Acquiring a better version of Pre Pulse, Grimori had gained a powerful ability against Sonavarnah.
Closing the gap, both fighters clashed.
Hundreds of attacks were exchanged.
For a better opportunity to attack, Grimori accepted many punches from Sonavarnah.
A few bones broke.
Muscles tore at some points.
However...
Grimori couldn't give up.
He wouldn't give up.
A punch came from above.
Predicted.
Dodged.
Grimori started dodging Sonavarnah effortlessly.
For fighters who possess great speed and reflexes, even a second matters.
And Grimori now held far more advantage than Sonavarnah.
This wasn't even a battle anymore.
Before Sonavarnah could understand Grimori's ability, Grimori landed 15 punches in succession.
Each punch hit harder and harder.
It was as if Grimori was adding his wrath into those punches.
The wrath that he had borrowed from civilians and slaves.
Before Sonavarnah could analyse the situation, he was already overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed by this wrath.
Sonavarnah bled more.
And now, in this moment, he realised...
There were people far more powerful than him, even with Magic Cancellation.
[Grimori]: Reflect on your sins. Might you get mercy.
Sonavarnah lunged towards Grimori.
However, Grimori's Future Vision had already deduced his movement perfectly.
Sonavarnah missed the attack...
And landed directly into a powerful punch from Grimori.
Sonavarnah coughed blood.
Grimori walked a little away.
Why didn't he finish Sonavarnah?
Because he knew that Sonavarnah wouldn't recover from that last punch.
He was right.
Sonavarnah was completely beaten.
A few punches had been enough to break his durability, especially after so many debuffs.
He shouldn't have been able to stand.
Yes.
That was natural.
Taking those inhuman punches from Grimori and surviving was impossible for any human being.
Because even a fraction of the power behind those punches was enough to slay Sky Dragons.
Grimori's eyes widened.
He turned back.
He deactivated his Pre Pulse.
He couldn't sustain it any longer.
But what surprised him...
Was that Sonavarnah, despite being wounded beyond repair, was standing.
His eyes were red.
Not with rage.
With blood.
He stood as if nothing had happened, even though his body was swollen and heavily damaged.
[Grimori]: How is that possible?
For the first time, Grimori saw a body capable of withstanding his power.
Though Sonavarnah was a Dragoling, the Dark Energy Reserves Depletion had pushed him down to human limits.
[Sonavarnah]: Shall we continue where we left off?
Grimori was surprised.
Surprised by why this Dragoling was so stubborn.
Why was someone who didn't care about the lives of others so stubborn about surviving?
The answer came in the form of a powerful blow from Sonavarnah, sending Grimori flying away.
As much as it hurt Grimori...
Sonavarnah was hurt too.
[Sonavarnah]: I believe I committed no sins in this world! Because everyone has a different definition of sin.
He said this while walking towards Grimori.
This was a bad situation for Grimori.
He had never, in his entire life, lived in a space with no Dark Energy Reserves.
For a tanker-type whose body was continuously amplified by Dark Energy Reserves, this was similar to living in a poisonous environment.
Grimori coughed blood.
Not from Sonavarnah's attack...
But because his body was finally being affected by the Dark Energy Reserves Depletion.
Before rising to square off against Sonavarnah...
Grimori fell unconscious.
Even standing up in this environment for this long would have been a miracle for a tanker-type.
Yet Grimori had pushed it further by holding back Sonavarnah this entire time.
Sonavarnah approached Grimori.
He couldn't let potential threats live any longer.
Before he could stomp on Grimori, a blade intercepted Sonavarnah and pushed him back.
Senra had finally returned.
His forehead and chest were wrapped in bandages, but he was fine.
The leader of the rebels had returned to square off against Sonavarnah.
Sonavarnah made a bitter face.
Dealing with this guy while already wounded was no joke.
Sonavarnah realised something.
He couldn't win this.
He was standing in front of a mountain with no peak.
Something endless.
Yet...
He wouldn't give up.
He had to fight for his own sake.
For his elder brother's sake.
The fight continued for some time before Senra finally won.
Senra, though, took heavy damage himself in that brief fight.
He lost his right eye.
And his right arm.
While Sonavarnah lay on the floor.
Sonavarnah (thinking): Seems like a farewell.
Closing his eyes slowly...
The most powerful warrior on the battlefield died.
___
Many years ago,
Dragolings were sold away from their land by the father of Girishika.
They were taken away from the Dragon Empire.
Among them were Lohit and Sonavarnah.
The siblings were young at that time.
Young enough not to understand their situation.
Taken into one of the branches of Hagino's Paradise Community, they were experimented on.
And thus...
A new species was born.
Dark Dragolings.
Having the abilities of Dragolings naturally, they evolved.
No.
They awakened many latent abilities of Dragolings as well.
Passive Space Manipulation was among those abilities.
They were being prepared as mass weapons.
Or maybe...
Just for entertainment.
Among the experimented ones were two other siblings.
Crocus.
And Haidoro.
They were older than Lohit and Sonavarnah.
Their power was otherworldly even among the Dark Dragolings.
Moreover, they were well aware of their situation.
Their action?
They both destroyed the labs and experimentation centres.
Haidoro and Crocus also slaughtered the Dark Dragolings who either went out of control or agreed to join the armed forces.
Haidoro, however, was a step ahead in this massacre.
He slaughtered regardless.
His reason?
No other Dark Dragolings should survive.
They were polluted with hatred and would always end up hurting Dragolings.
Haidoro wasn't fond of any species other than his own race.
Very few Dark Dragolings survived the massacre.
Among them were Lohit and Sonavarnah, who eventually ended up in Kingdom Ka77 and made their way to where they were now.
Haidoro and Crocus, however, parted ways due to a dispute over morality.
Crocus could have ended Haidoro right there...
But his brotherhood stopped him.
Sonavarnah was traumatised by this experience.
However, Lohit supported him.
[Lohit]: Stop crying like a damn baby and be useful for me.
Despite those words, Lohit wasn't using Sonavarnah as a mere tool.
Together...
They built everything.
The capital of tyranny.
The fear.
The oppression.
At some point, Sonavarnah felt that this was wrong...
However, he was committed to helping his brother more than anything.
He was ready to go to hell...
If it meant supporting his brother.
__
Back to present ~
The lifeless body of Sonavarnah lay on the floor near the unconscious Senra.
What remained...
Was Lohit.
For the Heavenly Dragon had departed to Hell...
Without any final roar.
To be continued....
---
EXTRAS:-
HUNTER DRAGON'S QUEST 6
The two sorcerers, along with Crocus, climbed their way to the top of the cliff.
As far as they could see...
There was nothing else but monsters surrounding them.
Millions of monsters.
It felt as if the world itself was about to end.
Though...
It wasn't Earth.
The two sorcerers glanced at Crocus.
[Sorcerers]: You were dragged into this because of us. We will arrange a way for you to leave, Legendary Kind Ice Cream Thief Sir.
The two sorcerers said this.
Crocus sighed slowly.
[Crocus]: Do not worry. The Legendary Ice Cream Thief has more tricks up his sleeves.
Crocus said, sounding heroic.
Tears filled the eyes of both sorcerers.
They immediately began giving their prayers to the Legendary Ice Cream Thief.
Crocus (thinking): This is... the Monster Realm.
A place closer to Kingdom Ka77, if I remember right.
Why was this train connected to this place?