Chapter 61: Axel Storm [1]
"B-brother."
Standing at the top of a building far away from the fierce battle between Norian and the three nobles, crimson eyes twisted with sadness as she watched him get pummeled without a chance to defend.
He was tossed around in the sky like a ragdoll, played around by the three nobles who did not hold back at all.
With her calculation, he would only be able to survive a few minutes before dying.
The conclusion made her shiver.
Just like twenty years ago, she was going to lose a loved one.
Her heart was simply not prepared for any of it, as grieving was one of the things she never got used to. She was too weak against that emotional state.
"Lord Norian..."
"Vice President..."
"Those damn Lunaris!"
Beside her, there were a few high-ranking hunters who had not fled like the others. They all reacted as they witnessed the brutality and, like her, they felt helpless.
Even though they were revered by millions as powerhouses, against the Lunaris nobles, they were inferior. They would not last a single minute against one, let alone three of them. It would be an instant and easy kill for the Lunaris.
"If the Vice President dies... our world will fall," one of them said, sadness etched on his face as his eyes had already reddened.
"The only one who can end this madness is absent," another added quietly.
"Axel Storm... why did he have to be away at such a critical moment?"
All of them lamented.
The explosive boom that erupted as Norian was being played around reached them, only solidifying their emotions.
But just then—
CRRAAACK!
Lightning ripped through the clouds, splitting the gloomy sky in two. The sound that followed was a monstrous BOOOOM, rolling through the city like the roar of an angry god.
The suddenness made each of them tremble as they broke their focus on the battlefield and turned to the sky to witness a rare and almost heavenly phenomenon take place.
The sky that had turned gloomy and dim from the battle now reflected bright golden light, several times stronger than that of the sun even at its brightest and scorching hours.
The ethereal golden glow enveloped the sky completely, as though the blue and white clouds were now reflecting its radiance.
"Th-this..."
One of the veterans on the roof shivered, feeling nostalgic.
A scene like this had once taken place twenty years ago, on the day the strongest hero of humanity was last sighted. He remembered it perfectly because he was one of the hunters on duty that day, fighting the Lunaris during their first visit.
"Axe—"
But before he could even complete his statement, lightning flashed past the roof the high-ranking hunters had gathered on, or so they thought.
The golden lightning, or rather, the figure that moved at a speed as fast as lightning, was streaking straight toward the direction of the battle.
The hunters’ eyes fixed on that position.
Their mouths were agape and eyes widened.
Time seemed to slow in their vision, and even in that slowed perception, the figure was still fast—so fast their trained eyes could not grasp its form.
And under their speculation—
The figure struck one of the nobles.
The sound that erupted was deafening, fiercer than thunder itself.
BOOM!
The struck noble was sent rocketing toward the ground, crashing hard into the tarred road below.
A crater dozens of meters deep was instantly created, and the noble plunged straight into it, buried under dust and debris.
The hunters witnessing this were still in awe, but before they could even process what had just happened, the golden figure glitched again and appeared behind another noble, striking him down and sending him flying precisely into the same deep crater his predecessor had landed in.
And before the second noble could even land, the third followed.
In a matter of a split second, the three Lunaris nobles were defeated.
They watched, speechless.
The golden figure streaked toward the now unconscious body of Norian, which was dropping down to the ground.
He caught the body gently and flew toward the roof where the high-ranking hunters were watching.
They all watched with the same dumbfounded expression as the distance was closed in a split second.
The golden figure only slowed when he was a few meters away from them.
It drifted gently through the air.
Now that he was no longer moving at lightning speed, his appearance became clear.
Long golden hair shone fiercely as it fluttered with an ethereal rhythm.
His golden eyes, as bright as the sun, stared back at them. Those who gazed directly into them felt pulled into a new realm of reality that words could not explain.
This godly figure was draped in a casual white long sleeve over plain black pants.
Yet with the golden aura flaring around him, his attire looked divine, like that of an angel. No, even more than an angel... a god.
And most of all, this appearance was not new.
It was popular across social media.
It was printed in newspapers every day.
And on several streets, his face was plastered on gigantic billboards.
The man floating before them...
Was none other than the only seeker.
The strongest hero of humanity.
The stopper of calamities.
The human god.
Axel Storm.
The aura radiating from his body was gentle but powerful.
After seeing his face and feeling his presence, all the hunters on the roof, including Crimson, knelt.
Some even bowed their heads, trembling, as though worshiping a god.
Crimson only knelt and gazed at the figure for a long moment, her eyes sparkling before shifting to the body in his gentle grasp. Her gaze immediately twisted into sadness.
Her brother—
Norian Sterling.
He was in Axel Storm’s arms, unmoving.
His body was battered and bloodied, covered in ghastly wounds and swells.
Tears streamed from her eyes the moment she saw the state he was in.
The golden hero paused for a few seconds midair before drifting closer and gently placing Norian’s body into her outstretched hands.
He gave her a soft, reassuring nod before turning his back to her, and then his figure glitched, blasting toward the army of Lunaris now floating in the air, ready for battle.