make multiple stabs at him to disable him.

*Clank!*

*Boom!*

*Clank!*

*Boom!*

*Clank!*

*Boom!*

Zaneth blocks my strikes, but every time my halberd makes contact, Scorch Magic explodes, causing more damage.

*Fwoosh!*

I noticed the ring of Inferno Magic surrounding us, used my Earth Magic to bind him and I jumped outside of it.

"Now, Saeva!" I yelled while midair.

*GRAWR!*

*FWO-BOOOM!!*

Saeva snarled and the ring of fire erupted into a pillar of black and red flames. The Inferno Magic engulfed Zaneth whole again as I watch and prepare to attack again.

[Attention. Target Zaneth is still alive.]

I expected that. With me being at high alert, I see Zaneth run out with his sword to slice me in half. However...

*Swoosh!*

His movements are sluggish and predictable. I jumped in the air to imbue my halberd with Scorch Magic and twist my body to slash off his forearm.

*SLICE!*

It cut! His burnt arm came off! Although he is without his sword, he is still dangerous.

*GWOOOOH!*

The golden aura surged and materializes into a grabbing claw.

The aura claw rushes towards me at an irregular angle and stretches further than his physical arms.

*BWOOOSH!*

I used my Wind Magic to dodge the golden aura, but during that moment, I brush my fingers on that golden aura to get a feel for it since I have my own.

*Ssssst...*

*Vwoosh!*

I landed behind Zaneth and briefly looked at the small golden, flame-like aura. Despite how good the graphics are, no matter how clear is the picture from a monitor, it all pales in comparison towards seeing it in person.

I turned around and Zaneth began to attack with his aura arm. That is when a hulking mass of armor appeared behind him.

*GRAB!*

Those skeletal arms grabbed underneath Zaneth shoulders, greatly slowing down Zaneth, but not stopping him completely.

"Mirtis!" I yelled. Mirtis grabbed Zaneth and slowed his advance. However, Mirtis couldn't hold for long as he is not only behind by 4 ranks, he has way less skills than Zaneth.

"WROOOOH!" Mirtis yelled, telling me to strike while he's restraining him with all his might. I nodded. I imbued my Halberd with Scorch Magic again and dashed again.

Zaneth used one of his aura arms and it reached for Mirtis' head.

*CRUNCH!*

Zaneth smashed Mirtis' head clean off along with his helmet, ensuring instant death. However, Mirtis isn't an ordinary skeleton. He still holds on to Zaneth without fail.

Though it was short compared to the other monsters I had earlier, it sort of pains me to hurt my own ally. But it's a matter of survival.

"I'm putting you down, Zaneth!" I yelled, thrusting my Scorch imbued Halberd.

*STAB!*

*FWO-BWOOOM!*

I stabbed Zaneth directly in the heart, unleashing a stream of Scorch Magic through the chest cavity and out of the back of him. However, my magic also struck Mirtis as well.

As the flames vanished, I see Zaneth's chest missing along with the smoldering cavity, smoking from the aftermath.

I pulled back and took a few steps backwards, panting. And then I sat down. My body is fine, but my mental fatigue caught up.

Zaneth fell on his knees and went motionless. But the strange thing is, I don't hear the message. The message is that

"Damn, he's still alive even after I burned a hole through him?" I sighed. I stood up and imbued my Halberd with Scorch Magic again.

I walked towards to the left side of Zaneth and raised my halberd.

"When it comes to killing, always be sure to double tap!" I said and swung my halberd down to finish him off for good.

*Whack!*

A golden limb reached out and about to grab my neck.

"Urk!?" I blocked it, but my feet was knocked off the ground.

*Whump!*

I look at Zaneth showing a near charred face glaring at me, dripping with blood and saliva mixed in. He bared his fangs at me to growl, but there was no sound. Almost zombie-like.

"Seriously!? You can still do this much with that hole in your chest!?" I yelled. I then see a gold light in his chest.

[The reason Zaneth is still alive is because, his organs was protected by the golden aura.]

"So in that moment, he's protecting himself from the inside then." I thought.

But if he is using all he got to keep his heart protected and his arm to attack, he's vulnerable.

"Mirtis! Cut his head off!" I yelled. Mirtis nodded and summoned his Bone Weapon in the form of an axe.

"Raaaagh!!" Mirtis roared and ran towards Zaneth and I with his axe raised high. He swung down upon Zaneth's neck to behead him.

*KRRRSH!!*

Upon striking Zaneth's neck, the Bone Weapon shattered like glass. It was the aura Zaneth still have left in him to block and break the weapon.

*Whunk!*

Mirtis was knocked away and focused on me and only me. But I have a different idea remembering of me disarming Zaneth. His greatsword, Lionheart.

"Mirtis, get his sword! Use that instead!" I said to him telepatically. Mirtis got up and looked at the greatsword.

*Fwoosh!*

Mirtis turned into black mist to reach the sword where Saeva wanted to use magic, the Inferno Magic, but she'll end up hitting me instead because I have no resistance towards that magic and it's soul-damaging effects. Mavros can come forth, but with Zaneth's aura this powerful, it could kill him instantly.

*Fwoosh!*

While in mist form, Mirtis grabbed the greatsword and flew back.

*Creak!*

[Caution. Red Moon's structural integrity is failing.]

My Red Moon is showing its limits as the handle began to bend despite me using magic to keep it from breaking. In the end, Zaneth is a warrior who'll fight to his last breath. It's a shame that he's a bandit.

"Despite you at near death, you refuse to back down, huh?" I said to Zaneth, but he did not listen, more like he couldn't. I smiled, not minding things like that. "But for me? I just started and I ain't stopping now!"

"NOW, MIRTIS!" I yelled.

"GRAAAAH!" Mirtis snarled and swings Lionheart down at Zaneth's neck.

*SLASH!*

A grievous slash went through the neck with ease unlike my Red Moon or Mirtis's Bone Weapon. Zaneth's head spun in the air and fell onto the ground.

*Fuoooo...*

The aura arm faded away, but the golden aura inside his chest is still there. However, I broke free and thrust my Red Moon at the heart.

*Stab!*

I skewered Zaneth's heart, ripping it through his gaping chest. The golden aura that was keeping his heart beating, keeping him alive soon faded away.

*Pssssht!*

A fountain of blood gushed out of Zaneth, staining the barren rock around him. Zaneth then fell flat on the floor, finally dead.

And then the messages came flowing in.

[300 E Rank targets slain. 6,000,000 EP acquired.]

[200 D Rank targets slain. 10,000,000 EP acquired.]

[1000 C Rank targets slain. 50,000,000 EP acquired.]

[2000 B Rank targets slain. 100,000,000 EP acquired.]

[Z+ rank target slain. 15,000,000 EP acquired. Hero Level 1 slain. 1,000,000 EP awarded.]

[Total EP acquired: 182,000,000 EP.]

[You now currently have 220,153,930 EP.]

"Holy shit...wait, I intentionally left out at least 500, how did I get all of them?"

[The knights were involved by you, killing the bandits by proxy even if you never made them your allies. Therefore, the rewards still applies.]

"Oh, I can do it like that? Nice. We'll explain later on proxy killing."

[Skills acquired.]

[Unique Skill acquired. Aura-X, Weapon Ki-X, Tyrant Spirit.]

[Skill exceeds restriction. Skill still remains at Tier V.]

[Ultimate Skill acquired. Hero Slayer.]

[Deity threat increased to 0.05%.]

"Hehe...we did it. We did it!" I said as my excitement grows bigger. Then I explode into excitement "WE DID IT! LET'S GOOOOOO!!!"

"AWOOOOO!!"

"UOOOOGH!"

Saeva and Mirtis celebrated in victory of us killing Zaneth who is a hero and a massive threat to those nearby villages. With the large amounts of dead bandits and their leader dead too, the Red Claw Bandits are doomed to become a memory.

I looked at Lionheart that was used to behead Zaneth is stained in blood and lying flat on the ground. Mirtis did cut him down with it, so I should give him Lionheart. Definitely better than that spear he had.

I picked it up and I looked at Mirtis who is still reveling in victory with Saeva.

"Hey, Mirtis." I called out to him.

Mirtis turned his head and walked towards me. He sees me holding Lionheart, the weapon he used to behead Zaneth.

"Oohhh!" Mirtis understood my intentions and knelt down in front of me. He became a knight being promoted by a king for his excellent deeds.

"This is yours now. I'm gonna need you for future battles, Mirtis." I said, smiling towards him.

Mirtis reached his hands over and grabbed Lionheart. Mirtis stood up and gazed upon the blade that Zaneth once used and is now Mirtis's hands.

*Bwing!*

A silver light has flashed briefly to see Arex has returned to the Material Realm after defeating Zaneth.

"Arex, why did you bail!?" I said, giving her a chance to explain.

"I know you are upset, but there is a reason for this." Arex said. Before she explains, Mirtis groans, trembling furiously.

[Attention. Death Knight Captain, Mirtis is undergoing evolution.]

"What is this Death Knight doing?" Arex said. Before I answer Saeva started barking towards the bottom of the mountain.

*Bark!* *Bark!*

I used Perception to see that the army at the bottom of the mountain are heading up here now using Water and Earth Magic to douse and contain the flames.

"I will explain later, but we must not linger here." Arex said.

I look at Mirtis who is still trembling violently and began releasing a dark purple aura around him.

If I bring him back here, it would be bad if he evolved in the middle of Valtuz. That is why I will leave him here and make them think Mirtis along with the "Cerberus" killed Zaneth along with the bandits.

"Saeva, Arex, return to your realms." I said.

*Bark!*

"Do be careful, Kain."

*Fwooom!*

*Bwing!*

Arex and Saeva returns to their respective realms to remain hidden from normal people.

[Saeva has returned to the Infernal Realm.]

[Arex has returned to the Celestial Realm.]

"Mavros, come to my shadow."

*Shoom!*

Mavros flew into my shadow and I jumped back to ledge on the left. I activated Shadow Sneak and began to head back to Valtuz.