Before Duke Haborym could react, a violent force slamd into him and sent his massive body hurtling across the battlefield, tearing through the air like a broken cot before crashing into the ruined street.
Damian did not even spare him a glance.
His attention shifted instantly to Corbin’s collapsing figure.
With a subtle motion, his demonic force surged outward, wrapping around the priest like invisible chains. Corbin’s falling body halted midair, suspended effortlessly as Damian lifted him without laying a single finger on him.
Corbin let out a weak breath, a faint smile forming on his bloodstained lips as he felt the foreign energy binding him in place.
"So... this is it?" he rasped, his voice hoarse. "You plan to kill now?"
Damian’s expression remained cold.
"No," he said flatly. "I have no grudge against humans. Your eyes have already paid for your betrayal."
Corbin’s smile twitched slightly.
"But if you want to keep your life," Damian continued, his tone turning sharper, "you will hold up the blood barrier until this fight is over."
For a brief mont, silence lingered between them.
Then Corbin’s smile widened.
"Deal."
There was no hesitation in his answer. Deep within, he had already begun calculating. As long as he could buy ti, as long as he remained alive, he could slowly recover, heal, and escape once the dust settled.
Damian’s lips curled faintly.
"Good boy."
With a flick of his hand, Corbin’s body was hurled through the air, wrapped securely in demonic force. He shot across the battlefield toward the only structure still standing, the lone building untouched amidst the destruction.
Linda.
Corbin’s body descended rapidly, but the demonic force cushioning him softened the fall. He landed gently on the rooftop, sliding slightly before coming to a stop beside her.
Linda froze.
Her hands flew to her lips, horror flooding her face as she took in his condition. From afar, she had witnessed the battle unfold, but seeing him up close shattered whatever composure she had left.
"Corbin...!"
She dropped to her knees beside him, tears streaming down her face as her hands began to glow with golden light.
"Please... please..." she muttered, her voice trembling as she began chanting prayers under her breath.
Her palm descended toward his chest. But the mont her light touched him..
Fsssh!
A surge of residual hellfire burst from Corbin’s body.
"Ah!"
Linda was thrown back, the force jolting her off balance as she fell onto the rooftop, her eyes wide with shock.
Corbin coughed, dark blood spilling from his lips, yet he still managed a weak smile. He raised a trembling hand and waved faintly.
"Stop..." he murmured.
Linda froze.
"Calm your mind," Corbin said softly. "I won’t die that easily."
Her lips quivered, but she nodded.
"The hellflas... Purify them first. Then you can heal ." he continued, his voice strained.
Linda wiped her tears with the back of her hand, determination replacing the panic in her eyes. She steadied her breathing and repositioned herself, golden light slowly gathering once more as she prepared to begin again.
Corbin let out a long, heavy sigh. In the end, he lost and now their survival rests in the hands of the third prince of hell. If Damian loses them, Duke Haborym is bound to co here and kill them both. So even though he hates Damian, he has no choice but to pray for his victory.
"...Good luck, you rotten prince. Don’t you dare lose to that fucker."
Far across the battlefield, Damian was already moving.
He walked forward slowly, each step deliberate, his shoulders rolling as if loosening the tension in his body. The faint cracks of shifting muscle echoed as his form adjusted, recovering from the strain of the earlier clash.
White flas burned steadily around his fists, their glow calm yet terrifying.
He exhaled deeply.
"You were right," Damian said, his voice carrying across the ruined street as his gaze fixed on the distant Duke. "All I needed was a little rest."
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"I’m feeling much better now."
Across from him, Duke Haborym rose from the debris, his six arms flexing as embers of hellfire drifted around his towering form.
"You little bastard..." the Duke muttered, his tone laced with both irritation and amusent.
Damian chuckled.
"This fight has dragged on long enough," he said. "It’s ti we end it."
For a mont, the Duke stared at him and then he laughed. A deep, rumbling sound that carried a strange weight behind it.
"...Very well."
Despite everything, there was no hatred in his gaze now. Only acknowledgnt and respect.
In the midst of their battle, Duke Haborym had co to understand sothing. This human... no, this prince... was different. In such a short ti, with such limited mastery over his inheritance, he had already reached a level that defied reason.
Resourceful. Cunning. Relentless.
If he could grow this strong while still bound by mortality, then what would he beco when he ascended? When he fully awakened the power of his Sin?
A being beyond even the likes of Lin Qui.
A true monster among monsters.
Duke Haborym truly held a positive opinion on Damian now but the truth remains it would never co to pass.
The Duke’s expression dimd slightly.
Even if Damian survived this battle, even if he defied fate here and now, there were others waiting. Princes. Gods. Entities far more terrifying than himself. They would find a way. They always did.
Damian was destined to die. That was a truth even power could not overturn.
"...What a waste," the Duke murmured under his breath.
He let out a slow, heavy sigh before raising all six arms, his stance settling into one of perfect balance.
"Of all the princes of Lust I have encountered," Duke Haborym said, his three voices rging into one, "you are the most unique."
His erald flas flared.
"Unfortunately... You will die here." he sighed with regret.
Damian’s smile widened. His body lowered, his stance shifting into sothing more primal, more dangerous.
"Yeah?" he said softly. "Co and try."
User Comments
0 comments from readers