Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Chapter 736 Dark Aura

Cephal's laughter echoed through the deserted streets, mixing with the distant roar of the wolf produced by the breaking of the hourglass, enveloping him in a dark aura of power.

Azrakthar's gaze alternated between anger and disbelief, and his fingers involuntarily flexed to clench his fists.

"Wild Spirit... it's a class that lives up to its behavior." muttered Azrakthar, his eyes still fixed on the area where the hourglass had been broken. "There are lesser demons in hell more polite than you." He grunted, trying to contain himself for the moment.

Cephal seemed indifferent to Azrakthar's insult and advanced a few steps towards the hooded figure. His red eyes glowed with excitement, and this was a frightening contrast to the atmosphere that had been emanating from the battlefield earlier.

"Do you think that's going to intimidate me, demon?" Cephal asked. "I've never killed demons before, but I did today for the first time and I think... I like it, so I'll keep doing it until I find Zylok. Nothing will stop me."

The hooded figure remained silent, but the tension in the air was palpable. Although Cephal was helping the army of players and was on Kaizen's side, he still seemed to resent what Zylok had done to him.

The other players on the street watched the scene with a mixture of fascination and apprehension. Not everyone knew Cephal, nor did they know if they could trust him because of his villainous personality.

Delgron, recovering from Og'tharoz's stomp, looked at Cephal with a mixture of incredulity and anger. "He... he had no right to do that! Lysan was much better than the other superior demons, she was dedicated and strong..."

Suddenly, Cephal disappeared from everyone's sight and from where he was standing on the wreckage. Then he appeared next to Og'tharoz and Delgron before most people even noticed.

'How come he's already here?' Delgron's eyes widened.

Og'tharoz was one of the few who saw Cephal running and although he didn't trust him because he said he would kill all the demons, he didn't move more than his eyes to look at Cephal. 'He's fast...'

"You're trying to ruin an entire kingdom, so don't come lecturing me. In this world, the stakes are higher, and every choice has its consequences." Cephal said and he laughed even louder than before.

Then he stretched his hand forward and an imposing, ethereal black wolf, with glowing eyes and an aura of indomitable power, began to form from a cloud that was expelled by his fingers.

"But don't worry, the essence of the demon I killed isn't completely gone. After all, I used its raw power to create my strongest creature, the Demon Wolf! DRARARARA!"

Azrakthar's expression, previously unperturbed, showed a hint of surprise and despair. However, he then disguised this with a loose smile. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝘸𝑒𝒷𝘯ℴ𝘷𝑒𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝑚

"Interesting... looks like Lysan died to someone very good..."

The ghostly wolf growled, his eyes fixed on Azrakthar. He had recovered somewhat from the fatigue caused by Cephal's interruption, but he was still not at full strength and still had to watch out for Kaizen.

'This Wild Spirit is cunning, but not completely stupid. He's physically strong, very fast and can even capture and create creatures. What kind of monster is he? Damn...' Delgron thought, looking Cephal up and down.

Cephal was staring at Azrakthar and walking towards him. "I'd take care of you myself, but as I'm a bit weaker than usual, I'll use my creation to help me. Don't hold back though, I want to be able to absorb all your strength later to create something even stronger."

So Cephal advanced like an agile specter, his light, quick steps echoing silently over the debris that punctuated the desolate ground. His rage-red eyes radiated a savage intensity, a ferocious flame that burned as he approached Azrakthar. The ethereal figure of the demonic wolf followed at his side, a shadowy guardian that amplified the aura of the scene.

Azrakthar, however, did not flinch at Cephal's onslaught. He created a demonic blade out of nothing, a black scythe adorned with infernal runes, and prepared for the imminent clash. His eyes sparked with a mixture of anger and determination, a storm of contained emotions as he focused on the energy pulsing inside him for the battle about to unfold.

The first blow came from Cephal, who with his quick lunge made his movements as fluid as water. Tentacles seemed to appear around him, but in fact they were still his arms, only moving at breakneck speed. He unleashed dozens of agile blows against Azrakthar in a few seconds, forcing the demon to defend himself because of his supernatural dexterity.

The demonic wolf, meanwhile, surrounded the combatants and headed for Azrakthar's back.

Azrakthar, an experienced demon like Og'tharoz, resisted Cephal's blows bravely. The metallic sound echoed every second. Cephal's strength was impressive, but Azrakthar held his ground. In a moment of opportunity, Azrakthar took advantage of an opening in Cephal's attacks and retaliated with a precise blow from his scythe. The black blade sliced through the air, leaving a trail of shadows in its wake. However, Cephal deftly dodged, temporarily disappearing from everyone's sight.

Then, the demonic wolf advanced against Azrakthar with its sharp fangs targeting the demon.

Azrakthar, quick to react, managed to dodge the wolf's attack, but not without suffering a few superficial cuts. The wolf's ferocity was evident, its ethereal nature making it a threat that was hard to underestimate. He didn't seem to have Lysan's magical abilities, but he was certainly as fast as she was.

Cephal reappeared like a shadow from behind Azrakthar, his laughter resounding through the deserted street. "You're agile, demon, but do you think you can handle the combined speed and strength of the two of us?" taunted Cephal, as his demon wolf circled, preparing for another attack.

Azrakthar, not easily provoked, responded with a growl of stress. He adjusted his posture, focusing not only on Cephal, but also on the wolf accompanying him. The scythe in his hands glowed with demonic energy.

The second round of the confrontation began with Cephal again attacking head-on. His movements were unpredictable, a mixture of fast attacks and deceptive feints.

Azrakthar, for his part, defended himself as best he could, but the demonic wolf took the opportunity to strike again.

Azrakthar felt the wolf's fangs dig into his demonic flesh, causing a stabbing pain. He roared, pushing the wolf away with a powerful blow from his scythe, but the cut was quickly healed by the wolf. Cephal, for his part, advanced again, but now his laughter was echoing like a dark symphony accompanying the deadly melody of battle.

The other players, witnessing the battle, looked on in fascination and awe.

Xisrith, still on the ground, watched Cephal with a mixture of astonishment and admiration. "That's... unbelievable."

Kaizen, who had recovered some of his energy during this brief pause, was leaning on the King's Sword. "He's quite a player..."

Og'tharoz turned to Kaizen, his red eyes shining brightly. "Is he a threat to me?"

Kaizen nodded. "About what he said before, I'm sure he had no idea what he was talking about. You're a demon ally, so don't worry." He replied as he approached his friend. "Now, while Cephal distracts the other, I have questions for this demon here..." Kaizen looked at Delgron, who was in Og'tharoz's custody.

Then Kaizen climbed a little way up the wreckage and looked at Delgron, the demon he was fighting at the beginning.

"Now, I have time to ask you something that has been on my mind for some time. What's up your sleeve?" asked Kaizen, his serious expression contrasting with the ferocity of the battle raging behind him. "I know you have one."

Delgron, weakened though he was, let out a low, hoarse laugh. "You humans are always asking difficult questions."

Kaizen clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to strike Delgron. He knew that information was the key to this whole battle. For that reason, he scratched the back of his head frantically.

Delgron, smiling mischievously, began to speak between groans of pain. "Don't despair, boy. It's ugly when a hero loses his pose."

"Hero? Pose?" Kaizen said as he continued to scratch the back of his neck, but he suddenly stopped and knelt down beside Delgron. "These unfounded provocations... It all means that you have nothing prepared, doesn't it? You underestimated us too much because you thought that coming at us with full force would be enough to stop us. That's good to know, because it makes you predictable."

Kaizen then stood up and looked at the city center.

"This battle has gone on long enough, and our plan was to be discreet, but at least one of you has already died and now I want to find Surtr myself to tear up the contract in his face. How will he react?" Kaizen teased Delgron.

"You've got to be crazy. Not only will Hell succumb to Surtr's wrath, but all nine kingdoms." Delgron exclaimed with a slightly desperate tone.

"And you think I care about that?" replied Kaizen, looking back over his shoulder. "However, there's an easy way to put an end to all this, right? That way, neither you nor we lose out. What do you say? Is there a way like that?"