Arcane Era-Chapter 59: Final Showdown (Part 1)

The Mercenary King had 2 Imperial Grade Armaments and 3 Regal Grades.

The necklace wrapped around his neck was one of the former. It had glowing orb glittering like stars at its drooping end, and the power that shimmered within it caused his entire body to have a bright glow.

A broadsword suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It resonated with a ring on his finger, which was the second Imperial Grade Armament that summoned it.

As for his Regal Grade Armaments, they included the skull mask he wore, the hooded cloak that flowed down his back, and the heavy pieces of armor that decorated his chest, a shoulder, both feet, and his entire left arm.

His suit was not an Arcane Instrument, but now that his body was shrouded in the light from his necklace, it was as durable as one.

No—his entire body was as durable as an Armament.

"Resistance is futile..." Gerald heavily exhaled, his metallic boots causing the ground beneath him to rumble.

The Joker behind him walked off the stage, and the Mercenary Crew members followed her lead, leaving only Theo and their King on the platform. They still surrounded the area, though, just in case Theo tried to escape.

Even if he tried, he wouldn’t be able to make it very far.

Not with the Joker watching him very keenly, and Gerald standing right in front of him.

"You must be well aware of your limitations and the lacuna that exists between us just based on the quality and quantity of our Armaments." He spoke authoritatively—like a chiding father speaking to a stubborn child.

Arcane Instruments were divided into types based on function and specialty: Attack-type, Defense-type, Mobility-type, Observation-type, Storage-type, Healing-type, and Miscellaneous-type.

Most Armament wielders had an area of specialty, so they would only stick to offensive roles if they had predominantly Attack-type Armaments, or strengthen their defensive capabilities if they had Defense-type Armaments.

A well-balanced team needed to have members that covered at least three or four types of Armaments, and the higher the types covered, the more elite that team would be.

The Zenith, for example, had members that covered all types.

Of course, each had their areas of specialty, but in the end, there was no weak link in function.

"I possess five Armaments that cover all the major types that exist." Gerald boasted. "Surely, even you—regardless of how brainwashed you are—understand what that means."

There was a popular saying in the world: Armaments make Mortals strong, not invincible.

No matter how powerful an Armament was, it couldn’t possibly cover all the functional types that existed. That meant there would always be a weak link somewhere for an enemy to exploit. This was why many Armament Wielders preferred to operate in a group, and the Ak’ashi Guild also employed that model.

The rationale was that members would cover each other’s weaknesses while displaying their individual strengths.

But, what happens when one possesses multiple Armaments?

The rules change.

Of course, this was highly improbable due to how rare and expensive Armaments were—especially the useful ones—but for those who could obtain more than one, there was a chance to rise above even the conventional limits of Arcane Instruments.

They could truly become invincible!

"I don’t care." Theo responded, letting go of his fears and anxieties. "It doesn’t matter of you have five or fifty Arcane Instruments. I’m not going to just accept my execution, neither am I going to give up on my goals."

So what if the opponent was stronger than him?

’I can understand my disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept it!’

Instead, Theo racked his brain to figure out a way to make optimal use of the limited power at his disposal. After thinking and observing the Mercenary King for a while, he could only come up with a single solution.

’I have to stall until Lord Shen’s Armaments have been drained. In that brief window, I’ll have to find a way to refill his Armaments with Ne’sh, which should help us win.’

Of course, there were several things that could go wrong with this plan.

Firstly, how confident was he that he could buy even five minutes, not to mention over an hour?

Secondly, the time frame of the complete drainage was only arbitrary—speculative at best. There was no way for him to fully confirm that Shen would be free by an exact time.

Everything simply hinged on the calculations of the Mercenary King.

That was too unreliable.

’And finally... even if I manage to stall for time, and Lord Shen’s Armaments are drained in time... how exactly is it possible for me to get to the chamber before my opponent does? Can I refill his Armaments with Ne’sh faster than the Mercenary King can kill us?’

Theo felt the odds were very low, and even if he tried to be optimistic, logic told him his plan had near zero chance of success.

Still—

’I have to make it work somehow!’

VWUSH!

Theo ignited his saber of light, its bright light sending heat through his entire body and everything surrounding him. The power of the blazing weapon caused many to widen their eyes, but Theo knew he could not maintain it for long.

He had to act fast.

Swiftly kicking his feet to the ground, he darted forward, slicing through the air very skillfully and precisely. He took advantage of the fact that the Mercenary King was not in proper form, hoping he could catch him by surprise somehow.

’Even if his body is enhanced, the incredible heat of my weapon has to be able to chip through his defenses. If it doesn’t, I’ll be able to determine how durable he really is.’

Either way, it was wise for him to strike.

WHOOSH!

Right as he was about to slash, Gerald became a blur and appeared behind him.

"Useless..." He raised his broadsword, ready to cleave Theo in two without any mercy left in his cold gray eyes.

However, Theo already expected this.

He raised his blade and bent his body while also activating his mobility-type scarf at the same time. This instantly sent him gliding backwards.

FSHUU!

In the blink of an eye, he moved towards Gerald, his shimmering blade of light aimed right at his raised hand. If it connected, it could slice through his arm, costing the careless Mercenary King a limb, reducing his strength considerably.

Theo would have preferred to target the hand with the ring, since it was an Imperial Grade Armament, and he could use it for his own purposes while ridding Gerald of such a powerful tool, but since that hand was protected by armor, he chose not to take the risk.

His target was the other hand.

Putting all his strength into his grip, while also activating the Standard Grade black bracelet to grant him additional physical might, he slid backwards and awaited the sensation of blade slicing through flesh.

Unfortunately, that sensation never came.

After all, the Mercenary King easily evaded the attack... despite Theo moving faster than the blink of an eye.

’H-he’s that fast?!’ Now stopping, a few meters from the unperturbed Mercenary King, Theo found a chill spreading through his heart as realization dawned on him.

A realization he should have had from the start!