The sky dimd for a split second—then burst forth with a blinding surge of erald light.
This was an attack that, under normal circumstances, would never have been allowed to land.
Because once it was unleashed, the outco of the battle would be sealed......
But it was already too late. Darius watched as the erald light wave hurtled toward him, its ferocious destructive power surging forward with the might to annihilate everything in its path.
He spun around, desperate to flee.
Rattle.
The clink of chains echoed beneath his feet.
A glance downward from the corner of his eye confird his dread.
Countless Light Chains were coiled tightly around his ankles.
His gaze snapped upward, locking onto a single figure in the crowd—Hulim Heyerar.
It’s her again......
CRACK!
The chains shattered easily under his strength, but they had already served their purpose. That split second of delay was all it took to rob him of his chance to dodge the direct hit.
BOOM——!
The erald light wave slamd into Darius’s body head-on.
“Gaaaaah......”
He was sent hurtling backward by the terrifying force, the demonic spear in his hands groaning and trembling violently. The demonic armor clinging to his body shattered into pieces, shards raining down to the ground below.
He flew farther and farther away.
THUD!
At last, the erald light wave drove him straight into the trunk of the World Tree, bringing his flight to a jarring halt.
Then—
BOOM——!
A cataclysmic explosion rippled across the World Tree’s massive trunk......
“......”
High up on the World Tree,
Darius’s body was embedded deep in the center of a gaping crater in the trunk.
CRACK.
The last fragnt of his demonic armor fell away, clattering to the ground.
The demonic spear dimd to a lifeless gray, slipping from his limp fingers.
Drip. Drip......
Blood stread from his wounds, pooling into small rivulets at his feet in no ti.
“Hehehe. Look at you now. If you keep this up, you’re going to die~?”
The mocking voice echoed in his mind once more.
‘......’
“Oh~. Too weak even to reply now? Honestly, if you’d just taken that step, you could have slaughtered all these pests in the blink of an eye. What were you hesitating for?”
‘......’
“Hehe. You think staying silent ans I can’t read your mind~?”
“Darius, you’ve never trusted anyone, have you?”
Unlawfully taken from , this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
‘......’
“You don’t trust a single soul in this world—not a single being! Hehehe. Not the people you betrayed in the past, not even us demons.”
“That’s why you’ve been refusing to accept this power all along.”
“You’re afraid. Afraid there’s a catch hidden within it. It’s not that you hate or reject strength—it’s that you’re terrified of the traps that might lurk inside it.”
“Sigh. Even though there’s nothing there at all. Your lack of trust really is enough to break a demon’s heart.”
‘Shut...... up!’
‘If you’re so eager to give your power, then quit your useless prattling and lend it to already!’
“......”
The voice fell silent.
After a brief pause, it spoke again, its tone laced with amusent.
“Very well. If you die here, I’ll be left with a mountain of trouble. So, just to foster that non-existent trust of yours—I’ll lend you my power—”
......
“Is it over?”
Staring at the cataclysmic explosion on the World Tree’s trunk, Charkin muttered the words without thinking.
“Oi! That’s a jinx phrase if I ever heard one!”
Eugene yelped, quick to chide him.
“What’s the big deal?”
Charkin shrugged, looking completely unbothered.
“He took that attack head-on. Even if he’s not dead, he’s definitely lost all ability to fight. It’s not like he’s gonna suddenly power up out of nowhere, right?”
BOOM——!!!
“What?”
“What in the world?!”
“That mana signature!?!”
A terrifying wave of mana suddenly erupted from the World Tree’s trunk. Every single one of them paled, their faces twisting with shock.
“N-No way......”
Charkin gaped, dumbfounded.
“He actually did power up?!”
“I told you not to say that kind of thing!”
Eugene roared at the top of his lungs.
SWOOSH——!
A violent gust of wind howled past. The group barely had ti to blink before a figure streaked toward the World Tree.
“Lady Irus!”
Pujeliru gasped in astonishnt.
SWISH!
In the next heartbeat, another figure darted forward. By the ti the others reacted, Hulim Heyerar was already halfway to the tree.
“We’re right behind her!”
Pujeliru shouted hastily.
With that, the entire group charged toward the World Tree as one.
At that very mont, atop the World Tree,
Darius’s body was healing at a visible rate.
In the span of a few short monts, he had fully recovered, restored to his peak condition.
He flexed his hands and feet, then snapped his fingers.
CLANG——!
The demonic spear flew back into his right hand.
As mana surged from his palm into the weapon, the once-dull spear blazed with black light once more—even brighter and more intense than before.
Satisfied with his state, Darius glanced down at the shattered pieces of his demonic armor scattered at his feet.
“......No matter. I have no use for such trivial things anymore.”
Just then, Darius’s senses tingled. He lifted his head.
And saw Irus closing in on him rapidly.
“Hmph.”
He let out a cold, disdainful snort, raising the demonic spear and thrusting it forward casually.
BOOM——!
A jet of pitch-black light tore across the sky in the blink of an eye.
Irus twisted her body mid-air, narrowly dodging the attack.
The black light beam streaked past her, continuing its trajectory for miles upon miles before finally slamming into the ground.
Then—
BOOM......
A massive wave of black energy swept across the land.
In the blink of an eye, an entire mountain range was reduced to a gaping abyss.
“This power......”
A flicker of shock flashed across Irus’s eyes.
How is this possible? Why has his power grown so much stronger in an instant?
And if he had this kind of strength all along—why did he wait until now to use it?
Irus was filled with confusion.
But Darius gave her no ti to ponder the question.
THUD!
A deafening crash rang out across the World Tree.
Darius moved. The spot where his feet had stood cratered beneath him, and his figure vanished from sight in an instant.
“Not good!”
Irus’s face paled. She retreated imdiately.
But the black demonic spear ca at her faster than she could react.
She raised both Holy Tree Staffs in a desperate block.
CLANG——!
The terrifying force sent Irus flying backward in an instant. Even the secondary Holy Tree Staff cracked under the sheer impact of the blow.
“Irus——!”
Hulim Heyerar arrived on the scene just in ti.
Seeing Irus being sent flying by Darius, she unleashed a spell without hesitation.
RUSTLE!
Countless Light Chains wove together in mid-air, forming a net that caught Irus before she could hit the ground.
“Can this spell even be used like that?”
Ignir, who had just arrived, stared in disbelief—while secretly marveling at the display.
Hulim Heyerar’s magic was growing more and more powerful.
She was already on the verge of reaching that level......
BOOM!
Another burst of black light exploded forth.
“Again?!”
Ignir’s pupils constricted. He threw his jaws wide open, massive amounts of mana gathering deep in his throat.
“ROAR——!”
A searing crimson breath shot toward Darius.
SWISH!
Almost simultaneously, a flash of white light streaked toward Darius from another direction.
“Pathetic!”
Darius spat the word coldly, twisting the demonic spear in his hand.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two blasts rang out. Ignir’s breath attack and Pujeliru’s strike were both shattered instantly. The residual force surged back along their original trajectories, hurtling toward the dragon and the warrior.
Ignir’s expression flickered with panic. He flapped his wings frantically, dodging the attack at the last second.
Fortunately, his speed in the air was unparalleled—otherwise, with his massive fra, evading would have been all but impossible.
By then, the rest of the group had arrived at the base of the World Tree.
Feeling Darius’s aura—far more terrifying than before—every single one of them wore grim, determined expressions.
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