The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 486

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Thunderous gunshots roared again, bullets smashing into a stone wall one after another. Sparks flew as chunks of stone shattered and fell.

On the other side of the wall, Ariana crouched low, pressing her back against the cold surface. She gritted her teeth and glanced at a thin cut on her arm where blood trickled down.

"These are annoying," she muttered.

Being an S-ranker did not mean absolute protection. The bullets they were firing were heavy, enchanted, and clearly superior to normal weapons.

When Kael, Melvin, and she attacked together, the gunmen struggled to track them. But Kael's sudden disappearance left a gap, and many gunmen began focusing their fire on Ariana.

She had no choice but to stay under cover.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath. "Where did you go in the middle of the battle?"

Just then, another series of explosions shook the area.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The gunfire suddenly stopped.

Ariana cautiously leaned out and looked ahead. Her eyes widened.

She saw a figure moving rapidly across rooftops, jumping from one house to another.Sword slashes flashed, tearing through walls and rooftops before the figure vanished again.

"That's a good plan," Ariana whispered, understanding immediately.

Kael was using the buildings as cover, forcing the gunmen into close combat where their firearms were less effective.

Ariana rolled forward and sprinted toward a nearby house.

Five gunmen spotted her and opened fire.

Compared to the dozens she had faced earlier, five were nothing.

She kicked the door open and rushed inside.

BANG! BANG!

Bullets flew toward her, but she deflected them with quick sword strikes, sparks exploding in the narrow hallway.

She stepped in close and slashed.

One gunman fell before he could scream. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She spun and cut down another, her blade slicing cleanly. The third tried to retreat, but she lunged forward and drove her sword through his chest.

The remaining two fired wildly, panic overtaking them.

Ariana dashed forward, her movements sharp and precise. She cut one down with a horizontal slash, then jumped upward and brought her blade down on the last man.

Silence followed.

She wiped her blade, then leaped through a shattered window, landing on the next rooftop. Without slowing, she smashed through another window and burst into the next house.

CRASH!

The floor broke under her momentum as she entered, scattering debris everywhere.

She moved exactly as Kael had, cutting through buildings instead of streets, staying out of the open where the gunmen had clear sight.

Each slash cleared a path.

Soldiers retreated, regrouped, and pushed forward again. Smoke choked the streets. Screams echoed between collapsing houses. Fires burned unchecked.

Some gunmen fired blindly into the smoke, while others panicked as swords appeared from walls and rooftops.

Ariana pressed on, following Kael's trail.

She could feel it now.This was no longer just a battle.It was a race against time.

Somewhere deeper inside the city, the ritual was nearing completion.

And if they did not reach it soon, countless lives would be lost.

With her sword raised and hardened, Ariana broke into another building, cutting her way forward without hesitation.

Meanwhile, unlike the others, Melvin's situation was quite chill.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The seven-headed serpent coiled tightly around Melvin. Its massive body formed a living shield as the scales over its skin hardened, turning dull green with a metallic sheen. Bullets struck the scales one after another, sparks bursting out as they bounced away harmlessly.

CLANG! CLANG!

Melvin did not even flinch.

"Emo!" he shouted sharply.

Hearing the command, the serpent lifted its head. All

heads turned in different directions at once, their eyes glowing brightly. The fangs opened wide, and thick streams of energy gathered inside their throats.

BOOOOM! BOOOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!BOOM

Blazing energy blasts shot out like raging comets. Buildings in the distance were struck directly. Walls shattered, rooftops collapsed, and entire structures exploded inward. Fire and debris burst into the air as windows shattered and stone cracked apart.

One blast punched straight through a watchtower, reducing it to rubble. Another tore through a row of houses where gunmen were hiding, sending bodies and broken weapons flying.

The serpent roared loudly, its voice shaking the ground beneath them.

"Assist Ariana and Kael!" Melvin commanded.

The beast let out a low hiss and moved without hesitation. Its massive body slithered forward, crushing debris under its weight as it followed the direction of the destruction. Energy blasts continued to rain down on nearby houses, tearing apart hiding spots and forcing enemies into the open.

...…

Ahead, Ariana and Kael moved swiftly through the ruined streets.

They jumped from one broken structure to another, using the destruction as cover. Smoke and dust filled the air, hiding their movements. Gunfire echoed constantly, but the chaos made it hard for the enemy to lock onto them.

Kael landed beside Ariana with a heavy thud, cracking the stone beneath his feet.

"I think this is enough for the troops to cover in and advance," Kael shouted over the noise, slamming his sword into the ground to steady himself.

Ariana turned to look at him. Her breathing was heavy, but her eyes were sharp.

She nodded once.

Kael took a step forward and raised his sword. He slashed through the air several times in quick succession.

SHIING! SHIING! SHIING!

Sword arcs flew out, cutting through the smoke.

The arcs spread outward and formed petal-shaped marks in the air, blooming like a flower before fading.

It was the signal to advance.

Melvin, watching from a distance, saw it clearly. He paused for a moment, admiring the flawless execution of Kael's swordsmanship. There was no wasted movement nor any extra moves.

Moreover, that precise control over the aura,it was really unimaginable.

But he did not have time to dwell on it.

.....

Outside the city.

TAp!TAP!TAP!

Chris walked to and fro wondering when will be their time.

"You know that you bring an annoying

asshole here."

Chris paused and looked at Vic.

"I am just a bit anxious."

"Why are you anxious.Lord might have already cleared the things leaving only cleanup to us?"Vic spoke

"Also we have a healer,"Handle added, then looked at Saintess who was playing with the cute golden lion.

'I take back my words.

Just then,a scream echoed.

"Loooooook!"

They turned towards the sky and saw a blooming rose.

"The signal…"

Gare stepped forward and roared…

"Move!"

The troops led by Gare surged forward.