Chapter 127: A Serious Battle

"I can tell you're in a hurry to begin your reign of terror, but I feel like I have to ask you this first. Would you be willing to leave that body and return to the underworld of your own free will?"

Verati had a calm expression on his face as he asked this – almost like talking to her in this moment was a chore he did not want to be doing at all! Just this mere face was enough to piss Vero off even more! Vero knew that Verati was looking down on him at that moment and an idea began to form in Vero's head as he got ready for what was about to happen! Vero refused to give this body up without a proper fight! And if Verati wanted to have it, then he would have to come and get it!

But although Verati looked like he was completely uninterested in this battle, there were hundreds of different scenarios running through Verati's mind at that moment! Verati knew that this was a very delicate moment! Hildegard's body was being used in a soul-sharing ritual, and this meant that he wouldn't be able to kill Vero using a superior attack like usual. If Verati did something like that, then he would end up hurting Hildegard as well!

Verati knew that there were only two ways he could save Hildegard from this situation. The first was if he beat Vero to an inch of his life and forced him out of Hildegard's body using a Spirit Banishing Spell, and the second was if Verati were to kill Hildegard and then go into the underworld and grab Hildegard's soul before it could fall into the River of the Afterlife and bring it back to the world of the living! Verati would seriously prefer if he didn't have to use the second method since there was a very real chance that he wouldn't be able to grab Hildegard's soul quickly enough and she would end up lost in the River of Souls, but Verati couldn't see Vero agreeing to leave that body any other way, and Verati just stored that method away for later in case he needed it!

There was a tense standoff happening in the air between Verati and Vero. Verati had his hands behind his back, and Vero's eyes were narrowed in concentration as they both waited for the other to make their first move! Somewhere in the back of Vero's mind, a voice was telling him that this was not a battle he could win, but Vero completely disregarded that voice! The only reason Verati was able to beat him the last time they fought was that Verati caught him off guard! Vero was going to go all out from the start this time!

"Are you sure you want to do this, Verati? I won't hold back like last time!"

Vero shouted up at Verati with a wide smile, but Verati didn't bother saying anything in response! Vero felt a surge of anger rising from deep inside him as he saw the condescending look in Verati's eyes! It was as if Verati wasn't even interested in this battle because Verati already knew how it would end! Vero put his hand to the side, and red flames began to flicker across his skin as he shouted!

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Verati! You might've defeated me last time, but that was only because I didn't take the fight seriously! This time, I won't be making the same mistake!"

DOON!

Vero immediately shot forward like a bullet as black flames erupted around him, and he swung his arm towards Verati!

PHWOOM!

A wave of crimson fire surged to life around Vero and blasted across the air in front of Verati! The entire city was lit up in the flames, and Vero grinned when he saw Verati put up his hand and create a wall of ice to block it! Vero dashed to the side, and he put his hand up and created a massive arrow made from red Hellfire! Vero released the arrow, and it shot forward like a bullet and flew straight towards Verati! Verati was finally forced to move as he turned to the side to dodge the arrow and allowed it to fly past him and out of the city!

Vero laughed as he dashed forward again!

"I thought you were afraid of hellfire, Verati! Why won't you let my attacks hit you!?"

Vero's entire body was suddenly covered in the intense fire, and a wave of red flames began to form in the air as Vero flew through the sky! Verati brought his hand up and created a shield of ice as Vero lashed out with a flaming fist, and the Hellfire slammed into the ice and cracked it straight down the middle! Vero swung his tail around to try and hit Verati, but Verati caught it easily!

"You Fool!"

Vero wasted no time as he immediately sent mana through his tail, and the area around Vero was immediately engulfed in the crimson flames! Verati was also consumed by the fire, and Vero wasted no time as he swung his arm forward with a spell activated on his palm, and he smacked it into Verati's chest!

[Crimson Explosion]!

KA-BOOM!

A massive explosion tore through the air and immediately catapulted Verati back like a missile! The explosion was so intense that every single human for more than ten miles in every direction could see it, and they all looked up in surprise as they wondered what was going on! Somewhere in the distance, Rita could also see the explosion, and she only stopped moving for a moment before she refocused on the evacuation, and she began herding the humans away from the city so they wouldn't get caught up in the battle!

Verati and Vero flew through the air, and Vero laughed manically as he continued sending mana into his spell to make Verati fly even further! Verati's entire body was covered in the crimson fire, and Vero knew that Verati had to be in serious pain inside there! But as both of them continued their flight, something suddenly happened that completely changed the trajectory of the fight!

The crimson flames around Verati died down a little to expose his face, and Vero looked at Verati expecting to see him in pain and suffering from the hellfire. But what Verati did was so shocking that Vero actually felt his eyes widen in sheer disbelief!

Verati yawned!

It was a small thing, just a simple yawn that you would see any regular person doing when they were either bored or tired. But the mere fact that Verati had done it in such a situation when Vero was putting all of his effort into this battle had put the fear of the unknown into Vero's soul! At that moment, one thought crossed through Vero's mind!

'Just how powerful is this man?'

Verati suddenly moved! Vero hadn't expected it, and even if Vero had, there was nothing Vero would have been able to do about it! Verati lashed out and grabbed Vero by the neck, and Verati spoke up with eyes filled with boredom!

"Are you done now, Vero?"

Vero snarled in anger as he saw the look in Verati's eyes, and Vero forced an immense amount of magic to flow out from his body as he created a massive swirling mass of crimson fire that threatened to consume everything around it!