The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 523

Rain kept falling, but the battlefield felt strangely quiet for a brief moment, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Arim's body drifted apart in the air. The two halves slowly dissolved into black mist before vanishing completely. The rain passed through the empty space where he had been, as if even the sky refused to acknowledge his end.

Azeth's smile finally cracked.

For the first time, his eyes widened, and something ugly twisted across his face. The amusement drained away, replaced by raw fury. His lips trembled as his aura surged without control.

"You…" Azeth growled, his voice shaking the air. "You…"

His gaze snapped toward Ramos, filled with disbelief and rage.

"You are a Demi God!"

Eroju staggered back, lightning still crawling across his body in fading arcs. His shields flickered weakly and then shattered into fragments of light. He stared at the empty sky where Arim had disappeared, his breathing uneven and sharp.

Ramos straightened slowly, blood running down his side and mixing with the rain. His clothes were torn, and his body was covered in wounds, yet his eyes were calm. He glanced at Ruth, then at Azeth, and let out a rough breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

"One down," Ramos muttered. "Now we are equal, aren't we?"

Azeth roared.

The sound was not human. It tore through the clouds and rolled across the capital like a violent wave. Below them, buildings trembled and cracked. Towers collapsed, and the streets split apart as abyssal creatures howled in response.

"You ruined everything!" Azeth shouted. "This city was meant to be reborn in the Abyss. You were meant to drown with it."

Dark energy exploded outward from his body, forcing the rain away in a wide circle. The sky darkened further, and the clouds twisted into a massive spiral, as if something terrible was being dragged down from above.

Eroju moved to Azeth's side. His body was still warped with tentacles and extra limbs, though some of them now hung uselessly, scorched and torn.

"We should retreat," Eroju said through clenched teeth. "We can't defeat them."

Azeth snapped his head toward him.

"Retreat?"

His aura surged again, crushing the air and making the rain burst apart midfall.

"After losing one of us?" he roared.

He turned his burning gaze back to Ramos and Ruth, hatred pouring out without restraint.

"I will carve your names into the Abyss itself."

Ruth stepped forward, lightning still crackling faintly around his blade. His face remained cold and unreadable, but his grip tightened.

"You talk too much," he said calmly. "That's usually how people die."

Azeth raised both hands.

The ground far below split open.

From the shattered streets and ruined districts of the capital, countless abyssal beasts began to rise. Some crawled out of broken buildings. Others burst from the ground, tearing through stone and flesh alike. Their eyes glowed with madness as they rushed toward the palace ruins.

Ramos looked down, his jaw tightening.

"This is bad," he said quietly. "They're turning the entire capital into a nest."

Ruth nodded once. "We have to end this quickly."

Azeth laughed again, but there was no humor left in it.

"End it?" he sneered. "You are already standing in a grave."

He spread his arms wide.

The sky answered.

A massive shadow formed above the clouds, something vast and indistinct pressing down from beyond the world. The pressure alone made the rain fall sideways and forced the air from Ramos' lungs. The light dimmed, and even the abyssal beasts hesitated.

Then—

A blinding surge of lightning tore upward from below.

It was not a simple strike. It was a towering slash of lightning, shaped like a colossal blade forged from heaven itself. The air screamed as the lightning rose, cutting through the storm clouds and ripping the sky apart. The clouds split open, burning at the edges, and the shadow above was cleaved in two.

The heavens shook.

The lightning did not fade. It lingered, illuminating the ruined capital in harsh white light, casting long shadows and making the rain glow like falling sparks.

Azeth was caught in the middle of his summoning.

The backlash slammed into him like a hammer.

"ARGH!"

He spat blood, his body jerking violently as black cracks spread across his aura.

"Bastard… Bastards…" he snarled. "Each one of you Veydrin is a son of a bitch!"

He completely lost control, cursing wildly as his power destabilized.

Eroju's face went pale. Knowing the situation had turned hopeless, he grabbed Azeth and tried to flee.

But the space ahead rippled.

A massive water seal formed in the air, blocking their path. The water twisted into crushing waves and slammed into them without mercy.

"Where are you going?" Ramos' voice echoed coldly.

"Did you think this place was your daddy's home?"

Ramos shot forward with a terrifying burst of power. The rain around him exploded outward as his aura surged. Water gathered around his fists and blade, forming dense, roaring currents.

He struck.

Again and again.

Water crashed down like mountains, smashing into Azeth and Eroju. Every blow sent shockwaves tearing through the ruins. The two Demi Gods roared as they tried to defend, their shields breaking one after another.

BANGGGHHH!

Both figures were blasted across the capital, slamming through collapsed buildings and piles of rubble. They tore through walls, streets, and towers, leaving a trail of destruction behind them as the city shook under the impact.

Rain continued to fall, washing the blood and ruins alike, as the battle reached a brutal turning point.

"Now is the time!" Ramos roared.

The moment the words left his mouth, Ruth vanished.

There was no gradual movement.

His figure blurred into a streak of light, and the air screamed as sonic waves burst outward. The ground below cracked, and the ruins shook as if struck by an invisible hammer.

Lightning wrapped around Ruth's body, crawling over his skin and blade like living veins. For a brief instant, it felt as if time itself lagged behind him. Wherever he passed, destruction followed. The stone shattered. Air tore apart. Even the clouds above trembled.

He raised his sword.

The killing intent was absolute.

Just as he was about to strike, a sudden sense of unease pierced his mind. It was sharp and familiar, like a memory clawing its way back.

Deja vu.

Ruth's eyes widened.

Without hesitation, he twisted his body and slashed behind him.

BOOOOOOM!

The strike detonated in midair. A world-rendering shockwave exploded outward, followed by a violent lightning blast that erased everything within its reach. Buildings vanished. The ground folded inward. The air itself was torn apart and reduced to nothingness.

The entire capital of Nightstar trembled.

Far away, towers swayed, streets collapsed, and people were thrown off their feet as the earth roared beneath them. For a brief moment, even the abyssal beasts froze in fear.

Then the light faded.

The thunder died down.

Dust and mist filled the sky as the world slowly returned to a fragile calm.

Ruth lowered his sword and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Standing in front of him was a man.

He stood calmly amid the destruction, clothes untouched, hair barely moving in the fading wind. One hand was raised slightly, as if he had casually blocked the attack. His expression was relaxed, and there was even a faint smile on his face.

"Sorry, man," the stranger said lightly. "I can't allow you to kill them."

Ruth's shock lasted only a heartbeat.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and lightning flared again around his blade. The air around him grew heavy with pressure.

"Who are you?" Ruth asked, his voice cold and sharp.

The man tilted his head slightly, studying Ruth with clear interest.

"Just someone who showed up at the wrong time," he replied. "Or maybe the right one, depending on how you look at it."

Behind him, in the distance, Azeth and Eroju struggled to rise from the ruins, their bodies battered and broken. Seeing the newcomer, a flicker of relief crossed their twisted faces.

Lightning crackled again as Ruth tightened his grip.

A dark cloak covered his body, hiding his face completely. Rain fell hard around him, yet not a single drop seemed to cling to him. It was as if the rain avoided him on purpose.

For a moment, the world was silent.

Then a roar filled the sky.

"It's YOUUUUUUUUU!"