CHAPTER 273: I AM A FAN OF HAPPY ENDINGS [PART 1]

"Yvraine."

"Kael."

"This time, it will be different," Kael declared as he tightened his grip around his hammer.

"Yes." Yvraine smiled, gathering the power of the Verdant Throne to assist her beloved in battle.

The young man’s eyes locked onto the Barbarian King, who was also sizing him up from a distance.

A moment later, they simultaneously took a single step and vanished from where they stood.

As the two clashed against each other, the sound of a thunderclap spread on the battlefield, and a crater formed beneath their feet. Dirt and gravel danced in the air, blasted by their collision.

The force from their exchange made the Barbarian King take three steps back, negligible compared to Kael, who skidded a few meters away.

That single exchange showed the gap between their strength, with the Barbarian King in the lead.

However, Kael paid no care, wielding his hammer with great accuracy, strength, and precision.

The sound of two weapons clashing dwarfed the noise of everyone on the battlefield.

Some of them even stopped fighting completely, shifting their attention toward Kael’s battle against the Barbarian King.

They all knew—the victor of the battle would decide the outcome of the war.

Kael and the Barbarian King continuously exchanged blows, the first minute soon marked by a grunt from Kael, the first one to shed blood. The enemy’s blade had drawn a crimson line from the young man’s collarbone to his waist.

Fortunately, the wound was shallow, for he had backed away in time.

But blood still dyed the young man’s torn clothes, and to the eyes of many, his injury didn’t look simple.

"Kael!" Princess Yvraine clasped her hands together as the power of regeneration healed her lover’s injury in two seconds.

"I see. So extreme regeneration, huh?" the Barbarian King commented. "How about we test just how strong that regeneration is!"

The Barbarian King’s aura exploded as he once again charged in the direction of the young man, who faced him fearlessly.

Once more, their blades collided again and again, sending sparks flying in every direction.

The longer their battle, the more obvious their difference.

With the buff from the Verdant Throne and support from Princess Yvraine, he temporarily had the strength of a Rank 7 Rune Smith.

But he wasn’t a true Rank 7 after all, while his opponent had been a Rank 7 for many years.

The Barbarian King had many battle experiences that matched his rank, steadily accumulated during his journey to become the Barbarian King. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had reached the pinnacle after many life and death battles, learning the art of war the hard way.

This was something an apprentice blacksmith had never learned in his entire life.

Kael had his share of killing monsters, but he never fought others to death before this war started.

A battle-hardened opponent, like the Barbarian King before him, naturally fought differently from monsters, which put him in a big disadvantage.

"Still too green!" the Barbarian King roared as he tricked the young man with a feint, fooling Kael into thinking that he was about to hack the latter’s right side.

However, the Barbarian King stopped his sword midway before making a quick turn, then he swung his sword upward, earning a pained groan from Kael, whose arm wielding Everguard had just been severed from his body.

He wasn’t used to wielding a shield, so he wasn’t able to block properly.

At that moment, a green aura surged from Kael’s severed arm and connected with the arm that did not let go of Everguard.

The aura then pulled the arm back to his body, merging it in place and healing it completely.

"Hah! Good!" the Barbarian King laughed. "So it can do that as well!"

The Barbarian King was clearly using this opportunity to observe the power of the Verdant Throne, which was currently being shared between the Princess and the young man he was fighting.

"I wonder, will it still work if I cut your head off your body?" the Barbarian King sneered as he held his blade firmly for another strike.

Kael, who now knew what the King was trying to do, hurriedly used the shield to block the slash that sent him skidding several meters away.

But the King had no plans to stop, attempting to hack the young man repeatedly. The latter desperately tried to shield himself, occasionally swinging the hammer to deflect the Barbarian King’s attacks.

’No, it shouldn’t be like this!’ Kael thought as he gritted his teeth in desperation. ’If this continues, the past will repeat itself!’

Things had turned out better compared to how he had fought the Barbarian King in the past.

He thought that this time it would be different, and he and the princess would finally be free from their curse.

But to his surprise, the Barbarian King was far stronger than he thought, incrementing his anxiety with every blow they trade.

With a grunt of pain, Kael was sent flying by the Barbarian King’s kick, aimed at the side of his body.

The young man crashed on the ground and rolled several times before coughing a mouthful of blood.

A green aura enveloped his body, allowing him to recover from his injuries.

But he and the princess knew that if nothing changed, their defeat would be set in stone.

"Kael, you suck at using the shield."

Alex’s voice broke Kael from his daze.

His body then slowly stood up as if the young man, who had lent him his body was helping him to stand up.

"You and Princess Yvraine cannot beat him," Alex said with certainty.

"I know," Kael replied, gripping his hammer so tightly that it seemed to have merged with his hand. "But there is nothing I can do but fight!"

"That’s right," Alex answered. "So fight and leave the defending to me."

Princess Yvraine, who could hear the conversation between the two, glanced at her side after she felt Latifa hug her from behind.

"It’s fine, Princess," Latifa said. "Things will be different this time. Alex and I will help you."

Latifa had also transformed into a spirit, similar to an Oversoul, and hovered on the right side of the body.

"Continue to guard and heal Kael," Latifa stated. "I will handle his movement, and Alex will handle his defense. Kael only needs to attack. He doesn’t have to worry about anything else."

"That’s right," Alex commented. "With a Healer, Buffer, Defender, and Attacker working together, defeating this Boss will be easier."

Kael suddenly felt his body become much lighter than before, and with it, the anxiety he felt slowly faded, making him feel like it was all an illusion.

"Latifa, have I told you before that I am a fan of happy endings?" Alex asked as he lightly squeezed the young lady’s hand from inside their sea of consciousness.

"No," Latifa replied, feeling a sense of security as the young man held her hand. "But I also like happy endings."

"Then, let’s make sure that we give this story a happy end, okay?"

"Okay."

A powerful aura exploded from Kael’s body as the power of the Verdant Princess, the Rune Smith, the Celestial Walker, and the Oathkeeper merged into one.

"Go!" Alex urged, and with that, Kael charged forward with only one goal.

Attack.

Attack!

ATTACK!