Minerva struggled for her life, trying to get off from Gargamel's tight grasp. She has little strength left in her arms and her energy were also depleted at this point. Healing Gargamel took a lot of effort for Minerva as she previously also healed the prince with her light affinity gracia. "I can't escape! My consciousness is slowly fading." Minerva thought.
The possessed Gargamel grimaced in delight. His unpleasant appearance, coupled with his new demeanor made him look more sinister than before. "Hehehe.. That Morrighan bitch almost killed my remaining soul back there. Thankfully, I planted a quarter of it in this guy when I attacked him, if not, then I'll be just an old legend that will be forgotten just like that noisy dwarf." The devil thought, his mood turning ugly when he remembered a dwarf on his memory.
Gasping for the seeming last air that she could breathe, Minerva finally lost consciousness and let down her arms, slowly turning blue just like her face. She was no match for the Gargamel that suddenly attacked her as he sucked her gracia by just using his hands.
No one would have believed that a [Saint Rank] who just recently leveled up was using his bloodline talent so proficiently like this. It can only be used when a star warrior leveled up to [Demi-god Rank] or when he fully grasped his star soul and awaken his bloodline talent.
Gargamel was using it because the white-haired devil took over his body and forcefully released his bloodline talent. Even if the situation brightens and Gargamel was freed from the possession, his body will definitely suffer the backlash of using the bloodline talent.
Just as Gargamel smiled while seeing Minerva's body collapsed on the sand, he suddenly spouted a mouthful of blood. He clicked his tongue, "Damn it! This body will not last long, but I can still use it for something."
Then suddenly, he looked towards the direction where his previous body perished as if he was watching someone coming towards him at a fast speed. Gargamel gasped in surprise, "He is already here! Why so fast?" He growled while curling his body in anger.
"No! I still have time..." Wasting no time, he turned and walked hastily towards Luke while he wiped off the blood on his chin.
"I'll at least take the body that I need. You can thank me later, Muhammed! Hahahaha!"
Gargamel then rushed towards Luke, stretching his green hand to grab him. But then, with a sound of bones breaking, his arm broke like a twig from a condensed ball of water that came from his blind spot.
But Gargamel was not hurt and instead stopped immediately to look for the bastard who dared to attack him. He looked from all direction, but he saw nothing except for Minerva lying on the ground behind him and the father and child a few meters away from him. No one's here except the people that escaped from him when he was trapped by Lilith, at least that's what he thought.
While the possessed Gargamel continuously looked for the attacks that he didn't know where's going to come from in frustration, Levi circled around him, looking for a blind spot for another attack.
"This ability of yours is quite convenient, Miss Nora. We can attack him from his blind spots like this." Levi said with a bright mood. He now had a chance to show his newly acquired powers.
"We may be attacking him undetected, but remember that the body you are attacking is High General Gargamel, Lord Levi." Nora reminded. She was behind Levi, holding her weapon soul, [Deceit's Parasol].
Nora came up with the idea of using her fifth star core ability to turn both her and Levi invisible while the latter attacks Gargamel undetected. Turning yourself invisible is a great ability, but it consumes a lot of gracia using it in one person, much more if there's two of you.
This is the reason why Nora got selected to protect the prince. She can fight using her weapon soul's basic form, and use her abilities every time they were in a dangerous situation wisely. Being combat proficient was not the only thing she got from being the disciple of the Demon Queen as she can assess the situation wisely, even willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of the prince.
"Bastard! Come out and face me!" Gargamel shouted angrily, but once again shot by water attack, this time, it pierced his left leg. He once again let out a loud growl in frustration of not seeing his enemy.
"If I just hadn't been sealed for a long time... My abilities already disappeared together with my real body." The white-haired devil thought. But he still didn't give up on accomplishing his plans and released Gargamel's star cores all at once. There were seven glowing core floated behind him and immediately activated them all, performing a star path ability.
[WITCH DOCTOR'S PATH: ALTAR OF BONES]
Activating his ability, the possessed Gargamel buried the tip of his weapon soul on the sand and recited a few unrecognizable words. In a radius of ten meters, anyone who invades his territory will be immediately restrained by several skeletal hands that will hinder their movements, unseen or not.
Another domain type ability user came out in the light again and the white-haired devil was really happy to possess someone who was blessed to have it. "Not bad, not bad... Now then, where are you?" Gargamel grinned, keeping his weapon soul on the ground.
Behind Nora's weapon soul, Levi clicked his tongue, "I don't know what kind of ability is that, but Gargamel has a powerful weapon soul and it's hard to control it. The one possessing him must be out of his mind using Gargamel's star path ability just like that."
Out of range of Gargamel's ability, Levi and Nora stopped, but Nora did not deactivated her ability. "Lord Levi. I will remind you again; High General Gargamel is a pillar of the Sanctuary. I don't know what are you planning to do, but if it's an attack that could kill him, I will warn you that his subordinates will not let you go." Nora said, her face was expressionless despite talking seriously.
"I know, Miss Nora. I'll just decapacitate him with this attack at the worse case." After talking and readying himself, Levi then nodded at Nora, giving her a signal when she will release their invisibility.
"I'll show you my bloodline talent that I acquired after being a demon." Levi thought, as if he was telling his old self to watch him now.
Releasing all his star cores, Levi gather gracia on both his hands, turning them into that of a dragon's, but their scales was white with a glint of silver in them. Claws slowly come rising up after, and Levi stretched his hands out, aiming at Gargamel with a shocked face.
"Without activating any of my star cores, I can now partially turn my body in accordance to my beast soul. I know it's too late to be boasting about this, as it was a basic training for [Warrior Rank] demon children that have a beast soul." Levi pondered, his second star core glowed behind him.
[SECOND STAR CORE - AQUA RULER]
As soon as he saw the two missing people, Gargamel deactivated his star path ability, but the backlash of his weapon soul made him kneel. The white-haired devil may not feel the pain, he knew that the body that he was possessing was breaking down due to overuse of gracia. Before he could ponder about what to do next, all of the moisture remaining in the air directly covered his face, obstructing his breathing and drowning him.
Levi's bloodline talent made him more proficient in using the water affinity gracia and controlling his abilities to the most efficient way was easier for him to do even if they were in a dry environment just like the Desolate Zone.
Completely restrained of breathing, the white-haired devil inside Gargamel's body didn't panic as he can't feel the pain of water entering his nose and mouth. "It seems like this body is useless now."
Knowing that the enemies will not let the body that he was possessing die, the devil had a plan to make them approach him so that he will have a chance to escape again. Using the gracia of Gargamel's body, the devil strengthened his fingers and started scratching Gargamel's neck and let it bleed.
Nora was stunned to see what he was doing, but she immediately started approaching Gargamel to stop him. She clearly understood what the devil intends to do to Gargamel's body, if it was not killing himself, endangering the person was enough for the two of them to make a move "I can't let him die." Nora thought, releasing a green star core, her mind was cautious and sharp at the same time, keeping her composed appearance.
[FIRST STAR CORE - DISTORTED TRUTH]
Glowing brilliantly, Nora's weapon soul suddenly changed its form, from a parasol into a silver rapier. The rapier's body emitted a dangerous feeling, despite it being a parasol just a moment ago. There were carvings that can't be read on it's handle and blade, making it look like an ancient artifact.
With a fast sweep, Nora slashed both of Gargamel's shoulder joints to stop it from moving. After she slashed it, she turned and both the arms are dangling with blood running down, "I'm sorry, High General. This is the only way that can save you. We'll think of a way to save you, I promise." She said, meeting the glaring eyes of Gargamel inside the ball of water surrounding his head.
As Gargamel's blood trickled down his arms, the fierceness in his eyes gave out and Levi felt that he passed out, he let go of his ability and finally released Gargamel from his second star core ability and absorbed the remaining water in his body. Nora caught him before falling on the sand after that and checked his pulse to see if he's dead or still alive. She heaved a sigh of relief when she felt that Gargamel's pulse showed a sign of life.
"How is he?" Levi asked, approaching them, while carrying Minerva on his arms. She was still unconscious and seemed like it will take some time for her to wake up.
While watching Gargamel's blood flow on the hot sand, Nora retracted her weapon soul and let out some potion from her storage ring and gently lifted Gargamel's head to make him drink it. "He is stable now. It looks like the one possessing him gave up because we incapacitated the body he was possessing. The mysterious aura is now gone", she said. Nora then looked up and said, "Your power is significantly more powerful now since the last time I saw you fight, Lord Levi."
Levi sighed of relief to see Gargamel fine, neveminding the praise Nora gave to him, "Let's wait for Her Majesty to come back first. Prince Luke is healed and the King's breathing smoothly. Just rest up for a bit, Miss Nora. The situation has now been solved."
The barrier several meters from them flickered a little as Levi looked towards it, "I also feel the fluctuations of people coming here. They'll be here soon enough." It was expected to have the reinforcements coming in, now that the battle from earlier alerted the scouts of the Sanctuary and the battalion under General Gilbert's command.
Releasing his one yellow and three green star cores, Levi activated his star path ability as they glowed brightly according to their rank. Seeing them turning bright behind his back, Levi felt nostalgic seeing the star cores that helped him grow stronger until now. Without them, surviving as a prince that was said to be a cursed child for not having a lion type star soul, unlike his imperial siblings, when he was young would've been difficult.
His only regret now was that he couldn't all the people that he cared about from his territory that was meant to be used as a prison to him. His twin brother, the last emperor of Regulus empire, did a great job keeping what was left behind to him and turned their empire into a great one, but still, not everything is perfect till the end.
[WHITE DRAGON'S PATH - OCEAN'S EMBRACE]
With his command, a water barrier, spanning from twenty meters was formed, radiating dark blue aura that protected the people inside it from all the hostile attacks that will come for the user and the ones that he chose to be protected. Even if the barrier's durability lowered from the force of the attack, the barrier that looks like a bubble and has its characteristics will send the attack back twice the force of it to the attackers.
Levi felt satisfied looking at his own ability all of a sudden. And there were also other feelings that seemed to be coiling up to his mind, intensifying for every moment, alerting him. Extreme rage, envy, satisfaction, and fear were all mixed up to his mind that made him feel hallucinate different images on his mind.
"Was this my memories?! No, it's... it's like the images that was shown to me on the blood turning test!" Sweat started to trickle down Levi's greyish brows as he felt that something was suddenly wrong to him. He felt like he could kill because of envy, kill because he was angry as he was bored and unsatisfied.
And then, as if his body was not listening to him, he slowly trudged towards Nora who was refilling her gracia and concentrating on the sand. He wanted to strangle her, choke the life out of her, kill her mercilessly. "NO! This is not me! Miss Nora, wake up!" Levi shouted in his mind, as his uncontrollable body was now gathering the same claws that Gargamel used on Minerva.
He tried hard to get the control of his body back, thinking about the words of the being that took the appearance of his son, "The demon's power comes from with them. Their will to go against the order of the heavens, that make their power being pulled out from the sinful thoughts. You can make things happen as your will commands it. You have your own sins and own mind, Levi. Use that... use those thoughts to build up powers and no one shall take anything from you anymore."
"Stop!!" Gritting on his mind, Levi made the thing that he wanted to happen from his mind, he stopped his own body, taking control of it for just a second, making it look weird in front of Luke's young eyes but mature mind. "I'm the one who's in control! No one can take my body! No one can overpower my envy!" Levi shouted on his mind, the space surrounding him changed, from just a dark space, it turned into that of an aquarium deep under the ocean.
Levi felt the devil's will wavered and focused his mind to see him lingering around this newly build mind space of his, "Get out of my mind, you devil!" Using his authority inside mind, Levi made the pressure inside overwhelming to an ordinary [Saint Rank] warrior. Even a [Demi-god Rank} may become pressured by the pressure he was using to pin the white-haired devil in front of him.
Levi wanted him to kneel, but the withered bag of old bones in front of him didn't waver and stayed standing still. He wanted him to leave, but there was some unknown force blocking his authority to control the devil's body. Making it submit to him didn't word, and instead, all he got from the white-haired devil was a laugh, a loud one at that.
"You dare make me kneel, foolish man! Even your father and his father before him will tremble just by seeing my face! You're not worthy to make this king bend his knees!" The devil said after a sinister laugh, leaving Levi confused on his feet.
"What you're doesn't make sense. I won't let you...", Levi started.
"That is not your choice to make, mortal. My orders are absolute!", the devil said. He then put his hands up, pointing his fingers to Levi, "Now, kneel!", he said as pointed his finger on the floor.
Suddenly, the pressure that Levi was giving to the devil reverted back to him, immediately pinning him down to the floor. He gasped in surprise, "What!"
With just a finger, the devil made Levi's mentally created body slam to the floor and took control of his real body again at the same time. As he started moving again and focused his eyes in front, the devil saw the child that he forcefully gave his blessing to.
Luke stared intently at his teacher and he was determined not to move an inch from where he stood, "Stop, Grandpa Levi! I won't let you hurt Nora!"
Levi's bloodshot eyes stared back at Luke with sinister intent. The devil possessing him wanted to really kill Nora, because he angered him. "Get away or you'll also die", he coldly said to Luke, lifting his arms up to claw the eyes of the girl concentrating in front of him. It was his last chance to kill someone now before he transfers body again, this time, to the most suitable one. As he thought about his plan, he stared at Luke in front of him, full of energy and innocence, still willing to sacrifice own life like he was not afraid of death, "It's a pity that your bravery will be useless when I take your body." He said, as he stated to move Levi's arm to claw Nora's head, when...
"Lazarus...", the devil heard the familiar voice speaking his name that he left behind. He stopped moving in surprise, putting down Levi's arm and turned slowly to see who called him.
There, he saw the face of a beastkin, a cat to be exact, staring seriously at him, like he could kill him and erase from the world in every moment.
"Muhammed..."