Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

Lips twitching, he observed the legend's fuming and charred appearance. His eyes enlarged the next second as he saw grey water seep from the blackened skin. Under its influence, it recovered its healthy glow and suppleness in the blink of an eye as if its earlier state was nothing more than a mirage.

He clicked his tongue, his eyes trailing to Karna to understand why the King of Heroes claimed he had lost. After all, like Achilles, he was also invincible with his armor and earrings.

Simultaneously, the gaping hole in Karna's sides radiated a blinding light.

New muscles squirmed to restore their appearance before fresh skin covered them.

Then, Karna raised his palms, smiled knowingly, and shook his head.

On his side, Achilles' brows twitched as he finally tasted the frustration his past adversaries felt. Yet, beneath the annoyance, a steely glint sparkled in his eyes, and a question thundered in his mind.

Did his lord's life matter in the face of the most glorious battle of both his lives?

He didn't even think about the answer. Instead, he drew his bronze sword and struck it against his shield. An epic drumming reverberated as his voice thundered his determination.

"By the blood of heroes, I fight not for life but for eternal kleos!"

Kleos, the glory that would carve his name in history and make it resound through the ages. That had always fueled him and would continue to drive his actions until Hades shattered his soul in millions of pieces.

His facial expression shifted, his brows furrowing in focus to replace the playful arrogance he had displayed until now. He lowered his torso and bent his legs as his legendary reputation drummed in his mind.

The uncontested, swiftest warrior that has ever walked on the world. A charge so fast that no obstacles could slow him and no one could react—one that covered several kilometers in a split second. And today, he would charge once more.

Meanwhile, Karna dismissed his divine bow. His hand whistled to his spear, his fingers tightening around its golden shaft.

"I recognise you as the greatest warrior, Achilles. But I don't fight for life or glory alone. Come! I'll meet you with everything I have and more to honor your unmatched skills. But know that my flames will never wane!"

Solar bursts ignited his eyes, sparkling and crackling ominously.

They crept down, encasing his body in a fiery mantle before they gathered to his spear's tip.

The air trembled and cried as a blinding ball swirled into existence. Thunder reverberated, roaring its fear of the attack while the nearby sea receded as if trying to escape from what was to come.

In this instant, the sky cracked like glass and split into halves, unable to determine who would emerge victorious.

And a split second later, they both shattered the tense atmosphere by roaring their attacks.

"Brahmastra!"

"Phthian Onslaught!"

Space itself distorted under Achilles' acceleration.

Faster than divine horses, he unleashed his full might and rage.

His stomps reverberated almost simultaneously, digging gaping pits into the soil.

In a heartbeat, his blond hair fluttered before his opponent. His bronze sword sparkled and space cracked along the ferocious arc it drew to Karna's neck.

Yet, his eyes twitched, a sense of danger clawing at his heart despite his imminent victory.

Before he saw the cause, he groaned as a scalding heat caused his skin to redden. In less than a second, it would scorch, then vaporise it without the shadow of a doubt.

Despite the lethal danger, the threat added to the exhilaration drumming in his chest as he realised his adversary had predicted his striking trajectory. After all, even he had habits, and their minor skirmish was enough to expose some of them to a warrior as skilled as Karna.

Without thinking, he gritted his teeth and covered himself with his divine shield to endure the impact while his right hand still homed on Karna's neck.

The intricate depictions of the cosmos, war, and peace carved on his shield reddened as if engulfed by a sea of solar flames.

Yet, the moment his blade grazed Karna's neck, the latter's lips rose into a smirk.

A golden halo suddenly appeared to protect his target. Harder than enchanted metal, sparks erupted when his bronze sword crashed on it.

Despite his pulsing veins and trembling arm, he failed to pierce through, meaning it had to be divine.

Meanwhile, Karna's spear continued on its trajectory.

The fiery ball at its end crackled with unbound power as one of the most powerful divine weapons in human history appeared on this strange land.

Of course, he toned its power down. After all, he had no desire to obliterate this coastal region or kill Achilles. If he did, where would he find such a fine warrior with whom he could exchange blows?

A soft smile crept onto his lips as he released the energy contained in the ball.

BOOM

A cataclysmic explosion rocked the world. Tempestuous gales rose and roared the realm's agony as thunder strikes connected the heavens to the earth.

A colossal dust cloud reached for the sky. Visible in every direction from hundreds of kilometers away, it testified of the forbidden bower Karna had unleashed.

And inside it, Achilles' arms trembled like battered branches. Pushing his shield against the blast with all his strength and his right foot, he endured the agony of the flames licking his skin.

"RAAAH!"

A valiant roar escaped his lips as his heart drummed in his ears for the first time. He backed a step, then a dozen, then a hundred before stabilising his posture.

His eyes narrowed, genuine rage engulfing his vision in a world of red.

"Someone forced me back." He spat under his breath as the waters of the Styx repaired his scorched skin. "And he almost got my heel."

His knuckles whitened around his weapons at the preposterous notion. Even Ares had no chance against him, yet this half-god pushed him back! What an insult!

Still, beneath the rage, Karna's attack left a mark on his racing heart. More than an attack, it felt as if Zeus in person had smitten him with a weakened bolt from Mount Olympus.

Meanwhile, Adam's pupils trembled, and his voice cracked in horror on the town's walls.

"Did Karna just nuke Achilles?! What is this battle?! No. More importantly, I must stop them before they raze the entire region down and us with it!"