The impact of the two auras was brutal, causing a shock wave so great that it rose high into the sky. The air had recently cleared from the previous rain shower brought about by Apophis's explosion, but it began again now, just as heavily.
Apophis pulled himself back to his feet, not wasting any time. Using his unquenchable black flames, he hurled several hundred fireballs at Lucifer, also combining ~Waterbending~ with his other skills to set the rain ablaze, trying to recreate the sea of black flame he'd in Nokful.
But Lucifer had also just risen and immediately understood Apophis's plan.
He used a fast-moving skill that transformed his body into a disorganized particle of light that moved almost instantaneously and then reconstituted itself, allowing Lucifer to reappear behind Apophis!
But he anticipated Lucifer's maneuver and swung his huge sword to attack him.
Lucifer used his light flash skill again to blind Apophis, then blasted him with a close-range light blast projected from his palm, sending Apophis spinning violently away!
Apophis was quite surprised! Despite his ~Susanoo~, Lucifer's attack was powerful enough to drain some HP and send him flying!
Lucifer didn't wait for Apophis to get back up, but concentrated a full-power light ray with both hands that devastated everything on his way before reaching Apophis.
Two buildings disintegrated before it slammed into Apophis, tearing away part of his ~Susanoo~!
Apophis desperately released more energy to replenish his armor, but it was getting critically low, as he had dropped to less than 30% energy after the aura fight.
However, despite the tricky situation, Apophis knew he had an advantage that he could probably exploit: his advanced energy regeneration!
Apophis hypothesized that Lucifer must have at least ten to twenty levels more than him, thanks to the EXP tax on all guild members. This would explain his impressive energy reserves, as well as his absurdly high damage.
However, it also meant that he had invested almost all of his Skill Points into increasing raw damage, while neglecting energy regeneration. In theory, very few players could resist an alpha strike built on such a strategy.
So if he could survive long enough, Apophis could win through attrition. He simply had to reduce Lucifer's energy as quickly as possible! Afterward, his job would be as simple as stomping on the head of an exhausted animal.
Apophis deactivated his ~Susanoo~, which consumed too much energy for this strategy, and reactivated ~Demonic Wing~, which he used to fly as high as possible into the sky.
Lucifer, who was a very talented player with decades of MMORPG experience, immediately understood Apophis's plan. Seeing his enemy take flight, he remembered the devastating skill Apophis had used in Nokful and decided that he couldn't let him use it again!
Lucifer used one of his most powerful skills, ~Multicloning~.
Several hundred of Lucifer's light clones detached from him and, together, reused Lucifer's signature attack.
They pointed their hands in pyramids to channel energy into a single, enormous beam of light which lanced through the sky like an apocalyptic wave!
Apophis had no time to react. The beam consumed his body, charring him in an instant before hurling him to the ground below.
Lucifer knew it was over. No one could resist such firepower. Even a space cruiser's war shields would have overloaded and failed if they had absorbed that much energy.
Lucifer used his light speed travel skill to find Apophis's body.
It was charred and dismembered, with even the head missing.
Lucifer collapsed on the ground, exhausted, and started to laugh with relief. "It's over. I'm the winner!"
But his victory lasted only a few seconds.
A titanic wave of black energy came crashing down from the sky towards Apophis's body!
He had, of course, just used the skill which no player had ever seen before. The only one who had ever witnessed it was a dead goddess, a goddess whom he had killed.
This was the power of ~Zooanthropy (Black Phoenix)~, the power to return from the dead!
Apophis's body transformed into a huge burning phoenix five meters wide and three meters high, black flames bursting from it like feathers.
Lucifer had no time to react before the phoenix violently slashed him in the chest with its claws, then opened its enormous beak and unleashed an inferno towards Lucifer.
He dematerialized as particles of light and reappeared a dozen meters away, trying to make distance to reassess the situation...
But the transformation was short-lived, and he ended up with no energy left until he could regenerate more.
At this point, Lucifer and Apophis were both almost totally out of energy. Apophis had returned to a human form and drew Regnier's sword again while Lucifer materialized a sword of pure light.
With only a trickle of regenerated energy left to each of them, the two exhausted players charged towards each other.
The clash of blades was violent. Each one tried to get the upper hand, but neither gave it up easily. Lucifer had weaker stats than Apophis, but he compensated with several decades of experience in MMORPG fencing.
Their duel became more and more intense, but Apophis eventually realized Lucifer's immense skill was giving him the advantage...
But just as he began to retreat, Apophis noticed that his energy had been steadily regenerating while he was focused on the duel, and he now had 10% of his full bar.
He smiled broadly and engulfed his sword in flames, to the point that the huge sword was transformed into a glowing flare!
He put all his might behind a single, violent strike, which immediately shattered Lucifer's sword of light.
Lucifer fell to the ground, still stunned by his enemy's savage blow. Seeing Apophis standing above him, he used his own tiny amount of regenerated energy to transform into light—
But Apophis pushed his ~Telekinesis~ to its utmost limit, creating a force field so strong that not even light could escape it!
After a few moments, Lucifer's energy ran out, and he had no choice but to reappear where he had stood before.
The veteran player was shocked. That had been the last card up his sleeve. It was over for him. He had no energy remaining, no way to escape or even gain a bit of time.
Apophis did not kill Lucifer quickly, but humiliated him.
First, he tore off a hand, then a foot, then an arm, then a leg…
One by one, and all the while, Lucifer screamed in pain as his silver blood flowed in a glittering pool all around. This was the first time he had ever lost a duel.
Apophis finally stopped his little butcher's game. "It's over. Once you're dead, I'll use the black sun again and destroy this planet. The Coalition of the Eternals has come to an end. You lost, Lucifer!"
Lucifer screamed, "Go to hell, you son of a bitch! Don't think this is over! I 'will' find you!"
Apophis gave a tight smile and aimed one last sword blow at Lucifer's head.
