Chapter 525: The Strongest Duke Of Hell

Above Velmora, several Domains and False Territories floated like enormous translucent bubbles against the darkened sky while the armies below continued tearing one another apart across the streets, walls and gates.

The sound of weapons clashing had become almost continuous, occasionally drowned out by explosions that sent pieces of buildings and bodies through the air.

Blood flowed through the gutters in such quantities that the streets had begun to resemble crimson rivers, and soldiers from both sides were now fighting while standing atop piles of corpses.

Within the capital alone, the death toll had already surpassed thirty thousand, while another five thousand soldiers had fallen defending the walls. Yet neither side showed any intention of retreating.

The Order continued forcing its way toward the gates while Velmora’s soldiers fought desperately to keep them away, knowing that a single breach could allow the enormous army outside to pour into the capital.

Inside the Violet Palace, the atmosphere could not have been more different. Alice, Rah, Mary and Loth sat around the massive round dining table surrounded by untouched dishes, the food having been prepared before the battle began.

Above the table floated a water bubble displaying the battle outside, allowing them to see the destruction spreading throughout the city.

None of them had touched their food for several minutes. Their expressions were tense as they watched soldiers die on the streets and the walls shake beneath enemy attacks.

"Are we really going to stay here and do nothing?" Alice gritted her teeth, her clenched fists resting against the table as another explosion appeared inside the water projection.

"We should go and join them!" Rah abruptly stood, her chair scraping against the floor.

Mary immediately raised a hand, stopping her before she could take another step.

"If they breach the gates and take over the city, the palace will be their final target... Let’s organize what is left of the palace guards and prepare a last stand here." Her expression remained calm, but even she could not completely hide the concern in her eyes.

Loth slowly nodded as she looked toward the image of the battlefield. "Damian already asked us to stay here. If we must die, let’s die protecting his throne."

Mary looked at her for a moment before a faint grin appeared on her face. Loth had been the newest and lowest ranking among them, yet she was already willing to stand between the enemy and Damian’s throne without hesitation.

Alice turned toward the handful of guards standing across the room. "Three of you come with us, the rest gather all the royal guards, and even prison wardens you can find. We will defend the palace together!"

The guards immediately straightened and saluted.

"Understood!" they chorused before rushing from the room to carry out their orders.

The women followed shortly afterward, leaving the untouched feast behind as the Violet Palace prepared itself for the possibility that the battle outside would eventually reach its doors.

Far above that battlefield, within Duke Dantalion’s Territory, the ancient Duke continued staring at Damian with a conflicted expression.

How could he possibly submit to a human?

Wasn’t that against everything he had fought for throughout his existence?

Dantalion slowly shook his head, his resolve returning as he looked toward the massive crimson eye of the Abyss.

"What kind of man would I be if I submitted myself to the same people I planned to eradicate?" he asked quietly.

His gaze lingered on the Abyss before he continued, "What about all those who have died for this cause... What am I supposed to tell them?"

He slowly shook his head and returned his gaze to Damian.

"It’s a pity we met in such a dire situation... You probably would have been the first human I could consider a friend but unfortunately, I have gone far too deep to back out now.... Human... I will kill you and take your place as the Prince of Velmora!" Duke Dantalion declared coldly.

Damian nodded slowly. He could understand Dantalion’s decision even if he could not accept it.

"I understand," his expression seemed to say, but his eyes remained completely cold.

A moment later, red light flashed across the darkness, briefly illuminating the massive black head of a Chinese dragon as it emerged beneath Damian. Its enormous crimson eyes remained fixed upon Dantalion with open hostility, and Damian stepped onto its head, allowing the creature to carry him forward.

"In our previous clash, you only won because I tried to use a fighting style I’m not accustomed to. This time will be very different, Great Duke." Damian said coldly.

"Without being able to take advantage of his environment, his power has already been cut by half.... He stands no chance of winning here!" Abel’s voice rumbled like distant thunder.

Damian calmly nodded as his hand fan suddenly erupted in white and black flames, the two supreme flames twisting around its surface before settling into a controlled blaze.

"One man possesses both the strongest flames of the Heavens and the Abyss. You are truly a terrifying man but don’t think I am weak either!" Duke Dantalion said as his hands clasped together.

The dragon head at the center of his body suddenly inhaled deeply, causing the surrounding air to rush toward its enormous mouth. Its chest expanded before a gigantic beam of crimson flames erupted from its jaws, the attack instantly becoming three times larger than Damian’s body as it raced toward him.

"Hmph!" Damian snorted, barely moving his body.

He simply glanced toward the black greatsword floating beside him. The weapon immediately began trembling violently in response to his gaze before shooting forward.

Swish!

The black greatsword tore directly through the crimson dragon breath, splitting the massive attack into two streams of flame as it continued toward Dantalion. Yet halfway through its journey, the sword began losing momentum. The divine power embedded within the dragon breath was gradually overwhelming its forward movement until the weapon finally stopped.

Bang!

The greatsword was violently thrown backward by the force of the Heavenly Dragon Breath. Damian caught it with his left hand, but the moment his palm touched the steaming weapon, his skin turned red from the heat. He glanced down at the smoke rising from his hand before looking toward Dantalion again.

"Divinity is no joke... Even in this Realm, we can’t overpower his attacks easily." Damian frowned.

He then looked toward the incoming dragon breath and released a disdainful snort. With a simple swing of his hand fan, black and white flames erupted outward like a raging sea.

Abyssal Flames and Samsara Flames intertwined as they expanded across the Territory, their combined strength reaching nearly three times the amount Damian could normally produce.

BOOOM!

The two supreme flames slammed into the crimson dragon breath. Dantalion’s eyes widened in surprise as the combined attack tore through his Heavenly Dragon Breath with astonishing speed and continued racing toward him with almost no resistance.

Swoosh!

Dantalion immediately abandoned the attack and swerved to the left.

Pfft!

The black greatsword flashed past him with blinding speed and severed one of his six arms before he could completely escape. Blood sprayed through the air as the severed limb fell away, but Dantalion endured the pain without retreating further. One of his remaining hands immediately seized the ancient funeral bell hanging at his side and rang it lightly.

A violent ripple spread through the Territory.

Yet the sound barely traveled a hundred meters before disappearing into the darkness.

"What?!" Dantalion gasped in surprise.

He rang the bell again, but the same thing happened. The sound emerged, attempted to spread through the Realm and then simply vanished before reaching any meaningful distance.

"You are bold attempting to use soul attacks within my Realm." The Abyss chuckled lightly.

"He’s still living in a world of delusions where he stands against us within this Realm... Great Duke, your death was decided before you got caught by my Realm Zero." Damian chuckled, covering the lower half of his face with his hand fan.

Grrrrr!

A low rumble escaped Dantalion’s lips as his remaining eyes turned cold and vicious. His expression finally lost the last trace of restraint.

"Then I won’t hold back anymore...." Duke Dantalion sneered in a low but extremely venomous voice.

Ba-Dum! Ba-Dum!

Ba-Dum! Ba-Dum!

A massive heartbeat suddenly began echoing throughout the Territory. The sound was so powerful that the darkness itself seemed to pulse with every beat. Damian, Abel and even the Abyss narrowed their eyes simultaneously.

"KILL HIM NOW!" The Abyss bellowed.

Swoosh!

Abel charged forward before Damian could react, its mouth opening as crimson lightning gathered between its teeth. Damian immediately swung his hand fan, unleashing another sea of Samsara and Abyssal Flames that raced toward Dantalion with murderous intent.

"WHAT IS TO COME, NONE OF YOU CAN STOP. NOT EVEN THE ABYSS!"

Buzz!

The attacks passed straight through Dantalion’s body.

A cold laughter echoed throughout the Territory as his body began swelling and expanding violently. His flesh stretched outward while countless demonic traits emerged from within him, and the resulting shockwaves forced Damian and Abel to halt their advance. Damian’s brows tightened as he looked down at his arm. Goosebumps had spread across his skin.

The presence emerging from Dantalion was unlike anything he had experienced before.

"How can the Territory not be his full power?" Damian gasped. "What kind of creature is this?"

"Share your power with me... You will need my help."

Buzz!

Damian’s expression changed as he looked toward the Abyss. The enormous crimson eye was no longer amused. It stared intently at the grotesque transformation taking place above them, and for the first time Damian could sense genuine concern from the entity.

"If I were you, I would listen to him, child.... While the Abyss represents nothing, I represent everything!" Dantalion’s voice boomed violently throughout the Territory. "ABYSS, I WILL CONSUME YOUR DARKNESS AND THAT BOY’S INHERITANCE... I WILL BE THE ONE TO WALK OUT OF HERE THE VICTOR!"

Damian’s face twisted with shock. He did not waste another second.

His body shifted as another Damian emerged beside him. However, unlike the original, this clone had cracks spreading across his entire face and continuing down his neck. Darkness leaked from those cracks as the Abyss took direct control of the clone’s body.

One by one, pieces of black armor began forming across the Abyss controlled clone. Black plates covered its chest, shoulders and limbs while a cold gleam appeared within its eyes as it stared toward Dantalion’s ever expanding form.

"VANITY UPON VANITY... MANY BEFORE YOU HAVE TRIED AND FAILED. YOUR CASE WILL NOT BE ANY DIFFERENT." The Abyss declared as the final piece of black armor formed around the clone’s head.

"Abyssal Inheritance: Dark Knight Physiology!"

BOOOOOOM!

One final shockwave exploded through the Territory.

The black clouds above parted, revealing something enormous emerging from within them.

At first Damian could only see a massive eyebrow, then a pale eye appeared beneath the clouds, resembling the colossal crimson eye of the Abyss below. But unlike the Abyss, hundreds of enormous tendrils surrounded this eye, and at the end of every tendril was a humanoid version of Duke Dantalion belonging to a different demonic race, each varying in size and appearance.

The colossal creature continued emerging until it filled the entire sky and Damian’s body became completely still.

For the first time since entering the Territory, genuine horror and fear spread through him as he stared upward at the incomprehensible entity towering over the battlefield.

"Bloody hell... What in God’s name is that thing?!" Damian gasped.