BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Two terrifying blows that could rip anyone in the vicinity to shreds exploded on the position of a single man.
However, at the same time, something else happened.
Within the roaring eruptions of power was another sound, almost like the rushing of winds caused by them, but completely different in source.
VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The slate in Damien's hand shone with light as its form was completed.
The completely crystalline exterior it now possessed sucked Damien's mana out of his body to sustain itself, and using that mana as a catalyst, it let loose a wave of energy.
A barrier formed around Damien's body. When the attacks first struck, it barely covered him from head to toe, but at some point within those fractions of the second, it expanded past them.
Glimmers of blue light appeared in the storm of red and gold. By the time the Divine Energy dispersed, the barrier was already over ten meters wide, completely isolating Damien from the outside world.
"DAMMIT!" Immortal Blood Asura roared.
"DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
He rushed over to the edge of the barrier and slammed his fists into its surface. He barraged it with as much Divine Energy as he could muster to no avail.
The barrier was too solid.
It was not something a mere Demigod could penetrate.
As Immortal Blood Asura sank into the depths of insanity on one side, the Karmic Emperor carefully observed the barrier from the other.
"Hmm…"
He hummed as he gently traced his hand over it and felt its mana.
'As expected, this is not the work of a lower being. This man, Damien Void…'
The Karmic Emperor didn't have much contact with the man. What he knew was heard through rumors and stories about Damien's escapades, as well as the projections of his battles with the Saint King.
Through these, and especially when Damien appeared on the Ancient Battlefield, the Karmic Emperor clearly understood Damien's worth.
But seeing this phenomenon, he realized he'd underestimated the man.
'A connection with the Heavenly World.'
This was what set Damien apart from any and everyone in the lower universe, and the source of the current conundrum.
'Haa, there is no need to think. The grudge has already been formed and exacerbated. We will be enemies until the end.'
The Karmic Emperor was a pragmatic man. If possible, he would've preferred to befriend Damien and gain access to that connection.
However, their relationship didn't leave room for such thoughts.
'If so, he must be eliminated.'
While they were still in the Ancient Battlefield where outside forces couldn't interfere, Damien had to be killed.
Otherwise, it would be extremely dangerous.
No matter who won, the Karmic Emperor had a means of survival. Damien was the only outlier that could threaten those means.
'The opportunity may not be far away.'
The fluctuations of that barrier were strong. When Damien and Immortal Blood Asura's flashy chase through the battlefield was also taken into account, it was obvious that there were many eyes watching from the distance.
They all had the same thought.
No matter what was happening, it was worth their presence.
And if there happened to be an opportunity…
The Karmic Emperor grinned to himself.
'...they will pounce without hesitation.'
He had a chance to use them.
As he looked towards Immortal Blood Asura, who was in an extremely sorry state already, his grin widened.
The puppet he'd been preparing for so many years was also ready to be tamed.
'Good. I am excited to see what you will do when you leave your protection, Damien Void. Until then, I shall make good use of the gifts you gave me.'
The Karmic Emperor started to move with a purpose, and he wasn't the only one.
Several hundreds of forces were gathering in the vicinity.
The stalemate on the Ancient Battlefield was already at a point where it was on the verge of collapsing, and this had the potential of being the event that shattered it wholly.
No, since the Karmic Emperor already set his sights on it…
…he'd make sure it would.
***
Within the barrier there was silence.
Damien was completely isolated from the outside world by the opaque blue mana that formed it, and he was alone within the space.
At least, for the first few moments.
Once the barrier was formed, the slate used all its remaining energy to form another diamond, which then expanded into a projection.
But this process was different from the first one.
Unlike the last hologram that didn't have defined features, this one had all of them.
His black hair, his deep blue eyes, his skin and musculature, all of it was clear to see.
This was a true image of Dante Void.
And as it finished formation, a sparkle of intelligence appeared in its eyes.
"Ah…ahh…"
He touched his throat and extended his voice, making sure it worked, before glancing around the area.
"You've gotten yourself into quite the situation, haven't you?" He said with a smile, finally allowing his gaze to land on Damien.
Damien shook his head wryly.
"What can I say? Great geniuses like me just can't seem to get a break."
"Hahahaha!"
Dante laughed happily.
"Indeed, the path of a genius is an arduous one. But, you have been walking it well. To think you'd make it to this point in less than a hundred years…"
He shook his head in disbelief.
"I truly wasn't prepared for it."
He'd set up countless legacies in the lower universe for Damien's growth, and each of them was linked to him.
He would be able to feel if they were entered and he could feel Damien's presence as long as he was nearby.
Yet, besides the Sea God's Realm and Celestial Realm on Death Emperor Star and a few other areas, he didn't see much of Damien.
He didn't expect it at all.
His son was a genius, that was a given considering his bloodline, but he never expected Damien to grow so much without his help.
No, for him to be on the Ancient Battlefield like this, for the Ancient Battlefield to even be of use this early…
"...I really want to hear your story."
He wanted to know what Damien had gone through.
Damien shrugged.
"It's nothing much. I fought a lot, survived a lot, stole a lot, comprehended a lot, and died just a little bit. It's the same for everyone, right?"
He spoke jokingly, but he worded it as such purposefully. Whether it was due to their disconnect or his desire to keep others uninvolved with the more tragic aspects of his life, he didn't want his father to know the amount of pain he'd endured.
Unending isolation, battles that ripped his body to shreds and rebuilt it, war against enemies he was never on the same level as in the first place, and suffering beyond suffering.
No matter how talented he was or how much he'd achieved through the help of others or his own efforts, he'd suffered just as much.
It was the law of equivalent exchange.
"But my experience is beside the point. We can have some proper father-son bonding time once I get up there where you are," Damien said, pounding his fists together.
"Isn't there something more important to do right now?"
Dante nodded wryly.
"I suppose so. Since you are here, it will not be long before our meeting, and even from a brief glance, I understand the kind of trouble you've gathered."
Dante reached his hand out towards Damien, but in his current form, he could neither touch his son nor move to try.
"It will get far more difficult from here. Once I unseal your power of Destruction, its trail will follow you everywhere. Are you prepared?"
Damien grinned confidently.
"Destruction has been following me for a long time already. Instead, I should be asking if you're prepared."
Dante raised his brow.
"Prepared for…?"
"Haha, what do you think? When I get up there, I'm going to beat your ass."
Dante's eyes widened.
"..."
He really…had no words.
