Chapter 239 - Rudy Vs Grom ( Part 1 )

The footsteps faded.

Silence fell in the underground corridor for several seconds, an oppressive, suffocating silence that felt alive, pressed up against the walls. The crimson runes that adorned the stones pulsed gently, casting blood-red light upon the faces of three intruders hiding in the shadows.

Jennie stood motionlessly, one hand laid against the cold stone wall. Her breathing was controlled and even, each breath calculated. Beside her, Rudy held her breath entirely, staring at the huge silhouette blocking their path. Blood-red eyes of Snow never left Grom as he waited for the opportunity to use force.

Grom.

The Sixth Demon General.

The Beast King.

Indeed, he was even bigger than Jennie expected.

Dark armor was covering his massive body—each plate scarred by many battles, each scar telling a story of violence and survival. Two horns grew from his forehead—they looked shiny under the crimson light. Thick claws were wrapped around the handle of his gigantic black war hammer—a weapon whose head looked as big as a boulder.

The weapon was obviously massive enough to crush a carriage with a single blow.

But Grom was handling it as easily as someone holding a walking stick.

He scratched himself on the side of his head, looking mildly curious rather than afraid.

"So," he rumbled, his voice deep and rough, "where are you little rats hiding?"

Jennie didn’t move.

Don’t react. Don’t give him anything.

Grom sniffed.

Once. Twice.

He breathed heavily, and his lips slowly curled into a grin showing the sharp yellow teeth.

"Ah. Found you."

He turned.

The war hammer went down.

BOOOOOOM!

The whole corridor was torn apart by the explosion.

Crushed like glass, stones fell in a cloud of dust that filled the tunnel. Shock wave threw Jennie’s hiding place apart with such force that the wall shattered with a deafening crash. Fist-size pieces of rocks started flying around in the air.

"Move!"

Jennie grabbed Rudy and jumped sideways. A huge piece of rock landed right where they had been standing seconds ago, embedding itself into the wall with a cracking noise.

They rolled across the floor, surrounded by the debris. Rudy was the first to stand up, having taken her dagger in her hands.

"Well, so much for sneaking in!"

Grom laughed loudly.

"Humans! I’ve known for a while that there is something unusual about you. You smell of desperation and bad decisions."

Jennie stood beside Rudy, her amber disguise breaking as golden light gathered in her eyes.

"Rudy, get past him."

"And leave you here?"

"I’ll take care of Grom."

"That is terrible idea."

"It is the only one we have."

"Then here’s a better idea." Rudy twirled her dagger, the blade reflecting the crimson light. "We take care of him together."

Grom was watching the exchange with a growing interest, his giant head turning from side to side as a predator watched the prey that hasn’t realized yet that it was already trapped.

"Wonderful," he said sarcastically. "Now, you can choose who gets crushed first."

He raised his war hammer, and it started radiating ominous energy.

Jennie’s Five Divine Swords were trembling inside their spatial seal. She could feel how they were struggling against the suppressing runes—weak, but not dead yet. And behind the iron door she could sense something else.

Lilia.

Warmth that was lying in her chest was no longer a faint echo. It answered with a frantic beating of her heart, sensing her presence through the iron.

Wait for me.

Jennie took a deep breath, calming down her pounding heart.

Then she smiled.

Not particularly friendly smile.

"Rudy."

"Yeah?"

"Try not to die."

Rudy smiled back, her expression fierce and wild. "You first."

The two started moving at once.

Grom smashed his hammer.

Jennie pulled out Excalibur.

Golden light spread through the corridor like a newborn sun, pushing away the darkness and illuminating each crevice of the ancient stones.

CLAAAAANG!

The blow made the underground chamber shake. Rocks fell down from the ceiling, and the floor shuddered beneath their feet.

Jennie’s boots carved two grooves into the stone as she blocked the descending weapon with her sword’s blade. She could feel the strain in her trembling arms—not because of the physical strength, but because of something else. Because of the weight of the being that was built for war and intended to crush her.

What is this guy made of?

Grom leaned forward, his smile widening. His breath burned in Jennie’s nostrils, having smell of old blood and burned flesh.

"Not bad!" he roared. "Most humans become a paste after the first hit!"

He twisted his wrist.

War hammer started swinging sideways.

Jennie released the strain and ducked under the weapon. The huge head swept over her silver hair that ruffled from the breeze. She pivoted and cut at Grom’s exposed ribs with her sword.

Excalibur clashed with his armor.

Sparks started exploding like fireworks.

The blade could barely scratch the armor—thin line of marks.

Grom’s elbow smashed at her face.

Jennie crossed her sword in front of herself.

CRACK!

Impact threw her back. She hit the wall hard enough to break the stones, and for a moment her vision went white from the pain.

"Jennie!"

Rudy was already moving.

She slid under Grom’s raised arm like water around a rock, her dagger going for the back of his knee. Her blade touched the gap between his armor plates—a precise, surgical strike for the tendon.

Line of blood appeared.

For the first time Grom’s smile faltered.

He looked down at the wound—almost invisible on his massive body—and then at Rudy.

"You little..."

She pulled out her dagger and retreated, her golden eyes blazing with anger.

"What’s the matter? Did it hurt?"

Grom’s roar shook the dust off the ceiling and cracked the walls.

"YOU DARE!"

He swept his hammer at her. Rudy jumped, and the hammer ripped through the gap beneath her feet, destroying a stone column and flinging its fragments like shrapnel all along the corridor.

She twisted in mid-air, planted her foot against the wall and rushed at Grom’s shoulder. Her dagger flashed – this time at his throat.

Grom tilted his head. The blade scratched his cheek, leaving a crimson scar on his grey skin.

Rudy landed behind him, her boots sliding on the debris-covered floor.

"Two cuts," she said, looking at the blood on her dagger. "At this pace, I might even get you angry."

Grom’s eyes widened.

Then he started laughing. The deep, ferocious laugh resounded in the underground fortress like the roar of some primeval beast.

"HAH! I LIKE YOU!"

He turned toward her, his huge body moving surprisingly fast.

"LET’S SEE HOW LONG YOU KEEP THAT MOUTH OF YOURS!"

Grom rushed.

For such a bulky warrior, his speed was monstrous. His hammer smashed down at Rudy forcing her to evade. As soon as she recovered from the shock, he switched the direction of his blow and brought it down at her in a wide arc.

Rudy crossed her hands.

A golden light erupted from her Legendary Divine Mark.

BOOM!

She was knocked back, her boots sliding along the floor till she stopped. Her arms were numb from the shock and pain ran through her shoulders like an electric current.

Got it. He’s strong.

She wiggled her fingers, checking if everything is alright.

Really strong.

Grom’s hammer hit the ground.

The floor buckled and a wave of broken stone rushed at her like a tidal wave of rubble.

Rudy jumped over the debris, but Grom was already there. He caught her in a powerful blow to the stomach.

"GHK!"

Her body bent around the blow. In the next second, she was soaring through the air.

She smashed through a broken column and crashed to the floor on the other side covered in a cloud of rubble and dust. For a terrible second, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but gasp for air.

Her dagger fell from her hand, skidding across the floor.

Grom was approaching, dragging his hammer behind him. The sound of metal rubbing on stone was like a death-knell.

"That mark of yours..."

His gaze settled on the barely visible golden light under Rudy’s clothes.

"So that’s one of them."

Rudy forced herself to sit up, seeing spots before her eyes.

Grom lifted his hammer.

"The Emperor will be pleased with me when I bring you to him."

Rudy spat out blood on the stone floor. The red splashed across the grey stone like a defiant proclamation.

Then she smiled.

"Funny."

Grom stopped. "What?"

"You keep talking about taking me somewhere."

Rudy pushed herself up, struggling with her trembling arms.

"But nobody asked if I want to go."

Her mark flashed.

The golden light spread through the cracks on the floor, racing along the ancient runes engraved in the underground walls. The runes sparkled and suddenly flamed, reacting to the Legendary Divine Mark.

Grom’s face changed. "What are you—"

Rudy extended her hand.

Her dagger whirled across the floor from the rubble to her palm, spinning in mid-air before coming to rest in her hand.

"Let me show you something."

The golden light swirled around her dagger, wrapping it in the radiance.

"My family has a bad habit of disobeying orders."

She disappeared.

Grom’s eyes widened.

CLANG!

Rudy reappeared next to his left shoulder and stabbed his joint with her dagger. As soon as he reacted, she spun around and attacked again.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Three blows. First to his elbow. Then to his ribs. Finally, to his wrist.

She didn’t try to overpower him. She was breaking his defense – each attack was directed either at his joints or the gap between the armor or movement forcing him to change his position. Her dagger moved in swift economical arcs, each strike following the previous one before Grom could recover.

Grom swung.

Rudy ducked.

He stomped.

She slid sideways.

His hammer smashed the wall, but she was already behind him.

Her mark flared brighter. For a split second, her movements became almost impossible to follow – a flicker of gold and shadows twirling around the monstrous bulk of the Beast King.

Grom turned too late.

Rudy stabbed her dagger into the narrow gap under his shoulder armor.

This time the blade pierced deeper.

Grom snarled, his face twisting in pain and rage.

He grabbed her by the collar.

"CAUGHT YOU!"

Rudy’s eyes widened.

Then she smiled.

"Exactly."

A flash of golden light blasted from her mark. The dagger lodged in Grom’s armor unleashed the burst of power.

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion ripped Grom’s armor off his shoulder and flung him several meters along the corridor. He crashed into the wall with such force that it cracked, and the whole passage shook.

Rudy landed kneeling, panting heavily. Her right arm shook from the strain and sweat dripped down her forehead.

The technique drains much more energy than I expected.

Still, she had done it. She had wounded a Demon General.

Not because she was stronger. Because she had found the way to turn his strength against him.

Rudy lifted her dagger, her smile defiant despite the fatigue.

"How’s that for a scratch?"

The dust settled.

Grom stood in the midst of the rubble. His shoulder armor was damaged, and blood was running down his arm, staining his grey skin red.

For several seconds, he stared at Rudy. His face was unreadable.

Then his smile came back.

But this time, there was no humor in it. Only appetite.

"Good."

He rolled his shoulder and his muscles began swelling. Red veins appeared on his neck and arms, glowing like molten metal beneath his skin.

"Very good."

The stone under his feet cracked.

"Now I can afford not holding back."

"RUDY!"

It was Jennie’s voice calling across the corridor. It took only seconds after the first blow for Grom’s aura to begin spreading, an invisible weight that was pushing against Jennie’s lungs and threatening to make her legs give out.

Really? Did he think that he was holding back?

Jennie tightened her grip on Excalibur. The golden blade shook in her hands in response to the beating heart.

Further away in the corridor, the Beast King continued transforming. His shoulders widened, his claws grew longer, and his horns grew even darker as red energy began wrapping around him like a second skin.

His eyes blazed with the burning fire of a predator that had just realized where his prey was hiding.

"Little girl," Grom rumbled, his voice now becoming even deeper and sounding more and more feral. "You have earned the right to see my real strength."

Rudy wiped away the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"That’s nice."

She readjusted her grip on her dagger.

"But I would prefer to see you fall."

Grom roared.

The corridor burst into action.

Grom charged.

Rudy barely managed to raise her arms in time before Grom’s hammer crashed into her.

KRAAAAAASH!

The blow sent her flying. She tried to gain control of her body, but a second blow came faster and even savager than the previous one.

Jennie moved.

Tempest appeared in her left hand as silver lightning began dancing on its blade. The hunter intercepted the hammer, blocking it before it could hurt Rudy.

CLAAAAAAAAANG!

The shock wave blasted through the corridor. Jennie felt her feet leave the ground, and her muscles screamed in pain. The hammer forced her backwards, but she twisted her body and redirected the impact against the ceiling.

The weapon crashed into the stone and caused part of the ceiling to collapse between the two fighters.

"Rudy, get up!"

Rudy crashed to the floor, rolled and rose to her feet.

"Already up!"

"Then stop getting hit!"

"STOP LETTING HIM HIT ME!"

Despite everything, Jennie almost chuckled. Almost.

Grom emerged from under the falling rubble, his imposing figure moving through the dust cloud like a nightmare made flesh. The monster looked at both of them.

"So, the famous White Sword Hunter has finally decided to join the fight."

Jennie’s face froze.

"Emperor wants you."

Grom raised his hammer.

"And I know what happens to those who try to interfere."

Jennie raised Excalibur. The golden blade began pouring light into the corridor, dispelling the darkness created by the Beast King’s aura.

"Then you should know another thing."

The disguise was dispelled completely. Her silver-white hair fell down from her forehead and gold eyes began burning with the familiar intensity. Resonances of five Divine Swords filled the air.

"Nobody will ever take my family away from me."

For the first time, Grom’s face became serious.

"KingHeart."

She stepped forward. Her voice rang through the corridor destroyed by the battle.

Grom attacked first.

The hammer crashed into the ground like a falling mountain.

Jennie crossed Excalibur and Tempest.

BOOOOOM!

Lightning exploded all around their blades. The impact threw her backwards, but she held her position long enough to twist Excalibur sideways and make the hammer head to strike against it.

Tempest flashed. The silver arc cut across Grom’s chest, opening up a gash in his armor.

Before Jennie could deliver another blow, Grom used his knee to attack her abdomen. She barely managed to dodge in time, and the strike grazed her ribs and sent her spinning.

Grom swung once again.

Jennie vanished into shadow.

Eclipse allowed her to move through the darkness and appear behind him. She stabbed for the back of his neck.

Grom moved quickly.

His forearm blocked her attack. Black energy covered his skin as Eclipse’s blade cut a shallow wound, but Grom seized her wrist before she could withdraw her sword.

"Found you!"

He threw her into the opposite wall.

The stone shattered as she dropped on the ground gasping.

Pain exploded in her ribs. Her vision blurred.

Grom advanced towards her, his steps making the ground shake.

"Five Divine Swords," Grom said. "And yet you still fight like a wounded animal."

Jennie slowly raised her head.

"That’s funny."

She pushed herself off the ground, blood running from the corner of her mouth.

"I was thinking about the same thing about you."

Grom’s smile returned.

He charged.

Jennie waited for the last possible moment.

And then unleashed Leviathan.

Blue light filled the corridor. Water started flowing from the stone under Grom’s feet and formed huge serpentine flows that wrapped around his legs.

His movement carried him forward, but water constricted and for a split second Grom staggered.

Jennie moved.

Tempest struck his right knee.

Eclipse stabbed his unprotected side.

And Excalibur finished the chain of attacks with a golden strike to the damaged armor on his shoulder.

Three blows. Three different angles. Three attacks that were delivered at once.

Grom howled in pain as the final blow opened the armor. Blood splashed on the stone.

Jennie landed several meters away, gasping.

"You are strong," she admitted.

Grom ripped through the water binding his legs.

"But you are predictable."

He crushed his hammer against the ground. The resulting shock wave destroyed Leviathan’s water formation, and Jennie crossed her swords in front of her.

The impact threw her sliding backward.

Grom pointed his hammer towards her.

"Every attack you used until now was relying on your swords."

His aura flared.

"Let me see what happens when you can’t use them."

The energy of Jennie surrounded him and spread through the corridor. Air grew heavy and suffocating—so dense it was like drowning in honey. Jennie could feel invisible pressure wrapping itself around her limbs as if they were wrapped in invisible chains.

Her swords trembled.

The seal flickered.

Grom chuckled. "This fortress was made to suppress divine energy. The closer you get to the inner palace, the weaker you become."

Jennie’s expression became hard.

That was why the runes in this corridor were so different.

Not just protecting the prison, but weakening anyone who was marked with divine energy or possessed a Divine Sword.

Grom knew this advantage and waited to use it.

Of course, he did. The Demon Empire was prepared for her arrival. For the fifth time.

Grom lifted his hammer.

"Now, let’s finish this."

He swung.

Jennie tried to avoid him but couldn’t do it fast enough because of the pressure.

It was enough.

Hammer hit her right side.

Blinding pain erupted in her body, throwing her across the corridor and forcing her to crash on the ground. Excalibur flew from her hand.

Everything was becoming blurry for some reason. Jennie heard Rudy calling her name. She heard Snow snarling. And under everything, she felt Lilia.

Still alive.

Jennie put her hand against the ground. Her fingers trembled.

I won’t give up now.

She reached for Excalibur.

Golden sword answered her not with power but with warmth—the same warmth she felt when Lilia stood beside her and told that she didn’t need to become Leonis to earn her title.

Jennie squeezed her hand.

She didn’t fight because she was a legendary king reborn. She didn’t fight because five Divine Swords chose her.

She fought because she loved someone behind this door and promised to bring her back.

Jennie got to her feet.

"Hey, Grom."

The Beast King turned.

Jennie wiped blood from her mouth.

"You stand between me and someone very important."

Five swords started to glow.

"So forgive me if I am a little impatient."

From the other end of the corridor, Rudy watched him carefully.

She saw his weakness. Grom was strong, but his attacks had pattern. Every time he attacked, he put his left foot into the ground. Every time he redirected his hammer, he shifted his weight to his injured shoulder.

Strong body. Heavy armor. And he relied too much on them both.

Rudy looked at the golden mark on her chest. It was fading, but it still glowed.

She remembered Lisa KingHeart—the little sister who had followed Leonis in his adventures, sure that nothing could happen to her because she was next to him.

And then she remembered herself.

Rudy Kiss. Not the shadow of her. Not a tool to resurrect Zuko.

Herself.

Rudy tightened her grip on her dagger.

"Hey, big guy!"

Grom looked at her.

Rudy smiled at him.

"You forget about me."

She rushed at him.

Grom’s eyes narrowed. "You still stand?"

"You still talk?"

Rudy ducked under his hammer and drove her dagger at his injured knee. Grom avoided the hit shifting his weight.

Just as she had expected.

Left foot firmly planted into the ground.

The golden mark on her chest glowed. Golden energy passed through the stone underneath Grom’s feet.

The floor cracked.

Grom’s foot sank into the cracking ground.

For the first time, his balance was broken completely.

"What?"

Rudy jumped up, swinging her dagger at his injured shoulder. Grom tried to intercept her—

But Rudy didn’t hit him there.

She changed her direction in the air, pressed her foot to his armor and leaped above him, cutting his back knee.

Grom howled. He went down on one knee and the whole corridor shook from his weight.

Rudy landed behind him, breathing hard.

She did it! She brought the Beast King down.

For the one precious moment, she thought that maybe they could actually win.

Then Grom laughed.

"Excellent."

His giant hand grabbed her ankle.

Rudy looked at him. "Come on, seriously."

Grom picked her up.

"You really are a troublesome insect."

He slammed her into the floor.

CRAAAAAASH!

The stone shattered beneath her body. Rudy screamed, feeling sharp pain shooting from her back.

Before she could move, Grom picked her up again.

"RUDY!"

Jennie rushed at him.

Grom turned and threw Rudy to her. Jennie gave up her attack and caught Rudy in midair, but still had to twist her in the last second and throw herself to the floor. She landed on her shoulder taking most of the impact.

They hit the ground together.

Rudy coughed. "Ow."

Jennie grimaced. "You’re welcome."

"I had him."

"He held you."

"Temporary setback."

"You’re unbelievable."

"You’re welcome again."

Jennie looked at her for a second. Then, despite the pain, she laughed—short laugh, disbelief in the middle of corridor with shattered stone and demonic energy around.

Rudy laughed too.

They were not trapped beneath the Imperial Palace at this moment. They were two sisters who survived impossible situation.

Then Grom rose.

Laughing ended.

The Beast King was injured. Blood was covering his shoulder, one knee trembled beneath his weight.

But he was still standing.

Eyes burned with murderous rage.

"You insects."

The pressure in the corridor increased. Crimson energy was flooding every rune and iron door behind Grom was glowing now.

Jennie’s face changed. The barrier protecting Lilia’s room reacted to the power of Grom.

If this battle would continue, the entire prison would fall apart.

And Lilia was behind this door.

Grom raised his hammer.

"ENOUGH!"

The weapon crashed into the ground. Shock wave ripped through the corridor, and Jennie grabbed Rudy and threw her behind the barrier of Excalibur. Snow put himself between them, spreading his wings , Celestial Divine Form .

The impact took everything with it.

The dust settled, revealing a completely unrecognizable hallway.

The ceiling above was half-collapsed. Pillars of stone were lying in pieces on the floor, and cracks were stretching from one end to another as if marking the veins of some dead creature.

Snow retracted his wings. "Are you both still alive?"

Rudy groaned. "Define alive."

"Unfortunate consciousness."

"Then yes."

" How’s my new look ? "

" Pretty cool . But still fuck you for hiding this form when we are fighting him . "

Jennie slowly got up, feeling pain in each part of her body, her breath was ragged. Some of her swords were darkening, weakening because of suppression formation.

Grom stood in the middle of the destroyed hallway. His armor was damaged. His knee was wounded. Blood was trickling down his arm.

But now he looked even more menacing than before.

The Beast King grabbed his hammer in both hands.

"That was entertaining."

He turned his gaze to the iron door.

"But I still have my duties to fulfill."

Jennie’s stomach tightened.

Grom raised one clawed hand. The crimson runes lit up, covering the door. The golden seals glowed in response.

For a second, Jennie felt Lilia’s presence vividly.

Then it flickered.

She staggered. "Lilia?"

Her heart seemed to stop responding. The connection was under suppression.

Grom observed her reaction, smiling mercilessly. "Ah. So you can feel her."

"What did you do?" Jennie asked, her voice hard.

"Nothing she hasn’t done before."

Grom pressed his palm to the iron door.

"The Queen is alive, KingHeart. The ritual has not started yet, and she is untouched."

He looked back at Jennie.

"They said so, KingEmperor."

Jennie tightened her grip on Excalibur. "Then why are you guarding her?"

"Because I’ve been instructed to keep her alive."

He raised his hammer.

"And to guarantee that no one will be able to reach the door."

Jennie took one step closer. All the Divine Swords started glowing, flickering weakly.

Rudy managed to get up next to her, her dagger in her shaky hand.

Snow extended his ice wings again, and his nine tails waved behind him, even though they were under suppression.

Three to one.

A Beast King vs. the last people that Demon Empire didn’t want to see near its ritual.

Jennie looked at the iron door. Now she was close enough to feel Lilia’s presence beyond it. And she knew that the Queen was waiting for her.

That Grom was not just an obstacle.

He was the last thing standing between her and the person she had traveled across the whole continent to save.

Jennie lifted Excalibur. "Rudy."

"Yeah?" - Rudy raised her dagger.

"Make sure that he will stay on the ground next time he falls."

She smiled despite the pain. "Now that’s a plan I can support."

Snow growled. "And how exactly should I participate in your great plan?"

Jennie glanced at him. "Do not let us die, please."

Snow closed his eyes. "I really hate both of you."

Grom roared and rushed towards them.

Jennie and Rudy rushed towards him.

And beyond the iron door the Sovereign Mark of Lilia KingHeart shone brightly in golden light.