Chapter 1055: The Sanctum of the Hero (1)

Boom!

An explosion rocked the distance. Golden and white light mixed together before spreading in all directions.

Two figures shot out of the explosion. It was Evalyn and Elyan, and both looked badly injured.

Evalyn was in particularly bad shape. Her armor was damaged, and several slash wounds covered her abdomen and chest.

Her ponytail had come loose, and her hair fluttered in the wind.

Elyan wasn’t much better. Half of his armor was destroyed, and his hair was a mess.

Yet the fire in his eyes burned even brighter.

"You haven’t disappointed me, Evalyn Lionheart! You’re a worthy opponent!" he exclaimed with a laugh as he swung his sword forward.

Evalyn merely snorted in response. The two glared at each other before vanishing and reappearing in the center of the arena.

Boom!

The clash of their swords shook the ground around them.

Clang!

Clang!

Each attack was met with a counter. Evalyn spun horizontally before swinging her sword at Elyan’s waist.

Elyan easily dodged the attack.

"Got you!"

Evalyn suddenly appeared behind him.

Elyan was startled and quickly spun around.

Clang!

The impact sent Elyan flying backward.

Before he could react, Evalyn had already appeared in front of him.

She stomped her foot against the ground and swung the Divine Sword of Luminus, which was now glowing brightly.

"Hero’s Technique: Falling Star Slash!"

"Damn it!"

Elyan tried to get away, but it was too late.

Boom!

A blinding white light erupted, swallowing everything around them.

Smoke and dust filled the air, covering the entire area.

Evalyn stepped back, shielding half her face with her arm. She stopped about twenty meters from the center of the explosion, then looked toward the rising smoke.

"Did it work?"

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing Elyan’s figure.

His body was covered in wounds, and his face was flushed.

"Still not dead?"

Evalyn furrowed her brows.

"That guy’s like a cockroach. He’s so annoying," she grumbled irritably.

Meanwhile, the wounded Elyan stared at his body, his eyes reddened with frustration.

"I underestimated her."

He hadn’t expected Evalyn to launch her attack so quickly, leaving him no time to react.

"It seems I’ll have to unleash my full power," he muttered coldly.

He had realized something important. Evalyn was getting stronger as the fight went on. The longer they fought, the stronger she became.

He didn’t know if it was because of the Hero of Light’s blood flowing through her veins or something else. Either way, he couldn’t let the fight drag on any longer.

Elyan took a deep breath before thrusting his sword into the ground.

"Transformation..."

Boom!

Golden light erupted from his body, creating a small storm around him.

Evalyn grew wary.

"Is he finally getting serious?"

Her eyes narrowed.

Elyan’s power tripled, and the wounds covering his body slowly began to heal.

"In that case, I won’t hold back either!"

Evalyn cut her thumb with the Divine Sword of Luminus, then smeared the blood across her forehead.

Boom!

White light burst from her body. At the same time, a pair of white, feathered wings emerged from her back and spread wide.

A mysterious, ancient symbol slowly appeared on her forehead.

The changes in both of them naturally caught the attention of the soldiers in the distance.

"L-Look! They’re going to fight to the death!" an imperial soldier shouted. "Run!"

Hearing that, the other soldiers hurriedly fled.

Even the rebel soldiers, who had been celebrating the arrival of their reinforcements, didn’t dare act recklessly. They, too, quickly moved away from the area.

Once his transformation was complete, Elyan pulled his sword from the ground, bent his knees, and darted toward Evalyn as fast as lightning.

"Die!"

He raised his glowing sword and swung it down.

Clang!

Boom!

Evalyn easily blocked his attack, but the area around them was left in ruins. The ground was torn apart, and dust filled the air.

They glared at each other for a moment before both vanished from sight.

They soon reappeared in the sky and clashed again. Each time their attacks collided, powerful explosions rang out.

"Wrath of the God of Thunder!" Elyan roared.

Boom!

The sky, which had been clear just moments ago, suddenly darkened as black clouds gathered overhead.

Golden lightning bolts shot out from the clouds, streaking toward Evalyn.

Evalyn didn’t even flinch. She spread her wings and flew away.

However, the lightning bolts seemed to have a mind of their own, continuing to chase her wherever she went.

Elyan wasn’t about to let her escape either. He bent his knees in midair before vanishing at lightning speed.

"Gotcha!"

Elyan appeared right behind Evalyn and swung his sword sideways, aiming straight for her neck.

However, Evalyn twisted her body and managed to dodge the attack. Elyan didn’t give her a moment to rest, relentlessly pursuing her wherever she went.

The lightning bolts in the sky continued to chase her as well, as if she had been locked onto by some terrifying radar system.

"Where do you think you’re going, Evalyn Lionheart!? Hahaha! It’s no use! You won’t be able to escape me!"

Elyan laughed heartily.

Evalyn remained calm, her expression unchanged. But deep down, she was desperately trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

Suddenly, she remembered something from the past. It was when she had traveled back in time and met her ancestor, the Hero of Light.

***

"Phew..."

Evalyn took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Good job."

A voice came from beside her.

Evalyn turned and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Thank you, Ancestor."

Rei nodded slightly as he handed her a cup of water.

Evalyn took it and gulped it down in one go.

"Phew! That’s so refreshing!"

She couldn’t help but smile.

Rei looked her over from head to toe.

"Have you started studying the Sanctum of the Hero technique?"

"I have, but I’m still having trouble mastering it."

Evalyn sighed.

The Sanctum of the Hero was one of Rei Lionheart’s most powerful techniques. Unlike other techniques, it allowed the user to create a special domain.

It was a terrifying technique. Anyone who entered the domain risked being killed or having their power suppressed.

"Pfft!" Rei chuckled. "Relax. I had a hard time mastering it too."

Evalyn was surprised to hear that.

"Didn’t you create that technique yourself?"

"I did, technically. But I based it on the fundamentals and movements of various sword techniques used by sword masters from the past. It took me nearly a year to master it completely."

"I see..."

Evalyn nodded in understanding.

"But don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be able to master it too. After all, you’re my descendant."

Rei laughed as he patted her on the shoulder.

Evalyn smiled.

"You’re right..."

***

Evalyn opened her eyes, then smiled.

"That’s right... I can use it. The Sanctum of the Hero..."