Chapter 32: Who Is the True Hero? (1)

“Lord Caesar, does the honor of nobility stem from faith in the Light Church? How absurd! The term ‘scum’ fits those hypocrites with pretentious morals better. You know who I mean, don’t you? Lord Caesar, can you deny the vile and despicable deeds within the Light Church? Ugh!”
Komer’s mocking insults enraged Caesar to the extreme. By now, Komer had thrown aside all restraint—this life-or-death battle demanded no courtesy; it was time to unleash everything and vent fury. The hatred between them couldn’t be resolved with a few kind words. This was a battle that would determine their fates. Unless a miracle occurred, only one side would walk away.
“Good, Lord Komer. That’s the spirit—truly manly!” Caesar smiled instead of getting angry, but Komer could sense the fierce killing intent hidden in his smile. It was only now that Caesar’s rage truly flared up.
Big Bear leaped lightly, executing a graceful sidestep in midair. Two icy spears in his hands glinted as he launched sudden, eerie thrusts that dropped abruptly just before reaching Caesar’s body. His body twisted miraculously through the air, the sharp tips emitting cold light that covered Caesar’s upper body.
With almost no movement, not even Komer could see how Caesar managed it. His body slid strangely and inexplicably, avoiding Big Bear’s deadly attack. Instead, his knight’s spear seized the best position for an attack. With a sharp upward thrust, the spear’s force sliced through space like waves, transforming into a silver-white beam that erupted as a white arc.
Komer’s heart tightened, but the opponent’s swift counterattack left him almost unable to react. Now, he could only rely on Big Bear’s own response.
Facing the fan-shaped beam of spear energy, Big Bear didn’t back down a step. He charged headlong forward. The two sharp tips stretched and contracted, turning into two glowing orbs. His body hovered upright, spinning wildly like a top as he lunged forward.
The fan-shaped spear energy sliced across the front of Big Bear’s body. It collided with the two glowing orbs, producing a shrill screech of air friction. Amid a series of clear “ding” sounds, the glowing orbs shattered like broken lanterns. Big Bear’s agile body wobbled in midair. Though the fierce spear energy lost much of its force due to the two sharp tips, it was still impossible to stop the relentless momentum of that single thrust.

Continuous bursts of spear energy struck the Big Bear’s body, causing its agile form to wobble in the air like a withered lotus in the rain. The dull sounds terrified Kommer. Although the Big Bear had developed an invulnerable golden body, this was light combat energy emanating from Caesar’s hand—even the strongest warrior would be as fragile as an eggshell in Caesar’s grasp. Kommer had no idea whether this golden body could withstand the assault of light combat energy.

Like a kite with a broken string, the Big Bear’s body kept swaying and retreating under the relentless onslaught of the storm-like attacks. Yet Caesar’s spear energy did not weaken even as the distance increased. Kommer could no longer hold on. He wondered if the Big Bear’s formidable body would shatter under Caesar’s continuous strikes. The sharp, knife-like spear energy could be felt even from ten meters away, causing a stinging pain.

His gestures changed rapidly, and his lips moved as he chanted spells in sync with his movements. In one breath, he cast three supporting spells: an acceleration spell for Shatima to increase her attack frequency, and solidification and enhancement spells for the Big Bear to boost its defense and offense.

At the same time, Kommer no longer hesitated. He had pushed his dark magic to its extreme. “Snake Dance of the Netherworld, my heart remains firm; Fire Phantom, illuminate the world! Go! Great God of Darkness, your devout believer seeks strength from your feet. May endless darkness cover the entire world, and may profound darkness erase everything! Offer sacrifice!”

The orange flames grew more fierce as they rose with the surrounding dark mist. Their color gradually shifted from orange to a purplish-black with hints of crimson. The erratic fire dragons transformed into three ribbon-like dragons, layering upon each other. Sometimes they spread out, sometimes they converged, eventually settling into a pattern that tightly encircled Caesar.

This was one of Kommer’s most deadly hybrid spells. The combination of the Snake Dance and Dark Devourment made it one of his strongest offensive moves. Since mastering this spell combination, Kommer had never used it in actual combat—now, he had no way back.

Caesar’s expression turned grim. He was well aware of the power of this hybrid spell.

This magic alone isn’t anything special, but the dragon knight charging at them at lightning speed has clearly pushed his dragon energy to its extreme. The dragon spear, as thick as a duck egg, appears blurred in that guy’s hands—signing that it can no longer withstand the power channeled into it. Meanwhile, the two metal golems attack bravely from the sides, along with the undead zombie that has already stabilized itself in the air, clearly supported by magic from its master behind them.

For the first time, Caesar realized the deep cunning of his enemy. This guy wasn’t just well-prepared; he had likely been preparing specifically for this for a long time. Everyone, including himself, must have been thoroughly understood by the opponent even before he left Marco. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have waited here so calmly, watching his tactics—almost all of which were traps set just for him.

But could that be enough to defeat him? They underestimated him greatly. A proud smile reappeared on Caesar’s lips. The struggle between light and darkness would never end; only by turning the tide could one truly prove their heroism.

A strong sense of confidence arose in both Caesar and Komer simultaneously. As swords and blades clashed, their gazes met once again. Who is the true hero?