Chapter 373 - Advent of the Heavenly Demon (3)

It was incandescent! The air around Geongun Castle burned steadily and emitted a white light. The concept of wavelength wasn’t well established yet, but the heat could be estimated based on the color. White was the most dangerous state. Theodore looked at the white light that went beyond an average person’s eyes.

‘I didn’t know that the absolute defense system would be so extreme.’

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the ward that Lust had established around the castle was at a mythical level. The ward could endure even a transcendental attack from Nídhöggur. There wasn’t a straightforward means of entering. Thus, Theodore changed his method of approach itself. If he couldn’t break in from outside the castle, he would break it from inside the castle. It was possible by using this technique to find the space coordinates of the heavenly demon.

“The amount of heat energy trapped in Muspelheim, the land in which Fafnir resides, is literally close to infinity. Can you afford to endure this power in a confined and narrow space?”

Of course, Geongun Castle was larger and more extensive than Belfort of Andras, but Muspelheim was a dimension. It was like trying to put the ocean in a portable bottle. The defense of the ward was so strong that it endured for a while, but the end was scheduled the moment the door to the dimension was opened. Theodore could see the walls start to melt.

Chiiiik!

The special metal, which was more expensive than gold, and the magically treated stones melted like butter. The structure inside had melted a long time ago. The strong variants gathered evaporated after a few seconds, and it could be said that Lust had already lost 99.9% of her power at this point.

Theodore sweated at the sight that was several times more fearful than he had expected. “No, isn’t this enough to kill a red dragon?”

The output was actually lower than Veronica’s Breath as Muspelheim was too large and it took a lot of time to move the power to the material world. However, as a result of accumulating heat in a confined space, the heat inside the castle surpassed even the ultimate fire magic. Even a red dragon that could swim through magma would burn in this castle.

Jjejeok.

At this moment, a sound was heard in Theodore’s ears.

“Already?”

He thought it would take at least three minutes, but the heat overflowing from Muspelheim was more than expected. There were many cracks in the ward. The air leaking through the gap distorted the atmosphere, and some of the birds passing by were burned. They were burned deep into their bones in a few seconds.

Jjeok! Jjejejeok! Jjejeok!

Once there was a crack, it spread quickly. The surface of the ward split like a spider web. The light swirling inside came in contact with cold air and found new prey. This was the moment when the seemingly impregnable ward collapsed.

‘Now, it is adequate.’

Simultaneously, Theodore closed his eyes and focused. It was good that the ward was destroyed and the enemies in the castle were eliminated, but if he let it go, the heat in the ward would run all over the place. Now was the time to close the door to Muspelheim. It was easier to close than to open because the world wanted to restore its original shape. A few seconds after the administrator’s command was dropped, the door that appeared in Lust’s presence disappeared.

Theodore opened his eyes and raised his right hand above his head. The ultimate electrical magic—a golden flash of light—struck Geongun Castle.

「 Penetrate, Keraunos!」

It was the finishing blow.

Kwarururung!

Like a wedge in a collapsing dam, the lightning bolt from the sky pierced a big hole in the middle of Geongun Castle. The heat trapped in the narrow space overflowed. Look at the white pillar of fire that rushed through the atmosphere and into the sky! No, the torrent of energized plasma from inside the castle reminded him of the spear of a god piercing the ground.

“...It is a sight that I won’t forget even after 1,000 years pass.”

If the concept of ‘night’ were a part of life, it would’ve died a while ago. A glowing whirlpool broke through the clouds and tore the sky. If the flash had struck in any direction other than the sky, it would’ve caused astronomical damage.

Theodore sighed with relief and stared at the inside of Geongun Castle. ‘There are four life reactions that can be clearly detected in the castle... Perhaps they’re the three feudal lords gathered in Geongun Castle. However, it is a bit difficult to confirm Lust’s disappearance.’

Thanks to the awful heat inside the castle, Theodore’s detection magic didn’t work well. In the case of the heavenly demon and feudal lords, it was possible to know due to the size of their forces. However, Lust was hard since she didn’t fight directly.

But soon after, Theodore expanded his senses. Since the heavenly demon project was completed, her life or death wasn’t important. Even if she survived, she could be killed in a few minutes if he won this fight.

‘All three of the feudal lords are dying. Not one of them is a sacred creature of fire? Then there is nothing to worry about other than...’

Setting aside the three presences wavering like a candle, he focused on the fourth that was like a nightmare.

Chill. The feeling of ‘death’ that he had never felt after becoming a transcendent froze Theodore’s spine. Not even one second after Theodore detected it, he entered combat mode. It was just after this that...

――――――――――――――!!!

One strike. A mass of light shot out of the burning white Geongun Castle and blew toward Theodore’s location faster than lightning. The historic Hwang Mountain was shattered. Dozens or hundreds of tons of rock rose into the sky and poured down like rain. Thanks to the fire that was still burning white, the night sky was as bright as daylight, and the whole area was shaded by the shadows of falling rocks.

「 Reflection. 」 A word sent the rock shower back.

Huoong! Hung! Huuung!

The rocks that were attracted to the ground because of gravity soared into the sky again, and the eyes of the monster curved. The eyes held nothing but feelings of murder and malice.

――――Huook.

As the rings of light extended once again, all the rocks around the monster evaporated without a trace. They were neither melted nor burned. Instead, the instantaneously applied heat energy caused sublimation.

‘Yes, this is the power of Karura...!’

It was said that Karura had even received a lightning strike from Indra, one of the heavenly kings. He had some of the power of the sun god, so he couldn’t be hurt by lightning. Theodore saw through the reality and raised tension. Everything disturbing his vision disappeared as the red and blue eyes of the two beings faced each other.

‘There is a lot of resemblance to Lust.’

The black-haired man had a neutral beauty and an unknown magic power.

“How interesting,” the heavenly demon’s face twisted as he spoke. “This is a world where only insects can be seen. I thought I wouldn’t be able to cure the endless hunger of this body, but you will be pretty good.”

“Ha, where did you learn to bluff after just being born?” Theodore endured the heavenly demon’s presence and continued to talk sarcastically to him. “A child who is speaking nonsense after not even being born for half a day. I really wonder about your parents’ faces. Ah! I'm sorry. I just burned your mother.”

“...You.” The heavenly demon was completely immune to mental attacks, but the limits of his patience quickly broke.

He spat a piece of tooth out of its mouth. With white and red eyes, the heavenly demon sentenced the person who made him uncomfortable to death, “I will kill you. I won’t leave a single piece of flesh behind.”

Then at the moment when he was about to distort space and take a life...

Kiiing.

The world stopped. The heavenly demon took half a step forward, his lips shaking as he tried to speak. In a world where time had stopped, he wasn’t completely frozen.

[Yes, you, now, act, once...]

Additionally, he was rapidly adapting to this Time Stop. It would take him a few minutes or even a few seconds to adjust perfectly. He was indeed a monster that wasn’t lacking when compared to the title of a demon king.

「 Now I am faster. Absolute Zero. 」

It was the ultimate ice magic from Sylvia. A pale light wound around the body of the heavenly demon. It was a cold that stopped the movement of molecules, living existences, and inanimate objects. In fact, this Absolute Zero couldn’t exert its power in ordinary space. It was because the space would lose its power when the ultimate ice magic was implemented, and the absolute power couldn’t be maintained before reaching the target.

However, the situation changed greatly if it was combined with Time Stop. Theodore’s Sorcery strengthened the ice surrounding the heavenly demon.

「 Freeze to death, Cocytus. 」

Frozen a second time... The body might hold on, but the mind couldn’t. This was the ultimate magic that went beyond the physical and non-physical boundaries which could harm even a newly born transcendent. It was an ice that could seal an ancient dragon permanently.

Jjejejeok...!

Even so, the heavenly demon made a big crack in the ice.

[This body, freezing... won’t work!]

Jjang! One arm protruded from the ice. The ice that couldn’t be broken by physical force was broken. The body of the heavenly demon, whose skin was blue, gradually escaped from the flow of Time Stop. Had he acquired resistance to the ice attribute? No, it was faster than that. He used another power instead of Karura. It was something that couldn’t be used together without Theodore’s Forced Harmonization ability.

「 Well, I thought it would come out like this. 」

By the time the heavenly demon escaped from the ice cube and opened his eyes, Theodore had already carried out the next attack.

Hellfire x Heavenly Sword.

Fusion Complete: Hellfire Sword.

A blade of fire suddenly appeared in Theodore’s hand and pierced the heavenly demon’s heart. It wasn’t a sharp penetration but an overwhelmingly destructive stab!

Ku kwa kwa kwang!

One stab pierced through the top of the already damaged mountain peak. Rocks weren’t an obstacle in front of Hellfire Sword’s destructive power. Hellfire was terrible enough to slice through adamantium. After a few hundred meters or kilometers, they both stopped falling. No, it was that Theodore’s thrusting power was blocked by the heavenly demon.

“C-Cough!” The heavenly demon e spat out black blood and looked at the curved blade that had cut a few ribs like it was interesting. “Sword, is it? It seems you are well equipped.”

“Tch!” Theodore realized it wasn’t a fatal blow and moved. However. the heavenly demon stretched out one hand like he was shaping something. It was a hand with nothing... yet a bloody sword sprang up from his hand.

‘Aura Blade...?! It is also master level!’

This was a state where he could materialize his own weapon. The heavenly demon held the distinctive nine-ring dao and moved his wrist like it was an unfamiliar feeling.

“It is okay. Let’s try it once.” The heavenly demon jumped one step and hit Theodore.

The sword in his hand wasn’t clumsy as it contained a profound essence.

Peng Jia’s Secret Dao Technique.

Decisive Hidden Technique.

Five Tigers Open Dao, Three Liquid Fall.

The aura blade split into three, and Theodore couldn’t escape in any direction. Theodore admired the attack briefly as he was surrounded.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission.

Four Major Hidden Techniques.

Fierce Wind and Rain.

He held Soul Calibre in his right hand and the Heavenly Sword in his left hand, and tore up the three tigers. The wind blew like a blade in response. The third hidden technique, Fierce Wind and Rain, broke through the encirclement and surrounded the enemy’s body. It was a strike at the wrong time. The heavenly demon faced the storm that Theodore created from the front.

‘I can’t give him time. He is getting stronger at a ridiculous rate!’

The momentum of the storm was further amplified. The power of the two blades, which already contained forces that were difficult to confront, was extremely dangerous to a person’s body. However, the heavenly demon took two steps calmly.

“You have pretty good tricks. Let’s hang out for a while.” The heavenly demon had a relaxed expression as he smiled and moved.

He used a martial art used in Japan. It was based on onmyōji ideology and had the power to control all types of phenomena. The technique that had been cut off in ancient times now emerged.

Wudang Faction Esoteric Law.

Wudang Supreme Intelligent Fencing.

Extreme Opposite Direction.

‘What, he can use this sword technique?’

Rather than go against the rough momentum of the storm, the heavenly demon turned the flow. Once an object reached the end, it was turned upside down. Or if a bowl was full, it would fall down. Theodore hurriedly raised both hands to deprive the storm of Fierce Wind and Rain, making it lose its power. However, he couldn’t stop the heavenly demon who aimed at the gap.

[I will first cut out these eyes.]

There was no room to speak, but the two beings who were monsters could convey their intentions directly to the mind. The heavenly demon grinned wickedly as his sword aimed at one of Theodore’s eyes.

Chaaeng!

It struck Soul Calibre, which protruded at an abnormal orbit.

[Eh?!]

‘Um?!’ Theodore was also amazed as he prepared to take out a defense spell.

-I was only helpful at the end. I can’t beat my age.

It was natural for Theodore to feel this way since his right hand hadn’t moved on his own will. The soul fragment of the great hero Reynolds Spencer, who remained in the imprint of Umbra, exerted the last of his power.

-Don’t lose to this strong monster, Junior.

‘Yes, Senior!’ Theodore moved as he felt Reynolds presence gradually fading in his body. Reynolds’ one move reversed the situation. The blade was deflected, causing the heavenly demon to be defenseless before Theodore. It was an opportunity to deal a big blow with either ultimate magic or the sword. Theodore saw the perfect timing and reached out a hand.

Jingle.

He held the three-ringed staff—the Fleeing Dragon Staff—and threw it at the heavenly demon.

“Hey, let’s move to another place!”

“What nonsense are you saying?”

Before he could speak, the heavenly demon was stuck in the Fleeing Dragon Staff’s distorted space. Based on his resistance, he would be out soon. However, Theodore could act freely until then. Instead of attacking, Theodore picked another option.

「Teleportation. 」

The trap that Theodore had spent a month preparing was waiting for him.

* * *

Flash!

The transition took a few seconds, and by the end of the space transfer, there was a crack in the Fleeing Dragon Staff prison trapping the heavenly demon. After Time Stop, freezing space didn’t work either. Theodore clicked his tongue and made preparations. As time passed, the heavenly demon’s performance rose steeply. He could also utilize the skills and memories of the lives sacrificed to him.

‘I need to destroy him before he is reborn as an undefeatable being.’ Theodore wanted to do it himself it possible, but it was too hard.

“...Nasty human. You brought these lowlifes to fight with you? It is insulting,” the heavenly demon spat out once he noticed the group surrounding him. Theodore acknowledged that compared to a transcendent, the others were just insects. Getting involved in the fight between two ultimate beings was just an insult.

“Well, I think it is still too early to judge.”

“Huh?”

It was the intended place and the intended timing. Theodore knew that it was perfect and quickly connected to the magic power source beneath his feet. If he could cope with the power consumed, then it would be the strongest trap. Theodore spoke in a voice too low for the heavenly demon to hear, 「 Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops, activate. 」

The arrangement of nine colleagues at the points corresponding to the palace meant this unexpected method could be utilized. It was the concept of gam, gon, jin, son, jong, geon, dae, gan, and yi. The concept of magic resonated with the nine circles to fill up power.

In order to tie up the feet of the heavenly demon, Randolph, Nobutsuna, and Shuten-doji were placed in close proximity. Veronica and Daitengu could respond to every type of attack, so they were placed midway, while the other four were supporting from a distance.

“I don’t know what you have prepared, but these lowlifes...!”

At this moment, the power of the Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops was revealed.

Kuoooong―――!

A tremendous amount of power poured out, causing the heavenly demon’s knees to bend. No, in fact, he was biting his tongue due to being suppressed. “Kuk!”

The ground couldn’t withstand the pressure and sank, burying the heavenly demon down to his ankles. His body could hold out against the pressure, but the environment was different. Thus, his response was delayed by one beat.

“Hey, little monster.”

“What? Your safety―” The heavenly demon frowned at the rude call and looked in that direction.

Kwaaaaang! Shuten-doji’s club struck his head firmly.

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