Volume 3 Chapter 209
by Need_More_SleepVolume 3 + Chapter 209: Concern
The Apostles of Calamity retreated like the tide, the violent monsters now like silent slaves. No one dared to stand before Samael. They knelt on the ground, expressing devout faith.
The Legendary Beast slowly descended from the Skull Tower. It was like an emperor of blood and fire, possessing the absolute dominion over life and death.
Every step it took forward seemed to pound upon the souls of all.
This overwhelming aura, no different from that of Envy and Sloth, consumed immense energy just to remain standing before it.
Even Knight Princess, such a hero among humanity, her body began to tremble, as if her heart might burst.
The Human Sword Saint also felt this crushing pressure.
The might of a Legendary Beast was already beyond normal comprehension. They had been directly created by gods of the Old World, existing only to annihilate all life. Every single Legendary Beast possessed formidable powers.
He truly never imagined that a Legendary Beast would show interest in himself and Knight Princess, acting this way…
It was incomprehensible.
“Th-this… this is the true body of Calamity…?”
The Knight Princess fell into immense turmoil.
Already weakened and injured from the earlier fierce battle, and now to face a Legendary Beast far stronger than the Apostles of Calamity?
It was utter despair.
Samael had already walked up to the two of them.
Although not comparable in sheer size to Leviathan and Belial, Samael’s form was still immensely oppressive, nearly dozens of meters tall, even larger than a fully-grown dragon who had released its true form.
The contrast with the Human Sword Saint and Knight Princess was stark. Before the Legendary Beast, it seemed that with a casual motion, they could be smashed to pieces.
“Holy Spear!!”
Knight Princess raised her Holy Spear, voicing the declaration of her conviction.
“I will fight until the very last moment, no matter what happens!”
To even summon the will to fight before a Legendary Beast—this was already extraordinary mental and spiritual fortitude.
If it had been other humans, they would not even be able to stand. Their courage would have shattered, instinct taking over, dropping weapons and fleeing.
Because he had faced Legendary Beasts twice before, the Human Sword Saint was somewhat accustomed. He raised his Holy Sword as well, like Knight Princess, expressing his resolve.
Samael’s gaze shifted slightly at their actions.
Then, in the next instant, space shook violently.
Endless flames erupted from the depths of Purgatory, and a massive figure emerged from the lava.
Its body was engulfed entirely in unquenchable flames, towering nearly a hundred meters tall. With every breath it exhaled searing heat, melting everything it touched. Even the Apostles of Calamity could not withstand its temperature.
That was… Hellfire!
Samael had summoned Hellfire. This Hellfire seemed to carry Samael’s own bestowed power, its strength far surpassing that of the Apostles of Calamity.
If Samael had unleashed Hellfire in the original world, it would have brought an extinction-level catastrophe.
Even the Calamity Legion created by Witch Safiya would look like child’s play before it.
“ROAR!!!”
Hellfire let out an earth-shaking roar, raising its molten arm and smashing down upon Knight Princess and the Human Sword Saint, like a meteor falling.
The two of them felt the crisis of death in their hearts.
If they did not fight with everything here, they would surely die.
“Wright, help me!” The Knight Princess cried.
“Alright!!”
The Human Sword Saint lifted his Holy Sword and charged forward. He would exhaust everything, fighting to buy time for the Knight Princess.
He could no longer afford to hold back, invoking the chant control of the Silver Dragon Royal Clan.
Whistling blizzards surged around the Human Sword Saint, attempting to block Hellfire’s molten fist. At the same time, he raised the Holy Sword Gulaam, golden sword-light spreading along its blade, forming a massive arc of radiance.
“Slash!”
The Holy Sword clashed head-on with Hellfire’s fist. In that moment, the Human Sword Saint felt an overwhelming impact. To directly withstand such force nearly robbed him of consciousness. That terrifying power almost stripped away his senses, yet he endured by sheer sword intent.
Under the raging flames, the sword’s radiance dimmed, the blizzard dispersed.
The opponent’s strength was already at a level that utterly crushed the current Human Sword Saint.
All he could do now was try to buy time for the Knight Princess.
“Descend in judgment! Gae Bolg!!”
Knight Princess poured all of her holy power into the released Holy Spear, even burning her own life, wagering everything regardless of cost or consequence, and hurled the Holy Spear.
A colossal phantom formed upon the lance, piercing through flames, crashing into Hellfire’s fist.
This was the Knight Princess’s strongest attack.
The Holy Spear struck Hellfire.
BOOM!!!
An enormous explosion erupted, fire swallowing both Human Sword Saint and Knight Princess.
After unleashing her strongest strike, Knight Princess lost consciousness, collapsing. In order to maximize her attack, she had spared no strength for defense, draining her very life. Blood streamed ceaselessly from her lips.
Not good.
In that instant, the Human Sword Saint knew that if the Knight Princess bore the brunt in her state, she would surely die.
He could not let Tia die here.
The Human Sword Saint dashed forward, seizing Tia.
At that moment, he could still instant-cast one spell. Without hesitation, he cast an ice barrier to shield her body, while he himself became the shield.
“Ugh…!”
The Human Sword Saint was blasted away.
Fortunately, as a dragon, his body was resilient. As one of the strongest higher races, the Silver Dragon Royal Clan had far greater endurance than others.
Though dizzy from the explosion, it was still within his tolerance.
“Tia!!”
The Human Sword Saint rose, rushing to the Knight Princess’s side.
Thankfully, she was safe. His maneuver had preserved her life.
But she had lost combat ability, falling into unconsciousness.
The Holy Spear dropped, its radiance fading.
“ROAR!!”
Hellfire bellowed in fury. Half its massive body was blasted away—injured so disgracefully by mere humans! It was nearly driven mad.
After all, this had been the Saint of the Spear’s suicidal strike. Though humans were not strong, Saints of the Spear and Sword could, by staking their lives, awaken the potential of Legendary Holy Arms, reaching even higher-race levels.
But in Hellfire’s eyes, humans were like ants. And yet an “ant’s bite” had ripped away half its body.
It wasn’t fatal, but enough to drive it into rage.
From its massive frame, lava and flame poured down like rain, and it drew upon Purgatory’s flames of Wrath, replenishing its body, determined to crush Knight Princess and the Human Sword Saint into dust!
The Human Sword Saint gripped his Holy Sword, standing ready, hastily calming his chaotic breath, forcing himself back into condition.
Now, without the Knight Princess, he could only face Hellfire alone.
“ROAR!!”
Hellfire quickly restored its body. Now it sought to erase its disgrace and prove its strength to Samael.
At that moment, from Samael’s serpent-formed arm, several black shadows flew forth, wrapping around Hellfire.
What followed stunned the Human Sword Saint.
Samael’s giant serpent bit into Hellfire’s body.
Hellfire screamed in misery, like pleading, full of confusion.
But Samael ignored its cries, devouring the giant in a mere breath’s time, the black serpent returning to his body.
What was Samael doing?
The Human Sword Saint could not understand.
But it was clear Samael was displeased with Hellfire’s performance, stripping away both its life and right to fight.
To kill such a powerful subordinate without a blink.
All the Apostles of Calamity, seeing this, lowered their heads even further. Not a single one dared question Samael’s actions. All believed Hellfire’s fate was well deserved.
“……”
Samael’s gaze locked onto the Human Sword Saint. He raised his other arm, gripping in the void. A long blade of fire formed in his hand.
The Human Sword Saint froze.
Then came a crushing pressure like the collapse of heaven.
The Apostles of Calamity roared in frenzy.
It had been so long since Samael chose to fight personally.
Most of the time, Legendary Beasts slumbered. Their waking moments were few, much less their battles.
But today, Samael summoned a weapon, deciding on a one-on-one with this outsider.
All across Purgatory, monsters cried in excitement, their twisted and obscure voices chanting Samael’s name.
Samael walked step by step toward the Human Sword Saint, the flame blade radiating the purest, most primal wrath.
“Dragon King’s Might!!”
The Human Sword Saint activated the bloodline of the Silver Dragon Royal Clan, releasing the Dragon King’s Might, attempting to suppress Samael’s aura enough to move.
Then he raised his Holy Sword and slashed at Samael.
In that moment, the Human Sword Saint amplified his sword technique with sword intent, synchronizing the Holy Sword’s engraving with it, channeling dragon power to the utmost, his movement reaching the peak of speed, pouring everything into a single strike.
Yet…
Samael merely swung his flame blade in the simplest of motions, without any excess technique.
Victory was decided in an instant. The surging flames consumed the Sword Saint’s sword energy. Wrath crushed his sword intent. Power itself was utterly unmatched. That seemingly ordinary strike nearly tore space apart.
Before absolute strength, everything else was meaningless.
“Uwaaaah!”
The Human King’s Armor shattered, its possession state undone. The silver-haired dragon girl was flung away, crashing down, her Holy Sword clattering to the ground.
The Apostles of Calamity cheered, praising Samael’s might.
“Cough, cough…”
Xia Yi’s body screamed in pain, nearly collapsing. But she thought, if she gave up now, then Knight Princess would be in danger.
She must… continue fighting, no matter how disgracefully.
She crawled toward the Holy Sword, grasping it, trying to stand.
But Samael’s pressure bore down, nearly crushing her.
“I… will not… yield!”
Her body trembled, yet she clenched her teeth. Even as her spirit was crushed, she struggled to rise.
At this moment, Samael, who held her life entirely in his grasp, did not strike her down, but silently observed, watching her struggle.
“No matter how strong you are, I will keep fighting!!” Xia Yi shouted.
She recalled when she had once challenged the Dragon Kingdom. Facing dragon guardians who utterly crushed her, she had never yielded, even before death.
Thus, even now before certain death, she would not give up fighting, just as before.
At that moment, Samael raised the flame blade and slashed into the void.
Space shattered.
Xia Yi froze.
Beyond that rift was the original world.
Samael had opened the path back of his own accord.
Xia Yi could not understand why.
Then, in the next instant, Samael hurled the flame blade.
As it spun through the air, it shrank, and by the time it reached Xia Yi, plunging into the ground before her, it had become the perfect size for her.
The flame blade’s firelight reflected in Xia Yi’s silver eyes. She gradually understood Samael’s intent.
The Beast of Wrath wanted her to abandon the Holy Sword, take up the flame blade, pierce herself, accept Samael’s wrath, and inherit the Beast’s power, becoming like the Apostles of Calamity.
The space rift signified that only by doing so would Samael allow her to return to the original world.
“What a joke! How could I possibly yield to you—I will never…”
Xia Yi stood, attempting to slash the flame blade aside with the Holy Sword.
But Samael glared at her, an impact like substance striking her whole body. She shuddered.
“No…”
Xia Yi saw an unbearable vision.
This was the fate of refusal.
Xia Lulu, alone upon the dragon throne, waiting for Xia Yi’s return. Yet even when her lifespan ended, she never saw her again.
If she refused Samael, the Beast of Wrath would erase her here, even burn her soul, annihilating her in this subspace.
Only then did Xia Yi realize something.
The former Human Sword Saint never hesitated to die, because he cared for nothing.
But, Xia Yi did not want to die. She had someone she wanted to see. She now had a place she must return to.
The once solitary Sword Saint, and the Silver Dragon Princess with cherished bonds… were no longer the same.
Death was no longer an unburdened impulse.
Now, there would be sorrow, grief for her loss, regrets left forever…
“Xia Lulu…” Tears welled in Xia Yi’s eyes, as she softly whispered the name of the one she missed.