CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Raymed's crimson mana wove like lightning across the battlefield.
Andromalius charged—two Avalons in his hands, a perfect copy of Raymed's stance.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The air rippled from their collisions. Raymed parried with minimal motion, each strike returning with double the intent.
BOOM!
Andromalius's right arm exploded—bone and mana scattering. It grew back in an instant.
He grinned, veins bulging. "You think this is enough to stop me?!"
Raymed didn't reply. He stepped forward—one precise swing.
SHURST! His knee shattered.
BOOM! His shoulder burst.
Every cut, every fracture, perfectly measured.
Andromalius regenerated, but at a slower rate each time.
"Why, you little!!!"
SHURST! BOOM!
"ASSHOLE!"
Raymed destroyed his limbs again.
SHURST! BOOM!
And again, Raymed effortlessly destroyed his limbs.
"I WILL KILL YOU!" Andromalius screamed as he began to heal again.
"I'll kill your friends! Your family! No—" His grin twisted, jaw unhinged. "I'll eradicate humanity itself! I'll erase every trace of it!"
Raymed's eyes, cold and unblinking, fixed on him. "If you are coming at me, don't talk too much."
CRACK!
Blastur collided against Andromalius's face. His skull collapsed, reforming as he fell backward through the air.
Above, black mist thickened—the poisonous miasma of Decarabia.
The creature's voice wheezed from the fumes.
"KHUAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
Raymed exhaled, unfazed.
The toxins slid harmlessly off his body.
"Still trying the same trick?" he muttered.
[Your antibody is suppressing the effects of Decarabia's poison]
Raymed took one look at Andromalius as he charged again before sweeping Blastur, launching Andromalius to the sky.
"GHAA!" Andromalius screamed before levitating in the air. As Raymed began to charge towards him, Andromalius readied himself and put up a stance Raymed knew very well.
"Perfect Guard!"
But at the last moment, Raymed's trajectory changed. Instead, he reached towards Decarabia.
"You can't even keep up anymore," Raymed said towards Decarabia.
SHING! Light engulfed the sky.
"Luster Blade."
Decarabia's scream was brief.
Its limbs folded inwards before the body shattered into motes of ash.
Blastur's chains erupted, wrapping the floating Demonic Core, sealing it into the sword's gem.
[Demon Lord Envoy, Decarabia has died]
[The Sword Blastur is performing a temporary seal and storage]
[Demonic Core has been sealed and stored]
Raymed lowered his stance, turning his gaze back toward the horizon.
Andromalius hovered there, body twitching with rage, copies of Avalon orbiting him like a storm of blades.
"You… you took everything!" he howled. "DIE, HERO RAYMED!"
The sky filled with steel.
A thousand mirrored Avalons directed at him.
It was the pinnacle of Andromalius' copy magic.
Raymed stared down from above, calm as if watching a tide.
[Split Flow Deactivate]
He remembered the first time he used Avalon, particularly Dwargo's word.
-~
"I see.. Then what is the trait of my blade?" Raymed asked.
"It is especially powerful against those who 'Threaten Humanity' and as long as the user doesn't lose the will to fight, it will always mend," Dwargo answered.
-~
"Every Artifact," he began quietly, "has a trait. Even a pseudo-artifact like Avalon carries a will."
Andromalius' expression twisted. "What?"
"Avalon, The Black Star Sword, is especially effective against those who threaten humanity. Even in imitation, that law doesn't change." Raymed's eyes burned as he expanded his mana around the environment. "You copied its shape—but not its soul."
"Bullshit! Weapons don't have a soul!" Andromalius retorted.
He raised Blastur as if using it to command the thousand copies of Avalon.
Only those who fight for all can ever wield it.
The unbreakable will of many.
This sword is their nexus.
This sword is their hope.
A Black Star of Hope That Exists Solely to Protect.
Only those of pure will may harness its power.
"Heed My Command, Black Star Sword, Avalon!"
The thousand Avalons, mid-flight, twisted in unison.
Their edges turned—not toward Raymed—but toward the one who copied them.
Andromalius's pupils shrank. "Wh–What is this?!"
"It can read your thoughts," Raymed said. "You confirmed it yourself. After failing to defeat me, you decided to destroy humanity." He took a breath. "That alone decided who those blades serve."
The wind howled.
"Stolen power can help you win battles," Raymed said, lowering Blastur, "but it can never save you."
He looked down at Andromalius in pity.
"True strength lies in understanding what cannot be seen."
The sky moved.
SWUTCH! SWUTCH! SWUTCH! SWUTCH! SWUTCH!
The thousand Avalons turned into streaks of red light—raining down from all directions.
Andromalius screamed, slashing wildly. "PERFECT GUARD! PERFECT GUARD! PERFECT GUARD—!"
Each guard shattered faster than he could form the next.
His body split apart—arms, legs, torso—bursting again and again until only the Demonic Core floated where he once stood.
Raymed landed on the scorched sand.
[Demon Lord Envoy, Andromalius, has died]
[The Sword Blastur is performing a temporary seal and storage]
[Demonic Core has been sealed and stored]
Raymed exhaled softly, wiping a sweat from his forehead.
He looked at the glowing gems embedded along Blastur's hilt.
Only Belial remained.
"Great work, Hero Raymed. Truly a spectacle." Belial appeared as if waiting this whole time.
"Let's finish this. Belial."
[Split Flow Activated]
"Don't worry, I won't do tricks like using the other four's Demonic Core. I am sure you are familiar with that already." Belial said.
Raymed recalled the moment not so long ago.
The moment Vepar absorbed Focalors' Demonic Core, it grew stronger and absorbed both powers and weaknesses.
"I am sure you already know that the technique has a major flaw, which was that it absorbed both buffs and debuffs. Yet, a high-ranking Demon Lord Envoy doesn't really use that kind of cheap technique." Belial charged his energy while Raymed stood before him.
"I presume you also know that Artifacts have three seals on them? Then can you guess what I am about to do?"
Raymed looked around the environment.
"You are gathering mana to unseal your seals."
Belial smiled, amused, "Not quite unlike your Artifacts, which stored its full power at bay behind a seal. We, Demon Lord Envoy, have the opposite. Our 'Vent' exists deep inside our body, which carries a certain trait. More precisely, it's a weakness trait."
Raymed widened his eyes.
Every Demon Lord Envoy has a Cheat Skill, but they, too, have weaknesses.
Focalors has her organ.
Vepar... can't say she really has a weakness.
However, with all-around detonation, one could easily destroy her. She isn't that strong either.
Those are 'Vents'.
A trait that instills weakness inside a Demon Lord Envoy.
Dantalion's Vent was that she can't read a mind that is cleared or in a flow state.
Andromalius' Vent was that he couldn't control the trait embedded in the object he copied.
Nor can he use the technique he copied 100%.
The proof was that he can't use Perfect Guard as well as I do.
Decarabia's Vent was the poison it emitted, which can be neutralized if one can resist poison itself.
Seere's Vent was his teleport magic that could also transport his enemies if they made direct contact.
Then....
What is Belial's Vent?
"I can tell by your eyes that you understood what I was trying to say. For me, My Vent of Destruction Nullification. Of course, as the name suggests, I can currently only use Null Destruction Magic. With the mana we have gathered here in this place. I can close one of My Vents. But you can find out more after fighting me,"
Belial has two Vents?
"And yes. The top 7 Demon Lord Envoys can close up their Vents. Rank 7 can close up one vent. While Rank 6, such as myself, can close up to two vents. So on."
Belial is rank 6?
Baal is 1st Rank?
Raymed sighed before shaking his head, "Why are you telling me this?"
"My Master is expecting her next battle to be exceptional. As her student, I wish to educate you myself so you can meet her standards."
Raymed looked at Belial with an intense gaze. "Is this all but a game to you?"
"Isn't it to you?" Belial asked back.
"No," Raymed said.
Belial smiled before he charged his aura once again. "Then it's your funeral."
[Warning! Demon Lord Envoy Rank 6, Belial, is closing his vents]
Shit. What can I do?
I did make the deal that if I can keep up with him, he will forfeit.
But what can I do to guarantee that I can keep up?
[The Sword Blastur is....]
Raymed's loss of focus prevented him from seeing what Blastur was saying through the system message. As he took a deep breath and read, he saw the message.
[The Sword of Light Blastur is granting you permission to release the second seal.]
[Will you accept? Y/N]
Blastur, if you unseal yourself, what will be the downside?
[Once you reach Grade 2. The Sword of Light Blastur will lose a part of its sentience as a permanent trade-off]
[Therefore, it can no longer heal you as it is doing as of now, or help you with warnings]
No matter how you look at it, I am still a beginner when it comes to using an artifact.
Without your guidance, I might...
[The Sword of Light Blastur is mad at you]
[The Sword of Light Blastur is telling you to have more confidence in yourself]
[The Sword of Light Blastur has already recognized you as a worthy user]
Raymed hesitates.
He is still unsure if his unlocking of seal number 2 will be too premature or not.
However, what he does understand in this situation is that this is necessary.
He took a deep breath and finally....
"I accept."
[The Sword of Light Blastur is unsealing the second seal]
[The Sword of Light Blastur is entrusting its 'determination' onto you]
But suddenly everything went black.
.
.
.
.
CRACK!
Before Raymed's eyes, the darkness cracks as light revealed itself.
***
Morgwynevere sat at her throne.
She was meditating until a spark of energy made her notice.
"The Second Seal? Blastar? No, It was Blastur." She opened her eyes.
"A Grade 2 Hero in less than 5 years." Morgwyn raised her finger a little as one of her servants strode towards her.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Find Psytelier and deliver my message. Raymed is trapped in the Bermuda Triangle. Make all do haste in securing his safety,"
"As you command!" The servant went away.
Morgwyn caressed her chin before closing her eyes one more time.
"Grand Saint Veuz, do you hear me? It is imperative that you send Carmilla."
***
The darkness breaks as light enters Raymed's body.
[You have reached Grade 2]
[You have been bestowed the Armor of Light]
Light enveloped Raymed's body, except for his head. It was slowly shaped accordingly to his body. It was an armor that gleamed white with golden linings and azure conduits, like veins.
At the chest rested a red gem, a crystal that resembled Blastur's red gem on its sword hilt.
Each plate was sculpted with angular precision, layered like a paladin's exosuit yet fluid enough to follow his every motion.
The pauldrons extended outward with a crown-like flare, and from his waist flowed a short mantle of pure white trimmed in gold, fluttering with magical energy.
Raymed took a deep breath.
I can feel even more power surging in me.
This armor is part of Blastur.
[Blessings stored inside Blastur are activating]
[The Blessing of Borreas is activating...]
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Raymed's mind.
"We bless that you will be the best and strongest Hero of all. Our hopes lie forever with you, and may you save our world from the Demon King." The conjoined voices of demi-humans can be heard.
[You are the only Hero present in the area. Your capabilities have been raised to 120%]
Borreas, thank you...
[The Blessing of Alayars is activating]
"We bless that you will bring hope to our world against those who wish to destroy it." The conjoined voices of Spirits can be heard.
[You are fighting an enemy that is hoping to destroy the world. Your mana efficiency has been raised to 120%]
Alayars, I can never thank you enough...
[The Blessing of Oberon is activating]
"May you be saved from any dangers that harbor to destroy this world." Oberon's voice can be heard.
[You are fighting an enemy that harbors the intent to destroy this world. You have been granted a special skill, 'Danger Sensitivity'. On instinct, your body will move to evade fatal attacks.]
That will do much to help Oberon. Thank you.
[The Blessing of Morgwynevere is activating]
[The Blessing of Morgwynevere has halted]
[The Blessing of Morgwynevere is denying activation]
I see she still hasn't approved of me.
No matter.
[The Blessing of Blastur is activating]
[Rejection of Evil has been bestowed. Corrupted Mana no longer detrimentally affects you. Corrupted Mana will be filtered automatically, and its residue can be used like normal mana.]
Blastur, I will win this.
As the system messages closed, Raymed looked at Belial, who was also powering up, sealing his Vents.
The mana around Raymed and the Corrupted Mana around Belial are now clashing towards each other.
"I am amazed looking at you, Raymed."
"How so?" Raymed asked.
"Every time you are almost defeated, it just seems that you always turn the tide again and again. Even now, I can tell that you are stronger than before. Your power doesn't make sense. To put it simply, you are an anomaly in this world." Belial said. "Even my master understood that. Interested enough, she let you live."
Belial summoned a great hammer to his side as fires began to light at the sand.
"Do you know what they call an anomaly like you? A monster, to put it simply. Someone like you don't belong in Humanity. Heck, not even in the High Humans."
Raymed looked down.
"Is that so? Perhaps I am..."
Then one more status message appeared.
[The Blessing of Humanity is activating]
"May your travels always be safe and full of luck." Grand Saint Veuz's voice can be heard.
[Nothing is increased]
[But... You are reminded....]
-~"As you are the child of humanity, now you must take care of this world as a whole."
[That you are indeed a Human]
-~"Know that you will always have a place to return to."
[You are reminded that you are a 'Human']
-~"You are a human first."
[You are reminded that you are not ALONE]
.
.
.
.
"I deny your words, Belial." Raymed looked up.
"Oohh?" Belial stared with interest.
"I am a child of humanity. I am a human. What you say, monster-like abilities, is just a power that something you demonfolk are unaware of." Raymed said confidently, smiling.
I am so dumb.
How can I forget?
"What was this power you mean?"
"The power of hope. The power of people who didn't lose hope!"
"Interesting, Raymed. But foolish. Hope? That is such an idiotic concept. But well, I'll respect it."
Both Raymed and Belial were now at the peak of their power. Instinctively, both moved closer towards each other. Raymed is carrying only Blastur in his right hand. Belial is carrying the Great Hammer with both hands.
"Then let's finally begin. I amBelial, Rank 6 of The Demon Lord Envoys."