Realm Lord
Chapter 63: The Reaper of the Roses (2)

Chapter 63: The Reaper of the Roses (2)

Thunder boomed through the stormy sky, a deafening crescendo that rattled bones and shook courage. Forks of brilliant lightning illuminated the churning clouds above, casting the world below in stark, momentary daylight before plunging it back into shadow. Each flash revealed the grim scene—two warriors surrounded by death.

Arthur gripped his sword with shaky hands, the pommel slick with sweat and rain. He stood back to back with Aziel, feeling the warmth of his companion as their only comfort in this forsaken place. Aziel readied his spear, its polished tip gleaming with each lightning strike, a silent promise of the violence to come.

The wind howled around them, carrying the stench of their enemies—a putrid mixture of rot and something otherworldly that made Arthur’s stomach turn. His teeth chattered uncontrollably, partly from the cold, partly from fear that had settled deep in his bones.

"There anyway you think we win this?" Arthur asked, his voice barely audible above the storm’s fury. The question hung in the air, weighted with desperate hope despite the obvious answer.

Aziel didn’t respond immediately. Arthur felt his companion’s back expand with a deep inhalation before releasing a heavy sigh.

"No..." Aziel finally replied, his voice steady despite the grim admission. "But we can at least go out swinging."

Arthur felt a solitary tear track down his left cheek, warm against his cold skin. He nodded, though Aziel couldn’t see the gesture. The motion was more for himself—acceptance of what was to come.

’Looks like I won’t be able to live for them after all... well, at least I tried.’

Soon after what felt like ages of waiting in anticipation, the perimeter of darkness around them stirred. The first grimhound attacked from Arthur’s side, its massive form lunging forward with surprising speed. These creatures were slightly weaker and dumber than the nightreavers, their movements more predictable.

Arthur focused his senses, time seeming to slow as the creature flew toward him. Its maw gaped wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth designed to tear flesh from bone. Muscles tensed beneath Arthur’s rain-soaked clothing as he timed his strike perfectly. With a fluid motion he pivoted and swung his blade in a clean arc.

The sword cut through the grimhound’s neck with a sickening sound, separating head from body in one decisive stroke. Black ichor sprayed across the muddy ground as both parts of the creature tumbled past him, twitching in death throes.

This small victory did little to lift their spirits. Arthur knew—they both knew—it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. In the distance, barely visible through the rain and darkness, stood the Reaper himself. The entity walked slow... very slow, almost as if it would prefer if the grimhounds would just do the job for it. Its patience was terrifying—the confidence of a predator certain of its prey.

Meanwhile, things began to pick up and fast. Arthur and Aziel separated as they moved to encounter grimhounds approaching from all sides. The beasts no longer attacked one by one but charged forward in unison, their eyes emanating ominous red glows, hungry for the kill.

Arthur focused inward, drawing in as much power as possible from the darkness around him. He channeled it through his core, letting it enhance every movement, every sense, everything. His dark sense expanded to its utmost potential.

Suddenly, he felt everything with crystal clarity. Every bead of sweat that moved down Aziel’s body several paces away. Every labored breath and thunderous step each grimhound took as they closed in. The vibration of rain hitting the ground. The electric charge in the air before each lightning strike. All of it.

He let the power of the darkness flood him like never before, embracing it completely. If these were to be his final moments, he would use every advantage available to him.

The next grimhound reached him and just like the last one, he severed its head in one strike, his blade singing through the air. But it was far from over. He felt another approaching from behind and turned around just in time to parry its desperate lunge, using the creature’s momentum to throw it to the side. Its claws scraped uselessly against his armor as it tumbled away.

Another one came from his left, and he managed to skewer it mid-leap, the tip of his sword punching through its chest cavity. Arthur slammed it into the ground and placed his foot on its head, using the leverage to pull his sword free. The blade came out with a wet sound just in time for him to dodge the next attack.

But sadly, he dodged into the range of another grimhound that managed to leave a gash on Arthur’s back, its claws tearing through cloth and skin. White-hot pain flared across his shoulder blades, but adrenaline dulled it almost immediately.

Arthur spun and cut off its arms in a single fluid motion, the creature’s howl of pain cut short as he immediately held his sword up and pivoted to the right, blocking another attacker. This one had its mouth clamped on his blade, refusing to let Arthur take it back while another grimhound came from behind and locked its maw around Arthur’s thigh, causing him to scream in agony.

Blood seeped through his torn pants leg, warm against his cold skin. Arthur couldn’t let go of his sword or the monster currently biting onto it would take it, but he saw no other way to free himself. Making a split-second decision, Arthur gripped the sword tightly as he pulled it in fast and headbutted the grimhound biting it.

The creature’s skull was harder than he anticipated, but desperation gave him strength. He headbutted it as hard as he could four times in rapid succession, each impact sending shock waves of pain through his own head until finally, it let go with a pained yelp.

With his sword freed, Arthur shoved the blade through the head of the grimhound still biting his thigh. The creature’s jaws spasmed once before releasing his leg. He pulled the blade out quickly, dark blood running down the steel, and attacked the one he had just headbutted, killing it with a swift thrust through its eye socket.

For a moment, Arthur was granted respite as the next wave of grimhounds closed in. He used the precious seconds to look for Aziel and found him dispatching the grimhounds with impressive skill, moving his spear in patterns too fast to follow. Despite the chaos surrounding him, Aziel had yet to suffer any serious injuries.

’Even without his abilities, he’s amazing,’ Arthur thought with a mixture of admiration and envy.

Arthur quickly refocused on the grimhounds closing in fast. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his wounded leg threatened to buckle beneath him. He took a deep breath as he readied himself for what might be his final stand.

’I won’t last much longer,’ he acknowledged grimly.

He gritted his teeth before letting out a war cry from deep within his soul—a sound of defiance against fate itself—and charged forward to meet the incoming grimhound assault. If death was coming for him tonight, he would make sure it remembered his name.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.