1357 Virtue of Patience
Arthur unleashed his unique art as light gathered on his dagger. The stance, Light Seizer, stole the light from the world before releasing it in a single move. Its destructive force tore through the ground as it collided with the sword. The strange stone sword absorbed the light and clashed with his dagger. Deluge released his mana without reserve in an attempt to push Arthur back. The two of them stood in a stalemate, but the world around them suffered. When the two blades collided, the impact resulted in an explosion that shook the entire city of Kera. Storms of wind raged around the two fighters as each tried to cleave the other in half. Arthur released more of his wrath, infusing it into his dagger, but it was useless. "We found out… how to stop you," said Deluge with a grin. "Wrath has no one to counter it except creation. Devaheim told us the secret to counter it." Arthur frowned in response, having to admit that his wrath seemed to be absorbed into the strange sword before him. In the end, he broke off their collision and jumped backward, landing far from the Sin of l.u.s.t. "This is just the beginning, Arthur Netherborne," said Deluge with a grin as he swung his sword around, sending gales of wind through the battlefield. "We have a lot more in store." "The vampires are dead, Deluge," said Arthur with a frown as he let go of his wrath. Since it could not kill the man before him, creation would have to do the trick. "Your plan no longer exists." "We chose Kera because we knew you would appear if we did," Deluge said as he aimed his sword at Arthur. "You really thought that killing the vampires would stop us?" Arthur knew that the calamity was bluffing since Kar sought the amplifier. However, he also knew that if the calamity obtained the amplifier, he would be able to go through with his plans. "If wrath doesn"t work, then I have other things to use," said Arthur with a grin as golden mana erupted from his hands. "I have some new runes I want to try." Deluge looked confused as Arthur created a rune and infused it into his dagger. Nightmare burst into flames that turned into a pillar toward the sky. The flames were so strong that the ground began melting. "What is—" muttered Deluge as Arthur took a step back and swung his dagger. A flaming dragon burst from his dagger as it crashed to the ground. Deluge stood confused as the dragon swallowed him whole. Arthur stood his ground as he heard Deluge scream in agony. Unlike the other calamities, Deluge had regenerative powers instead of high defensive capabilities, so he felt the full extent of the pain. The flames died down, replaced by ashen smoke. Arthur watched as a sole figure stood amidst the smoke screen. A charcoal-black Deluge stood with his skin healing in seconds. The naked man healed with a grin. "That was f.u.c.king painful!" "This is just the beginning," said Arthur with a smile. "I"ll burn you a thousand times until you release the citizens from the hypnosis." "The citizens? Hah," Deluge laughed as he stepped forward, the ashen ground sinking beneath his feet. "Even if I die, the ritual won"t stop!" "I"ll take care of that after you die," Arthur answered as his flaming dagger slashed the ground. Deluge bolted forward, disappearing from sight. He reappeared close to Arthur, his leg now a mangled mess. Arthur was surprised by Deluge destroying his own leg just to get close. The sword came slashing down, but Arthur managed to jump backward in time. He landed several meters away. "You are fast, but not fast enough," said Deluge as he raised his sword. It had a small trace of blood on its surface. Arthur frowned as he looked down and found that his arm had a small wound that was barely visible. "Are you feeling proud about this small wound?" asked Arthur with a smile as his wound closed in an instant. "You have fallen low." "Against someone like you… even a small wound is a great achievement," said Deluge as he raised his sword. "But you forget the origins of this sword, Arthur. This came down from Devaheim itself." Arthur was confused. The next instant, his hand began to feel numb. He looked down to find a small patch of stone covering his earlier wound, and it was spreading to cover the rest of his arm. "A cursed item?" muttered Arthur with a frown as he unsummoned Nightmare and created a different rune. The enhanced dispel began scanning the curse spreading through his arm but failed to counter it. Deluge began laughing as he walked toward Arthur, whose entire arm had now turned to stone. Arthur could not move nor stop the spreading stone. He stared at Deluge with a frown, seeking answers. "This item is one of the seven G.o.d-slaying weapons that exist in the universe," Deluge said with a grin. "It is similar to your own blade, Nightmare, which could sever anything in this world." "A G.o.d-slaying weapon?" muttered Arthur as the curse reached his shoulder and began spreading down his body. "And the reason that wrath doesn"t work against it?" Deluge stood close to Arthur, looking at him with a grin. "This blade embodies the Virtue of Patience, which counteracts your wrath. This is one of the blades that killed Ragnar Netherborne!" Arthur"s eyes widened as the calamity laughed in his face. A blade capable of killing Ragnar Netherborne, the G.o.dslayer King of Wrath, was bound to be a deadly one. He never expected that Devaheim would give such a weapon to mortals. Alas, he had miscalculated. His entire body turned to stone, except for his face. Arthur then smiled while staring at the laughing Deluge. He was far from fazed while facing possible death. "I"m glad that Devaheim still has some aces up their sleeve," said Arthur with a grin. "It would be too d.a.m.n boring to defeat them without an actual challenge." "No need to act brave, Arthur Netherborne," Deluge said with a frown. "I know that this isn"t enough to kill you, but it"s enough to stop you. After you open your eyes, you will find your beloved city covered with the blood of its people."