Chapter 338

Chapter 338: Two Against One

As Midi swung his sword downward, a thick Ice Wall erupted between them, blocking the fearsome strike.

Amidst the scattering icy fragments, Loz—leader of the Fourth Temple—wore a stormy expression, his four tentacles twitching nervously. The defense he’d built with great effort had been shattered by Midi’s casual swing, proving the human’s professional skills surpassed his own.

Heart-Seizing Demons, as natural-born casters, could wield all skills of elemental mages and Ice Mages, mastering ice, fire, and lightning. Some even studied magic scholar techniques to strengthen their combat systems—though such demons usually lacked psychic talent.

But Loz was different. Blessed with extraordinary psychic energy, he’d focused solely on honing mind-related abilities rather than common skills. Now, his signature tracking psychic sniping couldn’t land, and his magic was suppressed, trapping him in defense.

“You think psychic sniping’s my only trick?” Loz’s roar vibrated through Midi’s skull. A gray-white tornado swirled around the demon, its wind-blades razor-sharp.

Mind Storm.

This psychic tempest carried the piercing quality of gray-white energy. While Thought Capturers usually countered such storms with psychic barriers like iron walls, this one couldn’t be blocked conventionally. Fortunately, it formed slightly slower than normal—enough time for Midi to execute multiple Demon Shadow Flashes.

A wisp of smoke trailed as Midi reappeared dozens of meters away, dual swords aimed at Loz. Two Exploding Flame Orbs glowed at the Sword Edges of Annihilation.

Asura skill: Explosive Flame Wave Sword!

Though his mind-related abilities lagged behind Loz’s—having only begun studying the Inheritance of the Sea Emperor—Midi stubbornly relied on standard combat skills, dodging psychic assaults while counterattacking.

The flame orbs rocketed toward Loz, forcing him to summon another Ice Wall. Unlike before, these projectiles exploded violently on impact, slightly melting the warship’s reinforced metal floor. The enclosed hall magnified the blast’s heat and shockwaves, rattling the entire space.

“Child’s play!” Loz snarled, white eyes blazing as three psychic snipings harried Midi. The human dodged calmly, weaving through attacks while striking from varying ranges.

A stalemate formed—one favoring Loz. Trapped deep in enemy territory, Midi faced worsening odds as the sect headquarters’ fleet gained advantage outside.

“Blood Purification’s ships will soon be wreckage,” Loz projected via telepathy. “You’ll die here!” The demon leaned into psychological tactics, aiming to crack Midi’s will and create openings for psychic strikes.

As the esteemed leader of the Third Temple, he rarely planned so meticulously. Yet Midi, however, had mastered all four categories of Demon Swordman skills, possessed rare flying abilities like Sky Sword Dance, and wielded dual powers as a psychic user and Thought Capturer. Though not immediately threatening, Midi left no openings.

Forced into a corner, Loz resorted to psychological warfare.

To his surprise, Midi grinned at the provocation. "Thanks for the reminder! I nearly fell into predictable thinking. You were never my target."

With those words, Midi slammed his longsword into its sheath. A crystalline ring echoed through the air – the telltale sound of a lightning-fast draw.

Sword Soul skill: Draw and Slash.

But the golden-red arc of sword light flew past Loz, aimed squarely at the forgotten All-Seeing Demon in the hall’s center.

"Damnation!" Loz’s composure cracked for the first time. These eyeball entities were the sect headquarters’ rarest assets – only two existed. Destroying one would outweigh any battlefield victory. Worse, the All-Seeing Demon had been transmitting battlefield data to the fleet’s other Heart-Seizing Demons, leaving it completely undefended.

An Eye Demon’s fragile ocular body couldn’t withstand such an attack. Unlike Midi’s Dragon’s Blood-enhanced physique, they relied entirely on magical shields.

Loz’s Ice Wall defenses wouldn’t form in time. Though Draw and Slash lacked raw power, its speed proved lethal here. The temple head had only one option – he severed the All-Seeing Demon’s surveillance link.

As Midi’s sword energy surged forward, the monstrous eyeball reacted. A hundred subsidiary eyes swiveled in unison while its eight-meter central pupil constricted violently. A brilliant disintegration beam lanced out, shattering the golden-red energy into glittering motes.

Eyeball Ray – signature attack of all Eye Demons. The All-Seeing variant added tracking, armor-piercing, and unerring accuracy. Not even Midi’s Spirit Dragon Sword could withstand its disintegrating force.

With the All-Seeing Demon’s gaze withdrawn, Marcel’s forces gained reprieve from its omniscient scrutiny. But this came at a price – Midi now faced both the Fourth Temple’s leader and his fully-awakened ocular weapon.

Loz wasted no time. Abandoning delay tactics, he unleashed full firepower. Four psychic sniping beams weaved through the air while Mind Storm energies buffeted Midi’s defenses. Psychic explosions sealed escape routes as the All-Seeing Demon added its disintegration rays to the assault. A hundred lesser eyeballs peppered the area with fireballs, ice darts, and lightning blades.

The hall trembled under the onslaught. Bulkheads warped as the Fury Cruiser itself groaned in protest. Loz’s eyes gleamed ruthlessly – he’d sacrifice the entire warship to eliminate this threat.

Midi staggered under the barrage, weathering minor strikes but knowing accumulated damage would doom him. With a roar, his Spirit Dragon Sword flared crimson-gold, edged with pure psychic blue. Whirling sword light vaporized incoming attacks, even dissolving one psychic beam.

"Attrition warfare?" Loz sneered, launching another snipe. "Let’s see whose reserves hold."

The All-Seeing Demon surged forward – then abruptly twisted its main eye toward its master. A disintegration ray lanced at Loz.

Ice Walls evaporated instantly. Desperate, Loz’s necklace erupted in azure light, blocking the beam at the cost of the disintegrating artifact.

"You seized control?!" The temple head rasped, genuine fear cracking his voice. Where calculated menace once lingered, primal dread now stared at Midi.