Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

Chapter 140: Steadiness vs. Aggressiveness

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An immovable mountain against a feral hunter...

Though this wasn't the first time they clashed, won't be the last either, it feels just like the first time for both of them.

As Elric guarded himself against a mighty swing of his opponent's club, he winced at the sheer impact of the blow. He received it but still felt the rippling impact it left on his body.

He knew that it had never been a good idea to defend like this against Claudio but for all the feral energy he was exuding, there was a surprisingly clear intent behind his swings and wit that only came with experience.

It's not that he wanted to do this, it's just that he's forced to.

That said, even though Elric could feel the impact of the blow to his body, he merely shrugged it off. As the frontline defense of his team, he had experienced far worse than this and lived through it, so this was nothing to him.

With a grunt, he pushed the club away. He twisted his body, gathering momentum to swing his hammer. Air screamed at his action, the sheer weight behind the blow was extremely obvious.

Claudio sensed this and thought of evading but his instincts told him that he was already too late. Instead, he clenched his arm and covered the spot that Elric targeted, which was his ribs...

Crack!

The feral hunter's eyes dilated a bit after receiving that blow. He flew back due to the sheer impact, coughing out blood as he did so. However, that wasn't enough to take him out of commission.

'Fucking baldy...still has that mean swing, I see.' He cursed as he stood up.

He felt it difficult to breathe at first because of his rib injury, he's pretty sure a few of them cracked and one punctured his organs. Normally, this would've taken someone out completely, but not him.

Claudio snarled as his passive healing kicked in - 'Beastial Vitality' is what it's called. It healed the injury he received but it god damned hurts still. That said, he's no stranger to pain, he'd even say that it's a close friend, so he could endure this.

This exchange only took a fraction of a second before the two of them were back at it again.

The ground beneath them shattered due to the sheer immensity of their strength. The entire arena rocked dangerously, giving out the impression that it would be destroyed due to their clash. Neither participant seemed to care, though.

Their fight was too fast for a regular person (by the academy's standards) to see. In these people's eyes, they were mere blurs of shadows. The only real evidence they have that there is a fight going on is due to the venue and the aftermath of each clash they do.

It makes sense because the ones fighting aren't just some random people. They were the first and second-ranked amongst the entire Senior Student body. They are absolute geniuses amongst thousands of students who are also deemed geniuses in their own right.

They're the true kings of their batch. The next pillars of Humanity. They received tutelage and resources from nothing but the best. In light of that, it's understandable that they should be able to do this much.

Boom!

An explosion occurred. Hammer versus a giant club. Each weapon vied for supremacy in their clash. If you were to look closely, the weapons aren't even really touching, yet sparks of electricity fly as they clash.

Both participants wore hardened expressions. They glared at each other like they were facing the guy who murdered their entire family. The formation around the arena creaked dangerously as they struggled as if it was going to cave in anytime soon.

Suddenly, a pure, unadulterated intent to kill exploded from the depths of Claudio's body, seemingly setting him ablaze with a deep crimson flame. His pupils turned red and his ferocity sharply increased.

His aura washed the entire arena, leaking bits of it out, allowing the audience to feel the sheer killing intent he was exuding.

Those who had particularly sharp senses suffered the most from this exposure. They blanched, feeling as if they were suddenly plunged into a pool of dry ice. They felt overwhelming dread that drowned their reason and deeply affected their will, causing them to feel weak and scared.

"Geez...his aura feels even more dangerous than the last time." Francis mumbled softly, but due to the quietness of the audience, he might as well said that out loud.

Cedric, due to him having superior senses than most, had it worse. His mouth felt dry and he felt the threat of death pointing the tip of its scythe at his throat.

Surprisingly, something deep within him roared in defiance. The sigil that represents 'Aspect of the Sun' etched in his soul, seemingly stirred from its slumber and sneezed at the source of his discomfort, allowing him to regain clarity. He felt the terrible sensation receding like a tide due to its movement, something that he wasn't expecting at all.

'That's possible!?' He exclaimed inwardly. Completely floored by the sudden event. However, it happened too fast that he wasn't able to get a real feel of it, so there goes the idea of replicating that sensation soon.

Shaking his head, he decided to think about this later because as soon as the dreadful killing intent receded, another one blasted them in the face, this one came from Elric who responded to Claudio's outburst.

Heavy.

That's the simplest way to describe it but make it extreme. Like the weight of the world was suddenly dropped on his shoulders. It felt stifling, even his breath was being suppressed.

Somehow, it didn't feel as bad as the previous one. That doesn't mean that he thinks Elric's outburst was weaker than Claudio's, gods, no! This must have something to do with the movement of the sigil earlier having a lasting effect.

"There it is...Claudio's Slaughter Law versus Captain's Earth Laws." Darwin exclaimed softly, allowing Cedric to finally understand what was going on.

Suddenly, the sensations he received made sense. Claudio's dreadful killing intent has completely manifested in reality, weakening the willpower of those who even thought about defying him, and Elric's sheer immovable and unshakable steadiness that resembles the very earth they walked in

This was the manifestation of their Law Comprehension being used in their battle.

There's just no comparing these to the ones he felt earlier. Theirs made the previous ones look like child's play due to their sheer might and effect.

While Cedric still doesn't understand what exactly those Laws do for those two, it is obvious that their clash went to an entirely different level once they appeared.

What's obvious to Cedric at the very least, since he truly couldn't follow the fight even as focused, is that Claudio seemingly lost it while Elric somehow resembles a mountain.

Claudio went completely feral. He growled like a beast, all his humanly inhibitions were gone. He even saw him pouncing on all fours, mimicking how predators hunt. He held nothing back on his swings, his killing intent made that all the more obvious at least. Cedric felt that if he were to be grazed by Claudio's club in this state, he would instantly turn into a blood splatter on the nearest wall.

But even with that sheer amount of force, Elric remains just as stable, if not even more, than before. He took those city-devastating blows like were mere slaps on his shoulders. Claudio barely made his move from his spot and this was him throwing those devastating attacks left and right.

In sheer speed and ferocity, Elric had nothing on Claudio. The thing is, he doesn't have to. Elric possesses his own advantages and uses them to match his opponent evenly.

Besides, Elric wasn't just taking it. Sure, Claudio was extremely strong in this state, but even he had to completely evade Elric's blows at all costs.

Elric didn't just embody the stability of Earth on his immovable stance. He also held its weight as he swung his hammer. If Claudio could devastate a city in mere seconds with his club, Elric could pound it to nothingness in a single blow of his hammer.

Sure, he's slower than Claudio, but that's against him. If he was fighting someone else, it's debatable if they could even react to the speed of his swing.

As the crescendo of the fight increased, it became harder for Cedric to follow. It even came to a point where he felt helpless because he just couldn't see anything anymore, not even blurs, only impacts caused by their clash.

It was a pity but there's nothing he could do about it. Though he felt comfort at the idea that he wasn't the only one. Like him, the rest of the audience also wore the same expression.

After five minutes of nonstop clash, it ceased. When the smoke cleared, the winner of the match became obvious.

It was Elric. Still standing valiantly but injured and bleeding. Claudio was embedded intimately on the ground, completely unconscious. The former was announced as the winner and he limped off the stage much to everybody's amusement.

And despite feeling completely outclassed by what he saw, Cedric felt fire billowing in his spirit.

'One day, I'll surpass both of them.' He swore inwardly.