novelblue
Chapter 235 – The Hunt Continues
Chapter 235 – The Hunt Continues
The battlefield was in ruins.
The once-grand courtyard of Blackthorn Keep was now a war-torn wasteland, drenched in blood and littered with the bodies of fallen warriors.
But none of that mattered now.
All that mattered was the monster standing before Azrael.
Lucian Nightfang had shed his former form, ascending into something grotesque and inhuman. His exoskeleton shimmered with dark energy, pulsing like a living nightmare.
His once-massive greatsword had fused into a jagged, obsidian-clawed arm, its surface dripping with black fire.
His crimson eyes burned with a predatory hunger.
Azrael tightened his grip on his daggers.
This wasn’t just a fight anymore.
This was a war for survival.
And he refused to lose.
A Monster Unleashed
Lucian moved first.
Faster than Azrael expected.
In the blink of an eye, the beast crossed the battlefield, his clawed arm swinging down with the force of a meteor.
Azrael barely had time to react.
He flipped backward, evading the crushing blow by a hair’s breadth.
The ground where he had stood shattered into dust, the impact leaving behind a crater five feet deep.
"Too slow," Lucian sneered, his voice a distorted growl.
Azrael had no time to think.
Lucian was already attacking again.
A Battle of Speed and Power
Lucian’s attacks were relentless.
Each swing of his monstrous claw carried enough force to break stone.
Each step he took shook the battlefield.
Azrael had fought powerful foes before—
But never one like this.
His daggers flashed as he ducked, weaved, and countered, striking where he could.
But Lucian’s armor-like hide was nearly impenetrable.
Each stab, each slash—barely left a scratch.
And then—
Lucian countered.
With a burst of speed unnatural for his size, the monster swept his claw across the battlefield.
Azrael couldn’t dodge in time.
The impact slammed into his ribs, sending him flying through the air.
He crashed against a broken column, the force cracking the stone behind him.
Pain exploded in his chest.
His vision blurred for a moment.
Lucian grinned, fangs bared.
"Hurts, doesn’t it?"
Azrael wiped blood from his mouth.
He forced himself to his feet.
"Not enough to stop me."
Lucian laughed.
"Then let’s see how much more you can take."
A Fight Against Time
Azrael knew he couldn’t keep this up forever.
Lucian had the advantage—superior strength, monstrous endurance, and nearly impenetrable armor.
But he wasn’t invincible.
Azrael just had to find the weakness.
His eyes flicked over Lucian’s transformed body, analyzing every inch.
Then—
He saw it.
At the base of Lucian’s neck, just below the pulsating exoskeleton, was a faint, glowing core.
It was small, barely noticeable.
But it was there.
And Azrael knew—
That was the key.
A Plan of Shadows and Steel
Lucian charged again, his monstrous form tearing through the battlefield like a hurricane.
Azrael moved.
This time, he wasn’t just dodging.
He was leading Lucian.
Step by step, strike by strike, Azrael maneuvered toward the shattered ruins of a collapsed watchtower.
Lucian followed, his rage blinding him.
And then—
Azrael made his move.
He darted up the ruins, using the broken stones as footholds.
Lucian lunged after him, claws ripping through stone in an attempt to catch him.
But Azrael was faster.
At the very last moment, he flipped backward, launching himself over Lucian’s head.
As he fell, he aimed directly for the glowing core.
His daggers glinted in the moonlight.
And then—
He struck.
A Shocking Twist
His blade sank into the core.
For the first time—
Lucian screamed.
A sound so inhuman, so filled with pain, that the very air trembled.
Azrael smirked.
"Found it."
But before he could land the final blow—
Lucian’s body erupted with dark energy.
A massive shockwave blasted out from his form, throwing Azrael away like a ragdoll.
He hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
As he tried to push himself up, he realized—
His body wouldn’t move.
His limbs felt paralyzed, his muscles locked in place.
And then—
He felt it.
A terrifying presence looming over him.
Lucian stood there, his form shaking, warping, mutating further.
His body was changing again.
"You…" Lucian’s voice was no longer just a growl.
It was something far darker.
"You think… you’ve won?"
Azrael’s eyes widened.
Lucian wasn’t just recovering.
He was ascending.
And for the first time in this battle—
Azrael felt something he hadn’t in a long time.
A flicker of doubt.
The Nightmare Awakens
Lucian’s exoskeleton cracked apart, revealing something even more horrifying underneath.
His muscles pulsed with corrupted energy.
His body elongated, his arms stretching into jagged, bladed appendages.
His face split apart, revealing rows of interlocking fangs.
His glowing core had shifted—
Now buried deeper within his chest.
And then—
Lucian laughed.
"This… this is my true form."
The ground shook beneath his presence.
The air grew heavier, suffocating.
Azrael gritted his teeth.
This battle was far from over.
And he had to end it soon.
Before Lucian became something unstoppable.