6:00 PM
JULIA'S POV:-
"So you are the supreme Red maniac, it would be an honour to fight with you. Although I do like to fight without any cheap tricks, the situation doesn't permit me to do so. Apologies for the misconduct. I'll be taking your power after defeating you, so-"
-Boom
Orion was suddenly attacked by Julia and pushed back a few 100 metres.
"....and give them the blessing to fight without stopping [Wood magic: Nature's Eternal blessing]", Sophia completed her chant.
Her silent chanting is the best, even I would have difficulty in finding when she started chanting.
The area around us started shining. My power increased 2...no 3 times if I include the weakening effect. The two high devils looked weakened too. The supreme devil looked fine though.
"How long?" I asked Sophia.
"2 minutes, at least remember your party members ' spells and tricks", she said. Knowing her, she would have cursed me once or twice too in her mind.
The supreme devil stood up. "-so let your power be used for the greater good". He completed his line, of which, I don't remember the first part anymore.
He looked a bit annoyed too.
Then...
"[Devil Transformation: Myths of Nidhogg]", He activated his transformation. The black pattern changed and his body expanded. His head looked like serpents and had claws instead of hands.
His wings turned into ash colour and were twice as large and a lizard tail grew from his back.
'huh?'
Isn't it too early for that? Are they in a hurry?
He vanished from his position and came right in front of me.
"Looks like this is it then." He said.
"[Collapse]", I heard Sophia say and the ground below the devil collapsed...or more as the ground ate him.
"Activate your domain!! Now!!", shouted Sophia.
"[Red domain of the fallen Angel: Gehenna]", I activated my domain.
My eyes turned into fire and the fire in my fists turned dark red.
The area turned red and the trees started burning, my power first decreased due to the weakening of Sophia's magic and then increased massively.
Combining my domain and Sophia's magic, I should be roughly at my original power.
-Boom
The devil came back up tearing the ground. He was flying a few metres above the ground.
"That's it. I am going to absorb your power first." He said pointing at Sophia.
He then flew towards Sophia. Fast, really fast.
Without my domain, I wouldn't be able to catch up to that bastard.
'Is speed his strong point?'
I jumped in between them and attacked him. Our fists collided, then we were both pushed back. His claw burnt and my fist had a cut on it.
'Damn it...I can't drag this too long.' I thought.
I then used full force and attacked him with a barrage of fists. He too did the same.
10....100....1000....5000...we kept hitting each other...I was taking damage but so was he.
I took a step back, he followed...I stood on one of my legs and kicked him with the other...followed by a barrage of kicks...he still used his claws.
We were at a stalemate.
But then...a blue fireball came at me from a different direction. I lost my balance a little.
The devil took advantage and grabbed my legs and then threw me up in the air.
I tried to take a look at the situation.
One high devil was throwing spells at me the other was attacking Sophia.
Sophia was fighting the high devil and protecting me at the same time.
'She shouldn't have any problem fighting them...then why?.. Why was she struggling..ah! the weakening scroll! but she should activate her domain too...why isn't she doing that?....unless there is something that she knows and I don't.'
The devil attacked me but I propelled myself back and somehow ended up in a defensive stance.
'He is in a hurry. But why?'
The devil kept attacking me in the air and I kept defending until we reached the ground.
As soon as we reached the ground, I used the surrounding fire to cover him but it had little effect, still, it gave me enough time to push back and prepare for a counter-attack.
I blended with the surroundings and attacked the devil from all sides this time.
The attack was a lot weaker than a direct attack but looked like he was struggling.
'But...I need to finish this fast'
SOPHIA'S POV:-
These devils' motive...if I am correct are the children, I said as one of the devils attacked me...
and the other was....that f****r kept attacking Julia.....give me some break you bastard!
'They are in a hurry.'
'Something must have happened.'
'I don't want to believe it, but....but they are just distractions...a supreme devil is a distraction?.. Normally it would be nonsensical...I hope it's nonsensical...but there is no other way to explain their hurry to finish the fight'. I muttered
'They were normal when they appeared...but now... something must have happened from the children's side that was not within their expectations... Amanda... Linda... everyone... please survive until mama comes...just a few more minutes.' I prayed.[3]
"Looks like I don't have any choice...I am generally not that desperate but...[Wood Domain: Gaia's Garden]", I activated my domain.
My domain overlapped Julia's and they were cancelling each other...' she won't be able to concentrate on this site but...this should be enough'
The devil kept attacking me but, now that I was faster, I kicked him away and started chanting faster, "blessing of the earth, blessing of the moons, blessing of the suns, blessing of the trees. The evil around me, the one which purges normal and creates aberration. Erase those presences and let them become the nutrition for the saplings of the future. [Domain Magic: WoodLand of Life and Death]", I chanted using most of my mana...
The surrounding trees grew up and became more violent. They attacked the devils from all sides and started consuming their life energy. Slowly and slowly they started dying.
I exhausted most of my mana.
'This should be enough for now', I muttered as I looked at Julia who was also finishing her fight.
Julia muttered something, and a fire dragon appeared in the sky.
'Looks like she is using her full power too'
The devil's features were a bit ugly now...he was charred all over.
But...If he ends up defending against that, Julia might lose...So, "[Wood magic: vine control]", I took control of the vines in that area and shook the ground, distributing his balance. But it's not enough..."[Wood magic: Nourishment to death]", I used magic which normally would have killed a mid devil, but it looked like it had little effect on him....but.....this should be enough.
The dragon attacked the devil.
A silence prevailed.
Then
Julia moved towards the devil...she was injured... she was covered with blood all over her body. She had used all of her mana too.
The smoke cleared, the devil was charred black...he was barely alive...
"It...was...fun...than-", before he could mutter something.
Someone or 'something' came and kicked Julia away, he had an unconscious body in one hand. He threw the body away... looking at the body...she was Samantha, Corey's instructor.
He then took the supreme devil's body in his hand saying, "sorry Orion, with you using your body transformation..it would take a decade to get back into your prime and Lord Ladros ordered me to absorb the 'failed' ones to become useful in making other devil's power. He said that we don't have much time.", he then absorbed Orion.[1]
The other devils looked shocked...
' looks like it wasn't planned or...maybe they didn't know this was part of the plan', I thought taking a glance at the dying high devils who were also shocked.
Then he moved towards Julia and kicked in her stomach and said, "Everything according to plan" with an ugly smile on his face.
Large claws, monster-like sharp teeth, red eyes, completely black from head to toe, one horn and two black skeletal wings.
'Supreme Devil: Hell creeper', I muttered horrified
One of the worst supreme devils loves to massacre and is extremely agile. Even before turning into a devil, he was a cold-blooded killer....no...he was a psychopath who killed people for fun.[2]
Julia was looking fiercely at the devil.
The devil moved his hand slowly towards Julia's head.
'There must be something I can do, I have to save her...I have to save Julia...I must move-'
I tried to move my body but.....
....fear had already taken over me.
Hopelessness surrounded the area, as...
another supreme devil entered the battle.
'Is this how it ends? Getting absorbed as a devil's nutrition, I smiled...my mental state was maddening
'Linda... Amanda...please be saf-'
""MOTHER!!!!"", shouted someone from the other side.
Corey and Chase.
My despair intensified
If they came, then the other children might too...
Linda... Amanda...
This is the worst case scenario...
.....................
Author's note:
1. I already explained in the auxiliary chapter but devils absorb other living creatures to sustain the demon energy within them. They can absorb more powerful people's life force to become more powerful.
2. Devils have converted species who were once orcs, elves, humans, etc. Unlike demons who were a different species.
2. Sophie is the mother of Linda and Amanda.