Brandishing his enhanced sword, fueled with vigor, numerous meteors shatter in an instant.
Nothing could match the concentration of energy on the sword.
Akin to a blazing fire that was heated until reddish, the Silver Eye sliced through the meteors enhanced by Hell-Void energy like butter, and the expert movement Rex displayed with the sword was good enough to the point that not even a small pebble managed to reach him.
Obstacles that were in his way weren't able to slow down his movement at all.
Reaching face-to-face with Demon Lord Ranath who was already swinging his blade arms, Rex also did the same as the muscles in his arms bulged, a compound of his strength output before he did a crossing slash with his word.
Clang!
During the point of impact, friction between their energies produced a small circular bubble.
It was trembling uncontrollably, finding it hard to maintain its shape.
Both of them fixed their savage gazes at each other, vying to assert dominance in this bout.
"... Even the depths of hell will learn to fear my name!"
KABOOM!
Upon displaying unwavering confidence in this ultimate clash, Rex twisted the Silver Eye a little, sending the small circular bubble into chaos before triggering a colossal explosion that illuminated the entire overcast sky with a brilliant red light.
A destructive explosion that blinded the onlookers gazing at it from below.
Even though the distance between the ground and their clash is considerable, the shockwave rippled to the ground, trembling the earth and leaving a web of fissures across the plain, boasting the immense power unleashed.
Surprisingly, this lasted for a solid half a minute.
In the process, the color of the explosion vibrantly changed a couple of times like fireworks.
Adhara was also blinded for half a minute.
When the luminous gradually receded, she turned her gaze upward again to witness the outcome of the confrontation. However, her attention was captivated by the environment around her, sensing an imperceptible rush of wind brushing again her body.
'It shattered, the formation shattered at the perfect time' Adhara pondered with a nod.
Clearly, the ultimate clash between them was exceeding the limit.
Even she hadn't anticipated the formation to last this long, given the intensity of the destructive battle that far exceeded its usual capabilities. But it seems her assumption was wrong, the formation held on long enough until the battle was over.
Like a withered red rose, the explosion gradually waned into a thick cloud of black smoke.
Small pebbles and ashen substances descend from the sky.
Blitz!
Out of nowhere, the cloud of black smoke burst open as a black lightning strike descended and crashed to the ground with a loud violent sound. It was then the onlookers saw a completely disfigured entity kneeling on the vast crater.
Many who witnessed this sight gasped, this entity turned out to be Demon Lord Ranath.
"Huarggh...!"
Splat!
Demon Lord Ranath looked down with his eyes widened completely.
His monstrous, robust body had now been mutilated beyond measure, missing his left arm and even missing the flesh across his frame. Deep stab wounds decorate his form, oozing with grotesque blood. Additionally, half of his face was charred to the point of unrecognizable, and his horns also shattered.
Nothing of his previous imposing self remained, he was now broken and weak.
"D- Did I just lose...?"
As his mind started to take in the moment and process it clearly, a question escaped his mouth, he couldn't believe that it ended up this way. Despite giving it his all, even using his Hellgate Ruination, he was still defeated completely.
It wasn't supposed to end like this, it wasn't supposed to be different.
Demon Lord Ranath is sure that this would end up as it always would, with him on the top.
Crash!
Suddenly, a figure landed right in front of him before straightening his back.
Rex, bearing the scars of a brutal battle, masked his pain behind his indifferent facade. His body started steaming, his grievous injuries mended and started to heal at a visible pace, rekindling the fire within him.
A moment is all it takes for him to have most of his injuries disappear.
Clutched firmly in his left hand, he held a peculiar and eerie reddish circular object. It resembled a living entity, a grotesque fusion of numerous writhing, ebony-blackened serpentine creatures coalescing into this object known as the Sin Epicenter.
It's the very object that made Demon Lord Ranath possess this much power.
"Hmm... So this is the Sin Epictenter that allows you to be connected with your God. But seems like being connected with your God doesn't mean being blessed by it, considering that you lost against me" Rex mused with a condescending smile on his face.
Looking down at the once mighty Demon Lord Ranath in this state brings him utter joy.
A sight that intensifies his satisfaction with letting loose.
Following that, Rex then puts the Sin Epicenter into the inventory for further use.
Upon doing that he strode forward nonchalantly before he grabbed Demon Lord Ranath's head with his hand, forcing him to raise his defeated face. "How does it feel to be looked down on by me, a new powerhouse of the new era, Demon Lord Ranath...?"
"Does it hurt you? Does it scare you?" Rex inquires with a condescending tone.
Rex basked in his triumph over Demon Lord Ranath.
It was a sensation akin to a wind caressing his heart gently, filling him with fiery excitement.
Demon Lord Ranath smiled and chuckled.
Ignoring the blood trickling down his mouth, he then made eye contact with Rex with his demonic, taunting eyes, "I admit... I admit that you've surpassed my expectations, but don't think that this will stir anything inside me"
"For all I know, you progressed nothing aside from prevailing against me" He added.
Not much as he expected, Rex suddenly laughed out loud as if he heard the funniest joke in the whole entire world. "Progress nothing...? Demons' power lies in the Sin they are associated with, I'm sure you know that. Wrath and Envy are the runes empowering you Rastrikan Demons, am I correct?"
"Surely you don't think that defeating your legion is a coincidence, do you?" He continued.
Seeing the teasing smile on Rex's face, Demon Lord Ranath becomes uneasy.
Now that he has been reduced to this state, he comes to a revelation that Rex and the army of Dwarves came here deliberately. It was clear that there should be an objective, yet he still couldn't put his finger on it.
"Bastard! What are you trying to do?" Demon Lord Ranath barked angrily.
But Rex only replied with a mischievous smile before he stood up and turned around again.
Despite the feeling of uneasiness that could be felt climbing onto his heart, Demon Lord Ranath shook his head and smirked in ridicule, "No, your plan doesn't matter. Kirgil will not lose to you, he'll see right through you and defeat you"
"Leave the problem of the living, a dead person shouldn't meddle" Rex replied harshly.
Having no intention of answering, Rex then fixed his gaze onward again.
"Regardless, I see that the fear is not present fully inside of you yet, Demon Lord Ranath. I'm starting to believe that you Rastrikan Demons are not capable of fear" Rex chimed, his mind and the words that came out of his mouth contradicting.
Demon Lord Ranath chuckled again, "I don't care what you do to me, I will not fear you"
"Is that so..." Rex mused silently.
Just then he suddenly turned to face the remaining Rastrikan Demons who were petrified by the sight of Demon Lord Ranath, their own Lord on his knees. A thick cloud of bleak aura could be seen enveloping them like a hurricane.
Upon seeing this, Rex smiled savagely, "Maybe you don't, but I think it worked on them"
Likewise, Demon Lord Ranath turned his head and saw the same scenery.
Realizing that the other Rastrikan Demons were surprisingly hesitant in charging forward, seemingly to have emotions when they shouldn't have aside from wrath and envy, Demon Lord Ranath gritted his teeth furiously.
"What are you crawlers doing?!" He roared. "Keep attacking! All of you, attack!"
Despite the command, none of them moved.
"I heard that Rastrikan Demons are usurpers, conquerors..." Rex's voice, a low and ominous murmur, cut through the air like a shadowy blade as he strode past Demon Lord Ranath to face the remaining Rastrikan Demons. "Oddly enough, it takes little effort to instill fear in those who fancy themselves conquerors, compared to a true fool. Defeat, humiliation, betrayal, isolation, the list goes on"
Gazing at the remaining Rastrikan Demons, he then stretched his hand to point at them.
"For them," Rex continued, each word heavy as an anvil, "what could be more harrowing than witnessing their leader crumble in defeat and humiliation?" He pressed his point with unwavering conviction. Then, with a commanding gaze that sent shivers through the hearts of all who met it, he turned his attention to Demon Lord Ranath.
His voice was icy as death's grip, "And as for you, what could be more terrifying than witnessing your once-proud people being slaughtered like helpless lambs, their dignity reduced and stomped to nothing?"
Demon Lord Ranath could hear a thunderous ring inside his head as his blood ran cold.
It was then he surged forward trying to stop whatever Rex was going to do.
Rex wasn't going to let him utter a single more word, he grabbed the Silver Eye and stabbed it through Demon Lord Ranath's chest, all the way down to the ground, pinning him in place without being able to do anything.
Smirking evilly, he heads towards the legion, "Stay there and watch as I slaughter them all..."
"No! Bastard! Come back and end me!" Demon Lord Ranath roared helplessly.
But his words fell on deaf ears.
On the other hand, Huvuki who has just snapped out of his daze seeing that Demon Lord Ranath was defeated quickly wanted to command his army. However, Adhara stopped him, dissuading him from interfering.
"Shouldn't we take care of them now? This is our chance!" Huvuki exclaimed hurriedly.
Adhara shakes her head in disagreement, "Just prepare to move as planned, keep a perimeter, and make sure that none of the Rastrikan Demons flee. Ask the Elves to help out too, none should be left alive. As for the legion itself..."
"Let Lord Rex have this one" She paused and eventually said with a firm tone.
Huvuki didn't argue and nodded his head, there must be a reason why Adhara said this.
When he departed, giving orders for his forces to encircle the Rastrikan Demons, Adhara cast one last contemplative look in Rex's direction. 'This is necessary,' she thought, her eyes lingering on him. 'It's better to let him release his frustrations now rather than later, it will grant him some clarity in his mind'
Knowing that he was not in a great state of mind as of later, Adhara decided to let him be.
The next one would be Kirgil, and he would need his focus then.
Upon pondering about this matter briefly, Adhara's eyes caught sight of a figure that was hiding inside the crowd. It was then a light sigh came out of her mouth, "Ryze! Come here!" she yelled, calling this meek figure.
It was Ryze who was meddling with the army and avoiding the spotlight out of extreme fear.
Hesitantly, he then approaches and stops.
"Don't overthink. If you want to gain his approval, go help the Dwarves" Adhara instructed.
Stealing a glance at Rex who was rampaging like an animal through the Rastrikan Demons, tearing their limbs with his claws and flaunting blood to the air, Ryze took a deep breath to calm his nerves before nodding.
A moment later.
Many of the Dwarves were sweating profusely at the sight of the massacre that Rex did against the Rastrikan Demons which was hard to look at. Even more terrifying was the fact that he managed to force the legion to flee away like rabbits.
It was the Rastrikan Demons, making them feel fear should be impossible!
Nobody has managed to achieve this.
However, Rex, the new powerhouse of the new era was able to do that without a sweat.
On top of that, the sight of this made the Dwarves and even the Elves glad that they were on the Silverstar Pack's side. It would be horrifying to think otherwise. If he could easily dispose of the Rastrikan Demons, then disposing of them would be a child's play for him.
Meanwhile, Huvuki who was riding the mutated bear on the side noticed something.
Sticking out like a sore thumb was the fact that most of the Dwarves stole a glance to the side, their bead of cold sweats was the product of their uneasiness and terror. It was obvious that they were not comfortable.
"Don't look at it if you're not up for it, this is necessary" Adhara mused from the front.
Upon hearing this, Huvuki smiled, "I- I understand..."
Despite saying that, he still glanced back with a troubled gaze, 'But is it really necessary...?'
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