Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 96: Alex vs The Earth Patriarch (16)

Chapter 96: Alex vs The Earth Patriarch (16)

Khepri didn’t even glance in Alex’s direction.

The moment the thunder-charged slashes converged, three massive earth-forged swords rose like a divine wall around him, blocking the strikes with thunderous finality. The air split, shockwaves rippling in every direction, but the throne remained untouched.

Then, without warning, a titanic greatsword descended from above—silent, swift, and merciless.

Alex’s eyes widened. He twisted midair, katana flashing upward to meet the blow, but the impact was brutal.

CRACK!

The sheer weight behind the attack overwhelmed his guard, and the force hurled him back like a comet. He crashed to the ground below, a thunderous impact shaking the battlefield. The crater that formed beneath him swallowed half a dozen stone warriors in its wake, pulverizing them into debris from the shock alone.

Dust surged outward like a stormfront.

For a second, all was silent—then movement.

Dozens of surviving stone warriors surged toward the crater, weapons raised.

But before they could strike—

Alex moved.

His body surged upright, blood trickling from the side of his mouth, staining the dust around his boots. His breathing was sharp, controlled, but shallow. The katana in his hand buzzed faintly with residual lightning, and his eyes glared upward—not in panic, but precision.

He was hurt—but far from finished.

The nearest stone warrior lunged. Alex twisted aside, spine still raw from the impact, and drove his blade straight through the creature’s core, shattering it into gravel.

The others closed in.

He cut through them like a whirlwind reborn.

Each step, each movement was pure instinct layered atop experience—dodging, slashing, feinting, striking. Earth shards and weapon sparks flew as he danced his way out of the encirclement once more, blood flying from shallow cuts across his arms and shoulders.

Then, above the chaos, Khepri’s voice echoed, deep and composed.

"That art you just used... that was your family’s fourth art, wasn’t it?"

Alex’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond.

Khepri’s tone was calm devoid of mocking but had a bit of respect.

"Seven coordinated slashes, targeting all major weaknesses of the body, after each slash, afterimages are left behind, giving the impression of seven clones attacking at the same time, luring movement. A technique for only killing."

"I was once at the end of that technique, when I fought your father, and it wasn’t a pleasant memory."

A pause.

"But it seems like you twisted it."

Alex paused, blade lowering slightly as the stone warriors circled again.

"You realized that even for someone like me, a Legend ranked under a partial law, controlling and creating simultaneously was too much for the mind. So you exploited that. You noticed I had granted them awareness, a trace of mind... and you confused them by creating afterimages of yourself."

A faint rumble echoed in the sky above them, like the Earth itself grumbling at what was to come.

Khepri finally turned his gaze fully to Alex.

No rage.

No gloating.

Just finality.

"And you used that chaos to attack me, the controller."

"It was a clever trick. I won’t deny that. But it wasn’t enough."

"Now... It’s time for you to be destroyed."

A low hum reverberated in the air. The throne behind Khepri began to fracture—shedding pieces of stone and light—as the true weight of his law began to descend.

Khepri gazed out over the chaotic battlefield, his expression serene as if he were merely a spectator rather than an a participant. The sounds of clashing steel echoed around him, yet he remained detached, contemplating the swirling maelstrom below.

As he prepared to intensify the conflict, a thought tugged at his mind, cutting through the frenzy. Why hasn’t he unleashed that powerful technique yet? The question lingered, leaving Khepri with a sense of anticipation.

----

Khepri’s voice echoed across the battlefield like distant thunder—calm, precise, suffocating.

The man he was talking to was having another conversation, as he wasn’t listening.

Alex ducked under a curved stone halberd, spun to his left, and drove his katana through the throat of a charging warrior. The construct crumbled mid-swing, stone fragments bursting against Alex’s face and shoulder.

"Nova," he murmured under his breath, sliding back just in time to avoid a descending axe. "Suit status?"

"Due to the heavy impact from the last blow, the suit is operating at 42% efficiency, sir."

Alex exhaled through gritted teeth, chest heaving.

"Damn." He leapt backward, simultaneously parrying a flurry of spear thrusts from three directions . His boots skidded against the ground, barely avoiding another collapsing trap of shifting earth tiles. He stumbled, then recovered in one smooth motion, slicing two of the constructs down at the waist.

Their bodies crumbled mid-charge, but three more took their place instantly.

"As for the attack pattern you asked about,"** Nova continued, her voice clinical and calm amid the storm, **"I can’t get a read on it. Khepri appears to be altering its tactical output every five minutes. It’s like fighting a system running randomized protocols."

Another slash grazed Alex’s thigh—shallow, but it burned.

"So what’s your advice, Nova?"

"Use Limit Break, sir. There is no visible route out of this confinement otherwise. I suspect you’ve already come to the same conclusion."

Alex didn’t answer immediately.

His katana clashed with another construct’s obsidian blade, sparks erupting as metal screamed against hardened stone. He pushed through, spun low, and shattered the warrior’s knee, then drove his blade upward through its chest.

Blood mixed with dust around his lips.

He said nothing—not because he disagreed—but because Nova was right.

She always was.

Every analysis she gave was just a mirror reflecting what he already knew. He was the one in the fight. The one feeling every vibration, every pulse in the ground, every shift in the air.

But still, hearing it from her helped him commit. That second voice—objective, grounded, cold—was sometimes all it took to silence the screaming in his mind.

"So, I really have to use it then"

"Affirmative, sir. The odds of your victory will be elevated if used"

Alex’s said nothing after that. As he drove his blade through another warrior, pivoted, and flipped over a crumbling barricade of stone shields, his body aching with every motion. His breath came in ragged gasps now.

Stone shattered behind him as the warriors gave relentless chase.

"And sir," Nova added quietly, "If you hesitate any longer... even Limit Break might not be enough, as the art puts a strain on the body and mind, and a tired and weak mind will just increase the load on the body."

Alex came to a sliding stop on a flat stretch of torn battlefield. Dust swirled around him. The stone warriors began forming ranks again, surrounding him from all sides like a closing jaw.

Above them, Khepri finally raised his hand.

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