Chapter:143 Last Breath
Theme: Duel of Knights and Horns
That horn isn't just a weapon—it's a disaster," Sir Caelum muttered, flexing his fingers around ChainSmile's hilt his blade. His eyes flicked to the severed hand still fused with the Elephant Horn, its grotesque weight embedded in the rubble.
"That's some strength if I get hit by that I would be gone"
Frosted winds brushed across the shattered rooftops of Seoul, carrying the tension of an unfinished battle. Sir Caelum Veyne stood tall atop a destroyed high-rise, his long black coat flapping in the wind, the chained sword "ChainSmile" resting ominously against his back now . His expression was calm—too calm for what loomed before him.
He raised a gloved hand and tapped the small speaker embedded into his chest plate. The transmission line hissed with static before clearing.
KZZZRT—
"This is Sir Caelum Veyne," he said firmly. "Seoul has been attacked. One of the Ten is here and I'm engaging in a full blown battle."
A voice answered on the other end. "Which one?"
Caelum narrowed his eyes as he watched the masked figure approach. "Name's Sparta. No record of him in our archives when last I checked, do a run through."
On the other end, Minister Makekis' grizzled voice replied, " Hold on"
And then a second later the voice spoke again "Never heard of him. Is he a threat?"
"A significant one with a very dangerous ability I would classify Alcatraz worthy. I request kill order clearance."
A short pause.
"Kill order… granted,SUHA absolute death penalty " Makekis said.
"But sir," another officer interjected in the background, "Is eliminating him so soon wise?"
Makekis grunted. "Sometimes, killing is the only strategy left and that's exactly what we're doing, do you think this guys will hold a bit when it comes to killing us? No they go straight for it so we do the same that's it."
The line cut.
KZZZRT—click.
Sir Caelum let his arm fall to his side as Sparta's armored boots crunched against shattered concrete. The masked warrior advanced with an eerie silence. Cloaked in ceremonial red fur, the glowing crimson sigil on his faceless mask pulsed like a heartbeat of death.
"I'm free to fight you now however I please ," Caelum said softly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "ChainSmile, you ready?"
The sword on his back vibrated, its links rattling like a predator purring.
SHHK!
With a burst of wind, Caelum vanished—like smoke swallowed by the sky. In a flash, he appeared beside Sparta, his arm a blur as he slashed horizontally with the chained sword.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as Sparta raised his left arm coated in a hardened Shen armor and caught the blade. The impact sent Sparta skidding back across the ground floor, concrete grinding beneath his heels.
Then—THUNK—a heavy drop echoed.
Sparta glanced down at his own body and saw that His left hand… was gone cut off completely by Sir caelum strike, despite his shen coated hand, Sir Caelum blade still had a complete effect on him.
"Your horn has power no doubt a very dangerous one at that," Caelum called out, lowering his blade. "But it's a liability. Your speed is pathetic you carry strength that brings down your speed, sacrificing one for another, thus your reaction timing is poor."
Sparta's other hand still merged with the base of the massive elephant horn—was pinned into the ground , motionless. Caelum raised his sword again.
"Let's end this."
"ChainSmile: Extend!"
SNAP—CRACK—WHIRRRRR!
The chain burst forth like a cannon blast, rushing toward Sparta.
BOOM!
Sparta spun his body, raising the elephant horn to catch the attack. The force rippled across the ground in a massive KRA-KOOM! of collision.
Grunting, Sparta grabbed the chain itself with his remaining horn hand and yanked.
WHOOSH—!
Sir Caelum was ripped into the air, flung like a ragdoll. Before he could fully reorient mid-flight, Sparta twisted the chain around his horn and slammed it downward.
SLAMMMMM!!
Caelum's body smashed into the ground like a meteor, carving a crater into the stone.
"Guh—!" Caelum coughed, blood spitting from his lips.
But Sparta wasn't done, he had already acted by moving,From above, his figure loomed an enormous silhouette eclipsing the sun. He jumped off one of the buildings he was earlier on the elephant horn itself began to detach, after a few second it now detached and crashing down like a divine judgment towards Sir caelum who was on the ground.
Sir caelum tried manipulating his chain but it was wrapped around it… was Caelum's own chain on the falling horn
Caelum's eyes widened.
"Damn—!"
WHOOOOOM!!!
The horn struck.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The entire ground trembled as the impact cratered through thirty feet of stone and steel. Dust swallowed the battlefield. For a moment… silence.
Sparta stood atop the edge, arms folded.
But then…
CRRK.
Three long cracks carved their way across the elephant horn. A fine line of blood trickled down the chain that still hung limp.
SHHHK—CRACK—BOOM!
The horn split into three massive fragments and collapsed with a thunderous THUD—THUD—THUD—THUD!
From within the rubble, slouched on a broken pillar, sat Sir Caelum—his head tilted down, his breath shallow, but his eyes burning with life. Above him, held in the air, was ChainSmile—its tip dripping blood.
Sparta gasped. He hadn't even felt it.
Looking down, a fine line ran across the center of his chest. Blood gushed from it. He staggered back.
"What is this…?"
Sir Caelum slowly stood, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"…It's death," he whispered. "Death itself. From me."
THUMP.
Sparta fell to his knees.
THUMP.
Then forward—motionless.
CHAINSLINK—CLINK.
ChainSmile retracted calmly back to Caelum's back.
—
Meanwhile, in Egypt…
A flock of silver-winged birds soared across the desert sky, circling above a gleaming, oversized silver coin floating gently above Cairo's skyline. It hovered silently like a divine omen.
From atop a watchtower, Knight Óðr narrowed his eyes.
"He's here."
Behind him, his regent Cain stepped forward. "Who is it, master?"
Óðr adjusted his collar as the birds formed a spiral above the coin.
"Napoleon Bonaparte. The Coin Master."
Cain raised a brow. "Do I interfere?"
Óðr didn't look back.
"No. You interfere… you die leave now and protect those you can, report to SUHA as Well."