Chapter 665: A Worthy Opponent.
In Victor's inner world.
"Ughh! I'll be sure to complain to Victor later! How can he place a value on these filthy Souls just to gain the memories of their Techniques and Authority!?"
"Doesn't he know how much it's taxing his Soul!?" Roxanne grumbled.
"Our Soul is not being burdened, Roxanne."
"…Shut up, Alter-." Roxanne stopped talking when she looked at Alter and saw that half of his body had become complete darkness.
"... That's..." She opened her eyes wide.
"Correct, it is the result of him acting as a Progenitor." Though his words sounded like a mockery, the smug smile on Alter's face indicated otherwise.
"… Consuming Higher-Order Demons brought about that much change…?" Roxanne asked in disbelief.
"From the beginning, we were not normal, Roxanne. Despite both being Progenitors, we are not the same as Vlad."
"A Progenitor walks his own path; he does not follow a path that has been trodden before."
"And thanks to you, we can be the strongest Progenitor ever."
"The proof is that he achieved a feat that even Vlad couldn't because of fear, exploring his Inherent Power over Souls. After all, messing with Souls is something dangerous. Victor was able to absorb the Authority and complete battle experience from The Horseman and, of course, the memories related to that experience as well, all without attributing the existence of those Beings with the Highest Value as happened with Adonis."
"...." Roxanne didn't know what to say as her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish at the end. Finally, she just decided to stay silent as theories formed in her head.
"This situation is different from Adonis, isn't it?" She said.
"Indeed." Alter didn't deny it, "He also won't risk having a second personality or anything like that."
"The Horsemen's Powers are a Minor Authority. We might even call it the Divinity Remnants of a Demigod." Alter revealed as he raised his hand and saw that the 'sparks' of Victor's Divinity grew to the size of a football.
And even though the flame-like golden bridle had grown, it hadn't gained a form yet, proving that this 'Authority' he was given was just an Aspect of the Authority of the Horseman who would become a Lesser Deity but couldn't due to their death. These remnants of Lesser Divinities only boosted the existing Divinity in Victor's body.
After all, try as they might, Demons weren't complete Beings. They only had a part of a Soul, the 'bad' part, and only when the Demon built the other half of themselves could they ascend and gain a Divinity related to the Negative side of the world.
Balance was essential; this was an absolute truth.
"… But even so, it's reckless to do this in a short time. If it weren't for me, his Soul would be badly damaged right now. Consuming too much in a short time isn't ideal, and if they weren't something akin to Demigods, he would be greatly impaired now." Roxanne grumbled, and she couldn't help but emphasize that point.
"I know, and that is why I said his Soul is not burdened."
"After all, you are protecting our Soul." Alter laughed.
"And if you didn't say anything while he absorbed the Horsemen, it was because you were sure he would be fine."
"... Tsk." Roxanne clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Sometimes I hate how well you know me."
"That's natural; I'm him… Well, his Power."
"Yeah, Yeah, I know." She snorted.
"Oh, but don't forget to scold him. What he did was very dangerous. If those Demons weren't akin to Demigods, and if Demons weren't part of the 'Negative' Aspect of the world, we'd be pretty fucked up."
"..."
"Make sure he doesn't do the same to True Deities or even Demigods with parents with 'Positive' Aspects of the world. Oh, also, don't forget to tell him not to do that too much. Even for an abnormal Progenitor like us, absorbing memories of hundreds and thousands of years of just fighting might cause some kind of change or trouble in our Soul."
"Eating a lot is not healthy, you know?" He laughed.
"Ugh… That Power of Progenitors is too dangerous." Roxanne grumbled.
"That's why Vlad didn't exploit that Power. Unlike us, who have you protecting us from our own reckless acts, Vlad doesn't have that. So any mistake he made could have killed him."
"Haaah, don't remind me of that. I'll get even more irritated." Roxanne sighed.
"But despite being dangerous, this Power is also the most useful. The ability to absorb an entity, and use that entity's memories for yourself, is something everyone would envy… If they didn't know about the side effects, of course." He laughed.
"Possible creation of a second personality, damage to the Soul, or in the worst cases, the death of a Soul, psychological problems due to a large number of memories that are not yours, and these are just some of the risks we have to take when using that Power with other Souls. After all, messing with the Soul is messing with creation. Through the Soul, the spark of life exists. Destroying or manipulating such a thing without knowledge... It's reckless, to say the least."
"Reckless...? That's the understatement of the century!" Roxanne rolled her eyes.
"Cocytus!" Victor's roar was heard, followed by a greater concentration of Roxanne's Power being absorbed.
"Looks like the fight is getting more interesting." Alter spoke while looking at the sky.
"Will you watch?"
"Of course, I need to help you if necessary."
"...." Alter just nodded and continued watching the fight.
...
Water.
That was the sight that Vine, Vepar, Helena, and hundreds of thousands of Demons saw.
The moment Victor declared the Technique's name, it was as if all of Hell had changed according to his will.
Furious jets of Water erupted from the ground, the sky began to rain, and in less than a few seconds, enough Water to flood an entire city was created.
Due to Vine's specific order, they couldn't ignore their 'companions' even if they didn't care about them. After all, they are Demons.
"And to think that he can even use Sitri's Technique…." Vepar commented in shock.
As someone who also used the Element of Water, she knew how powerful Sitri's Technique was, and she had seen the effects for herself once in the past.
This technique flooded and destroyed an entire capital, and several Demons served as food for the Pillar Demon that day.
The existences that made up the Top 10 Pillar rankings were Beings capable of mass destruction, much like her Lord.
Flying while using her succubus wings, Helena spoke:
"Where is he? The Horseman of War?" She pulled her wet hair back and looked around.
"Idiot, use your senses. They aren't even trying to hide." Vine spoke.
Hearing Vine's words, Helena quickly used her senses and felt War and Victor fighting... Underwater.
"Huh? When did they get there?"
"Does not matter," Vine responded and added:
"What matters now is that this fight is getting more and more dangerous for us. We need to get out of here."
"And where will we go?" Helena asked.
"Anywhere but here," Vine replied.
"Lord's victory is only a matter of time. We must reorganize and prepare for any possible ambush." Vepar agreed with Vine. It was obvious that War hadn't reached his limit yet, but...
'I can't see him losing...' Defying all odds, Victor single-handedly fought The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse and managed to defeat three, then absorbed their essence as a True Demon would.
The faith Vepar had in Victor bordered on fanaticism, which was expected after seeing this vision.
Quake, Quake.
Suddenly, the earth began to shake as if an earthquake had occurred, and soon a gigantic jet of Water rose to the heavens, and War and Victor were seen again.
The whole topography of the place was changing, and the once destructive fight became catastrophic. Victor was literally creating enough Water that already exceeded the limits of a lake. He was spawning a damn sea.
Sounds of clashing blades were heard again, and War and Victor backed away and fell to the ground.
Victor was standing in the Water, as well as War, who had visible steam coming out of his body due to the evaporation.
Even now, the Flames of Hell were never extinguished; War's rage was unfathomable.
"Haaah …" Victor let out a long, satisfied sigh as he looked at the rainy sky. He opened his hands to the sky and felt the Water drops falling on his body; it was invigorating.
"It's been a while... It's been a while since I've had such a satisfying fight, just two enemies fighting each other in search of surpassing their limits."
Victor stopped looking at the sky and looked at War.
"Don't you think so, War?"
"...." The warrior's response was just a grunt followed by silence.
It was obvious that despite his contradictory appearance that everyone would think he had lost control, War was far from it; he was very sane.
Anger and hatred were just part of who he was.
Born from one of the hottest areas of Hell: anger and hatred had always been beside him, along with the Flames.
That was the essence of the Horseman of The Apocalypse, War.
Despite being saddened and angry that his brothers were dead, Victor's prolonged struggle against War made him understand and accept.
He came to understand that it was natural for them to be killed. Victor was stronger, much stronger than they expected; Baal was correct.
'Instead of acting with arrogance, we were supposed to have attacked with everything from the beginning.' That was their mistake, a mistake that got his three brothers killed.
And he came to accept it all because...
That's what Hell was like. The strong always spoke louder and were always right. No matter what kind of injustice the strong were doing, in the end... They were right.
The reason for this? It's because they were strong and had the 'power'.
Hell was not kind to the weak.
Hell was not merciful to the weak.
Only those who were strong had the luxury of enjoying such circumstances.
War knew it; he always knew it. After all, he grew up in Hell.
...But he had forgotten.
The path of victory, the Title of 'Horseman of The Apocalypse' he came to be called as he walked his way, left him blind.
War closed his eyes and listened to the sound of rain, an artificial rain created by his opponent's insane Powers.
It was ridiculous to think that the midlands of Hell would have a new sea all because of a single powerful person.
'... But… But that happened in the past, didn't it?' War remembered the small lake that Sitri created. A small lake that was once the city of a Highest-Level Demon.
The situation was the same but different... After all, this man was much more powerful than Sitri.
"Tell me, Alucard..." Slowly, War opened his eyes and looked back at Victor, who had returned to his Base Form sometime before he realized it.
His long black hair fluttered in the wind, and everyone saw his blood-red eyes. A long time ago, the armor he had on his body was destroyed, leaving only the bottom part of the armor. His muscular body was visible, and several ripped pieces of cloth were under the armor.
"What are you looking for on this path you walk?"
"So many Demons you've subdued... So many trails of destruction... I smell 'War' in you."
"Where are you taking this war you started? What is the point of all this?"
"What a silly question... Isn't that obvious, Horseman?" Victor pointed Junketsu's blade at War.
"The path I follow is one of conquest."
"I will descend to the deepest floors of this place called Hell and make my Throne there."
"I will sit on this Throne, and all Demons, whether of the present or the future, shall kneel before me... And those who deny me will only be erased from my path."
"... The way of the tyrant, huh... It's quite appropriate for someone who wants to rule over Demons."
Demons were Beings of Sin. They were creatures born from the Evil of a Soul. They, by nature, were greedy, lustful, petty, and only thought of themselves.
But... If there was one thing all Demons respected, it was... Strength.
That was how Lucifer became King; that's how Diablo became King.
Because they were strong, they were respected.
Of course, there was a stark difference.
Whereas Lucifer was strong and respected, and everyone was afraid of him. The respect the Demons had for this man was greater than their fear.
On the other hand, Diablo didn't have that. All Demons feared the Incarnation of Evil. For being the most Evil of all, for being the most dangerous of all, for being the winner, he was declared King.
'It seems... This man will be someone respected like Lucifer and, at the same time, feared like Diablo... But unlike the Incarnation of Evil, he will have Lucifer-like charisma to back him up and transform that fear into admiration...'
"Will you fight all the Demons in Hell for this, a number that easily surpasses billions?"
"If they are in my way... So be it." Victor put his foot forward, lowered his center of gravity, and held Junketsu's hilt with both hands, assuming a perfect Martial Arts stance.
"In that case..." War held his Greatsword behind him, lowered his center of gravity a bit, and assumed an open-chested position. Despite looking at a disadvantage, this position was ideal for him to attack from any possible angle.
"Prove that your existence is worth following."
The rain slowed to a stop, and all that was left was just a vast and deep lake.
The two warriors looked at each other; this time, hatred and fury were not seen in War's eyes. Instead, taking a hit from a Technique like Cocytus seemed to lower his anger, and now only calm remained.
And with a calm mind, a warrior's skills that he had mastered with thousands of battles could be brought out to the fullest.
In the distance, several Demons looked at these two Beings with anticipation on their faces.
Expressions that were shared by Vine, Helena, and Vepar.
They didn't want to admit it, but they were very much looking forward to this confrontation.
The desire for Power was inherent to Demons, and seeing the 'peak' of Power in front of them made them anxious and excited as a motivation to become an existence as these two men arose in them. And being female Demons, as they admired that Power, something started to grow inside them as they watched the figure of their Lord.
That 'something' made their insides clench with desire, leaving them hot...
All the female Demons felt a similar situation, whether they were the Lesser Demons or even the Pillar Rank Demons who were watching from a distance.
Both warriors stood in their chosen position as they faced each other, entirely focused on each other.
A high-profile fight was about to begin, where the slightest mistake could cost them everything.
An innocent drop of water came slowly falling from the sky, and as this drop of water fell into the surrounding sea…
The two warriors vanished and appeared in the middle of the lake as blades clashed.
The previously calm water began to stir, and rumblings followed by several metal clashes began to be heard again.
Alucard was superior in reaction time and strength due to his superior body, but... War was not far behind. As an Ancient Demon, and the strongest of The Horsemen, he was not far behind in strength, not to mention that in his True Form, the Power available in his body was much greater than in his Human Form.
But... He still lost on reaction time.
Cough.
War coughed up blood when he saw the cut on his chest, and the skin on his chest started to freeze but was soon thawed by the heat emanating from his body.
Victor was a speed monster, and with his reaction time, he could react to anything quickly.
Besides, all of Victor's attacks could be lethal because they could injure the Soul; a Progenitor's attacks were not to be taken lightly.
But... Despite the visible disadvantage, War was not behind him.
Like all Beings, the opportunity to Evolve was always present, and War, who had stagnated due to not having a worthy opponent, began to... Evolve.
When fighting a superior opponent, he became stronger, faster, and more sensitive to the opponent's changes, and his Martial Art began to be unconsciously refined.
War was a genius. A Being didn't reach his current strength without that genius behind them, and you don't survive in Hell if you don't have an unyielding determination.
So he had his own pride.
'So what if he's stronger?'
'So what if he's faster?'
'So what if he's superior?'
'It does not matter!'
Ba-dump, Ba-dump!
'A worthy opponent is in front of me!'
Ba-dump, Ba-dump!
'Apologies are not necessary! Just action!'
Ba-dump, Ba-dump!
'Move on! Cut more! Fight harder!'
The sound of a heartbeat was heard all around.
'Let the Flames of Hell burn!'
A thunderous war cry was heard, and the flames on War's body grew even more furious.
War's body, with each confrontation that happened with Victor, with each cut he suffered from Victor's attack, something changed inside him.
The Flames that had always been by his side since he was born began to glow furiously like an erupting volcano.
Those Flames were nourishing his body, his Soul, and his heart.
War was pushing his limits before everyone's eyes and becoming something even his brothers couldn't.
Driven by his pride and acceptance of weakness, he acquired his 'other half', and when all these conditions were met,
The seed of Divinity in his Soul began to blossom.
He was lighting up like a Demon God of War.
Victor smiled widely, seeing his opponent getting stronger. War's blows were getting heavier and more accurate; he even managed to cut Victor's chest.
But despite being cut, Victor just smiled and grinned in amusement.
How could he not? With such a worthy opponent, how could he not smile?
His opponent was getting stronger, but he wasn't behind either; Victor could feel it.
That heady, hot feeling he always felt as he progressed, he could feel his existence becoming even more defined and stronger. He could feel Roxanne's Power that nourished his body, fueling this state even more.
Looking at his opponent covered in Hellish Flames, he couldn't help but think.
'There is a saying that only when the Soul is nearing its end does it show its true potential.'
That's what was happening to War. His full potential was being forced to awaken in the face of an opponent like Victor.
And that state was pushing Victor's existence to even higher levels.
In the face of such a match, in the face of such an opponent, it would be an insult for Victor not to give it his all!
Victor hit War's Greatsword and kicked him away, then he shouted:
"War!"
"...." War readjusted his center of gravity and looked at Victor.
"Do not avert your eyes."
Rumble, Rumble.
Lightning covered Victor's entire body, and slowly, he began to assume the Martial Arts stance most had grown painfully familiar with.
"Do not blink."
FUSHHH.
Ice covered Junketsu completely, then blood covered the ice making the blade even sharper, and two wings of blood came out of Victor's back,
"Focus all your attention on me."
War's eyes narrowed as his danger instinct alerted him at such a display. He didn't take Victor's warning lightly, so he completely elevated his frame of mind and utilized this newfound strength to the fullest.
His instincts were sharp, as was his attention.
Victor's hair was completely covered in flames.
"Because if you don't..."
With a speed that no one could react or see what he did, he appeared next to War:
"You will die."
BOOOOOM!
.....
Edited By: DaV0 2138, IsUnavailable
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