Free Web NovelChapter 309: Two Against Four [2]
Swoosh!
Damian’s head snapped upward and his eyes widened as a colossal shadow descended from above. The Ibaraki-dōji had moved without warning. One moment the Oni stood beside the others, the next he was already overhead with his monstrous mace raised high above his head. The weapon seemed to drag the very atmosphere downward as it fell, splitting clouds and compressing air beneath it.
"Cocky!" Damian hissed as he thrust a hand forward.
White flames gathered instantly around his palm. Yet before he could unleash them, his ears twitched.
Something was approaching from a blind angle.
BOOOM!
The impact arrived before the realization.
Damian crossed both arms instinctively and was sent hurtling away from Rin’s head like a cannonball. A violent shockwave erupted through the battlefield as his body tore through layers of freezing mist.
His brows furrowed as he noticed his arms felt numb. The sting spreading through his muscles was unfamiliar.
Until now every opponent he encountered had either been crushed outright or overwhelmed by superior force. For the first time since reaching the demigod realm, he was exchanging blows with enemies capable of matching him physically.
Meanwhile Bachi surged forward.
The bloated demon moved with surprising elegance despite his grotesque body. All six wings behind him beat rhythmically while his massive frame glided through the air like a nobleman strolling through a garden.
Damian’s gaze shifted briefly.
Jugra and Mudhhib had already split apart, one moved left while the other right. Both were circling around Rin.
Far below, the gigantic Oni mace crashed into the earth.
BOOOOOM!
The ground exploded.
Entire sections of terrain shattered into fragments. Mountains of dust were launched skyward while violent tremors spread throughout the battlefield.
Even Rin was forced to leap aside.
The seven tailed fox snarled furiously as the strike narrowly missed him.
For the first time since the battle began, Damian found himself isolated.
Rin was occupied because the Oni was keeping him busy.
Jugra.
Mudhhib.
Bachi.
All three were focused entirely on him.
His original strategy had completely backfired. Instead of separating the enemy and eliminating them one by one, he had accidentally allowed them to separate him from Rin.
"Interesting."
A cruel gleam entered Damian’s eyes. Rather than frustration, he felt excitement.
Bang!
His wings exploded outward. The violent expansion halted his retreat instantly but caused the air around him to detonate.
Without hesitation, Damian swung his handfan and a massive tidal wave of hellflames surged forward.
The inferno roared like a living beast. Yet the three demigods reacted immediately.
Jugra opened his mouth.
Mudhhib did the same.
Even Bachi joined them.
Three torrents of hellfire erupted simultaneously and almost instantly the combined sea of flames dwarfed Damian’s attack.
Their joint power crushed forward like an unstoppable tsunami. T he battlefield vanished beneath green infernos.
Hmph!
Damian snorted disdainfully. The flames burning along his fan instantly transformed.
Green became white.
The moment he swung again, a smaller wave of white flames surged forward. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the white fire tore through the incoming inferno like a divine blade.
BOOOOOOOM!
The collision illuminated the entire battlefield. Then two figures abruptly emerged from the explosion.
Bachi and Jugra’s fists tore through the smoke. Both punches struck the wall of demonic force protecting Damian.
BOOOOM!
The impact launched him backward like a missile.
"Shit."
Damian frowned. His body crossed beyond the coastline and the battlefield vanished behind him.
The ocean spread endlessly below and for a brief moment he even caught sight of his yacht resting peacefully near the dock.
The contrast felt absurd.
A world ending battle raged overhead, meanwhile the yacht floated peacefully beneath the moon.
Bang!
His wings spread again and his retreat came to an abrupt stop. The ocean beneath him exploded outward from the force.
Damian’s chest rose and fell steadily. He shoved his long hair backward with both hands before slowly raising his fists.
Across from him, the three approaching demigods slowed their advance. None of them appeared rushed.
"Even now there is no fear in his eyes."
Jugra spoke calmly.
The Ifrit’s burning gaze remained fixed on Damian.
"He killed Haborym and reached the demigod realm in less than a year after obtaining this inheritance."
Bachi nodded slowly.
"It is only natural he believes in his strength."
Mudhhib chuckled. The sound carried obvious mockery.
"Silly fool."
The Djinn shook his head.
"He could have called upon his wives. He could have involved the Kosaks. That would have tipped the battle in his favor. But he allows pride to guide him."
The Djinn pointed toward Damian.
"If that prideful bastard in the Underworld died before Lin Qui, this human would have inherited his Sin."
Jugra glanced toward Damian. For several seconds he remained silent.
Then he nodded.
"I agree."
His answer surprised the others. People often compared Damian to Sol already.
The resemblance was well known. But now Jugra saw something more.
"I can understand why they say he resembles that man." His gaze sharpene
Damian watched them approach.
Then he smiled.
The smile immediately irritated Mudhhib. It was the smile of someone thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Are you coming at me or not?"
Damian rolled his shoulders.
"I don’t have all night."
The taunt landed perfectly.
Swish!
Bachi moved first and his fist exploded forward. Six afterimages followed immediately behind it, each strike carried enough force to shatter mountains.
Yet Damian moved several directions all at once and his body blurred repeatedly. Afterimages filled the battlefield.
Within a single instant, over twenty six images of Damian occupied the same section of space.
Bachi’s eyes widened.
[Moon Steps!]
The demon immediately attempted to retreat. But something felt wrong. The moment he moved backward, space itself twisted.
The world pulled him forward.
Abyss: Bathin Spatial Control!
Brrrrrr!
Purple markings erupted across Damian’s body. Two additional pairs of arms emerged beneath his shoulders.
Unlike before, the power of the Asura Bloodline wasn’t being projected outward into an avatar. Instead Damian condensed all of it into himself.
Steam escaped his mouth and his eyes glowed violently.
"Don’t you for a moment think you can beat me with those mediocre martial talents!"
[Nine Illusion Strike]
Damian swung forward and thirty six afterimages erupted simultaneously.
All thirty six arms attacked every angle, blind spot and opening. Forcing Bachi’s eyes darted wildly.
He couldn’t determine which attacks were real. The illusionary strikes overwhelmed his senses completely.
Then the real attack arrived.
Bang!
A punch buried itself into his ribs.
Bang!
Another struck his jaw.
Bang!
A third crushed into his abdomen.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The battlefield transformed instantly.
Jugra, Mudhhibb and even the distant Oni, all three watched in disbelief.
The exchange lasted mere seconds, yet it became completely one sided.
Bachi was being beaten mercilessly. Each time the demon was launched away, space twisted and dragged him back.
Each attempt to escape failed.
Bachi looked less like a demigod and more like a training dummy. It took Jugra several seconds to understand what he was witnessing.
Then his eyes widened, the realization struck him like lightning.
"BATHIN!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
"He stole Bathin’s inheritance!"
The accusation carried genuine disbelief.
Mudhhib froze and his expression changed instantly. Because as far as they knew, only one Sin possessed the ability to steal the inheritance to others and that Sin wasn’t Lust.
Yet the spatial authority unfolding before their eyes belonged unmistakably to Bathin!
