The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 247: Using the crystal (4)

Chapter 247: Using the crystal (4)

You heard my disciple. My husband has reached the Stage of a Sin. Do you still think you can stop him with a second-rate tool?

"I am ready! Clear away!"

Hex shouted to warn the remaining people. Althea stood at his side. As much as he hoped she didn’t stay, it pleased him to have her beside him.

Sterling and Quid reacted by hurrying to stand at the old man’s side. The other men from their team took cover behind them. But they were close. Hex didn’t believe they wouldn’t suffer. They should have left too.

Hex cussed in silence. He couldn’t control the explosive energy once he fused his soul dust with the chaotic energy. His lack of control over the destruction made him wish they weren’t around. Come to think of it, he would rather not be around himself. After all, he couldn’t guarantee his own safety. The last time he went all out, was against a Calamity. And even then, he suffered enough injuries to keep him wrapped up for more than three weeks.

It didn’t help to diminish his annoyance with the persistent shouts and curses of the Queen inside his head. She continued to hurl insults and threats at him. She couldn’t change his mind but that didn’t mean he enjoyed her presence.

"Don’t worry about us. Focus on hitting him."

Those words sounded in his ear. Hex moved his head. There was no one near him, aside from Althea, of course. And she didn’t have such a deep baritone voice. It belonged to the old man. Hex noticed him glance at him and then look toward his opponents once again.

Well, if he said so, Hex had little reason to doubt him. With a final glance at the fierce battle in the sky, Hex focused on infusing the soul dust into the crystal.

What is this?

Wait. This – this can’t be!

Stop your actions, you freak.

No human, unless they broke Heaven’s limit, can control the soul crystals.

How do you have so much of it?

The threatening Queen’s voice sounded shocked and fearful as Hex continued to fill the crystal with his soul dust – or as the Queen called it, the soul crystals.

He didn’t hold back on using the black swirl. The bigger the bang, the better. Hex believed that. The Queen annoyed him but she was right on one point. He was up against a Sin. A power rivaling the power of the Witch. His mother.

He recalled learning from the others that no one, except the baron, could stop the Witch. He needed someone at that level. But there wasn’t anyone. Not anymore.

The Queen kept screaming but Hex ignored her. Once he was satisfied with the amount he poured into the crystal, he stared at the sky. He stared through the lens of the tool. His aim was on the target.

The King stood in the air, controlling the multiple threads of Fate. His opponents made him bleed but none of the injuries seemed significant. The Crown Prince struggled to break through the barrier but it seemed more a question of time.

Hex put his finger on the trigger. And...the King looked over. Did he sense it? Hex started to push the trigger...wait...where was the King?

He didn’t even blink.

"Break."

The sound came behind him. Hex wanted to look over his shoulder. But the pain of his finger bursting pulled his eyes to his hand on the trigger. Despite his high resilience against pain, Hex needed a second to grit through it. A second was all the King needed for another command.

"Move."

Hex’s body moved on its own. To hold the tool tighter. Wait, that was his body’s reaction to defend against commands. Whom was the command intended for?

With a thunderous blast, Hex saw Althea fly out. She held onto her spear. Having experienced the King’s commands, he knew how hard it was to fend them off. If you could fend them off.

Another second passed. Another command ready to be uttered.

He readied himself. He heard the King start. Hex expected the worst. But the command failed. A deafening screech distorted it.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. But these kids are under my wings. Don’t fuck with them. Besides, you are too old for them. Don’t fuck those younger than you by so many years."

Hex stared at the metallic wings of Old Gargoyle as he stood between him and the King. Like always, the old man managed to infuriate a person on the verge of losing his shit.

The King opened his mouth. But the wind blasted from above. Hex felt his hair ruffle but the wind hit the King square in the face. His command interrupted once more.

He moved. Not by his own will. And obviously not because of a command. No, it seemed he drifted out in a water bubble. It seemed slow but when Hex looked around, he found himself at Althea’s side.

The girl seemed eager to attack. She didn’t realize the power gap between her and the King. Or, Hex believed this to be the case, she didn’t care.

He didn’t stop her. He placed the tool on the floor and aimed again. He broke one finger. Nine others remained.

Again, the King disappeared and appeared before them. But he stopped again. Althea’s spear hit him in the throat. Hex failed to see her spear move. Its speed surpassed the limits of what a Knight could achieve.

But the injury didn’t stop the King. His throat healed before Hex processed seeing the injury.

"Die."

He felt his heart stop. For a moment. A force constricted it and prevented it from beating. His chest burned. The blood drained from Hex’s face. He held on. It wasn’t a lack of fear. He was afraid. But a stronger will to survive held him sane. A will forged in the mountains and the slums. A wiĺl forged in the layers between Heaven and the realm below. A will forged by his dreams of defeating the baron.

With blazing eyes, he met the King’s gaze, and then...it broke free. His heartbeat sounded through his chest.

Boom.

Boom!

BOOM!

A second has passed. The King didn’t utter a command. Hex suspected he was too shocked. He glanced at the others. Make use of the shock.

He didn’t find them. Not at first. But then he saw them. Old Gargoyle and the Commander appeared before the King too.

They were drenched in blood and injuries. But neither man even frowned. No, Hex saw them smile. Even the stone-faced Commander.

"Let’s go, Dollface," the Commander said. A gust of wind accompanied him as he slammed into the King. He took the King up in the air.

"Right behind you, old pal."

Old Gargoyle grinned and glanced at Hex and Althea.

"Take good care of her. And you of him. Now aim and blast that monolith to shambles."

The look in his eyes disturbed Hex. He felt a pang in his heart. But he nodded. He didn’t understand why he needed to change the target. Yet, he nodded. Why? It was simple. The old man considered him part of his squad. And a good soldier followed instructions. No questions asked. The old man grinned at them.

"Time to show you young ones how pretty my eyes can be."

Hex noticed the two gems in his eyes burst into bright light. The gems melted. For the first time, Hex sensed energy leaking from them. Tremendous energy.

He took flight. Hex turned and aimed at the monolith. He hoped he could hit it. The water in his eyes distorted his sight.

An explosion occurred above. But he didn’t look. He put his finger on the trigger. He trembled. He should probably take a look above. What if he could help–

"Do it."

Althea patted his shoulder. He didn’t see her cry or even gasp. He only saw her grip her spear so tight, it hummed in protest. He only saw her stand so upright that her body creaked. And he only saw blood seep through her lips.

Hex didn’t see the monolith. But it was there. Full of golden light. And then...he pulled the trigger.