A Saiyan's Journey

As members summoned by the "Army of the King," they were without exception heroic spirits—although lacking classes and unable to wield Noble Phantasms, their strength far exceeded that of ordinary humans.

However, against Zuke, sheer numbers held no advantage. No matter how many there were, they couldn't even break Zuke's defense, rendering their efforts meaningless.

What's more, Zuke currently possessed the ability of the "Utopian Ideal Beyond the World," allowing him to instantly recover from injuries—even though he hadn't had the chance to use this ability yet.

Boom!

With a casual punch, Zuke shattered a warrior who had swung a sword at his neck from the side, reducing both the warrior's armor and body to dust.

Zuke refrained from using large-scale clearing techniques because he knew that doing so would leave not even a trace of Iskandar.

He had no interest in the army of ordinary heroic spirits, but Iskandar was a different matter. Zuke intended to devour him with the "Black Bird" and couldn't allow him to perish incompletely.

"Ora-ra-ra-ra!"

Fortunately, Zuke didn't have to wait long. Accompanied by a battle cry, Iskandar charged on horseback toward Zuke, bringing his sword down with a mighty slash.

Zuke didn't bother dodging. He swung his fists to both sides, smashing two soldiers into fragments before letting Iskandar's sword strike directly atop his head.

Clang!

A metallic sound echoed as Iskandar's sharp blade struck Zuke's head. Zuke remained unscathed, while a notch appeared in the sword.

"I thought you'd stay safely at the rear of your army, yet here you are, charging at the frontlines yourself," Zuke remarked, smiling as he looked up at the burly Iskandar, the sword still resting on his head.

"If you had done that, perhaps you could've lived a little longer."

"Hahaha! As a king, I must fight alongside my soldiers! If a king fears battle, how can his soldiers follow him into one?!"

Though his attacks were ineffective, Iskandar's spirit remained undiminished. Grabbing a longsword handed over by a nearby soldier, he swung at Zuke again.

This time, Zuke didn't let him attack freely. While Iskandar's strength couldn't pierce Zuke's defenses, his presence here served Zuke's purpose.

"That's enough, Iskandar. The reason I avoided a large-scale attack earlier was to avoid harming you."

Before Iskandar could complete his next swing, Zuke casually raised a hand, grabbing his wrist and halting his movement entirely.

"But now that you're in front of me, I can safely proceed with clearing the field."

"What did you say?"

Iskandar froze, confused by Zuke's words. After all, who protects the enemy's king in the middle of battle?

Iskandar understood the concept of "capturing the king to win the battle," yet Zuke didn't seem intent on eliminating him.

Unbeknownst to him, Zuke's "Black Bird" aimed to consume his body and acquire his abilities.

"Since you've delivered yourself to me, let's have you stay up there for a while."

Gripping Iskandar's arm, Zuke casually flung him skyward. Iskandar felt a sudden sense of weightlessness as his body soared into the air.

He was thrown so high that the battlefield and Zuke below appeared as tiny as ants.

"Chains of Heaven (Enkidu)!"

Golden ripples appeared around Iskandar, and before he could react, countless golden chains shot out, binding his body tightly.

The chains ruthlessly restrained Iskandar, suspending him midair, far from the center of the desert battlefield below.

"What?! These chains… Do they suppress divinity?!" Iskandar's heart sank as he felt his abilities diminish. He quickly realized that the "E" level divinity in his body was to blame.

In some myths, he was said to be the son of Zeus, granting him minimal divinity as a Heroic Spirit.

The Chains of Heaven, designed to bind gods, exerted a suppressive effect on Iskandar, leaving him powerless to break free.

"That should keep him from being affected by the next wave of attacks," Zuke muttered, looking up at the suspended Iskandar with satisfaction. As he did, more weapons struck him, but he remained unharmed.

"Time to clear the field. This is the first time I'll use this move."

Planting his feet firmly, Zuke unleashed a terrifying surge of energy, instantly blasting away the soldiers surrounding him.

"Blasting away" might be an understatement. Those closest to Zuke were shattered into fragments by the sheer force of his energy.

The spectacle caused the soldiers to freeze momentarily, instinctively looking to the sky-bound Iskandar for commands.

But Zuke gave them no chance to respond. With his hands at his sides, fingers curved, and wrists pressed together, he began to gather energy.

"Ka…"

A fearsome aura condensed in his palms. Even the soldiers unfamiliar with the concept of "energy" could feel its destructive power.

"Me…"

The energy grew to its peak, emitting a blinding light as it was compressed within Zuke's hands.

"Ha…"

The shadow of death loomed over everyone below, and Iskandar finally understood why Zuke had gone to such lengths to protect his body.

"Me…HA!"

Zuke thrust his hands forward, releasing the fully charged energy in a devastating beam.

The blast vaporized everything in its path, melting soldiers into nothingness before colliding with the desert center.

Boom!

A blinding white light erupted, the aftermath of massive energy release. In an instant, the army of the King was completely engulfed, their bodies disintegrated in the blink of an eye.

The energy surge didn't stop there, shaking the desert violently and even cracking the illusory sky above.

"The Reality Marble… it's breaking apart."

Suspended in the sky, Iskandar gazed at the crumbling heavens, utterly shaken.

To be continued…

Advance 50 chapters are up on my Patreon!

pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus