The stream was still ongoing as the two beings slowly descended to the ground.
Kyle quickly noticed something unusual.
The space around him was subtly warping.
It was the same sensation he always felt whenever he was teleported to the Temple.
So it wasn’t the place.
It was them.
His gaze settled on the pair, and the first thought that crossed his mind was that they were merely wearing human skin.
Nothing about their expressions felt human.
The savage hunger in their eyes, the unrestrained ferocity etched across their faces, it was the look of predators who existed for battle alone.
The man on the left was lean, somewhere in his early forties. His crimson eyes burned with madness as ragged breaths escaped his lips. Thick veins bulged across his neck, mirroring those of his companion.
The other man was taller and younger, his head completely shaved. His broad, muscular frame resembled that of a seasoned powerlifter, every inch of him built for overwhelming force.
Beyond their monstrous demeanor and the strange distortion surrounding them, they shared one unmistakable trait.
Killing intent.
It poured from them without restraint, as though they could hardly wait to tear him apart.
Kyle tightened every muscle in his body but never took his eyes off them.
"What’s stopping you?" he asked calmly.
Meanwhile, Kyle had already activated God’s Eye, silently evaluating the two before him.
"To decide who gets to hunt you," the leaner man replied. His voice was ragged, each word scraping against his throat.
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
"Then why not attack together? This is an ambush, isn’t it? Why waste time deciding now?"
He had no idea whether he could face both of them at once.
Still, Ethara’s blessing coursed through his body, and he wasn’t alone. Dozens of powerful instructors and guards surrounded the area. That alone gave him enough confidence to stand his ground.
"Because unlike you," the taller man said, "we have our pride."
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Kyle’s.
"This will be a duel."
"A battle to the death."
The words clashed with the savage aura they radiated, yet neither of them sounded like they were joking.
"Hmm? Who sent you?" Kyle asked, stalling for time while the system completed its assessment.
He hadn’t expected an answer.
To his surprise, the leaner man spoke without hesitation.
"We are servants of Lord Skaar."
"Our lord desires only one thing."
"Your head."
Kyle’s expression darkened.
So they really were apostles.
The very kind Aleda had warned him about.
[Scan complete.]
[Strength: 40
Speed: 38
Endurance: 41
Intelligence: 25]
[Host, their energy levels are rapidly rising. At this rate, their vessels may not be able to withstand the strain. Drawing out the battle would be the ideal course of action.]
It seemed their patron had no regard for the lives of his apostles.
All that mattered was taking Kyle’s head.
Kyle took a few slow steps back, never taking his eyes off them.
"Well," he said, "I hope you’ve made up your minds."
He slowly clenched his fist, the sound of his knuckles tightening echoing in the tense silence.
"Because my patience wears thin very quickly."
"Yeah, fuck it!" the taller one roared as he lunged forward.
Kyle retreated the instant the attack came. He slipped past the punch aimed at his head, then smoothly avoided the follow-up wrist grab without wasting a single movement.
The man slammed a foot into the ground and sprang into the air, driving a kick toward Kyle’s chest.
Kyle deflected it with the back of his forearm and immediately lowered his head.
An ice lance tore through the space where his face had been a heartbeat earlier.
"Hmm?"
Kyle glanced over his shoulder.
The lance had pierced straight through a stone statue before frost rapidly spread across its surface, sealing it in a shell of ice.
His gaze shifted back to the attacker.
Thin wisps of freezing mist escaped the Apostle’s lips, while frost clung to the corner of his mouth.
A grin slowly spread across the Apostle’s face.
"You are good at dodging."
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
God’s Eye revealed something... strange.
’System? Why is his heart slowing down like that?’
[Host, the target’s body is nothing more than a puppet now. His patron is forcing it to keep fighting, squeezing out everything for this final battle.]
Pitiful.
Truly pitiful.
But Kyle was not the kind of man who would throw away his own life out of sympathy.
He lowered his stance and slipped past the next two ice lances with practiced precision.
The Apostle refused to relent.
He reached into his own mouth and slowly drew out an unnaturally long spear of ice. The jagged weapon scraped against his throat, tearing flesh as blood trickled from the corners of his lips.
Yet all Kyle heard was laughter.
The Apostle charged.
"Foolish."
Aquilla materialized in Kyle’s hand, and an arrow shot forward like a streak of light.
Thunk
A wall of ice erupted in front of the Apostle.
No chant or preparation.
Just pure manifestation.
The arrow buried itself in the barrier, failing to halt his advance.
"Tch!"
Kyle sprang backward just as the Apostle drove the spear into the earth.
Crackle!
The ground exploded.
Jagged ice spikes burst upward in rapid succession, racing after Kyle’s every step.
He was forced to retreat again and again, each leap barely keeping him ahead of the relentless wave of frozen death.
On his final leap, the snow beneath his feet erupted, throwing up a dense cloud of powder.
"Agh... this is freezing my nos... woah!"
Kyle’s pupils shrank.
God’s Eye caught it just in time.
A fist was already inches from his face.
The force behind the punch tore through the snow cloud, scattering it in an instant.
For a single heartbeat, their eyes met.
Then the system chimed.
[Host, the target’s physical strength is now comparable to yours, with the exception of intelligence. Their circuits are swelling under the strain of excessive Genesis. Eliminate the target before they explode and cause unnecessary destruction.]
Kyle clicked his tongue as his boots carved a long trail across the frozen ground before finally coming to a stop.
His gaze settled on the Apostle.
The man’s skin had turned deathly pale. Frost coated his unnaturally wide mouth, while torrents of Genesis poured from every pore, cloaking his body in a blazing golden aura.
His body was breaking apart.
Yet he continued to grin.
’Okay... fuck it.’
King’s Dominion.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a review to help the future readers.