Belinda had finally established a world of her own, a complete and perfect one.
The foundation of that world was her unconditional, infinite love and devotion toward Ghislain and Elena.
Her newly established world was now manifesting itself here.
It marked the birth of a new superhuman.
Papapapapapapak!
The trajectories of light sliced through Melkir countless times as they passed.
"Kraaaaah!"
Trapped within the space, Melkir could do nothing but scream as he was torn apart.
Even Ghislain felt a chill run down his spine. If anyone were trapped in there, it would be nearly impossible to avoid or block such attacks.
Swish!
The daggers engulfed in light scattered again in all directions. Melkir's bandages were already soaked in blood and torn, revealing what lay underneath.
"Khrrrrk…"
Melkir's appearance, with all his bandages removed, was extremely hideous. His face and body were covered in scars, leaving no unscathed area.
His body, already riddled with wounds and oozing pus, was now drenched in blood from the new cuts inflicted by the daggers.
Melkir glanced down at his body and muttered with vacant eyes.
"Annette… Annette… You've returned…"
The wounds covering his body were mostly inflicted by Annette long ago. Those injuries had never fully healed, still festering and oozing pus even now.
It was astonishing that he could even move and fight with such a body.
Ssshhhhh!
A dense darkness began gathering before the staggering Melkir. Despite seeing the darkness distort right in front of him, Melkir could do nothing.
Swish!
The darkness tore open, and from within, Belinda emerged.
She put all her strength into plunging two daggers into Melkir's body.
One into his heart, and the other into his throat.
Thud! Thud!
Melkir, already gravely injured and staggering, couldn't stop it. His tendons had long been severed. It was only his overwhelming aura that had kept his body standing.
Belinda shed a single tear as she spoke, her eyes filled with hatred.
"I truly thought you were dead."
Melkir mustered the last remnants of his strength and spoke with difficulty.
"Khrrk… Hah. Dead? Look at me. I might as well be."
"I didn't know you were alive. I thought all I had to do was raise the young master and the young lady. If I'd known, I wouldn't have lived that way."
Melkir was the one who destroyed her organization and killed her mentor. If she'd known he was alive, her life would have been consumed by a painful quest for revenge. In a way, not knowing had been a blessing for Belinda.
Melkir's shoulders shook as he laughed weakly.
"Khh… To think that brat was her son. I never knew for over 20 years… Hahaha… Everything's been twisted since that day… That's why the duchy ended up in this mess… Such coincidences…"
"It wasn't a coincidence. It was inevitable."
Yes, this was fate. Who could have predicted that such an old grudge would resurface like this?
It was clear that Melkir had been kept alive by the duchy and the Salvation Church. The son of the one who suffered at his hands had grown up to become their greatest threat.
The enmity between them and Ghislain had persisted relentlessly across generations.
Belinda bit her lip before speaking again.
"This time, you won't rise again. I'll make sure to sever your head properly. This time, no one will come to save you."
"Khh… To think I'd lose to you too… I should've mastered that secret technique…"
"A scoundrel like you could never master it."
Swish!
With those words, Belinda swung her daggers.
The two blades, imbued with Aura Blades, crossed and aimed to sever Melkir's neck. Or so they tried.
Clang!
The daggers were stopped by the black energy pouring out of Melkir's wounds.
"Huh?"
Sensing something amiss, Belinda swiftly retreated.
Fwoooosh!
From every wound on Melkir's body, black energy erupted wildly. The energy quickly wrapped around his body, hardening it.
Crack.
Melkir's muscles began to bulge as his body grew larger. Grinning with his teeth bared, he spoke.
"This is how I'll make my end. At least Count Fenris is here. That's fortunate."
Belinda's eyes narrowed. She recognized this phenomenon all too well.
It was the Salvation Church's so-called "Crusader."
Melkir's eyes filled with ecstasy. Staring into the void as if he were seeing a vision, he spoke again.
"This power… It's the only thing that kept me alive. But life like this was no life at all. Finally, I can rest."
His gaze shifted back to Belinda.
"You, Annette's successor, and Count Fenris. Killing the two of you will be enough for me. If that happens, it'll be my ultimate victory."
Boom!
An enormous aura began radiating from Melkir's body. His eyes rolled back until only the whites remained.
Melkir's body twitched a few times, drool spilling from his mouth.
"Ghrr… Annette… I'll kill you…"
"My target is… Count Fenris… Marquis Perdium… Elena…"
"Annette… Belinda…"
Even as a superhuman, he couldn't avoid losing his mind. The power of the Crusader came at a devastating cost.
"Tch."
Belinda retreated, levitating her daggers once more. Though she was gravely injured and nearly out of mana, there was no choice but to fight the now even stronger Melkir.
At that moment, Ghislain, who had been silently observing, finally stepped forward.
"Stop, Belinda."
"Young master."
"I'll handle it now."
"But he—!"
"That's no longer the man you knew. He's finished. He's just something else now."
"…."
"Why not head to the castle and help Gillian instead? From what Dark reported, it seems fine, but you never know."
"…Will you be alright?"
Ghislain chuckled.
"Stop worrying so much."
Belinda smiled at that.
No matter how strong Ghislain became, no matter how much power he gained, he would always be a child in her eyes.
He would probably remain so until the day he grew old and died. That's just how things were.
Belinda stepped back. Now was the time to trust Ghislain. Elena was just as precious to her. She needed to protect her too.
"I'll go ahead. Finish this quickly and come back."
"Yeah, don't worry. We'll talk later. I have a lot to ask."
"Kraaaaaah!"
The fully transformed Melkir charged at Belinda. But Ghislain stepped between them.
Boom!
Ghislain grinned savagely.
"Now, let's see how you do against me."
Swish!
Ghislain's eyes turned red as dark red energy enveloped his body. It was stronger and denser than the energy radiating from Melkir.
Crack!
Melkir's massive hand grabbed at Ghislain's sword, trying to break it. But Ghislain moved faster.
He let go of the sword and smashed his fist into Melkir's face.
Boom!
Melkir's head snapped to the side. Ghislain flexed his fingers with a smirk.
"I'm pretty good with all kinds of weapons, but the first thing I ever mastered wasn't weaponry."
"Kraaaah!"
Melkir screamed, snapping his head back into place. In the meantime, Ghislain drew back his fist again.
"The first thing I mastered was martial arts. I've loved throwing punches ever since I was a kid."
His fist shot out like a flash of light.
Boom!
"Khrrrk?"
Melkir's head jerked backward again. The monstrous man couldn't comprehend the situation. Why was he the one being beaten?
Belinda chuckled at the sight. It seemed there was nothing to worry about this time either.
'Still the same temper as when he was young. But…'
Ghislain had been a brat, throwing punches whenever things didn't go his way. Everyone around him had found it troublesome and disliked him.
But even then, Belinda had never given up on him. She had always embraced him with love, believing he would change someday.
And now.
Ghislain truly had changed. His fists were no longer a tool of tyranny—they had become a beacon of hope, protecting many.
'Lady Annette, are you watching?'
As Belinda headed toward the castle, she smiled. Perhaps it was because she was recalling long-buried memories. Or maybe it was because she had finally shared the truth about his mother with Ghislain.
Today, Belinda felt as though tears might flow at any moment.
'Really, am I getting old? How ridiculous.'
Still, once this ordeal was over, she felt like she could indulge in her memories and cry as much as she wanted.
Even in his deranged state, Melkir tried to chase after the departing Belinda. Driven by instinct alone, he sought out the targets he desperately wanted to kill.
But Ghislain wasn't about to let that happen.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Boom!
Ghislain's fist struck Melkir's abdomen, now nearly twice its original size.
Boom, boom, boom!
Melkir's body tumbled across the ground, rolling far away.
"Graaaah!"
Melkir sprang to his feet, glaring at Ghislain as he let out an animalistic roar. He realized he had to eliminate the one blocking him before he could move forward.
Ghislain brushed off his hands and shook his head.
"Phew, you're one tough bastard."
From what he could see, Melkir was unable to fully utilize the strength of a superhuman. His mana core was shattered, and the energy implanted by the Salvation Church was barely holding him together.
Even during his fight with Belinda, Melkir hadn't been able to display his full power. Yet, he had still exuded confidence toward both Ghislain and Belinda. He must have been relying on something.
"So this is what he was counting on?"
A Crusader's transformation amplified one's original strength many times over. Even someone like Melkir, unable to wield his full power, could unleash explosive energy in critical moments.
Ghislain now understood why the duchy had dared to carry out such a bold operation.
"A superhuman they could only use once—they must've thought it wasn't a waste to sacrifice him."
Melkir, too, must have thought this place was the best stage to burn his final life away.
Not that things would go as they planned.
"Graaaah!"
Melkir adjusted his target. He decided to eliminate the irritating figure in front of him first.
Boom!
Melkir pushed off the ground, disappearing in an instant and reappearing in front of Ghislain. His speed was so fast it seemed like teleportation.
Boom!
Melkir's fist came crashing down on Ghislain's body. Ghislain quickly crossed his arms to block it, but he was still pushed back.
"Graaaaah!"
Melkir puffed out his chest and roared, like a beast claiming victory.
Ghislain smirked. His arms tingled as though they might fall off, but he found the situation highly enjoyable.
"It's been a while since I've had a fight like this."
Finding an opponent who fought only with fists, without relying on weapons, was rare—especially someone who had reached the level of a superhuman.
Melkir was an excellent opponent. Though his mind was broken and his techniques had degraded, his strength and endurance were far superior to an ordinary superhuman.
Against such an opponent, Ghislain could go all out. He had a feeling this would be a deeply satisfying fight.
"Graaaah!"
Melkir was visibly frustrated that his punches hadn't fazed Ghislain.
As he prepared to attack again, Ghislain moved first.
Moving at incredible speed, Ghislain slammed his fist into Melkir's face.
Boom!
"Graaaah!"
With a deafening explosion, Melkir screamed and staggered back.
Ghislain clenched and unclenched his fist. Even after concentrating immense power into the punch, Melkir hadn't shattered.
'As expected, this was going to be fun.'
It had been a long time since Ghislain felt his blood boil like this.
"Graaaah!"
Melkir leapt back to his feet and charged at Ghislain. Ghislain met him head-on.
Boom!
Their fists collided with a thunderous impact. Black energy surged and coiled around them, as if trying to devour them both.
Both fighters staggered back slightly, having taken hits from one another.
"Graaaah!"
As Melkir continued to roar in rage, Ghislain grinned.
"Come at me again."
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Fists flew relentlessly. Each time the two monsters' strength clashed, shockwaves rippled out, shaking the surroundings.
Boom!
Melkir swung his fist again. Ghislain didn't dodge, choosing instead to block it. The moment he blocked, it felt as though his bones might shatter. The sheer force was immense.
But Ghislain didn't retreat. Instead, he swung his own fist in retaliation.
Boom!
Melkir responded with another punch. Yet with each exchange, he was slowly pushed backward.
"Come on, give me a little more effort!"
Boom!
Ghislain swung his fist with a devilish grin. Melkir's face was struck, and he was sent sprawling backward.
As time passed, it was Melkir who was being overwhelmed. At some point, he could no longer counterattack effectively, only taking blow after blow.
"Graaaah!"
Even in his beast-like state, Melkir got up and swung his fists again. His strength and speed were still remarkable.
Boom!
Crack!
Ghislain's feet dug into the ground, creating deep grooves as he held his ground. His body no longer budged easily, even under Melkir's attacks.
"Is this all you've got?"
Boom!
On the other hand, each time Melkir was hit by Ghislain's fists, he stumbled back or collapsed. His battered body was swelling and bleeding profusely.
"Just unleashing raw energy doesn't make you strong."
Ghislain smirked mockingly and swung his fist again.
Boom!
Melkir's body was sent flying backward once more. The monstrous man's deranged eyes now showed a hint of confusion, as though he couldn't comprehend why he was losing.
Ghislain looked down at Melkir with arrogant disdain and spoke.
"Let's wrap this up."
Thud!
Ghislain, wrapped in dark energy and with his glowing red eyes, approached Melkir.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]