Chapter 197: Captain Armstrong vs. the Invader Leader

CLANG!

Captain Armstrong’s sword clashed against his opponent’s, sending a shower of violet sparks into the air.

Both men stepped back several paces, but neither took their eyes off the other.

The invader leader spun his weapon and thrust directly toward Armstrong’s chest. The captain deflected the attack with a flick of his wrist and countered with an upward slash that forced his opponent to lean backward.

The blade passed within inches of his face.

The invader took advantage of his position and struck with his elbow, but Armstrong raised his forearm and blocked the blow.

Without losing his balance, the captain pivoted on his heels and kicked his opponent in the abdomen.

The leader was sent several meters backward.

Armstrong took a deep breath as he adjusted his grip on his sword.

He couldn’t afford to underestimate this enemy. His speed, strength, and precision surpassed those of any creature he had faced before. Moreover, the black sword seemed to absorb some of the surrounding light, leaving a violet trail whenever it moved.

The invader leader slowly raised his weapon.

“For someone who intends to defend this world, you’re quite capable.”

Armstrong didn’t respond. He simply advanced.

The next exchange happened so quickly that the nearby hunters could barely distinguish the movements of the two combatants.

Their swords clashed again and again, each strike making the ground tremble.

Armstrong managed to deflect a slash aimed at his neck and countered with a thrust toward his enemy’s side.

This time, the blade struck the black armor.

A small crack appeared on its surface.

The invader leader lowered his gaze to inspect it.

“I see.”

He raised his violet eyes again.

“Then I’ll have to try a little harder.”

◇◆◇

A few meters away from the duel, Jane Armstrong’s squad was trying to keep the invaders from reaching the captain.

Jane descended from the sky with her energy wings fully spread. Before touching the ground, she released several glowing feathers that cut through the air like bullets.

Three invaders fell.

A fourth managed to dodge and lunged at her with a sword.

Jane partially folded her wings, twisted her body, and narrowly avoided the attack. Then she placed a hand on her opponent’s shoulder and used the momentum of her own movement to throw him to the ground.

She didn’t stop to check whether he could get back up.

She spread her wings again and rose into the air as more feathers formed along their edges.

“Don’t let them get near my father!” she ordered.

The hunters in her squad responded immediately.

One intercepted an invader attempting to advance along the left flank, while two others fired from behind an improvised barricade.

Jane turned in midair and unleashed a barrage of feathers at a group that had gathered beside a destroyed vehicle.

The enemies scattered.

Taking advantage of the opening, her squad advanced several meters and reclaimed some of the ground they had lost.

However, the invaders didn’t seem concerned about their casualties.

More continued to emerge from the dimensional rift, reorganizing themselves whenever one of their formations was destroyed.

Jane gritted her teeth.

“How many more are going to come out of there?”

She glanced briefly toward her father.

Armstrong was still fighting the leader, showing no signs of backing down.

Jane knew how capable he was in combat. She also knew her father wouldn’t ask for help unless the situation was truly desperate.

That was why she didn’t approach him.

Her job was to keep that area clear and prevent other enemies from interfering in the duel.

She rose into the air again and fired another volley of energy feathers.

An invader dropped to its knees.

Jane folded her wings and descended upon it, striking it with a kick before propelling herself back into the sky.

The battle raged all around her.

And she wouldn’t let them reach her father.

◇◆◇

Behind the front lines, James watched the enormous violet rift through several measuring devices.

The readings were constantly changing.

The energy fluctuated at irregular intervals, yet the opening remained stable, as though something on the other side was compensating for every variation.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” he muttered.

Pix floated beside him, studying the readings with a serious expression.

“Which part, exactly? Because quite a few things haven’t made sense since this whole mess started.”

James ignored the remark.

“The dimensional connections we studied previously needed to maintain an energy balance to remain open. When that balance was disrupted, the connection weakened or disappeared.”

He pointed at the screen.

“But this rift doesn’t behave that way. Even though the energy fluctuates, its structure remains practically intact.”

Pix moved closer to the data.

“Maybe they’re not maintaining the opening from our side.”

James looked at her.

“You think they’re feeding it from the other dimension?”

“It’s a possibility. I can’t say for sure yet.”

The little pixie extended a hand and projected a holographic image of the rift.

Several overlapping rings of energy appeared around its perimeter.

“Look at this. The energy isn’t distributed evenly. There are sections where it seems to flow in and others where it appears to flow out.”

James frowned.

“As if it’s circulating?”

“Exactly. But I don’t understand what’s keeping it moving or how they’re preventing the connection from collapsing.”

James adjusted the measurement parameters and attempted to isolate one of the fluctuations.

The screen displayed a new set of readings.

For an instant, one of the violet layers appeared to weaken.

Both of them leaned toward the device.

But the energy stabilized almost immediately.

The rift returned to its previous intensity.

James let out a sigh.

“We need to figure out what’s sustaining it. If we find that mechanism, we might be able to disrupt it.”

Pix nodded.

“And if we don’t, they’ll keep sending in more invaders for as long as that connection remains open.”

An explosion shook the buildings in the distance.

James looked toward the battlefield, where the hunters were struggling to contain the enemy advance.

“Then we’ll have to find it before it’s too late.”

◇◆◇

CLANG!

Armstrong blocked a downward strike and forced his opponent’s sword to the side.

The invader leader responded with a rapid series of slashes. The captain retreated, narrowly deflecting each attack.

One of the strikes caught his shoulder, cracking the protective plating of his armor.

Armstrong felt the impact but maintained his stance.

He seized the opportunity created by his opponent’s next movement, closed the distance, and smashed the hilt of his sword into the leader’s face.

The leader’s head snapped to the side.

Before Armstrong could follow up, a surge of violet energy raced along the black blade and exploded between them.

The captain was hurled backward.

His boots scraped across the asphalt until he managed to stop beside the wreckage of a metal structure.

The invader advanced slowly.

“Your determination is admirable. But it won’t change the outcome.”

Armstrong spat to the side and raised his sword again.

“That’s for me to decide.”

He launched himself forward.

The leader answered with a horizontal slash, which Armstrong dodged by leaning his body aside. The captain continued advancing and thrust directly toward his opponent’s chest.

His adversary twisted to avoid the attack, but the tip of Armstrong’s sword struck his armor, widening the existing crack.

Armstrong didn’t waste the opportunity.

He twisted his wrist and struck again.

The invader blocked the attack, although the force of the impact pushed him backward.

For an instant, they stood face-to-face, their swords crossed.

The leader’s violet eyes glowed intensely.

Armstrong felt a strange pressure on the other side of the blade, as though his enemy’s energy was growing stronger.

He gritted his teeth and pushed with all his might.

Their swords separated.

The captain stepped back, while his opponent remained motionless.

The crack in the black armor was still there.

But the leader didn’t seem concerned.

As long as the captain stood his ground against his opponent and the hunters of the Ace of Spades continued defending their positions, humanity had yet to be defeated.