As Nathaniel saw the seven powerful, similar figures charging toward him, his mind immediately conjured a reasonable explanation for this bizarre situation.
"An... illusion... right, an illusion..."
"This is an illusion—"
The rest of the world seemed to vanish as his body was hurled through the air. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he tried to hold on and maintain his balance like before, but the power striking him suddenly multiplied.
What followed was the crisp, sickening crack of bones shattering, echoing through the Layer of Ancients under the relentless onslaught of the seven identical figures.
Panicked and agonizing screams finally tore from Nathaniel’s throat as he twisted and dodged, but every movement was met with a blow from the direction he tried to evade. He could avoid one, two, three, but not all of the devastating, precise strikes raining down from seven different sides.
Ultimately, Nathaniel let out a roar, unleashing the full extent of his power.
His cyan eyes flashed crimson, turning completely blood-red, veins of raw energy snaking across his entire body. His blonde hair also shifted to a fiery crimson, and the remnants of his saintly appearance twisted into the visage of a demon. Following that, the symbol of the snake glowing between his collarbones surged to life, emerging as a writhing entity born of tainted energy.
Each of the snake’s seven heads, crowned with a bewitching symbol of a lily, hissed and coiled, slithering with lethal precision as it wrapped around Nathaniel, shielding him from the onslaught. Then, instantly, it struck back at the seven figures attacking Nathaniel, sharp fangs and claws tearing through the space, each strike radiating a force that threatened to rend reality itself.
Every form of energy around the snake pulsed and writhed, turning the battlefield into a storm of chaotic, unrelenting fury.
A familiar purple flower appeared on the snake’s back, causing Azazeal to bite into its huge body with a crazed, almost insane look in his obsidian eyes. The snake hissed and instantly threw the figure biting its body away with its tail. Within seconds, its size increased, resembling a colossal being.
Nathaniel’s figure was protected beneath its stomach, shielded by a crimson barrier created by the clock symbol etched there.
His injuries healed within moments as he gritted his teeth, glaring darkly at the fight.
The body of Azazeal that had been thrown far away burst into mock laughter, casually swallowing the piece of tainted energy he had bitten from the snake’s body, smacking his lips with a malevolent expression when he saw Nathaniel’s face contorted in agony.
This torturous pain that Nathaniel let slip after Azazeal bit off a piece of the snake and swallowed it was far greater than the agony he had shown when Azazeal had torn his limbs and shattered his bones.
Watching the angry veins on Nathaniel’s forehead with mirthful glee, Azazeal’s emotionless voice rang out amusedly.
"How long are you going to hide behind stolen powers like a spineless insect? Already frightened enough to call your Celestial symbol? I’ve barely begun."
He chuckled like an evil creature born of madness, his eyes unhinged as he lunged toward Nathaniel again, joining the other bodies in a frenzied, unstoppable assault.
Amidst the crumbling realm, many natural laws were unleashed as Nathaniel fought back against the frenzied man, who relied solely on his physical strength and the law of darkness to lunge at him like a mindless beast again and again. The scene quickly turned grotesque—Nathaniel’s agonized expression only fueled Azazeal’s thrill.
He began biting into the dark power of Nathaniel’s Celestial symbol, devouring it with a greed as insatiable as the swirling darkness that hungrily enveloped them.
Nathaniel cursed as he fought to destroy Azazeal’s numerous bodies. The Celestial symbol was the core part of his strength—the only link connecting him to the End.
Normally, Azazeal feeding on it shouldn’t have hurt him at all, since it was made of pure energy. But Azazeal was consuming his link with the End through the symbol and making his power his own, sending sharp waves of pain through his body!
"You monster!"
He roared, his hoarse voice cracking with fury and anguish, reverberating across the crumbling realm. Azazeal only chuckled, a chilling sound that made the air tremble.
He didn’t deny a word. Instead, he responded with eyes glinting with delight.
"Yes, I am a monster!"
"I would never deny the things I’ve done all these years. But if I am a beast... then you—who are far worse than me—what does that make you? A corrupted, rotting hypocrite?"
"Or..."
He dragged his words, savoring the ugly, deranged expression Nathaniel displayed.
"A thief who has nothing of his own?"
Nathaniel roared loudly, unleashing the combined power of the clock symbol, the purple flower, and the lily, veins bulging on his forehead as he sent three of Azazeal’s bodies hurtling through the air. In the next moment, they were exchanging thousands of blows in a blur of speed no Celestial in the lower stages could track, each strike faster and more deadlier than the last.
Unfortunately, unlike Nathaniel, Azazeal’s movements held no rhythm, no structure, no technique—there was only unrestrained savagery. Each of his strikes was meant not to kill his prey but to crush, to torment, to utterly break his willpower bit by bit.
Amidst the chaotic battle that even sent shockwaves throughout the outside world of Celestials, the ice throne Kyle had been sitting on had long since shattered, along with every structure in the surroundings.
Kyle retreated instinctively once again as the snake’s tail whipped toward him—the innocent bystander. His face was drained of color as if he were sick, for only he knew the immense struggle it took to keep the ancient realm from collapsing entirely.
If not for him, the two powerful figures tearing each other in front of him would have already shattered the boundaries of the Layer of Ancients, their tainted energy spilling forth to devour the energy of the Celestial realm. Who could say how many lives would have been lost by then?
He was certain—just their attacks within this confined realm were already affecting the outside world. He could sense nature’s restlessness, struggling to push back the darkness surrounding both Azazeal and Nathaniel, but they were far too powerful.
Now, nature could no longer harm them.
Just as it couldn’t harm him.
Kyle grimaced as he dodged another stray blow, trying his very best to avoid becoming collateral damage in their gruesome battle.
His face had lost its earlier amused arrogance as he watched the battle.
He had to admit—they were strong.
Truly formidable. Especially Azazeal, who had yet to show the power of his Celestial symbol and seemed focused on torturing Nathaniel. Watching them fight made his blood boil, unconsciously muttering.
"I want to fight them both."
But he knew that if he interfered now, Azazeal would immediately act on the earlier threat he gave him at all costs.
So, he held back.
Still, it was strange. Clearly, like them, he had also reached the End. Yet they were ignoring his presence as if he didn’t exist.
Even Nathaniel, who had been focused on him when he thought he was on Azazeal’s side, seemed to have forgotten about him.
"How annoying."
Regardless, he was more than willing to stay out of it. This was a battle someone had waited for thousands of years, giving up everything—even their soul. He didn’t want to kill Azazeal before he was done.
It wasn’t out of pity... truly, it wasn’t.
It was a tiny offering to a broken soul, one that had lost everything, a small gesture of understanding in a world that offered none.
After all, that man he hated had once told him that it was too late to change anything, and there were no ’what ifs’ in this world.