The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic - Chapter 436

Chapter 436: 436
Balthar, the Sword Saint.

Arnold, the Divine Archer.

And Noctus, the man with a body like a bear.

These were the identity of three figures who stepped out of the portal and their presence alone sent waves of pressure through the air.

They were the top SSS-rank fighters of Nightstar, known across the continent for their unmatched power. They were the foundation of Nightstar’s strength. If they were killed, Nightstar would be as good as gone.

But everyone knew that defeating them was far from easy, especially now that the Abyssal Cult stood behind them.

“Have you lost your mind?” Duke Martin roared, his voice echoing through the chaotic battlefield. His eyes burned with rage. “How… how can you sell your soul to the Abyssal Cult, you bastards!”

His anger wasn’t just for the war. His daughter had vanished days ago, and he was certain that the Abyssal Cult was responsible. His fury now carried a deep personal hatred.

Ruth, Serpentine, and Luke stood beside him, their expressions grim and wary. The tension was suffocating.

“Sell our souls?” Noctus scoffed, crossing his arms, his massive muscles bulging as he looked down at Martin. “You’re kidding, right? It’s not selling. It’s just a partnership.”

Balthar smirked, his hand resting on the hilt of his glowing blade. “That’s right. Isn’t it, Sir Kai?”

A chilling laugh followed as Kai stepped out from behind them. He held a black staff carved with a skull-like head that pulsed with a faint purple light. “Yes,” Kai said, his eyes glowing faintly. “Partnership. Nothing more.”

That single word seemed to snap something inside Ruth.

“Then there’s no point in talking,” he muttered. His sword crackled with lightning as he raised it, his golden eyes sharpening. “We end this now.”

Without another word, the ground split apart.

The clash began with a thunderous explosion that shook the sky. Ruth moved first, vanishing in a blur of light as his lightning-coated sword clashed against Balthar’s blade.

Sparks erupted with every swing, each strike powerful enough to tear through the earth. The air itself screamed as their weapons collided again and again, sending out shockwaves that shredded the surrounding ruins.

Balthar laughed through the clash, his sword flashing in an elegant arc. “Still as fast as ever, Ruth.”

“You talk too much,” Ruth replied coldly, his blade striking down in a streak of blue lightning that split the air open.

On the other side, Duke Martin raised his hands, and massive walls of water surged up like living beasts. He swung his arm, and a tidal wave roared toward Noctus. But the hulking man only grinned, slamming his fist into the wave. The force shattered the water apart, and the air around him twisted as if it couldn’t contain his strength.

Martin gritted his teeth, water spiraling around him again as he formed spears and chains, throwing them toward Noctus one after another.

But the bear-like warrior charged forward, breaking through them as if they were nothing. When they collided, the impact sent both men flying back, creating a crater that swallowed the nearby buildings.

Above them, Arnold, the Divine Archer, stood calm and composed, his bow shimmering with divine energy. He drew the string, and a glowing arrow formed, shining like a small sun. He released it. The arrow streaked through the air, splitting the clouds, heading straight for Serpentine.

But before it could hit, five enormous spectral serpent heads shot out from the ground, roaring as they blocked the attack. Serpentine stood in the middle of them, his eyes glowing with eerie light. “You’ll need more than that to pierce my scales.”

Arnold smiled faintly and drew another arrow. “Then let’s test that.”

The next moment, dozens of arrows filled the sky like a meteor shower. The serpents hissed and weaved through them, deflecting most, but several hit their marks, creating explosions that tore through the battlefield.

And then the ground trembled.

From the dark smoke, a massive undead dragon burst out, its rotten wings spreading wide, its hollow eyes glowing with green fire. The air turned heavy as its roar shook the sky.

it lunged toward Serpentine’s serpents, and soon the beasts were locked in a fierce struggle.

The sight was beyond imagination. Each clash shattered the land beneath them. Lightning cracked across the sky, water burst into the air, and energy waves rolled across the capital, reducing everything nearby to rubble.

Ruth’s blade clashed once more with Balthar’s. Martin’s water surged against Noctus’s brute force. Arnold’s arrows rained from above, while the undead dragon and the serpents fought in a storm of destruction.

And in the middle of that chaos…Kai raised his staff.

Purple light spread like ink through the air. The skull on his staff glowed, and strange symbols appeared beneath him, spinning in complex patterns. He began chanting, his deep voice resonating across the battlefield.

The sky darkened instantly.

Thousands of black spears formed behind him, each made of condensed magic and shadows. When he waved his staff, they shot out all at once. The air screamed as the spears descended, forcing Ruth and Luke to retreat quickly.

Luke extended his hands, lightning flashing around his arms. He formed a massive barrier of thunder, and the spears shattered against it one after another. Sparks rained across the sky like falling stars.

“You think I’ll just let you run wild?” Kai smirked, pressing his palm forward. The shattered magic turned into mist and reformed again, exploding into hundreds of small orbs that flew toward the barrier.

The explosion that followed was deafening.

The ground below cracked open, and countless bolts of energy tore through the clouds. Even the undead dragon was pushed back as its wings caught the edge of the blast.

Kai’s robe fluttered in the fierce wind. His calm, steady eyes glowed faintly under the shadow of his hood. “You can’t stop me,” he said quietly, his voice almost drowned by the thunder. “All of you will fall.”

The battle in the sky had turned into a storm of chaos and destruction. Blinding flashes of light and dark energy clashed endlessly, shaking the heavens themselves. The ground trembled beneath the power of SSS ranks whose very presence could crush armies.

In the midst of the fierce exchange, two new figures suddenly appeared, cutting through the smoke and thunder. Their arrival was like a ray of hope piercing through despair.

Two swordsmen in golden armor descended from the sky, their blades glowing with divine light.

“Sir Lionel… Sir Gareth,” Duke Martin said, recognizing the two instantly. Relief flickered across his exhausted face.

“Everyone has been escorted outside the Colosseum,” Lionel said calmly, brushing back his blonde hair as he sheathed and unsheathed his sword in one smooth motion.

“You can go all out now.”

The expression on the enemy side froze for a brief moment.

But Balthar only smiled faintly. “While you’re all occupied here,” he said, his tone dripping with confidence, “your border areas will be gone.”

“What do you mean?” Gareth asked, narrowing his eyes as he stepped forward, his blade glinting with sharp intent.

“I mean what I said,” Balthar replied with a smirk. “Since all your noble lords and top warriors are here, isn’t your land wide open?”

Noctus laughed, his deep voice rumbling like thunder. “Nightstar forces have already begun their attack.”

A cold silence spread. Even the lightning in the sky seemed to fade for a moment as Ruth’s expression hardened.

His voice carried the weight of warning. “Do you know what you’re saying, Balthar? Do you even understand the consequences of this?”

“Of course we do,” Balthar shouted back, slamming a hand over his chest. “Every one of us remembers the humiliation we suffered when we were defeated years ago. The humiliation of that day still burns in our hearts.”

He raised his sword, his eyes burning with rage. “This time, we will return that pain a thousandfold. We will make sure that from now on, there will be no Heizen Empire left to stand.”

“Damn you, madman!” Lionel cursed, and his sword moved faster than sound. The golden blade shot forward like a beam of light, slicing through the sky as it collided with Balthar’s weapon.

The impact was deafening. The shockwave blasted apart the clouds, shaking the city below.

. ……..

Outside the Colosseum, the scene was one of complete chaos. The sky roared, buildings trembled, and the air itself was filled with the echoes of destruction. People were running in every direction, screaming and crying. Dust filled the streets while guards tried desperately to lead the citizens away.

Kael helped a group of injured soldiers to a safer corner. “Are you all right?” he asked, his tone tight with worry.

“We’re barely alive,” Gare muttered, his voice rough and breathless. He fell to one knee, clutching his side.

“Thankfully, we’re out of there,” Emilia said with a tired sigh. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady. Beside her, Alina nodded weakly.

“You’re right, Emilia,” she said softly. “That battle in the sky… it’s terrifying. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Kael exhaled deeply, lowering his sword. For a brief moment, it seemed like they might finally have a chance to breathe. But then, a voice suddenly echoed from behind them, trembling yet sharp.

“No… we aren’t out of danger yet. We need to leave now!”

Everyone turned around to see Ariana stumbling toward them.

Her face was pale, and fear filled her eyes.

“Ariana?” Kael said quickly, rushing to her side. “What do you mean?” His voice grew serious as he caught her by the shoulders.

She looked at him with trembling lips and whispered, “We need to get out of the Capital… as far as possible.”

Her words sent a chill through everyone.

“Why?”

“It’s because the real thing hadn’t even started.”

“..”

“…”