Chantelle snapped, โThis foreign bastard has to die! Only then will this nightmare end.โ
Andrewโs eyes went ice-cold as he stared at Stanley. โFrom the beginning, I never believed a word that came out of your mouthโnot a single one. I had no proof, but my gut told me you couldnโt be trusted.
โA damned man who refuses to die, coming back after 100 years to rob his friendโs grave while pretending to grieve, wearing that fake look of mercy. Stanley, I was rightโyouโre no different than the colonizers who came before you!
โA hypocrite, despicable to the core. At your roots, youโre no better than a savage beastโonly here to plunder, never to understand or respect. But thereโs one difference nowโback in the days of the Fallen Crimson Dynasty, our ancestors were fooled and slaughtered by men like you.
โToday? I, and the proud people of Etharia, are no longer your helpless lambs!โ
With those words, Andrew let out a guttural roar and suddenly kicked off from where he stood, shooting forward like a human missile.
Although he knew the Little Emperor from back then could not possibly still be alive and that there had to be some trick with the wooden puppet, Stanleyโs true nature had at least been exposed for all to see.
This greedy wolf of a foreigner, this foreign bastard, still dared to maintain the same sense of superiority his ancestors had possessed. He actually had the audacity to come to this sacred resting place of the dead and swagger around like he owned the place.
Andrew could not tolerate it any longer. As an Etharian and descendant of Holtrien, he had to kill Stanley.
And not just kill him, but make him die the most agonizing death imaginable.
Stanley scoffed. โGood! If the lambs are finally awake, then let me show you what happens when they challenge wolves. In the eyes of predators like us, you Holtrien folk are still just meat. Youโre born to be eaten!โ
Stanley roared furiously and charged forward as well, his massive fists hammering toward Andrew.
Two thunderous explosions erupted in the underground chamber like bombs going off simultaneously. The stone bricks beneath their feet cracked and shattered completely from the impact.
Andrew grunted and staggered backward several steps.
Stanley remained standing in place, grinding his teeth in a cold sneer. โYouโre still not worthy to face me! If you want to avenge some pathetic dead man, youโre not strong enough!โ
Andrewโs expression remained emotionless as he charged forward again. โIโm not trying to avenge anyoneโI just want to show you that you donโt get to run wild on Holtrien soil! You compare yourself to a predator, but in my eyes, youโre no different than a rabid dog.โ
The two fighters collided again in a devastating exchange of blows. This time, it was Stanley who staggered backward while Andrewโs entire body radiated intense heat, his eyes flashing with the fierce gaze of a wild beast. His full combat power had been unleashed and brought to bear against his enemy.
Stanleyโs pupils shrank. โNoโฆ no, this isnโt right! That energy inside your body is still rising! Iโve trained for 100 years and already possess martial saint-level combat powerโthereโs no way you should be able to compete with me!โ
Andrew shifted into a strange, flowing stanceโhis hands forming an ancient posture as he attacked again. The air rippled and cracked from the surge of his force.
โYou old bastard, if I were at my peak, I couldโve crushed you like snapping a twig! Youโre only standing now because you rely on our secretsโHoltrienโs martial legacy!
โThe very techniques passed down through the royal court of the Fallen Crimson Dynastyโnow preserved only by the Eastern Azure Horizon Order! You can unleash combat power approaching that of a martial saint because you learned the martial arts legacy from the palace back then!โ
Stanleyโs massive frame thundered forward, and the stone bricks cracked beneath his feet as he crashed into Andrew once more.