Laston groaned in pain, feeling the cannon slip from his grasp and plummet downward. Meanwhile, King Gulben, seizing the opportunity, lunged toward him like a silver comet, moving at a terrifying speed.
Laston snarled in frustration. He had never expected things to escalate this far. He had been caught off guard by Saeldir's sudden attack and then by King Gulben's relentless assault.
How was the Elven King still fighting with such sharp focus after witnessing his son suffer a devastating blow and fall? Laston couldn't understand. He had believed that striking Aerchon first would leave Gulben vulnerable.
But he hadn't accounted for Saeldir's unexpected arrival.
Below them, explosions of light and dark energy still illuminated the battlefield. And now, King Gulben was already right in front of him.
With a fierce cry, the Elven King swung his fist. His sword was still embedded deep in Laston's shoulder.
The silver energy-coated punch struck Laston's face with crushing force, sending him hurtling several meters through the air. A crack appeared across his face, and from within that fissure, glowing crimson lines emerged—like cables or circuits of power pulsing beneath his skin.
Laston cursed under his breath, his hand gripping the hilt of King Gulben's sword as he tried to yank it free. But to his surprise, the blade wouldn't budge.
Frowning in confusion, he turned his gaze toward the wound and saw a silver aura radiating from the sword, flowing directly into his body.
Realization struck him—King Gulben hadn't just stabbed him. He had imbued the sword with an enchantment, commanding it to remain lodged in his flesh. This was no ordinary wound; removing the weapon wouldn't be easy.
Before he could react further, King Gulben was upon him again, his face twisted in fury, his expression resembling more of a snarl than anything else.
King Gulben managed to keep a sliver of composure, knowing that Saeldir had saved Aerchon from falling. At the very least for now, he could hope that his son would survive.
That hope allowed him to focus his fury on Laston with a clear purpose. That is to kill him as quickly as possible.
His sword would remain embedded in Laston's body for a while, weakening him until he found a way to remove it. That meant king Gulben had an advantage and he intended to press it.
Without hesitation, he launched another sharp punch toward Laston's face.
However, this time, Laston reacted in time. A crimson energy shield flared to life around him, crackling with power as it intercepted the blow.
A sharp resounding crack echoed through the sky as Gulben's fist struck the barrier, sending Laston skidding several meters back.
Laston gritted his teeth. The pain from the sword still lodged in his shoulder surged through his body, amplified by the force of king Gulben's strike colliding with his shield. He clenched his jaw, realizing that he needed to break free from this situation quickly.
But King Gulben gave him no chance. Without relenting, the King of Elf Palaccce unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, each strike hammering into the crimson shield with increasing force.
The energy barrier flickered under the repeated assaults, cracks spreading across its surface.
Laston's eyes widened in alarm as Gulben's next punch finally shattered the shield entirely.
The moment it broke, a powerful shockwave rippled outward, and before Laston could react king Gulben was already moving again, his fury driving him forward with unstoppable momentum.
Laston felt the creeping edge of panic, but not despair. He still had plenty of tricks left.
His remaining arm that made of unnatural fusion of metal and flesh shifted, mechanical parts whirring as the structure reconfigured itself.
The limb transformed into a cannon, its barrel glowing with ominous crimson energy. Without hesitation, Laston fired.
King Gulben's eyes widened in shock. He had known that Laston was creating abominations of metal and flesh, twisting life into monstrous forms. But he hadn't realized that Laston had gone so far as to make himself one of them.
The cannon blast tore through the air, surging toward him with terrifying speed. King Gulben who already mid charge had no time to erect a proper defense.
Instinct took over so he crossed his arms in front of him, channeling his Magic energy to form a makeshift barrier.
The shot struck him head-on. A deafening explosion erupted as crimson energy clashed with silver light.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, and King Gulben was blasted backward, hurtling through the air before crashing into one of the tower. With no more Magic barrier, the Palace now exposed to the attack from outside.
Seeing the opening he had created, Laston snarled and immediately reached for the sword embedded in his shoulder.
He couldn't afford to leave it in any longer. If he could just remove it, he would regain full mobility and the fight would turn in his favor once more.
"Damn Gulben! You think you can defeat me just with this primitive Magic sword!"
But Laston had made a critical mistake. He had forgotten about Saeldir.
From within the fading smoke of the cannon blast, the Elf Archmage emerged, streaking through the sky like a bolt of silver lightning.
His long coat billowed behind him and his grip on his staff tightened. He had seen Laston struggling to pull out the Magic sword from his shoulder, and he knew he couldn't allow it.
That weapon was weakening him. If Laston managed to remove it, the battle would shift once more in his favor.
Saeldir raised his staff, Magic runes glowing along its length and in the next instant, a concentrated Magic Missile burst forth.
The shimmering projectile sliced through the sky, hurtling toward Laston with deadly precision.
Laston, focused entirely on wrenching the sword free, sensed the attack only at the last second.
His crimson eyes flicked upward in alarm but it was too late. The Magic Missile struck him square in the chest.
A violent shockwave rippled from the impact, sending him spiraling backward through the air.
His grip on the sword faltered and for a brief moment, he lost control of his movements.
Saeldir didn't let up. He was already preparing his next attack.