Chapter 76: Belial, The Cursed Sword. (2)
In an instant, Conrad’s fort courtyard exploded.
A gigantic release of demonic power occurred. A column of energy that shone in red and yellow colors pierced the ground from within rising upward.
The entire fort was illuminated with its colors.
The windows shattered from the power of the released force, releasing glass fragments toward Lloyd.
The latter didn’t even flinch. He used his spiritual arts to protect himself with the surrounding wind.
"Tch, shit, what’s happening now?" the boy said annoyed while leaning out of what once was a window.
Upon leaning out he saw it.
Alice, in the middle of an immense torrent of demonic power, while holding an ancient sword, which glowed with orange and red colors.
A sword from which stood out the property of possessing an eye, for some reason.
Lloyd didn’t need to think too much to deduce that was the demonic sword.
Lloyd gritted his teeth annoyed.
You didn’t need to be a genius to know what was happening.
Surely the system wanted him to search for that supposed "secret room" to be able to absorb that demonic sword.
However, distracted due to Alice’s matter, Lloyd completely forgot to search for that secret room.
Now, the error of having neglected the mission to find the secret room combined with the distress he had given Alice.
Resulting in an Alice corrupted by a demonic sword.
"What a fucking mess," the young man cursed, seeing how the girl raised the sword.
That wasn’t a good sign.
Alice brought the sword down, upon doing so, a gigantic energy cut traversed part of the castle, demolishing one of its towers with an attack of pure demonic energy.
Lloyd swallowed seeing such a demonstration of power.
It wasn’t going to be an easy combat.
"HAHAHAHA! How fun! You really completely lost your sanity Alice!" a voice then shouted.
It was Lucia.
Who had jumped through one of the broken windows to go against Alice.
Lloyd saw how Alice launched a thrust at the air, firing a burst of energy powerful enough to not only throw Lucia backward but also make her traverse completely through the castle wall and exit the fort.
Lloyd put his hands on his head.
"That idiot didn’t last at all," the boy cursed, seeing the ease with which Lucia had been repelled.
Lloyd looked at the scene.
Was it really necessary to face her head-on?
Or was there still the possibility of fixing the situation with words?
Lloyd didn’t know, however his guts twisted just thinking of a scenario where he had to end Alice’s life for her corruption to cease.
Just thinking about it tore his heart, since after all, he had caused that situation.
Lloyd let out a heavy sigh.
"I’ll have to risk it," he said, then jumped through the window opening.
As soon as the boy came out he propelled himself with his wind magic, using it to land softly on the ground.
As soon as Alice detected him, she made a quick cut with the sword, a vertical cut.
Lloyd ducked just in time to dodge the cut of pure demonic energy, which broke the wall behind him, making several debris fall on him.
However, Lloyd quickly dispersed the stones with wind spiritual arts, while propelling himself toward Alice.
"Alice!" he shouted forcefully, while extending an arm to the girl.
However, Alice struck the air again with a thrust, releasing a great torrent of red and yellow energy, which impacted directly against Lloyd.
He received it full on, protecting himself with his forearms and his "artificial touki," while using his [Chaos Core] to absorb part of the attack’s energy.
The young man was still sent backward with great force, so much he had to use wind spiritual arts to brake and not crash against the wall.
"Alice listen to me!" the boy shouted again, while propelling himself toward her again.
Instead, Alice didn’t listen, the girl simply made a cut in the wind, which resulted in a gigantic tornado of wind and pure demonic energy.
"You’ve got to be kidding me," the boy cursed, while using an ice pillar to help himself jump to the side, followed by a wind wave that finished pushing him.
However, the tornado of demonic energy changed trajectory, chasing poor Lloyd.
"Fucking hell, how annoying!" he said, while landing on the ground, and making multiple ice columns grow in the tornado’s path.
They were enormous stalactites, made with dense ice, but not even that served to stop the tornado, which was getting closer and closer.
"ALICE! SNAP OUT OF IT ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Lloyd ordered, while creating an ice path and propelling himself with air to slide on it, just as he had learned in his battle against the shaman.
But this time, there was a response, but not from Alice.
"HAHAHAHA DAMN BRAT! She won’t respond! She’s mine now! Her mind has been parasitized by my demonic arts, and now she’s condemned to fight and destroy everything until she runs out of vital energy! In other words, you’re screwed you little shit!" a shrill voice mocked.
It was the sword.
That cursed sword was the origin of that voice.
Lloyd felt his blood boil. Not only because of the sword’s comment, but because someone was manipulating Alice.
HIS Alice.
"Damn bastard, I’m going to make you regret the day you separated from Xoth," Lloyd responded with contempt, while summoning the swamp of gluttony.
His shadow lengthened until reaching the tornado, and from it, multiple limbs made of a black substance emerged, like tangible darkness.
The hands grabbed the tornado, twisting it until crumbling it.
At the same time, Lloyd shot out at full speed toward Alice.
This time he froze the girl’s legs, and summoned Gleipnir to restrain the sword.
"You’re mine now!" the boy then shouted, while stretching his arm toward Alice.
However, just before reaching her, the girl moved, thrusting her fist toward his face.
Time seemed to stop. Lloyd was about to receive that blow full on.
