Chapter 526: Storm Sovereign
"Who’s there?! Show yourselves, now! You dare steal the Dawnlight Orb? That’s mine—hand it over before I kill you all!"
The Thunder Giant roared, his voice booming like a storm crashing through the palace. His entire body crackled with terrifying waves of Thunder Magic, lightning dancing across his massive frame.
But Ethan just scoffed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yours? Who the hell do you think you are? That orb belongs to the Angels. Are you one of them? Didn’t think so."
The moment those words left Ethan’s mouth, the Thunder Giant’s expression darkened like a brewing storm. Murderous intent surged from him like a tidal wave as he locked eyes with Ethan, his voice cold and venomous. "You dare question the might of the Storm Sovereign, you insignificant insect?"
"Then die!"
Before the giant could make a move, Andona struck. Her holy sword flashed out of its sheath, and the moment the blade caught the light, the Thunder Giant’s pupils shrank in shock. His face twisted in disbelief. "Wait—that’s... the Angelic Holy Sword?!"
Andona didn’t waste time with words. She raised her arm and brought the sword down in a devastating arc.
BOOM—
The blade exploded with divine force as it slammed into the Thunder Giant’s chest.
CRACKLE—ZAP—
Sparks flew in every direction, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. The sheer force of the blow launched the giant off his feet, hurling him across the hall like a ragdoll.
CRASH!
He smashed into the palace wall with a thunderous boom, the stone shattering on impact. Dust and debris rained down as the wall caved in, and the Thunder Giant stumbled out of the rubble, coughing and covered in soot, looking more than a little worse for wear.
He backed off fast, putting serious distance between himself and Andona, eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief. "Who... who the hell are you?!"
"The one who’s going to kill you," Andona replied coldly. Then, in a blur of motion, she vanished—only to reappear mid-strike, charging straight at him again.
Meanwhile, Namyanna’s eyes narrowed as something clicked in her mind. "My Lord," she said, her voice low but urgent, "I think that’s Volkris—the Storm Sovereign. He’s an Overlord-class powerhouse from the Thunder Giant race."
She glanced toward the battle, her expression serious. "From what I know, the Thunder Giants, like the Angels, also wield one of the Primordial Forces of the Dark World. They’re not as powerful as the Angels, but they’re still among the top-tier races."
"Storm Sovereign, huh..." Ethan murmured, his mind flashing back to the beams of light they’d seen earlier. "So he was one of those guys. Guess we just missed each other before... and now we’re crossing paths again. Small world."
He paused, then asked, "Think Andona can take him?"
"She should be able to," Namyanna nodded. "Volkris isn’t on the same level as Divine Angel Gabriel or the Angel of Death, Lucivar. And Andona’s stronger than both of them now."
"Even though they’re all Overlord-class, there’s still a big gap in power."
"Good," Ethan said, relaxing a bit. "Then we can just sit back and enjoy the show. If it gets dicey, we’ll jump in."
He leaned back slightly, eyes fixed on the fight. But just then, Ataneya—who’d been silent until now—spoke up, her tone sharp.
"My Lord, someone’s approaching. Fast. And they’re strong... just as strong as that big guy, maybe stronger."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. "Yeah?"
"Feels like... two of them," she said, uncertain.
"Two?" Ethan’s frown deepened.
If they were all on the same side...
That would make three Overlord-class enemies.
"My Lord, I’ve got an idea..." Namyanna suddenly spoke up, her eyes gleaming with a spark of inspiration. "What if... we take this chance to check out their territory? The Angels had one of the Ten Sacred Orbs—chances are, they’ve got one too."
Ethan’s eyes lit up instantly. "Hell yes!" he said, excitement bubbling in his voice.
"Smart thinking."
To him, it didn’t really matter whether they beat or even killed the enemy—what truly mattered was getting their hands on those Sacred Orbs. That would be way more valuable in the long run.
And right now...
The perfect opportunity had just landed in their lap.
"Andona!" Ethan shouted, shooting her a quick glance.
At the same time, he raised his hand, and together with Namyanna and Ataneya, they tore open a spatial rift beside them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a flash, the three of them vanished into the portal.
Andona didn’t hesitate for a second—she turned and followed right after them.
"Damn it! They ran?!" Volkris, the Storm Sovereign, stood there panting, his face twisted with rage and frustration. But deep in his eyes, behind all the fury... was a flicker of relief.
Because Andona was terrifying. If that fight had gone on any longer, even he might not have made it out alive.
Still, he couldn’t understand—why had they just let him go like that?
What were they really after?
BOOM—BOOM—
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The air grew heavy.
Two monstrous auras descended like a hammer from the heavens, and Volkris’s pupils shrank in an instant.
So that’s what this was about...
They’d sensed these two approaching.
"Volkris, you greedy bastard!" a voice snarled, filled with fury. A hulking creature wreathed in molten lava stepped forward, eyes blazing as he glared at the Thunder Giant. "You trying to keep the Dawnlight Orb for yourself? Hand it over!"
Volkris shot him a cold look, his voice low and bitter. "Are you blind? Can’t you see what happened here? I got my ass kicked. The Dawnlight Orb’s gone—they took it."
"They were strong. Really strong."
He paused, then added grimly, "Honestly, I think they might be the ones who killed Lucivar and Gabriel."
"What?!"
The two newcomers froze, their expressions shifting from anger to shock.
"They killed Gabriel and Lucivar? That’s impossible!" the lava beast growled, eyes narrowing as he stared hard at Volkris.
The icy one beside him—a towering centaur-like figure cloaked in frost and radiating a bone-chilling aura—said nothing, but his gaze sharpened.
They didn’t know if Volkris was telling the truth...
But Gabriel and Lucivar were dead. That much was fact.
And now, looking at the wreckage around them, the scorched walls, the shattered stone, and the injuries Volkris had clearly suffered...
Everything pointed in one direction.
Someone powerful—someone they didn’t know—was making moves.
"Where did they go?" the frost-covered Overlord finally asked, his voice like cracking ice.
"No idea," Volkris said without hesitation. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "But we need to work together from here on out. Otherwise... we’re all screwed."
The lava beast and the ice centaur didn’t respond right away.
But the look in their eyes said it all.
They were taking this very, very seriously now.
...