The Broken Halo

[Can you handle that?]

Lilith raised a brow at Simon’s question.

’Your body can’t.’

Simon’s expression could not help but darken.

[I guessed as much.]

[And you’ve still not been able to locate where her soul is hidden?]

’I’d hate to admit it, but she hid it really well. And your body isn’t helping too.’

Simon’s lips twitched.

’But don’t worry. Since she has manifested her chaos, there’ll be an opening for me to find it.’

Simon’s eyes brightened at Lilith’s words. He was actually about to tell her to escape because of the terrible state of his body.

But since Lilith said that there was a chance of her locating Sunless’ soul, he decided to hold on.

Although Lilith had injured Sunless in multiple places, Sunless was still very much okay.

Simon had no desire living a life where a Demon King was constantly after him.

He needed Lilith to at least severely injure Sunless to the point that she’d need years to completely recover for him to feel safe.

While Simon had his own thoughts about the current situation, Lilith also had hers.

Lilith never told Simon, but Simon’s body was extremely weak and incapable of holding her current power.

All the sword slashes she had unleashed and performed were just basic attacks.

Even the flashy ones that split a mountain and the valley were only basic attacks.

And despite using only basic attacks, Simon’s body was on the verge of crumbling into pieces.

If Simon were to know this, he would not know what to say or how to respond.

He believed that some of the moves Lilith used were powerful and highly complex sword techniques and skills, but... they were only basic moves.

As for Sunless?

She too would not know how to respond because it was a slap to her face and a complete insult that she had been struggling and was injured by basic attacks.

’Let’s try something... that’s not too complex. It’s a good thing he obtained the healing ability of the Fleshwood. If not...’

Lilith decided to stop her thoughts right there.

She looked at the colossal shadow that was in front of her and calmly exhaled.

Then she raised the Chaos Blade.

The moment she did, the dark golden cracks on Simon’s body brightened.

The cracks around his eyes, neck, hands, chest, and abdomen glowed brightly like veins of molten gold, and blood started dripping from them once again.

Unholy Regeneration healed his flesh.

Then his flesh split open again.

Lilith ignored it.

She could feel Simon watching everything silently from his Sea of Consciousness, and even though he said nothing, she could feel the slight tension in his soul.

Lilith’s lips curled up slightly.

’Watch carefully, little demon.’

Simon narrowed his eyes.

[What are you about to do?]

’Something simple.’

Simon’s lips twitched.

He had a very bad feeling about what Lilith considered simple.

Lilith placed two fingers on the flat side of the Chaos Blade, then slowly dragged them across the blade.

A thin trail of dark golden blood appeared on the edge of the blade.

It was Simon’s blood.

No.

It was Simon’s blood that had become her blood... Or at least a fraction of her blood.

Lilith’s lips moved, but no words could be heard from her.

However, a second later, her blood that was on the Chaos Blade ignited.

Not into an ordinary flame.

Not into Chaos Flame.

But into a dark golden fire that carried both holiness and blasphemy at the same time.

It was beautiful, but the beauty was the type that made one’s soul feel small. It was warm like divine light, yet cruel like a dragon’s breath.

The fire crawled across the Chaos Blade, then it spread into the air.

Behind Lilith, two enormous wings of dark golden fire slowly unfolded.

They were not physical wings.

They were wings made from flame, sword intent, and ancient authority.

Each feather looked like a blade.

Each blade-like feather carried tiny sparks of dragon fire.

The moment the wings appeared, the darkness around Lilith was pushed back.

Sunless’ three heads opened their mouths at the same time.

The colossal shadow monster attacked after sensing the threat of the wings and the flames.

Fifty arms from the left side swung their weapons down, while fifty arms from the right side pulled their bows, chains, and spears backward before releasing them.

BOOM!

The sky was instantly filled with shadow weapons.

A storm of blades, arrows, chains, spears, hooks, axes, and scythes descended toward Lilith like the judgement of a dead world.

But Lilith’s golden eyes remained indifferent.

She gently swung the Chaos Blade.

The fiery wings behind her flapped once.

BOOM!

A wave of dark golden fire spread outward, and the first wave of shadow weapons burned before they could reach her.

But Sunless did not stop.

ROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRR

The colossal shadow roared, and more shadows rushed out of its writhing body. The faces of demons and beasts on its torso distorted, and hundreds of shadow arms burst from its chest, back, and legs.

These arms did not hold weapons.

They reached directly for Lilith.

Lilith’s expression became slightly colder.

The fiery wings behind her opened wider.

Then chains emerged from the fire.

Dark golden chains.

Each chain looked like it had been forged from dragon scales, angelic fire, and sword light. They were not smooth. They were sharp, ancient, and covered in tiny scale-like patterns.

They shot forward like bullets fired from a machine gun.

The chains pierced through the approaching shadow arms and pinned them in the sky.

SHIIING!

More chains shot out from the wings.

One chain wrapped around a shadow spear and crushed it.

Another chain pierced through a shadow shield and tore it apart.

Three chains wrapped around one of the colossal monster’s arms and pulled.

RIP!

The arm was torn from the monster’s body.

Black shadows splashed like blood.

Sunless’ expression changed slightly inside the chest of the monster.

However, the severed arm quickly regenerated.

Lilith noticed this, but there was no change in her expression since she already expected this.

She raised the Chaos Blade higher.

The dark golden fire on the blade and wings became brighter, the wings grew bigger, and the chains that spread from the wings suddenly multiplied.

Ten.

Twenty.

Fifty.

Hundreds.

Thousands.

Thousands of thin chains appeared on the wings, and they filled the sky behind Lilith like the roots of a burning divine tree.

A second later, Lilith spoke softly.

"Fallen Dragon Art..."

The moment those words left her mouth, the fiery wings flapped again.

The world trembled.

The shadows around the battlefield screamed.

Not with sound, but with movement.

The shadows that made up Sunless’ colossal form began to twist violently, as though something in Lilith’s fire was hurting them in a way normal attacks could not.

Sunless’ black eyes widened slightly.

The three heads of the monster roared, screamed, and whispered at the same time.

Lilith’s lips parted.

"Chains Of The Heavenless Pyre."