Chapter 391: Hughes! Don’t Forget Jonan, You Shouldn’t Die Here

Charlot took a deep breath, fully aware of the immense gap in strength, both in terms of displayed and actual power, between himself and Hughes.

The only reason he could hold his ground without faltering was the agility provided by the Red Viper’s amplification of the Swiftstep Technique ×10.

No one ever said that power from equipment couldn’t kill.

Charlot wasn’t about to abandon his advantages. He released the Blood Rhinoceros.

Originally, Charlot had hoped the Blood Rhinoceros would serve as a flying tool. While it indeed had the ability to carry people in flight, the energy of a fifteenth-rank Transcendent wasn’t sufficient to sustain long-distance travel.

However, as a weapon, the Blood Rhinoceros proved immensely effective. The thumb-sized projectile shot out at lightning speed.

Having fought Charlot hundreds of times in the Dreamscape, Hughes was arguably the person most familiar with Charlot’s combat style. He knew how cunning Charlot could be, employing all sorts of unorthodox methods. As such, Hughes remained highly vigilant.

Uncertain of what the Blood Rhinoceros was, Hughes twitched his Knight’s Lance, attempting to deflect the tiny projectile. But under Charlot’s telekinetic control, the Blood Rhinoceros curved mid-air.

Hughes, suspecting it was a technique akin to the Bloodflame Aura, kept his guard up. He pressed the Knight’s Lance downward, attempting to intercept it.

To Hughes’ astonishment, the small projectile emitted a piercing screech as it struck the Knight’s Lance, shattering the weapon that had accompanied Hughes through countless battles and felled numerous foes.

Charlot smiled faintly. “Hughes, today is the day you die.”

Crossing his arms, Hughes activated the Blood Furnace, a secret art of the Ebrelrahan Clan. Even with the power of an eighteenth-rank Transcendent, the Blood Furnace was unable to resist the penetration of the Blood Rhinoceros. The weapon pierced a hole through Hughes’ left arm and continued its trajectory toward his throat. At the critical moment, Hughes’ honed combat instincts allowed him to twist his body just enough, resulting in the Blood Rhinoceros only piercing his shoulder blade.

In a single exchange, Hughes had nearly lost the ability to fight. He was utterly shocked, unable to comprehend how Charlot had acquired such a formidable weapon.

Charlot knew he couldn’t sustain the Blood Rhinoceros for long; the energy consumption of this Saint-rank Transcendent weapon was far too high. He needed to end the battle swiftly and aimed to finish Hughes off with another strike.

A surge of flames descended from the sky, blocking the Blood Rhinoceros.

Charlot looked up and shouted, “Viggo! You’re still alive?”

Standing before him was Saint Viggo, a nineteenth-rank Flame Knight and the only Saint-rank subordinate of Lady Nancella.

Viggo, who had been lying in wait, had initially believed Hughes’ strength would be sufficient to kill Charlot. However, seeing the one-sided nature of the fight and the bizarre power of Charlot’s projectile, he had no choice but to intervene.

Though Charlot hurled an insult at Viggo, he no longer had any desire to continue the fight. He commanded the Blood Rhinoceros to dart erratically, launching relentless assaults at Viggo. But as a Flame Knight of the nineteenth rank, Viggo’s Flame Combat Energy far outclassed Hughes’ defensive abilities. The Blood Rhinoceros struck dozens of times, yet failed to penetrate Viggo’s energy barrier.

With his life spared, Hughes immediately turned his full attention to Annie. Despite their rivalry, Hughes and Charlot were anything but comrades. Their hatred ran too deep for reconciliation. If he couldn’t kill Charlot, Hughes resolved to kill the woman Charlot loved most.

Hughes’ plan was sound, but as he lunged toward Annie, a middle-aged man of noble bearing, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, intercepted him. The man, exuding the refined demeanor of an old-world aristocrat, smiled faintly and said, “If you harm the Duke of Brittany, the head of the Mecklenburg family would have my life.”

“Apologies!”

The man didn’t appear to move, yet Hughes felt as though he had slammed into an iron wall. An overwhelming force sent him flying.

Regaining his balance mid-air, Hughes shouted in shock, “A Saint-rank?!”

Herolf, the Golden Ram, appeared atop a second-hand carriage and said indifferently, “Viggo of the South Seraph restorationists? All these years, and you still haven’t improved.”

Viggo was stunned. “Herolf? Why are you here?”

Herolf, clearly exasperated, muttered, “Why am I here? Do you really want the Golden Ram to explain in painstaking detail how he went from being a grand pirate of the Giant Whale Sea, the owner of Saint Michael Island, the captain of the ancient magical warship Queen Bee, and the leader of the Golden Rams Fleet, to becoming some scoundrel’s butler?”

“Why don’t you just kill the Golden Ram Herolf outright? This is such an insult!”

Viggo genuinely had no idea why the renowned Golden Ram had pledged allegiance to Charlot. Operating on limited battlefield intelligence from Ferranden, he unwittingly struck Herolf’s sore spot with his casual remark.

Herolf had plenty of sore spots, and this was one of them.

“What are you doing here?” A simple enough question, yet it infuriated Herolf. With a roar, he launched into the air, his Oceanic Combat Energy surging like a tidal wave as he engaged Viggo, the South Seraph’s sole Saint-rank.

Seeing both Saints fully engaged, Charlot withdrew to Annie’s side. Though he felt Asaburg should be relatively safe, he always traveled with the Black Dragon and the Golden Ram, adhering to the principle of being prepared. It turned out his precautions were justified.

As Hughes landed, a hand suddenly clamped down on him, immediately disrupting his blood energy. The Black Dragon had subdued him with a single move.

Viggo, on the other hand, held out for over a dozen exchanges. Each strike unleashed a torrent of flames, but Herolf, with a three-rank advantage, dominated the battle. As Viggo launched a desperate flurry of attacks, he was forced to pause for breath. In that instant, Herolf slammed both hands downward, as if a massive wave engulfed Viggo. The South Seraph’s only Saint-rank plummeted from the sky.

Charlot casually drew a Red Viper and said, “Hughes, though I admire you as a worthy adversary, today you must die.”

Charlot genuinely respected Hughes as an opponent, but reconciliation between the two was impossible.

Hughes, fixing Charlot with a calm gaze, said, “Make it quick.”

As Charlot was about to pull the trigger, Viggo shouted, “Spare Hughes, and I will pledge my loyalty to you!”

“A Saint-rank’s allegiance in exchange for Hughes’ life? How could that not be worth it?”

Hughes shouted, “Don’t forget Jonan! You shouldn’t die here.”

Surprised by this twist, Charlot asked, “And if I kill Hughes?”

Viggo replied, “Then I’ll die as well. Without Hughes, Lady Nancella’s cause is hopeless. My life would have no purpose.”

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