Hero of Darkness

Chapter 982 Knight vs Necromancer

As soon as the matter was settled temporarily, all the members of the Heroʼs Party, now in their Saint forms started positioning themselves with their weapons, armor, spells, and barriers to face Marcus Brutus.

The battlefield was no longer going to be small like before but rather a large one spanning for at least 35 kilometers given the fact that the Necromancer Hero was a 6th stage saint.

[Ha ha ha!! Boy, I must say you have a great talent in lying and coming out with most surprising but believable nonsense on the spot.

You surely deserve some sort of acting award for that bullshit you just convinced Maximus of.] spoke Rathnaar as he laughed hysterically in Kahnʼs mind.

[Sorry, but the Academy isnʼt worthy of judging my acting talent.] responded Kahn and he jumped from the desert ground and now flew in their air.

[Are you ready… ʼLord Heroʼ? 

Thereʼs no coming back once we start. And you canʼt protect others since itʼs you who has to do all the heavy lifting.] stated Atreus as he asked for final confirmation.

[Fine, just tell me what to do.] responded Maximus.

[Alright, this is the plan…]

Soon, after Kahn told Maximus his plan and the others telepathically, everyone changed into a new battle formation with Maximus and Atreus at the front.

Borat and Conan were now left in charge of protecting the mages aka Rolakan and Speki.

BOOM!!

”Divine Ability: Izanamiʼs Champion!” shouted Maximus and his aura of a 5th-stage saint erupted, sending shockwaves in the 3-kilometer radius.

In an instant, the Knight Heroʼs body, along with his weapon, shield, and armor, began to grow exponentially, as multiple elements of reality coalesced and engulfed him. What transpired was an unbelievable transformation.

Within just 15 seconds, the Hero of Nature had become a ginormous being standing at a towering 1 kilometer tall. 

His eyes were like lightning, his arms and shoulders transformed into the largest tree trunks in the world, and his legs turned into the hardest of metals. His once-golden hair now floated and blazed like the sun.

In his hand, the 700-meter-tall and 300-meter-wide shield turned dark gray, carrying both earth and metal elements, while his 500-meter-long greatsword became a destructive combination of both lightning and darkness elements.

”Sage Arts 1st Form: Thousand Hands Battlefield!”

In the following moment, over a thousand hands made up of all the elements of nature started emerging from the newly realized battlefield within the 30-kilometer radius, each being 500 meters tall and covering the battlefield from all directions and places as if Maximus had no intentions to let Brutus even catch a breath.

”Hahaha! Are you stupid? Didnʼt I tell you that in this realm, I control everything?” mocked the Necromancer Hero openly.

[Good. Divert his attention. He canʼt even use the world energy right now other than his Divine Ability.

Whatever he does now to change the laws of this world he created, it will never be as effective and dangerous to us at his peak strength.] informed Kahn.

”Youʼre forgetting something. Even if itʼs a divine ability… youʼre not fighting a single domain.” replied the titan hero.

Rumble!

Rumble!

”Domain Expansion: Natureʼs Fury!” shouted Borat, the green-maned lionkin.

As the emerald aura permeated the ground beneath them, an astonishing transformation occurred within the ancient ruins. Terraforming magic surged through the scorching ground, causing the emergence of a mesmerizing sight. 

From the shattered remnants of the black boulders, thousands of colossal vines, trees, and vibrant multicolored flowers sprouted forth.

These towering flora, shrouded in a deep green hue, reached heights of hundreds of meters and spanned dozens of meters in width.

This wondrous and unnatural phenomenon was Boratʼs domain. 

His mastery over nature and the ability to manipulate plant life manifested in this breathtaking display of power. The vines intertwined and coiled, creating a sprawling canopy that stretched above, while the colossal trees stood as sentinels of Boratʼs domain, their branches reaching toward the sky.

The air became saturated with the scent of earth and vegetation, as the vibrant flowers bloomed, adorning the surroundings with a kaleidoscope of colors.

The once desolate and scaldingly hot battlefield was transformed into a vibrant, living sanctuary—a testament to Boratʼs command over the natural forces.

From the domain of Wood, hundreds of towering trees and vines shot forth, resembling spears thrusting towards their target. The already-established domain expanded its reach, seeking to ensnare and pierce Marcus with its vegetative assault. 

Alongside the trees, the colossal flowers radiated a blinding light, their petals creating a dazzling spectacle meant to disorient and confuse their opponent.

Schoom! 

One after another, Rolakan and Speki cast multiple barriers and magic formations that buffed the first 3 combatants who could use domains and enhanced their attack prowess while creating multiple barriers and shields to safeguard themselves.

[Kid, are you going to your domain too? That could create some trouble for you.] spoke Rathnaar.

[No. If I use that, even Maximus will become hostile since Dimensional Domain is only possible with a Divine Ability or accessible to someone who spent centuries practicing Space Law.

However, I do have an alternative.] replied Kahn.

BOOM!!

The very next moment, his body surged forth with a domineering and insurmountable blue aura as a massive tsunami of permafrost emerged with Atreus as the epicenter.

Dhang!

Rumble!

Massive pillars of water arose while the surrounding domains created by Maximus and Borat started synergizing with this wave of permafrost, intermingling perfectly with these tides and stormy bodies of water that Atreus created.

Sizzle!

This combination of liquid-like permafrost that moved like sea tides clashed against the molten lava and the scorching heat, nullifying the intensity of Marcusʼ own Domain he created using the Visionaryʼs Reality.

And at the same time, it did not affect or impede Maximusʼ titan form in any way. One could say that the Necromancer Hero was surrounded from all sides and had lost advantage of his own domain that should have acted in his favor, solely because of the perfect coalition between the domains of 3 saints.

”Surrender now and we might grant you a peaceful death.” spoke Maximus, his voice echoing in the 10-kilometer radius due to his titan form.

”Hah! Thatʼs funny. It was supposed to be my line. Alas, the time to show mercy has been gone long past. 

Now itʼs time for me to show why I feel no sense of threat from the likes of you.”

The battlefield crackled with intense energy as the clash between the Heroʼs Party and Marcus Brutus unfolded. Marcus, a master of manipulating the Visionaryʼs Reality, utilized the transformed terrain to his advantage. 

Magma rivers flowed, and stone structures rose like ominous sentinels, creating a landscape that seemed to obey his very will.

Seizing control of gravity, Marcus employed the altered gravitational forces strategically. 

As attacks were launched by the Heroʼs Party, he deftly manipulated gravity to redirect their trajectories, turning the onslaught against their own teammates. 

Sometimes he turned Boratʼs trees into sand, Atreusʼ Ice pillars and spears into water vapour and Maximusʼ sword attacks into mere clouds.

Maximus, with his imposing Titan Knight form, found himself challenged as Marcus exploited the terrain, using gravity as an unseen force to twist and distort the trajectory of every swing and strike.

The thousand-hand battlefield that could destroy 30 kilometers of terrain easily with his will alone was losing its battle strength because Brutus was easily changing their elemental property and turning them into exactly different elements that countered the effects of the original ones, rendering them ineffective since it broke Maximusʼ control of world energy.

The Heroʼs Party, despite their formidable skills, struggled against Marcusʼs control over the environment.

The battlefield echoed with the clash of attacks and the occasional roar of the altered elements. The Heroʼs Party found themselves not just fighting against Marcus but contending with a reality that was shaped by his very imagination, a reality that sought to dismantle their coordination and exploit their vulnerabilities.

Even Maximus was alive at the moment thanks to his 2nd Divine Ability, Undying Pyres.

Like a fruit nurtured and preserved by nature itself, as long as the Hero remained connected to the world around him, whether it be the ground or the sea, he could not die. The life force of the surrounding world would continue to heal him even if he was on the brink of death.

Though not as instant as Kahnʼs regeneration skill he received from Cthulhu, the Heroʼs power could heal wounds that spanned 100 meters in width and depth on his titan form. 

Coupled with the fact that the battlefield was his own domain, his class also allowed for periodic healing.

But right then…

The two red suns in the sky suddenly sent massive beams of heat that saturated the Heroʼs ginormous figure.

”Sage Art 2nd Form: Apolloʼs Decree!” roared the hero of nature as he gathered all his strength and the solar beams coalesced into a massive 700-meter-long sword made of blistering heat, evaporating the clouds above and the magma beneath.

Slash!!

He made a forward slash with all his might.

This full-power attack held the power to pulverize mountains in 10 kilometer range if they came in the attack range. And now, the Necromancer Hero was taking the brunt of it at close range.

A dozen seconds later…

Sizzle!

Sizzle!

Now, only a forward line of pulverized terrain remained, having no sign of life.

Everyone looked around with bated breath, hoping that this was the end of the battle.

Swoosh!

But suddenly, a figure with no visible injuries appeared from the devastated battlefield.

”How? Even a Beginner 7th-stage saint couldnʼt have survived that.” spoke Maximus in disbelief.

”Reality is often disappointing. That is, it was.” spoke Marcus Brutus, the 7th Hero of Nature.

The Necromancer Hero looked at the entire Heroʼs Party with a sinister and contemptuous smile as he declared…

”Now… reality can be whatever I want.”