The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 86:Rotten Bones Isn’t That Frail

A monstrous aura exploded from Kael, a force he had been suppressing all this time. The air around him crackled with unseen energy, making the very ground tremble. His eyes, cold and merciless, locked onto Marconi.

The dark mage’s entire body shivered. It wasn’t just fear,it was the kind of terror that dug deep into the soul, like standing before an unstoppable force.

Kael slowly looked around, his piercing gaze landing on Baret.

"Pass me another sword."

Baret didn’t hesitate. "Yes, my Lord!" he roared, running forward. With all his strength, he hurled his sword through the air like a spear.

SWOOSH!

The blade cut through the battlefield, its sharp edge glinting under the darkened sky.

But before Kael could reach for it—

"DO YOU THINK I’M DEAD?!"

Marconi’s furious scream echoed as he summoned a devastating spell. The winds howled and twisted, forming a storm of razor-sharp blades aimed directly at Kael. Black runes spiraled in the air as the spell gathered power, turning into a massive, roaring tempest.

The cursed wind shot forward, ripping the earth apart in its path.

Kael, however, didn’t even glance at it. His focus remained on the sword flying toward him.

At the very last second—

He reached out and grabbed it, and then moved.

"Malefic COUNTER."

BROOOM!

A violent shockwave burst out from Kael’s stance. An invisible force collided with the wind curse, shattering it apart like glass. The battlefield erupted in chaos, dust and debris swirling into the air, covering everything in a thick, choking cloud.

Marconi, eyes wide in disbelief, staggered back. "Damn it!" he snarled, quickly chanting another spell.

Dark energy gathered around him. Massive skeletal hands erupted from the ground, fingers twisting and clawing as they surged toward Kael.

Everyone’s eyes were locked onto the battlefield. As the dust settled, they saw Kael standing there—both swords in hand.

His stance had changed.

His legs were spread apart, knees slightly bent, his arms crossed with his blades forming an X. His presence was no longer human—it was something greater, something terrifying.

Kael’s eyes burned with a silent resolve.

"Last time, I was a slave to duty. I sold my soul for the betterment of mankind."

His grip tightened.

"But this time... I will ride the waves of this world on my own terms. I will take back everything that was stolen from me,no matter who or what stands in my way."

Marconi’s rage exploded.

"DIE!" he howled, taking one final step forward, unleashing his strongest attack.

Dark lightning cascaded from the sky, merging with the skeletal hands now coated in black flames. A howling vortex of death spiraled around him, the sheer force of the attack causing the earth to crack and split apart.

A direct hit would mean absolute destruction.

But Kael was already moving.

At first, his steps were slow. But then,he vanished.

His blurred figure reappeared right in front of Marconi, moving so fast it defied reality. His twin swords danced in his hands, flowing like water yet striking with the weight of mountains.

With one clean motion, his blades cut through the dark vortex, piercing through the flaming skeletal hands as if they were nothing.

Marconi’s eyes widened in horror.

Kael didn’t stop.

His swords flashed with a terrific might.

"Let me show you the real might of my swordsmanship techniques.."

Kukan Saki[Spatial Rip]

A sharp pain spread across Marconi’s chest. His breath hitched. He looked down.

His body had already been split in two.

He hadn’t even realized it.

Kael stood behind him, both swords dripping with blood.

Marconi’s lips parted, but no words came out. His vision darkened as his upper body slowly slid off his waist.

His last thought was one of disbelief.

"How...?"

And then, darkness took him.

One by one, the undead skeletons collapsed into heaps of bone and dust. The eerie glow in their hollow eye sockets dimmed and vanished. The battlefield, once filled with the clattering of bones and screams of the dying, fell into an eerie silence.

Then—

"GLORY TO OUR LORD!" a knight roared.

"HIS BLADE STRIKES LIKE LIGHTNING!" another cried.

"HE SLAYS WITH THE WRATH OF A THOUSAND WARRIORS!"

The knights erupted in cheers and praise, their morale soaring to new heights. They pounded their swords against their shields, their eyes burning with renewed respect and admiration for Kael.

Among them, Gare stepped forward, his face serious as he approached Kael.

"My Lord, the barrier is still there."

Kael, still gripping his swords, barely spared a glance. "I know," he muttered. "We need to break the altar."

With that, he strode forward, eyes locking onto the twisted, grotesque statue of Peru, the fish-headed deity. It stood upon a dark altar, its features carved with eerie precision. Dark energy pulsated from it, feeding the barrier with unholy power.

Kael raised his sword.

And with one devastating slash—

BOOOOOM!

The altar shattered into pieces, and a violent shockwave exploded outward.

Just as Kael thought it was over, a dark, ominous energy burst from the ruins, expanding like a living thing. It twisted and churned, growing larger and larger, an overwhelming, menacing force. The ground rumbled, and an ear-splitting screech filled the air.

The knights staggered back, terror gripping their hearts.

"What... what is this?!" one of them stammered.

Before the darkness could spread and cover the sky.

BOOOOOOM!

Something pierced straight through the mass of energy, splitting it apart like paper. A thunderous explosion followed, shaking the entire battlefield.

Everyone froze in horror.Then, looked around and saw the cataclysmic sound of an earthquake that shook the entire place.

They saw it.

The mountains nearby are gone.The entire upper portion of a towering peak had been completely obliterated, leaving behind nothing but a flat plateau.

A deadly silence lingered that was broken by rocks and debris rained down, dust clouding the air.

Kael and the knights blinked in shock.

Their gazes slowly turned toward the source.

And there just outside the barrier that was lifting slowly exposed a familiar figure.

An old man sat beneath a tree, scratching his nose. His posture was relaxed, as if he had just woken from a nap.

Feeling their stares, he lazily opened one eye.

"Tch. Stop staring and finish cleaning up."

Kael and the knights remained silent.

Finally, Kael let out a sigh.

"Uh... okay."

Then, under his breath, he cursed.

"Fuck... this guy is more badass than me.Just as I thought I won it, this bastard stole my show."

He exhaled sharply, watching the old man with narrowed eyes.

"I need to learn how to show off like that."