CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER63- THE MOST PRIMITIVE FORM OF COMBAT

As the words fell, Oliver unleashed his longsword, the epic-tier Sonic Dart.

Enveloped in flames and resonating with a magical hum, it fiercely struck towards Chrisman.

Chrisman, drawing his own sword in a rage akin to a wounded lion, roared,

"Audacious! How dare you attack me!"

The two instantly engaged in combat.

Their figures, interweaving under the temple’s luminous glow, created a mesmerizing dance of swords and flames.

Each move and form they executed brimmed with power and elegance, like a silent ballet.

Yet behind this dance lurked a deadly struggle; each strike could tip the scales of life and death. Victory meant survival, defeat spelled demise.

Finn, trembling lips and eyes wide with disbelief, murmured, "How did it come to this? Are brothers truly destined to clash in battle? Didn’t our father set rules for us?"

Owen’s cold snort pulled Finn back from his shock.

"Your Highness," Finn looked towards Owen, eyes pleading for help.

Owen, observing the whirl of blades, gravely stated,

"Wake up, Your Highness. The fierce battle for succession has already begun. Even if you all leave unscathed today, can your relationships ever return to what they once were?"

"You, having taken the Dreamscape Stone, have already incited widespread anger. Chrisman’s paladin corps has been severely weakened by me, filling his heart with resentment towards you."

"Even if Oliver doesn’t kill Chrisman today, Chrisman will seek opportunities to target you in the future."

Finn shook his head in agony, "I never wanted this."

"This is the nature of power struggles," Owen’s voice was laced with an iron-blooded resolve. "You have no choice."

Finn, somewhat taken aback, hadn’t expected Owen, usually somewhat laid-back, to possess such a commanding presence.

But it made sense; after all, the saint of dragons was no ordinary being.

"Now, you must make a decision."

Finn fell into deep thought, his mind a tangled mess.

"Mr. Owen, please, think of a solution for me," he pleaded, bowing slightly to Owen without a shred of shame.

"Go aid Chrisman. Together, you can take down Oliver," Owen’s voice was chillingly devoid of emotion.

Finn swallowed hard, "Is there... a way to do this without killing?"

Owen glanced at Finn coolly, "As you wish."

Finn gathered his emotions and, looking at the fierce battle between the two brothers, swiftly moved forward.

But Aegis, slow and deliberate, blocked his path.

"Your Highness, you cannot go there."

Finn pointed his sword at Aegis, "Are you going to stop me?"

"No," Aegis shook his head, his smile creepy against his aged visage. "I am here to kill you."

Owen stepped beside Finn, pushing him aside, "You help Chrisman. Leave this to me."

Finn flashed Owen a grateful smile and leaped into the battle between Chrisman and Oliver.

Although Aegis was aged and appeared frail, his movements were surprisingly agile.

He reached out to intercept Finn, but Owen’s punch landed on Aegis’s arm, throwing him off balance.

Finn successfully joined the fray between Chrisman and Oliver.

Oliver, seeing Finn join the fray, didn’t show any annoyance.

Instead, he let out a maniacal laugh,

"Very well, today I’ll deal with all of you together."

He swung his Sonic Dart, and waves of demonic sound emanated from the blade.

Finn and Chrisman’s heads spun, a nauseating feeling overwhelming them.

"Block your ears, the demonic sound from that blade affects the mind!" Chrisman roared at Finn.

Finn quickly used arcanergy to block his ears.

The three were instantly tangled in a fierce battle.

Aegis, seeing Finn engaged in the fight, turned back to Owen.

"You’re already at your limit, why insist on being a hero? I had intended to leave you a whole corpse, but you just don’t know better."

Owen, feeling the emptiness of his arcanergy reserves, sighed deeply, "No choice, I owe someone a favor, and I have to repay it."

"What favor? Something that makes you risk your life?"

"A certain arcana, extremely powerful. The second prince really spared no expense."

"..."

"Do you want to hear about the arcana? It has quite a background."

Aegis looked at Owen, his eyes filled with mockery, "Trying to buy time to gather more of that feeble arcanergy?"

Owen’s motion of drinking the arcanergy recovery potion paused slightly, "Is it that obvious?"

"Idiot, I won’t give you that chance."

As the words fell, Aegis stepped forward, furiously punching Owen’s body with his iron-hammer-like fists.

Owen, undeterred, clawed back, trying to seize Aegis’s arm.

Their bodies clashed mid-air, emitting a series of dull thuds.

Aegis’s punches, each carrying immense power, struck Owen repeatedly.

"At your age, how can you still have such strength?"

Owen, feeling the great force, couldn’t help but ask.

"Heh, I started tempering my body since I was in the womb, what do you think?" Aegis parried Owen’s claws, answering with a punch to Owen’s abdomen.

Owen’s breath faltered momentarily, and he took the opportunity to rake his claws across Aegis’s chest.

"Boasting," retorted Owen.

Aegis quickly dodged, but his chest was still torn, leaving three bloody marks.

"You’re strong, your combat technique is high-level. Been learning for a long time, huh?"

As Aegis spoke, he continued to pound Owen with his fists like a raging storm, each punch powerful enough to shatter stone.

Owen, agile as a ghost, dodged Aegis’s onslaught.

His claws traced eerie trajectories in the air, each swipe aiming for Aegis’s vulnerabilities.

"Not bad, just two years," Owen said casually.

Aegis’s fist landed heavily on Owen’s body.

Owen, seemingly unbothered, rolled in mid-air, evading Aegis’s strike.

His claw drew an arc in the air, then swiftly jabbed toward Aegis’s chest.

Aegis instantly retreated, surprise flashing in his eyes:

"Bullshit, you can’t get this good in just two years. I’d eat my hat."

Owen shrugged, a peculiar smile on his face: "That much of a glutton?"

With a cold snort, Aegis twisted his body and lunged forward, engaging Owen in a grapple once more.

Unlike the colorful display of arcanergy in the three-way battlefield, Owen and Aegis’s fight was much more primal, both eschewing the use of arcanergy.

Owen, due to his drained reserves, could only rely on his raw combat techniques.

Aegis, as a spellbreaker, traditionally did not advocate the use of arcanergy, using it primarily to temper his body and enhance his physical strength.

Aegis didn’t give Owen much leeway.

His punches grew faster and more ferocious, each strike imposing an unbearable pressure on Owen.

"Hahaha, I didn’t expect to encounter a combat expert like you here, this is so exhilarating!" Aegis shouted delightedly, landing a heavy punch on Owen’s abdomen.

Blood trickled from Owen’s mouth as he gritted his teeth, stubbornly holding on. Aegis swung another punch.

Owen attempted to dodge by ducking, but Aegis’s fist, swift as lightning, struck Owen’s face.

"Too slow," Aegis taunted.

"Your combat skills may surpass 99% of your peers, but you’ve met me. Although I’m just diamond-tier, my combat skills are at the master-tier level! Without magic, I can battle two master-tier fighters alone. You’re still too weak."

Another punch landed on Owen.

Owen began to feel weary, his movements losing their earlier agility.

His counterattacks were effortlessly deflected by Aegis.

Gaining the upper hand, Aegis’s fists rained down on Owen like a torrential downpour.

Owen’s body wobbled, feeling his strength ebbing away.

"If I gave you time, maybe you could surpass me, but unfortunately, I relish crushing talents like you!"

Aegis, excited like a maniac, had a flush on his aged face as his strikes became faster and more relentless.

Suddenly, Oliver’s pained voice echoed from the other battlefield, "Aegis, save me!"

Aegis glanced over to see Oliver covered in sword wounds, his body soaked in blood.

"Useless," Aegis muttered under his breath, his skin’s mysterious lines beginning to flicker like flowing electricity, emitting a mystical glow that commanded awe.

As he released his anti-magic power, the air seemed to solidify around them, enveloping the scene in an oppressive, irresistible force.

Magic elements in the vicinity vanished, devoured by this overwhelming power.

"The Anti-Magic Battlefield is now active. If you still lose, don’t blame me," Aegis announced with a cold detachment.