Overwhelming Firepower

Several dozen tentacle-like shadows aimed to attack Lucen and the others. Sir Thalos charged forward and intercepted the incoming tentacle-like shadows with a barrage of punches.

Each punch he made coated with his aura mantle was like a burning furnace. Not only that, but every punch he made created a sonic boom as shockwaves happened.

The tentacles were torn apart. It was at that moment, from behind Sir Thalos, that Duke Vardon came dashing out.

[Thornehart Sword Art, Modified Star Series: Sparkling Star.]

Vardon Thornehart was not capable of using the true Star series since he had no mana core; he could only recreate a tiny portion of it.

The world seemed to narrow to a single point. Vardon’s snowy-blue aura mantle condensed along the edge of his blade. The air around the sword shimmered as if frost had formed in midair.

Then he made a thrust forward. For a fraction of a heartbeat, nothing happened. The tip of his blade seemed to pierce empty air.

Then, a point of light ignited at the very edge of his sword. It was small at first, no larger than a spark struck from steel. Yet that spark burned with a snowy-blue brilliance so pure it forced the surrounding darkness to recoil.

The condensed aura did not explode outward wildly; it compressed further, folding into itself until it shone like a star born in the dead of winter.

The battlefield dimmed around it. The monster’s eyes were now focused on that single point. It was then that the star fell.

Vardon’s thrust completed, and the condensed aura shot forward in a straight line, a piercing streak of silver-blue light that tore through the shadow monster’s torso. For an instant, it looked as if a star had descended from the heavens and stabbed into the creature’s heart.

The impact did not produce a loud explosion; it instead produced a flash.

A radiant burst of countless glittering fragments scattered outward from the wound, each shard of aura sparkling as it cut through regenerating darkness. The light refracted across the snow and broken ice, shimmering like a field of fallen stars.

The monster convulsed violently, its regeneration struggling against the concentrated brilliance embedded deep within its mass.

The point of impact continued to glow inside it, flickering like a star trapped beneath black waters.

That was why it was called Sparkling Star. Because once it ignited, it did not fade quietly; it burned.

Still, the monster’s ridiculous level of regeneration was able to keep up; in fact ti seemed to have gotten a little faster.

That shadow monster lashed out and attacked Duke Vardon with a faster, more precise piercing thorn of shadows.

Yet before it could reach Duke Vardon, a bullet pierced through it. Harlik is using one of the special bullets you could enhance with mana shot through the thorn with his bolt-action rifle.

He then made another shot, but not at the monster, but at the iron sphere filled with alchemical acid he had thrown beforehand.

The contents poured down on the shadow monster, and even though it was not as effective as before, it was still able to do a bit of damage.

As it was trying to regenerate from the attacks, someone spoke near the monster. ”You really are a resilient creature. I wonder what would happen if I did this.”

The shadow monster attacked Robert, who was able to get close to it without it being able to sense Robert’s movements.

Robert did not bother to dodge the attack as several bullets shot by Harlik protected Robert, who was observing the shadow monster intently.

It was then that the monster noticed that its lower body had been frozen. Its regeneration was slowing down, as was its movement.

”Everyone, get out of the way!”

Upon hearing Lucen’s words, the group near the monster backed away. The monster then saw that a large amount of Lucen’s mana and aura mantle were gathering into his bullet.

The air around Lucen distorted. Snow lifted from the ground in a slow spiral, drawn toward the muzzle of his trench gun as if the world itself were inhaling.

Veins of light crawled across his arm where aura and mana overlapped, unstable but forcibly bound together through sheer will.

Lucen was about to unleash his strongest attack [Explosive bullet], but unlike the last time, he no longer possessed the power of the ring; he had only RELEASE to enhance his power.

His pupils narrowed. The world sharpened. Every shadow’s twitch, every fracture in the ice, every tremor inside the monster’s regenerating mass became painfully clear. Mana compressed, and his Aura followed.

The bullet chambered within the trench gun began to hum, trembling as layers of condensed energy folded into it.

Lucen exhaled slowly. He locked onto the target and pulled the trigger. The trench gun roared like a beast, then there was a thunderclap that rolled across the battlefield and shattered the frost coating the nearby stones.

The chambered slug screamed as it left the barrel. The recoil slammed into Lucen’s shoulder like a mule’s kick and shoved snow into his boots. Sound rolled out in a harsh, metallic crack that rattled the teeth and shook the brittle air.

Then the core of the bullet imploded inward. Darkness peeled apart along the frozen seams. The frozen flesh splintered with a sound like glass under strain; shards of ice and black matter exploded outward in a cone, hissing as the acid mixed with the cold and the heat.

The blast had overwhelmed the weakened monster. If Lucen had used this attack at the start, the shadow monster would have regenerated, but now, after weakening it so much, it could no longer do so.

Black fragments that had once been limbs twitched weakly, then collapsed into formless sludge that no longer answered its will.

The frozen lower half had been obliterated. The torso had caved inward. What remained was a distorted head of condensed shadow lying in a shallow crater of scorched frost.

Its surface rippled. It tried to pull itself together. The darkness around it trembled, answering instinctively, but nothing came.

Those continuous attacks had completely broken its body. Right now, there was no chance of survival; the only thing it could do was wait for its inevitable demise.

That was when it did something, a final gamble. The monster with only a head left spoke from its mouth; its voice was not one that one would expect from such a monster; it was like that of a woman or a child.

”Lucen Thornehart. I have seen what’s in your mind, the fear, the despair that you hide deep within that confident facade of yours. The nightmares you have been having, I know it all.”

Lucen frowned as he listened to the dying monster speaking. He really didn’t like the idea that something was able to get into his thoughts despite his skills helping him from getting hypnotized; it was not able to stop this monster from taking a peek.

”I understand why you wish to gain more power, to gain overwhelming firepower. I know everything, but the enemies you wish to face are too strong. The power you have is not enough.”

The voice of the monster suddenly became sweeter; it was like an intoxicating sweetness that could cloud one’s mind.

”I can grant you that power. If you combine with me, with your knowledge and skills, and my abilities, we can become even more powerful. We can devour others and gain more skills, more of your so-called traits. Then we will gain overwhelming power that will make even the hidden enemies you fear never come out, because of their fear of you.”

The sweetness in its voice thickened, wrapping around each word like honey hiding poison.

”We can become something beyond this world’s limits. You would never have to fear being too weak again. You would never have to watch anyone die because you were not strong enough.”

Lucen stared at the half-formed head of shadow lying in the snow. The others did not say anything and waited to see what Lucen would decide.

Still, Vardon was ready to act against his son if he ever agreed to the monster’s deal. The others were also ready for action as well. Though Vardon and the others do trust that Lucen would never agree.

”You will grant me power?”

”Yes.”

”Enough power to never feel despair again, to protect those I wish to protect?”

Hearing what Lucen said, the monster thought that Lucen was about ready to agree, just a little push more.

”Yes, you will become a true unbreakable shield, more so than your father, than even your ancestor Edric Thornehart. All you need to do is devour your enemies, and you will continue to grow and gain that strength you so desire.”

Lucen then showed a smile as he extended his empty hand forward. The shadow monster, seeing Luce’s gesture,e thought Lucen was agreeing and was about to say try and merge with Lucen.

That was when something materialized in Lucen’s empty hand; it was a pistol. The shadow monster was about to say something more, but it was too late; the sound of the gun being fired echoed.

”I don’t need that kind of power.”

Those were the last words the shadow monster heard before he was sent to oblivion.