Chapter 319
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 319
Chapter Title: Altar (3)
The demons that had filled the sky vanished in an instant.
All that remained was the ground shattered by the club and the chunks of flesh scattered across it.
Valhard gaped at the absurd sight, his jaw nearly unhinging.
He knew it.
Demian Haksen had achieved such overwhelming power thanks to his own mana.
By consuming a massive amount of dragon mana, he had produced this level of output.
But mana was ultimately just fuel.
How it was used, and how efficiently, depended entirely on the user.
Even Valhard, the original owner of the mana, wasn't confident he could produce the same power with an equal amount.
“How long are you going to stand there stunned?”
At that moment, Demian chided Valhard.
“Snap out of it. We're about to fight like hell from here on out.”
-We're going to fight? Aren't all the demons dead?
Honorifics slipped out automatically. Valhard asked in as polite a tone as he could manage.
“There are some survivors.”
No sooner had Demian spoken than demons plummeted from the sky.
Just three of them.
But the moment he faced them, Valhard felt chills race across his skin.
They were strong.
Even he, a full-grown dragon, couldn't help but tense up against their ferocious auras.
Moreover, they were unscathed from that monstrous blow earlier. Not a wound in sight.
-Demian Haksen! I've been waiting for this day! I'll make you pay for the humiliation!
The pig-headed demon bellowed in rage. Demian tilted his head and asked.
“Have we met? This is our first time seeing each other, right?”
-You bastard!
The pig-headed demon spat fury. Savage energy whipped through the air.
-My name is Asta! I've come to avenge the humiliation you inflicted on me!
“Humiliation? Oh, right, I remember now. You're the one who passed out from a single hit, aren't you?”
Demian sneered and added.
“But what gives you the nerve to show up again? Or do you just not know shame?”
Killing intent exploded from Asta. Valhard asked with a pale face.
-Lord Demian! Isn't fighting right now dangerous?
Valhard cried out in shock.
Demian had just expended a huge amount of mana and stamina on that strike.
Facing a demon like Asta in his fatigued state was suicidal.
“This doesn't seem like the time to worry about me.”
-Yes?
No sooner had he spoken than a blow struck his head. A demon as massive as Valhard had swung a fist.
-Uhahaha! Let's play, you and me!
Valhard steadied his staggering body. He immediately unleashed an uppercut toward the demon's gut.
The demon's body rippled, but it showed no pain. Instead, it grinned.
-It's been ages since I tasted a dragon's fist.
Valhard swallowed dryly.
This mana, this toughness.
Undoubtedly a marquis-class demon. Even a mature dragon like Valhard would have to risk his life.
-My name is Bas. What's yours?
-Valhard. Red Dragon.
That didn't mean he planned to run.
The arrogance innate to dragons from birth drove Valhard forward.
His Dragon Heart pulsed, generating mana. The mana he'd just consumed refilled in an instant.
-It's been a while since I tasted dragon meat.
-Arrogant worm crawling out of hell.
Valhard charged at the demon.
The two massive forms collided.
* * *
“Guess it's our turn to get started.”
Demian said, eyeing the two demons.
Both were far stronger than Latishier, the demon he'd fought before.
Unless he invoked the Death Knight's power with the Nameless Technique, he couldn't afford to take even one lightly in his human body.
-Arrogant fool! I'll split your skull right now!
Asta advanced with his axe raised. The demon beside him held him back.
-Asta, calm down. What if you charge in recklessly again and pass out like last time?
-What? How dare you say that! Should I kill you first, Alter?
-Calm down, friend.
The bird-winged demon raised both hands to placate Asta.
-His Excellency ordered us to attack together, didn't he?
-I can handle this one alone!
-You planning to defy His Excellency's orders?
Asta clamped his mouth shut at Alter's point.
-And even if you win, it's a problem. If I let you fight solo, I'll be the only one getting chewed out.
-Fine, do whatever! But if you get in my way, you're dead first!
-I'd better be careful not to die.
With their discussion concluded, the two demons turned to Demian.
Demian responded to their menacing pressure with a mocking smile.
“How long are you planning to just chatter? Come at me already.”
Demian beckoned with his fingers. Asta's face flushed red at the provocation.
-Fine! I'll smash that obnoxious mouth first!
Asta swung his massive axe at Demian. True to a marquis-class demon, its speed and power were extraordinary.
Demian focused on dodging Asta's attacks while analyzing his movements.
-Demian Haksen! What's wrong? You're so much slower than last time!
Asta mocked and taunted him.
-Killing such a weakened fool is no fun! Hurry up and use your dark magic!
“I'm not the type of idiot who brings a cattle knife to kill a chicken.”
But Demian's expression changed the moment he opened his mouth. Asta's face turned beet red.
At that instant, Demian's eyes sharpened.
He had read the brief opening created by the emotional fluctuation.
Demian immediately swung Dawn at Asta's neck.
An Aurablade erupted from Dawn, forming a massive blade.
Gigantification.
The realm of the great Saint Emperor Bartoleo unfolded. A sword large enough to cleave mountains slammed into Asta's neck.
The giant sword pinned Asta to the ground. The impact split the earth wide open.
But Asta's head remained attached. No, more than that—it was unharmed.
Fragments of light had protected Asta's neck.
-You damned...
Asta rose, shoving the giant sword aside. It hadn't so much as scratched his armor.
“Is that your Authority?”
-Indeed.
Asta seized the giant sword with both hands. Fragments of light gathered on his palms as well.
He clenched, and the giant sword shattered. Even condensed from Aurablade, it couldn't withstand.
-'Invincibility.' Nothing in this world can wound my body.
The armor covering his neck began to expand. Soon, it enveloped his entire form.
-Demian Haksen, your sword won't harm a single hair on me.
Asta discarded his axe and charged Demian. He slammed down a fist wrapped in his Authority.
It was too dangerous to block. Demian retreated, dodging the attack.
Asta's fist cratered the ground. It turned to dust amid a thunderous boom.
-Where do you think you're running!
Asta pursued, shouting. Demian twisted his lips and said.
“Don't worry. I'm not planning to dodge.”
He had long since analyzed all of Asta's movements.
Demian dodged Asta's strikes by a hair's breadth while swinging Dawn.
Countless slashes targeted Asta's joints. But only the screech of metal rang out—Asta's body was unscathed.
-I told you it's useless!
Asta laughed loudly and rampaged even more fiercely.
'Troublesome.'
A demon with such speed and destructive power, now clad in invincible armor and focusing solely on offense.
'But his movements are monotonous. I can dodge these attacks all day...'
Then, Demian's vision flipped. Suddenly, sky and earth swapped places.
Even Demian couldn't help but falter. He failed to dodge Asta's attack in time.
-I'll crush every bone in your body!
Asta's fist, cloaked in 'Invincibility,' hurtled toward Demian.
Too late to evade. Demian tried to deflect the blow.
But contrary to his intent, his body moved differently. His left arm rose instead of his right hand gripping Dawn.
Asta's fist smashed into Demian's abdomen. Demian's body was hurled backward.
-You're still alive.
Asta said with regret.
Armor had somehow coated Demian's body.
Hemera.
The magic armor he'd acquired before moved on its own to protect its master.
“Ptui.”
Demian spat blood rising in his throat. Thanks to Hemera, his body hadn't shattered, but the internal damage was severe.
'What the hell?'
Demian tested his body, moving it this way and that.
He tried to turn his head, but his eyes closed. Trying to move his arm bent his waist instead.
His senses and body were acting entirely out of sync.
-Confusing, isn't it? Weird, right?
Demian barely lifted his head. Far off, the bird-winged demon cackled eerily.
-That's my Authority, 'Distortion.' All your senses are jumbled now. You can't even twitch, let alone fight.
Only then did Demian understand what had happened to him.
-By the way, with my Authority, I can do things like this.
Alter, the bird-winged demon, reached into empty air. His hand vanished.
Instantly, a demon's blade emerged from beneath Demian's neck.
Demian twisted his head aside, dodging the attack.
-I distorted space. Fun... Wait.
Alter gave him a strange look and asked.
-How did you dodge that?
Demian stood. He casually rolled his shoulders, loosening up.
Alter couldn't help but panic again at the sight.
-Don't tell me you dispelled my Authority...
“Thanks to your yapping, I got the gist of it.”
Alter's Authority was still affecting Demian's body.
That was why Demian moved with his scrambled senses intact.
-What nonsense are you spouting! That's impossible!
Alter bellowed.
To fully grasp and adeptly control senses twisted so intricately in mere moments?
He had wielded 'Distortion' for ages, but he'd never seen anything like this.
“I'm a bit of a genius.”
Demian said nonchalantly. Alter looked dumbfounded.
-Alter! How long are you going to blabber!
Asta shouted that and charged Demian. He swung both fists down simultaneously.
Demian issued commands to his body at once. He kicked off the ground, dodging Asta's attack.
-I-It can't... be...
Alter was even more shocked to see Demian not only stand but evade the strike.
-Alter! Stop spacing out and attack him!
Asta roared. Alter finally snapped to.
-R-Right. Kill first, questions later.
Alter spread his wings, firing feathers in all directions.
He instantly twisted dimensions with his Distortion Authority. The feathers vanished, then rained down on Demian Haksen.
Demian swung Dawn, slicing the feathers. The severed ones exploded immediately.
-Demian Haksen!
Asta burst through the explosions. Demian barely dodged his fist.
'I can't hold out much longer.'
Truth be told, Demian's situation wasn't leisurely. With scrambled senses, dodging was all he could manage.
'As expected, my current level has limits.'
Marquis-class demons rivaled Grandmasters in power.
Demian hadn't yet reached the Grandmaster realm.
'No choice. I'll use it one more time.'
Demian invoked the Authority of Envy.
The mana flowing through his body corrupted into dark mana. He immediately circulated the Nameless Technique.
Demian's eyes glowed red. Simultaneously, darkness ignited at his feet.
-Ha! Finally going to use it!
Asta was elated to see Demian circulate the Nameless Technique.
-Good! Now I'll get serious too! I'll smash you head-on...
At that moment, darkness spread from Demian. It engulfed the ground beneath Asta and Alter.
Demian stepped on the darkness. Spears erupted from it instantly.
Countless spears impaled Asta and Alter.
-Kraaaagh!
A scream burst from Alter's mouth. His body was riddled with spears, head bowed.
-Alter!
Asta, meanwhile, was fine. His Invincibility Authority had blocked the spears.
-Demian Haksen! You're dead now!
Asta snapped the spears and charged Demian.
With the spear forest shattered, Demian came into view.
Demian held a sword forged from Aurablade, poised to cleave Asta.
-Useless, I said!
But Asta didn't dodge. He trusted his Invincibility.
However, Demian wasn't swinging blindly.
Sword God.
The realm he'd created as a Death Knight solely to kill Dorgo.
Demian brought his sword down. The Aurablade sword crashed onto Asta's crown.
The strike that cleaved all sundered Asta's body.
The 'Invincibility' Authority cloaking him and his flesh were sliced apart simultaneously.
-...!
Asta couldn't even scream. By the time he registered death, his body was already bisected.
Demian showed no joy despite felling two formidable foes.
Because the real one still remained.
“Bahel.”
Demian glared at the dimensional gate floating in the sky and said.
“Your turn now. Come out.”