CHAPTER 211: CHAPTER 211- ARROGANCE

Leo’s laughter echoed through the shattered air as he unleashed another wave of venom, thick and green mist spreading like wildfire, sizzling wherever it touched. Julian’s vision blurred for a moment. ’He’s trying to blind me.’

Then came the real attack.

A concentrated beam of light burst from Leo’s chest, cutting through the fog like a blade through silk. Julian barely crossed his arms in time, the impact sent him crashing through the debris, his armor cracking, sparks trailing from his boots.

Leo didn’t stop. He was already in the air, wings slicing through the smoke, following up with a barrage of lasers that scorched the ground in perfect, lethal rhythm. Each beam struck closer, cornering Julian in a hailstorm of destruction.

But amid the chaos, Julian’s eyes flickered, a calm gleam in the storm.

From his shadow, hundreds of small metallic blades shot out, orbiting around him like a cloud of silver wasps. His fingers twitched, and gravity responded. The blades aligned midair, forming shifting patterns before he whispered, "Scatter."

The air sang.

Each knife spun outward, slicing through the fog, reflecting Leo’s lasers back in unpredictable angles. Explosions erupted where beams struck steel.

Then came the second phase—Julian’s trap. The knives began to pulse faintly with blue light.

Leo noticed too late. "Tch—!"

Julian snapped his fingers. Dozens of micro-bombs detonated at once, each one synchronized with a shockwave of lightning. The blast ripped across the battlefield, engulfing Leo in a tempest of fire, thunder, and metal shards.

Smoke billowed. The earth trembled. For a heartbeat, everything went silent.

Julian’s breathing was heavy, his armor sparking, his eyes fixed on the swirling dust. ’Did that do it?’

Then—

A low, guttural laugh crawled out from within the smoke.

When the haze cleared, Leo emerged, his exoskeleton cracked but still glowing, molten veins pulsing beneath the armor. His smile was wide, savage. "You’re finally getting serious, Julian..."

He spread his claws, venom dripping from their edges as the air shimmered with heat. "Good. Let’s see how long you can keep up before that pretty lightning of yours runs out."

Julian twirled his sword, the remaining blades circling him once more. "Then come find out."

The ruins quaked again as their next clash began, venom, laser, and shadow colliding in a storm of destruction.

Julian didn’t give Leo a moment to breathe. His body blurred into motion, lightning sparking from his boots, blades flashing like shards of the storm itself. Every swing, every thrust, came faster than the last, each one laced with controlled fury.

Leo blocked and countered with monstrous precision, his insectoid arms deflecting every strike that dared to close in. Sparks and acid hissed wherever their weapons met. The ground beneath them cracked, scorched, and froze all at once from their combined power.

Julian twisted his wrist, letting momentum pull him into a feint. His blade carved toward Leo’s ribs, but Leo caught it with one clawed hand, sneering. "Too predictable!"

Leo’s leg swung up—fast, brutal.

But before the kick could land, Julian vanished into a flash of lightning, the air splitting with a sharp crack. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Leo, shadow and thunder flaring around his sword.

Leo’s eyes widened. "What—"

Too late.

Julian’s blade sliced clean across Leo’s left arm, sparks and dark blood scattering through the air. The severed limb hit the ground with a metallic clang.

Leo roared, staggering, venom spilling from the wound and sizzling on the floor. His wings flared open in rage.

Julian straightened, spinning his sword once before resting it casually against his shoulder. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "What’s wrong?" he said, voice cool, mocking. "Didn’t your godhood come with a spare arm?"

Leo’s glare burned hotter than his lasers. The air itself seemed to vibrate with fury.

Julian tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting under the flicker of lightning. "You talk too much about being divine," he continued, stepping closer, his tone sharp as his blade. "But all I see is a monster like any other."

Leo let out a guttural growl, half pain, and full hatred. "You’ll regret that."

Julian raised his sword again, lightning crawling up its edge like a living serpent.

"Then stop talking," he said softly, "and make me."

The ground shattered as they lunged at each other again, one a storm of thunder and steel, the other a hurricane of venom and rage.

Leo’s laughter echoed through the battlefield a deep, distorted sound that rattled the air. Despite the blood pouring from where his arm had been severed, he lunged forward, his monstrous right hand slashing through the haze of lightning and dust.

Julian barely had time to react. Leo’s strikes were wild but powerful, fueled by rage rather than technique. Each hit carried enough force to shatter stone. Julian blocked one, two but the third blow broke through his defense, crashing into his ribs and sending him flying backward.

The impact cracked the ground when he landed. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he struggled to breathe, his vision flickering for a split second.

Leo stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "What happened to that arrogance?" he mocked, his voice heavy with venom. "You can’t even keep up."

Then, before Julian could rise, a sickening sound filled the air, the wet, twisting regeneration of flesh and metal. From Leo’s shoulder, new veins and exoskeletal plates writhed and reformed into a fresh arm. Ice and chitin fused together until a new clawed limb flexed, sharp and gleaming.

Leo raised it proudly, smirking. "Did you really think a god could lose something so easily?"

Julian spat blood, standing back up with a shaky breath, his lightning flickering violently around him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave Leo a cold, steady stare.

"Then I’ll just cut it off again," he said flatly.

Without another word, Julian surged forward a flash of lightning incarnate. His sword sang through the air, shadow and thunder bursting from each strike. This time, his attacks were pure aggression and calculated chaos designed to push Leo back, each swing faster, heavier, and more vicious.

Leo blocked the first few, his grin widening. "That’s more like it!" he roared, parrying and countering with brutal efficiency. His new arm whirred and slashed, sending shockwaves through the air.

Their blades and claws collided in a blur of motion, lightning and frost exploding at every clash, the storm of their battle tearing through the ground itself.