Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1879: Halberd is her

Adam had seen Gladius’s aura once before. It happened when Gladius protected Adam from the enraged nobles at Osana’s wedding. Back then, Adam had to go through a lot to finally put an end to that series of events.

Adam had concluded that on that day, Gladius had shown his true power, since even the nobles of the Twelve Branches had been frightened by him.

But… Now he realized just how wrong he had been.

Shiver!

A shiver ran down Adam’s spine as he looked up.

The smirking devil looked at the Frost Dragons as if they were his prey, not mighty monsters.

The aura pillar emanating from Gladius was large enough to cover the top of the tower. Adam’s aura couldn’t even reach a third of that size, even though the power of his aura was comparable to that of a Baron-level character.

“Shit… So this is what Gladius is like when he’s serious?”

Adam gulped as his fingertips tingled.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen him serious. I thought I had, but… that clearly wasn’t the case. Huh… You never want to see a cold expression on someone who’s always smiling, right?”

Since Adam was a spectator, the pressure didn’t affect him the same way it did the others. He could feel how powerful Gladius’s aura was, but it posed no threat to him.

For the Frost Dragons, it was a different story.

The legs of the weakest among them wobbled as their teeth chattered in fear.

“W-What… What is that?” One of the guards looked up. The longer he stared at the devil, the faster his heart beat.

Whoooooosh!

A wave of cold swept over the guard, creating a thin barrier of ice.

The warrior standing next to him released his aura in response.

“Don’t be afraid. Even if he has that intimidating aura, he can’t do anything against all of us. On the contrary, only cowards who fear a fair fight could have such a frightening aura! It’s nothing more than a trick!”

Tremble! Tremble! Tremble!

The rest of the warriors and guards released their auras as well. The blue fields expanded, making it easier for the weakest members of their clan to withstand the pressure.

However…

As soon as Gladius turned and his eyes fell on one of the dragons, the pressure became significantly stronger.

Even the auras of dozens of dragons weren’t enough to completely stop Gladius’s devil.

“ENOUGH!”

Laerdor’s voice rang out as he and Kae’ra simultaneously released their auras.

Only then did the devil have to withdraw its long arms, wary of the chill emanating from the two mighty dragons.

“Gladius! You’ve made your choice! The most I can offer you is a fair fight! Use your Nexus and battle us! You’re destined to die today, but at least, you should do so by showing everything you’re capable of!”

Slowly, Gladius turned toward Laerdor, his eyes half-closed.

“I’m not going to die today, and… I don’t want to worry her.”

‘Her?’ Adam tilted his head in confusion. ‘Who is he talking about?’

Laerdor frowned.

“I see. In that case, I have no other choice!”

He aimed his spear at Gladius, and in an instant, the frost ray, brimming with destructive power, struck Gladius.

Light fell upon Gladius’s face as soon as the ray engulfed him.

Smiles appeared on the monsters’ faces. They believed in the strength of their leader, in the might of a True Lord.

Tremble!

Shaking, Gladius appeared right in front of one of them.

“Agh…?”

In the next instant, Gladius’s fist slammed into the man. The guard managed to raise his sword in defense, but the impact was strong enough to send him flying toward the opposite mountain.

Laerdor wasn’t shocked. It seemed he had expected this outcome.

“Kae’ra, follow me. We’ll be the main force. The others will help us.”

“Sure. I’m with you, Father.”

Without hesitation, they both attacked Gladius, rushing toward him in blue flashes.

THUMP!

For the first time in the battle, Gladius took the attack head-on instead of dodging it. Perhaps it was his decision, or maybe Laerdor and Kae’ra were simply too fast for him to evade.

Laerdor’s spear and Kae’ra’s sword crashed down on him as Gladius set aside his weapons, using his energy as a shield.

At the same time, the other dragons realized they had to use all their resources to defeat this enemy.

One star after another appeared above the towers as the dragons channeled energy into their Arcs for a powerful combined attack.

“NOW!” Laerdor exclaimed as he and Kae’ra flew backward.

At that very moment, more than a dozen rays were fired at Gladius, striking him in a devastating explosion.

A torrent of blue fire filled the space, but before it could reach its peak, Gladius charged through it, attacking Laerdor and Kae’ra.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Laerdor and Kae’ra fought with all their might, attacking Gladius from all sides, while he blocked and counterattacked.

“Tsk! How can a human possess such power?!” Kae’ra exclaimed, bringing her icy blade down on Gladius.

He thrust his arm into the path of the blow, blocking her strike with energy. His calm eyes met hers, which were full of anger.

“Sooner or later, he’ll reach his limit!” Laerdor’s voice rang out as his entire body trembled.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself behind Gladius, evoking some emotion in him for the first time.

Gladius’s eyes widened as he spun around.

Slash!

Laerdor swung his spear, slicing through Gladius’s chest.

A torrent of blood gushed out, spraying across Gladius’s face.

Whoooooooosh!

Without wasting a moment, Gladius closed the distance, finding himself more than a hundred meters away, near the peak of a snow-capped mountain.

The blood soaked his robe as drop after drop continued to trickle down his chest.

“Yes! This is the power of our leader!” the guard exclaimed joyfully.

“Excellent! A few more attacks, and this Phantom will regret ever deciding to go against us!”

“Forward! Don’t let up!”

They were about to continue their attack, but something made them all stop – even Adam.

Crackle.

Gladius stretched out his hand just as space warped.

Adam gulped as he realized what Gladius was about to do.

“He’s going to summon his Nexus… And… Given his power level, it’ll be a Manifest Nexus, right?”

Tremble! Tremble! Tremble!

With a tremor, a great halberd appeared in Gladius’s grip, with a dark iron hilt and a long, broad purple blade.

But… Soon, something happened that Adam wasn’t prepared for.

The purple eye opened right on the blade, and that could only mean one thing.

“Gladius… He… He has the Monster Nexus?!”