At the same time, In the depths of space several million kilometers away from Beast Emperor Star, Damien and Arthur's battle took a new turn.
The shift in their dynamic was reflected in the space around them. The expansive Space-Time River was clouded with bloody air as Arthur finally unleashed his true power.
No longer bound by the effects of the Mana Oath, how could he allow this young genius to continue living?
Even if Reavus' death was removed from the picture, Damien still had to die. After all, if he was allowed to grow, he would surely pose a threat to Blood Asura Holy Land!
"Die, boy!" He roared out, pushing his mana.
His enemy was indeed just a child who couldn't compare to him anymore, but he wasn't going to be careless anymore.
Within a single instant, a fraction of a fraction of a second, he gathered his Law concepts and formed a true technique.
'Asuran Death Needles.' He called out, giving his mana a form to take.
Three long crimson infinity-blade-like needles formed in the air, silent and deadly.
The techniques of Blood Asura Holy Land naturally used blood as their main element, but blood was never a true element in the universe's laws.
Rather, it was a variation of water with hints of metal, life, death, and even a bit of fire element mixed in.
This blood affinity was unlike the blood affinities of those outside the clan. No, it was far, far more advanced.
And now, standing in the void, Damien realized that he had no choice but to experience those techniques with his body.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The sound was swift and as quiet as a spring breeze,
The pain came before he even heard it.
Three needles, each at least a meter long, penetrated Damien's body and lodged themselves inside, jutting out of his front and back gruesomely.
One through the heart.
One through the head.
One through the center of his chest, the central point of the Ananta Matrix.
Arthur perfectly pinpointed Damien's most fatal points throughout their previous collisions, and he didn't waste time using these weaknesses against him.
How could this moment be described?
Damien always believed he'd reached the cusp of a Supreme's perceptive ability, but he found himself at a loss for words as he felt the power coursing through him.
Glug…!
Damien vomited a mouthful of blood, filled with the residue of internal organs.
Within his body, multiple forces were raging in conjunction to tear him apart.
His blood was being siphoned, separated into its different parts, and stolen. His organs were being rid of vitality and crushed beneath the pressure of the invading mana itself. Small, almost molecular specks of metal shredded through him and left his insides as nothing more than a sack of miscellaneous fluids.
He bled from every orifice, and almost every single pore in his body. Every bit of that blood flew into the air and coagulated into a sphere placed conveniently so it was perfectly in Damien's line of sight.
This…
This was a deathly experience.
It was evident that Arthur didn't want to kill him immediately, but wanted him to suffer until the last second.
Could Damien ask for more?
His mouth split apart into an indiscernible grin, hidden beneath the copious amount of blood covering his face.
'Pain is power.'
His heart was pierced?
His brain was pierced?
It was laughable to even think so.
Damien had long since separated his vitals into their own separate dimensions, and it wasn't as if he just left these defenses at the same level they were when he first created them.
The more powerful he got, the stronger those defenses became, and as he became more proficient in Void Breathing…
He was sure that he could at least keep his life long enough to escape from anyone under the Demigod level.
'This time, though, there's no reason to escape.'
Currently, Damien wasn't in trouble. Of course, if the forces in his body were allowed to continue acting as they pleased for a few more minutes, the situation wouldn't be quite the same.
But was there any need to let them do that?
Arthur watched the changes in Damien's expression, body language, and aura with extreme care, even recording the moment so he could present it to his son's grave, declaring his vengeance completed.
His smile grew wider at the same rate as the glob of Damien's blood.
Until suddenly…
Damien's finger twitched.
'Hm?'
Arthur's eyes widened slightly. This boy…was still able to move?
It should've been absolutely impossible. With a Death Needle in his brain, it was certain that the only thing Damien could do was think and feel, unable to control his body to maneuver out of the pain.
But didn't he just…
VOOM!
A fluctuation tore through space. Arthur's eyes widened as he suddenly dodged to the side, raising his defenses.
Bang!
A destructive force slammed into his barrier furiously, causing cracks to spread across its surface.
'What?!' Arthur exclaimed in shock.
He pushed higher into space and flared his aura, sending an attack back at the mysterious force.
Bang!
Crack!
Another bang, this one far more dull than the previous one.
'Tch!'
Arthur retreated again, shaking his hand and maneuvering his blood to rapidly regenerate his shattered bones.
What did he hit just now?
Was this some sort of meteor?
Or maybe Damien managed to draw an artifact with his final breath?
"Hahahaha!"
A booming laughter denied all of Arthur's conjectures.
Finally, he caught a glimpse of just what he'd attacked, emerging from a cloud of steam that could even somewhat obscure his vision.
"A…giant?" Arthur muttered.
His opponent grinned wildly in response. His large incisors glinted in the distant sunlight, creating a terrifying titan-like image.
"Indeed, I am Galantis, King of the Cloud Giants. I will be your opponent for today!" He exclaimed loudly, his voice cracking the sound barrier.
Arthur's eyes sharpened.
'This is not a simple opponent.' He thought to himself, sensing the other party's strength.
"Who are you and why are you interfering in my Blood Asura Holy Land's affairs?" Arthur questioned, using the holy land's name to warn the enemy of who he was messing with.
However, was this giant an idiot?
In response, he simply laughed!
"Hahaha! Blood Asura or Dirty Pig, whoever dares aim for my Young Lord's life doesn't deserve to exist in this universe!"
Galantis spoke raucously, but inside, his emotions were icy.
Seeing Damien's current state, he understood that any normal practitioner would've already died 1000 times over in the seconds it took for him to be summoned.
If Damien was just a little bit less extraordinary…
His heart burned with fury.
This wasn't just any random individual, this wasn't just the savior who granted his Cloud Giant Clan a way into the true universe, a path to freedom…
He was a man who was growing to be the savior of the universe itself!
These small-minded people not only wanted to kill his savior, but also ruin the beautiful free world that the Cloud Giants had just barely been able to see?
Galantis spoke raucously, but inside, he made an oath.
He swore that this man and anyone who dared to support him were not allowed to exist in the same world as him and his people!
