The Monster King's Legacy

Lance's fist shot forward, and when Aldric raised his arms to block, the impact sent him skidding back, his boots carving trenches in the earth. The force of the strike rippled outward, flattening what little remained of the field in a continues fashion.

Aldric's face was a mixture of surprise and excitement. He roared with laughter. "That's more like it!"

The two clashed again, their movements blurs of motion and explosions of power and speed that shook the ground with each collision. Fists met forearms, strikes deflected strikes, and the sheer force of their exchanges sent shockwaves rolling across the land.

"Look at them!" one knight gasped, sweat beading his brow.

"Look at them? Can you still see them? Their strength… it's beyond human!"

"To think there would be a person who can match the Godking, and it would be a human… we really are blessed."

"But, he's with the monsters."

"So what? Even after building a family, a man will never forget his parents."

The field could no longer contain their battle at this moment, and predicting this, everyone had always escaped to high grounds. Massive chunks of earth broke away from surrounding mountains in several landslides, craters deep enough to swallow houses opening up, dust storms whipping into the air.

The onlookers could no longer keep up now. Even the strongest knights, commanders, and even Aelyndra, could no longer follow the bout in its entirety. Aelyndra though, was able to use some magic to give her an advantage.

As the battle reached its climax, both warriors paused, Aldric breathing heavily, while Lance's breath was relatively calm, as if he had just finished a short jog. Aldric wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, his clothes torn and tattered. Yet his eyes burned with respect and admiration.

"You're stronger than I imagined," Aldric said, his voice rough but steady.

Lance stood tall, his form seemingly immaculate compared to Aldric, save for a few tears in his sleeve. "You're not bad yourself."

Aldric chuckled, shaking his head. "Not bad? I've faced legends, Lance, and many call me a monster… But you… you might be the real monster in human form. Let's end this."

He surged forward for one last strike, his fist glowing with raw power, every ounce of his strength poured into the blow as he aimed it at Lance. Lance met him head-on, their fists colliding with an impact that seemed to shake the very heavens, the sound of it heard loud over thirty kilometres all round.

When the dust settled, a massive crater sprawled across the land, as if an asteroid had crashed into the earth. At its center lay King Aldric, sprawled on the ground, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to breathe.

Lance stood over him, calm and victorious, his clothes more disturbed this time.

A hush fell over the spectators who had to priotise shielding themselves from not only the debris, but shockwave as well. Aelyndra was smart enough to protect herself and those with her from the soundwave, so they were least affected, while some of the humans saw their ears bleeding, many losing their hearing after.

That aside, the sight of their king defeated, a man who stood above all others, shattered their understanding of power.

"He… he defeated King Aldric…"

"This Lance… is he even human?"

Two knights who appeared relatively unaffected said to themselves.

Lance extended a hand to Aldric. "You fought well, King Aldric."

Aldric stared at the offered hand for a moment before chuckling. He grasped it firmly, allowing Lance to help him up. Their gazes met, and for the first time, Aldric's voice carried no pride, only respect.

"You've earned my acknowledgment, Lance," he said. "You truly are a chosen one."

Lance smiled faintly and a bit confused. "A chosen one?"

"I'll explain in detail later." Aldric said. "That aside, you surprised me," Aldric finally said, breaking the silence. "I haven't been pushed like that in years. I knew you'd be strong, but not this strong."

Lance glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You're strong yourself, king Aldric."

Aldric laughed, a deep, hearty sound that seemed to rumble from within his chest. "Don't flatter me too much, Lance. I gave it everything I had." He said, his eyes telling a particular tale that Lance understood.

Lance shook his head. "Not quite."

Aldric turned sharply, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I held back," Lance admitted, his tone calm but serious. "Toward the end, I was using about half my strength."

For a moment, Aldric said nothing, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Half?" he repeated, his voice low. "You're telling me… you didn't fight me at full strength?"

Lance nodded. "I didn't need to. If I had, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Aldric's lips pressed into a thin line before he threw his head back and laughed again, this time with a mix of disbelief and admiration. "You really are a monster, Lance."

"It might sound humble, but I'm really just lucky, that is the truth.

"Lucky? I say you're blessed." Aldric's expression turned thoughtful as he continued. "You know, I've been alive for over three centuries, yet it's rare to meet someone like you."

Lance arched a brow. "Three centuries?"

"Yes… perhaps more." Aldric clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the horizon. "Humans are not meant to live so long after all, but due to a unique attribute, one I acquired many years ago, it extends my lifespan and preserves my strength. It has allowed me to break through the human limits… well, I did that before obtaining it, but the time it has provided me has allowed me to reach this level of strength."

Lance studied the man beside him with newfound understanding. "That explains your power."

Aldric nodded. "Even so, I've not been without struggles. There's a cost to everything."

The king's voice grew quieter as he looked Lance in the eye, changing the topic abruptly. "Lance, have you heard whispers of the ancient kingdom?"