But there was no time to gloat. The Brutes were still coming, and I could feel the presence of something more—something darker and far more dangerous. My eyes darted toward the horizon, where the massive form of a Black Rakshasa loomed. It was larger than the others, its body crackling with energy, and I knew it was the leader—the mastermind behind this assault. Read the latest on empire
And not just any leader—it was a Golden-Capped Black Noble.
From what I understood of the battle raging in the skies above, Nobles could evolve once more, and this creature was the second evolution of a Black Rakshasa. The one I had killed with my own hands, the one I had ripped its head and spine out of at the cost of almost dooming myself, was nothing but a normal Noble.
This one, however, was in a league of its own, a higher status, and clearly far more powerful.
"Of course," I muttered, tightening my grip on the spear. "It wouldn't be a real fight without a proper challenge."
The Golden Noble Black Rakshasa raised its arms, and I felt the air shift around me. This was no ordinary brute—it was a Golden Noble, its power amplified to terrifying levels. The sky darkened as if in response to its presence, and the sea below began to churn violently.
"Let's do this!" I whispered to myself, more for my own reassurance than anything else. I had faced death before, countless times, but this—this was different. The weight of the battle, the odds stacked against me, the knowledge that one mistake could mean the end of everything—it was all pressing down on me.
But I wasn't going to back down. I'm no main character, but I sure as hell am not a side character!
With a roar, I entered the Golden Titan's Madness, gigantifying myself to match his size. I launched myself toward the Black Rakshasa, my spear-shaped Creeping Demise morphing to match my size—a gigantic serpent several dozen meters long and equally wide, blazing with Poisonous Qi. The Golden-Capped Noble met me halfway, its own energy surging forward in a clash of wills.
In that instant, my eyes turned toward the Noble Brute barraging the city's barrier, and my fist tightened, enabling the Heaven Swapping Ring.
With so much Qi and energy channeled into my weapon, the instant transposition between myself and the Noble at the city drained me to the core. But from afar, the explosion that tore through the Noble who had replaced me was unmistakable. The surprise was still painted on the face of the Golden-Capped Black Noble as it found itself staring at the position of the now-dead Noble Brute.
With its arm still fully extended upward from the killing blow it had intended for me, I seized the opening and transposed myself against a piece of the grime and slime, the remains of the dead Noble Black, and sliced upward with Creeping Demise.
A single line crossed from the upper thigh all the way to the shoulder. A smoldering white flame ignited along the wound, and the entire beast shuddered. It gurgled a torrent of internal blood and liquids as it slid apart, split in half. The energy that had kept it aloft dissipated, and half of its body plunged into the deep sea, disbelieving of what had just occurred.
For a moment, everything was still.
I hovered above the battlefield, breathing heavily, my body trembling from the exertion. The sea was calm once more, the Golden-Capped Black Noble defeated, and the rest of the Rakshasa scattered across the water like broken toys. This was just the aftermath of its own strike against its ally, compounded by the impact of my own.
The outcome was clear to all. Many who had been inside the city had watched from afar, and while I was completely drained, barely holding myself afloat, with talismans bursting one by one from depletion, I saw hundreds of torrents of bullets shooting toward my location as the puppets began clearing the remaining Rakshasa.
Amidst the chaos, I saw three familiar faces. Tao Yang led the charge, her sword burning in hand as she sliced through the enemy, with Liang Yu and YuYu following close behind, their eyes locked onto me, tears of relief and joy shining in their eyes.
I missed them more than words could convey.