Chapter 90 - Nameless Demon (2)
A familiar energy rippled through the demonic qi I'd scattered across the entire Rift zone.
It had to be a fragment left behind by the being that could be called the origin of demons—the highest race in this universe. Even the fourteen monarchs had revered and served it as the Demon God. Though it fell far short of its full power before its annihilation, the purity was still staggeringly high. I'd detected the power it had left here.
'I'll be there soon.'
Partus murmured those words as he steadied his churning emotions.
Of course, what he had to do upon arrival was already decided: absorb the Demon God's fragment and make it his own power.
Worship and desire could coexist. He had served the Demon God, but he had also coveted its strength. Even Partus, who rarely failed at anything in the world beyond the Rift—even he, who regarded tranquility as a virtue and greed as a sin—could not help but yearn for that authority.
'If I obtain that power, everything I do will be tranquility, not greed.'
It was that transcendent.
No matter how talented or lucky one might be, it was a mystery even now, over twenty years later, how mere humans could have annihilated it.
Thus, Partus decided to break the principle he'd upheld for so long—just this once. The glory to be gained by revealing his greed this one time was too immense.
Perception Domination
"What?"
Charlotte Tate, who had been clashing with Partus using every terrain feature from river water and air to soil and building rubble, scowled and asked.
And in the next instant—
Kuoooooo—
The demonic qi pouring from the Demon King's entire body intensified several times over. Partus smirked as the mana-infused atmosphere, which had been hostile to him, shrank back in fear.
"Don't talk bullshit. No one has the right to say that to me."
Charlotte Tate ground her teeth and shot back. That was exactly the kind of thing she hated most to hear.
That it was decided from the start. That there were places one could never reach.
The Immune Body bearer and Sword Queen, Charlotte Tate, had grown by surpassing every single person who spouted such nonsense one by one.
But this time...
She didn't know what her past trials had been like, but this time... it might be tough.
Shuuuuu...
The moment a round, black membrane enveloped Partus—
Charlotte Tate sensed it immediately.
'It's fading.'
Her control over the water and air in the area, activated through her Immune Body, was weakening. Especially the closer it got to the energy barrier Partus had manifested.
And she realized why that phenomenon was occurring.
'The purity... it's too high.'
It was a simple principle. The ability she possessed as an Immune Body bearer extended influence even over natural mana. But the purity of the demonic qi Partus was emitting was meaningfully higher than that.
A short-lived child who pursued utmost potential. Your life was beautiful, but oh so fleeting.
Partus declared it like a verdict and dove toward her below.
Kwaaaaa—!
The mana-controlled water stream hardened like steel to block the Demon King's approach, but...
Chwaaak!
The moment it touched the demonic qi, it dissolved back into feeble ripples.
Tak.
Partus landed with a footstep in the space where the river water had vanished. Now, nothing stood between him and Charlotte Tate.
"Haaah!"
The hero let out a shout that reverberated through the sky, raising high the mana sword gripped in both hands. A pure white glow surged and permeated it.
Maximum opening of the mana self-immune response construct.
With preparations complete to swing down the resplendent blade of light, Charlotte Tate reaffirmed her trigger.
I want to grow stronger. With her entire being on the line. She'd do everything in her power for that.
"Huuu..."
The moment she exhaled deeply—
Kwang!
The ground exploded like a blast as the Demon King charged, and Charlotte Tate swung her blade of light with all her might.
Peok—!
A sinking sensation. Black blood flowed from Partus's right hand, which had seized her sword barehanded.
Suuuuu...
Even as the demonic qi—his very essence—dispersed from the blow, the Demon King regarded it as trivial. He could replenish dozens of times that power soon enough.
With those curt words, he tightened his grip.
Creeeak, craaack—
Cracks spiderwebbed across the blade of light, on the verge of shattering.
And...
Paaat!
With a sharp crack, the sword finally broke.
The follow-up attack.
Peok!
The hero, having expended every ounce of instantaneous power, couldn't respond. Charlotte Tate flew through the air without even a scream, and Partus moved his hand again.
Kuung! Thud!
Four strikes. The blade-like demonic qi severed all the tendons in her limbs. He refrained from amputating them entirely out of consideration for her talent and effort—leaving the corpse intact.
And the last one remaining. The heart that kept Charlotte Tate alive.
As Partus intoned it and prepared to hurl the spear-like black demonic qi—
Peong!
Two sudden magic bullets struck his back. Feeble power, laughably so. Yet the Demon King had no choice but to turn.
[......]
Far off, at the river's edge connected to the land. Three young humans stood there. It seemed the two who looked like girls had attacked him, and Partus harbored an inscrutable doubt.
'What... are those?'
First, the one with relatively short hair, gender ambiguous. Their presence was hazy. They harbored considerable innate mana, and since they were revealing what they'd hidden well, he could detect it. He couldn't know for sure, but it was clear that wasn't their true form.
And the second. The slightly taller of the two girls. Partus recognized her potential at a glance.
'Even superior to this child.'
Charlotte Tate, who had dared to face him alone until moments ago. This girl possessed the same ability in an immature form, and in terms of future potential, she was incomparable—twice, no, three times superior or more. If she lived a life befitting her talent, she'd surpass Charlotte Tate in a decade.
A bud that had to be eradicated.
And the last. The smallest in stature. Partus took note of her.
'You...'
Suddenly, certain figures came to mind. The man and woman who had led humanity's heroes and contributed most to annihilating the Demon God. In the girl's tense yet glaring expression, Partus recalled those most deserving of curses.
Lee Si-hyeok and Jeong Se-bin.
The same intuition he'd felt upon seeing them rang alarm bells.
'Must... must kill them now. Without fail.'
If not...
If he let them leave alive from this place...
'It will be us facing annihilation.'
Someday in the future. Every living demon would perish by her hand.
Thud!
The resolved Demon King kicked off the ground. The demonic qi in his hand gleamed black.
"It's nice that there's less to dig out of you. I'll just kill you. As painfully as possible."
I felt utterly relieved saying that. No need to know why Andrey Ilyin had stolen the Rift theory and triggered the Great Rift.
Greed for wealth and fame. Revival of his faction. Preservation of mana. Whatever it was, I didn't care. No matter the specifics or added motives, it all boiled down to one word: greed.
I didn't particularly want to ask, but if there was one thing I needed to find out...
"Who did you hand the stolen data to?"
Excluding Arnaud Duré and Andrey Ilyin, I knew of five confirmed living traitors. One in Korea. Two in North and Central-South America. One each in China and Japan. One more elsewhere. Who was the ringleader? Knowing who got the data would unravel that mystery.
"You think I'll tell you?"
"Yeah, figured."
As expected, I didn't press further and manipulated my mana.
Weeeeng—
The construct I'd seized control of with my earlier ambush. I hurled it at the Rift wall.
Thud!
Neutralization began, a fine gap opening, and I transmitted my will through magical means.
Seo Yeon-hee's voice carried concern. She looked on the verge of bursting with impatience, so I soothed her.
For now, it was fine. Charlotte Tate was holding her own against Partus on roughly even terms, and the hunters' forces were sufficient against the monsters. The prime rule of large-scale monster combat: don't sacrifice yourself. In this advantageous situation, no casualties would occur if they ended it quickly.
With that, I approached Andrey Ilyin again, sneering.
"If you can't kill me in the next five minutes, you're done."
"......"
It was almost a lie. I had just as much to hide. But if he didn't know that, the time limit would pressure him. Of course, I had no intention of dragging it out five minutes, and I taunted him.
"Come at me."
The "Blue Eyes," Andrey Ilyin. He was incredibly strong. In the World Guardian timeline, he'd ranked in the top 10 of the 36 Heroes. Weaker than his prime, but a head-on fight would give me less than 30% odds. Factoring in the piercing wound from my ambush and the time limit made it even.
Kuaaaang—!
Blue mana erupted fiercely from his entire body. The emanating hostility was already a weapon beyond mere intimidation.
"You think a punk like you can beat me? I'll turn you into a corpse in one minute."
"Five seconds already gone."
Before my mocking words finished, he charged with savage momentum, thrusting his fist.
Shuwaaaak!
A pure strike concentrating all his power, no tricks.
Perception Domination (Rank A+)
Manifestation (Rank A)
My body blurred like mist upon contact with his fist. A physical alteration via the Manifestation skill. Andrey Ilyin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Judgment impairment forced by Perception Domination.
"Heok!"
Pain like my organs were rupturing hit me, followed by a gush of blood clot. Even glancing the blow inflicted far more damage than dodging.
But in exchange, my hand was already reaching for his throat.
Piit!
I barely missed decapitating him, tearing only half the flesh from his windpipe.
"Kuh, ugh..."
Andrey Ilyin recoiled hastily, emitting inarticulate groans. His left hand clutched his throat for hemostasis, right extended to unleash consecutive mana blasts.
Kwang! Peong!
Suppressive fire to prevent approach while tending his wound. I didn't waste time dodging.
Mana Absorption (Rank S)
I absorbed the first two or three. But...
Kwaaaaaang!
Realizing magic bullets wouldn't work, Andrey Ilyin fired one with over ten times the prior force.
Instant Foresight (Auto-Activation, Rank A+)
Peeping Eye (Manual Activation, Rank A)
Couldn't absorb it all. Exceeds Mana Absorption's capacity. Dodging or deflecting impossible. It's mana that tracks and explodes on contact. Taking it head-on would drop combat ability over 70%, and he wouldn't miss the advantage.
Only one way: draw it all out.
Paaaang—!
Black mana wings sprouted from both my shoulders. I pulled the approaching magic bullet close, enveloping it. In the split second before detonation, I deployed everything: Mana Absorption, compound barriers, Manifestation, counter magic bullets, enhanced physicals via my mana.
Kwaaaang!
His magic bullet exploded in blue light—confined within my wings.
"Uwaaak!"
Indescribable agony surged. Inside the black wings, it was filled with my blood. Exhaustion hit, mind fogging.
But I reached Andrey Ilyin's face, faster than him slowed by recoil.
Puk!
My thrust hand sank into his shoulder blade, snapping bones and nerves at my fingertips.
Bwoong!
He swung his fist. I blocked with elbow and knee, and just before bouncing back, tore his right shoulder viciously with the rebound.
"Kraaak!"
"Haa, haa..."
Catching my ragged breath, I rose and closed in again. Heart, throat, head. Target vitals to end it quick. Seemed advantageous, but my condition was no better than his.
Kuung!
I charged full-force, slamming bodies hard. As we tumbled, a fist flew at my face.
Peok!
My head snapped back. A hair's breadth from neck snap. Head spinning, but I clung to consciousness, moving right thigh and hand simultaneously.
His left leg lifted, and before he could defend heart/head with arms, I twisted the ankle oppositely.
"Aaaak!"
His scream, then another fist. I didn't dodge this time, twisting to offer only my right shoulder.
Peok!
Horrific crunch of shattering bone. Right arm unusable now.
Securing a proper mount, I thrust my left hand. Still aiming for the bleeding throat area.
Teok—
Just before my fingers dug in, he blocked with his hand.
A fifteen-second test of strength: pierce or be pierced.
"Graaaak!"
His face—specifically his eyes—glowed blue. Twin beams followed.
Piit!
Without Instant Foresight, my brain would've been pierced. Barely dodged, but lost mount as he kicked my chest with his good foot.
"Kuhuk, keheuk..."
Foam-mixed organ bits spilled from my mouth as I flew back.
Staggering up, the sight: Andrey Ilyin struggling to rise too. Blood streaming from throat and abdomen, right arm barely hanging, left ankle twisted and mana-reinforced for movement.
Me? One arm out, but internal injuries twice as severe.
Neither of us had reserves left. Next blow decides.
"Heok, heok..."
After deep breaths, Andrey Ilyin crouched low. Seemingly defensive, but I knew what was coming.
Power to casually level a mountain or two. The "Blue Eyes" Andrey Ilyin's ultimate technique.
Could I take it in this state? Must, but no confidence.
...If I were alone.
Kuaaaang!
Sound delayed; he surged first.
"Vanish!"
A degraded version of Han Tae-gang's true technique, still hard to block normally. Anyone with lower mana purity/total would perish helplessly.
And just before clash—
Swaaaa—
"...!?"
Andrey Ilyin whipped around in shock.
Arnaud Duré, collapsed unconscious in the clearing. He had extended his hand.