The Damned Demon

Isola's heart raced as she heard Asher's voice in her mind, urging her to save Callisa, and to check on Merina and Ceti while he claimed he would buy enough time.

She would have agreed without hesitation if it was any other situation. But against Agonon, she knew that Asher was trying to buy time at the cost of his own life.

She wanted to stay back, but his actions and their circumstances left her no choice.

As Asher surged forward, determination burning in his eyes, Isola couldn't help but think how unfair fate was. How they always seemed to be steps behind, no matter how much they fought.

The rain intensified around Isola, mirroring her tumultuous emotions.

Taking deep breaths, she pushed away her desire to stay and fight with Asher and rushed towards Callisa.

She could see the glow of the Forging Matrix grow closer and more intense. The eerie hum growing louder in her ears was a constant reminder of their ticking clock.

Agonon's people were quite close to forging the Deviar, and once they did, then none of them would have a chance to escape.

All she could do was pray she would have enough time to get back to Asher.

Amidst the roaring thunder and the hum of the Forging Matrix, the sound of clashing energy erupted as Asher confronted Agonon.

Asher disappeared, then reappeared behind Agonon in a flash, his blazing ring blade aimed with deadly precision at Agonon's nape.

Yet, with a movement so swift it almost looked casual, Agonon's hand snapped back, catching Asher's arm in a vice grip.

Their eyes locked, a dance of challenge and contempt, "How futile," Agonon sneered, "Your desperate attempts only make you more pathetic."

Asher gritted his teeth as Agonon's grip tightened around his wrist. He wasn't surprised by how fast Agonon was since the power difference was so huge that he was sure that his movements must have felt no faster than a snail.

As Agonon pulled back his other hand, shaping it into a lethal fist, Asher underwent a terrifying transformation.

Dark green flames roared around him, and in an instant, his flesh melted away, revealing his Hellbringer form — a charred black skeleton wreathed in flames.

However, this didn't stop Agonon as his impending strike met this form, shattering every single bone into a million fragments.

The scene was one of raw elemental fury as the flames dissipated in different directions, clinging to each tiny fragment.

But the shattered fragments radiated a dark, eerie green luminescence, reconstructing itself and merging together to resemble his bones.

Agonon's penetrating eyes studied the phenomenon with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

Agonon narrowed his eyes and said, "I can see why people think you have an Immortal Bloodline. Your alien bloodline must naturally be proficient in metamagic, but you aren't really immortal, are you? You are mortal like anybody else. A true immortal would have no reason to exist in our mortal realm. Once I kill you, I will prove it to the world, and then the Bloodburn Kingdom can no longer use your name to create fear."

Asher chuckled, a strange sound echoing from his skeletal form, "Why so obsessed with my lineage, Agonon? Your years of painstaking training have amounted to what? Playing second fiddle to someone like me? It took me a fraction of the time to reach this level. Admit it; it must sting."

For a brief moment, Agonon's dark, fiery slit eyes briefly tremored.

But after a moment of silence, he responded in a thunderous, cold voice, "It doesn't matter how fast you gain power if all you can do is get thrashed around and die like an insect," Saying so, Agonon blasted Asher's skeleton into millions of pieces with a wave of black flames.

With a wave of his hand, a devastating cascade of black flames surged toward Asher, shattering him into countless fragments. Yet, Asher's form continued to defy logic and nature, stitching itself back together, and challenging the very essence of mortality.

Agonon's voice turned cold, a menacing whisper that sent shivers down one's spine, "I know why people say you are unkillable. You can keep regenerating, but time isn't on your side. Your true form will resurface, and then..." Agonon once again sent a wave of flames to reduce Asher to bits.

But this time, he noticed a difference.

The fragments were larger, fewer. A realization hit him, and his brows furrowed in deep thought.

The atmosphere grew thick with tension, the very air around them charged with their clashing wills.

Each wave of Agonon's power, however potent, began to show diminishing returns.

The once effortless shattering of Asher's skeletal form now resulted only in minor fractures. As Agonon's flames ebbed and waned, Asher's resilience seemed to mock him silently, challenging the dominance of the most feared prince in Zalthor.

Rising again and again, Asher's voice oozed sarcasm, "Is that all you've got? Because from where I stand, it seems your flames are getting a bit... lukewarm," But despite Asher putting up a confident tone, inwardly he was grappling with the despairing fact that his MP was running out quick and he wasn't going to last much longer.

Since Agonon was so powerful, each of his attacks increased his own strength by a lot, but that also meant his MP was burning up faster as well.

Agonon's eyes flashed dangerously, the dark slits narrowing. Nobody else dared to utter such words against him.

But then he closed his eyes briefly and said with a calm yet fiery gaze, "Your metamagic pathway is powerful. But you are still not qualified for your words to mean anything to me. Once you are at your wit's end, I will make you execute your people in front of you…in the most miserable way possible. At that point, your words won't save you or them."

"Not on my watch," Asher gritted, defiance in his eyes as he lunged forward. His fist aimed straight for Agonon's chest, each ounce of his strength and will channeled into the strike.

Agonon was taken by surprise by the surge in Asher's speed and power.

Still, he swiftly blocked Asher's attack with his palm. Even so, the sheer force pushed him back a few inches, his boots skidding on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

It was just a few inches, but the fact that a mid-level Soul Reaper managed to push him back brought upon a never-before feeling of rage.

"Insolent dog!" he growled, sending a powerful punch that connected with Asher's skull. The sheer might behind the attack sent Asher flying a short distance. As he landed, his Hellbringer form diminished as he reverted to his night elf form.

His entire MP exhausted, Asher quickly stood up on his feet.

Instinctively, he glanced in Callisa's direction, a sigh of relief escaping his lips when he realized she was nowhere in sight. Isola did succeed in breaking her free.

But suddenly, Isola's urgent voice pierced through his thoughts, delivering the grim message: "Asher, the entire area has been sealed. There's no way out!"

Despair weighed on Asher's heart. If they were trapped, they were sitting ducks. His gaze shifted to Jael in the distance, who had his hands fool taking on 5 of them on his own. He knew Jael wouldn't last long. Things were not looking good.

"My prince, we did it!"

Asher's heart sank further when he saw Agonon's minions proudly holding up the newly forged item, and a message popped up in his mind.

[ The Deviar has been forged. But if a Hunter managed to place the Deviar back in the Forging Matrix within an hour, it could be transformed into a Radem. After that, all the Forging Matrix will self-destruct]

It was in the shape of an amulet, a gleaming piece of rock-like texture, pulsating with malevolent energy. Its aura alone threatened to engulf everything in its shadow.

Asher couldn't help but have his eyes fixed on it for a brief moment as if getting mesmerized by it.

"SCREEEEE!!"

Suddenly, Isola's scream reverberated through the entire battlefield, a harrowing sound that filled Asher's heart with a gut-wrenching fear, wondering if she got cornered.

But as the dust settled, the situation turned out to be not as he had expected.

Instead of Isola being captured or hurt, Agonon's minions were scattered, looking more like leaves blown away by a gust of wind.

In the midst of it all was Ceti. With swift agility, she jumped, hand outstretched, grabbing the pulsating Deviar with a tight grip. Her eyes locked onto Asher, and with no hesitation, she hurled the amulet in his direction.

"Take it!" Ceti yelled, her voice echoing above the chaos.

Asher's eyes widened. He had no plans for the Deviar.

There was no way to draw upon its power in such a short time, especially given its unpredictable and potentially cataclysmic nature.

But seeing Ceti, Isola, and the others place their hope in him, it felt like an immense weight had been thrust upon his shoulders. They believed that he could change the tide of the battle with the Deviar.

But he had no miracles. No master plan. The Deviar wasn't a tool he could just wield at a moment's notice. It was a devilish power that could take months or years to absorb and unleash.

However, he couldn't let their hopes be in vain. As the Deviar drew closer, an idea sprouted, especially when he heard Victor and Rachel's voices from behind.

"Hellbringer!!"

"Fuck, let's get him!"

The allure of the Deviar was undeniable, and surely Victor and the others would still be determined to grab it since they still had a chance.

With such a prized possession, he could make them all turn on each other. And maybe he can find a way out as they fight over it.

Launching himself, Asher snatched the Deviar from the air. Its cold touch sent ripples of unknown energy through his arm. But his momentary victory was cut short by a palpable wave of killing intent. It was Agonon.

"You dare covet what's mine?" Agonon sneered, his voice dripping with killing intent as his wings spread out and shot towards Asher, his speed causing shockwaves to ripple in every direction.

The wind howled and roared in Asher's ears as Agonon charged at him with unstoppable momentum.

He tried to evade, but Agonon's speed was terrifying. Just as the fatal blow was about to be dealt, a huge, colossal force slammed into Agonon.

"KREEEEE!!"

It was Callisa, using her full might to protect Asher, though the collision sent her spiraling while she did manage to take Agonon's eyes off Asher.

The glancing blow Asher received from Agonon's fist, though merely a graze, carried with it an unbelievable force.

"Ugh!"

His vision blurred, and pain lanced through his body. He felt his shoulder bones shatter, and blood gushed from his mouth, painting the ground crimson.

He was hurled off his feet, crashing onto the ground with a thud. But his grip on the Deviar never loosened, even in his compromised state.

Gasping for breath and pushing through the haze of pain, Asher's focus shifted to Callisa.

His heart dropped as he witnessed Agonon's brutal retaliation. Each punch felt like a sledgehammer against his heart.

"Kreeee!!!"

Callisa's usually resilient carapace fractured under the sheer force, and her agonized screech echoed hauntingly across the field as blood spurted out of her massive body.

"Callisa..." Asher whispered, his voice choked with emotion. Fury bubbled within him, but his injuries were severe. The fractures in his spine rendered him almost immobile.

But to his relief, Agonon stopped and didn't seem intent on killing Callisa.

And the next moment, Agonon turned his menacing gaze back to Asher, landing before him. Towering over his fallen figure, Agonon's eyes glinted with malevolent pleasure.

"Comfort yourself in your final moments, knowing that you held such a treasure," Agonon said in cold ridicule as he slowly raised his claw-like hand to end the life of this pathetic alien.

Asher's vision was fading, but his spirit remained unyielding. He met Agonon's eyes squarely, defiance burning brightly, "Even if you absorb its power…You will never be the strongest…" he spat with a cold smile, gritting his teeth and bracing for the inevitable.

Agonon's eyes blazed with cold fury upon realizing what he meant. But he ignored it as he plunged his hand towards Asher's head, wanting to sever it from his neck.