Chapter 425: Despair


    ( Duke Nico’s POV )


    Duke Nico stood on the scorched earth, the heat of the dragon’s breath still radiating through the air, as the remnants of his once-proud manory in smoldering ruins behind him.


    Beside him stood Vice Commander Phillips, the strongest knight in the Southern Duchy and thest beacon of hope for Thumba City.


    As the smoke cleared, Duke Nico’s eyes locked onto the figure hovering above them, the demon king Anos who unmistakably had his sword pointed towards Phillips in challenge.


    Vicemander Phillips, being a man of unyielding resolve, met the Demon King’s gaze with a fierce determination.


    “You burn my lord’s mansion down, you terrorize my city…. I’m afraid even if you are a dragon rider, you must pay for this transgression today!” Philips shouted, his words iprehensible to the demon, but the intent behind them was clear. He was not going to back down. He was not going to yield to this terror.


    Duke Nico nced at Phillips, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and admiration. This man had served his family and the duchy with unparalleled loyalty and strength for the past 15 years.


    Phillips was not just a master knight; he was a legend in his own right— with his name being whispered with reverence across the Southern Duchy. Phillips had risen through the ranks with his own merit and was not a noble by birth.


    He was amon squire, who had wed his way to the top through sheer will and exceptional talent.


    Stories of his deeds were etched into the annals of the Southern Duchy’s history— as whether it was the Battle of Redcliffe, where he had single-handedly held the line against a horde of marauding orcs; or the Siege of Valeria, where his strategic brilliance had saved thousands from certain death. He was a knight who had faced death countless times and emerged victorious. And now, he stood ready to face it once more.


    “If I’m going to fight the demon king, I better give it my best shot–” Philips said, as he began channeling his mana, the air around him crackling with raw energy as he prepared to unleash one of his most powerful techniques.


    It was a move that had been passed down through generations of Southern Duchy knights, a secret technique known only to the highest echelons of their order.


    The technique was called the [ Heavenly Spear ] and it was a legendary grade move which created a concentrated st of energy that could pierce through the toughest of defenses, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.


    *Trrrr*


    The ground beneath Phillips trembled as he gathered his power, his eyes narrowing with focused intent. This was a move that had turned the tide in countless battles for him before, and a move that had never failed him in his time of need.


    “Yes! Give it to him Philips, hold nothing back–” Duke Nico encouraged, his heart lifting with hope, as he knew that if anyone could drive away this monstrosity, it was Phillips….. the strongest warrior in the entire Southern Duchy.


    *Sizzle*


    *Sizzle*


    The energy that swirled around the Vice Commander was immense, a beacon of light in the darkened battlefield, until it was all concentrated in the form of a pulsating golden spear in his hand.


    “Aaaaa! Take thissss—” Phillips bellowed as he unleashed the Heavenly Spear, a brilliant beam of energy shooting forth from his outstretched hand, as he aimed it directly at the Demon King.


    *SHUA*


    The attack zed a path through the air, its light illuminating the dark sky above Thumba City, cutting through the oppressive aura that surrounded them.


    Duke Nico held his breath, his eyes wide with anticipation, as he could feel the power behind Philips’s attack.


    This was it—theirst hope, their final stand. If Phillips couldnd this blow, perhaps, just perhaps, they could survive this nightmare…..


    But as the beam of light approached, the Demon King did not even flinch.


    From atop his dragon, Anos watched the attack with a cold, calcting gaze. His lips curled into a smirk, as with a casual wave of his hand, he unleashed a counter.


    Anos had been waiting for this moment, his mana already pooled within him, as he was ready to unleash his own devastating counter.


    The move he had in mind was one of his most powerful, a (Semi Divine) attack called the “Void Breaker sh.”


    It was a move that could tear through the fabric of reality itself, a manifestation of pure, unrelenting power.


    As Phillips’s attack neared, Anos unleashed the Void Breaker sh, causing the air around him to distort like a crescent of dark energy, which met the Heavenly Spear head-on.


    *BOOM*


    *SHOCKWAVE*


    The sh of the two forces sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, the ground quaking beneath the sheer power of their collision.


    For a moment, it seemed as though the two attacks were evenly matched, their energies battling for dominance. But then, the Voidbreaker sh began to consume the Heavenly Spear, its dark energy devouring the light until nothing remained.


    Soon, the overpowering force of Anos’s attack continued on its path, unimpeded, and struck Phillips with terrifying speed.


    Duke Nico watched in horror as the energy engulfed Phillips, his once-hopeful expression turning to one of despair as there was no time for Philips to react, no time to even process what was happening before the Demon King’s attack reached him.


    *Boom*


    The power of the Void Breaker sh was absolute, and in an instant, Phillips was gone, his body disintegrated by the overwhelming force.


    Silence fell over the battlefield as the dark energy slowly dissipated, leaving nothing but scorched earth where Phillips once stood.


    Duke Nico’s heart sank, the weight of their defeat pressing down on him like a suffocating shroud, as the realization hit him with full force—that Phillips, their strongest warrior, was dead. And with him died thest spark of hope for Thumba City.


    From above, Anos surveyed the aftermath, his expression one of satisfaction. But deep within, he felt the strain of the attack and the toll it had taken on his body and mana reserves.


    The Void Breaker sh was a powerful technique, yes, but one that consumed a vast amount of energy—so much so that he could only use it sparingly…..Twice in a battle, at most, and he had just used it once.


    Still, he maintained his facade, giving no indication of the effort it had cost him. To the demons watching from behind him, he was an invincible force, a king worthy of their reverence and fear, as after he defeated Philips with ease, Anos could see the awe in their eyes, the newfound respect they held for him, not just as a rider of Drogo, but as a warrior in his own right.


    But for Duke Nico, there was only despair. He had witnessed the true power of the Demon King, a power that no human could ever hope to match. The realization was crushing—there was no one left to fight, no one who could stand against this cmity.


    Anos was a Grandmaster-level fighter, a force of nature that hade to annihte them, and there was nothing they could do to stop him.


    As Anos sheathed his sword, a weapon that he did not even need to use to counter Philips’s strongest attack, Duke Nico could only watch with his spirit broken, as he realized that the battle was over before it had even begun.


    And in that moment, as the ashes of the Southern Duchy settled around him, Duke Nico knew one thing with absolute certainty— that this was the end.


    The end of everything.