Chapter 297 Hard Work? Nah, Smart Work (4)
Chapter 297 Hard Work? Nah, Smart Work (4)
Unadulterated rage... the rage was the only thing rampaging inside Beelzebub. He was a god in front of these lowly creatures and yet dared to oppose him? Had it not been for Mournblade, he would have died inside whatever the sphere was.
His state might have been pitiful, but it was nothing in comparison to what he was going to do to them. He hadn't been this bloodied and bruised ever since the holy war. Nor had he ever thought he would need to see his Mournblade ever again.
"Looks like my life shortened again..." Beelzebub shook his head.
Unlike what the others believe, the Mournblade was a double-edged sword. Yes, it did save the lives of countless nobles in dire times. However, in return, the blade would also take away a chunk of their lifeforce or HP once they had recovered a bit.
Unlike normal wounds, the HP taken away by the Mournblade would never recover. In other words, the maximum HP of the user would be permanently decreased by 15% every time the sword would appear to aid its master. That was the cost of having their lives saved.
Since it was the second time Mournblade had to save Beelzebub's life, his HP was now capped at 70%, instead of 100%.
This was the reason why it was rare to see the nobles fighting on the frontlines, despite having a plethora of abilities that can be used to dominate the enemies. One neglectful act can reduce their Hp and by extension their life by 15%.
"You... lowlives, my kind gave you those powers and you dare use them against us?" Beelzebub lashed out.
"You can't fool them." Aamon retorted, "The Xyrans never gave anyone their powers. They simply regulate it. You know it better than anyone!"
"Enough!"
With a mere swing of Beelzebub's sword, whatever remained of the forest was uprooted instantly. The ground was shattered along with it. However, in the midst of the freshly destroyed forest, something took Beelzebub's attention away from the trio.
"I was right after all..." Beelzebub smiled wanly, "There is no mistaking this energy, this aura... Astaroth, you sneaky bastard."
Dracula was the first to notice the change in the air among the rest of them. The air felt heavy, heavier than it had ever been. Soon the rest of them noticed it as well. It felt as if the air around them was being pushed away by something... something that was slowly heading their way.
They didn't know what or who it was but they hoped it was something friendly. Because if it wasn't then they were dead for sure.
Usually, the sky over Livan was vibrant and lovely, but ever since this chaos broke out, nothing was the same anymore. Beelzebub's arrival had made things worse, but the one walking towards the battlefield had made things more ominous.
Even nature was having a tough time disobeying the man's will. No... he wasn't a man anymore but a demon. Earth cowered under his feet with every step he took. The wind appeared to be cautious not to touch the man, should his rage befall on it.
"Astaroth? You got the wrong man." Ashton couldn't contain his smirk, "I don't know anyone with that name."
"Ashton...?" Aamon cautiously asked him.
Even though his voice was the same as the kid they had rescued earlier, his appearance was entirely different. His body was covered in an ancient-looking black armour with red markings spread across it.
Two horns had popped out of the temples of his head, and a broken crown... similar to the one on top of Beelzebub's head could be seen. Along with white wings similar to any Xyran noble.
But the strangest part of it all? His entire appearance had changed. His previously white hair had turned jet-black, and his crimson eyes had turned completely white. Aamon had to focus all of his attention on him to see through the mask covering his face, but it was Ashton. Not a Xyran like he had expected.
'What the hell is going on...'
All of them were confused but relieved at the same time. None of them wanted to admit it, but they seemed to know, for some reason Ashton had transformed into a demon, just like Beelzebub had a few moments ago.
"Haha, you don't know anyone with that name?" Beelzebub laughed more than he ever had, "You can fool them, but not me. Especially when you're wearing the same armour he did."
"Dunno what you're talking about." Ashton shrugged his shoulders, "But I do know this..."
Leaving an after-image and shockwave behind him, Ashton leapt toward Beelzebub. He was faster than the latter had expected him to be and thus couldn't dodge the attack in time. Ashton did not give Beelzebub any time to react or use his abilities.
That was the only way to defeat him. Beelzebub could only fight this long because the progenitors kept making the same mistake over and over. They allowed Beelzebub time to recuperate and strategize. But now, it was Beelzebub's turn to get pushed back.
"What the hell is going on..." Frank mumbled while watching the two demons clash.
Whenever the two of them collided, they lit up the dark sky as if fireworks were going off. Attack after attack, Ashton was doing the impossible. Although the Mournblade could save its user's life, it could only do so if the user used it.
Ashton was not giving Beelzebub an opportunity to swing it, let alone use the weapon to its fullest potential. However, Ashton's attacks weren't enough to end the Xyran. Demonification was a technique that granted the user incredible strength for a limited time.
Since it was the first time Ashton was using the ability, he wouldn't be able to use it to its complete potential or for a long time. Astaroth had already made him aware of it, before embracing silence once again.
Ashton was about to punch deliver another punch to Beelzebub's broken body, when his head began spinning. His body reached the limit quicker than Ashton had predicted.
"Damn it... just one more moment..."
Both, Beelzebub and Ashton, were in mid-air when suddenly they collapsed. Ashton due to overexertion and Beelzebub... because of the relentless beating he had received. The following moment, Beelzebub was back to his feet. The wounds Ashton had given him recovered miraculously... but his HP did go down as usual.
The Mournblade was still protecting its user. However, it seemed after not fighting for roughly a century, even Beelzebub was exhausted. He still had enough strength to kill Ashton. He had to accomplish at least that.
However, as he dragged his body over to Ashton's, his mind was shrouded by an overwhelming urge to sleep. He turned around and saw a glimpse of a succubus standing behind him, using her magic to put him to sleep.
Usually, the attack wouldn't have any effect on him. But since he was exhausted and beaten like crap, he had little to no resistance to a mystic creature's abilities. A creature like a succubus was the perfect being to defeat him, based on the condition he was in.
"To think I got defeated by the likes of you..." He mumbled before sleep snatched him away.