The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 499
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
Explosions roared across the battlefield as the remaining mages and abyssal creatures were crushed into dust. Waves of force rolled through the ruined streets, shaking broken walls and scattering debris in every direction.
Melvin’s spirit beast hissed loudly. Its massive body coiled and struck again and again, slamming down on every enemy Melvin marked. Each impact shattered the ground, reducing monsters into pulp.
Nearby, Ariana, Sol, Vic, Gare, and Handle fought without pause. Blades flashed, spells detonated, and bodies fell. The army stayed back in formation, firing relentlessly with their newly acquired weapons.
Gunshots echoed nonstop.
But it quickly became clear that the guns were not very effective against these creatures. Bullets tore into flesh but failed to fully stop them unless combined with magic or heavy blows.
Still, the pressure never let up.
Amid the chaos, Duke Serpentine walked forward slowly.
Randulo lay on the ground before him, his body twisted unnaturally. His limbs were bent at wrong angles, his chest crushed inward. Blood pooled beneath him as his body trembled violently.
"ARGHHHH!"
A scream ripped out of Randulo’s throat as pain wracked his entire body. His breath came in broken gasps, each one spraying blood onto the ground.
"Measly insect," Duke Serpentine said coldly as he stood over him. "Tell me how you want to die."
"Cough... cough..."
Randulo coughed violently, chunks of flesh and thick blood spilling from his mouth. Even then, he forced himself to laugh, glaring up at the Duke with pure hatred.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"You can’t do anything," Randulo sneered. "Once the abyssal army emerges, you are all done for."
"Hahaha!"
Duke Serpentine frowned and stepped closer.
Suddenly, he felt it.
A strange distortion rippled through the air behind him.
His eyes narrowed.
"It’s here," he said quietly.
"KYAHAHAHAHA!"
"The army is here!"
"It’s over for you all! Kekekeke!"
Maddened laughter echoed through the shattered city, crawling into everyone’s ears.
The soldiers stiffened. Faces turned pale. Weapons were raised instinctively toward the portal as mana and gunfire were readied.
Duke Serpentine raised his hand sharply.
"Prepare to fire," he commanded.
As everyone aimed at the swirling distortion, a figure stepped out.
But—
It was not what anyone expected.
"Lord!"
"GYAHH!"
"HE IS BACK!"
Shocked screams burst out from every direction.
"Noooo!"
"How is this possible?"
"How can it be him?!"
Randulo’s eyes widened until they turned bloodshot. His face twisted in disbelief and terror.
Duke Serpentine did not even look at him.
"You had it tough," the Duke said calmly. "Now you can rest in peace."
With that, he lifted his boot and slammed it down.
BOOM!
Randulo’s body exploded apart under the force. Flesh, blood, and bone scattered across the ground, leaving nothing but a horrifying mess behind.
"Good riddance," Duke Serpentine snorted.
He turned his gaze forward.
The battlefield fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by distant crackling fires and the heavy breathing of exhausted soldiers.
What had stepped out of the portal was not an abyssal general.
It was something far worse.
And far more terrifying for their enemies.
...
Luckily, the Demi-God on the other side could not pass through the portal. If it had, Kael would have been in serious trouble.
"They won’t be entering anytime soon," Kael muttered under his breath.
SWISH!
His body vanished as the dimension folded around him, and he crossed back through the tearing space.
Kael braced himself.
He expected gunfire, spells, or heavy machinery waiting on the other side. He was already prepared to swing the moment his feet touched the ground.
Instead—
"GYAHH!"
"HE IS BACK!"
"LORD KAEL IS BACK!"
Frightened screams erupted all around him, one after another, so sudden that even Kael was startled.
The blinding flash faded.
What greeted his eyes was not a battlefield filled with dark mages or abyssal monsters, but his own people.
They were staring at him with wide eyes.
Vic stood a little to the side, arms crossed, wearing a smug expression. He shook his head lightly and spoke with confidence.
"See? Didn’t I tell you?" Vic said. "My Lord is insane. It’s his enemies who should be afraid, not us."
The others nodded instinctively, still stunned.
Before Kael could say anything—
"Papapapapa!"
A small figure jumped down from the shoulders of a few frozen soldiers and ran straight toward him. Elife circled Kael happily, then tried to climb up onto him.
Kael reacted quickly and gently held her shoulders.
"Not now, Elfie," he said softly. "Papa is very dirty. Go to Mama."
"No," Elife replied stubbornly. "Papa isn’t dirty."
Before he could stop her, she jumped straight into his arms and hugged him tightly.
Kael froze for a moment, then sighed.
Around them, the atmosphere turned strange.
The soldiers who saw this felt a chill crawl up their spines.
Kael’s entire body was drenched in blood that was not his own. Pieces of rotten flesh clung to his armor. Broken bones were stuck to him, and the smell of death followed him like a shadow.
It was easy to imagine the brutal massacre that had taken place beyond the portal.
Seraphina stepped forward, her expression calm but concerned. She extended her hands, and gentle warm light flowed toward Kael, washing over him.
"Do you want me to heal you?" she asked quietly.
Kael shook his head slightly.
"I’m just a bit tired," he replied.
"Also I don’t have many wounds.It’s the blood of the enemy."
"Cough!"
"Cough!"
A sudden cough echoed nearby.
Duke Serpentine walked out from behind the troops, his expression serious as he looked around at the destroyed area and then at Kael.
"What happened out here?" he asked.
Kael glanced at him briefly.
"I have that question too," Kael said calmly. "But first, let’s clean up."
Duke Serpentine studied him for a moment, then nodded.
He did not ask further.
The battlefield slowly settled into silence, broken only by the sound of injured soldiers being tended to and the distant crackle of burning debris.
Kael stood there, holding Elfie in his arms, covered in blood and death.
