Chapter 173: End of the Battle

The Nightmare King came at Edgar again.

He crossed the distance between them in an instant, his fist already swinging toward Edgar’s head.

Edgar raised his sword and blocked the attack, but the force behind it pushed him several metres across the broken ground.

BOOM!

Edgar dug his feet into the earth and stopped himself before he could fall.

The Nightmare King was already moving again.

His golden fist came from the side, forcing Edgar to duck beneath it before the King followed with a knee aimed at his stomach.

Edgar twisted his body and avoided the attack, then struck the King’s ribs with his elbow.

The impact made the King stagger and Edgar didn’t give him time to recover.

He stepped forward and swung his sword toward the King’s neck.

CLANG!

The Nightmare King caught the blade between both hands.

For a moment, the two of them stood locked together, their strength pushing against each other as sparks fell from the sword.

Then the King smiled. "You think you can stop me now?"

Golden energy erupted from his body.

The sudden force threw Edgar backward, and the King immediately chased after him.

Edgar barely managed to raise his arms before a fist slammed into his chest.

BOOM!

His body was sent flying through the air.

He crashed into the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop.

Pain spread through his chest, but Edgar forced himself back onto his feet.

Behind the Nightmare King, Azhurak continued its rampage.

The enormous serpent had already killed almost all of the Nightmares that had accompanied the King.

Their bodies covered the battlefield, while the remaining few had fled into the darkness without looking back.

Azhurak’s massive body continued moving beneath the earth, destroying everything that stood in its path.

The Nightmare King glanced toward the destruction for only a moment before turning back to Edgar.

"You did this."

Edgar wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You brought it here."

The King roared and charged again and this time, Edgar met him head-on.

Their fists collided.

BOOM!

The shockwave spread across the battlefield, sending dust and broken stones flying in every direction.

Edgar followed with a sword strike, but the King blocked it with his forearm.

Edgar immediately kicked him in the stomach, forcing him backward, and then rushed forward with another slash.

The Nightmare King caught his wrist and his fingers tightened.

Edgar felt his bones creak.

The King pulled him closer and drove his forehead into Edgar’s face.

CRACK!

Edgar’s vision blurred for a moment and the King raised his fist.

Edgar suddenly released his sword.

The Nightmare King hesitated for the briefest moment.

That was enough. Edgar drove his own fist into the King’s jaw.

The blow snapped his head to the side, and Edgar immediately grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

The Nightmare King snarled and broke free through sheer strength.

He turned and struck Edgar across the face and Edgar stumbled backward.

The King rushed forward again, but Edgar’s golden energy suddenly exploded from his body.

The ground beneath him cracked.

His Heavenly Spirit Body surged with power as he caught the King’s fist.

For a moment, neither moved and then Edgar’s fingers tightened around the King’s wrist.

"You’ve killed enough of my people."

He pulled the King forward and slammed his forehead into his face.

BOOM!

The Nightmare King staggered and Edgar followed with a punch to his stomach.

He kept on punching him again and again with all his strength.

The King tried to retaliate, but Edgar blocked his fist and drove his knee into his chest, forcing him backward.

The battle continued across the ruined battlefield, moving farther away from the Fortress with every exchange.

Neither side was willing to give ground but something had changed.

The Nightmare King was no longer fighting with the same confidence.

His eyes kept moving toward the sky as if he was trying to pause the moon from moving.

Edgar noticed it as well. ’Is he trying to achieve some kind to time limit?’

The moon that had once hung high above the battlefield was slowly sinking toward the horizon.

Its pale light was becoming weaker and the Nightmare King suddenly stopped attacking.

He looked upward.

"No..."

Edgar lowered his fist slightly and the King stared at the moon in disbelief.

"No!"

His voice echoed across the battlefield.

The moon continued descending and the Nightmare King’s expression became frantic.

"Not yet." He turned toward Azhurak. "Stop!"

The enormous serpent didn’t respond.

It continued moving through the earth, its massive body disappearing deeper beneath the battlefield.

The Nightmare King rushed toward it.

"Azhurak!"

The serpent finally turned its enormous head toward him.

The King stopped several metres away.

"I will give you anything."

His voice had completely changed and the arrogance was gone.

"I will give you everything I have. Power, souls, kingdoms... anything you want."

Azhurak stared at him with its enormous golden eyes.

The Nightmare King spread his arms.

"Just give me the power to rule this world!"

For several seconds, the serpent remained motionless.

Then it moved.

Its enormous head slammed into the Nightmare King.

BOOM!

The impact created a massive shockwave that swept across the battlefield.

The Nightmare King’s body was launched through the air like a small object.

He smashed through the remains of a stone structure before disappearing beneath a pile of rubble.

Edgar stared at the scene.

Then his eyes shifted toward Azhurak.

The serpent was sinking back into the ground.

Its enormous coils disappeared beneath the earth one after another, leaving behind massive cracks and broken pieces of stone.

The moon continued moving and then, slowly, it vanished under the Eternal Night.

The battlefield became silent and the pale light disappeared.

No more moonlight fell across the broken walls.

For several seconds, Edgar could hear nothing except the faint crackling of burning structures.

He looked toward the place where the Nightmare King had fallen.

The rubble moved and the King slowly pushed himself out.

His body was covered in wounds, and one of his arms hung at an unnatural angle.

Edgar began walking toward him.

"Don’t!"

Wavin suddenly rushed forward.

The Nightmare had been watching from nearby, his crimson eyes filled with panic.

"You can’t kill him!"

Edgar stopped.

Wavin raised his claws.

"I won’t let you--"

Edgar moved with such a speed that Wivan couldn’t even see him move.

BOOM!

His fist struck Wavin’s chest with a might of hundred bulls.

The Nightmare’s body was launched backward with such force that it crashed into the broken Fortress wall.

His body went completely limp before falling to the ground.

He was dead.

Edgar didn’t even look at him as he continued walking toward the Nightmare King.

The King tried to stand and Edgar reached him before he could.

Four invisible enormous arms suddenly emerged from the Soul Guardians surrounding Edgar, grabbing the Nightmare King from every direction.

His arms were pinned and His legs were locked in place.

The Nightmare King struggled violently.

"Let me go!"

Edgar stepped closer.

The King tried to activate his power, but the four Soul Guardians held him firmly enough that he couldn’t move.

Edgar looked into his golden eyes. "You wanted to rule the world."

The King stared back at him and Edgar’s expression remained cold. "Then die with that dream."

He placed his hands against the Nightmare King’s chest.

The King realized what was about to happen.

"Wait."

Edgar pulled and his fingers tore through the King’s chest with overwhelming force.

CRACK!

Bones broke beneath his hands.

The Nightmare King screamed as Edgar ripped open his chest, exposing the dark flesh and beating heart hidden inside.

Blood poured down his body and the King struggled one final time, but the Soul Guardians didn’t allow him to move.

Edgar looked toward Hera and she understood immediately.

Hera slowly walked toward them with a cold look on her face.

She still remembered how her entire life was turned upside down because of the selfish desires of the Nightmare King.

Her face was pale from all those memories but she didn’t stop.

She reached the Nightmare King and stared at the exposed heart beating inside his chest.

The King looked at her and for the first time, there was fear in his eyes.

"Hera..."

She didn’t answer as she slowly raised her hand.

Her fingers wrapped around the beating heart.

The Nightmare King trembled.

"Wait..."

Hera pulled and the heart came free from his chest.

The Nightmare King’s body suddenly went still.

His golden eyes lost their light and the heart stopped beating.

The ruler of the Nightmares died in Hera’s hand.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then the enormous body of Azhurak disappeared completely beneath the earth.

The battlefield remained silent.

Edgar looked toward the horizon where the moon had vanished.

The Nightmare King had come expecting to conquer his Fortress.

Instead, he had awakened something far older than the Nightmares themselves.

And now both he and his army were gone.