inspire-indiana Chapter 252 Star shine
Chapter 252 Star shine
Anthony let out a gut-wrenching groan as he felt Ezequiel's lance piercing through his torso, followed by a spurt of blood gushing from his mouth. His eyes grew even darker as he swung his sword, cleanly severing Ezequiel's right hand. A cruel smile formed on his face as he cut off the hand with which Ezequiel had attempted to touch Lysandra.
Ezequiel let out a groan of pain, forcefully pulled the lance tip out of Anthony's body, and staggered back, his breath irregular and his face showing deep cuts. Even one of his eyes had been brutally crushed, while his chest was filled with deep cuts from which blood freely flowed. Two of his four wings were brutally mutilated.
Ezequiel's expression was deadly. Despite his pitiful appearance, he noticed that Anthony was in worse condition. During the battle, he had watched as Anthony's skin turned black and peeled off his body, leaving chunks of flesh exposed. His skin color wasn't pale but slightly dark, indicating advanced deterioration.
Ignoring his own state completely, Ezequiel's body burst with mana, and a thin layer of golden aura surrounded him. Suddenly, the ground beneath him darkened, and a halo began to spin rapidly over his head. The entire island plunged into darkness, though not as dense as the one surrounding Anthony.
Ezequiel's lance gleamed intensely, and small stars emerged around him, dotting the space with their bright light. Ezequiel spat out another mouthful of blood as his body began to weaken. He gritted his teeth with determination, and his eyes glowed significantly. He felt as his last drops of mana drained from his body.
Anthony felt the flesh of his body horribly heating up before falling to the ground. He wrinkled his nose at the smell emanating from his own body, which was unbearable; the pieces of flesh that fell from his own body as they hit the ground burned. Parts of his body were red, and pus began to ooze from them; the pain was unbearable.
His own body was falling apart; he remembered the dragon's words: "Your body will rot and fall apart." He looked at his own body disapprovingly; even some fingers from his hands fell to the ground.
"It's as if I had leprosy," he thought internally. He watched as Ezequiel's body released a large amount of mana; the space around him turned dark, as if night had suddenly fallen. Anthony's darkness moved along the ground as if it were alive; it was a stark contrast, but suddenly small lights appeared in the place; it was a sea of stars, as if he were in the middle of space.
******
All the citizens who watched remained silent, with their eyes fixed on the floating screen, totally dumbfounded. Not even a sigh could be heard.
"It's over! But who won?!" An excited shout from a child pulled everyone out of their stupor. The child raised his hand and began to jump for joy.
The minds of all those present joined in a loud ovation, raising their fists in the air and shouting at the top of their lungs.
"HOORAY!" "HOORAY!"
Enthusiasm swept over the entire empire. Although they didn't know who had won, their performance had been more than outstanding. Normally, adults would inform children that the students didn't really die; some began to cry upon hearing this.
"Anthony Von Valeriano has to win, there's no one more worthy than him," a proud shout resonated among the gathered crowd. Some children and adults nodded in agreement, showing their support for the young duke.
"No! Ezequiel, the representative of us, the commoners, has to win," another shout echoed in the place. Quickly, a debate ensued everywhere about who should get first place or who shouldn't.