Chapter 238 Chapter237-Defeating the Devil
John's taunt only deepened Mammon's rage.
As one of the 72 devils from the Abyss, each of Mammon's appearances on the Godslayer Continent heralded boundless catastrophe.
Everywhere he went, all trembled, all submitted. Even the gods of the Order and Justice Alliance considered him a mortal enemy, not to be trifled with.
Within the Abyss, Mammon was supreme, leading the Legion of Desire and ruling over countless abyssal beings.
Never before had he been so disrespected.
With an infuriated roar, Mammon's body surged with dark ORDER divine power, transforming again into a black vortex, rapidly lunging at John.
This reckless approach signaled a battle to the death.
John's eyes narrowed, but instead of dodging, he met this terrifying dark energy head-on.
He intended to defeat Mammon outright, compelling this haughty Devil into utter submission.
With a swift motion, John unleashed a torrent of sword energy, its potency colliding with the dark divine power, creating violent fluctuations in energy.
The black vortex seemed to be sliced open by his sword energy, but quickly reformed.
John sneered, launching another sword attack, its brilliance unparalleled.
The force of his sword energy penetrated the protective layer of the vortex, aiming directly at Mammon.
Mammon dodged hastily, but not without being grazed, leaving a trail of blood.
Mammon roared in agony, as his dark ORDER divine power surged again, distorting the surrounding space.
Refusing to back down, he concentrated an even denser dark force, creating a massive black wave that rolled menacingly towards John.
Energy once more surged within John, who evaded the oncoming black wave with lightning speed, appearing beside Mammon in the blink of an eye.
With the ethereal grace of a celestial, John's sword thrust unexpectedly towards Mammon, who dodged just in time, sustaining only minor injuries.
Retreating to a distance and flapping his wings, Mammon glared at John, yelling furiously, "Do you think you can defeat me? Do you realize I am a true Devil? I wield the power of endless darkness; what can a mere insect like you do against me?"
John responded with an icy smile, "Yet the fact remains...your injuries keep mounting, while I remain unscathed."
Boiling with rage and despite increasingly labored breaths, Mammon's dark divine power only grew more potent.
An abyss of dark energy emanated from his form, as if ready to devour all.
With an astonishing burst of speed that seemed to defy the limitations of time and space, he lunged at John.
John scoffed, stepping forward instead of retreating.
With a casual swing of Divine Palace, a blade of light sliced through the air, confronting Mammon's dark divine power.
When the sword's luminescence collided with the dark ORDER divine power, a blinding flash erupted, filling the air with palpable, suffocating waves of energy.
Madly unleashing his dark divine power, Mammon sought to devour the approaching blade of light.
Yet, the sword's glow did not diminish; instead, it shone even more brilliantly as if nurtured rather than consumed by the dark energy.
Unyielding and fearless, the blade of light continued its course, piercing through Mammon's dark divine power and aiming directly at his chest.
With a deafening roar, Mammon swung his scaled arm in a desperate attempt to parry the incandescent blade, but the light was too swift, too relentless for him to counter effectively.
The sword's brilliance tore through Mammon's arm and continued unimpeded, ultimately piercing his chest.
With a blood-curdling scream, Mammon's entire form quivered violently.
His dark divine power surged forth, attempting to expel the intruding blade of light.
But the luminous sword was relentless, a flame that wouldn't be quenched, resisting the expulsion of the dark divine power.
John's gaze turned icy and merciless.
His sword, imbued with divine power, cleaved through the barrier of dark energy as if a great blade descending upon Mammon.
Summoning all his might, Mammon barely managed to parry John's blow.
He unleashed a low growl, and his dark divine power swirled manically, manifesting into a massive whirlwind of darkness aimed at John.
Radiant holy light burst forth from John, forming an indestructible barrier shield that warded off the attack of the dark storm.
[Divine Guardian (Divine Skill): A blessing from the deity, purifying all that is tainted. Upon activation, a defensive barrier forms that can either be small or large, covering a radius of up to 100 yards. Within the Divine Guardian barrier, one remains unsoiled and all hexes are nullified, it can also withstand a full blow from enemies below the Demigod Level...]
Against the Abyssal Devil, the Holy Light skills proved unexpectedly effective.
The collision between the dark storm and the Holy Light barrier created a terrifying impact.
The air was thick with a swirling blend of black and white energy, punctuated by thunderous explosions.
Grounding himself, John resisted the assault of the dark storm, thanks to the defense of Divine Guardian.
However, the dark storm's power escalated, and cracks began to appear in the Divine Guardian barrier.
"This is not enough!" John abruptly maneuvered around the edge of the dark storm, rapidly closing the distance to Mammon.
"Unrivaled Strike!"
With a resounding shout, John unleashed this skill once more.
His Divine Palace ruthlessly thrust towards Mammon.
[Unrivaled Strike (Divine Talent): Your tireless training in martial arts has culminated in mastering a lethal strike. When activated in combat, this strike embodies the celestial ORDER, breaking all shackles; it's an attack even deities would struggle to counter.]
The clash between the sword's edge and Mammon's flesh resounded with an earth-shattering noise.
As the immense forces met, space itself seemed to tear asunder, emanating a cacophony of fracturing sounds.
The smile vanished from Mammon's face, replaced by a momentary look of terror.
He felt his dark energies rapidly depleting, while the sword's aura grew increasingly potent.
A guttural roar of fury reverberated through the Abyssal Prison as Mammon's dark powers surged more frenetically, preparing for a final stand.
Swinging his magical scepter, he unleashed shards of dark divine power that corroded everything they touched, warping the very ORDER of the air around them.
Clearly, this Devil had begun to burn his very essence, his source of ORDER authority, just to tip the scales of battle in his favor.
With an icy smirk, John deftly avoided Mammon's desperate counterattack using his swordsmanship and divine power.
He moved with agile grace, dodging and retaliating in a dance of swordplay.
His blade clashed spectacularly with Mammon's dark energies, sending out flares of brilliant light.
Suddenly, a perceptible dimming overcame the dark ORDER divine power enveloping Mammon.
His attacks faltered for a fleeting moment.
Clearly, the injuries within him had chosen this critical juncture to manifest.
Seizing this ephemeral opportunity, John accelerated towards Mammon, the Divine Palace in his hand humming with a piercing resonance.
With a swift swing of his blade, John unleashed a mighty wave of sword energy that tore through Mammon's dark force field.
Blood splattered as the sword energy grazed Mammon, who let out an enraged roar, amassing even more dark divine power for a counterattack.
But no matter how he wielded his dark divine power, John always found a gap, effortlessly dodging Mammon's strikes.
John's eyes grew colder, and he took a deep breath, gathering the energy within his body for a full-scale eruption.
A radiant golden light immediately rose around him, blending seamlessly with his sword energy.
"End this!"
With a low growl, he unleashed a dazzling burst of golden sword light that shot towards Mammon with a speed that made evasion impossible.
Feeling the threat to his very life, Mammon mustered all his strength, condensing his most potent dark divine power into a thick, dark wall before him.
Yet, the golden sword light pierced through the wall without mercy, striking Mammon directly.
A wailing scream echoed throughout the Abyssal Prison as Mammon's body was pierced by the golden light, his malevolent dark energy rapidly dissipating.
A sardonic grin curled up on John's lips as he coldly stared at Mammon.
"All your resistance was an exercise in futility. The outcome of this battle was preordained from the start. You were bound to fail."
Struggling to stand, Mammon's true form was drenched in blood, sputtering and crackling with what remained of his inner injuries—leftover ORDER divine powers burning his core essence.
Finally, his massive body collapsed with a thud.
"Impossible! How could I lose to a mere mortal like you?"
Mammon gasped, roaring in anger, his crimson eyes flashing with manic light.
Sheathing his Divine Palace, John slowly approached Mammon, lowering his head to quietly look down upon this once-arrogant Devil.
"Now you can tell me what exactly happened in the Abyss, can't you?" n(-O)-v).e)(L)-b)-1)-n
John's tone was surprisingly mild, a softness as if he were speaking to an old friend, a stark contrast to the icy demeanor he had displayed moments ago.
Mammon lay still on the ground, his chest heaving with each agonized breath, fresh blood flowing freely from his numerous wounds.
Even though the Devil was in such a sorry state, his expression remained disdainful, eyes full of contempt.
"Human, your victory is not just... Had I not been wounded, you would never have been able to defeat me. Damned be my luck, encountering a master like you in such a forsaken place. I concede defeat. But don't think you'll get any information about the Abyss from me."
A devil from the Abyss, Mammon had long since fallen into madness, having consumed so many innocent souls over the years that he had evolved into a complete Dark God.
Even now, in his state of ruin, he clung stubbornly to his self-perceived loftiness.
A slight frown creased John's forehead.
For a moment, he was unsure how to handle this defiant creature.