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The Monarchs: Presence & Armament
Chapter 8: The Human General

Chapter 8: The Human General

Ior, with a massive body like a living tower, charged straight into the human defense line. The ground seemed to shake as he barreled forward. Unlucky soldiers who couldn't get out of the way in time were instantly crushed into meat paste.

"Enough, monster," Razor leaped out, delivering a powerful punch to Ior's chest, forcing him back. "You will not advance another step."

Ior laughed, a roar that echoed across the battlefield. "Razor Wardenholf, the flag of humanity? You too will fade away!"

"Tch…" Razor clicked his tongue, gritting his teeth.

The two warriors clashed without warning. Their fists collided, creating shockwaves strong enough to tear the air apart. Razor, with a body honed through thousands of battles and masterful combat techniques, blocked each punch like an unyielding fortress. Each counterstrike from him was a critical blow aimed at Ior's weak points.

But Ior was no ordinary opponent. He sneered as blood dripped down his muscular arm, his red eyes growing wilder. "You think I will weaken? Vankenholf grows stronger when wounded, Razor. And you... are making me invincible!"

Ior's rage exploded. He delivered a hammer-like punch, pushing Razor back several steps, shattering the rocks beneath him. Razor clenched his bloody hands, his eyes still ablaze. And then, the human general suddenly laughed:

"It’s been a while since I fought Vankenholf. The kid is strong." Razor glanced at the blood flowing from Vankenholf's body that Ior possessed. "Too bad, he never defeated me!"

Razor roared, launching a storm of attacks. His fists flew, aiming straight for Ior's massive face, but this time, Ior blocked it.

"Too slow, Razor!" Ior hissed. He grabbed Razor's arm, squeezing as if to crush the bone. Razor retaliated with a kick to the side, but Ior paid no heed.

"What!?" Razor was taken aback. Before he could react, with a roar, Ior hurled him to the ground, cracking the earth beneath.

Razor struggled to rise, but Ior didn't give him a chance to breathe. "You are too weak, Razor. Your humanity will fall with you!" Ior roared, rushing with a punch packed with power, aimed straight at Razor's chest.

In the split-second life-or-death moment, Razor raised his arm to block, but Ior's punch was so strong it drove him deep into the ground, his body trembling as if about to shatter. Sweat mixed with blood streamed down his face, but his eyes remained defiant.

"You are wrong, Ior," Razor panted, blood flowing from his mouth, but his voice was steadfast. "Humanity doesn't depend on me. We never fight alone. And I... never give up."

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Ior sneered, his voice as cold as the snowstorm covering the battlefield. "Give up, Razor. Humanity is at its end. You are just a pathetic reflection of a weak species."

He roared, delivering a lethal punch toward Razor, but before it could land, a white light tore through the battlefield's darkness.

"Atheria’s Mystique... Iron Fist King!" Razor, in that moment, was like a dying ember about to blaze one last time.

Blinding light erupted from Razor's body, so bright it made Ior roar in pain and retreat. His right arm was severed by the pure strength of humanity, blood spraying across the snow. In that light, Razor stood, his body seemingly reborn, his eyes piercing through the brilliance, directly at Ior.

"It's been fifty years since I used this ultimate skill," his voice resonated like a bell across the battlefield. "Take this honor to the grave, along with your filthy kind!"

Boom! A giant shadow emerged from the light, launching a massive fist that punched a deep hole through Ior's chest. Razor now wore gleaming black metal armor, his eyes glowing red, his steel fists larger than Ior's entire body.

"From Atheria's Valori to the Guardian Dimension Nexus: God-Slaying Fist!" Razor roared, charging like a metal storm.

Each punch from Razor pummeled Ior's body. Left hook, right hook, uppercut, spinning kick, Razor used all the strength gathered in his steel fists, crushing his opponent. Ior was driven back, Razor's punches shattering the armor on him, pushing him into the icy ground.

"Victory belongs to the General!" A human warrior shouted from afar, eyes filled with hope. They saw Razor as a beacon guiding them through the ferocious storm.

But amidst the relentless assault, as Razor prepared to deliver the final blow, Ior's huge hand suddenly clamped around his fist.

"You think this is enough?" Ior's voice was low, mingled with fury. He slowly stood up, breathing heavily. The wound on his chest, where Razor had punched through, glowed brightly, electrical sparks flickering across his body. His blood, dark red and black, mixed with the strange light, emanated terrifying energy.

CRACK!

Metal groaned under pressure. Ior's grip shattered Razor’s gauntlet, twisting the steel like brittle clay. Then, with a monstrous wrench, he ripped the armored limb clean off. Blood gushed from Razor's shoulder, splattering across the ice. The general's scream pierced the air, a sound of agony that froze the hearts of his soldiers.

"Did you really think... this would break me?" Razor rasped, his remaining hand clawing at the ground. His knees buckled beneath him, body trembling from pain and exhaustion. His left eye, bathed in blood, flickered with defiance.

Ior bent down, seizing Razor by the hair. "You've fought well," he whispered, voice laced with mockery. "But all of it... was meaningless. Not only did you lose, Razor... you’ve shamed your entire race."

And with that, Ior drove his glowing fist into Razor's skull. Bone, blood, and gore exploded into the frigid air. The general’s decapitated body collapsed like a toppled monument.

The soldiers of Ather froze. The man they had followed through endless battles... their symbol of defiance... was gone. Horror twisted their faces as the monstrous Ior knelt beside Razor’s lifeless corpse, dipping his fingers into the bloodied snow.

"Humanity," Ior whispered, raising the crimson-stained fingers to his lips with a savage grin, "your time... is over."

Terror gripped the hearts of the defenders. One by one, they dropped their weapons. Hope had died with Razor Wardenholf. And in the silence that followed, only Ior’s laughter remained—deep, resonant, and endless.