The moment Agonon was shocked to see his attack getting stopped by Asher, a chilling miasma, dense with infernal power, began to envelop him.
A suffocating sense of dread seeped into Agonon's core, stealing away his strength and leaving his vision blurred.
This infernal aura just seemed to spread out from Asher in every direction, growing in size and dread with each passing second until it filled his vision, implanting a deep sense of despair in his soul.
It resembled that of a blazing skeleton rising out from the depths of the Seven Hells, but gigantic in size, dwarfing him, making him feel like an insect standing under its petrifying gaze as its bony fingers wrapped around his soul.
The reality of the situation came crashing down upon Agonon. He had felt many things throughout his life - pride, anger, lust for power - but this gnawing fear was new.
The crushing aura was overwhelming; it wasn't just a physical restraint, but a psychological one. The chilling presence threatened to drown Agonon in his own weaknesses.
A gut-wrenching sound broke through the haze of power and dread. The sound of bone grinding against bone.
Asher's grip on Agonon's captured fist tightened, each finger exerting a pressure that could shatter stone. The pain shot through Agonon like a raging wildfire.
"Yaargh!"
Still trying to reel in his wits, Agonon tried to retaliate, roaring furiously as he swung his other fist at Asher. But Asher, with seemingly effortless ease, caught it as well.
Agonon's once piercing eyes now radiated fear and disbelief, "What have you become?" he gasped, struggling to form words.
Agonon refused to believe a peak Soul Purger could be so overwhelmingly strong. A Deviar can't grant any other benefits unless his bloodline was naturally meant to be that powerful. But that should be impossible!
Asher's voice, now colder than the deepest abyss, sent shivers down Agonon's spine, "Your worst nightmare."
His grip tightened further, crushing both of Agonon's once-feared fists, rendering them useless.
"Argh!"
"You are no dragon, not even a halfling. Just a poor excuse of a flying lizard whose ancestor happened to be born because of an unplanned seed left inside some trash bag," Asher sneered, making Agonon's eyes redden, and even coughed out the blood stuck in his throat in sheer fury.
He had never heard anyone insult his progenitor and his entire lineage in such a crass way.
"But my wife…she has a true, powerful draconic lineage, and not long after, both of us together will make your precious kingdom grovel at our feet, including your wives, mother, and sisters, of course," Asher said with a cold smile.
Veins popped up across Agonon's face as he gritted his teeth, though the sheer terror of Asher's infernal aura was instilling fear in him again and again, to the point he couldn't even find the strength to curse at him.
But Asher wasn't done yet. With a swift motion and a strength that seemed otherworldly, he swung his leg and delivered a devastating kick right to Agonon's chest.
*Crachk!*
The horrifying sound of bones cracking echoed throughout the battlefield, momentarily drowning out all other sounds.
The onlookers watched in shock. Agonon, the mighty Draconian prince who had been feared and revered for his power, was now on his knees, clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain.
Blood spewed from his mouth, a scarlet testament to the blow's severity. The dark puddles that formed under him starkly contrasted with the pale hue of the land.
Amelia and Rachel, still locked in their battle, hesitated for a moment, their attention inadvertently captured by the scene before them. Even the Draconians faltered in their assault, the impossible having been witnessed.
"My prince!!" Circe screamed in horror while the rest were shocked by the sight. They had never seen their prince ever appear weak, let alone kneel on the ground.
They immediately forgot about fighting the others and were about to rush to help him when Isola, Ceti, and Callisa, in her Hellbringer form with Merina atop her, stopped them all.
"Your prince is going to die like a dog," Ceti said with a cold smirk, feeling satisfied by the look on Circe's face.
"I will kill you, bitch!" Circe's eyes burst forth with anger and killing intent as she and the others rushed at Ceti.
"SCREEEEE!!!*
But an ear-rending scream from Isola stopped Circe and the others in their tracks as they clutched their ears that were spitting out blood.
"NOOOO!!" Circe screamed in horror as she was startled and shocked to feel a giant, blazing, bony pincer swooping her up, and before she knew it, she was staring right at a large pair of hollow bulbous eyes.
"Krrrrr…."
The low growl from the Kraken made Circe gulp, but before she could recover from Isola's attack, she felt the giant pincer tightening its grip around her body slowly, the sound of her bones fracturing slowly.
The eerie dark green flames instantly wrapped around her entire body as her limbs flailed.
"No! Ahhh!! Stop! You ugly monster!!! Help me—-Ahhghh!!" Circe howled in pain as she desperately cried out for help, but every member of her group was too occupied to come to her aid.
All she could do was desperately stare into the Kraken's eerie eyes as blood began to seep out of all 7 orifices of her body while her skin and flesh were slowly breaking down into ashes.
Her howls began to grow weaker as her internal organs were getting pierced by her own bones and slowly turned into a charred mush.
*Snap!*
And with a bone-crunching snap, her eyes turned lifeless, and Callisa threw her corpse away like a piece of garbage.
At the same time, Vespera, Rune, and Erebus had also succumbed to the ground from the combined attacks of Isola and Ceti.
And not long after, they were getting their faces crushed in by Ceti's fists, each of her blows turning their bones and flesh to paste, her face twisted in fury, "Worthless draconian dogs!"
Merina looked on with satisfaction and felt that it was good for Ceti to vent her anger and frustration like this.
Isola was panting, trying to catch her breath after expending her entire energy in taking down Agonon's people despite her injured state. But now that she and Ceti finished them, her gaze shifted towards a certain someone.
Rachel and Amelia, who saw this werewolf's raging butchery, had their eyes shuddered.
Amelia realized it was definitely over.
Even without Hellbringer, they alone would never stand a chance against this Umbralfiend demoness and the werewolf, who seemed to have anger issues that could prove to be very dangerous.
Amelia's eyes quickly searched for an exit, but her face paled upon seeing Jael slowly walking in from the other direction with a smile.
His previously neat robes were torn here and there, traces of dried blood around his lips, though his hair still appeared combed.
"Oh angels…help us…" Amelia thought they, along with Victor, had killed Jael. But apparently, it seemed that they were tricked with another illusion, and he was probably licking his wounds before showing himself again.
"Emiko, Yui…you two should escape while we buy some time for you two," Amelia said as she looked at these two Japanese girls who seemed surprisingly calm despite their despairing situation.
However, over the past year, she had come to learn how kind and helpful they were and felt guilty for being suspicious of them at first. They were the only ones who also supported her and listened to everything she said despite treating them poorly at first.
Meanwhile, Asher stood tall, his silhouette illuminated by the distant bolts of lightning in the sky. His voice carried clearly across the battlefield, filled with cold fury as he looked at Agonon struggling to heal and get up.
His Blade of Damnation manifested in his grip. The eeriness of the dark green flames that danced upon it sent a ripple of unease through Agonon, who could only watch, half of his senses still paralyzed under Asher's aura.
Asher's gaze, cold and unwavering, locked onto Agonon's, "Who is the pathetic one now?" Asher's voice dripped with disdain.
The stormy backdrop only added weight to his words, "You will die a dog's death, but I'll make sure you get a front seat in hell. From there, you can watch as I make your kingdom bend to my will, turning your subjects into my slaves... starting with you."
Agonon's wounded pride mixed with his pain, and he glared back at Asher. Even in this dire moment, the pride of his royal lineage shone through, "You…dare!" he spat out, the venom in his voice barely disguising the tremor of fear.
"Yes, I do," Asher responded coldly. Without any hesitation, he thrust his blade into Agonon's chest, the force so brutal that the ground underneath them quaked.
As the dark green flames consumed Agonon, his visage was painted with a mix of shock and pain. Then, in an unexpected moment, Agonon's form magically vanished, leaving only the haunting memory of his final, agonized expression while others assumed he vaporized too quickly.
Not too long ago, Victor, witnessing Agonon about to face off against Asher from a distance, smirked.
He saw this as the perfect opportunity to strike both adversaries. He maneuvered himself, preparing to launch an attack from behind, hoping to catch both of them off guard.
However, in the midst of his headlong dash, he witnessed the confrontation taking a shocking turn.
Seeing Agonon's unbelievable predicament, his steps faltered. Doubt clouded his mind. He had anticipated Agonon overpowering Hellbringer.
But the scene before him shattered his plans.
Witnessing this, he felt a chill run down his spine. The sight of Agonon in such a state made him reconsider his approach.
Still, he refused to believe whatever power Asher was using now could last long since, in the end, he was still a peak Soul Purger and was practically weaker than him.
He can't let someone weaker than him get away with the Deviar and ruin all his painstaking efforts.
The cacophony of the ongoing battle receded to a murmur as Victor channeled his power, the air around him tingling with anticipation.
With a deep breath, he summoned the Luminous Gale Blade, a bright, glowing green projection of a great sword that materialized in the air, humming with lethal intent.
It was his most powerful long-range attack that he had also mastered as a sneak attack.
As the greatsword projection shot forward, Victor's face twisted into a satisfied smirk, the light in his eyes shining with triumph.
He was certain that Hellbringer would not expect his sneak attack, especially in the midst of the chaos, nor could his senses be strong enough to detect it in time.
"Goodbye, motherfucker," he whispered confidently to himself.
But to his horror, the moment before the blade struck, Hellbringer's figure suddenly vanished, leaving the Luminous Gale Blade to harmlessly sail through empty air.
"What the fuck?..." Victor's voice wavered, his confidence shattered.
His shock was short-lived as a strong grip suddenly closed around his neck from behind.
Twisting around in panic, Victor found himself staring directly into Hellbringer's deep, glowing, dark yellow eyes that were filled with cold mockery.
"Fuck...." Victor tried to muster his energy, to repel this demon. But a torrent of dread, emanating from Hellbringer's aura, froze him to the core.
It was paralyzing, like a python's grip on its prey, rendering him helpless, his mana circuits numbed, and his senses fading.
What kind of abominable power was this motherfucker using??! How could this be possible?!
His fingers weakly tried to pry Hellbringer's hand away, but it was an exercise in futility. His voice was reduced to a mere whisper, his lips moving but no words emerging.
Hellbringer's voice, low and menacing, echoed in his ears, "You cowardly piece of shit," He paused, tilting his head slightly, the cruel enjoyment evident in his gaze, "Before I damn you for eternity, let's play a game, shall we?"
Victor's eyes darted around in panic, the terrifying realization of his predicament sinking in. What twisted game did this demon have in store?
The uncertainty of what lay ahead was even more terrifying than the prospect of death.
