"...So, go to hell."
As Peter spoke, he pointed his finger towards the City Lord, and the City Lord let out a shrill scream that didn't resemble a human's scream. His soul was ripped out of his body, and the body itself broke apart inch by inch. Peter smirked before inhaling the soul into his body.
The antimage apprentices in the City of Molan dispersed and fled in all directions, fearing for their lives. They knew that if they didn't escape, Peter would get them too.
"Such delicious souls," his voice boomed across the air. "What are you all running for?"
With a few incantations, the entire mansion was enveloped in strange, grey energy, and all of the antimage apprentices were trapped within.
Peter beckoned an apprentice over, who came to him involuntarily, "You don't want to die, do you? Then, tell me where you kept the crystals and power stones."
When Adam and the twins arrived at the City of Molan, the whole city had become a living hell.
The strong negative energy soaked through the air; death was scattered all across the city, and it was silent.
"What happened here?!" Hailey stared at the city, dumbfounded. The city was completely fine yesterday, and yet it was a desolate wasteland today.
"There's infighting going on," Adam murmured, unsurprised.
"What should we do, Shirley?"
Before this, they had established a plan, including ways to infiltrate the city and destroy it. They also discussed how to distribute points after killing the antimage. Adam thought they were being troublesome, but kept silent since they're opponent was a qualified antimage.
Shirley didn't know how to answer her sister, glancing at Adam before turning back to her, "Do we really have to follow his plans?"
"We have to be quick," Adam pushed. "I can sense all the negative magic converging in one place -- if this is Peter Aum, then we'll be in big trouble." Adam's eyes flashed with radiance, conjuring a ring infused with powerful fire magic within.
Adam sighed at their hesitance, finding it troublesome to form a team. He had his own ways of retrieving information, so why should he be so restrained by them?
"Sister, quickly!" Hailey urged.
"There's a lot of ordinary people still hiding in the city," Shirley quivered.
"I don't care," Adam announced, flying directly above the City of Molan. He gripped his hand hard, and his magic poured into the ring, raining black flames all across the city.
Finally, Adam was able to use this ring again after a decade, Adam thought that it was much easier than before. This magic was powerful enough to raze this entire city and barrier alone, so it was effective.
The black flames were fuelled by the negative energy, chipping away at the barrier gradually. After a while, Adam felt the barrier weaken, conjuring a dozen lightning bolts all over the barrier.
"Sister, hurry up! Adam is about to enter the city!"
Shirley's face darkened. She had information that even her sister wasn't given -- during the trial, slaughtering innocent people won't deduct points, but it'll affect the tasks given after the trials. Slaughtering innocent people only labels them as a Destroyer, and Destroyers are in the most danger.
"It really is you, Peter Aum."
"Bastard... blasphemer!"
The moment Adam plunged through the barrier, he sensed the dirty, disgusting magic that Peter Aum had once used. Their gaze met through the fog of blood -- Adam didn't know why Peter decided to massacre the city, but this didn't affect how he was going to fight him.
He needed to weaken Peter's source of strength.
He conjured a magnetic field, and electricity crackled from Adam's head to toes, killing everybody who was remotely close to the mansion.
"Garfield, dinner is served."
"Thank you, Master!"
The devil jumped out of Adam's mind and inhaled the souls of the mortals slaughtered by Adam, inhaling Peter's portion of souls as well.
The antimage apprentices panicked, and one of them ran up to Peter and begged, "My lord, please do-"
Snap.
Peter snapped his finger and the apprentice's neck was snapped.
He didn't expect someone to come that fast, let alone Adam himself. He deeply understood how strong Adam was, given that Adam decided to face him head-on.
'It's only been a few years, damn it!'
Adam's spread of magic was too fast -- there was nobody left alive in the vicinity of the mansion.
"Kill the remaining antimage apprentices, I'll deal with this one myself."
The devil skipped away, and Adam rushed towards Peter in a ball of electricity.
Peter was furious -- Adam's mere presence deeply pierced through his self-esteem. He murmured an obscure incantation, shattering several Despair Crystals suspended before him and focusing a beam of negative magic towards Adam, "Soul Tear!"
Adam paused his advances slightly, shrinking his magnetic barrier and replacing it with an electromagnetic barrier. He didn't want to avoid the blast, continuing his charge forward.
"I'll show you just how much I can make you suffer."
The beam and the barrier collided silently, and their energies cancelled each other out. Peter's face became ugly, thinking that the beam would swiftly take care of Adam, but he didn't expect for the beam to become shorter and shorter as Adam trudged forward.
"Lowly blasphemer! You... despicable bastard!" Peter roared, his voice booming through the mansion, hitting Adam with a powerful shockwave.
