Chapter 73
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[In the Gorun Stadium]
The downpour of blood-red demonic energy gradually began to peter out.
It revealed the blue dome of protective energy still intact, albeit flickering and spotted with paper-thin segments across the surface that looked like they would shatter at the slightest impact.
Beneath the sheer layer of mana, rubble and debris were seen from the aftermath of the blast which shook the foundations of the second most secure area in the entire city.
The various people in the field and compound were coughing from the dust, some injured while others were already unconscious from the violent shaking that reverberated through the entire building.
Meanwhile, the portal area was still vibrating heavily as the white-robed, evil looking Wesley slowly appeared with a wicked smile on his face.
Blood dripped from his lips, chest and hands; blood that was not his own, but from the 50 odd senior cultivators he had slain and drained the blood of. He posed a terrifying figure in his white robes painted red, a slaughterer let loose upon the unsuspecting world.
Most striking of all were his eyes - turned completely black without any sclera, the whites of his eyes swallowed up by his unnaturally dark and large pupils.
He looked up in the direction of the heavy and strong auras he sensed, then noticed also the strongest aura of all heading over in the direction of the stadium, then flicked his sleeves. Then he smiled as his figure turned into a blur and disappeared.
And reappeared in the midst of the testing fields, among the gathered crowds of previously ecstatic and excited contestants and ground crew.
His appearance drew the sharp gazes of General Weres, Sefir Roth Estreya, Lina Sarouneh, Yusof Jamal and Gaius Trenel.
As well as Lars' attention.
'That man... Kizorik, looks like you were right...'
'Yeah kiddo!! Bloody devils!! Always trying to enslave us demons!! You better stay awa-- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!??!? ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME??? DON'T GET INVOLVED!!!!! JUST GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!!'
Lars vanished from the stretcher he lay on right before the distracted paramedics who did not even notice their burden was gone. They continued running with their eyes fixed on the centre of the disturbance nearby, the white-robed and evil looking Wesley.
Meanwhile, the determined young man quickly retreated behind a corner and started changing his clothes and appearance with whatever materials he had nearby - spare robes, dirt and grim and by cutting and dyeing his hair with soot and ashes. He quickly finished up and lay in wait, watching and observing.
Now it was time to spot the opportunity to move.
* * * * *
At the same moment, the surrounding crowds who had been trembling in fear and shouting in panic in the aftermath of the demonic phenomena and attack from the sky suddenly felt a different sort of fear. They could feel the change in the atmosphere despite not knowing what it was that had just happened nor the fact that an apex predator had just entered their midst.
They did not even know in their conscious minds that death had come for them, yet their eyes were instinctively drawn towards a certain figure standing amongst them - even as those same instincts screamed at them only one thing.
RUN.
But their voices froze in their throats and their legs were paralysed as the Abyssal figure in white cleared his throat with an *AHEM*.
Then he spoke resoundingly, announcing his intentions to the entire city with a booming voice that was as piercing as a clarion's call.
"DESPICABLE LIFEFORMS OF THE CORPOREAL REALM! I, ABYSSAL LORD WESLEY WELLESLEY HAVE COME TO GRANT YOUR WISHES OF A PEACEFUL AND QUICK DEATH! HAHAHAHAHAHHA!"
Then he followed up on his declaration of madness with a wave of his hand.
And dozens of contestants, candidates and workers turned into a mist of blood along with fragments of bone and flesh from the mere gust of wind his flick of the arm had raised.
The gathered people rioted in that moment, turned into a screaming mass of fear and panic from the hellish scene before them. The frenzied crowd did not care about who was before them, whether they trampled someone beneath their feet or clawed out the eyes of the person before them as they climbed, crawled and fled as far and fast as they could.
Chaos.
Complete and utter chaos.
"STOP!!!" General Weres was the first to react, and also the only one who stood a chance at apprehending the villainous white-haired man on the ground. He leapt down, materialising a hefty golden ornate spear in his right hand and brandishing it in an overhead smash.
The spear with a dragon's head at the end and the adamantium tip extending from the dragon's mouth fell like an entire mountain range trampling down towards Wesley.
Weres did not pay any attention to the gathered people around the devil. It did not matter if some perished from the fallout of his attack, for if he delayed but a split second longer, it would not be a matter of "some" perishing but "all" from the devil cultivator's hands!
To Wesley's surprise, the mighty Legendary warrior's trajectory was not aimed at the devil, but passed right over his head.
But just as it seemed the General would soar over and miss his target, a sudden change of movement occurred.
"STARBURST STAB!!!!!!!!!!" As the man's figure drew a shimmering arc through the air in a parabolic path, he suddenly became suspended in the air vertically above the Abyssal Lord and fell like a beam of glittering golden light; one that could rival the sun and stars in its resplendent light!
And the strike that travelled faster than the speed of sound erupted in a sonic boom, blowing away the gathered audience from their surroundings as it landed directly on Wesley's body!!
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!
Dust and dirt exploded along with a golden burst of radiance, blinding those around.
Even the various World-class cultivators gathered on the private viewing area could barely keep their eyes open as the sweeping winds and piercing light stabbed into their eyes, forcing them to turn away from scene of battle!
However, unseen to them, in the centre of the shining light, a dark red and purple miasma could be seen, untouched by the fire around it.
"Is... It is over...?"
"What's happening...? Lina! You're the strongest among us! What happened?"
"Hmmph...! General Weres has been a tower of strength for our nation for countless years! No arrogant Devil Lord can just simply waltz in and mess up our city!" Lina declared proudly with her chin slightly angled upwards. But there was a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke, betraying the worry within the heart of the World-class combatant.
When their vision cleared, they saw a scene of two valiant beings locked in a nearly even struggle, one that could tip in either direction at any point of time.
"ARGHHHHH!!!!!!"
"GROOOOARRRRR!!!!!"
Two simultaneous roars of pain could be heard at that instant. Two similarly indignant exclamations of aggression and defiance that declared their intentions - to not back down until either I die, or you die!
And they saw a terrifying scene of destruction - a crater of devastated earth and dirt almost 10 metres in radius, and within it two beings clashing fiercely, striving for dominance one over the other.
But it was not a scene of a military man locked in battle with a white-robed cultivator.
Wesley had revealed a different form - a wiry and muscular form which appeared like steel wires wrapped around a titanium core. A black figure glistening in the little remaining light in the atmosphere as lightning crackled in the sky, one that stood a full head taller than even the towering General!
The Devil Lord's body was made even more cruel and disturbing by the fact that Wesley's head and face was still there, only, it was now at the back of an elongated, salivating head without eyes and with countless rows of brutal teeth.
A mouth that reared up to chomp down on the General's shoulder.
"What do you think you're doing!!!" A fiery red streak of light appeared and crossed the several hundred metres between the private viewing area and the clashing duo in the blink of an eye.
But despite Lina Sarouneh's decisive attack and blazing speed, she was still a beat too slow. To the horror of all the people gathered who could keep up with the movements of Wesley and the General, the Devil Lord's teeth had already sunk into Weres' flesh and crunched into his left shoulder bones!
"DIE!!!!" Lina triggered the full power of her dragon descendant's bloodline, crashing into the glistening black head of Wesley and forcing his mouth open. The impact sent him flying backwards, but not as far as Lina had expected. And as she continued to pummel the creature's head with heavy blows, her heart suddenly felt a pang of fear as the Devil Lord's tail was suddenly stinging straight toward her forehead!
Only for the tail to be intercepted by a thrown dagger, blazing blue with gaseous flames - courtesy of Yusof Jamal! In the short gap made for her by her ally, Lina kicked at Wesley's head and somersaulted backwards and away, panting in fear at her near-death encounter.
But that was not the end of this round of blows! Wesley roared in frustration and lashed out with one finger pointed at her even as she sped away. And out of his sharp-clawed finger, a wicked glob of purple acid sprayed forward faster than the eye could see - so fast that in just 0.1 seconds, it had crossed the gap and was about to land on the red-headed dragoness!
'!!!!! Dodge!!!!!'
"Dragon's Aura: Wind Shear!" Her domineering red aura exploded outwards, sending her flying up and out of the way, but the spray of purple acid still brushed past her as she flew, causing her to cry out in agony and crash to the ground heavily!
"LINA!!!" Sefir's face twisted in worry and rage, and he arrived at her side in a flash, quickly releasing his mana to suppress the caustic fluids. To his shock and dismay, the fluids ate right through her World-class tier defensive robe and began to melt her skin, penetrating her dragon's aura and blood energy!
He poured forth double effort veins appearing on his forehead as he supported her to her feet, holding her waist as he channelled his energies nonstop to aid her in resisting the acids. Quickly, the last bits of purple fluids dissipated, leaving her skin and flesh red and raw!
"Lina...! Are you, are you okay...?" He looked troubled and distraught, eyes filled with anxiety.
"I-I'm fine! Go, go and help the General!" She pushed him away crossly, face red, though whether from the exertion of battle or from other reasons, Sefir did not know. But he nodded solemnly and turned to join the battle.
In the time that he was succouring Lina, another clash had started and ended.
General Weres faced the Devil Lord in melee combat while Yusof supported from mid-range, covering the General's blind spots and weaknesses, especially as the muscular man's left shoulder was bleeding profusely and weakened by the toxins from the monster's mouth.
Each time Weres showed an opening as he swung his heavy spear or released a fierce stab, the devil would move to let his blow slide off his smooth carapace and counter-attack. But every time, flying knives imbued with the concept of Fire would soar over, deflecting his deadly claw strikes with the flames that burned with bluetongues of fire.
As a result of the pair's great synergy, and despite their lower power levels and the General's injury, the battle was at a stalemate up to now. But the gathered nobles knew it would soon turn around with the addition of Sefir and Lina as she recovered.
For now, they were at an impasse. The nearly unscathed Wesley breathed heavily with mere scratches on the surface of his chitinous armour, while Weres and Yusof bore multiple blood gashes already, panting heavily.
"Wait here, okay? Don't argue! You're in no shape to fight! No!" Sefir sternly warned Lina who was already preparing to rejoin the battle, and cut her off when she tried to protest.
Oddly enough, the firebrand woman, still single at almost 40, blushed and looked away, harumphing - but listened to his words!
"W-what's wrong with you...? Your face is all red, are you injured...? Let me heal you--" Sefir pressed a hand against Lina's forehead, causing the woman's face to burn with embarrassment.
"G-Get lost!! Go fight or, or whatever! Hmpph!!!" Then she kicked him, sending him flying towards the other combatants, even as her pulse raced and her breaths became shorter.
A clueless Sefir sailed through the air from the kick that looked powerful but had no substance, then joined his companions to stand at Weres and Jamal's side. However, his concerned expression was gone - this time replaced by fury and overflowing killing intent towards the enemy who had injured the target of his hidden love!
"You guys... Haven't used your runes yet, right...?" Sefir whispered as he gathered close to the two.
Both of the men nodded.
"Based on the fight so far... It would leave us with almost no reserves, but if we pour all our mana into the runes, we should be able to kill or incapacitate it - kill him cleanly!" Weres shared what he had gleaned from the battle so far.
Sefir nodded and began to circulate his soul-imprint of Space with the abilities of Space Lock and Accelerate.
Simultaneously, the trio also began channelling mana into the Rune of Power which they each had, a rune that gave the user a short burst of double their might in exchange for great fatigue afterwards.
As for Gaius Trenel, he was still on the stadium terraces maintaining the blue energy barrier, but when he saw that there were no longer any external attacks, he leapt down to the others' side.
He spoke quickly, giving an update based on the information he received.
"Guys, not to interrupt your party but... Sefir, I think you'd be better off bringing the civilians and Lina away. Your astral element is weak against the spatial mastery this Devil Lord has shown so far, whereas if you're helping them escape, you'll be more than able to protect a great number of people."
"In contrast, my Curse Arts will provide more utility against that THING."
While they were speaking, the Abyssal Lord before them seemed to draw back his jowls in an infernal smile, looking deeply sinister and threatening as he gathered his aura, ready to burst forth in the blink of an eye!
Sefir hesitated, but then nodded. He was a sharp man and he realised that the three supernovas of the 2nd generation would be more than enough to handle even a Legendary realm Devil Lord.
He sped off and went to Lina's side to help her, but was pushed away angrily. Then the two spoke for a moment before they began to assist the fleeing test candidates and bystanders to leave. The World-class head administrator Natiro also accompanied them as they ushered the contestants and civilians aways to safety.
After all, there was still the entire city to protect and fortify. Their already scarce manpower had to be well distributed to reduce the damage to the populace.
And as for the inevitable greater devils that would be leading this attack...
They could only count on the greatest power in the city, Duke Leanne de Caldis and the patriarchs of the Four Great Families to arrive quickly.
"ARE YOU... DONE...? KUKUKU..." The deep growling voice of Wesley resounded, as it chuckled mockingly, apparently intentionally waiting for the humans to prepare.
Then its body began to grow blurry.
Before they knew it, the beast had already moved and was almost upon them.
Space-Jump - a toned down version of Blink, but one that required almost no cooldown as it did not put much strain on the user.
"MOVE!!!"
Weres and Yusof lunged backwards away from the spot between them where Wesley's black form emerged, moving away as fast as they could. Gaius Trenel who was further away also leapt back to widen the gap between himself and the danger zone, as he was not specialised in close combat.
Then the scalps of all three of the men grew numb as the Devil Lord's body glowed with flickering purple light. Wesley unleashed furious slashes outwards with his nearly 3 metre long reach from his lanky, dangling arms that looked like black steel beams. Dark purple crescent-shaped blades of purple energy shot forth from his claw tips - moving spatial fissures that would easily cleave any of the men in half!
"TERROR STORM!!!" The devil's screeching voice let loose, striking fear into their hearts with his killing move!
Yusof's eyes bulged in terror. He was already considered among the speediest warriors in the entire of the Kingdom, nonetheless, he was not quick enough to avoid the condensed laws of space fired at him. The World-class cultivator could only grit his teeth and burn all his blood energy and mana in a desperate attempt to survive the barrage of purple blades! But he was resigned to his fate and madly flung out 8 flying knives at Wesley as a counterattack; for he knew that he would not make it through this situation alive.
Not on his own, that is.
"HYAH!!!!!" General Weres furrowed his brows and let out a booming yell as he triggered his soul-imprint: Chivalry - a concept that was at odds with his reputation of being a bloodthirsty indiscriminate mass murderer, yet it truly was his soul-imprint!
The sole ability that he had awakened so far triggered - Valour of the Battlefield.
In a move that defied logic, physics and common sense, the general's body moved in a nonsensical manner, hurtling through the air like a chariot in the middle of a charge. Before the blades of spatial fissures launched by Wesley could arrive at their target, he had already emerged before his companion with his spear at the ready, covering Yusof with his massive body!
"The Invincible Spearman!!!" His body shone with a golden glow as he triggered his defensive trump card and took all the purple blades with his own body!
Streaks of blood splashed into the air, but much less than what Wesley was hoping for. The valiant general only received wounds about a centimetre deep across his body, not enough to even faze the relentless warrior!
And immediately, before the Devil Lord could defend himself, the 8 flying knives imbued with the concept of Bluefire embedded themselves into the joints between Wesley's carapace, flooding his innards with the molten blue flames!
"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" The burst of pain overrode the devil's senses for a moment, leaving him wide open to the follow-up move from Weres who was already bearing down on the black-armoured monster!
At the same time, shadowy tendrils of grey smoke, the physical manifestation of Curse Arts snaked outwards, firing straight towards the clashing combatants!
The Curse Arts invoked by Gaius Trenel, the house renowned for their Cursemasters!
"Go, now! Do it!!!!" Gaius roared, signalling to his teammates that now was the time to strike!
Only, it was not to the teammates that Weres and Yusof expected.
*clink, clink, clinkclinkclink...*
A small black statue landed on the ground between Weres and his target that was stunned from Yusof's all-out attack made while disregarding his life.
The statue looked exactly like a miniature version of Wesley, only slimmer and lither.
Like a little xenomorph.
And at Gaius' words, it glowed a sinister purple.
Then flickered...
Before a full-sized second Devil Lord emerged.
And those tendrils of smoke landed on the unsuspecting General, rooting him in place, defenceless as he had concentrated all his mana on the tip of his spear, ready to burst apart the black carapace covering Wesley's brain.
Then the smaller female-looking Devil Lord spun swiftly, before lashing out with her claws - straight at the back of Weres' head!
*CLAAAAAANGGGGG*
"NO!!!!!!!!! GAIUS YOU TRAITOR!!!!!!! WHAT--WHAT?" Yusof who was trembling from overdrawing his mana screamed in indignance, then was stunned from the shocking sight before him.
A lone swordsman had appeared from nowhere, his rusted white blade attached to a dilapidated, faded hilt.
But that worthless looking katana was what stood in the gap between the life and death of General Weres... And was prevailing against the Legendary realm female Devil Lord.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! WHO ARE YOU??!!" The Abyssal creature shrieked in rage at her failed ambush and leapt backwards as the flashing blade swept out, aimed at her waist.
Yet despite her evasive manoeuvre, a sudden spurt of black blood gushed out from the spot on her stomach which the sword had MISSED - a spot that she was 100% certain had not even been touched by the blade!
As she clutched her wounds and staggered backwards, regrouping with the now recovered and enraged Wesley and malevolent Gaius Trenel, the lone swordsman stood with his head down and sword in hand, resting on his shoulder.
With the strong currents blowing through his robes in the darkened surroundings light up only by the occasional flash of lightning, his forlorn and lonely figure somehow triggered surges of fear in Wesley and his allies' hearts.
And when he lowered his blade to point its tip straight at them, their hearts skipped a beat, pulse racing as they felt a sense of great danger from this unknown enemy.
Lars raised his head to reveal a world-weary face with sooty brown hair. The skin of his face was smooth but looked greyish in tone, giving him the impression of age. He stood straight but somehow also seemed crooked, decrepit.
But all these were not what the combatants noticed.
What they noticed was the pseudo-Mythical might exuded from the mighty warrior.
And his words as he rasped out his identity.
"I'm just a part-time hero, doing it for a hobby. Don't mind me, just passing by."
But his heroic smile paired with his murderous expression told Wesley a different story.
The hunter was now the hunted.
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[In the Gorun Stadium]
The downpour of blood-red demonic energy gradually began to peter out.
It revealed the blue dome of protective energy still intact, albeit flickering and spotted with paper-thin segments across the surface that looked like they would shatter at the slightest impact.
Beneath the sheer layer of mana, rubble and debris were seen from the aftermath of the blast which shook the foundations of the second most secure area in the entire city.
The various people in the field and compound were coughing from the dust, some injured while others were already unconscious from the violent shaking that reverberated through the entire building.
Meanwhile, the portal area was still vibrating heavily as the white-robed, evil looking Wesley slowly appeared with a wicked smile on his face.
Blood dripped from his lips, chest and hands; blood that was not his own, but from the 50 odd senior cultivators he had slain and drained the blood of. He posed a terrifying figure in his white robes painted red, a slaughterer let loose upon the unsuspecting world.
Most striking of all were his eyes - turned completely black without any sclera, the whites of his eyes swallowed up by his unnaturally dark and large pupils.
He looked up in the direction of the heavy and strong auras he sensed, then noticed also the strongest aura of all heading over in the direction of the stadium, then flicked his sleeves. Then he smiled as his figure turned into a blur and disappeared.
And reappeared in the midst of the testing fields, among the gathered crowds of previously ecstatic and excited contestants and ground crew.
His appearance drew the sharp gazes of General Weres, Sefir Roth Estreya, Lina Sarouneh, Yusof Jamal and Gaius Trenel.
As well as Lars' attention.
'That man... Kizorik, looks like you were right...'
'Yeah kiddo!! Bloody devils!! Always trying to enslave us demons!! You better stay awa-- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!??!? ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME??? DON'T GET INVOLVED!!!!! JUST GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!!'
Lars vanished from the stretcher he lay on right before the distracted paramedics who did not even notice their burden was gone. They continued running with their eyes fixed on the centre of the disturbance nearby, the white-robed and evil looking Wesley.
Meanwhile, the determined young man quickly retreated behind a corner and started changing his clothes and appearance with whatever materials he had nearby - spare robes, dirt and grim and by cutting and dyeing his hair with soot and ashes. He quickly finished up and lay in wait, watching and observing.
Now it was time to spot the opportunity to move.
* * * * *
At the same moment, the surrounding crowds who had been trembling in fear and shouting in panic in the aftermath of the demonic phenomena and attack from the sky suddenly felt a different sort of fear. They could feel the change in the atmosphere despite not knowing what it was that had just happened nor the fact that an apex predator had just entered their midst.
They did not even know in their conscious minds that death had come for them, yet their eyes were instinctively drawn towards a certain figure standing amongst them - even as those same instincts screamed at them only one thing.
RUN.
But their voices froze in their throats and their legs were paralysed as the Abyssal figure in white cleared his throat with an *AHEM*.
Then he spoke resoundingly, announcing his intentions to the entire city with a booming voice that was as piercing as a clarion's call.
"DESPICABLE LIFEFORMS OF THE CORPOREAL REALM! I, ABYSSAL LORD WESLEY WELLESLEY HAVE COME TO GRANT YOUR WISHES OF A PEACEFUL AND QUICK DEATH! HAHAHAHAHAHHA!"
Then he followed up on his declaration of madness with a wave of his hand.
And dozens of contestants, candidates and workers turned into a mist of blood along with fragments of bone and flesh from the mere gust of wind his flick of the arm had raised.
The gathered people rioted in that moment, turned into a screaming mass of fear and panic from the hellish scene before them. The frenzied crowd did not care about who was before them, whether they trampled someone beneath their feet or clawed out the eyes of the person before them as they climbed, crawled and fled as far and fast as they could.
Chaos.
Complete and utter chaos.
"STOP!!!" General Weres was the first to react, and also the only one who stood a chance at apprehending the villainous white-haired man on the ground. He leapt down, materialising a hefty golden ornate spear in his right hand and brandishing it in an overhead smash.
The spear with a dragon's head at the end and the adamantium tip extending from the dragon's mouth fell like an entire mountain range trampling down towards Wesley.
Weres did not pay any attention to the gathered people around the devil. It did not matter if some perished from the fallout of his attack, for if he delayed but a split second longer, it would not be a matter of "some" perishing but "all" from the devil cultivator's hands!
To Wesley's surprise, the mighty Legendary warrior's trajectory was not aimed at the devil, but passed right over his head.
But just as it seemed the General would soar over and miss his target, a sudden change of movement occurred.
"STARBURST STAB!!!!!!!!!!" As the man's figure drew a shimmering arc through the air in a parabolic path, he suddenly became suspended in the air vertically above the Abyssal Lord and fell like a beam of glittering golden light; one that could rival the sun and stars in its resplendent light!
And the strike that travelled faster than the speed of sound erupted in a sonic boom, blowing away the gathered audience from their surroundings as it landed directly on Wesley's body!!
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!
Dust and dirt exploded along with a golden burst of radiance, blinding those around.
Even the various World-class cultivators gathered on the private viewing area could barely keep their eyes open as the sweeping winds and piercing light stabbed into their eyes, forcing them to turn away from scene of battle!
However, unseen to them, in the centre of the shining light, a dark red and purple miasma could be seen, untouched by the fire around it.
"Is... It is over...?"
"What's happening...? Lina! You're the strongest among us! What happened?"
"Hmmph...! General Weres has been a tower of strength for our nation for countless years! No arrogant Devil Lord can just simply waltz in and mess up our city!" Lina declared proudly with her chin slightly angled upwards. But there was a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke, betraying the worry within the heart of the World-class combatant.
When their vision cleared, they saw a scene of two valiant beings locked in a nearly even struggle, one that could tip in either direction at any point of time.
"ARGHHHHH!!!!!!"
"GROOOOARRRRR!!!!!"
Two simultaneous roars of pain could be heard at that instant. Two similarly indignant exclamations of aggression and defiance that declared their intentions - to not back down until either I die, or you die!
And they saw a terrifying scene of destruction - a crater of devastated earth and dirt almost 10 metres in radius, and within it two beings clashing fiercely, striving for dominance one over the other.
But it was not a scene of a military man locked in battle with a white-robed cultivator.
Wesley had revealed a different form - a wiry and muscular form which appeared like steel wires wrapped around a titanium core. A black figure glistening in the little remaining light in the atmosphere as lightning crackled in the sky, one that stood a full head taller than even the towering General!
The Devil Lord's body was made even more cruel and disturbing by the fact that Wesley's head and face was still there, only, it was now at the back of an elongated, salivating head without eyes and with countless rows of brutal teeth.
A mouth that reared up to chomp down on the General's shoulder.
"What do you think you're doing!!!" A fiery red streak of light appeared and crossed the several hundred metres between the private viewing area and the clashing duo in the blink of an eye.
But despite Lina Sarouneh's decisive attack and blazing speed, she was still a beat too slow. To the horror of all the people gathered who could keep up with the movements of Wesley and the General, the Devil Lord's teeth had already sunk into Weres' flesh and crunched into his left shoulder bones!
"DIE!!!!" Lina triggered the full power of her dragon descendant's bloodline, crashing into the glistening black head of Wesley and forcing his mouth open. The impact sent him flying backwards, but not as far as Lina had expected. And as she continued to pummel the creature's head with heavy blows, her heart suddenly felt a pang of fear as the Devil Lord's tail was suddenly stinging straight toward her forehead!
Only for the tail to be intercepted by a thrown dagger, blazing blue with gaseous flames - courtesy of Yusof Jamal! In the short gap made for her by her ally, Lina kicked at Wesley's head and somersaulted backwards and away, panting in fear at her near-death encounter.
But that was not the end of this round of blows! Wesley roared in frustration and lashed out with one finger pointed at her even as she sped away. And out of his sharp-clawed finger, a wicked glob of purple acid sprayed forward faster than the eye could see - so fast that in just 0.1 seconds, it had crossed the gap and was about to land on the red-headed dragoness!
'!!!!! Dodge!!!!!'
"Dragon's Aura: Wind Shear!" Her domineering red aura exploded outwards, sending her flying up and out of the way, but the spray of purple acid still brushed past her as she flew, causing her to cry out in agony and crash to the ground heavily!
"LINA!!!" Sefir's face twisted in worry and rage, and he arrived at her side in a flash, quickly releasing his mana to suppress the caustic fluids. To his shock and dismay, the fluids ate right through her World-class tier defensive robe and began to melt her skin, penetrating her dragon's aura and blood energy!
He poured forth double effort veins appearing on his forehead as he supported her to her feet, holding her waist as he channelled his energies nonstop to aid her in resisting the acids. Quickly, the last bits of purple fluids dissipated, leaving her skin and flesh red and raw!
"Lina...! Are you, are you okay...?" He looked troubled and distraught, eyes filled with anxiety.
"I-I'm fine! Go, go and help the General!" She pushed him away crossly, face red, though whether from the exertion of battle or from other reasons, Sefir did not know. But he nodded solemnly and turned to join the battle.
In the time that he was succouring Lina, another clash had started and ended.
General Weres faced the Devil Lord in melee combat while Yusof supported from mid-range, covering the General's blind spots and weaknesses, especially as the muscular man's left shoulder was bleeding profusely and weakened by the toxins from the monster's mouth.
Each time Weres showed an opening as he swung his heavy spear or released a fierce stab, the devil would move to let his blow slide off his smooth carapace and counter-attack. But every time, flying knives imbued with the concept of Fire would soar over, deflecting his deadly claw strikes with the flames that burned with bluetongues of fire.
As a result of the pair's great synergy, and despite their lower power levels and the General's injury, the battle was at a stalemate up to now. But the gathered nobles knew it would soon turn around with the addition of Sefir and Lina as she recovered.
For now, they were at an impasse. The nearly unscathed Wesley breathed heavily with mere scratches on the surface of his chitinous armour, while Weres and Yusof bore multiple blood gashes already, panting heavily.
"Wait here, okay? Don't argue! You're in no shape to fight! No!" Sefir sternly warned Lina who was already preparing to rejoin the battle, and cut her off when she tried to protest.
Oddly enough, the firebrand woman, still single at almost 40, blushed and looked away, harumphing - but listened to his words!
"W-what's wrong with you...? Your face is all red, are you injured...? Let me heal you--" Sefir pressed a hand against Lina's forehead, causing the woman's face to burn with embarrassment.
"G-Get lost!! Go fight or, or whatever! Hmpph!!!" Then she kicked him, sending him flying towards the other combatants, even as her pulse raced and her breaths became shorter.
A clueless Sefir sailed through the air from the kick that looked powerful but had no substance, then joined his companions to stand at Weres and Jamal's side. However, his concerned expression was gone - this time replaced by fury and overflowing killing intent towards the enemy who had injured the target of his hidden love!
"You guys... Haven't used your runes yet, right...?" Sefir whispered as he gathered close to the two.
Both of the men nodded.
"Based on the fight so far... It would leave us with almost no reserves, but if we pour all our mana into the runes, we should be able to kill or incapacitate it - kill him cleanly!" Weres shared what he had gleaned from the battle so far.
Sefir nodded and began to circulate his soul-imprint of Space with the abilities of Space Lock and Accelerate.
Simultaneously, the trio also began channelling mana into the Rune of Power which they each had, a rune that gave the user a short burst of double their might in exchange for great fatigue afterwards.
As for Gaius Trenel, he was still on the stadium terraces maintaining the blue energy barrier, but when he saw that there were no longer any external attacks, he leapt down to the others' side.
He spoke quickly, giving an update based on the information he received.
"Guys, not to interrupt your party but... Sefir, I think you'd be better off bringing the civilians and Lina away. Your astral element is weak against the spatial mastery this Devil Lord has shown so far, whereas if you're helping them escape, you'll be more than able to protect a great number of people."
"In contrast, my Curse Arts will provide more utility against that THING."
While they were speaking, the Abyssal Lord before them seemed to draw back his jowls in an infernal smile, looking deeply sinister and threatening as he gathered his aura, ready to burst forth in the blink of an eye!
Sefir hesitated, but then nodded. He was a sharp man and he realised that the three supernovas of the 2nd generation would be more than enough to handle even a Legendary realm Devil Lord.
He sped off and went to Lina's side to help her, but was pushed away angrily. Then the two spoke for a moment before they began to assist the fleeing test candidates and bystanders to leave. The World-class head administrator Natiro also accompanied them as they ushered the contestants and civilians aways to safety.
After all, there was still the entire city to protect and fortify. Their already scarce manpower had to be well distributed to reduce the damage to the populace.
And as for the inevitable greater devils that would be leading this attack...
They could only count on the greatest power in the city, Duke Leanne de Caldis and the patriarchs of the Four Great Families to arrive quickly.
"ARE YOU... DONE...? KUKUKU..." The deep growling voice of Wesley resounded, as it chuckled mockingly, apparently intentionally waiting for the humans to prepare.
Then its body began to grow blurry.
Before they knew it, the beast had already moved and was almost upon them.
Space-Jump - a toned down version of Blink, but one that required almost no cooldown as it did not put much strain on the user.
"MOVE!!!"
Weres and Yusof lunged backwards away from the spot between them where Wesley's black form emerged, moving away as fast as they could. Gaius Trenel who was further away also leapt back to widen the gap between himself and the danger zone, as he was not specialised in close combat.
Then the scalps of all three of the men grew numb as the Devil Lord's body glowed with flickering purple light. Wesley unleashed furious slashes outwards with his nearly 3 metre long reach from his lanky, dangling arms that looked like black steel beams. Dark purple crescent-shaped blades of purple energy shot forth from his claw tips - moving spatial fissures that would easily cleave any of the men in half!
"TERROR STORM!!!" The devil's screeching voice let loose, striking fear into their hearts with his killing move!
Yusof's eyes bulged in terror. He was already considered among the speediest warriors in the entire of the Kingdom, nonetheless, he was not quick enough to avoid the condensed laws of space fired at him. The World-class cultivator could only grit his teeth and burn all his blood energy and mana in a desperate attempt to survive the barrage of purple blades! But he was resigned to his fate and madly flung out 8 flying knives at Wesley as a counterattack; for he knew that he would not make it through this situation alive.
Not on his own, that is.
"HYAH!!!!!" General Weres furrowed his brows and let out a booming yell as he triggered his soul-imprint: Chivalry - a concept that was at odds with his reputation of being a bloodthirsty indiscriminate mass murderer, yet it truly was his soul-imprint!
The sole ability that he had awakened so far triggered - Valour of the Battlefield.
In a move that defied logic, physics and common sense, the general's body moved in a nonsensical manner, hurtling through the air like a chariot in the middle of a charge. Before the blades of spatial fissures launched by Wesley could arrive at their target, he had already emerged before his companion with his spear at the ready, covering Yusof with his massive body!
"The Invincible Spearman!!!" His body shone with a golden glow as he triggered his defensive trump card and took all the purple blades with his own body!
Streaks of blood splashed into the air, but much less than what Wesley was hoping for. The valiant general only received wounds about a centimetre deep across his body, not enough to even faze the relentless warrior!
And immediately, before the Devil Lord could defend himself, the 8 flying knives imbued with the concept of Bluefire embedded themselves into the joints between Wesley's carapace, flooding his innards with the molten blue flames!
"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" The burst of pain overrode the devil's senses for a moment, leaving him wide open to the follow-up move from Weres who was already bearing down on the black-armoured monster!
At the same time, shadowy tendrils of grey smoke, the physical manifestation of Curse Arts snaked outwards, firing straight towards the clashing combatants!
The Curse Arts invoked by Gaius Trenel, the house renowned for their Cursemasters!
"Go, now! Do it!!!!" Gaius roared, signalling to his teammates that now was the time to strike!
Only, it was not to the teammates that Weres and Yusof expected.
*clink, clink, clinkclinkclink...*
A small black statue landed on the ground between Weres and his target that was stunned from Yusof's all-out attack made while disregarding his life.
The statue looked exactly like a miniature version of Wesley, only slimmer and lither.
Like a little xenomorph.
And at Gaius' words, it glowed a sinister purple.
Then flickered...
Before a full-sized second Devil Lord emerged.
And those tendrils of smoke landed on the unsuspecting General, rooting him in place, defenceless as he had concentrated all his mana on the tip of his spear, ready to burst apart the black carapace covering Wesley's brain.
Then the smaller female-looking Devil Lord spun swiftly, before lashing out with her claws - straight at the back of Weres' head!
*CLAAAAAANGGGGG*
"NO!!!!!!!!! GAIUS YOU TRAITOR!!!!!!! WHAT--WHAT?" Yusof who was trembling from overdrawing his mana screamed in indignance, then was stunned from the shocking sight before him.
A lone swordsman had appeared from nowhere, his rusted white blade attached to a dilapidated, faded hilt.
But that worthless looking katana was what stood in the gap between the life and death of General Weres... And was prevailing against the Legendary realm female Devil Lord.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! WHO ARE YOU??!!" The Abyssal creature shrieked in rage at her failed ambush and leapt backwards as the flashing blade swept out, aimed at her waist.
Yet despite her evasive manoeuvre, a sudden spurt of black blood gushed out from the spot on her stomach which the sword had MISSED - a spot that she was 100% certain had not even been touched by the blade!
As she clutched her wounds and staggered backwards, regrouping with the now recovered and enraged Wesley and malevolent Gaius Trenel, the lone swordsman stood with his head down and sword in hand, resting on his shoulder.
With the strong currents blowing through his robes in the darkened surroundings light up only by the occasional flash of lightning, his forlorn and lonely figure somehow triggered surges of fear in Wesley and his allies' hearts.
And when he lowered his blade to point its tip straight at them, their hearts skipped a beat, pulse racing as they felt a sense of great danger from this unknown enemy.
Lars raised his head to reveal a world-weary face with sooty brown hair. The skin of his face was smooth but looked greyish in tone, giving him the impression of age. He stood straight but somehow also seemed crooked, decrepit.
But all these were not what the combatants noticed.
What they noticed was the pseudo-Mythical might exuded from the mighty warrior.
And his words as he rasped out his identity.
"I'm just a part-time hero, doing it for a hobby. Don't mind me, just passing by."
But his heroic smile paired with his murderous expression told Wesley a different story.
The hunter was now the hunted.
In the Gorun StadiumThe downpour of blood-red demonic energy gradually began to peter out.It revealed the blue dome of protective energy still intact, albeit flickering and spotted with paper-thin segments across the surface that looked like they would shatter at the slightest impact.Beneath the sheer layer of mana, rubble and debris were seen from the aftermath of the blast which shook the foundations of the second most secure area in the entire city.The various people in the field and compound were coughing from the dust, some injured while others were already unconscious from the violent shaking that reverberated through the entire building.Meanwhile, the portal area was still vibrating heavily as the white-robed, evil looking Wesley slowly appeared with a wicked smile on his face.Blood dripped from his lips, chest and hands; blood that was not his own, but from the 50 odd senior cultivators he had slain and drained the blood of. He posed a terrifying figure in his white robes painted red, a slaughterer let loose upon the unsuspecting world.Most striking of all were his eyes - turned completely black without any sclera, the whites of his eyes swallowed up by his unnaturally dark and large pupils.He looked up in the direction of the heavy and strong auras he sensed, then noticed also the strongest aura of all heading over in the direction of the stadium, then flicked his sleeves. Then he smiled as his figure turned into a blur and disappeared.And reappeared in the midst of the testing fields, among the gathered crowds of previously ecstatic and excited contestants and ground crew.His appearance drew the sharp gazes of General Weres, Sefir Roth Estreya, Lina Sarouneh, Yusof Jamal and Gaius Trenel.As well as Lars' attention.'That man... Kizorik, looks like you were right...''Yeah kiddo!! Bloody devils!! Always trying to enslave us demons!! You better stay awa-- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!??!? ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME??? DON'T GET INVOLVED!!!!! JUST GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!!'Lars vanished from the stretcher he lay on right before the distracted paramedics who did not even notice their burden was gone. They continued running with their eyes fixed on the centre of the disturbance nearby, the white-robed and evil looking Wesley.Meanwhile, the determined young man quickly retreated behind a corner and started changing his clothes and appearance with whatever materials he had nearby - spare robes, dirt and grim and by cutting and dyeing his hair with soot and ashes. He quickly finished up and lay in wait, watching and observing.Now it was time to spot the opportunity to move.* * * * *At the same moment, the surrounding crowds who had been trembling in fear and shouting in panic in the aftermath of the demonic phenomena and attack from the sky suddenly felt a different sort of fear. They could feel the change in the atmosphere despite not knowing what it was that had just happened nor the fact that an apex predator had just entered their midst.They did not even know in their conscious minds that death had come for them, yet their eyes were instinctively drawn towards a certain figure standing amongst them - even as those same instincts screamed at them only one thing.RUN.But their voices froze in their throats and their legs were paralysed as the Abyssal figure in white cleared his throat with an *AHEM*.Then he spoke resoundingly, announcing his intentions to the entire city with a booming voice that was as piercing as a clarion's call."DESPICABLE LIFEFORMS OF THE CORPOREAL REALM! I, ABYSSAL LORD WESLEY WELLESLEY HAVE COME TO GRANT YOUR WISHES OF A PEACEFUL AND QUICK DEATH! HAHAHAHAHAHHA!"Then he followed up on his declaration of madness with a wave of his hand.And dozens of contestants, candidates and workers turned into a mist of blood along with fragments of bone and flesh from the mere gust of wind his flick of the arm had raised.The gathered people rioted in that moment, turned into a screaming mass of fear and panic from the hellish scene before them. The frenzied crowd did not care about who was before them, whether they trampled someone beneath their feet or clawed out the eyes of the person before them as they climbed, crawled and fled as far and fast as they could.Chaos.Complete and utter chaos."STOP!!!" General Weres was the first to react, and also the only one who stood a chance at apprehending the villainous white-haired man on the ground. He leapt down, materialising a hefty golden ornate spear in his right hand and brandishing it in an overhead smash.The spear with a dragon's head at the end and the adamantium tip extending from the dragon's mouth fell like an entire mountain range trampling down towards Wesley.Weres did not pay any attention to the gathered people around the devil. It did not matter if some perished from the fallout of his attack, for if he delayed but a split second longer, it would not be a matter of "some" perishing but "all" from the devil cultivator's hands!To Wesley's surprise, the mighty Legendary warrior's trajectory was not aimed at the devil, but passed right over his head.But just as it seemed the General would soar over and miss his target, a sudden change of movement occurred."STARBURST STAB!!!!!!!!!!" As the man's figure drew a shimmering arc through the air in a parabolic path, he suddenly became suspended in the air vertically above the Abyssal Lord and fell like a beam of glittering golden light; one that could rival the sun and stars in its resplendent light!And the strike that travelled faster than the speed of sound erupted in a sonic boom, blowing away the gathered audience from their surroundings as it landed directly on Wesley's body!!KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!Dust and dirt exploded along with a golden burst of radiance, blinding those around.Even the various World-class cultivators gathered on the private viewing area could barely keep their eyes open as the sweeping winds and piercing light stabbed into their eyes, forcing them to turn away from scene of battle!However, unseen to them, in the centre of the shining light, a dark red and purple miasma could be seen, untouched by the fire around it."Is... It is over...?""What's happening...? Lina! You're the strongest among us! What happened?""Hmmph...! General Weres has been a tower of strength for our nation for countless years! No arrogant Devil Lord can just simply waltz in and mess up our city!" Lina declared proudly with her chin slightly angled upwards. But there was a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke, betraying the worry within the heart of the World-class combatant.When their vision cleared, they saw a scene of two valiant beings locked in a nearly even struggle, one that could tip in either direction at any point of time."ARGHHHHH!!!!!!""GROOOOARRRRR!!!!!"Two simultaneous roars of pain could be heard at that instant. Two similarly indignant exclamations of aggression and defiance that declared their intentions - to not back down until either I die, or you die!And they saw a terrifying scene of destruction - a crater of devastated earth and dirt almost 10 metres in radius, and within it two beings clashing fiercely, striving for dominance one over the other.But it was not a scene of a military man locked in battle with a white-robed cultivator.Wesley had revealed a different form - a wiry and muscular form which appeared like steel wires wrapped around a titanium core. A black figure glistening in the little remaining light in the atmosphere as lightning crackled in the sky, one that stood a full head taller than even the towering General!The Devil Lord's body was made even more cruel and disturbing by the fact that Wesley's head and face was still there, only, it was now at the back of an elongated, salivating head without eyes and with countless rows of brutal teeth.A mouth that reared up to chomp down on the General's shoulder."What do you think you're doing!!!" A fiery red streak of light appeared and crossed the several hundred metres between the private viewing area and the clashing duo in the blink of an eye.But despite Lina Sarouneh's decisive attack and blazing speed, she was still a beat too slow. To the horror of all the people gathered who could keep up with the movements of Wesley and the General, the Devil Lord's teeth had already sunk into Weres' flesh and crunched into his left shoulder bones!"DIE!!!!" Lina triggered the full power of her dragon descendant's bloodline, crashing into the glistening black head of Wesley and forcing his mouth open. The impact sent him flying backwards, but not as far as Lina had expected. And as she continued to pummel the creature's head with heavy blows, her heart suddenly felt a pang of fear as the Devil Lord's tail was suddenly stinging straight toward her forehead!Only for the tail to be intercepted by a thrown dagger, blazing blue with gaseous flames - courtesy of Yusof Jamal! In the short gap made for her by her ally, Lina kicked at Wesley's head and somersaulted backwards and away, panting in fear at her near-death encounter.But that was not the end of this round of blows! Wesley roared in frustration and lashed out with one finger pointed at her even as she sped away. And out of his sharp-clawed finger, a wicked glob of purple acid sprayed forward faster than the eye could see - so fast that in just 0.1 seconds, it had crossed the gap and was about to land on the red-headed dragoness!'!!!!! Dodge!!!!!'"Dragon's Aura: Wind Shear!" Her domineering red aura exploded outwards, sending her flying up and out of the way, but the spray of purple acid still brushed past her as she flew, causing her to cry out in agony and crash to the ground heavily!"LINA!!!" Sefir's face twisted in worry and rage, and he arrived at her side in a flash, quickly releasing his mana to suppress the caustic fluids. To his shock and dismay, the fluids ate right through her World-class tier defensive robe and began to melt her skin, penetrating her dragon's aura and blood energy!He poured forth double effort veins appearing on his forehead as he supported her to her feet, holding her waist as he channelled his energies nonstop to aid her in resisting the acids. Quickly, the last bits of purple fluids dissipated, leaving her skin and flesh red and raw!"Lina...! Are you, are you okay...?" He looked troubled and distraught, eyes filled with anxiety."I-I'm fine! Go, go and help the General!" She pushed him away crossly, face red, though whether from the exertion of battle or from other reasons, Sefir did not know. But he nodded solemnly and turned to join the battle.In the time that he was succouring Lina, another clash had started and ended.General Weres faced the Devil Lord in melee combat while Yusof supported from mid-range, covering the General's blind spots and weaknesses, especially as the muscular man's left shoulder was bleeding profusely and weakened by the toxins from the monster's mouth.Each time Weres showed an opening as he swung his heavy spear or released a fierce stab, the devil would move to let his blow slide off his smooth carapace and counter-attack. But every time, flying knives imbued with the concept of Fire would soar over, deflecting his deadly claw strikes with the flames that burned with bluetongues of fire.As a result of the pair's great synergy, and despite their lower power levels and the General's injury, the battle was at a stalemate up to now. But the gathered nobles knew it would soon turn around with the addition of Sefir and Lina as she recovered.For now, they were at an impasse. The nearly unscathed Wesley breathed heavily with mere scratches on the surface of his chitinous armour, while Weres and Yusof bore multiple blood gashes already, panting heavily."Wait here, okay? Don't argue! You're in no shape to fight! No!" Sefir sternly warned Lina who was already preparing to rejoin the battle, and cut her off when she tried to protest.Oddly enough, the firebrand woman, still single at almost 40, blushed and looked away, harumphing - but listened to his words!"W-what's wrong with you...? Your face is all red, are you injured...? Let me heal you--" Sefir pressed a hand against Lina's forehead, causing the woman's face to burn with embarrassment."G-Get lost!! Go fight or, or whatever! Hmpph!!!" Then she kicked him, sending him flying towards the other combatants, even as her pulse raced and her breaths became shorter.A clueless Sefir sailed through the air from the kick that looked powerful but had no substance, then joined his companions to stand at Weres and Jamal's side. However, his concerned expression was gone - this time replaced by fury and overflowing killing intent towards the enemy who had injured the target of his hidden love!"You guys... Haven't used your runes yet, right...?" Sefir whispered as he gathered close to the two.Both of the men nodded."Based on the fight so far... It would leave us with almost no reserves, but if we pour all our mana into the runes, we should be able to kill or incapacitate it - kill him cleanly!" Weres shared what he had gleaned from the battle so far.Sefir nodded and began to circulate his soul-imprint of Space with the abilities of Space Lock and Accelerate.Simultaneously, the trio also began channelling mana into the Rune of Power which they each had, a rune that gave the user a short burst of double their might in exchange for great fatigue afterwards.As for Gaius Trenel, he was still on the stadium terraces maintaining the blue energy barrier, but when he saw that there were no longer any external attacks, he leapt down to the others' side.He spoke quickly, giving an update based on the information he received."Guys, not to interrupt your party but... Sefir, I think you'd be better off bringing the civilians and Lina away. Your astral element is weak against the spatial mastery this Devil Lord has shown so far, whereas if you're helping them escape, you'll be more than able to protect a great number of people.""In contrast, my Curse Arts will provide more utility against that THING."While they were speaking, the Abyssal Lord before them seemed to draw back his jowls in an infernal smile, looking deeply sinister and threatening as he gathered his aura, ready to burst forth in the blink of an eye!Sefir hesitated, but then nodded. He was a sharp man and he realised that the three supernovas of the 2nd generation would be more than enough to handle even a Legendary realm Devil Lord.He sped off and went to Lina's side to help her, but was pushed away angrily. Then the two spoke for a moment before they began to assist the fleeing test candidates and bystanders to leave. The World-class head administrator Natiro also accompanied them as they ushered the contestants and civilians aways to safety.After all, there was still the entire city to protect and fortify. Their already scarce manpower had to be well distributed to reduce the damage to the populace.And as for the inevitable greater devils that would be leading this attack...They could only count on the greatest power in the city, Duke Leanne de Caldis and the patriarchs of the Four Great Families to arrive quickly."ARE YOU... DONE...? KUKUKU..." The deep growling voice of Wesley resounded, as it chuckled mockingly, apparently intentionally waiting for the humans to prepare.Then its body began to grow blurry.Before they knew it, the beast had already moved and was almost upon them.Space-Jump - a toned down version of Blink, but one that required almost no cooldown as it did not put much strain on the user."MOVE!!!"Weres and Yusof lunged backwards away from the spot between them where Wesley's black form emerged, moving away as fast as they could. Gaius Trenel who was further away also leapt back to widen the gap between himself and the danger zone, as he was not specialised in close combat.Then the scalps of all three of the men grew numb as the Devil Lord's body glowed with flickering purple light. Wesley unleashed furious slashes outwards with his nearly 3 metre long reach from his lanky, dangling arms that looked like black steel beams. Dark purple crescent-shaped blades of purple energy shot forth from his claw tips - moving spatial fissures that would easily cleave any of the men in half!"TERROR STORM!!!" The devil's screeching voice let loose, striking fear into their hearts with his killing move!Yusof's eyes bulged in terror. He was already considered among the speediest warriors in the entire of the Kingdom, nonetheless, he was not quick enough to avoid the condensed laws of space fired at him. The World-class cultivator could only grit his teeth and burn all his blood energy and mana in a desperate attempt to survive the barrage of purple blades! But he was resigned to his fate and madly flung out 8 flying knives at Wesley as a counterattack; for he knew that he would not make it through this situation alive.Not on his own, that is."HYAH!!!!!" General Weres furrowed his brows and let out a booming yell as he triggered his soul-imprint: Chivalry - a concept that was at odds with his reputation of being a bloodthirsty indiscriminate mass murderer, yet it truly was his soul-imprint!The sole ability that he had awakened so far triggered - Valour of the Battlefield.In a move that defied logic, physics and common sense, the general's body moved in a nonsensical manner, hurtling through the air like a chariot in the middle of a charge. Before the blades of spatial fissures launched by Wesley could arrive at their target, he had already emerged before his companion with his spear at the ready, covering Yusof with his massive body!"The Invincible Spearman!!!" His body shone with a golden glow as he triggered his defensive trump card and took all the purple blades with his own body!Streaks of blood splashed into the air, but much less than what Wesley was hoping for. The valiant general only received wounds about a centimetre deep across his body, not enough to even faze the relentless warrior!And immediately, before the Devil Lord could defend himself, the 8 flying knives imbued with the concept of Bluefire embedded themselves into the joints between Wesley's carapace, flooding his innards with the molten blue flames!"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" The burst of pain overrode the devil's senses for a moment, leaving him wide open to the follow-up move from Weres who was already bearing down on the black-armoured monster!At the same time, shadowy tendrils of grey smoke, the physical manifestation of Curse Arts snaked outwards, firing straight towards the clashing combatants!The Curse Arts invoked by Gaius Trenel, the house renowned for their Cursemasters!"Go, now! Do it!!!!" Gaius roared, signalling to his teammates that now was the time to strike!Only, it was not to the teammates that Weres and Yusof expected.*clink, clink, clinkclinkclink...*A small black statue landed on the ground between Weres and his target that was stunned from Yusof's all-out attack made while disregarding his life.The statue looked exactly like a miniature version of Wesley, only slimmer and lither.Like a little xenomorph.And at Gaius' words, it glowed a sinister purple.Then flickered...Before a full-sized second Devil Lord emerged.And those tendrils of smoke landed on the unsuspecting General, rooting him in place, defenceless as he had concentrated all his mana on the tip of his spear, ready to burst apart the black carapace covering Wesley's brain.Then the smaller female-looking Devil Lord spun swiftly, before lashing out with her claws - straight at the back of Weres' head!*CLAAAAAANGGGGG*"NO!!!!!!!!! GAIUS YOU TRAITOR!!!!!!! WHAT--WHAT?" Yusof who was trembling from overdrawing his mana screamed in indignance, then was stunned from the shocking sight before him.A lone swordsman had appeared from nowhere, his rusted white blade attached to a dilapidated, faded hilt.But that worthless looking katana was what stood in the gap between the life and death of General Weres... And was prevailing against the Legendary realm female Devil Lord."KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!! WHO ARE YOU??!!" The Abyssal creature shrieked in rage at her failed ambush and leapt backwards as the flashing blade swept out, aimed at her waist.Yet despite her evasive manoeuvre, a sudden spurt of black blood gushed out from the spot on her stomach which the sword had MISSED - a spot that she was 100% certain had not even been touched by the blade!As she clutched her wounds and staggered backwards, regrouping with the now recovered and enraged Wesley and malevolent Gaius Trenel, the lone swordsman stood with his head down and sword in hand, resting on his shoulder.With the strong currents blowing through his robes in the darkened surroundings light up only by the occasional flash of lightning, his forlorn and lonely figure somehow triggered surges of fear in Wesley and his allies' hearts.And when he lowered his blade to point its tip straight at them, their hearts skipped a beat, pulse racing as they felt a sense of great danger from this unknown enemy.Lars raised his head to reveal a world-weary face with sooty brown hair. The skin of his face was smooth but looked greyish in tone, giving him the impression of age. He stood straight but somehow also seemed crooked, decrepit.But all these were not what the combatants noticed.What they noticed was the pseudo-Mythical might exuded from the mighty warrior.And his words as he rasped out his identity."I'm just a part-time hero, doing it for a hobby. Don't mind me, just passing by."But his heroic smile paired with his murderous expression told Wesley a different story.The hunter was now the hunted.
