jdhmnovel Chapter 67, Part 2: "The Demon Returns"
Chapter 67, Part 2: "The Demon Returns"
After reminding Ming upstairs, Erya went downstairs, carrying her suitcase, and walked slowly towards the apartment door with light steps.
As Erya stepped out the door, she suddenly stopped and muttered to herself:
"How strange, am I the last one to come out? Where did everyone else in the apartment go?"
Just then, a faint sound alerted Erya. However, before she could think it through, the two DEM magicians who had been lying in wait suddenly pounced out like tigers descending a mountain.
Without hesitation, they pulled the trigger, and a hail of bullets whistled toward Erya.
"Reporting to Director Allen, we have located the [Nun] who was lured out by the spacequake alarm. We are currently applying pressure!"
In an instant, gunfire erupted, deafeningly loud. Erya, who had just stepped out of the apartment building, had no time to react; a bullet struck her Achilles tendon at incredible speed.
With a piercing scream, Erya lost her balance and fell to one knee.
The intense pain made it almost impossible for her to breathe, and large beads of sweat slid down her forehead.
"Ah ah ah ah ah--"
"What...what is going on?" Nia, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, cried out in terror.
However, fate did not seem to intend to give her a chance to catch her breath.
Just then, a dazzling golden streak of light shot towards them like lightning.
Upon closer inspection, amidst the dazzling light, stood a figure clad in DEM's most powerful display device—"Pendragon."
This person is none other than Alan Mira Mathers, who is hailed as the world's greatest magician.
Allen, wielding a lightsaber that gleamed with a cold light, and wearing a ruthless smile, charged straight toward Erya.
In the blink of an eye, the lightsaber had pierced through Erya's abdomen.
“Sister, just come with us!” Allen said coldly, looking triumphantly at the suffering Erya before him.
When Erya saw her pierced abdomen, an even stronger pain suddenly surged through her.
A scream of agony rang out: "Aaaaaahhhhhh—"
Niya was overwhelmed by intense pain, but because of her elven constitution, she hadn't fainted yet.
At this very moment, on the rooftop of the apartment building, Ming stood silently, his gaze fixed intently on the scene unfolding below.
"This is really troublesome. Ellen Mira Mathers is hailed as the 'world's greatest magician'."
As someone who had fought against her, Ming did not hold back his praise for this woman, and thought to himself, "If the surprise attack that I had just launched after lying in wait in the air for so long were to happen again, what would I do?"
After analyzing the situation in his mind, Ming frowned slightly. He knew that if he continued to stand idly by, Er Ya would be taken away.
With that in mind, Ming sensed whether there were any extra magical fluctuations around him.
After a thorough investigation, he was surprised to find that there were several extremely ingenious display devices set up in the vicinity!
"These devices seem to be specifically designed to prevent spiritual energy fluctuations from spreading outwards."
“If that’s the case… it seems they don’t want what’s happening here to be known to the outside world. But then again, this makes things easier for me…” A meaningful smile appeared on Ming’s usually indifferent face.
He then gently reached into his pocket and took out the display device that Möbius had just sent him that day, and Ming placed it on his forehead without the slightest hesitation.
As a result, black flames suddenly rose from Ming's body. He slowly took a step forward, and in his right hand, a demon king weapon as black as ink—the [Black Flame Demon]—slowly emerged.
The next moment, Ming raised the [Black Flame Demon] in his hand without hesitation and thrust it straight toward his heart.
(In recent years, Ming has not been completely immersed in the tranquility of the publishing house. Occasionally, he would go to other dilapidated buildings for a few days to challenge the limits of his spirit by attempting suicide.)
At this time downstairs,
"Ugh! Donna's suddenly so hot. I wonder how much longer Director Allen's victory declaration will last..."
Aya, who was lying in another apartment building observing the area below with a rifle, asked Donna in the next building through a walkie-talkie.
A moment later, "Hey, are you even listening to me? You're such a weirdo."
Just as Aya was wondering what was going on, a barely visible spark suddenly burst forth beneath her feet. Aya looked in shock at the ground beneath her feet, which suddenly felt incredibly hot.
Black flames quickly spread, engulfing her entire body.
With a faint whisper in her ear, she and the entire house turned to ashes.
"When you intentionally hurt others, you should also be prepared for the consequences. Do you understand? Your death knell has tolled—"
[Black Flame Demon - Reason - One-Sword Cremation]
Sensing the movement behind him, Eren, who was about to activate his Capture Formless Domain, froze.
"This is!"
Behind them, two buildings were being scorched by black flames, as if the gates of hell were wide open, solemn and magnificent. Rows of skeletons covered in black flames were kneeling respectfully in worship. And at the innermost part of them, the King of Demonic Flames was walking steadily.
Judging from his physique, the newcomer was tall and imposing, and most striking of all were his long, black hair streaked with raging flames. The right half of his body was completely covered by a layer of jet-black flames, giving him an aura of unapproachable danger.
His left side was covered by a military uniform resembling a trench coat. A long overcoat was casually draped over his shoulder. Even more peculiarly, cold chains extended from the inside of that overcoat, wrapping around his upper body like outward-expanding wings.
Looking further up, a military cap sat atop his head, with a sharp ram's horn on each side, as conspicuous and striking as a demon's horns. His crimson eyes, like burning flames, were deep and piercing.
Terrifying? Gorgeous? Two seemingly unrelated words blend together as if they were made for this perfect thing.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Numerous weapons made of black flames shot out from the ground he stepped on, flying straight toward Allen, deliberately avoiding Erya behind her, and smashing into scorched craters.
Seeing this, Allen reached out, and a huge light barrier formed by magic gradually solidified, barely blocking the incoming weapons.
【Free Domain - Extreme Protection】
"[Flame Beast]?!" Allen thought to himself, barely able to make out the appearance of the newcomer's mask.
Before she could catch her breath, the attacker flashed in front of her and slammed the razor he was dragging down heavily.
"Bah!"
Allen swung his magic lightsaber, imbuing it with a golden, unpredictable aura, barely managing to block the attack.
Before Allen could even catch his breath, black fireballs appeared all around him.
【Burning Star】
These fireballs exploded, and at the same time, both sides were bound by chains to ensure that Erya, who was still lying there, would not be harmed.
Allen was secretly alarmed; this series of attacks was far too swift. But there was no time to back down. She took a deep breath, and her magic surged forth.
"[Magic Amplification - Breaking Boundaries]!"
With a low shout, a bright light emanated from Allen, breaking through the binding chains.
The masked attacker paused slightly, clearly not expecting Allen to break free so quickly.
Taking advantage of this opening, Allen launched a counterattack. She moved with lightning speed, rushing towards her opponent, her magic lightsaber drawing several dazzling golden arcs.
However, the masked man quickly reacted, dodging the attack by sidestepping and simultaneously swinging his razor in a backhand motion.
Allen hurriedly parried with the blade of his sword, and the two collided with a piercing metallic clang.
Just then, the sound of metal clashing was heard again, and the attacker's movements suddenly slowed down.
Allen seized the opportunity, deflecting the masked man's weapon with a single sword strike, then pointed the tip of his sword directly at his throat.
The blade pierced the attacker's throat, but the next second flames engulfed the area, burning the pierced part to ashes. The attacker then stood before him as if nothing had happened.
Allen was unable to dodge in time and was tightly gripped by the fiery arm.
Ming leaned slightly closer to Allen's ear and said:
"I remember saying that, didn't I, Miss Mathers? You may have been the strongest in the time before me, but when you meet me, you don't even have the right to dance!"
Upon hearing Ming's words, a hint of resentment flashed in Allen's eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "It's too early to draw conclusions now."
Suddenly, a powerful surge of magical energy erupted from Allen's body, forcefully breaking free from the restraints of the flaming arm.
Allen then broke free and leaped into the air, conjuring a giant magic cannon in his hand, while Ming landed on the ground and picked up the Demon King.
Seeing Allen's eyes slightly closed, the giant cannon in her hand pulsating with energy, and her entire body radiating a dazzling light, she realized she was channeling the surging energy within her into a single point—the ultimate technique of Pendragon!
[The Spear of the End - Lungomiliad]!
On the ground, as energy continued to gather, a gigantic, pitch-black magic circle slowly emerged. This magic circle exuded a chilling aura of darkness, as if it could devour all light and hope.
At the same time, Ming muttered to himself:
"【Black Flame Style: Eternal Spear】!"
The sound, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the heavens and earth, causing ripples to spread across the surrounding air.
Energy gathered in the air and converged at a single point. A golden beam of positive energy, resembling a holy lance, shot down rapidly, while a giant black spear gradually formed in the flames below, shooting straight into the sky.
Two extreme energies erupted in the air, their power so immense it was astonishing!
With this devastating energy surge, all the surrounding houses collapsed like fragile houses of cards, instantly turning into a bottomless, shocking crater.
At this critical moment, Ming did not hesitate to use the dazzling flashes from the explosion to quickly create a small, free space underground, shielding Erya behind him from the remaining force of the explosion.
Ming frowned as he stared at Allen in front of him, silently pondering:
"This endless stalemate is not a solution. She is no match for me, but my mental strength is also being pushed to its limit."
Thinking of this, he shook his head helplessly, slowly squatted down, and turned his gaze to Erya at his feet.
At this moment, Erya was watching the standoff between the two of them with a tense expression, and even a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Ming gently patted her shoulder and said in a low voice, "Erya, can you trust me...?"
As he spoke, he leaned close to Er Ya's ear, as if he were plotting some important plan with her.
When the smoke cleared, Allen, who had also used her Free Domain to shield herself, causing part of the armor of her manifestation device to crack and her magic power to run out, stared wide-eyed at the scene below in disbelief.
Ming appeared there like a demon, holding Er Ya firmly in his hand.
Erya struggled desperately, but could not break free from Ming's iron grip.
Then, something shocking happened. Without hesitation, Ming raised his spear and, with lightning speed, plunged it into Er Ya's chest, blood splattering everywhere.
Mingcai slowly put her down.
Erya lay on the ground, her face ashen, clutching her chest, her body trembling uncontrollably, uttering agonizing screams.
Suddenly, a powerful and strange force erupted from Erya's body.
This power was pitch black, spreading rapidly like smoke and enveloping Erya completely.
Upon closer inspection, one can see that these black spiritual substances are surging wildly, mixed with blood, and seem to possess their own life and consciousness.
As time went on, this black spiritual energy grew stronger and stronger, intertwining with each other, clearly showing signs of the [Reversal] Demon King's transformation.
Just as the situation was about to completely reverse, one of Ming's chains pierced through Er Ya's body again, extracting the complete spirit crystal from it.
Erya coughed up another mouthful of blood. Ming gently stroked her body, and a barely perceptible flame of regeneration entered her body.
Allen was enraged by what he saw and shouted angrily, "What are you doing!"
Ming merely sneered, holding Er Ya's Reversal Spirit Crystal in his hand, and flicked it lightly. "She was nothing but a pawn; her purpose is now fulfilled."
Allen was even more furious after hearing this, "You even hurt your own comrades, what kind of person are you!"
"Hahahaha, isn't this the extremely evil elf you all say it is?" Ming bowed slightly, glanced at Erya who was bleeding at his feet, and viciously kicked him.
"Looking forward to seeing you again, Miss Allen." Ming first put the reversed second spirit crystal into his mouth without hesitation, making sure that it could be stored in a fixed piece of meat after it was decomposed.
They transformed into countless fiery butterflies and vanished into the flat land.
"Anyway, how can you DEM lie? This is a high-end luxury apartment complex in Tiangong City. Gas explosion? Or spatial shockwave? Hahahaha, ahahahaha!" These were Ming's last words as he dissipated.
Only Erya, who was severely injured and had no spiritual energy left in her body, and Allen, who was in the air and disgusted by Ming's behavior, were left behind.