Free Web NovelChapter 313: Perfect Asura
The ten massive drills continued grinding against the azure cube with relentless force. Each construct was formed from compressed divine sand and reinforced with Bachi’s demonic aura, allowing them to withstand the devastating effects of the Soul Lantern flames.
The desert domain trembled continuously as the drills rotated at terrifying speeds, tearing deeper and deeper into the cube’s surface. For several minutes they advanced inch by inch, carving tunnels through the sea of azure fire. What had once seemed indestructible was finally beginning to yield beneath their combined efforts.
Mudhhib watched closely while countless Bachi clones maintained the pressure. Cracks spread across the blue construct like spiderwebs. Several of the drills had already pierced deep enough that their tips could almost be seen emerging on the opposite side.
"We have him," one of the clones muttered.
"Keep pushing," Mudhhib growled. "I’ll force him out."
The drills surged forward once more.
Buzz!
Both demons suddenly froze. Something shifted inside the cube as a new presence appeared.
It felt as though a pair of predatory eyes had abruptly opened somewhere within the blue flames and turned toward them.
Every instinct they possessed screamed and memories surfaced uninvited. These were memories they had buried centuries ago.
Without exchanging a single word, Mudhhib and every one of Bachi’s clones retreated simultaneously.
They moved hundreds of yards away in less than an instant.
The entire battlefield became eerily silent. Only the azure cube remained floating at the center of the desert. Bachi’s rough skin crawled with goosebumps.
"What was that?" he asked, his voice noticeably weaker than before.
For once, Mudhhib had no answer.
His throat felt dry. His gaze remained fixed upon the cube. For a brief moment he had been reminded of something he never wished to experience again.
Astaroth.
Long ago, when his pride had outweighed his intelligence, he had challenged the Sin of Wrath during a council dispute. At the time he had been confident. He had been powerful. He had believed himself capable of standing alongside the rulers of the Underworld.
The battle had lasted less than ten minutes.
By the end of it, he had been kneeling in a pool of his own blood. He could still remember looking upward and meeting Astaroth’s gaze.
There had been no anger.
The kind of contempt one showed a dog that had foolishly bitten its owner. Astaroth had simply looked at him then walked away. He had not even considered killing him worth the effort.
That single look had damaged Mudhhib far more than the beating itself. It had taken nearly a century for him to recover his confidence.
So why?
Why was a similar feeling coming from Damian?
The Asura bloodline within Damian had always existed. Every demigod present could sense it. But it had been dormant.
Now something had changed.
The difference was so dramatic that Mudhhib struggled to explain it. It felt as though that sleeping monster had finally opened its eyes.
"Why do you run?"
Damian’s voice emerged from within the cube.
The words echoed strangely as a second voice overlapped his own. It was deeper, older and more vicious. The combined sound made both demons shudder involuntarily.
"Weren’t you trying to kill me a moment ago?"
The azure cube slowly began disintegrating. Blue flames drifted away like dying stars.
Layer after layer vanished until the figure hidden within finally revealed itself.
Silence consumed the battlefield. Even the howling winds seemed to stop.
Damian stood where the cube had once existed. Or rather, something that resembled Damian.
He now stood nearly ten feet tall.
Every muscle appeared carved from divine steel.
Dark violet markings covered his body from head to toe, constantly shifting and moving beneath his skin as though they possessed lives of their own.
His jaw had widened revealing the corners of his mouth stretched further than any human’s should. Rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth filled his mouth.
Hundreds of them.
There was nothing human about the creature standing before them. His transformation was so complete that even Bachi instinctively took another step backward.
"Now I’m here."
Damian casually rolled his shoulders. The sound resembled boulders grinding together.
"Let’s get this over with."
Their minds struggled to process what they were seeing.
Did this bastard really just become stronger?
What kind of nonsense was that?
Even among Princes, this felt unfair.
Pa!
Pa!
Both demons suddenly felt a hand settle upon their shoulders yet the weight behind it felt comparable to a mountain crashing down upon them.
Their bodies sank and their shoulders tilted under the pressure. Neither could breathe properly. They felt like infants being restrained by an adult.
Their eyes widened.
Because Damian was still standing hundreds of yards away or at least he should have been. The version seated in the distance remained exactly where it was. Yet somehow Damian now stood behind them.
Neither had seen him move..
"If you don’t come to me, I will come to you."
Damian’s calm voice sounded beside their ears.
"So what’s the point of wasting each other’s time?"
His fingers tightened and malicious intent flooded the battlefield.
Puff!
Mudhhib’s shoulder exploded instantly.
His body dissolved into a violent burst of sand and escaped before Damian could fully crush him. Unfortunately for Bachi, things did not go so smoothly.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The sound of bones breaking echoed repeatedly. His shoulder collapsed inward.
Muscles ruptured.
Blood erupted from countless tears across his skin. Bntire sections of his body flattened beneath Damian’s grip.
The resulting appearance was grotesque. One side looked completely crushed while the rest remained intact. The Rakshasa screamed and the sound barely lasted two seconds.
Boom!
Bachi’s head exploded from his shoulders and blood sprayed through the air. The headless body staggered several steps, twitched and then fell from the sky and crashed into the desert below.
Damian stared downward. His expression remained thoughtful.
"A clone?"
The realization came almost immediately.
All ninety-nine clones possessed roughly ten percent of Bachi’s strength. The real Bachi had apparently suppressed himself to match their level perfectly.
Hidden among ninety-nine identical signatures, distinguishing him had become nearly impossible.
Damian slowly turned his gaze across the battlefield. Somewhere among the remaining clones, the real Bachi was hiding. nd judging by the bastard’s caution, he had finally stopped underestimating him.
Unfortunately for Bachi, Damian had no intention of allowing that intelligence to save his life. The moment he found the real one, the beating he had just received would seem merciful by comparison.
