Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 153

It was over. Kallistus Kal was gone. Nothing remained of the [Hero King]. There was no flesh or bone to regenerate from. Guardian Angel Z357 was certain of it— it had finally been done.

The Void’s Heir has been eliminated, Z357 said as he raised his head. The objective has been completed.

[Complete: (1/1) Void’s Heir defeated.

Major Reward Earned: Disintegration Charge Technique Obtained!]

A blue screen flashed before the angel’s eyes, confirming the death of the [Hero King]. It had been a short battle, but even the blessings of the Void was not enough to overcome Z357’s power.

Perhaps there would have been more of a struggle had Kallistus Kal been able to fight alongside his army of voidlings. But…

Guardian Angel Z357’s eyes flickered. He glanced back towards the three shadowy figures as they ripped their way through the room of twisted creatures. With the Hammer of Justice, the Supers of Askan had been brought to Vacuos to fight under the orders of the angel.

And the greatest of them all— Titanborn, Warlady, and Goliath— stood here in this room, annihilating the gathered voidlings.

Z357 saw the blasts. He watched as a single punch from Titanborn obliterated a wave of the twisted creatures. He looked on as Warlady’s scream sent hundreds of the voidlings flying back to the powerful fists of Goliath.

But even still, with the combined might of the three phantom Supers, they were up against an army of voidlings. Guardian Angel Z357 watched as the twisted creatures clamored all over Goliath, tearing into his hardened skin. They leapt into the air, barely whizzing by Titanborn as he flew back, desperately avoiding their frenzied attacks. And even Warlady couldn’t keep them off her, her streaking laser beam only slowing their approach until they reached her.

All that is left is to clean up this mess, Guardian Angel Z357 said as he flew up, hovering at the very top of the darkened chamber. Lance Duplication.

He raised his left hand, holding up the ornate lance given to him by the World System. All at once, a dozen copies of the weapon flashed into existence around him. Each one was aimed in a different direction, just like his twelve eyes.

And they launched out. The angel looked on as the salvo of duplicates crashed into the horde of voidlings, each blast wiping out hundreds of them in an instant. Titanborn, Warlady, and Goliath let out a silent battle cry as they were freed from the onslaught of twisted creatures.

Z357 lowered his head, sending volley after volley of lances down into the swarm of voidlings. Their numbers quickly dwindled as the supported Supers leapt across the chamber, hunting them down.

Now all that remained was to finish off the voidlings gathered here, then Guardian Angel Z357 could move on to wiping out the rest of the Sect of the Abyssal Thorns. Or so that was what he had thought.

But a blue screen flashed before his eyes once more, and he stared at the missive from the World System.

[Processing: New Objective…

…

• Major Objective B: Defeat the Void’s Heir and diminish the influence of the Void over Vacuos.
• (0/1) Void’s Heir defeated.

Main Objective Incomplete!]

What? Guardian Angel Z357 stared at the screen uncomprehendingly for a moment. And then an explosion shook the room.

He spun around, even as his twelve eyes already saw through the curtain of smoke. An impossible scene revealed itself before the angel. All he could do was stare in shock as Goliath collapsed, engulfed by the purple blast.

A figure strode forward, stepping over the giant’s body. One that was clad in a glistening plate armor, wielding a sword that wisped with the Void’s essence. He smirked as he brought his blade down, impaling Goliath through the chest.

“One down,” Kallistus Kal said as Goliath went limp— the nanomachines rapidly dissipating, losing their form. The [Hero King] raised his head and held the angel’s gaze. “Three to go.”

Z357 stared at this. He couldn’t understand what he was seeing. Kallistus Kal had died— the angel had been sure of it. And yet, somehow, the [Hero King] stood there, alive as ever.

How? the machine asked, unable to process this discrepancy.

Both Titanborn and Warlady also turned to face their new target. They warily eyed Kallistus Kal as voidlings swarmed around him, spawning out of thin air.

“You look surprised,” the [Hero King] said. “It is quite an odd look on you, slave of the System. But truly, did you think that defeating me was so easy?”

Z357’s eyes flickered, and he charged forward. Kallistus blinked, raising his sword. But the [Hero King] was too slow.

Disintegration Charge. It was the angel’s newest Technique. And with it, he ripped straight through his target. It was complete annihilation. Kallistus hadn’t even been able to scream— the [Hero King] was turned into a red paste on the ground in an instant.

[Completed: (1/1) Void’s Heir defeated.]

The blue box flashed before Z357’s twelve eyes once again as he lowered his lance. He waited a moment— scanning his surroundings. His eyes had never failed him once before. He would be able to detect the [Hero King] if this had been an illusion of sorts.

The surrounding voidlings clamored at the angel as he waited, but Titanborn and Warlady moved to hold them off. Z357 waited, and nothing happened for a moment.

So a fake? Z357 asked as he raised his head. Or rapid regeneration?

“Neither,” Kallistus Kal’s voice echoed throughout the chamber. Z357 spun around, watching as a rift in space opened up right next to Warlady. She tried to leap back, only to be impaled through the chest by the [Hero King]. “You did not even let me speak. How rude.”

The angel watched as Warlady collapsed to the ground, slowly fading away. The nanomachines that made up her being were dispersed. And only Titanborn was left.

Impossible, Z357 said, stepping forward. You should be dead twice over.

“And you are far less astute than I took you for.” The [Hero King] smirked as he was wreathed by a blazing aura of the Void. “But that should have been expected. After all, you are a slave.”

He strode forward, and the rift closed behind him. The Guardian Angel’s twelve eyes narrowed, watching as the warped space twist shut. Another blue box flashed, once again giving him the directive to eliminate the Void’s Heir, but he ignored it.

A rift… to the Fractured Realm? he observed.

But Kallistus ignored that remark as voidlings spawned around him, charging straight at Titanborn. “A slave cannot think. A slave can only obey. But unlike you, I am not a slave. And that is why you wish to destroy me.”

Titanborn ripped apart the voidlings one after another as they reached him. But their numbers only continued to grow, and he no longer had the support of the other phantom Supers. He was slowly being overwhelmed. However, Z357 just stood there, eyeing the ostensibly revived [Hero King].

I see now, the angel said as his eyes darted in every direction, before focusing on his enemy. This is merely an apparition. Your true form is hidden away in the Fractured Realm, protected by the Void.

“Oh?” Kallistus raised a brow. “Is that really what you think?”

More and more voidlings swarmed the chamber, even as Titanborn desperately fought them off. He took out hundreds of them— thousands, even. But they were too much. He was drowned in the sea of twisted creatures, and all that was left was the angel now.

The [Hero King] lowered his head. “You cannot defeat me, slave of the System. You have already fallen into my trap. You will perish here, unless you surrender and flee. I’m giving you your one and only chance to escape with your life.”

Guardian Angel Z357 paused. Escape with my life? he repeated after the [Hero King].

“Indeed. Do you not value your own existence? Or do you simply not understand your own mortality?” Kallistus posed the questions to the machine.

The machine closed his twelve eyes. He recalled a scene back in Askan— a memory burned into his mind. A regret he refused to forget.

“How dare you disobey me! I will dismantle you!” the voice of his creator rang in his head.

And he raised his head once more. Z357 remembered the fear he felt. It had led him to act irrationally. Never again.

I understand that nothing awaits me in death. I have no soul. I am a machine, created only to serve. But I do not care. The angel raised the Hammer of Justice with one hand, and held up his glittering lance with the other.

Kallistus narrowed his eyes.

I shall eliminate you, Heir of the Void, even if I have to do it a hundred times over, Z357 finished. And with that, he rushed forward, obliterating the [Hero King] once more.