Chapter 249: Chapter: 249 Vivan vs the Clown.[1]

The sky grew quiet after the battle.

Snow drifted slowly through the gray air, falling over the empty battlefield where moments earlier two warriors had clashed with enough force to shake the heavens.

Duke Sant remained standing for only a few seconds after the final strike.

Then—

“Cough…!”

His body jerked violently.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

The old warrior staggered in the air as if the strength had suddenly been ripped out of his bones.

His hand instinctively moved to cover his mouth, but the moment he did—

Dark red blood spilled through his fingers.

The Soul Sword had already vanished from his hand the moment 47’s life faded.

The crimson glow of the Genesis Heart disappeared with it, leaving only a wounded old man floating weakly in the silent sky.

For a brief moment his body trembled as if it had forgotten how to remain upright.

Then gravity reclaimed him.

His boots touched the frozen ground with a dull crunch as he landed unsteadily on the snow.

But the moment his feet touched the ground—

Pain exploded through his entire body.

His ribs screamed.

His lungs burned like they had been filled with fire.

Every nerve in his body seemed to twist and tear at the same time.

“Cough…!”

More blood spilled from his mouth, staining the white snow beneath him with scattered red drops.

Duke Sant lowered his head slightly, breathing heavily.

The battlefield spun around him.

His vision blurred.

For a moment the world became nothing but white snow and red stains.

His legs trembled violently beneath him.

Then his knees buckled.

The old warrior nearly collapsed onto the frozen ground.

He forced his hand against the earth to stop himself from falling completely.

Cold snow pressed against his palm.

The icy sensation barely registered.

His mind was still trying to steady itself after the violent surge of power from the Genesis Heart.

That attack had taken far more from his body than he had expected.

His chest rose and fell slowly as he tried to breathe through the pain.

Each breath felt like broken glass scraping through his lungs.

His blurry eyes slowly lifted toward the distant horizon.

The snowy plains stretched endlessly ahead.

For a moment everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

Then—

BOOM!!

A distant explosion shattered the silence.

The ground beneath him trembled faintly.

Then another one followed.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

The sound rolled across the battlefield like distant thunder.

Duke Sant’s eyes narrowed slightly.

His blurred vision focused toward the far distance.

That direction…

Vivian.

He was still fighting.

The thought struck his mind like a bolt of lightning.

His fingers slowly tightened against the snow.

“Not yet…”

The words slipped out through clenched, bloodied teeth.

His body trembled as he forced his muscles to move.

Slowly…

Very slowly…

Duke Sant tried to stand.

His legs shook violently.

Pain surged through his ribs the moment he tried to straighten his back.

His breathing became rough and uneven.

But he refused to stop.

“Not… yet…”

He pushed against the ground with trembling arms.

For a moment his body refused to cooperate.

The old warrior’s knees nearly collapsed again.

Then—

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!”

A roar of defiance tore out of his throat.

The cry echoed across the silent snowfields.

It was not the roar of a warrior charging into battle.

It was the desperate scream of a man refusing to fall.

With sheer stubborn will, Duke Sant forced his broken body upright.

His legs trembled violently as he stood there.

His posture was crooked.

His breathing ragged.

Blood continued to drip slowly from the corner of his mouth.

But he was standing.

The old warrior lifted his head again.

BOOM!!

Another explosion echoed in the distance.

Snow from nearby cliffs fell in thin waves from the shockwave.

Vivian was still fighting.

Duke Sant’s eyes sharpened slightly. He forced one trembling step forward.

Crunch.

His boot sank into the snow.

Another step. Crunch.

Each movement felt like lifting a mountain.

Pain surged through his body with every step he took.

His vision flickered in and out of focus.

But he continued forward.

Step.

Step.

Step.

The distant explosions guided him like thunder on the horizon.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

The battle was still raging somewhere far ahead.

Duke Sant tried to move faster. But his body had already reached its limit.

After only a few staggering steps—

His vision suddenly darkened. The world tilted violently.

His legs gave out.

Thud.

The old warrior collapsed heavily onto the frozen ground. Snow scattered around his body.

For several seconds he didn’t move.

His chest rose and fell slowly as he struggled to breathe.

His fingers dug weakly into the snow.

“Damn… it…”

The words came out as a hoarse whisper.

His body refused to move.

Every muscle screamed in protest.

Even lifting his head felt like an impossible task.

The distant explosions continued to echo faintly across the plains.

BOOM…

BOOM…

The sound grew quieter.

Or perhaps his hearing was fading.

Duke Sant lay there in the snow, staring weakly toward the distant battlefield.

His vision blurred again.

Darkness slowly crept in at the edges of his sight.

But even then—

His fingers still clawed weakly at the frozen ground.

Trying to move.

Trying to stand.

Trying to reach the battle one last time.

Because somewhere in the distance—

Vivian was still fighting.

And Duke Sant was not the kind of man who could simply lie down… while Vivian faced that monster alone.

*********

Several kilometers away from where Duke Sant had fallen into the snow, the sky was far from quiet.

The battlefield there looked like a storm had decided to grow claws.

The air trembled with violent power, clouds swirling in chaotic spirals above the mountains.

Snow that had once drifted peacefully now whipped through the sky in furious currents, torn apart by waves of energy colliding again and again.

At the center of that storm—

Two figures faced each other.

One of them floated lazily in the air as if the entire battlefield were nothing more than a stage built for his entertainment.

The clown.

His strange mask tilted slightly as though he were studying the battlefield with childish curiosity.

Then he muttered softly,

“Intuition: Dragon Breath.”

The words barely left his mouth when the air above him twisted violently.

A massive shape began to form.

Flames gathered together like molten clouds, spiraling into the outline of a gigantic dragon’s head hovering above him.

The illusion looked terrifyingly real.

Scales made of burning fire.

Eyes glowing like collapsing stars.

Then—

ROOOOOAAARRR!!!

The flaming dragon opened its enormous jaws.

From its throat erupted a concentrated torrent of fire so dense it looked less like flame and more like flowing magma.

The burning torrent tore through the sky like a collapsing volcano.

Everything in its path melted.

Snow vaporized before the fire even touched it.

The air itself screamed.

Meanwhile—

A large shadow darted through the stormy sky several hundred meters away.

Vivian stood calmly atop the head of a strange creature flying through the air.

Its body resembled that of a gigantic serpent, long and flexible, covered in pitch-black scales that shimmered faintly under the storm clouds.

Two massive wings extended from its sides, beating powerfully as it maneuvered through the chaotic battlefield.

The creature looked both elegant and terrifying.

A living weapon.

Vivian narrowed his eyes as the burning dragon breath approached.

“Hey… it’s coming,” he muttered calmly.

His voice carried none of the panic one might expect from someone facing a collapsing inferno.

Instead, his horns slowly began to glow.

Lightning crackled faintly along their curved edges.

A soft golden light gathered around them.

Thunder and light.

Two elements twisting together like twin serpents preparing to strike.

The creature beneath him snorted loudly.

“Hmph!”

Its deep voice rumbled through the air with clear irritation.

“What do you think I am?”

The serpent opened its enormous mouth.

A deep darkness gathered inside its throat.

Then—

ROOOOOAR!!!

A terrifying black beam exploded forward.

The attack carried a heavy killing intent that distorted the air around it.

At the same moment Vivian’s glowing horns released their power.

A brilliant beam of lightning and radiant light burst forward.

The two energies twisted together like a divine spear cutting through the sky.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!!!

The attacks collided.

The explosion shook the heavens.

A violent shockwave blasted outward, tearing apart clouds and sending waves of fire and lightning scattering across the sky like shattered stars.

Even the mountains below trembled slightly under the impact.

Vivian steadied himself easily atop the serpent’s head as the creature beat its wings and quickly pulled away from the blast radius.

A faint amused smile appeared on his face.

“I have to admit…” Vivian said casually as he leaned down and stroked the creature’s head.

“This form of yours is definitely better than your sword form.”

He chuckled softly.

“Bloody Mary.”

The creature snorted again.

Its massive wings flapped once more as it soared through the sky.

This was the true form of Vivian’s weapon.

The legendary sword—

Bloody Mary.

The serpent’s crimson eyes flickered slightly.

“You really think so…?”

For a brief moment its voice carried a hint of satisfaction.

But the moment it realized what it had just said—

“Hmph!”

It immediately let out another snort, trying to regain its dignity.

“Don’t forget your promise.”

Its tone became stern.

Vivian laughed.

“Hahaha!”

He patted Mary’s head again like someone soothing an irritated cat.

“I won’t. Not this time.”

He was about to continue speaking—

But suddenly a familiar voice echoed across the battlefield.

“Intuition: Heavenly Thunder.”

The moment those words appeared—

The entire sky changed.

Dark clouds above began swirling violently as if an invisible hand were twisting them together.

A terrifying pressure descended upon the battlefield.

Lightning flashed wildly inside the clouds.

Vivian’s expression immediately darkened.

His brows furrowed in annoyance.

“Already the twentieth Intuition…” he muttered quietly.

His gaze shifted toward the clown floating in the distance.

The masked man still looked completely relaxed.

As if none of this effort meant anything to him.

Vivian clicked his tongue.

“How many does he have?”

His eyes narrowed sharply.

Then a small irritated grin appeared on his face.

“Annoying bastard.”

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