Chapter 461 - A Will To Survive

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Apollo rushed towards Tanath again without a second thought. However, three phantom-like images appeared beside him as he charged Tanath. This technique perfectly replicated even Gram; however, each phantom didn't unleash a force on par with the original.

Each phantom was only capable of dealing twenty percent of Apollo's damage. However, in most extreme cases, that additional sixty percent of damage could determine the outcome of a battle.

But, if Apollo could perfect this stepping technique, then he could more than double his damage, which was one core reason Fuhrer was undefeated. Combining the Phantom Millennia with the Six Mirage Shifts created a disastrous outcome.

In addition to an ungodly number of undetectable strikes, the endless damage was a torrent that most if not all demons alive were incapable of handling. This fact was something that inspired Apollo's actions in this fight. 

Though he wasn't privy to all of the events, Apollo linked some of the scenes recovered in his memories to Fuhrer's actions on the battlefield. Although they didn't appear to be his, it seemed Apollo's father left him with additional memories to assist in his growth.

Conversely, Tanath didn't spare his reaction any thought. He simply responded in kind, unleashing a savage attack that split into four. Under normal circumstances, Apollo's phantom would be ripped apart by these attacks, but it was a different story after activating his stigmata at his current level.

When coupled with the effect of his title, which allowed Apollo to reduce the stats of demons in his general area, Apollo's increased strength and Tanath's decreased strength gave his phantoms the boost they needed to persist through Tanath's attack.

Still, repeatedly fending off Tanath's was a difficult feat. Each attack caused the integrity of Apollo's phantom to decrease drastically. After suffering the second attack, Apollo estimated they wouldn't last after he deployed his next attack.

Since Tanath's aura became ruthlessly sharp, Apollo responded with a kindred attack.

Both Apollo and his phantom emitted the razor-sharp aura of the Nether Severance, prompting Tanath to take a step back in preparation. If Apollo could potentially release it as quickly as he released the Demonic Massacre Wave, Tanath understood that dodging this attack was nearly impossible.

Therefore, his only remaining option was to confront the attack. 

Tanath watched as the unimpressive-looking attack hurtled towards him. However, he didn't allow the presentation to fool him. When it came to combat, the strikes that lacked the most visual display were the ones to look out for because they were usually the most lethal.

The Nether Severance arrived soon enough, and when it did, Tanath approached the strike head-on. He thrust his weapon forward, firing a rapid crimson beam towards the center of the Nether Severance's arc, hoping to destroy it.

Although he wasn't sure if this was a weak point, most techniques possessed one. It was only a matter of locating the weak point.

"Shatter!" Tanath howled. But, he also stepped to the side to be sage. Unlike the Demonic Massacre Wave, which usually appeared as a horizontal slash or multi-directional attack, the Nether Severance could only be launched from one orientation since it was meant to bisect its target.

"Devour," Apollo muttered in response. A surprised attack appeared to Tanath's left as soon as the Nether Severance contacted the crimson beam. Though it was a severe attack, Apollo only intended to use this strike as a feint.

Aside from the Absolute Eradication, the Third Annihilation, the Devouring Nebula was the strongest attack in Apollo's arsenal. On top of inflicting a great deal of damage, the strike also absorbed damage up to a certain threshold, which was dependent on the amount of Gula Apollo instilled inside the technique.

If he sacrificed all of his Gula, then even a Noblesse wouldn't be able to shatter the nebula in one strike. After all, every Annihilation existed as a part of a powerful technique. How could their potential be limited to what Apollo had showcased up until now?

As mentioned before, each Annihilation fed off of a distinct power at the very least. For example, anyone capable of learning it could still refine the Demonic Massacre Wave after experiencing the fusion of two types of energies used to empower the attack.

"It's not so easy!" Tanath snarled. Without a moment's hesitation, Tanath slid his blade across his palm, opening a sprout of fresh blood. However, the actions resulted in an abnormal change in his aura. 

On top of the ruthless sensation, Apollo felt a faint sanguine impulse similar to when he cracked open the Blood Amber. But, that feeling was incapable of penetrating Apollo's defenses as the Supreme Demon Body's Complete Immunity fended off the intruding emotion.

Still, Tanath's action came as a slight surprise, especially when Apollo noticed the odd creation before his eyes. It resembled a sword, except it was composed entirely of Tanath's blood.

Until now, this was the first time Apollo witnessed someone utilize their blood to form an attack. Even his Sacrificial Vitality didn't allow this technique. Because, not only was this method risky, if one's vitality wasn't strong enough, they could potentially weaken themselves for quite some time.

Furthermore, a particular type of bloodline was required to sustain zero damage from this action. However, Apollo had yet to come in contact with such a bloodline. 

'Has he become that desperate… or is this his true arsenal?' Apollo wondered as he watched Tanath launch the immense blood sword towards the Devouring Nebula. Watching this scene suddenly reminded Apollo of something in the past.

'Now that I think about it, isn't this Aura of Slaughter the matured form of the aura that Krone once produced?' Apollo thought. Azridan had once revealed after Krone unleashed the Scarlet Killing Strokes that the demons possessed an ability that was similar yet many times more refined than that technique.

Evidently, the ability Azridan referred to was the Aura of Slaughter. Not only did it require an inextinguishable intent to kill, but it also required its wielder to have taken part in many gruesome scenes of murder.

Seeing as Tanath awakened this aura, it was clear that obtaining his position as one of the Vice-Commanders of his stronghold was based on countless amounts of bloodshed.

Meanwhile, Apollo didn't wait for Tanath to resolve the attack. He advanced towards him rapidly amidst the pulling force of his previous attack. In fact, Apollo used the power to accelerate faster than his usual speed.

Though it required a greater portion of his strength to resolve the pressure acting on his body, it was still well within Apollo's parameters. He arrived before Tanath and slashed Gram in mere moments, prompting Tanath to shift his attention away from the Nebula.

"Fool! You're in the range of your own attack," Tanath growled with reddened eyes as he clashed against Apollo's abrupt attack. However, he soon noticed that the effect the Nebula had on Apollo was much weaker in comparison.

"That's fine. As you said, it's my own attack," Apollo chuckled as a faint green film appeared around his body. It melded with the dark color of the Aura of Domination producing a barrier against the nebula's pulling force.

So, while Tanath's attacks had a portion of their momentum sapped, Apollo was completely unaffected by the nebula. Apollo thrust Gram forward once he confirmed that the other three Archdemons were still busy resolving his other strike.

The edge was aimed directly at the center of Tanath's chest, intending to pierce through him. Although he had awakened a worthwhile aura and would be a considerable addition to the team, Apollo was curious about how much experience an opponent of this caliber would grant; moreover, the amount of stats.

Even Xonnomor didn't have an aura, so Apollo was confident that Tanath would reward significantly more experience.

However, Tanath's eyes widened with madness running rampant inside. He couldn't believe that he was losing to a Greater Demon on all fronts in combat. If the others were present, he'd become a laughingstock after endless years of building up his reputation.

Therefore, he felt this predicament was unacceptable. 

"You incorrigible heathen! Die! Die! Die!" Tanath screeched! Suddenly, his aura took on the shape of the earlier sword and slashed towards Apollo.

In response to this tactic, Fuhrer's eyebrows rose, "An Aura Manifestation? No… that's wrong. It's not complete. It's more so a haphazard creation fueled by this individual's will to kill. Nevertheless, it's still quite interesting."

In truth, the Dominator's Clutch was also something that rivaled an Aura Manifestation. However, it needed a more prominent source to reach that classification, hence why the system only graded it as a technique.

As long as Apollo formed his Dominion and activated it, a new world of opportunities would open.

Meanwhile, Apollo also made a drastic move.