Chapter 496
Baaaaaaaaaaang!!!
Davey's body was sent flying through the air with a loud explosion. However, he could sense that something was different compared to before.
‘Davey! If you fight here, the territory will be turned into shambles!’
‘My Goddess Freyja! That would pose a significant problem.’
An eerie and spine-numbing chill ran through Davey's body when he heard Perserque's cry, prompting him to immediately channel power throughout his body. This was a hard "no" for him.
It didn't matter whether they were stronger or weaker than each other; the Princesses of the Abyss were monstrous beings capable of shaking the entire world with their power alone. There might have been differences in their bodies and constitutions, as well as the risks and dangers they posed, but the one standing before Davey seemed particularly specialized in causing destruction.
How much effort had he put into building this territory? How many people lived here?
"Do you know how much those water pipes installed in the sky above us cost?"
The gigantic transparent pipes through which water flowed and adorned the skies served as both sculptures meant to inspire the aesthetic senses of the territory's inhabitants and a significant source of power for the underground laboratory beneath the lord's castle. The costs for installing these transparent pipes were astronomical and could rival the combined expenses of the underground waterway and the Heins Territory's secret research facility.
‘They are the crystallization of your desires and hopes,’ Perserque remarked, hitting the mark entirely.
Indeed, the entire territory represented the culmination of his desires and hobbies. Davey had even envisioned a grand system that would one day envelop the entire territory or make it capable of soaring into the skies.
"It seems you're still quite carefree, considering you're thinking about something else."
Shwaaaaa!
Pain surged in Davey's abdomen, accompanied by the soft-spoken words echoing in his ears. Why? Because Urd had thrust her bare hands through Davey's abdomen. She quickly distanced herself from him, casting a nonchalant smile as Davey struggled to mount a counterattack.
‘Look at this b*tch, huh?’
"I've combined multiple muscle, bone, and skin enhancements, but you managed to pierce through it, huh?" Davey commented.
"Fufu. It's because a human's body is just that fragile," Urd replied with a wry smile.
Urd's words were undeniably true. In a different light, her side resembled the terminator, while Davey's side was more like a human enhanced with ultra-high-performance liquid. The disparity was simply too significant.
Spurt!
"Sister!"
However, could Davey truly stand idle when she was right in front of him? Davey swung Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon casually, causing blood to gush from Urd as her left arm was sent flying.
"Oops. One of your arms flew off!"
Urd's hardware was truly impressive. She possessed the most robust and durable body among all the Princesses of the Abyss that Davey had encountered. Consequently, it was challenging for Davey to inflict damage on her, even with the aid of Taboo's Karma.
Urd's strength lay in her overwhelming hardware specifications and her corrosive abilities. Her corrosive powers didn't affect Davey, but her physical abilities still presented a significant threat. However, she had two glaring weaknesses: her lack of practical combat experience and her lack of sensitivity to danger and safety, a consequence of her overwhelming strength.
To defeat her, Davey had to be willing to sacrifice his own flesh. It was the most effective approach.
"You... You deliberately allowed me to attack you…!" Urd snapped at Davey when she saw him place his hand on his abdomen to heal his injuries.
Since Davey had pushed his mana to its limits, he could gradually recover his strength. Furthermore, his complete metamorphosis had expanded his mana capacity to a level incomparable to when he first met Urd.
However, even with these improvements, Davey couldn't help but long for the complete and perfect synchronization of his soul and body that he experienced in the parallel world. With that power, facing a Princess of the Abyss wouldn't seem as perilous. Knowing it was an impossible feat, Davey had no choice but to find a way to confront Urd with the power he currently possessed.
‘I'll offer what I can so you have to make the most of it.’
However, the most crucial factor for Davey to consider while doing this was ensuring that he minimized the impact of their fight on the territory. The problem lay in the location the b*tch had chosen, right in the heart of the territory. Nevertheless, as long as Urd didn't escape Davey's grasp and the Princess of the Abyss named Skuld didn't join in, he was confident he could manage the situation.
"Why are you so determined to protect this man? Isn't he someone you don't need anyway?" Urd inquired.
Davey responded, "Even if you took a toilet seat cover from me, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Do you get me?"
Urd smiled at Davey's provocation, as if she were enjoying herself. "Are you prepared to confront us?"
"Of course. We're not in a relationship where we can laugh and drink together, right?"
"If you continue to oppose us, then all of us from the Abyss will cross over. Regardless of how powerful that skill of yours was that killed Sleesia in one shot, you won't be able to handle all of us," Urd warned.
Davey snorted. "Bullshit. Are you joking with me?"
If that were the case, she wouldn't have appeared alone like this. Davey's assumptions indicated that at most, two Princesses of the Abyss could appear in one world. The Tionis Continent currently had three Princesses of the Abyss. However, Davey had never witnessed more than two Princesses of the Abyss in another world.
Furthermore, Davey had already coaxed, or rather gently blackmailed, Verdande for some information about the Abyss. Considering that the existence of a Princess of the Abyss could heavily burden a world, it was exceedingly rare for more than one princess to exist in one dimension, with the exception of the Tionis Continent.
Davey ceased spinning the swords in his hands and tossed Blue Ribbon into the air while gripping Red Ribbon with both hands. Simultaneously, his body dispersed and vanished in a shroud of black smoke.
Originally named Ghost Step, this technique was Davey's most formidable movement technique, but he found the name awkward and changed it to his liking.
[Moonlight Steps]
[Unfettered Ghostly Energy]
This technique combined the martial arts taught by Assassination King Hermesia and Heavenly Demon Dokgo Jun, enabling Davey to manipulate his opponent's vision while maximizing his speed.
As soon as the pain in his abdomen subsided, Davey charged forward. Seeing this, Urd hastily used her power of erosion to strike at Davey.
Baaaaaang!!! Crack, crack, crack!
Urd appeared flustered as she faced Davey's rapid spinning attack, which targeted both the middle and lower portions of her body. Nevertheless, she maintained her composure, blocking Red Ribbon's blade and using her formidable strength to push Davey away. That was precisely what Davey had intended.
Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash—!
Sparks crackled in the air and coiled around Davey's arms as he employed Tai Chi to deflect her attack. He seized the opportunity to somersault and swiftly position himself right behind Urd.
Caught off guard by Davey's sudden movement, Urd attempted to launch a counterattack, relying on her overwhelming force, as expected of someone lacking experience.
However, Davey moved with swiftness surpassing her, his body vanishing like smoke in the air before he surged forward once more. Yet, his target wasn't Urd; it was Skuld, who was about to vanish while clutching Grim.
After a swift spin, Davey extended his index and middle fingers and delicately touched the surface of Red Ribbon's blade. Slowly and gently, he slid his fingers toward the tip of the blade, as an aura of energy enveloped his body.
"No!"
It was already too late. Skuld's pupils briefly dilated upon meeting Davey's gaze. Seeing no reaction from her, Davey swiftly retrieved Blue Ribbon, the sword he had earlier thrown into the air, and merged it with Red Ribbon.
Vwooooong!!!
Simultaneously, the two swords reacted and resonated with Davey's immense power, merging into a new form. Although this transformation was short-lived, Davey considered himself fortunate to have successfully united the two blades into one.
[Heavenly Destroyer]
[Demonic (Spirit) Sword 79th Form]
[Transformed Ghostly Possession]
[New Beheading Slaughtering Technique]
Davey seized the hilt of the longsword with a reddish-blue tint, formed through the instantaneous fusion of the two previous swords, and plunged it in. Concurrently, the translucent figure of a young girl materialized and clung to Davey's shoulder from behind.
While Super Ribbon existed in a spirit state, she appeared somewhat altered from before, almost as if she were donning the visage of a ghost.
‘Let’s go, Super Ribbon. You can go wild.’
[Yes, Father.]
Super Ribbon, who only displayed the upper half of her illusory body clinging to Davey, spoke softly as she moved in a flash. Simultaneously, a bluish-red flame burst from Super Ribbon's main body held in Davey's hands.
In this manner, the power of Super Ribbon and the Heavenly Destroyer combined seamlessly. Davey also incorporated the force in his grip, lethal when employed against Abyss beings. He transformed his mana with Taboo's Karma to create an aura blade. Although he hadn't regained enough power to unleash the high-level Soul Blade, he decided not to push it and refrained from overexertion.
Skuld just stared blankly at the incoming attack from Davey. Observing her inability to react to the assault, Davey deduced that she was on the same level as Versha.
"Skuld!!!" Urd exclaimed in surprise as she hurriedly attempted to stop Davey from executing the attack.
However, Davey's sword moved faster than she could.
"Ah..."
Super Ribbon's blade pierced through Skuld's neck while she muttered to herself in a daze.
Shwaaaaaaaa!!!
Accompanied by the eerie sound of flesh being severed, Skuld was sent flying tens of meters away without being able to scream.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!!!
The massive shockwave from the attack wreaked havoc in the vicinity.
‘No! I spent too much on these!’
The longer their fight persisted, the worse the condition of the territory would become. Davey couldn't act as aggressively as he'd like, wary that Urd and Skuld might opt for a wide-area attack.
Indeed, Davey found himself in a situation where the curse "Damn b*tches" might naturally escape his lips.
“Keheok?! Gurgle…” Skuld, lying on the ground, appeared dumbfounded.
She was greatly shocked that Davey had managed to pull her out of her space transfer just as she was about to disappear and attack her. A similar occurrence had taken place before, in Baris and Winley's territory, when Count Lington had attempted to escape from Davey by jumping through space to reach Ordem.
The depth and complexity of the space transfer here were on an overwhelmingly high level, making it challenging to counter with Blue Ribbon alone. However, Super Ribbon offered a different outcome, showcasing the combined powers of Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon's growth as expected.
A large, gaping gash ran from Skuld's right shoulder to the left side of her lower body. Davey knew, though, that this level of attack wasn't enough to kill her. The girl frowned, displaying no signs of distress. It was only natural, as she had been forcibly pulled out when she was already halfway gone.
"What happened to my space transfer?! Ah, aaaaah!!! My injuries aren't healing!!! Urk?!"
"What a cocky human!" Urd shouted, having quickly called out to Skuld.
She then launched a terrifying barrage of attacks at Davey. However, now that they had failed to escape, Davey held the initiative.
The fact that the territory was being turned upside down couldn't be taken lightly.
‘Even if things get messy in this fight, I'll do it. I have to subdue them first.’
Davey allowed his intrusive thoughts to prevail and allowed his madness to seep out as he swiftly manifested the power he had recently acquired.
‘Right, this fighting style is a bit messy and dirty. However, I'll make sure to fight you the rest of the way fairly and cleanly.’
Releasing Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon from their transformation, Davey immediately directed the two swords toward the two women. A potent surge of power emanated from Davey's hands as he unleashed Versha's power without hesitation.
While he didn't believe that the power would work effectively on the same Princess of the Abyss, the competition among the Princesses might still yield some impact.
Of course, the curse he employed was none other than the one that could amplify their senses. The curse was simple, but its effects were quite potent.
"Ugh?!"
Davey decided that one trick was more than enough. He ceased using Versha's power and opted to launch a relentless onslaught of attacks against the two Princesses of the Abyss.
[Devil Ylgr’s Crowd Suppression]
[Light Abdominal Strike]
Boom!!!
“Keok?!”
Two swift punches struck Urd's abdomen, their speed so blinding that it appeared as if only one had landed. However, Urd didn't even consider evading or countering the attack. Why? Because she possessed unwavering confidence in her overwhelmingly tough and sturdy body.
However, her confidence wavered the moment she realized that the attack had exceeded the limits her defenses could withstand. Gaining experience in a short time wasn't a simple task, and her lack of experience had become evident.
After sending Urd flying, Davey promptly sent a mental message to Perserque, asking, 'Perserque, can you prevent that woman from escaping for a while?'
Davey didn't receive a verbal response, but he was confident that she would handle it. Perserque didn't need to directly intervene with Skuld. With her knowledge of Abyss power, she could easily interfere with Skuld from a distance.
Davey approached Urd, who had been sent sprawling, and swiftly stomped on her left foot. In ordinary circumstances, it might appear unsightly for a man to assault a woman in such a manner.
However, Urd was far from an ordinary woman. Furthermore, why should Davey concern himself with the gender of his enemy when they posed a threat to his territory, his life, and the lives he needed to protect?
"Once more. You better clench your teeth and hold your ribs together."
How she would manage to hold her ribs together was a question Davey couldn't answer.
[Devil Ylgr’s Crowd Suppression]
[Consecutive Heavy Abdominal Strikes]
Baaaaaang!!!
Davey delivered a series of strikes with increasing power, each blow more forceful than the one before.
Boom, boom, boom!!!
“Keheok!!!”
Naturally, Urd didn't remain passive. She countered with several attacks in between the consecutive strikes landing on her. In a matter of seconds, Davey's body bore numerous injuries, despite his evasive maneuvers that resembled a snake's. Nevertheless, he paid no heed to his own injuries.
Davey persisted in using Versha's curse to weaken Urd and eliminate her remaining resistance. When her resistance finally reached the level Davey desired, he covered the entire area with a magic circle.
To inflict severe to potentially fatal injuries and overcome the situation where time was working against him, Davey needed to relocate the battle to a place where the aftermath wouldn't affect his territory. But where should he go? Naturally, he should head to the place where the power of God held the most sway, the location capable of temporarily suppressing the power of the Abyss.
The Tionis Continent housed numerous sacred and holy sites, typically any location where 9th Level Ultimate Holy Magic had been employed, making it sacred ground for an extended period.
However, the specific place Davey intended to reach was the sole land where God's power reigned supreme and the only place where the creatures of the Abyss couldn't run rampant. Furthermore, it was a place where he didn't need to concern himself with the aftermath, and there was only one such place in the entire continent.
Davey immediately activated the magic circle once he'd settled on his plan. The magic circle enveloped Davey, Urd, the first Princess of the Abyss he'd encountered, and Skuld.
[8th Circle Transfer Magic]
[Warp Gate]
In an instant, space warped as the magic capable of transferring an entire targeted area was triggered. This magic wasn't a simple warp but rather its advanced form, the warp gate.
Davey expended a significant amount of mana to activate the magic, but he still possessed enough. His mana reserves shifted slightly, but his holy mana, devil mana, spirit energy, and the newly acquired demonic energy remained steady. Right now, only two of these forces were necessary for him.
‘Move, you lazy bastard.’
The mana, which had initially remained cold and indifferent, finally began to stir. After a few moments, its movements grew frenetic, akin to an overexcited stallion that had just realized Davey's predicament. It was as if the mana had suddenly grasped the gravity of the situation, and the devil mana began to make its presence known, tempting him to harness its power.
In an instant, the space in front of them transformed into an area suffused with dense and awe-inspiring holy mana. Davey had anticipated this might happen, which is why he had secured the coordinates for this location.
"Aaaack!"
For the first time, Urd's expression soured as she grappled with the sudden appearance of God's power, which pressed down upon her body upon transitioning into this space. Even though God's influence had diminished, she was still a god herself, and it appeared that Urd had never encountered anything quite like this before.
What would it feel like for someone who had been relaxed and unburdened by fears of death to suddenly realize that their opponent was much stronger? Typically, those with no prior experience would be thrown into a state of shock and embarrassment.
So, what set a novice apart from a seasoned veteran? Besides the basic physical disparities, the most significant distinction was adaptability.
Urd reached out to stop Davey from uttering incantations. Thus far, Davey hadn't employed chants for any of the magic he had cast. One could essentially consider him someone who never chanted.
[9th Circle Transcendental Magic]
[Ragnarok]
The temperature in the vicinity slowly began to rise as hundreds of scarlet pillars of light materialized and descended toward the ground. This was the transcendental magic of catastrophic proportions created by Odin, the God of Magic. It could engulf a range spanning from tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers, depending on the amount of mana used.
Just like that, a searing heat reaching tens of thousands of degrees enveloped the space they were in. Of course, if this level of heat spread beyond this space, it could easily turn surrounding areas into seas of hellfire. Therefore, Davey swiftly tapped into his dark mana.
Davey's strength lay in his ability to employ various forces and his remarkable talent, which could potentially rival or even surpass that of the heroes in the Hall.
[9th Circle Transcendental Dark Magic]
[Lord of Nightmare]
Davey cast a dark magic capable of turning the nightmare he had created into reality and promptly sealed off the space they currently occupied.
Before long, the space devoured by the scorching scarlet pillars of light had entirely liquefied.
‘Let's see how long someone with hardware as robust as these Princesses of the Abyss can endure the intense heat of world-destruction-level magic in a place where their bodies are constrained by God's power, huh?’
So, where had Davey warped to? None other than the sacred ground situated in the northeasternmost corner of the continent, the Holy Empire's most revered Sanctuary.
***
Currently, the Holy Empire had only one Saintess Candidate actively training to become the Saintess, and that candidate was none other than Lena.
Originally, she had been competing with Alice for the position of Saintess Candidate. However, Alice withdrew from the competition the moment she returned after betraying God. Consequently, Lena remained as the sole Saintess Candidate within the Holy Empire.
Even though there was no way of knowing the final outcome, Alice had relinquished her pursuit of the position for some inexplicable reason. With no other competitors, Saintess Candidate Lena naturally found herself in a position where she had to undergo the rigorous Saintess' Trial, a demanding process to become a Saintess.
On this particular day, Saintess Candidate Lena had come to the Sanctuary to offer her prayers, but she found herself helplessly staring at the unfolding catastrophe.
"Miss Saintess Candidate! Please step back!!!"
"It's dangerous!!!"
The paladins and high priests urgently shouted, fully aware that a massive disaster loomed before them. The sight of the aftermath, akin to God's wrath descending upon the Earth, sent shivers down the spines of all those who dealt with mana, engulfing them in both fear and dread. What could be happening inside the Sanctuary?
Just as everyone, surprised by the sudden turn of events, was about to flee with Saintess Candidate Lena, she gazed at the scarlet pillars of light blankly and smiled, saying, "Aaah. Davey came?"
She smiled faintly, her voice radiating innocence and naivety, which echoed in the ears of those present. Then, she unexpectedly walked toward the scene that resembled a catastrophe.
"Daveeeeeey~ I baked some delicious cookies. Would you like to eat them with me?"
At that moment, the paladins remembered the words that Alice used to utter whenever she saw the girl.
[Ahh! For real, you featherbrained girl!!!]
Because of Lena's selflessness and purity, Alice couldn't bring herself to hate her, even if Lena's actions were technically wrong and foolish. Hence, Alice had resorted to calling her by such a nickname.
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