Chapter 379 Staring At the Abyss (2)
Jovenus had grown to three times his size. His usually lithe figure now sported chiselled muscles. His pale skin had turned pale blue. Half of his limbs and his nether region were covered in spiky black armour that merged with his skin. His handsome face was nowhere to be found, replaced by a monstrous look with hundreds of exposed teeth. His elongated horns were covered in black veins that were also pulsing under his skin.
Unlike Jovenus, Bacchus was entirely covered in black armour that was his morphed skin. Half of his face had turned into a polished black carapace. His mouth had thinned, partly exposing his small yet sharp teeth. On his back, he had ten limbs that were akin to spider legs. They were firmly planted on the ground, supporting his body to remain standing.
"Why did you guys transform without me!?" Holcio exclaimed furiously upon seeing his fellows' forms.
Leaving Layland to Tiatus, Holcio retreated. Four wings emerged from Jovenus' back as soon as Holcio was on his side. As Holcio tapped into his Demonic Essence, Jovenus shot forward. Holcio ignored the clash happening before him and surrounded his body with his Demonic Essence. A golden sphere of Demonic Essence encapsulated him before exploding. The blast was threatening to shatter the protection dome.
Four times his initial size, Holcio's muscular figure became even more intimidating. Every part of his body except for his torso was covered in golden armour. He would have been mistaken as an Angel if it wasn't for his Demonic look. His pale yellow horns curved to the back of his head, further emphasizing his bull-like head. A roar escaped his maw, followed by the emergence of a pair of muscly arms from the side of his body.
The tense audience gasped in awe at the scene before them. It had been some time even for the experienced Warriors to witness the Demon King's Generals assume their True Form. They were reminded why they were led by them. The Generals were showing why they were half of the kingdom's strength.
Boom!
As amazed as they were by their Generals, they were even more amazed by the young Demon who remained unfazed before the crushing presence of the Generals. He battled Titus as if he were fighting a low-ranked foot soldier, constantly dealing injuries to the said General. Even if he lost, they would still regard him as the strongest Warrior. Of course, that would only happen if he got out of the situation alive.
"Stand down and I will guarantee your life, bald eagle," Layland stated, barely concealing his despise.
"You dare compare me to a lowly animal?" Tiatus narrowed his eyes, expressing his displeasure. "Let's see what you have to say after this."
Tiatus stretched his arms to the side. Flames run up his body, quickly engulfing him. The vermilion flame died down a second after, revealing him standing on four legs like a mighty lion. A pair of mighty wings sprouted out of his back, giving a majestic look to his gigantic body. With a flap of his wings, he spread fire to the entire Arena. The areas that were not covered with fire were the ones where Layland and the Generals were standing—lying lifelessly in Alvina's case.
Jovenus flew at Layland, slashing him with the sharp bone he had pulled out of his body. Layland let it strike his neck. The bone shattered upon contact, greatly baffling Jovenus. He was not baffled because it broke. He was baffled because Layland allowed him to injure him which also allowed his Origin to take effect.
Before he could process what Layland was intending to do, his throat was gripped by Layland's crushing grip. "You know, I find it funny that Origins are useless against someone with purer Demonic Essence." He watched with rapt attention as the wound on Layland's neck healed in the blink of an eye. "Demons are not only unfair to other races but also to their kin. Their destiny is decided the moment they are born."
The amount of Demonic Essence could be increased infinitely; however, its purity would remain the same. To counter a Demon with a purer Demonic Essence, you had to possess a ridiculously high amount of Demonic Essence.
Jovenus widened his eyes in horror. The conclusion of the battle had been decided since the beginning. In a desperate effort, he blasted his Demonic Essence at Layland's chest. The blast allowed him to scorch Layland's chest and make a distance.
"Stupid, don't charge at him!" he shouted at the crazed Holcio.
Holcio was not in the right mind to respond. His manic cackle resounded throughout the Arena as he charged at Layland.
"You are leaving me with no choice. I will visit you later in the Resting Crown," Layland softly stated, sending terror down everyone's spine.
Boom!
A blast of Demonic Essence mixed with Draconic Mana swept the Arena, knocking everyone but Bacchus to their feet. Holcio widened his eyes at first but immediately got even more excited as he laid his eyes upon Layland's form.
Layland's limbs and the lower part of his body were now covered in bluish-purple scales. The scales covered the frame of his torso which was now exposed for the world to see. His face was framed by scales but nothing was covering it. Two black lines ran down his eyes and cheeks, emphasizing his azure orbs. He had glowing blue veins running through his horns and body. His skin which was a shade paler made the veins more prominent.
"That is his Pseudo-True Form," Ilschevar remarked with intrigue as he looked at Layland's form from his seat. "He didn't give in to his dark thoughts. How terrifying."
"You have to stop this," Valeria warned.
"He doesn't even bother to assume his True Form, Valeria. My Generals will survive just fine."
"We don't know—"
Boom!
Valeria was interrupted by Holcio's torn upper body that was slammed into the dome protecting them. The shocked Demon fell ungraciously, allowing Ilschevar to stare into the abyss in Layland's eyes. The sheer rage the abyss contained made Ilschevar's heart beat faster. He wanted to come down and fight Layland himself. A manic grin that put Holcio's to shame decorated his face. However, it disappeared as fast as it came.
"This is still not the time," he muttered. Supporting his chin with his hand, he addressed the restless Valeria, "A Demon King's life is anything but peaceful. He is bound to encounter a situation where he is forced to sacrifice someone whom he dearly treasures. If he can't handle something like this, he can never be a Demon King."
"You are risking the military power of our kingdom," Valeria warned.
"If one man can demolish them, then I prefer that man over them."
Valeria's mouth turned into a thin line. It had been more than a decade since Ilschevar behaved like that. She was never in the illusion that Ilschevar had mellowed out, but seeing him reveal his true self was quite sobering. This was the Ninth Demon King that the world and his siblings feared. The one that kept God at bay.
Layland broke eye contact, a scowl marring his face. He looked at Jovenus who was readying his spear and teleported before him. Just as he swung Rexorem, Jovenus teleported him before Bacchus who had been motionless up to that point. Bacchus struck his hand, pricking Layland's exposed chest with his finger.
"Sleep," Bacchus said with a heavy, emotionless voice.
Rexorem fell from Layland's hand as his stance ungraciously faltered. Bacchus made a cutting motion with his finger. When Rexorem touched the ground, the space was torn. Layland was sent skidding to the back, sporting a gash on his chest. By the time the space reattached itself, the bleeding in Layland's chest stopped. Bacchus tilted his head slightly before jerking back in surprise as Rexorem cut his arm.
Layland caught the flying Rexorem and watched as Bacchus' arm fell to the ground. Baccus only stared at it briefly before focusing his attention solely on Layland. At this moment, Jovenus threw his spear which Layland effortlessly dodged. Layland was about to dash forward when the spear exploded, covering him with black smoke. The smoke quickly spread and thickened the more time passed.
Bacchus turned his head to Jovenus worriedly. The smoke would render his defence useless. He could only passively move in his True Form and he was reluctant to let go of his form. Jovenus understood Bacchus' concern. He flapped his four wings and flew toward Bacchus. Before he could reach Bacchus, seven sharp ice spikes rose from the ground and pinned his body in seven points. As he was about to move out of the restraint, he heard something that chilled his spine.
[Eptaziles ti Lois]!
Dragon Spell.
It wouldn't have been as haunting if Layland had merely spoken in Dragon Language. A Dragon Spell was a nightmare to everyone given that even a single word in Dragon Language could manipulate the world. Jovenus broke into a cold sweat as his access to his Demonic essence was cut off. His True Form was slowly crumbling, making his heart hammer loudly in his chest.
[Skill: Radiant Core]!
Tens of thousands of small Mana blades that resembled cherry blossom petals enveloped Jovenus in a sphere. They created a separate space inside, cutting Jovenus off from the outside world. Layland pointed his forefinger at the sphere, allowing a gap to open. He coldly looked at the horrified stare Jovenus gave him before shooting a red beam out of his finger.
The sphere closed when the red beam ended. It compacted itself before quickly turning red. It shone as bright as a mini sun. It was rapidly getting smaller until it eventually disappeared without a trace. The black smoke covering Layland disappeared, revealing his quickly healing form. The Arena was silent as he walked toward Bacchus.
"Ah…I for—"
Squelch!
Bacchus wasn't allowed to finish his sentence as Layland drove his hand through his chest. Everyone could see Layland was holding Bacchus' beating chest from his back. Layland pulled his hand out of Bacchus' chest, allowing him to revert to his human form. Layland threw Bacchus' heart to the ground at the same time a Portal was opened in the air and the disfigured Jovenus fell out of it.
Plop!
The fight concluded on a bloody note.
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