Drax found himself facing Raphael and Roxanne while in the midst of a chaotic battlefield.
(I can’t hear Xan’s voice anymore…)
He frowned.
“Even though I told him not to underestimate them. I bet he didn’t activate his Blessing when initially cornered.”
He faced the two again.
“I know Lady Kelz should’ve informed you on how our abilities work. So I guess your plan is to strike us while we’re underestimating you, severely damaging us. After all, We can’t activating Blessing while regenerating from a major injury.”
He started walking towards them.
“Unfortunately for you, I’ve fought Gustav Fernandez. So I won’t underestimate you because you’re an outsider. In other words..”
His body flickered and he popped up in front of the two.
“There will be no opening to exploit.”
Blue light flashed as he swung his sword. Raphael and Roxanne leaped back narrowly evading it. Drax chased them thrusting his blade at their heads. Raphael lifted his arm and blocked the blade with his gauntlet. Drax’s eyes widened seeing this.
Roxanne attacked his side with high-frequency blades. She cut the air as Drax vanished. He appeared above them. He stepped in Roxanne’s back and forced her into the ground. He blocked Raphael’s punch with a kick. Raphael’s arm was blown back. Drax leaped at him thrusting at his heart. Raphael crossed his arms in front of his chest and blocked the strike.
“As I thought.”
He mumbled. Roxanne sprung to her feet and shot him in the back with a grappling hook from her powersuit. She pulled the hook and lifted him in the air. She swung the wire to slam him into the ground. Drax twisted and cut the wire before she could. Raphael rushed at him as he was falling. Drax lifted his leg to block a punch from Raphael. He was propelled towards a wall. He twisted his body and kicked off the wall.
He ricocheted off the wall and floored Roxanne with a lightning-fast kick. She practically bounced back to her feet in the same instant. She ducked under another kick and grabbed his leg. He thrust his sword at her chest. She released him and threw herself to the ground to avoid the blade. She rolled to avoid a follow-up strike. Drax threw a glance at Raphael who was about to pounce. Raphael froze in his tracks.
“You’re both talented fighters as I feared.”
He glanced at Raphael’s gauntlets.
“Lady Kelz providing you with a sacred artefact was unexpected though. After all, you can’t use its power, but it serves as an effective shield against the one I wield.”
He glanced at Roxanne.
“Since only one of you has one, I take it’s the only artefact she was able to steal before being banished.”
He held his sword in front of him.
“You having the means to block my artefact doesn’t mean you have the abilities to. At the end of the day, it all comes down to skills.”
“I’ll agree with you there.”
Raphael grinned.
“It’s down to skills.”
Raphael and Roxanne rushed at Drax in unison. Drax spun swinging his sword stopping the two from attacking. He kicked off the ground and flew at Raphael. He moved his head out of the path of a punch and slashed Raphael across the chest. Raphael hit him with a gut punch and forced him back. Roxanne kicked him in the back and forced him forward. He spun around and ducked under her sword swings. He lifted her off the ground with an uppercut. He spun around swinging an elbow. Raphael tanked the elbow to the chest and slammed his fist in his face.
(So he’s willing to take damage in order to attack me.)
Drax stepped into Raphael’s midsection. He turned and stabbed at the charging Roxanne. She lifted her arm and the blade penetrated her arm. Drax smirked. The blade extended towards her heart. Yet, it didn’t reach. Roxanne moved back moments before it extended.
(She knew the sword would extend beforehand?…Lady Kelz huh?)
Roxanne threw one of her blades while moving back. Drax twisted out of the way.
“Wait, that wasn’t aimed at any of my vitals!”
He spun around. Raphael wielded Roxanne’s blade and cut into his side.
“Ugh!”
Drax backhanded Raphael away with a groan. He was cut in the back by Roxanne. He grabbed at her but she quickly retreated. Drax’s blood leaked on the ground as the wound started sealing. Roxanne’s arm was bleeding and showed no signs of healing as it dangled at the side.
“So you people aren’t afraid to get hurt as long as you can kill me?”
The wound on his body was gone.
“Gustav was the same. He recklessly came at me without care for his own life. As if he sought death…In the end, his wish was granted.”
Raphael and Roxanne didn’t say anything and locked on his every move.
“No reaction to the taunt? You people are more level-headed than I thought.”
“You talk too much.”
A new voice came from behind him. There the rest of the siblings appeared and surrounded him.
“A man who talks too much when fighting is a man who doubts his reason to fight.”
Chul said.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
(The knights aren’t coming? Did they get taken out?)
Drax looked and his eyes widened. The knights of the Silver Core were scattered all over the area with broken bodies. The droids were mercilessly attacking them even as they crawled.
(I didn’t underestimate them, but this is absurd. They might be low-level but they’re still warriors. Are you telling me they got beaten even with Blessing?)
Something popped up at his side, it was an orb. He moved back as fire erupted where he stood. He sensed someone approaching his side and swung his sword. The sword cut into flash and halted.
“?!”
His eyes widened. The sword was grabbed by his attackers preventing it from cutting deep into their side. Drax locked eyes with Ryder. In that second, Ryder’s image overlapped with Gustav’s. He slammed his fist in Drax’s face so hard the impact echoed.
(I see, so that’s what happened.)
Drax hit Ryder with several fast jabs to the chin before delivering a heavy hook to the temple. Ryder let go of his sword. Drax spun around and cut down. Damini twisted her body to avoid getting cut. Her sneak attack failed. Drax kicked her away. He ducked under Roxanne and Chul attacking his flanks with sword slashes. He spun and slashed their stomachs.
(They moved back simultaneously so the cuts were shallow.)
Drax thought while smirking.
“I see, you really are Gustav's children. You’re not as strong but the spirit is there.”
He laughed a bit.
“Tell me, Children of Gustav, what are you all fighting for? And I don’t mean now, I mean all your life. What is the reason you fought to live all your life?”
He put up a finger.
“Let me guess, you fought all your life for the sake of your father? Then, I am the same.”
He cut an orb thrown at him and it exploded. He popped up in front of Gina.
“I fight for my people.”
Blood sprayed from Gina’s torso. She stumbled back with her eyes peeled open.
“Gina?!”
Her siblings rushed towards her. They stopped when they saw a blue light coming from Drax’s body. The gems in his body were shining brightly. He had activated his Blessing. Damini grabbed Gina and distanced the two of them. Drax laughed as he spread his arms.
“Come, children of Gustav! Come avenge your father!”
“Son of a bitch!”
Ryker roared. He gritted his teeth as his body trembled.
(The stress level is beyond what he can control. He’s going to revert.)
Raphael thought. A memory of the first day he met Ryder flashed in his mind. Baring the eyes of a cold-blooded murderer, he stood behind Gustav while facing him, Roxanne, Chul, and Gina.
“This is Spawn, the U.S. Military calls him my successor.”
Gustav grinned.
“I call him your new brother, Ryder.”
“……”
Raphael sighed and then showed a determined expression.
“Ryder!”
Ryder looked towards him.
“Don’t worry, I’m here.”
He grinned.
“Let’s all go wild!”
Raphael rushed at Drax who grinned and charged at him. He popped up in front of Raphael slashing at his neck. Raphael blocked it with his gauntlet. He punched Drax in the stomach. Drax kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back. Drax rushed at him again.
“?!”
A fist flew from his side. Ryker’s fist past him as he stopped. He stopped and thrust at Ryker’s neck. Ryker caught the strike with his bare hands. Drax smiled and slammed his fist in his face. The air shook. Ryker punched him in the stomach creating a loud thud. The two started punching each other with fast and heavy strikes.
“I can’t believe you’re actually keeping up!”
Drax rose Ryker off the ground with an uppercut.
“You’re almost as big of a monster as your father!”
Damini and Roxanne appeared at his side. He swung his sword to block theirs. They stepped back and fired at him. His body flickered. He appeared in front of Roxanne thrusting his blade. Raphael kicked him away from her. Blood sprayed from his leg.
(He cut me the moment I kicked him?)
He grinned.
“You’ll have to be this strong to kill our father!”
The two rushed at each other. Raphael blocked two slashes with his gauntlets. He stepped in Drax’s knee. Drax forcibly kneeled but slashed at Raphael’s legs. Raphael jumped over the slash. He swung his leg at Drax’s neck. Drax leaned back to evade the kick before rolling away and springinh his feet. Gina appeared above him swinging her whip. He caught the whip and slammed her into the ground. He blinked and orbs were before his eyes.
*BOOM!*
He was blown back by an explosion of water and electricity. He was shot in the legs the moment his feet touched the ground. Chul aimed at his head. A knife hit the gun nozzle and jammed the gun.
“What?!”
“I have other weapons too!”
Drax juggled knives in his hands before throwing them at Ryder who was attacking from behind. Ryder swatted the knives away and shattered one with his teeth.
(This one is the deadliest.)
Drax thought as he met Ryder’s charge. The two exchanged blows and stumbled back. They stepped in. Drax swung his sword down cutting into Ryder’s shoulder. Ryder punched him in the throat crushing his windpipe.
“KEK!”
Drax coughed blood but continued to cut into Ryder’s body. Roxanne leapt from behind Ryder and hit him with a drop kick. The two hit the ground and quickly got to their feet. Roxanne charged at him with swift kicks and punches. Drax evaded them and aimed for her openings. His arm was caught between her elbow and knee. She jumped off her pivot leg and slammed her knee in the side of his face. He stumbled as she hit the ground.
“KEK! KEK!”
Drax was still trying to heal his windpipe when Damini rushed at him. She threw her knives at him. He blocked them with his sword. She accelerated further and crashed into him. He was flung in the path of Chul who dropkicked his spine. Drax stumbled forward and was hit by Raphael’s uppercut. He grabbed Raphael and slammed him into the ground so hard it cracked.
“Ohhh!”
Ryder kicked him away. Drax rolled and got to his feet. He bent backwards to avoid Ryder’s leg. He threw his blade in his stomach.
“?!”
Ryder fell to his knees and his blood poured onto the ground.
“If I kill you, this will be a lot easier.”
Drax grabbed the sword. A wire wrapped around Ryder and pulled him back before Drax could do anything. Gina held Ryder and slowly retreated. Her vision was getting blurry.
(I lost too much blood.)
Drax walked towards them with his sword in his hand. Chul and Damini rushed him. His body flickered and the two crashed into the ground with blood spraying out of them. Drax continued to walk towards Gina and Ryder. Roxanne and Raphael blocked his path.
“I guess we’re back to you two.”
He spoke with a smile.
“But you both look like you’re at your limits. So let’s finish this!”
He flew at them and his sword reached their necks in an instant. Raphael blocked the strike with his gauntlets. The two locked eyes. Raphael smirked.
“Yes, let’s finish this.”
He pushed Drax back.
“Roxanne!”
Roxanne popped up behind Drax holding something in her hands.
(Is it a gun or a bomb? Either way…)
Drax spun around.
“I’ll take her head before she can use it!”
Roxanne opened her hands revealing an arrowhead with runes on it. The arrow glowed a blue light.
“?!”
Drax’s eyes widened.
“A sacred artifact?!”
He immediately called himself foolish for saying they only had one. The arrowhead fired a beam at his heart.
“Ohh!”
He blocked it with his sword.
(Wait! She can use an artifact?! If she can, then that means!)
Raphael appeared behind him with his gauntlets glowing.
“I can use them too!”
He slammed his fist into Drax’s spine. A thunderous noise resounded as he was punched through the ground. He and Raphael crashed into the floor below and started crashing through several floors.
(Shit! I didn’t know Outsiders could use the artefacts! The Lord has never issued one to an Outsider before! But Lady Kelz actually gave away two to them! That blasphemous woman!)
Drax cursed in his head as his body broke under the force of Raphael’s fist. They crashed through all the floors until they hit the first floor. The force open up and crater in the earth which Drax laid in. His blood flowed out of his body stained the earth. Raphael collapsed beside him and was breathing heavily.
“….You people don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Drax spoke with a weak voice as he looked at Raphael with dull eyes.
“Whether it’s the Lord Zander or Lady Kelz, they’re both stubborn gods who will do anything to get their way….Entering a war between them is suicide.”
He smiled.
“I’m glad I don’t have to take part in it when it’s at its worst.”
“I don’t care about any of that, I only wanted to carry out my General's orders.”
Drax let out a low laugh.
“People like you always end up dying like this.”
He closed his eyes.
“You better pray you don’t reunite with that General of yours.”
Raphael’s eyes widened.
“Wait, what do you—”
He swallowed his words. He could no longer sense any signs of life from Drax. Still, he mumbled.
“What did he mean?…”