Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Devil and the Shadow (2)
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A blood-red curtain shimmered like an aurora.
On the stage stood the demon Duros, spewing a chaotic mix of green and blue flames.
Across from him, Shin-ju held the Old Book, which emanated a white light, glaring back at Duros in a tense standoff.
In the middle, the spider-like clown alien, Websoldarian, darted his eyes back and forth, cowering in a corner as he watched the scene unfold.
Duros had a reckless, aggressive nature, but he hesitated to charge in.
He had remembered the power of the Old Book that had given him such a thrashing in the past.
Shin-ju had given Duros a hard time by summoning a black hole.
Ultimately, he had been swallowed by the massive alien creature that emerged from it and knocked unconscious.
He had barely managed to tear his way out of the creature’s stomach, only to find himself already trapped in a massive prison.
“Grrrrr.”
Duros remembered the humiliation of that moment.
Meanwhile, Shin-ju, unable to summon a black hole inside a building like this, was formulating a different strategy in his head.
“So, are we just going to have a staring contest all night?”
Once his calculations were complete, Shin-ju taunted him. Duros broke into a grin.
Duros snatched the pedophile lying on the cross by the neck and, with enough force to snap the chains, hurled him at Shin-ju.
*Crack-*
The alien’s body was crushed by the pressure of the chains.
He was already beyond saving.
Shin-ju’s vision was obscured by the corpse.
“Ha.”
Shin-ju quickly opened a gate and sent the body to another dimension.
In that instant, he realized.
Opening a gate in front of him only increased his blind spot.
*Whip-*
Shin-ju instinctively spun around.
Duros’s claws were already inches from his face.
“Khahaha!! Got you!!”
A sickening sound echoed through the air.
Duros stared at his own grotesquely twisted arm.
“Got what?”
Shin-ju grinned.
Behind Duros, a black shadow, like sticky black rubber, had stretched out and ensnared his arm.
“Khahaha…!!”
Duros began to tremble.
*Fwoosh-*
Suddenly, flames erupted from his body.
The shadow scattered in an instant, as if fleeing.
“Hmph! You fool.”
The flames seemed to push back the small shadow right in front of him, but it was quickly engulfed by a much larger one.
The Old Book was floating in mid-air.
Shin-ju spread his hands, feigning the motion of gathering energy in one spot.
At his gesture, the surrounding shadows began to coalesce.
“The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.”
Shin-ju slammed the massive clump of shadow in his hands onto the floor.
Instantly, the shadow spread out with incredible speed.
“Ha!”
As darkness blanketed the floor, Duros unleashed an even larger torrent of fire from his entire body.
The shadow seemed to flinch for a moment, but it soon began to circle around Duros.
A distance formed between the shadow and the flames.
Shin-ju made a gesture in the air as if turning something.
The shadows began to spin around Duros, forming a massive tornado.
*Roooooar-*
Inky black shadows, like the depths of the abyss, began to envelop Duros.
Duros felt a wave of dizziness.
His own flames had ended up creating an even larger shadow.
“Grrrrr—If this is how it’s going to be!”
Duros crouched down.
His form slowly began to change.
His face morphed into the shape of a skull, and massive horns began to sprout.
From the empty eye sockets of the skull, blue-black flames erupted like an afterglow.
“I’ll just crush you with pure power!!”
*KABOOM!!*
A colossal burst of fire exploded from Duros’s body.
“Kwoooooooh!!”
The audience stared, mouths agape, mesmerized by the magnificent flames.
A protective barrier had been erected between the stage and the seats, so the flames did not reach them.
A massive friction began to build between the shadow and the flames.
Shin-ju wiped away his sweat, a relaxed smile on his face.
“Alright! In that case!”
Shin-ju brought his hands together and made a motion as if roughly squeezing something.
The shadow storm began to absorb Duros’s flames, slowly pressing in on him.
Faced with a vast, black abyss, Duros could no longer hold back and began to tear at the shadowy veil with his claws.
“Kraaahahahaha!!”
Shin-ju’s hands began to tremble as well.
‘Alright, let’s see who breaks first!’
A clash of power against power.
Duros was tearing the shadow apart as if it were paper.
But the torn shadows immediately reformed and descended upon him again.
He ignored it, relentlessly tearing at the veil.
Their expressions crossed—Duros’s, ghastly and demonic; Shin-ju’s, lost in the thrill of battle.
*Shunk-*
Duros’s sharp claws pierced through the shadow storm.
Through the hole, Duros’s demonic eyes flashed.
“I’ll kill you!!”
He began to force his body through the opening, slowly squeezing his way out.
Shin-ju calmly intensified his squeezing motion.
The Old Book began to vibrate violently.
“Khahahahahaha—!!”
Even as his upper body emerged halfway, a crazed smile never left Duros’s lips.
But the corners of his eyes drooped slightly.
Shin-ju immediately noticed that Duros’s strength was fading.
“Now.”
Shin-ju clapped his hands together.
With the sound of the clap, the shadows tightened their grip on Duros’s upper body.
“Krrruuuaaaah!!”
Duros writhed in agony.
He reached a hand out toward Shin-ju.
Flames ignited in his palm.
As if to say ‘not a chance,’ Shin-ju twisted his hands.
Following Shin-ju’s gesture, the shadows ensnared Duros’s arm and twisted it violently.
“Grruuuuugh!!”
“Let’s end this! Now!”
*Clap-*
Shin-ju clapped his hands together once more.
*Squeeeeze-*
An immense pressure began to build on the shadows binding Duros’s body.
“Krrgh…!!!”
His expression contorted, perhaps recalling the pain he had suffered at Shin-ju’s hands in the past. Even so, he tried to maintain his leisurely smile.
“Kha…ha… Dammit…”
Duros went limp on the spot.
Shin-ju slowly relaxed his hands.
*Tssssssss-*
The shadows were already vanishing somewhere.
It felt as if they were returning to their rightful places.
Shin-ju looked down at the fallen Duros and opened a gate.
From the gate, he summoned a pair of massive steel handcuffs.
*Clank-*
The cuffs opened on their own and clamped down hard, binding Duros’s entire body.
“I’m going to feel bad for the Alcatraz guards again.”
*Thwack!*
Suddenly, Shin-ju’s eyes widened at the sound of someone being hit hard.
Right! Enri!
He whipped his head around.
Across the stage, inside a steel cage surrounded by people, someone fell to their knees.
“Hoo… Not bad…”
Black blood dripped from Deadcasher’s face.
Her sturdy-looking black spandex suit was torn in several places.
Her expression was impassive.
But her kneeling posture and the blood splattered all around gave a sense of how fierce the duel had been.
Across from Deadcasher, Enri stood tall.
Looking closely, her legs were also trembling violently.
“Hoo…. Hahaha, as expected… you’re no joke…”
Enri’s face was just as battered.
The side of her face struck by the dragon’s fist was practically crushed, and a pool of blood was spreading on the floor.
Enri and Deadcasher glared at each other.
Both looked utterly exhausted.
Looking at Deadcasher, the corners of Enri’s mouth split into a genuinely joyful grin.
*Shudder-*
Seeing Enri’s wide smile and vacant eyes, Deadcasher trembled as a wave of revulsion washed over her.
The metallic scent of battle hung heavy in the air.
“That crazy bitch…”
Just then, Shin-ju’s figure could be seen running toward the cage from a distance.
The Old Book floated behind him, following close.
Enri looked back at Shin-ju.
She looked at him with her one good eye.
Then she grinned, as if to say she was fine.
But no sound came out.
Suddenly, the surrounding spectators began to jeer.
“Fight like you’re trying to kill each other!”
“Is this really how it ends?”
“Don’t you know it’s not over until one of you is dead?!”
One of the spectators threw a wine glass.
*Crash-*
As soon as one person acted, a mob mentality took over, and others began to throw things from all sides.
“Those crazy bastards!”
Shin-ju held the Old Book in front of Enri.
He had to get her out of here immediately.
He hurriedly opened a gate.
Shin-ju turned his head.
First, I need to get Duros into the gate.
Shin-ju reached his hand out toward Duros, who was lying in the distance.
He flew toward Shin-ju.
*Thump-.
*Crash!*
A one-eyed robot in a fedora, who had been sitting quietly in a corner observing the situation, caught the flying Duros and slammed him onto the floor.
The fedora-wearing robot looked at Shin-ju.
Its single eye zoomed in and out like a camera lens.
“You cannot take him.”
“What did you say?”
“Duros is an asset of our Bio Vanguard. You cannot take him as you please.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Shin-ju clenched his fist, preparing to retrieve Duros.
“It is useless.”
Duros didn’t budge.
The one-eyed robot squeezed a gap in the handcuffs binding Duros.
The restraints shattered with surprising ease.
“What!”
Shin-ju cried out in surprise.
He broke the handcuffs made by Jeg so easily?
“You may take the elf. It is your victory.”
“So you’ll surrender peacefully?”
“I have no memory of making such a promise. You will have to speak with Viper about that matter.”
“Grrgh! I haven’t lost!! Solarion!!”
Deadcasher shouted from the distance.
The fedora-wearing robot, called ‘Solarion,’ turned its head to look at Deadcasher.
“The moment you took a knee, you lost, Casher.”
Enri stood tall in the center of the ring, enduring the pain of her crushed face. In truth, Enri’s injuries were more severe.
“Look forward to the next time and accept your defeat. If you’re a pro, that is, Casher.”
A heavy mechanical voice echoed.
Deadcasher’s face contorted.
Solarion looked at Shin-ju.
“Go, U.C.I.D.”
Shin-ju glared at Solarion for a moment, then looked up.
From above, Viper pouted and made a calling gesture with his hand.
With a displeased expression, Shin-ju opened the gate.
Right now, Enri’s treatment was the priority.
The steel door of the cage opened.
“Let’s go, Enri.”
“Yes…”
Enri looked like even walking was a struggle.
Even so, she held her three-section staff tightly in her hand.
Shin-ju silently paid her his respects.
He supported Enri as they slowly walked into the gate.
Through the gate, the neon-lit buildings of Los Angeles unfolded before them.