Chapter 676: [Ares Vs Allen (4)]

“Ha!” The Greek War God vomited blood from the impact of Allen’s single punch.

Blood shoots across a distance of ten meters.

A huge pit formed on the ground made of obsidian stone after the Greek War God fell.

Blood spurted like a fountain, his body released vicious cracking sound and the red metallic shine on his body was like a steel wall, displaying a spider-web-like crack. Though, it slowly recovered itself. Even still—

This was the power of a single punch!

“Arrogant huh? War God, who cares! I’d beat you to a pulp, and make you vomit three liters of blood!” Allen leaped again as he raised his fist to attack the Greek War God. Ares felt vigilance from the sudden power released by Allen as he felt a terrifying pressure from it. He dodged all the way and did not dare to retaliate. His expression turning solemn and serious.

Ares embarrassingly dodges from Allen’s consecutive attacks. But his expression was recovering steadily—as expected of a War God, a well-known lunatic at that!

To Ares, the stronger Allen becomes, the greater his happiness and joy will be…!

“Hahahahaha, you make me so full of joy after a very long time of boredom, Epimetheus!!” Ares expression beamed as he suddenly leaped back, creating a large distance between them. Allen frowned. His right toe just taps on the ground when a large crater under him was made and his body shot towards Ares, chasing him. However, Ares was not the least bit flustered. Shadows appeared around him and then rushed towards Allen, obstructing his path.

“They are?!” Allen narrowed his eyes as he saw skeleton warriors attacking him. [Undead Servants] are not just the aspect of [God of the Dead] or any Death Gods. They are also powers and abilities of any [God of War]s especially Ares.

Forcing a human he personally slaughtered to stay in this world as one of the living dead and enforcing absolute obedience as a faithful servant. Of course, that is only for some. Most Undead Servant that War Gods used are those great warriors that submitted to them and placed their faith on. To be able to be of use to the Gods they served, most Undead Servants were willing to become an undead to fight for them.

Allen sneered seeing them.

—An attack from the left.

Like a pouncing leopard, a figure clad in tattered clothing slashed at Allen with a sword. Even Dead people rising just to provoke his wrath—Allen felt that his life was still full of trials and tribulations. He smacked his lips in annoyance.

The [Starlight Rebellion] twirled in the air as Allen dodged by a hairsbreadth to the attacker’s sword, and then elegantly chopped down his opponent. Looking at the [Undead Servant] whose guts should be praised for attacking him, Allen’s eyes narrowed. It was a man wearing some kind of long-hemmed clothing on his upper torso with a cape-like jacket. He was using a broad longsword skillfully like a master, but the face under the helmet completely lacked spirit and ambition.

“Annoying!”

Wearing the same attire as the first, another corpse-like swordsman was charging towards him.

Allen only gave a glance.

When he knocked down the first one, Allen successfully dodged using pure reflexes, but could not evade the second strike of the broad sword. Thus, he twists his waist and sent a roundhouse at it. He used the essential actions of a roundhouse kick to send the dead person's body away. As he faced the second attacker, Allen felt disgusted at the increasingly powerful defensive and offensive capabilities of his own body.

As expected, combining three kinds of energy into one bring forth a calamity-like power. He was easily defeating these [Undead Servant] as one must know, these monsters might already be dead people but they are still among the greatest warriors in the Three Realms. Their powers and combat abilities are top-notch. The phrase [A former Shell] cannot be used at them. Normally, they would be troublesome opponents, and much more powerful than his [Undead Servant] as these Undeads are the ones serving a War God…!

Their abilities should be praiseworthy!

First using a feint with his [Starlight Rebellion] to confuse the death knight, Allen then casually sent a second horizontal slash at his opponent's body.

After receiving such a blow, the death knight's body turned into ash and scattered upon the ground.

“You are just stalling your defeat, Ares!!” Allen snarled angrily. His beautiful snow-white hair danced in the wind. With one wave of the double-bladed spear on his hand, he calmly marched forth.

Dozens of armed [Undead Servant] rushed at him while the others fired magic spells in his direction.

The shattering sound of explosions could be heard in all directions. The ground and nearby structures were laced with craters and broken parts. Even volcanic eruptions on the ground appeared as Allen fought against an entire battalion of [Undead Servant] all while chasing Ares. However, those magic spells and sharp swords didn’t even graze a hair on his body. It was as if the attacks made by the enemies dodged him themselves.

Allen paid no heed to the enemies onslaught. Like flowing water, he shifted around with total poise within the group of [Undead Servant], slashing all of them to death. They didn’t even have time to utter a cry, having already disintegrated into sands.

No matter how many he killed, there was no stop to him.

It even seemed as if he was going to exterminate every single undead on the entire area.

"Slow. Too slow!"

" ―?!!"

*Whoosh!* The wind roared, and Ares suddenly appeared in front of Allen.

"Did you think you could beat me when it comes to speed? Too bad, but magic isn't limited to offense alone. I can increase my mobility several times over by concentrating magic at the bottom of my feet and releasing it in a burst. In other words, you can't beat me in either power or speed!"

Once he finished speaking, the Infernal Sword stabbed out suddenly…

A crimson-black fire wave rushed towards Allen following the slash of the Infernal Sword.

Allen sneered at the Olympian War God's arrogant claim.

Allen did not avoid nor retreat. After invoking his Demonic Trigger, a tidal wave-like Ice-colored Flames surged from around him, which was accompanied by the cry of the Phoenix attacked it head-on. Even the large silhouette of a beautiful woman behind him also moved made the same gesture, boosting the attack.

“Nifleheim!”

Nifleheim was not a simple Ice Phoenix Flame attack; it also had strong destructive power and might to cover an entire world into a freezing hell of never-ending winter. However, as expected of a War God's infernal flames. When the Ice Phoenix Flames collided with the Infernal Flames of Ares, it slowed down the rush of the Infernal Flame, but following a nasty cry, the Infernal Flame suddenly attacked and quickly consumed the Ice Phoenix Flame. When the Ice Phoenix Flame had completely disappeared, the Infernal Flame was only weakened by sixty percent, and without any other obstruction, it rushed straight towards Allen, striking his body.

BooOOooom—!!

When the Infernal Flame exploded, the power of destruction and corrosion was frantically released. In the next instant, Allen’s figure flew far away from among the exploding Infernal Flame. Ares locked onto Allen who was in midair and laughed a little playfully, “You’re not bad at escaping, but let this King see how you’re going to escape this time!”

What… is this?

Ares felt something painfully off about this situation. His sword dealt with strikes that could produce earthquakes, could crush an enemy in one hit without fail. Overpowering an opponent without crushing him should be impossible because his attacks couldn't be blocked so casually. But what was happening in this duel? Ares should be one-sidedly battering his opponent, but he was the one feeling apprehended?!

Turn out like this? Running away? Just a matter of time? Those impressions were dead wrong. Ares himself had realized that.

I'm being… set up!

"Haaa!" The Greek war God’s expression gradually changed as he glare at Allen’s expression. His power and speed indeed top Allen, even if the latter had some superhuman strength speed like lightning. However, for some reason, Ares realized that Allen’s power is not just that!

This asshole is using me to hone himself?! Realizing that fact angered Ares. With a deafening roar, Ares brought his Infernal Sword down on the enemy before him. But as usual, Allen received that strike with his Starlight Rebellion]―but without stopping there, he rode the force of the strike and swiftly leaped backward, widening the distance between them once again.

…Again!

From afar it certainly seemed like the strikes of the Greek War God was pushing Allen back, but the reality was different. Against Allen’s tactics, his strikes were being completely negated. Using a soft defense that slowly drained away power―that might sound easy, but doing it was quite difficult.

If the strength in blocking was even a little bit too high then his arm would be pulverized, and if it was even a tiny bit too low then he'd be cut down. Even if his power and speed almost rival him, just a bit of mistake would make him reeling in regret and die. The Greek War God; Ares understand that. And yet, Allen was still having a different expression.

The calculations of power, angle, timing―missing even one of these factors meant immediate failure, yet the bastard ‘Fool’ in front of him handled all that without so much as breaking a sweat. At this realization, Ares felt indescribable anxiety. It was an alarm bell, his sixth sense as a God of War warning that the enemy before him was very dangerous!

Not like Perseus… Not like Hercules… Not like Siegfried… Not like any Heroes he had battled before.

This person has the most potential of all Heroes he had encountered before. Potential that would make even a War God paled in comparison!

As if I can accept that…!!

"Are you only good at running away!?" As if trying to dispel that feeling, Ares kept on slashing at Allen.

But Allen didn't reply. The angry and taunting smile he sported just a while ago had disappeared. Now he wore an expression so serious it could be terrifying, and he was calmly watching every movement Ares made.

What irritating eyes!

As if his clothes, skin, and muscles were being read fiber by fiber, his every little act was being studied. And from that gaze, Ares realized that Allen was trying to understand his combat arts from his movements.

"My combat style isn't so simple that you can see through it easily!"

"…No, I already got it." Allen grinned savagely.

His left made a pivot and then, he attacked.

It might've seemed like a suicidal action at first glance. In a head-on clash between swordsmen, what could he do with just honed technique against an opponent with that much offensive force?

Allen could only fall before such scorching firepower.

It should've been inevitable, but―

"Kuh!"

But Ares was the one who retreated. At this moment, Allen was pushing Ares back with his weapon. How? The method lay with the sun-like orbit the [Starlight Rebellon] was tracing. It was, in fact, almost identical to the way Ares fight.

"Impossible…!?" Ares felt he saw himself facing against himself, only the aura is different. “Epimetheus!! You Bastard!!” Ares roared. His voice like thunder clasping one’s ears. Then suddenly he twisted around while raising his left hand above his head.

Baaang! The sound of a leg chopping down.

"Hmph! I am a Genius, Ares! Don’t forget that!"

“You’re too arrogant!”

Whilst blocking Allen’s right leg with his left arm, Ares lashed out from the right. As Ares effortlessly somersaulted forwards, aiming a kick at the back of Allen’s head, the latter sneered in contempt as he deftly spun around and dodged.

The gap between the two closed.

Allen and Ares exchanged blows again.

… …