Chapter 91: Lightning Strikes Twice
The mages, their faces tense with determination, immediately began chanting. The ground beneath Zeus's feet rumbled as the familiar chains of earth began to rise, attempting to ensnare him once more. But Zeus only laughed, a dark, amused chuckle escaping his lips.
"Do you really think the same strategy would work twice on me?" Zeus taunted, his tone dripping with condescension. "How stupid do you think I am?"
The leader's eyes flared with anger, his fists clenched tightly around his staff. "You're the stupid one if you think you can mock us and walk away unscathed!" he growled, his voice trembling with frustration.
Zeus's grin widened, his gaze never leaving the leader. "Oh, but I'm not the one about to lose," he said, his tone light, almost playful. "You're so predictable, it's almost boring."
Before the leader could retort, Zeus moved, his body blurring with speed. In an instant, he disappeared from his previous spot, reappearing directly in front of one of the mages. The mage's eyes widened in shock, fear flashing across his face as he realized how close Zeus was.
The mage tried to step back, his movements panicked and clumsy. "Stay away from me!" he shouted, his voice cracking with fear.
But Zeus was faster. He leaned in close, his breath warm against the mage's ear. "Too slow," he whispered, his voice carrying a sinister edge.
The mage's eyes filled with terror, but before he could react, Zeus's knife plunged into his heart with a swift, practiced motion. The mage let out a strangled gasp, his life slipping away as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Zeus straightened, effortlessly pulling the knife free from the lifeless mage. He turned his gaze back to the leader, whose expression had now twisted from seething anger to a blend of fear and disbelief.
"Damn it!" the leader cursed under his breath, his frustration boiling over. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped his staff tighter, desperation creeping into his voice.
"You think you're so clever, don't you?" he spat, his voice tinged with both fear and fury. "Let's see how you handle this! Flame Arrows!"
In an instant, dozens of blazing arrows materialized in the air, their fiery tips aimed directly at Zeus. With a sweeping motion, the leader sent the arrows hurtling toward him, his eyes alight with a desperate hope of victory.
Simultaneously, the remaining mage, his face pale but resolute, chanted, "Earth Spike!" The ground beneath Zeus rumbled as sharp spikes of earth erupted upward, converging on him with deadly intent.
But Zeus merely tilted his head, his expression one of sheer boredom. "Is that all you've got? Too slow," he repeated, his voice dripping with condescension.
The leader's face contorted in rage at Zeus's taunt. "You won't be laughing when you're skewered!" he shouted, his voice shaking with both anger and the fear of losing control.
But Zeus was already gone, his body vanishing in a blur of movement. The leader's eyes widened in shock, his breath catching in his throat as he scanned the area, desperately trying to locate his enemy.
A strangled gasp escaped the remaining mage as Zeus suddenly reappeared right in front of him. The mage's eyes filled with terror, his mouth opening to scream, but no sound came out. His hands shook as he instinctively tried to raise them in defense, but it was far too late.
In a single, precise motion, Zeus's blade found its mark, slicing through the mage's heart. The mage's eyes went wide with shock and pain before the life drained from them, and he crumpled to the ground.
As the mage crumpled to the ground, lifeless, Zeus turned to the leader with a mocking grin. "Did you really think you stood a chance? Don't you know I'm a thunder element warrior? Thunder isn't just about power—it's about speed. And speed kills."
The leader's face drained of color as the full weight of Zeus's strength became clear. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he muttered, "Damn you..." His voice wavered, the earlier bravado faltering as fear took root.
But the leader quickly forced himself to stand tall, refusing to show weakness. "Don't think you've already won!" he shouted, though desperation laced his words. His grip on his staff tightened as if it were the only thing anchoring his courage.
In a last-ditch effort, he raised his staff high and chanted, "Flame Blessing!" A fiery aura erupted around the two remaining sword users, their swords now ablaze with intense flames, empowered by the leader's magic.
"Now, kill him!" the leader commanded, his voice cracking with fear and fury. "I don't care if he's alive or not—he dares to mock us! Make him pay!"
The two sword users, their weapons now wreathed in fire, exchanged a quick glance, their expressions hardening with determination. "We'll make him regret ever crossing us!" one of them snarled, his voice brimming with anger.
"Raging Strike!" they roared in unison, charging at Zeus with flames trailing behind them like fiery comets. Their faces contorted with rage, driven by the humiliation Zeus had inflicted.
But Zeus merely watched them approach, his smile growing wider. "Is that all you've got?" he sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. "Pathetic."
The sword users' eyes blazed with fury at the insult. "We'll cut that smirk off your face!" one of them screamed, his voice nearly breaking with rage. "You think you're better than us? Die!"
Lucas's smirk only widened as he prepared to counter. With a swift motion, he struck the first sword user's wrist with his left hand, disarming him instantly.
In the same fluid movement, he used his right hand to deliver a powerful punch to the first sword user's chest, sending him flying backward.
In that same moment, Lucas ducked and sidestepped, effortlessly dodging the second sword user's fiery strike. Before the sword user could react, Lucas delivered a powerful uppercut, sending him sprawling to the ground.
As both sword users lay sprawled on the ground, dazed and utterly defeated, Zeus calmly raised his fingers, his eyes gleaming with a sadistic delight. "Time for the fireworks," he murmured, a smirk curving his lips as he casually flicked his hand.
A surge of thunder mana erupted from his fingertips, crackling through the air before enveloping the two sword users. Their eyes widened in horror, but they were powerless to move.
The concentrated thunder energy coursed through their bodies, not with an explosive force, but with a searing intensity that burned them from the inside out. Their screams were short-lived, choked off as their bodies were charred beyond recognition, leaving nothing but smoldering husks.
Zeus watched with cold satisfaction as the last remnants of their life were snuffed out. His smirk remained, but now it was tinged with something darker, more menacing.
He slowly turned his gaze toward the leader, who was now frozen in place, his face drained of all color. The leader's bravado had crumbled completely, leaving only sheer terror in its wake.
Zeus took a deliberate step forward, his movements slow and menacing. "The final round," he said, his voice as cold as the grave. The smirk on his face never wavered, but his eyes were merciless, promising only one outcome for his terrified foe.