Chapter 761- Titles Vs Titles, Horn of Calamity Stopped? (5)

Chapter 761: Chapter 761- Titles Vs Titles, Horn of Calamity Stopped? (5)

"Hm? Fingers?"

High up in the sky, Reinhardt noticed a few objects falling from the air before rolling down the fissures in the earth and disappearing.

Although it was only for a moment, he did catch what the thing was.

It was a blackened finger comparable to a human’s. More importantly, Reinhardt seemed to have seen them before.

Previously, when defeating the Nightmare of Baccarat, that Abomination also dropped a finger after it was disintegrated. And now, eight more appeared after he defeated the Abyss Nests.

The thing that piqued his interest was that these fingers withstood the assault of his divine energy.

Just as he was wondering what those fingers really were, the atmosphere within the demonic camp suddenly changed.

A powerful presence swept across the battlefield, bringing along an authoritative pressure that caused countless demons to instinctively stop fighting and turn toward the source.

At that instant, their expressions changed, and they bowed their heads toward the source of the pressure.

A figure walked out from the center of the demonic camp.

He was tall and imposing, clad in dark armor that seemed to have been forged from condensed night. Black-red patterns covered the armor like veins, while a pair of enormous horns curved backward from his head.

His crimson eyes carried an almost tangible sense of superiority. Every step he took caused the surrounding demons to instinctively make way.

The being was none other than the Eighth Heavenly King, Astaroth.

Behind him walked Beleth. The Tenth Heavenly King remained silent. He held a black horn the size of a football in his hands as he followed behind.

Seeing Astaroth come out, a Demon General hurriedly disengaged and approached the area.

"Lord Astaroth, the situation is grave..."

Before he could finish, Astaroth’s hand shot forward and grabbed his neck. His fingers wrapped around the demon’s throat and lifted him from the ground with one hand.

"What is going on?"

He glared at the demon with his crimson eyes, making his appearance even more frightening.

"Why have the presences of the Eight Abyss Nests disappeared all of a sudden?"

He had just released the Nests, thinking of closing this war, only for their presences to disappear the next second.

"Kuh..."

The Demon General struggled desperately. He wanted to speak, but the pressure from the grip around his throat made his face turn purple.

After several seconds, Astaroth finally released him.

Cough... Cough...

The Demon General fell to his knees, clutching his throat and coughing violently.

"Lo... Lord Astaroth..."

"Speak."

"The Abyss Nests..."

The demon answered with difficulty, cold sweat breaking out from his back.

"They were all destroyed."

"What?"

Not expecting such an answer, Astaroth froze.

"T-They were a-all killed."

The demon repeated with a trembling voice.

"All e-eight. They were destroyed almost simultaneously. In a matter of moments."

Astaroth stared at him, as if wanting to discern any lies. But the result was unexpected. The subordinate was indeed speaking the truth.

However, this made things even more baffling.

"How?"

The Demon General shook his head.

"I don’t know. One moment, the Nests emerged; the next second... they were gone. All I could see was light streaking down from the sky and numerous suns appearing above. Then the next second, all the Abyss Nests were pierced and exploded."

The demon knew how absurd he sounded and quickly added.

"B-But I suspect it was the doing of a knight."

Hearing this bizarre answer, Astaroth’s expression darkened further.

"How can mere humans kill..."

He was about to interrogate the demon further when he stopped.

Something had caught his attention.

His eyes slowly lifted and gazed at the sky.

Even the nearby demons instinctively looked toward the sky.

A golden radiance descended through the clouds.

When the light got closer, it was only then did everyone realized that it was a person.

Clad in breathtaking platinum-gold armor that shone with a smooth brilliance like polished divine metal, delicate golden engravings flowed across the breastplate, shoulders, and greaves.

Every portion of the armor had been crafted with extraordinary precision. It did not look like the craftsmanship of a human but rather a god.

Four magnificent golden wings unfolded behind him. A radiant mantle hung behind him. A halo-like crown rested above his head.

Golden hair fluttered around a handsome face with a calm expression and eyes carrying absolute confidence.

His presence alone created an inexplicable feeling of awe.

For humans, that presence represented hope. For demons, he was their worst nightmare.

He was none other than Reinhardt Arkknight, also known as the Divine Paladin. History’s most infamous demon exterminator.

The man slowly descended until his boots hovered a few meters above the ground.

Reinhardt looked across the battlefield. Then casually glanced at Astaroth, who was staring daggers at him.

To casually appear in the middle of the demon camp. What’s more, stand in front of him without any fear or respect.

And that casual posture... What audacity.

"Were you the one who killed the Abyss Nests?"

"That’s right."

Astaroth’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Reinhardt remained unconcerned even while surrounded by demons. He casually looked around.

Now that he had made his presence known, there was no reason to hide anymore.

More importantly, he had been flying high up in the sky to precisely take out the Abyss Nests. As long as those monsters remained hidden underground, attacking the camp would have been troublesome.

Now that they were gone, there was no meaning in concealing himself.

And honestly, he was not exactly meant for stealth. His appearance was so conspicuous that remaining hidden for this long was already a miracle in itself.

Now, with the Abyss Nests gone, he could finally join the war.

"So... you are the one these demons are clamoring about? I remember they called you Divine Paladin."

Astaroth clicked his tongue.

The two stared at each other. Neither backed down or shifted their gaze first.

There was arrogance in both pairs of eyes. Not the arrogance of fools, but the confidence of beings who had stood at the summit of their respective worlds.

Reinhardt was the greatest champion humanity had ever produced. And Astaroth was the Eighth Heavenly King who had destroyed numerous kingdoms in the past.

With the two confronting each other, a suffocating pressure dissolved in the air, making even standing impossible around them.

Many demons were forced to retreat. Only Beleth stood his ground.

Reinhardt arched his brows in surprise.

"Oh, you know me? I believe this is our first meeting."

Astaroth snorted.

"I heard a little bit about you from my subordinates. It looks like you gained some fame by defeating peons."

Reinhardt slightly tilted his head.

"And who might you be?"

Whether it be past or present, this was Reinhardt’s first time encountering this demon.

Astaroth’s expression darkened. His fingers slowly curled into fists.

"Humans are always the same. Even while standing before someone far superior, you still dare to speak as though we’re equals."

Saying that, he took one step forward. His demonic aura erupted from his body.

[The Eighth Heavenly King asserts his titles].

[Sovereign of the Fallen Abyss] - The authority of a ruler who had trampled countless kingdoms. Induces intense fear and hallucination.

[Devourer of Mortal Thrones] - A title born from the destruction of nations and the extinction of royal bloodlines. The hate and suffering still linger with Astaroth. Those subjected to his aura will fall to madness and revenge, losing their minds.

[Lord of the Black Dominion] - A demonic authority that expanded his influence across the battlefield, suppressing the strength of enemies while empowering demons within his domain.

[Harbinger of Ruin] - An aura that made wounds inflicted by his power more difficult to heal while gradually draining the vitality of those trapped within his presence.

"I am Astaroth. The Eighth Heavenly King. The Destroyer of Nations. The Lord whose shadow has swallowed numerous kingdoms. The demon who has reduced civilizations to graves."

His voice thundered across the battlefield.

With the release of his titles, the atmosphere changed. The air grew heavier, and the temperature dropped.

Demonic energy spread outward from Astaroth in dark crimson waves, covering the battlefield like an invisible tide.

The sky above him darkened. The clouds began rotating slowly. Even the ground beneath his feet cracked.

One after another, ancient titles manifested around the Eighth Heavenly King.

Cracks appeared for miles from the combined pressure of his titles, forcing many knights to come to a halt.

They gritted their teeth as they stopped their bodies from kneeling on the ground and giving in to despair.

"What... is this pressure?"

"My body..."

"I can’t move properly."

Nevertheless, how could it be so easy to endure the negative buffs from a demon of Astaroth’s calibre?

The pressure soon affected several knights, causing their bodies to become sluggish. Even Elite Knights felt their breath stall.

Astaroth’s demonic authority spread across the battlefield like an invisible fog.

Nearby, Vaerion’s expression became extremely serious.

"So strong..." His fingers tightened around his weapon as he consoled his steed, the Black Gryffon.