ttznovel Chapter 139: When Kings Fall (1)
Chapter 139: When Kings Fall (1)
The hunters attacked all at once, surrounding the Iron Demon from every direction, and that move unsettled Jackson more than anyone.
A single direct hit from the demon was enough to kill most of them instantly.
Yet despite that, they still chose to fight Him at close range.
"You idiots!! You just threw your lives away!!"
Jackson gritted his teeth and did everything in his power to draw the Iron Demon’s attention toward himself.
He was the only one capable of matching Him head-on.
Even so, he still couldn’t fully contain Him.
The moment the hunters closed in, the demon swung His massive fists wildly, attacking all of them indiscriminately.
The first blows targeted Moon and Gustav, who stood at the front lines.
The speed behind those attacks was monstrous, enough to crush both of them before they could even react.
But the bearer of the Phoenix blessing bent her body with astonishing flexibility, narrowly slipping past the strike, while Gustav redirected the fist’s trajectory with his greatsword, barely avoiding a fatal blow.
The instant they survived the first exchange, neither of them dared push any further.
They retreated immediately.
Ethan and Raiden took their place instead.
The former used the Wise Raven’s Insight to read through the demon’s movements, while the latter relied on a massive shield to absorb and lessen the impact of incoming attacks.
Barely.
They could barely avoid even a single strike from the Iron Demon while He was occupied fighting Jackson.
Yet through constant switching and coordinated movement, they somehow managed to survive, repeatedly alternating positions to keep drawing the demon’s attention away.
At last, Jackson understood what they were trying to do.
’They’re distracting Him... trying to create an opening.’
The Iron Demon wasn’t intelligent.
He fought more like a savage beast driven purely by instinct, which made baiting and misleading Him possible.
Getting close was still suicidal.
But surviving His random attacks was achievable as long as Jackson kept Him occupied and endured most of the pressure himself.
’This plan... might actually work!’
Jackson’s eyes ignited.
He unleashed a relentless barrage of thunderous punches toward different parts of the demon’s body while enduring an equal number of attacks in return, relying on his golden Aura Armor and the Giant’s Heart blessing to survive.
The Iron Demon’s arms were massive, almost golem-like in size.
Every punch He threw carried terrifying weight behind it.
And even Jackson, with that monstrous tempered body of his, had limits.
That was precisely why the other hunters stepped in despite the risk to their lives.
The mages drowned the battlefield in a storm of fire spells.
Though the flames slowed Him slightly, the actual damage remained negligible.
To truly injure Him with fire, they needed direct hits that bypassed the demon’s armor.
The battle turned into a frantic exchange of blows between Jackson and the Iron Demon, while the hunters repeatedly rushed in and out, testing the limits of how close they could get without being killed instantly.
As time passed, the rhythm of the battle became repetitive.
Without realizing it, the Iron Demon gradually stopped treating the hunters behind Him as threats.
To Him, only Jackson remained dangerous enough to matter.
And because of that subconscious shift...
He became careless.
A tiny opening appeared.
Small.
Brief.
But enough for one particular huntress who had been waiting patiently for it.
Moon Heart lunged forward once again, switching places with Ethan as he retreated and opened the path for her.
She slipped past the demon’s fist with astonishing agility.
But instead of retreating afterward...
Moon pressed the attack.
Completely shattering the established rhythm.
Phoenix flames erupted around her, condensing into her sword in enormous quantities.
Then she drove the blade deep beneath the Iron Demon’s arm, into one of the few places untouched by armor.
Her burning sword pierced through His rotten flesh successfully, injecting blazing fire directly inside His body.
The Iron Demon released a savage howl filled with pain and fury as He instantly turned toward her.
Smoke erupted from beneath His arm while the flesh there burned black.
He roared at Moon and attacked her directly, intent on tearing her apart.
But He never reached her.
Jackson seized the opportunity the moment Moon attacked.
The giant hunter leapt onto the demon’s back and wrapped both arms around His neck with all his strength, locking Him in place.
The Iron Demon’s neck was exposed too.
One of His weaknesses.
Jackson tightened his grip mercilessly.
The demon immediately began smashing him against walls and buildings, striking him again and again in an attempt to shake him off.
But the giant hunter clung to Him like glue.
No matter how violently the demon struggled, Jackson refused to let go.
"Now, Phoenix bearer!! Burn Him!!"
Jackson shouted while blood streamed from his nose, enduring the demon’s relentless attacks through sheer stubbornness alone.
Moon seized the opening instantly.
She leapt upward gracefully and thrust her sword forward with everything she had.
The sharp edge pierced straight through the Iron Demon’s right eye through a gap in His iron helmet with terrifying precision.
Flames exploded directly inside His skull.
The demon unleashed a horrifying scream louder than anything before, thrashing violently in an attempt to break free from Jackson’s hold.
He smashed through buildings, crushed Jackson against the ground repeatedly, and rammed him through walls over and over.
But the giant’s grip never loosened.
Blood poured from Jackson’s nose, mouth...
Even his eyes.
Yet still, he refused to release Him.
"Struggle all you want!! You’re not escaping my grip as long as these arms are still attached to my body!!"
By restraining the monster like this, Jackson turned the Iron Demon into a perfect target for the other hunters.
Though at the same time, it exposed Jackson himself to catastrophic damage he couldn’t withstand forever.
Moon Heart made perfect use of the opportunity.
She bombarded the Iron Demon with rapid sword strikes, targeting every unarmored section she could reach.
She wanted to blind Him completely by destroying His remaining eye.
But the demon shielded it with His arm, making it nearly impossible to hit.
So instead, she focused her flames everywhere else.