Chapter 58 - Infernal IX
Cain was a large man that wore a crimson suit and tie. His hair was long and dark red that was braided behind his head.
He raised his palm and shot a sphere made of flames towards Elliot. It was fast and powerful.
With his instinct and quick reflexes, he brandished his sword and swiped it up, hitting the orb like a baseball. It shot up and exploded mid-air, lighting the castle like a dozen of fireworks combined.
"W-What was that?" Elliot breathed. His arm felt numb and hot. His sword was smoking with the heat that it just met. Elliot could cook an egg by how hot it is.
"Oh?" Cain smirked. "It seems like you can block my attack."
He raised his hands to the side. Multiple orbs of flames appeared around Cain. He looked at Elliot dead in the eyes.
"Show me more of that."
He pushed his hands in front of him, the flames followed it, blasting towards Elliot.
"Hasty Aspire!" Elliot casted and blocked all the spheres that were shot to him. Each time he hit a flaming ball, his hands would get number.
He almost missed the last attack, barely hitting it and it almost hit right in front of him.
Elliot couldn't feel his hand anymore. Even the heat from the sword were barely there.
"I guess weak people still have something to learn," Cain said and repeated his attack.
Elliot tried to raise his sword but could anymore.
"I-I can't…" Elliot dropped his hand to the side. "I'm still too weak."
When the attacks were about to reach him, a large dome made of flame covered him. The flaming spheres from Cain could only shake the dome. Even after exploding, it couldn't penetrate it.
A tall man with tattoos adorning his body stood in front of him. His horns were only starting to grow and his skin was only starting to get darker.
"Not my family," Elliot said.
'Allied Infernal detected.'
<< Connor >>
Level 54
Infernal IX
Elliot had seen another term that was new. The first time he saw Connor morph, the 'Infernal IX' was new.
Connor passed through his dome, walking out and looking at Cain the same way Cain looked at Elliot.
Right into the soul.
"Donald's soul just passed through the Afterlife," Connor said. "I'm finally free from him. With that, my Infernal affinity had been fully unlocked."
"W-What?" Cain stuttered, feeling the immense pressure of power coming from Connor.
"Dragon Strike!" Hope dashed towards Cain, slashing his sword to the large man before running and hiding under the bushes.
Cain had his shoulder cut by Hope's attack. He barely dodged the attack after his aura was hidden under Connor's intense aura.
"In the Underworld, there are several levels of Infernals," Connor smirked. "The I woud mean lowly hell dwellers, XIII are the Royal Guards of the Infernal Royals which are Infernal X. And the Infernal Generals are the ones in the ninth level."
"What?"
"I am an Infernal General," Connor smirked. He flicked his finger and out of nowhere, a large sword made of flames appeared on top of Cain. It was four times the size of a greatsword that Hope wielded.
Meaning it was the size of a large palace door.
Cain raised his hands in the air, conjuring a large flaming shield. He layered four shields in panic, waiting for the sword to come down.
Connor raised his hand in front of him, smirking as he brought it down.
"Infernal Ruler's Great Sword."
The sword striked down, piercing three of Cain's shields in an instant. Cain tried to boost his last and final sword but it was useless. Connor's attack broke through his protection.
"B-But I'm Cain of the South," he whispered. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate, raising his arms to the side until the sword hit him.
But it never did.
He felt an intense aura just in front of him. It almost brought him down to his knees.
Connor was smiling in front of him. "I'm not like you."
He recoiled his hand and slammed it in Cain's stomach all in a blink of an eye. Cain spat blood at the impact, blasting off in the air. Connor appeared on top of him. He raised his foot and grinned.
"Well, maybe a little."
His flaming iron heel clashed down Cain's stomach. Cain lost his consciousness. His eyes had rolled back to his head as a trail of blood exited his mouth.
His body crashed to the ground, creating a large crater around it.
Connor recoiled his body and opened it, a burst of flames exploded behind him. The flames died down and formed a pair of wings made of fire. His form and presence were taking the attention of the guilds inside the castle.
"Who is that?"
"Is that an Adventurer?"
"Why does he look like a demon?"
…
Meanwhile, the members of the Dark Saber guild had already fled. They saw the defeat of a Guardian-level Adventurer in less than 5 minutes.
"Connor," Elliot called.
"I look awesome, right?" Connor wiggled his eyebrows.
"Cancel!" Ed ran towards Connor, raising his sword that was glowing with a light purple aura. He pointed his sword at Connor, shooting the aura and capturing Connor in it.
"What are you doing?" Elliot gasped.
"He's using Ethereum!" Ed yelled.
When his purple aura died down, Connor's form reverted. His eyes became blank as he fell to the floor.
Hope swerved on the ground, gliding on the grassy soil and caught Connor.
'Allied Infernal in critical condition.'
<< Connor >>
HP: 500/55,000
MP: 0/5,500
Elliot took potions from his Inventory, helping Connor replenish his health and mana.
"I already canceled the Ethereum," Ed said. "We just need to recover all that's lost."
When Connor's condition had stabilized, Elliot felt like a thorn was pulled out from his heart.
"That was close," Elliot sighed. "But we're still not done."
He stood and took his sword and placed it back in his scabbard. Elliot looked at the castle in worry and persistence.
"But we're still not done here," Elliot said. "Ed, I'll give you potions in case Connor would drain his HP and MP again. Cancel his Ethereum in case it reactivates."
Elliot looked at Connor. Just when he thought he was almost at the peak, he saw something and felt something like Cain and Connor. He realized that he was really too far from being strong.
"What are we gonna do now?" Ed asked. "I tried contacting Lance but he's not answering. So are the others."
"I'm sure nothing would happen to them," Elliot said. "Let's just–"
"You think I'll die that easily?" A voice came from behind them.
Cain stood and ripped his burnt clothes off. A symbol had its way in his chest that made a tingling sensation inside Elliot's head.
"I will never be defeated with the same affinity as me!" He yelled.
"Take Connor to safety," Elliot commanded. "I'll handle this."
Hope, Ed, and Frost nodded, dragging Connor out into the woods and hid from Cain.
"Are you sure you're going to fight me all alone?" Cain smirked. "Your little friend there was more powerful than me but even he needed some backup. You, on the other hand, cowered at my weakest attack and you dared to oppose me alone?"
"It's not about cowardice or some other crap," Elliot said. "I have to admit. I was scared. But there's something that's rate that I want to try."
"Which is?"
"Killing a royal with a red mark."
Elliot brandished his sword and prepared his stance. This time, he was prepared. Connor had already damaged this guy that he knew one more strike and Cain would fall.
"Asteroid Flames of Kirth!" Cain yelled and the clouds in the sky opened. A large flaming ball fell from it, shooting at Elliot at an alarming speed.
"Supreme Malevolence!" Elliot yelled and attacked Cain. He was trying to stack up skill before hitting the asteroid. He relentlessly slashed his sword at the man, rapidly cutting him with his sword.
'Supreme Malevolence 1'
'Supreme Malevolence 2'
'Supreme Malevolence 3'
…
When he reached the maximum, he kicked Cain on the chest and used him as a stepping stool to meet the asteroid. "Hasty Aspire!"
Elliot shot himself towards the gigantic ball of flames. He was about to swing his sword but before he could reach, a blast of blue flame was shot from the below and sucked the flames. The asteroid-like flames disappeared in an instant and the blue wisp-like attack vanished in thin air.
Elliot lost his momentum and was about to fall when a large pair of black wings flapped behind him.
"You didn't have to do that," Midnight said. He wrapped his arm around Elliot as he brought both of them down. "We couldn't let you handle that kind of attack, you know. Look."
Midnight pointed at one of the towers that made Elliot sigh in relief.
There he saw Frederick, Luck, Lance and other guild masters and officers. Midnight landed on the tower and gesured at a room on the side.
"She's in there," he said.
"You mean Ripple?"
Midnight nodded and Elliot had ran inside the room. He opened the door and saw two people sitting up on two beds, making him fall to his knees with a smile in his face.
"Elliot?" Ripple called.
Connor glanced at him and smiled. "Hey, Elliot."
Elliot smiled before the exhaustion got to him.. With a chuckle, he fell to the side and lost his consciousness.