Chapter 34 - Chapter 34- Helios’s Revenge

The slaver took a slow, swaggering step forward, his grin carved from arrogance and malice. "Come on, little lion," he taunted, voice echoing off the damp stone walls. "Let's see what that bloodline of yours can really do." Helios stood his ground, hands firm around his father's sword. The faint light of the lanterns trembled across the steel, and in that flicker, his reflection looked half-human, half-shadow. I can't fight him here, Helios thought, breath steady, chest tight. There are still people behind me. If I let him swing freely, they'll die… I have to drive him into the tunnel. He shifted his stance, grounding his feet. I'm not as strong as Shidan or Malvek… but I don't need to be. I just need to be faster, smarter. His heart pounded, rage merging with purpose. No one else dies here. Not tonight. Mana flared from within him, wild and raw, swirling around his forearms before crawling up the length of his blade. The air crackled as if the tunnel itself were holding its breath. Helios's eyes burned. Their familiar green shimmered, then bled into a brilliant yellow. His muscles tightened, veins glowing faintly with coursing mana. "Here I come." The slaver sneered, stepping in first with a diagonal slash meant to bisect Helios's chest. Steel screamed as Helios caught the blow mid-swing, the force shaking his arms to the bone. Sparks burst and ricocheted off the walls, the flickering orange of the lanterns swallowed by a wild blue-white glow. Helios countered, short, sharp. His blade cut upward, the motion born not of grace but survival. The slaver barely caught it, metal grinding against metal, both weapons now pulsing with mana like living things. Each clash sent waves of force that warped the air and rattled loose dirt from the ceiling. "Not bad," the slaver hissed, shoving Helios back a step. "But you're sloppy!" He lunged, sword swinging in a brutal arc aimed at Helios's shoulder. Helios pivoted, letting the blow graze past his chest, then drove his knee up and kicked the man's gut, forcing distance. His stance was unrefined, too raw, too human, but his instincts filled the gaps that training had not. Every strike grew louder, the tunnel becoming a tomb of ringing steel and swirling mana. Their swords sparked like lightning rods, each impact releasing a dull, thunderous shockwave. The nearby captives huddled together, hands pressed to their ears as dust and stone rained from above. Helios ducked under another swing and smashed the pommel of his sword into the slaver's ribs. The man grunted, stumbling sideways, but recovered with frightening speed. His blade slashed in retaliation, and Helios barely managed to block, the shock forcing him to slide several feet across the rough floor. The slaver spat blood and grinned, eyes glinting. "You're strong for a cub… but you're still a cub." Helios didn't respond. He focused, mana condensing tighter around his arms and blade. His father's sword hummed with pressure, the air vibrating around it. The tunnel's walls pulsed with light, each flicker syncing with his heartbeat. Then, CLASH! Both blades collided with such force that the tunnel howled. The pressure wave exploded outward, extinguishing half the lanterns. The enslaved screamed as light and dust burst around them. Helios pushed back, roaring through gritted teeth. The clash crackled, mana streaming like ribbons of fire from their swords. The slaver's muscles bulged; his aura turned crimson and vile. Helios's burned golden, raw and unstable, but rising, fast. The slaver's grin faltered. "You're… growing stronger?" Helios felt his boots grind into the stone, his body trembling from the recoil, but he didn't yield. "You won't hurt anyone else," he snarled. "Not again." He twisted, slammed his weight forward, and threw the slaver backward through the tunnel, stone splintering as the man's body slammed into the narrow passage wall. The slaves gasped as Helios charged, driving the battle away from them. The slaver regained his footing just as Helios's next strike came. Their swords collided again, this time at close range, sparks burst like fireworks, their mana pouring off in waves that rippled down the corridor. "Let's take this somewhere quieter," Helios growled. The slaver laughed, staggering back into the deeper tunnel, sword raised. "Fine by me!" And just like that, the two disappeared into the darkness, a lion's roar and the crack of colliding mana echoing down the stone throat of the earth. The tunnel groaned beneath their footsteps. The air shimmered with heat from their mana, gold against crimson, light and hate fighting for dominance in the dark. Helios tightened his grip, both hands wrapped around his father's sword. The slaver boss dragged his own blade along the wall, sparks spilling into the shadows like embers. "You're strong, boy," he said, eyes gleaming. "Let's see if you can survive a real fight." Their auras clashed before their swords did, a violent collision of pressure that made the lantern flames shudder and bend sideways. Then, steel met steel. The first clash cracked through the cavern like thunder. The recoil sent dust cascading from the ceiling. Mana tore across the walls in ribbons, gouging deep grooves into the stone. Helios struck again, faster, his movements fueled by fury, not form. The slaver met every blow with terrifying precision, his blade heavy and confident, cutting arcs of crimson light. Sparks flew like meteors. Helios ducked under a swing that would've split his skull, twisting his body sideways and cutting upward. The slaver barely blocked it, their blades grinding together with a screech that carved a line of molten light between them. "Not bad!" the slaver barked, his teeth flashing. "You fight like a beast!" Helios snarled, pushing forward. "Then you'll die like one." Their blades collided again, the force cracked the floor beneath their feet. Mana pulsed outward in violent shockwaves that threw dust and blood alike into the air. Helios's arms burned from the vibration; every tendon screamed. The slaver used his weight to shove Helios back, then pivoted, cutting horizontally in a wide, vicious sweep. Helios ducked low, felt the blade slice a lock of his hair, then lunged forward and rammed his shoulder into the slaver's ribs. The man grunted, stumbling. Helios followed up with a savage overhead slash. The slaver blocked, sparks raining across their faces. For a split second, both men were nose-to-nose, teeth bared, sweat and blood running down their temples. Then came the push. Helios roared and poured every drop of mana he could muster into his blade. The air turned molten, golden light flaring through the tunnel like a sunburst. The slaver responded in kind, his crimson mana exploding outward in a burst of heat. The collision of mana was apocalyptic. The stone floor shattered, the lanterns blew out. The force sent both men flying backward, their swords ripped from their hands, spinning away into the dark. The two landed hard, dirt and shards of stone biting into their skin. Helios coughed, spat blood, and staggered up. The slaver was already standing, grinning through split lips. "So that's your strength?" he taunted. "Then let's see how you fight without daddy's blade." Helios didn't answer. He sprinted forward. Their bodies crashed together like wild animals. Fists met ribs, elbows cracked jaws, knees smashed into flesh. The tunnel became a blur of motion, two silhouettes trading blows under the flicker of dying light. The slaver slammed his knee into Helios's gut, folding him in half, then brought his forearm down like a hammer across Helios's back. Helios rolled, coughing, dodging a kick that cratered the stone where his head had been. He came up fast, mana ignited around his fists. He caught the slaver's next punch and drove his forehead straight into the man's nose. A wet crunch echoed; blood sprayed. The slaver stumbled but recovered with a spinning elbow that clipped Helios's jaw, sending him crashing into the wall. Helios's head hit stone, the world blurred, his ears rang. Through the ringing, he saw the slaver walking closer, laughing through broken teeth. "Come on, lion cub," he said, cracking his neck. "Roar for me." Helios's grip tightened on the stone beneath him. His blood boiled. He exploded forward, shoulder-checking the slaver into the opposite wall. The impact sent a shock through the tunnel. Helios followed up with a flurry, left, right, left, right, each punch landing with the force of his rage. But the slaver was no stranger to pain. He caught Helios's wrist mid-swing, twisted, and slammed his knee into Helios's ribs. A crack followed, Helios gasped, spitting crimson. The slaver threw him down, raising his fist for the killing blow. Helios rolled aside, sweeping the man's legs out from under him. They both fell, wrestling, clawing, teeth gritted, until they broke apart again, panting, staring each other down across the dim tunnel. Their swords lay glinting in the dust behind them. Both turned at the same moment. They sprinted. Hands wrapped around hilts at the same instant, and with a single fluid motion, both raised their blades again, one gold, one crimson, and met at the center of the tunnel. CLASH. The shockwave ripped through the underground like an earthquake. Sparks rained from their swords; mana coiled like lightning between them, golden arcs intertwining with red veins of flame. Helios's body screamed with exhaustion, but his movements began to sharpen. Each swing came faster, cleaner. Each counter more precise. The slaver's grin faltered as he blocked again and again, each clash heavier than the last. "What…" he muttered between strikes. "He's, adapting?" Helios drove forward, blade screaming through the air. His strikes came like drumbeats, predictable, then unpredictable, wild but precise. His mana surged brighter with every second, golden veins crawling up his arms and neck. The slaver roared, blocking another hit, but this time the recoil drove him to one knee. His sword quivered under the weight. Helios stood over him, breathing like an animal, golden eyes blazing in the dark. "You took everything from me," he growled, voice trembling with fury. "Now I'll take everything from you." He swung down. The tunnel erupted in light. The slaver caught Helios's blade mid-swing, kicked him square in the chest, and sent him crashing into the wall. Stone cracked. Blood sprayed from Helios's mouth. His sword clattered across the floor, skidding into the shadows. The slaver's grin split his bloodied face. "You fought well for a child," he sneered, dragging his sword along the stone. "But this is where it ends. You lions are all the same, proud, stubborn, and easy to break." Helios tried to stand, his knees shaking. The slaver's next strike came down like an executioner's axe. Helios barely rolled aside, the blade biting into the stone where his head had been. He gasped, chest heaving, vision swimming. His mana felt dry, hollow. His body screamed to stay down. And for one terrible heartbeat… he almost listened. But then, something gentle. A voice, carried from a time before the world fell apart. It was a memory that was warm as sunlight spilled through open windows. The scent of herbs and bread filled the air. A small boy lay with his head in his mother's lap as her fingers threaded through his hair. "Helios," she said softly, her voice like a lullaby. "Do you know why you were born with greater strength than others?" Little Helios shook his head. "No, Mama." Her hand paused over his forehead, tender and warm. "It's because the world gives strength to those meant to protect, not to conquer. You were born strong so you could stand for the weak, shield those who cannot fight. That is your purpose." Helios looked up, eyes wide. "Can I be strong one day? Like Dad?" She smiled, her eyes shining like the sunrise. "Stronger." She lifted his chin gently. "Look at me, my son." He did. "I'm grateful to have such a kind, gentle child. You are my greatest blessing. And no matter what this world becomes…" She brushed his cheek with her thumb. "I believe in you." Back in the tunnel, Helios's eyes fluttered open. Blood dripped from his chin, his breath shaky, but his heart, his heart burned. He whispered hoarsely, "Mother… it was I who was blessed… to have been born to a woman so kind and loving." He pushed himself up. The slaver frowned, blade raised again. Helios's mana surged, golden light bursting from his skin, illuminating the tunnel like dawn breaking through the earth. The ground trembled. Helios roawred with all his might. His voice shattering the silence, echoing through the caverns like a lion's cry. The very air bent under the weight of his mana. His golden aura erupted, brighter, hotter, alive. The slaver's smirk faltered. "What, what are you?" Helios didn't answer. He moved. The first strike came faster than sound, his fist slammed into the slaver's gut, folding him over with a wet, choking gasp. The second hit was a backhand that cracked teeth and sent blood spraying across the wall. The slaver staggered, swinging wildly. Helios weaved under the strike, grabbed his arm, and twisted. The sound of bone snapping echoed through the chamber. "THIS ENDS NOW!" Helios roared, kicking him backward. The slaver crashed against the far wall, right beside their fallen blades. He scrambled for his weapon. Helios did the same. Both hands reached their hilts. Both rose. And the tunnel became light again. Golden and crimson mana clashed one final time, exploding in a storm of heat and fury. Sparks rained like meteors. Their swords howled against each other, bending the air between them. Helios moved with instinct sharper than thought, his body adapting to every counter, faster, cleaner, unstoppable. The slaver's defenses crumbled; every pattern he relied on was being rewritten in real time. "What… damn you! how are you…" Helios's eyes burned bright gold. His sword traced a blazing arc, knocking the slaver's blade from his hand and sending it spinning into the wall. Before the man could react, Helios drove his fist into his jaw, a blow that cracked bone and sent the slaver crashing to the floor. Silence. The tunnel glowed dimly from the aftershock of mana still burning in the air. The slaver twitched, groaned, then went still, unconscious, blood dripping from his mouth. Helios stood above him, chest heaving, hair matted with sweat. His sword lowered. His eyes dimmed from gold to green once more. He looked down at the man who had haunted his past, and for the first time in years, his rage quieted. "Mother," he whispered, "I did it. I protected them." Helios fell to his knees as he sat there gasping for air.