Chapter 435

Chapter 435

It didn't matter whether they were high-ranking or low-ranking demons; in the end, the fate that awaited them would remain the same. The pungent smell of warm and freshly splattered blood spread all over the place.

Astaroth, who faintly sensed his impending death, slowly opened his eyes, wondering why he was still conscious.

“What?!” he exclaimed.

Super Ribbon’s blade didn't pierce through his neck but rather the chest of a woman who suddenly appeared, blocking the sword's path.

“Ah, aaaaaaah!!! Liline!!!” Astaroth cried as he struggled fiercely while suspended in the air. He vomited a mouthful of blood as he forcefully freed himself from the telekinesis that held him tightly, rushing to embrace the woman who had collapsed on the ground, sobbing fiercely.

“Why? Why did you come here?! Didn't I tell you to go back!?” he exclaimed.

“Ugh... Kghhk... F-Father,” Liline managed weakly.

Astaroth screamed. He appeared to have lost his reason upon witnessing the death of the succubus, who had never lost her smile. Everything had collapsed now.

Davey silently looked at the woman named Liline Orlouge and thought about the succubus who had fought against him using a scythe back when he settled Perserque in her own body. He knew back then that she had a connection with Astaroth, but he hadn't expected that the two of them would care about each other so deeply.

“F-Father...”

“N-No! You can't die!”

Seeing the tears of despair trickle down Astaroth's face, the succubus named Liline smiled faintly as she slowly closed her eyes. Astaroth could only gaze blankly at Liline’s slowly cooling body. Then, his body began to tremble as he let out a loud scream, 'Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!'

Overwhelmed by the numbing pain and sadness, Astaroth continued to scream and cry. He even began to pound his fists on the ground, creating massive shockwaves as he released the unbearable sadness that consumed him.

However, Davey simply watched in silence.

“Human... Human!!!”

“You brought this upon yourself.”

Astaroth's glare intensified the moment he heard Davey's words. However, his eyes widened as he locked eyes with Davey.

“You bastard... your eyes...” he muttered, disbelief painting his features as he continued his unwavering gaze at Davey.

Davey's powers had been amplified, a fact that became immediately apparent. This amplification also affected the residual trace of the Demon Lord's power within him. As a result, his eyes, normally tinged with red, now radiated an even deeper crimson hue, causing his aura to shift further toward that of the demons rather than humans.

With weak restraints on the demonic energy within him, the amplification caused it to surge forth, leaking from his body. This revelation left no doubt in Astaroth's mind about Davey's true nature.

Davey's gaze remained steady on Astaroth as he slowly raised his empty hand, the one not holding his sword. Simultaneously, a gathering of black flames manifested at the tips of his fingers. Gradually, these flames coalesced, forming a substantial black sphere. While its temperature remained intangible, an unsettling and spine-chilling sensation emanated from the sphere as it hovered ominously above Davey's palm.

With Astaroth caught in a daze by this startling revelation, Davey deliberately rotated his palm, causing the sphere to ascend into the sky, all while keeping his gaze locked onto Astaroth's bewildered expression.

Vwoooooong... vwooooooooong!!!

Suddenly, the black sphere set into a furious spin, generating perilous sparks that crackled through the air. Its growth was relentless, rapidly expanding and swelling. In the span of an instant, it reached a diameter of several tens of meters.

This eerie transformation mirrored the magical force Davey had employed to obliterate Megalodria previously. However, its essence was fundamentally distinct.

[9th Circle Dark Magic]

[Transcendental Realm]

[The Anxious One’s Courtship]

“Stop... Stop!!!”

Unperturbed by Astaroth's exclamation, Davey continued to elevate the sphere, exerting more force until it reached an even higher point in the atmosphere. And then, as the sphere eventually descended, catastrophe unfurled.

Boom!!!

As soon as the ominous black sphere collided with the ground, a colossal pillar of ebony light erupted into existence, spanning tens of meters in radius. This harrowing spectacle was swiftly succeeded by a deafening explosion, consuming the entire vicinity and reducing everything to a desolate expanse of ashes.

The surviving demons, who had been the unfortunate recipients of this catastrophic assault, found themselves at the heart of the devastation. The infernal realm extended its grasp, slowly claiming the canyons and plains that had been sought out by the enemies as a refuge. Yet, Davey's onslaught exhibited no signs of cessation. He continued to unleash wide-reaching spells of destruction, his rampage becoming an unrelenting tempest.

Amidst the unfathomable catastrophes that ensued—an abyss of impenetrable darkness stretching into eternity, a towering column of intermingled black and white flames, and a ferocious maelstrom of lightning—Astaroth sat entranced, his senses dulled by the overwhelming spectacle. In the end, all he could manage was to lower his gaze, his visage contorted by an amalgamation of despair and helplessness.

***

Astaroth's countenance bore an expression of profound helplessness as he crumbled to the ground. The query echoed relentlessly within his mind, 'What in the hell is this situation?'

The circumstances that unfolded were utterly incredulous, defying all logical comprehension. Yet, inexplicable as it seemed, this was the stark reality they were now confronted with. Any remnants of doubt that Astaroth had harbored regarding the young human who had advised their surrender vanished in an instant. Despite his reluctance to concede, it was undeniable that the boy possessed a power that transcended their capacity to fathom.

‘Is this what God is like? Just like what was described in those ancient texts?’

Sleesia's vitality remained considerably formidable. Nonetheless, this was no longer a pressing concern. Davey had harnessed the might of his Taboo's Karma, effectively neutralizing her immortality. The enigma that remained pertained to addressing her overwhelming innate defensive prowess.

Yet, a timely intervention arrived as Super Ribbon's voice reverberated in Davey's consciousness.

[Father! You can use Super Ribbon!]

“Can’t you call me Royal Father?”

[I, I don’t want to!]

Super Ribbon's voice resonated with a hint of embarrassment, eliciting a subtle grin from Davey. His gaze lowered to the sword's translucent blade, his fingers delicately tracing the exquisite pattern etched by the bluish-red hue that coursed throughout its length.

Red Ribbon was the blade that sundered the tangible, while Blue Ribbon cleaved through the intangible. The question lingered: what domain did Super Ribbon dominate? In a scenario involving Perserque, he might have sought her insight, but her absence relegated him to speculation. One possibility emerged—Super Ribbon might possess the capacity to sever the very fabric of existence itself.

Soon after, a colossal lance of luminous radiance manifested within Sleesia's grasp. Each deliberate movement she made birthed ruptures within the surrounding space. The capability to dismantle reality with a mere gesture left Davey genuinely impressed. He discerned that any contact with the affected space would result in instantaneous dissolution—a realm akin to her personal creation of a black hole.

In response, Davey's hands came into contact with the ground, channeling the entirety of his sanctified mana. Witnessing his initiation, Sleesia promptly propelled the mammoth spear, its length spanning tens of meters, directly at Davey. The sheer potency of the assault instilled a shiver down his spine, its impending collision seeming akin to a death sentence.

Although the endeavor required him to strip away the power influenced by her presence from his body and surroundings, the undertaking was undoubtedly worthwhile. Observing the scope of Sleesia's might, Davey procured an understanding of her strength.

Leveraging her internal energy, Sleesia lunged, the interminable spearhead a swift, unerring trajectory aimed directly at Davey's neck.

‘Goddess Freyja.’

[I ask that you protect me.]

A true, manly man would never turn his back on an opponent.

Crack!!!

Davey extended one of his hands ahead, withdrawing nearly all the mana contained within him. The fissures tearing through the fabric of space, a result of Sleesia's movements, attempted to converge upon Davey, yet the holy mana coursing within him surged vigorously, behaving as if endowed with a life of its own, interposing itself between Davey's form and the encroaching spatial fractures.

"That's impossible!"

"It's possible, you b*tch!"

The diminutive asteroids encircling the moons Syras and Cryas in the heavens achieved newfound solidity and resilience, infused with the moons' potent influence. This infusion bestowed upon them an enigmatic power, affording them an unsettling degree of autonomy and detachment from the constraints of this world.

[9th Circle, Transcendence]

[Descending Lunar Rock]

‘I choose you! Syras, lend me two of the asteroids orbiting around you!’

A colossal sphere, hundreds of meters in diameter, plummeted earthward akin to a shooting star. The impact of the attack shrouded the sky in obscurity, compelling Davey to expel a mouthful of blood. As anticipated, manipulating celestial bodies at his current proficiency proved to be an arduous endeavor.

"Kghhk?! What in the abyss is this? Gravity?!"

The Descending Lunar Rock had triggered an unforeseen gravitational anomaly. Sleesia was jolted by this sudden shift in gravitational forces, compelling her to retract her spear and redirect its trajectory skyward. Nevertheless, despite the asteroids' unprecedented potency...

Slash!!!

...Sleesia’s assault, capable of tearing open space, fragmented the plummeting lunar rocks.

'Geez, I'd be in a real fix if one of those hit me.'

In the span of a heartbeat, the momentary respite proved sufficient. It granted Davey the vital breathing room he needed to prepare, Super Ribbon's blade glowing brilliantly within his grasp.

Without delay, Davey harnessed the most formidable and annihilative swordsmanship at his disposal for this singular strike. A weight, exuding tremendous explosiveness and sheer mass, materialized upon the blade in his hands. This unwieldy burden fractured the very ground beneath him, compelling it to crumble and collapse. Maintaining his stance became a challenge, as the ground's fissures rendered his footing precarious. However, this unwieldy burden was essential to extract the utmost destructive potential from his strike, and so he persevered.

'I wonder what wine derived from an Abyssal serpent would taste like?'?

[Transcendental Longsword]

[World Creation, One Swing Cut]

[Splitting the Sun]

The technique Davey employed was more akin to a blunt force strike than a traditional sword slash.

Thanks to the influence of Taboo's Karma, the entirety of Davey's power had undergone a metamorphosis, attaining autonomy and liberation from the confines of this world's laws. This granted them the capacity to disregard Sleesia's influence and seamlessly breach her defenses.

Davey had already meticulously studied and conducted repeated experiments on entities that emerged from the Abyss. This thorough exploration bestowed upon him an ample reservoir of knowledge and insights, thereby easing his approach in dealing with them.

Sleesia, her body twitching under the gravitational pull exerted by the lunar rocks, gaped as Super Ribbon's blade extended, a spectacle that defied belief. "How... How can a mere insect...?"

"Had any of my mentors graced this realm, the Abyss would undoubtedly face dire repercussions," Davey retorted, his voice laced with a cool resolve.

‘Basically, you’re lucky that I was the one that came down, b*tch.’

There was a brief flash of horror in Sleesia’s eyes the moment she heard those words.