Rumblee!
The underground trembled with a series of repeated vibrations that rattled the space. Startled, Raimira quickly curled up into a tight ball, and she let out a surprised yelp as dust began to cascade down from the ceiling above.
With both hands firmly wrapped around her head, Raimira waited anxiously for the tremors to subside. Even if the ceiling collapsed and buried Raimira underground, she would not die. Such a thing would obviously kill humans, and regular demonfolks would be buried alive as well, but Raimira was a dragon. She could easily escape if she canceled the polymorph transformation and returned to her regular appearance.
Naturally, escaping by reverting to her original form would be an extremely foolish and ignorant approach though. Moreover, although it was impossible for her to use complicated Draconic spells as a hatchling, escaping from the underground with magic was something that should not pose any difficulty for her.
Yet, the thought of escape never even occurred to Raimira. She was consumed by fear — fear of the reverberations she felt and the sound of war coming from above. Such thoughts left her unable to think clearly or devise an escape plan, simply filling her mind with dread.
Raimira’s already sensitive senses allowed her to have full awareness of the happenings above ground, even from a distance. In particular, as a dragon, Raimira was especially sensitive to the temperament of mana unique to different existences. This gave her a profound awareness of her surroundings.
The Four Divine Generals were already dead, and it was probable that they had perished without a chance to even resist.
In all honesty, Raimira felt absolutely no pity for the Four Divine Generals who had died; in fact, she found their deaths rather pleasant and enjoyable. However, what truly frightened her was the fragility of life. It had taken only a few seconds for the Four Divine Generals, who had lived for centuries, to perish, reminding her that life was fleeting and delicate.
“Father…. Father…,” Raimira whimpered, searching for her absent father.
She barely had any memories of him. Raizakia, the Black Dragon, was imprinted in Raimira's mind more as the lord of the Dragon Demon Castle than as a father figure.
Raimira had not spent enough time with her father to form any other ideas about him. Even so, Raimira desperately sought out her father, the Black Dragon. At the time of Raimira’s birth, the Black Dragon had placed a fragment of his Dragon Heart inside his daughter’s forehead. He had done so to ensure that she remained his possession as well as prevent her from resisting when the day came that he would force her to lay eggs and become his meal.
Little did Raimira know that the Black Dragon's true intentions were far from what she perceived them to be. She believed the red jewel inside her forehead was a symbol of his affection, but in reality, it was a mark of ownership. Raimira couldn’t help but think that a disaster like this could have been avoided if the Black Dragon had been present. Her thoughts were clouded by a sense of longing and desperation as she yearned for the Black Dragon's protection. If he had been present, she, the Dragon Duchess, would never have had to suffer humiliation like this. Raimira sniffled while thinking such thoughts.
‘Maybe… if I wish for it hard enough, the Black Dragon will hear my voice and return.’
It seemed like a very possible thing at the moment. Consequently, Raimira gently caressed the red jewel on her forehead with continued sniffling.
The agony that had ripped through her body when the intruder mercilessly struck her jewel had been almost unbearable. However, as she tentatively reached up to touch the jewel now, she found that there was almost no pain.
“Oh, Black Dragon… if you can hear my voice, then please return to the Dragon Demon Castle as soon as possible…” whispered Raimira.
Naturally, there was no response. Nevertheless, she continued to pray, her fingers caressing the red jewel on her forehead in a ritualistic manner. After a moment, she rose to her feet with a deep sigh. It wasn't a sudden surge of dignity or courage that propelled her upwards; it was simply the fact that the tremors from above had ceased.
‘This lady cannot run away by herself….’
Raimira's gaze drifted toward the core with a sense of despondency. It wasn't as though she felt any sense of loyalty toward the intruder who had struck her down, but she knew that she was trapped within the Dragon Demon Castle as long as the nucleus remained intact….
Booooom!
“Hieeeek!”
The underground shook with even greater ferocity than before. This caused Raimira to curl up into a ball once again, and her body quivered uncontrollably.
The intruder had promised to return, but Raimira couldn't help but wonder when exactly that would be. She knew he hadn't run away, for he was currently engaged in battle with Count Karad's vanguard aboveground.
‘The intruder is quite strong, but the enemy should be equally as strong,’ she thought while comparing the two.
Raimira was acutely aware of the fact that Count Karad's vanguard would stop at nothing to kill her, while the intruder had promised to take her away from the Dragon Demon Castle unharmed. It was clear to her that she had to side with the intruder. She knew that her father, the Black Dragon, would want nothing more than to see his daughter survive, even if it meant the fall of the Dragon Demon Castle.
‘That means this lady doesn’t need to head up there.’
As the tremors continued to rumble through the ground, Raimira's anxious mind and racing heart began to calm. She knew that she couldn't risk heading to the surface while the battles raged on; it was simply too dangerous. Yet, even as she shuddered with each new tremor, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of safety. After all, the very fact that she was experiencing these tremors meant that she was deep underground, far from harm's way. Raimira knew that she would be safe until the chaos aboveground subsided as long as she stayed put.
“This lady is extremely smart!”
With her decision made, Raimira began to recite a Draconic incantation. As her voice echoed through the underground space, a secure and unbreakable barrier began to form around her, enveloping her body in a protective cocoon. Upon feeling a sense of relief, Raimira settled back into a more comfortable position, content to wait out the storm in relative safety.
***
Spear Forest was a devastating technique that could be used while wielding the Demon Spear Luentos. The user of this technique could call forth a deadly forest of living black thorns to impale their enemies. Furthermore, these thorns were no ordinary plant matter but were imbued with the same demonic power as the Demon Spear itself, making them nearly impossible to defend against.
Creaaak.
Creaaaaaak….
Jagon stood unwavering amid the thick thorns. His body bristled with anticipation as he watched them sprout up from the ground. Even as the countless deadly spikes converged upon him, his fur remained sharp and unyielding, deflecting their piercing blows with ease. Though the thorns were powerful enough to pierce through steel and stone, Jagon's defenses proved to be more than a match for them and kept him unharmed by redirecting their trajectory.
“Heh…” Jagon’s lips parted.
“Huhahaha…. Hahahaha! Hahaha!” Jagon laughed maniacally while spreading his arms.
Craaack!
In an instant, the dense forest of spears that surrounded Jagon broke, and he jumped up. Jagon reached Eugene at once and then swung his fist.
Eugene vanished once more, leaving Jagon to face an empty space. Nevertheless, this peculiar phenomenon was not new to Jagon because he had witnessed it on several occasions before. As a seasoned fighter, Jagon possessed a keen sense of awareness and an extensive field of vision. He also had the instincts of a predator, enabling him to detect even the slightest movements. With his sharp senses, Jagon could discern that Eugene's inexplicable movements were a form of magic, allowing him to traverse through space at an accelerated pace. Furthermore, Eugene seemed to have the ability to hop from one of the many feathers floating in the area to another, further adding to his elusiveness.
Jagon knew he couldn't keep track of all the floating feathers and Eugene's possible destinations. However, he kept most of them in his sight and relied on his keen senses, including his unique hunting sense, to chase Eugene’s scent at the moment of his leap.
Despite not being able to track every one of Eugene's movements, Jagon remained on the offensive and utilized his incredible speed to chase after Eugene. He made his way toward the general area where Eugene might appear and kept a keen eye out for any movement. As soon as Eugene disappeared, Jagon sprang into action.
Fwoosh!
Eugene scattered more feathers using Prominence. Then as Jagon threw his fist at Eugene, he kept an eye on the leap that Eugene had just made. Eugene was satisfied with merely diverting Jagon’s attention, though. After all, Eugene was still holding Luentos, and just holding the spear was sufficient for him to activate the weapon’s ability.
Eugene knew that to use Spear Forest to its full potential, he needed to have a complete understanding and calculation of the space around him. Luckily, Mer was already helping him with these matters. However, in the heat of the moment, he didn't have to worry about such things while using Prominence.
Jagon was suddenly attacked by a barrage of spears erupting from the feathers that had been scattered around him. Eugene had used the feathers as coordinates for his Spear Forest technique. This allowed spears to shoot out from multiple directions, overwhelming Jagon and causing him to fall to the ground.
Then Eugene materialized above Jagon, wielding the Annihilation Hammer high. The weapon held a raw and brutal strength, which originally belonged to a Demon King. After the events at the Black Lion Castle, both the Annihilation Hammer and the Demon Spear came under Eugene's control, and their source of power was replaced by Eugene's mana.
Eugene was currently substituting Ignition with Prominence. His Core and heart were in stable condition, but his mana was running completely rampant, further strengthening the Annihilation Hammer.
He swung down with the Annihilation Hammer.
Rumbleee!
The blow caused the Dragon Demon Castle to tilt to one side. The force of the hammer had caused the entire castle to sink. It was clear that a piece of the Dragon Demon Castle’s huge land mass would have disappeared altogether if Jagon had not held out as a buffer in the middle, absorbing the brute force contained in the blow.
Splat!
Jagon's arm was now dripping with a stream of blood that gushed out like a fountain. He had used his arms to block Eugene’s attack, and the amount of power in the blow he had received was tremendous. Yet, the sight of his blood was a novelty to Jagon. It had been hundreds of years since he had last seen his own blood. The transformation of his gray-brown fur into a deep red was a curious sight, and he found himself captivated by it. He watched with intrigue as the blood slowly soaked into his fur.
Boooom!
However, Eugene did not leave Jagon to revel in sentiment. He struck down once more with the Annihilation Hammer, completely destroying Jagon’s arm.
Boom!
Jagon lurched forward with his legs bent.
Booom!
Now, Jagon was completely pushed against the ground, and Eugene planned to completely pulverize him. Eugene struck down once more with the Annihilation Hammer, intending to completely finish Jagon. He surrounded Jagon with his feathers as well.
At this moment, nothing alerted his sense of hearing.
Eugene's Prominence feathers served as both his coordinates and his eyes. As he spread his single wing, his senses surpassed those of any normal human, exceeding even the sixth sense. It was a new realm of perception that transcended mere senses. Yet, despite the unfamiliarity of these sensations, Eugene's innate war-hardened intuition, born from a lifetime of training, remained steadfast and unswayed.
Eugene was intimately familiar with the sensation that accompanied the moment when a blade was about to pierce his skin. In his earlier and less experienced days, he had been slow to react or unable to keep up with the speed of his opponents, resulting in numerous scars scattered across his body.
Nevertheless, this was a story from three hundred years ago. Eugene was no longer the same. After countless battles and rigorous training, his body had developed a keen sensitivity to danger, and his reflexes had been honed to a razor's edge. The sensation of a blade about to pierce his skin no longer caught him off guard, but rather, it triggered an almost instinctual response that allowed him to dodge or deflect attacks with deadly efficiency.
In any case, Eugene didn't allow that sensation to distract him from the battle at hand. Instead, he pushed forward with all his might, channeling his mana into the Annihilation Hammer while summoning an army of spears from the feathers scattered around him. With a mighty leap, he disappeared through space, leaving Jagon behind to face the onslaught of weapons raining down upon him.
The Dark Power that Eugene had felt was incredibly ominous, but he was no stranger to it. It was the same ominous feeling he had felt three hundred years ago. He had also felt it from the Nur at Lehainjar.
Jagon was known throughout the land as the Beast of Ravesta, a fierce and powerful creature feared by all who crossed his path. Ravesta itself was a desolate and dangerous territory, home to the reclusive Demon King of Destruction. Jagon had long been a loyal vassal of the Demon King, whom Jagon was bound to through a contract that had been passed down through his family for generations. Even Jagon’s father, Oberon, had served the Demon King under the same agreement.
As if to serve as a reminder of this, Jagon’s gray-brown fur quickly became completely black, but it wasn’t just his fur that had been dyed black with Dark Power. The color of his face had changed to a shade of black too, and even his eyes had transformed into a dark crimson color like that of blood.
The full power of the Annihilation Hammer fell onto Jagon. Yet, Jagon, who had been lying flat on the ground, instantaneously stood on his two feet and reached over his head.
There was no resulting sound, and nothing was even visible to the naked eye. However, an invisible force pierced through the power of the Annihilation Hammer and dissipated it. Even the numerous spears shot from the feathers could not penetrate the layer of Dark Power coated around Jagon. Rather, once the projectiles made contact with the invisible barrier, they corroded and scattered as dust.
This was the fundamental property and power of the vassals of destruction. Eugene was familiar with the nature of the Dark Power that Jagon utilized. That ominous power would not only eat away at a person’s mind but also destroy anything it came into contact with, dissipating it into nothingness.
There had not been many vassals of the Demon King of Destruction during the era of three hundred years ago, and none of them had been famous or special. The reason for this was simple. The Demon King of Destruction was indifferent to his vassals. He provided them with power, but nothing more, not even basic protection. This was despite the fact that his ominous energy would even threaten the user, the vassal.
The Vassals of Destruction were renowned for their strength, but their time in the world was often short-lived. The constant battles and wars they fought took a toll on their bodies. The very power they wielded gradually ate away at them until they finally succumbed and died through self-destruction. Eugene had been hoping to defeat Jagon before he could tap into the destructive Dark Power, but Jagon proved to be much more resilient than Eugene had anticipated. The battle had not gone according to Eugene's plan, and this left him in a precarious position.
Jagon turned his head. His face and mouth were no longer in view due to the darkness that covered his body. However, his eyes were gazing at Eugene, and they were twisted into a smile.
“What an outrageous bastard,” muttered Eugene with all sincerity.
The stench of blood was getting thicker by the second.
Eugene understood the reason behind the phenomenon he was witnessing. Jagon had enveloped himself in the Dark Power of Destruction, a force that relentlessly ate away at his body. Nevertheless, Jagon was a Beastfolk, so he possessed an incredible regenerative ability, which he was using to counteract the destruction that the ominous energy wrought on his body. Despite the constant onslaught, Jagon's body was healing itself at a remarkable pace, allowing him to continue fighting with seemingly little regard for the damage he was sustaining.
Still, there was a limit to Jagon's incredible regenerative ability. As the battle wore on and the Dark Power of Destruction continued to consume his body, his regenerative power would gradually become less effective. Eventually, Jagon would reach a point of no return, unable to heal himself any longer. He would ultimately self-destruct under the weight of the destructive power that he wielded.
‘But if it were that easy, he wouldn’t have been called a beast,’ Eugene remarked inwardly.
In addition, he had no intention of fighting a drawn-out battle.
As they both charged toward each other, neither Eugene nor Jagon seemed to hold a clear advantage in terms of speed. Jagon unleashed his full power, but it did not result in any explosive increase in his velocity. Nonetheless, the battle grew increasingly challenging for Eugene.
Jagon was no longer fighting like an idiot with just his bare body. He was now covered with the Dark Power of Destruction, which destroyed anything it came into contact with.
With Ignition having been replaced by Prominence, Eugene was able to handle the burden placed on his body with relative ease thanks to the restorative properties of the Ring of Agaroth. Though he had been cautious of Jagon's attacks before, he now had to be doubly careful to avoid coming into contact with the ominous aura that surrounded Jagon as well.
However, it wasn’t a huge deal. In the past, it had been a given that Eugene could die if he came into contact with the enemy. After all, demons had always been stronger and craftier than humans. Demons had to be killed over and over again, whereas humans were only given a single life.
In other words, Eugene was accustomed to this process. He escaped the cage of Dark Power that threatened him from all sides by creating a path to liberty using the feathers of Prominence. As he leaped over and over again, the single wing of purple flame emitted a brilliant light.
Booom!
Eugene struck Jagon with the Annihilation Hammer, sending him flying backward. Then Eugene healed his tattered hands while storing the Annihilation Hammer in his cloak. The thorns of the Demon Spear emerged from thin air, holding Jagon suspended in midair. In that short moment, Eugene let go of the Demon Spear and took out the Dragon Spear Kharbos and Thunderbolt Pernoa.
Using the feathers of Prominence that were equipped with black spots, Eugene fired off a barrage of attacks. The space shook with the force of an eruption as a bolt of thunder exploded from Pernoa, and the Dragon Spear unleashed a mighty Breath. Meanwhile, the black spots rained down upon Jagon like a meteor shower.
Eugene felt an eerie sensation, and he stopped his barrage without hesitation and stored his weapons. A burst of Dark Power suddenly cut through the barrage of mana and came at him. To avoid contact with the ominous energy, Eugene leaped to a feather.
However, he chose to leap to a location that was closer to Jagon, instead of creating distance between them. Eugene followed up by drawing the Holy Sword and Wynnyd from his cloak. He unleashed a flurry of strikes with the two blades, and black blood gushed from Jagon’s chest. Nonetheless, Jagon did not back down and instead threw his fist.
With a seemingly simple punch, Jagon unleashed a tremendous force that almost seemed to rival even the powerful strikes of Molon. The Dark Power that accompanied the attack was equally devastating, sweeping through everything in its path with a destructive force. Despite the fact that Eugene had imbued durability into the feathers that he unleashed with Prominence, they were still no match for the full power of the Dark Power of Destruction. The feathers that Eugene had scattered earlier were completely destroyed in a single blow.
Regardless, this was nothing for him to worry about. Eugene could simply scatter more feathers. Consequently, he carried out his plan with a flap of his single wing. The embers of his purple flame transformed into feathers before scattering into the surroundings.
When Jagon threw another punch, Eugene retreated and used the scattered feathers of Prominence to create distance between them. Jagon was quick to follow, though, and he roared as he closed in on Eugene.
Boom! Boom! Booom!
Before long, the two of them had moved all the way to the city from the castle.
The city lay in ruins, with its tall buildings reduced to rubble. Demonfolks and demonic beasts roamed the streets, feeding on their own kind amid the carnage. The sight was horrific, but it only served to fuel Eugene's determination.
Eugene turned around, no longer lengthening his distance from Jagon. Instead, he charged at Jagon with a flash of lightning that accelerated him further.
Jagon stopped and stared intently as Eugene flew toward him. He had already identified the locations of the feathers, and there were no more feathers behind and around Jagon that Eugene could use as points of teleportation. However, Jagon didn’t believe that the human was simply charging at him from the front like an idiot. He could see that Eugene was scattering more feathers as he accelerated, so Jagon had to prepare himself to chase after the disappearing prey.
Eugene knew that he would die if a blow landed. He had a strong hunch regarding this. It was rather fortunate that he’d had a chance to fight with Molon before this battle against Jagon. Perhaps it was because Eugene had experienced the ridiculous power of his comrade through a beating, but… he felt that Jagon’s absurd power was rather meek.
Due to being quite accustomed to facing such ridiculous power, Eugene did not panic, and he wasn’t nervous either. When Jagon launched his attack, Eugene remained unfazed, moving exactly as he had intended at that moment. Rather than leaping to a feather as he had done before, Eugene coordinated the acceleration of the thunderbolt and twisted his body to evade Jagon's strike.
Shing! Shing!
Eugene swiftly and deftly executed a series of blows on Jagon's arm with the Holy Sword and Wynnyd as he passed by Jagon. In the blink of an eye, Eugene spun around and used both of his swords to decapitate his enemy. Jagon's head was severed from his body and sent flying into the air. His eyes were wide open with a look of shock and disbelief as he stared at Eugene.
“I cut off your father’s head several times, too,” said Eugene with a smirk as he moved past Jagon.
Jagon did not understand Eugene’s words, but he didn’t care to do so. Rather, he raged, as this was the first time he had been decapitated.
“Kugh…!” Jagon didn’t return the smug smile.
He didn’t have the mood to do so. Jagon was getting frustrated and annoyed that the hunt wasn’t going his way, and he was furious that his head had been cut off. His pure intent to kill was now contaminated with hatred and malice, producing an evil energy.
The power of destruction bent to Jagon’s malice, creating what seemed like a huge tidal wave. Even though Jagon remained motionless, an endless wave of Dark Power swept through the space. Meanwhile, the Holy Sword in Eugene’s hand emitted a brilliant light to protect its wielder.
Fwaaaaah….
The remains of the Dragon Demon Castle disappeared completely. No, rather, the entirety of the castle ground was gone. Eugene stopped in midair, staring dumbfoundedly at the scene before him while taking note of the Ring of Agaroth. His minor injuries began to quickly regenerate.
“My god,” said Eugene with an astonished smile.
What remained after the tornado of Black Power engulfed almost everything was simply wriggling chunks of meat, and those wriggling chunks were Jagon. The explosion of Dark Power had completely destroyed his body, and it was now in the process of regeneration.
However, Jagon wasn’t being regenerated in his original form. Rather, the result of the regeneration was a body that was much bigger and more vicious than before. With it, the ominous feeling of destruction grew even stronger. Eugene shook his head while stifling a nauseous feeling.
“Kyaaaah!”
He suddenly heard a shrill scream coming from below at this moment.
Raimira had not been intending to exit the underground until everything had concluded. She had planned to stay inside her safe sanctuary and wait for the storm to pass, and indeed, that was what she had done. Raimira had done nothing else, but even so, the land above her had casually disappeared.