Chapter 284
[I came to watch because it looked like it would be fun. To openly start a rebellion against a Demon King. How long has it been? Has it even happened once in the last 100 years?]
The Magus Chancellor grumbled and continued.
[Kids these days have no guts. If you’re a magus, you should at least try to start a rebellion. In that sense, I really like Christian. I was bored, and he went and started a rebellion like this.]
The Demon King of Red River stared blankly at the Magus Chancellor for a moment.
[Did you hand ‘Silver Snow’ over to the Four Kings’ Castle because you like Christian? To plunge him into an even greater predicament?]
The Magus Chancellor joked playfully.
[Don’t they say you have to go through trials to become stronger? It’s my own expression of affection.]
[…When are you going to fix that strange personality of yours?]
[What’s wrong with my personality?]
[…]
The Demon King of Red River shot him a pathetic look, as if to say, ‘Do you really have to ask?’, and the Magus Chancellor shrugged.
[In any case, since you’ve come all this way, you should take a good look at Christian too.]
The Magus Chancellor gestured with his chin.
[I guarantee you’ll be wide-eyed with surprise. That guy is a real madman. He’s incredibly fun to watch.]
[…]
The Demon King of Red River frowned deeply, then stood beside the Magus Chancellor.
As if to say he would see for himself.
The Magus Chancellor chuckled, then moved his cat body and climbed onto the Demon King of Red River’s shoulder.
[Now, watch.]
The Demon King of Red River scoffed, but.
After the battle began.
His expression began to change as he saw what Christian was doing.
[How about it?]
The Magus Chancellor said.
[Isn’t he a real madman?]
***
Sherad licked his lips with his tongue.
“It’s been a while. I’ve missed you, so, so much.”
Madness flickered in his blood-red eyes.
Christian frowned and glared at Sherad.
“A forced summoning. Did you use your Ghost-Eater authority?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. You knew? I have a rather special ability, you see. It’s a blessing I received from a devil, which allows me to absorb the abilities of those I kill as my own. Of course, I don’t get 100% of it, just a portion.”
It was an incredible story.
This was the reason Sherad had been able to achieve explosive growth at an absurd speed.
It was an authority that ranked among the best of the blessings bestowed by devils.
“Did you use the prisoners in the Demon King’s Castle as sacrifices?”
There were several high-ranking magi who had committed grave sins and were imprisoned for life in the Demon King’s Castle.
“Ah, making prey out of those who can’t resist isn’t really my style, but.”
Sherad sent him a greedy look.
“Christian, I just couldn’t wait to play with you. To think you could make my heart race like this.”
Fwoosh.
A powerful aura extended from Sherad’s body.
It was of various kinds.
Blood-red, ash-gray, crimson, green, black, and more.
It was the energy of those he had absorbed.
When all those energies were combined, a force that would not be pushed back even by the Absolute Realm of 8-Star could be felt.
“You’ll never know how much I looked forward to meeting you again. Please, thrill me.”
However, Chris showed an unexpected reaction.
“Yes, I was looking forward to meeting you, too.”
“Hmm?”
“Because I wanted to hurry up and cut off that disgusting head of yours.”
It was the moment Sherad made a puzzled face.
Fwaaaat!!
Blood splattered.
It was from Sherad’s shoulder.
It was Chris’s Stellar Radiance miraculous ability, ‘One Point’.
An attack that cuts wherever the will is directed.
“?!”
Sherad looked surprised.
He had surely been defending with his will, yet he had been cut.
He hastily retreated and put up a more powerful shield of will, but it was useless.
Crack. It shattered the shield and cut Sherad.
Fwaat! Fwaat!
Blood splattered again.
“…What is this?”
Sherad, who had become covered in blood in an instant, let out a confused voice.
“You said you missed me, yet you don’t even know what achievements I have gained.”
Ssaaaa.
A brilliant light of Stellar Radiance bloomed from Chris’s body.
It was a Stellar Radiance that had reached the peak of 7-Star, the high (上) level.
That wasn't all.
Woooong.
The black light of his soul, obtained upon reaching the level of a Transcendent Being, swirled around the light of his Stellar Radiance like an aura.
The white light and the black light intersected, creating a majestic sight.
It wasn't just a visual effect.
The black light of his soul was intensely amplifying the energy of his high 7-Star Stellar Radiance.
The meaning of this phenomenon was this:
“Unless you have reached the Absolute Realm of 8-Star, there is no one who can defeat me.”
It meant that no 7-Star magus could stand against Chris.
‘That bastard Sherad hasn’t perfectly reached 8-Star yet, either.’
Gauging Sherad’s current power, he had surpassed high 7-Star, but he was at a level that had not yet reached a complete 8-Star.
If so, he was no match for Chris.
“Ha… haha. Wonderful. So good! To surpass my expectations like this every time! Ah, Christian!!”
Fwaaaaaat!!
The energy extending from Sherad’s body covered the surroundings.
It was a Domain of Dominion.
The reason he could use a Domain of Dominion despite not yet having reached 8-Star was thanks to his Ghost-Eater authority, which allowed him to absorb the abilities of others.
Of course, since it was merely an imitation, it didn't have its proper power, but it could not be ignored.
Chris frowned.
He felt an unpleasant energy of gluttony.
‘A Hungry Ghost Space?’
It was Sherad's Domain of Dominion, which he had seen several times in his previous life.
The effect was simple.
It designated any enemy who entered the domain as prey and unleashed a ferocious barrage of attacks, like a hungry ghost lunging for food.
It was a surprisingly straightforward Domain of Dominion, but when combined with Sherad’s authority, it was a different story.
Wooooong.
The surrounding space began to distort.
It was a phenomenon of principles being warped.
‘Three miraculous abilities at once? No, there are more.’
A Physical miraculous ability.
A Swordsmanship miraculous ability.
A Destruction miraculous ability.
A Curse miraculous ability.
An Extreme Poison miraculous ability.
And so on.
All sorts of abilities that Sherad had absorbed were unleashed with the Domain of Dominion as their backdrop.
They were abilities that were difficult to handle even one by one, yet they were being poured out, made even more ferocious by the effect of the Hungry Ghost Space.
It was an attack that would have been difficult to endure even with Chris’s current achievements, but Chris remained calm.
He quietly watched the miraculous abilities pouring down, and soon, an unbelievable miracle occurred.
The abilities suddenly swerved away from Chris as if they had lost their direction.
“No?”
Sherad was someone who was never flustered in any situation, but this time was an exception.
It wasn't that they had simply missed.
The miraculous abilities themselves had twisted their own direction.
As if they were afraid of Chris.
It was something that should have been impossible by common sense.
“What kind of trick did you use? Is it a miraculous ability? But how could even an ability that interferes with principles produce such an effect?”
Chris nodded his head.
He was right.
“Because this isn't a normal miraculous ability.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“It is a law that a lower being cannot defy one of a higher rank.”
Chris continued.
“This is my miraculous ability, Myriad Demons' Submission.”
That was right.
Myriad Demons' Submission was not an ability that only had the effect of dominating an opponent.
It had various other effects, including one that could nullify an opponent's attacks in this manner.
‘Although it can’t nullify all attacks.’
If an attack was imbued with a will strong enough to overcome Myriad Demons' Submission, the effect would be useless.
In the case of the attacks Sherad had just poured out, his will had been divided among many different abilities at once, so they easily lost their power to Myriad Demons' Submission.
‘Since I have to directly manifest my soul’s power into the ability, the energy consumption is high. I’ll need to raise my level to use it more easily.’
Although there were a few such restrictions, it was a game-changing effect.
Because it could nullify most ordinary attacks.
“This time, it’s my turn, right?”
Chris drew the Holy Sword Ernhild and took his aim.
Fwaaaaaat!
A brilliant mana of radiance made Ernhild shine, and additionally, the black light of his soul settled around Ernhild like an aura.
Slayer of Evil Souls.
It was a new miraculous ability he had obtained when his Stellar Radiance reached the high 7-Star level.
A sword that goes beyond simply taking a life to cut down the evil-stained soul itself.
Originally, it was a miraculous ability he had obtained to fight against devils and demons.
“But it’s an ability that’s also perfectly suited for disgusting trash like you.”
“!!”
Sherad tried to dodge by moving his body back, but it was useless.
The effect of One Point, which cut where the will was directed, was imbued in the Slayer of Evil Souls.
Slice.
Sherad’s head was severed and flew into the air.
He had succeeded!
But then, something unexpected happened.
[Kekek, kek. Truly amazing. To think you would show me something this thrilling.]
Even with his head cut off, Sherad burst into laughter.
It wasn't that the attack hadn't worked.
The body below the severed head had collapsed to the floor and was beginning to grow cold.
“It wasn't your main body?”
Sherad giggled and replied.
[Ah, yes. I thought it would be too dull if I came in my main body, so I deliberately came as a dummy, but if I had known you had become this charming, I would have just come as myself.]
A surprising story.
‘He mastered the Art of Multiple Bodies, too?’
It was a miraculous ability used by some of the highest-ranking magi of the Curse Demonic House.
It was similar to puppetry but of a different kind, where one created a spare body and sent their consciousness to descend into it and move.
‘Is this secret art how he survived his encounter with Marquis Langham last time without dying?’
Chris frowned.
[Still, even if it was a dummy’s body, it hurt a lot. An attack that cuts the soul, you say. Thanks to you, it seems I’ll have to focus hard on recovery for a while.]
“Shut up.”
[Ah, how can you be so charming? It breaks my heart to think of how much I’ll miss you after today. But longing is sweet, so I’ll caress the wound you left me and think of….]
“I told you to shut up.”
Fwaaat!
With a look of disgust, Chris once again unleashed the Slayer of Evil Souls, splitting Sherad's head into two.
‘Although I couldn’t eliminate him, it wasn’t without its gains.’
Though he had spoken with composure, Sherad must have suffered considerable damage.
A wound to the soul, in particular, is not easy to heal.
It would take a long time, so he wouldn't have to worry about him for a while.
‘He’ll come in his main body the next time we meet, so I will absolutely not miss my chance then.’
Letting out a sigh, Chris released his magical energy and swept it across his surroundings.
The space Sherad had created began to disappear, and soon, he had returned to the original battlefield.
“Charge!!”
“Break through!!”
Looking around, he saw the battle was in full swing.
‘There are no major losses yet. Not much time has passed.’
The magi who recognized Christian’s return cried out in relief.
“Your Grace!!”
Kashmir, who happened to be nearby, approached him, filled with emotion.
“Are you alright?!”
“Yes, it was nothing. In any case, Lord Kashmir. This is good. Please help me.”
“Yes?”
“For now, follow me.”
Thwip!
Chris rose up into the air.
“He’s about to do something!!”
“Fire!!”
The elves fired arrows and unleashed spirits, but attacks of this level were nothing.
He blocked them with his magical energy, and soon after, he had risen high enough to see the entire battlefield at a glance.
“Lord Kashmir. Please unleash the most ostentatious destruction dark magic you can.”