Chapter 414: Worth It
[S Rank Battlefield]
Vash stood in the center of carnage, his massive body more hole than flesh.
Strikes had punched through his torso and his shoulders, clean openings where moonlight passed through to the other side.
Blood poured from his chest where ribs showed white against red meat, from his stomach where punctured organs leaked fluids that weren’t supposed to see air, and from his arms where muscle hung in strips.
But his fists were still up, despite fingers bent at wrong angles.
Pant...pant...
Across from him, the 12th and 14th Shadow Kings stood with chests heaving, their own bodies marked with cuts and gashes and weapons wet with Vash’s blood.
"This guy..."
The 12th Shadow King’s voice came out strained, breath whistling through damaged lungs.
"This guy really is a damn cockroach who refuses to die!"
The 14th laughed, the sound cracking halfway through.
"How many times have we killed him?! His heart stopped twice! I felt it stop! And he just keeps getting back up!"
Vash spat, blood and tooth fragments hitting the pavement.
His grin showed teeth stained dark red, two missing from the front.
"Not... done... yet.."
Blood bubbled from the hole in his lung with each word, made his voice come out wet and broken.
’Lungs are shredded... Ribs broken in at least eight places... Internal bleeding...’
He shifted his weight, pain shooting through his shattered knee.
’But not dead yet... Not yet...’
Then–
CRACK
The sound cut across the battlefield, sharp and final.
Gregor’s Domain shattered, the barrier breaking apart like glass hitting concrete.
Vash’s head snapped toward the sound, eyes straining through blood.
’Gregor...?’
The 12th and 14th stopped circling, weapons lowering as they turned to look.
"Did he actually–"
The 12th’s words cut off as they all saw.
****
In the distance, Ashley lay broken on pavement stained black, chest barely rising with shallow breaths.
’Can’t move... Can’t feel my legs...’
Her eyes tracked toward where Yara had collapsed ten meters away.
’A fucking healer did this to me...’
Rage and disbelief warred in her thoughts.
’The reports said she was useless... A support-type who could barely fight... And she put me down like I was nothing...’
Admond was beside her, his face pressed against concrete, ribs caved in on one side, each breath whistling wrong through a punctured lung.
’How the fuck is a healer so strong?’
Blood pooled under his cheek.
’Is this the useless healer mentioned in the damn reports? They said she was weak...’
Yara was collapsed ten meters away, her face the color of old paper, hands limp at her sides.
She couldn’t move a single finger, couldn’t speak and could barely breathe.
’Did Damian get them to safety? Please... please let everyone be safe...’
Her thoughts came sluggish through exhaustion.
’Castor... I need to get to Castor... Need to heal him...’
CRACK
The sound cut across the battlefield.
All three of their heads turned toward where Gregor’s Domain had been.
And their breath stopped.
The 4th Shadow King was pinned to the ground, body held in place by dozens of weapons made of solidified Aura.
Spears through both shoulders, swords through his legs, blades through his hands, each one glowing white-gold and thrumming with power.
Blood pooled beneath him, spread across cracked pavement in a growing lake, his chest hitching with ragged breaths that whistled wrong.
Standing over him was Gregor.
Blood soaked through his clothes, ran from cuts on his face, his arms, his chest, dripped from his fingertips.
His grey hair was matted flat with gore.
But his back was straight, eyes focused and cold as he looked down at the pinned Shadow King.
’Gregor...’
Yara’s eyes went wide with joy despite her exhaustion.
’You did it!’
Ashley stared, disbelief written across her broken face.
’He actually beat a Shadow King...’
Gregor’s gaze lifted, swept across the battlefield to where the 12th and 14th stood frozen.
"It’s over for you, Shadow Council."
His voice carried flat and absolute across the distance.
The 4th Shadow King went still, then his chest started shaking.
"Ha...haha...hahahahaha!"
Laughter bubbled up, came out wet and broken, blood frothing from his mouth, but the mocking tone cut through clear.
"Is it?" His voice cracked. "Is it really over?"
Gregor’s eyes narrowed, his stance shifting despite the exhaustion.
’He should be finished... Why is he laughing?’
"I didn’t want to use the last resort..." The 4th Shadow King’s voice changed, the human tone bleeding away with each word. "But I guess we have no choice now."
His head tilted back, throat working.
Then he screamed loud enough to echo across the entire city.
"TWELFTH! FOURTEENTH! DO IT!"
****
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Three explosions of power detonated simultaneously across the battlefield.
The 4th Shadow King’s body erupted with crimson light, his form expanding, tearing through human flesh like a cocoon being shed.
In an instant, he stood transformed.
Three meters tall, skin that gleamed metallic crimson like polished copper mixed with blood, muscles that rippled with impossible density beneath.
Two curved black horns jutted from his forehead, each one etched with symbols that made eyes water to look at directly.
His face was demonic, sharp features that looked vaguely human but wrong in every proportion and eyes that seemed to be glowing with fire.
Black talons extended from clawed hands, each one gleaming like obsidian.
The 12th and 14th Shadow Kings underwent identical transformations in the same instant, their human forms exploding into demonic ones with sounds like thunder.
Three demons stood where humans had been moments before.
Gregor stumbled backward, his face showing horror.
"What... what the fuck..."
Vash’s ruined body went rigid, blood running from his mouth as his jaw hung open.
"Demons?!"
His voice came out strained and disbelieving.
"You’re demons?!"
The 4th Shadow King flexed his clawed hands, examining them with something approaching satisfaction.
"Not quite." His doubled voice echoed across the battlefield. "We’re still human underneath... Just enhanced by contracts with the demon tribe of Envy."
Gregor’s Aura flared, weapons materializing around him despite exhaustion written across every line of his face.
"You betrayed humanity?!"
His voice came out raw with fury.
"Made deals with demons?! Do you understand what you’ve done?! When this gets out, you’ll be hunted down by everyone in the federation!"
The 4th Shadow King laughed, the sound doubled and wrong.
"If it gets out... But who’s going to tell them? You’ll be dead soon enough, old man."
Vash spat blood, his grin showing teeth stained red despite the horror.
"Every powerful Awakener in the world will come for you..." His voice came out wet but steady. "You just painted targets on your backs..."
The 4th Shadow King’s demonic face twisted into something that might have been a smile.
"Worth it."
His glowing eyes tracked across the battlefield toward where Damian was fighting Jonathan.
"The Deathcult Head wanted to kill that seer girl... But I have different priorities."
Gregor’s eyes narrowed, his stance shifting despite exhaustion.
"You’ve kept this hidden for years... Never exposed yourselves..."
His weapons spread into defensive formation around him.
"And now you’re revealing it? Is destroying the Mafia really worth throwing away your cover?"
"Not the Mafia."
The 4th Shadow King’s doubled voice carried amusement.
"Damian Valcor... He’s the real target. The biggest variable in all our plans." His clawed hands flexed. "And variables can’t be allowed to exist... I’m quite envious of everything he has... hehe..."