Chapter 440

Hera’s face twisted with humiliation.

She was an elf, yet she bore traits more like a human.

Yes was yes.

No was no.

She liked things spoken plainly. She despised vague hints or riddled words, the way other elves so often spoke. That was why she always chose direct speech.

It had been a very long time since she was struck speechless like this.

She wanted to deny it outright, to say “No” without hesitation. But looking into Zeon’s eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

His gaze pressed on her, piercing as if it could see through everything—making deception impossible.

It was a kind of pressure she had never felt before.

To shake it off, Hera shouted:

“So what, then? Humans fear us just the same, do they not?”

“Humans…”

“Enough! I will not hear another word of your silver tongue!”

SHHHHUUU!

She raised her left hand at Zeon and mimed drawing a bowstring with her right. Blinding light gathered, forming into a massive bow.

Holy Light Bow.

Hera’s awakened ability.

With a gesture, she loosed. An arrow of pure light streaked toward Zeon.

SWEEEESH!

Faster than lightning, the bolt was about to pierce his chest—when Zeon flicked his hand. A thin wall of fire bloomed before him.

BOOOOM!

The arrow exploded in front of him. Yet the flame-shield held. Not a scratch touched him.

Hera’s eyes narrowed to slits, fury burning.

“So, you do have power. But you cannot escape the limits of man. I will show you the true might of elves.”

She leapt into the air, loosing arrows in a storm.

PI-PI-PI-PI-BIIING!

In a single motion, more than ten bolts rained down.

Some curved wide, some twisted in midair, some streaked straight.

It was her skill: Death’s Pursuit.

Each arrow flew on a different path—but would strike at the exact same instant.

Unless every one was intercepted, the target would be crippled or killed.

Never once had she failed to kill with this skill. She believed it would be the same this time.

Death’s Pursuit had never betrayed her.

But now—it shattered.

Zeon raised his Fire Rain.

A downpour of fire, dense as real rain, caught every arrow and set them off.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Explosions bloomed like fireworks between them.

Hera’s eyes widened in shock.

Through the blaze, Zeon burst forth.

He had broken Death’s Pursuit—and now lunged for her.

Startled, Hera tried to retreat. But Zeon was faster. Many times faster.

SWOOSH!

His fist, clad in blazing gauntlets, shot toward her head to smash it.

Hera froze, caught too late—

“HYAAAH!”

CRAAASH!

Riala’s fist struck, deflecting Zeon’s blow.

“R… Riala?”

Hera stared, stunned. She had not expected rescue. Not now. The source of this content ɪs novel fire.net

“Why… help me?”

Riala kept her gaze fixed on Zeon.

“This is no time to split elf from human. Kill him first. Then rejoin Kelota and the others.”

Even now, countless awakened were dying under Neria and her serpents.

And Nokan rampaged unchecked.

Riala fought him in hit-and-run strikes, but when he turned on others, he slaughtered them mercilessly.

She tried to chase him down, to kill him—but he evaded, killing others instead.

Cunning, despite his brutish form.

So Riala decided: eliminate Zeon first. Then regroup.

Humans were despised as inferiors—but still, they lived under the same roof.

Better family, even hated, than outsiders.

Pride had to be set aside. They had to fight together.

Hera read her resolve, and nodded.

“Very well, Riala! Just this once, we fight together.”

“Good choice.”

A cold smile touched Riala’s lips.

Her face was filled with fighting spirit—her true self, shown only against foes of life and death.

Even Hera could tell.

Zeon’s skill, his experience—they were no small thing.

He had pressed Hera with nothing but simple skills combined with cunning precision. Proof he was a veteran of a hundred battles.

Hera was strong. Her Holy Light Bow was an overwhelming skill, even among elves. It had made her their leader.

But she rarely fought herself.

Her rangers, her warriors—others handled battles.

So her actual combat experience was scarce.

Riala was different.

She had fought in the field with the awakened of the Hall of Guardians.

She knew, from the ground up, what kind of enemy Zeon was.

He was no less dangerous than a great-class monster.

And against such a foe, cooperation was the surest hunt.

“Support me well.”

“Hmph! Worry about yourself. Do your best.”

“That was the plan.”

Then Riala sprang forward, charging Zeon. At the same instant, Hera unleashed Death’s Pursuit in support.

“A martial artist and a mage—perfect!”

Zeon marveled.

Riala closed in, fists flying. Hera struck from range.

They had not trained together. Their words betrayed rivalry. Yet in battle, they combined flawlessly.

Their instincts were extraordinary.

“HYAAH!”

Riala’s fist shot for Zeon’s temple.

He parried with a sharp snap of his knuckles, deflecting her blow.

In that instant, Hera’s light arrows came.

Zeon leaned back, dodging—only for Riala’s kick to hammer at his shin.

Zeon counter-kicked.

CRACK!

Bone snapped. Riala’s face contorted in pain.

Her ankle screamed with agony—though her armor spared it from shattering outright.

PEW-PEW-PEW!

Seeing her stagger, Hera loosed another volley.

Zeon hurled Fire Missiles, intercepting every bolt.

“Impossible!”

Hera’s eyes went wide.

Her arrows moved at the speed of light. No human could react. No human could counter.

Yet Zeon had done so again. And again.

Not luck. Skill.

He was perceiving the instant—then reacting in kind.

“How can a human…?”

“What’s wrong with humans? You elves are full of prejudice. You think too highly of yourselves. But you’re not that great.”

“Do not insult the elves!”

PEW-PEW-PEW!

She fired again, furious.

And again, his Fire Missiles intercepted.

Her arrows were stronger, of course. If they clashed head-on, they would overpower fire. But they had a flaw.

They exploded at the slightest impact.

Even a brush could set them off.

Zeon had noticed. That was how he countered her so easily.

If Hera had any real combat experience, she would have realized, switched skills.

But she was too rattled to adjust.

It was Riala, still trading blows with Zeon, who snapped at her.

“He’s exploiting a flaw! Switch skills! Use something with piercing power!”

“Ah!”

Hera gasped, awakening.

She shifted at once.

“Laser Shot!”

SZZZZZT!

A searing beam fired from her bow.

Concentrated to a single point, pure destruction.

“Tch.”

Zeon clicked his tongue.

It should have been his easy victory. But Riala had foolishly guided her—making this dangerous.

He tried Fire Missiles—but they vanished on contact.

The Laser Shot burned through and came on, deadly as ever.

Zeon rolled across the ground, dodging.

WHUMP! KRSHHH!

The beam punched holes in the earth.

Who knew how deep.

If that hit him, even Zeon might not survive.

“…No choice, then.”

His brow furrowed.

The time for restraint was past.

He had held back, unwilling to make an enemy of all El Harun.

But now—Hera had awakened enough to truly endanger him.

Stalling was pointless.

Better to end this quickly, decisively.

His gaze changed.

The softness vanished. Cold fire filled his eyes.

Riala noticed first.

She struck at his face and shouted:

“Careful! This man—”

But she never finished.

BOOOOM!

Zeon’s mana-charged fist slammed into her stomach.

“GUHHH!”

She staggered back, gasping, the blow like a giant hammer through her gut.

Only her enchanted armor had absorbed enough to keep her standing.

“Chh!”

Seeing her falter, Hera fired Laser Shots in succession.

Zeon dodged by inches—closing on Riala.

Before she could react, he seized her long hair, yanking her head back.

“Khhh!”

She struggled—but his arm coiled around her throat.

“Ghhk!”

Hera tried to fire again. But Zeon shifted, pulling Riala before him like a shield.

She could hit him. But the beam would pierce Riala too.

Hera bit her lip, trembling with rage.

Behind Riala’s back, Zeon’s eyes glinted—mocking, vile.

“Human!”

PING!

Hera loosed the string.