The Stonehearted Knight

"Ready for another round?"

Hex's heart skipped a beat when he finally processed the sight before them. 

'The cat lady was defeated!'

Hex sprang to his feet and rushed back to the monolith. He didn't know how much chaotic energy it would require but he knew it would be far more than anything he channeled before, just to stand a chance.

"Interesting," Ronan laughed. He was impressed that the weak Squire was the first to recover. 

Only when they heard Ronan's chuckle, did the Knight jump to their feet. They were shivering, dreading to face a Transformation-stage Knight.

"Don't just stand there…Fight!"

Hex's shout jolted them. They immediately activated their marks.

"Excellent. Don't make it too easy for this old man," Ronan roared in laughter.

Oron's mark transformed him. He bulked, becoming beefier than ever before but unlike the previous time, it didn't only turn him muscular but also made him grow in size. He soon turned into a giant, towering above everyone else.

Streams of light wrapped around Adgar, which then converged on his back. Suddenly, a pair of wings sprouted on his back. The wings grew till they had a span twice Adgar's body length.

Orvyn didn't show any outward changes but when he slammed his palms on the floor, the entire plaza rolled like waves. It looked like a sea made of tiles and debris. 

Behind them, Hex remained vigilant. If the brown-bearded powerhouse targeted him suddenly, he would die immediately. Luckily…or unluckily, Ronan waited patiently till everyone finished their preparations. 

"Done?" He asked suddenly, proving he wanted everyone to give their best before he broke them. 

Oron was the vanguard. He roared and galloped toward Ronan. At the same time, a screech reverberated as Adgar flapped his materialized wings, taking the air. 

The distance between them wasn't great, to begin with, thus they reached Ronan in the blink of an eye. Ronan didn't even flinch facing two powerful opponents. But just as he lifted his hand to intercept Oron's fist, Orvyn manipulated the movement of the floor. 

It took a fraction of a second. The piece beneath Ronan ascended, while the one beneath Oron rolled forward. In the next instance, Oron was pushed higher, while Ronan sank, lower than the initial level of the floor. 

Bam!

Oron's fist connected with Ronan's spine, making him bend backward. Adgar didn't miss his chance. He flapped his wings and reached Ronan. With his sword in hand, he hacked the stomach area. 

'Nice work,' Hex cheered. His arms were hurting. His body held more chaotic energy at the moment than the sum of chaotic energies he had held in the past.

When he saw Adgar land his blow, he used the Flex Step to close in on Ronan. Using the second Blessing, he concentrated all the energy he could muster in his fist.

'Hit the face,' he told himself. Hex wasn't idiotic enough to believe these attacks could defeat their mighty opponent. The only thing he was fighting for was a sliver of hope, a chance to increase their odds of survival.

He directed his punch toward the center of Ronan's face. Just as his punch landed, his eyes met Ronan's. There was no pain, no hate, no joy…nothing…there was nothing in those eyes, except maybe calmness. 

BAM!

The next moment, the energy in his fist exploded upon collision. It was a massive explosion, sending shockwaves around. Hex was blasted away as a result. He didn't mind it all.

"RETREAT!"

He shouted as loudly as he could, emptying his lungs in one breath. The calm eyes had given him a sense of pressure he couldn't describe. 'This isn't someone we can defeat!'

"Well done. I am surprised. I didn't expect the weakest fist to pack the heaviest punch."

A joyful voice said as Ronan appeared from behind the debris. The eyes of the four men opened wide when they got a clear view of him. Ronan looked exactly the same as before they attacked him. There wasn't even a scratch. Not even his clothes looked wrinkled!

Hex was so shocked he didn't even notice his hand was burnt and blasted open. Blood dripped from the wound. Yet, all these didn't matter. 

'Is this what a Transformed Knight is capable of?' A sense of dread Hex never felt before overcame him. Ranks had just been numbers and names on paper. Like Knights, he considered everything above it as slightly stronger humans. 

But in front of a true powerhouse, he realized how foolish that thought had been. Even if all the Knights in their group joined, they wouldn't stand a chance against Ronan.

Oron roared and swung his massive arms like clubs. But before he could move, Ronan appeared in front of him. The miniature golden spears flew out of his robe and struck different parts of his body. Oron froze in the stance he had taken. His eyes moved but he seemed unable to move. He stood there, unable to do anything. Even his facial muscles didn't change. 

"BASTARD!"

Adgar seeing the state his friend was put into, screamed. Without any care for his own safety, he dove. Ronan smiled and flicked his sleeve. A golden light flew out, transforming into miniature golden spears.

The spears shot out. Adgar tried to fend against them by wrapping his wings around him. But it was futile. The spears struck with great power, piercing holes into his wings. The loss of wings made Adgar flail widely but he couldn't remain in the air. He slammed into the ground. The remainder of the golden spears stuck into his back, immobilizing him. 

Hex watched with a heavy heart how two Knights were taken out in a matter of seconds. He knew he didn't stand a chance and he was afraid. But Hex wasn't someone willing to go down easily. He ignored Ronan and Orvyn. He stood in front of the monolith, focussing on the chaotic energy inside it. 

The energy flowed into him. He didn't stop at one or two globs of them. He continued to suck as much as he could. His body screamed in pain. The energy was going berserk inside him. Blood trickled down his lips. But Hex looked determined. 

"What a brave young man," he heard Ronan say behind him. "A pity a stupid town's rule prevented me from making you part of our team."

With great difficulty, Hex turned to face the brown-haired man. His body was trembling. He felt as if he could explode at any moment. 

"A pity indeed," Hex said with a trembling voice. "I missed a chance to smother you in your sleep."

"Haha. You are a lively one. There is still time. Join us. You can't stop the coming of a new dawn." Ronan said with a smile on his face. He looked sincere. 

Hex smiled in return as his black eyes started to fill with specks of golden light.

"I don't know about a new dawn but there is no stopping THAT blazing sun!" Hex laughed, pointing behind Ronan. 

Ronan had already sensed the rising disturbance. He turned quickly and looked toward the arena.

Above the dark arena, a figure was rising in the air. He shone brighter than the morning sun as his golden hair waved wildly. His blazing eyes looked right at them. Like the sun, it was far yet appeared close. 

Hex and even Ronan watched in shock as the arena started to dissipate by the wind. It looked as if it had turned into dust. 

The next moment the baron disappeared and appeared beside Hex. His golden light sent a warmth through Hex. His golden eyes sent a shiver through Ronan.