The path was quiet but tension hung thick in the air as two of the Shadow Monarch's most loyal soldiers stood a distance from the successor of the Dragon Monarch.
"Are you the Monarch?" Beru asked, the ant's aura flaring.
Minho raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "A talking ant? That's new."
"Are you the Monarch?" Beru repeated.
Minho frowned. He brought up the system.
[Pop-up Quest 2: Avoid a fight with the Shadow Monarch as much as possible!]
The objective hadn't dropped. Was the Shadow Monarch around here watching? Or was fighting with his subordinates no different to the system?
Igris raised his sword, lightning crackling around it as he pointed it at Minho. With a speed that even Minho barely registered, the shadow knight soared above him, ready to strike.
Minho smiled. "Avoid..." He muttered. "I guess I'll pass."
Igris's sword came down for Minho, but in the last second, flame erupted from Minho's hand as he summoned Hell's Blade, blocking Igris's attack in loud CLANG!
The shadow knight threw himself behind Minho and landed smoothly, and without giving a breathing space, he lunged at Minho again.
Minho didn't wait, he met Igris halfway and the clash of swords began. Minho wasn't a swordsman to begin with, so he was deeply in the defensive against a Veteran who'd fought for a eons.
He managed to force Igris's sword back and he used the swing to spin himself, delivering a full fledged reverse stomp to the shadow knight's chest, sending it skidding back.
He was about to lunge when his Predator's Instinct yelled at him to dodge. He barely tilted his head as Beru's claw passed harmlessly past his face. He leapt back to gain distance.
'They're both matching up to my speed,' Minho thought. 'Individually.'
Both shadow soldiers lunged at him. Minho waved his hand, sending a gust of crimson fire their way, but his eyes widened a fraction.
Beru had dodged and was coming from above while Igris was behind him, sword drawn back for a power strike. When did they even get there?
He needed a last ditch escape move, and his mind delivered. He drew back a foot and quickly drove Hell's Blade into the ground and used it as a wedge to push himself into a horizontal spin.
Igris's slash went neatly under and Beru's attack went wide above. Immediately his first leg touched the ground, Minho shot his body back up, twisting to give Beru a sickening back heel to head, that sent it into the ground. On second landing, he read Igris's attack and feinted left, making the knight change his footing, then he quickly turned right, his grip on Hell's Blade tightening.
In one fluid motion, he removed the sword and slashed off Igris's arm. Then he did a backflip to make space between them.
The dust cleared as Beru stood up, half of its face gone, but the shadows started to creep back in, restoring the ant's face. Igris picked up the sword as his arm started to return.
"What the hell?" Minho muttered in awe. "Did they just regenerate?"
The amount of mana coming from the two shadow soldiers suddenly skyrocketed. Minho's grip on Hell's Blade loosened a bit. Were they just testing him all along or something?
Beru lifted of the ground, wings flapping. "You… are not the Monarch? But why do you have the same aura?"
"Huh?" Minho tilted his head.
Igris dragged his sword as he walked to towards Minho, each step faster than the last as he blitzed forward. Their swords clashed, sending sparks flying. Without having pulled back, Beru went for him from above.
Minho blocked off each strike the duo brought, but it was too overwhelming and at some point he felt like he was loosing in a battle of speed against them. This reminded him of his inferiority against Rathalos during their confrontation.
He gritted his teeth, his sword engulfing in flames as he did a roundhouse slash, sending the attackers back.
"Where is Antares?" Beru questioned.
'There it is again. That name...' Minho thought. 'The Dragon King was a Monarch as well, huh?'
"Or are you his slave?" Beru added.
"Huh?" Minho blinked. Every sound around him faded. Slave? Slave? Did a talking ant just call him a slave? "How easy is it to call someone a slave, you shitty overgrown ant? Don't cause a commotion. Don't drag innocent people into this. All that bullshit to be called a slave?" Minho muttered, his grip tightening around Hell's Blade, causing the flame around it to roar and increase.
[Aura Of A Monarch Activated!]
[Draconic Sixth Sense now passive!]
[Achievement!
- You have used your willpower countlessly to break your thresholds. It is now an active Skill!]
[New Skill (Created): Will Of Destruction (Active)!]
Igris and Beru readied themselves. Minho's aura grew stronger, to an extent where people from the main city road could feel the pressure.
"You are not the Monarch," Beru said. "But you are already as annoying as he is. I will return to my Liege with your hea—"
Beru didn't complete it, before instinctively twisting his body as shadow passed by him. His hand was cut off, "Mm, what speed. But this is nothing compared to that of My Liege. Not even close to that of the Monarch you reek of."
Minho stood behind them now. They stood in a tense triangle, backs to each other, the air crackling with energy.
Beru's hand regenerated. "I let my guard down—"
"Hey," Minho's voice came in, deeply annoyed. He glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were vertical, crimson slits that did nothing to hide his anger. "Don't care who the hell your liege or Antares is…" He trailed.
The aura of the shadow soldiers surged.
"Call me a slave and I'll mess you up." He completed. "Even if I have to do it a hundred times."