'It doesn't appear like they need any help...' Thought Aki as he observed the situation on their side.
However, just as he was doing so, Akane, who was in a dire predicament, noticed Aki's momentary lapse in attention.
'This might be my only chance, I can't miss it.'
Realizing the importance of this moment, Akane swiftly sacrificed the last of her fingernails to launch one final, powerful attack.
*Swish*
In an instant, before Aki could realize the danger he was in, another tail materialized near him, launching itself toward him at incredible speed, piercing through the air faster than a bullet.
'Huh?'
However, just then, Aki, who was distracted, suddenly froze in place as his heart dropped and his hair stood on end.
This was the closest Aki had ever been to death, or more precisely, with his increase in strength, this was the first time Aki had sensed death this clearly.
Sometimes, it's truly as the saying goes, the ignorant are somewhat blessed.
It's just that Aki didn't have time to dwell on such thoughts right now as after feeling the ever-nearing sense of doom, his body moved instinctually, using the side of his sword covered with the curse-like energy to protect his back, preventing the attack from piercing his body.
*BOOOM*
With the attack landing squarely on the side of the blade, an ear-shattering noise echoed through the space as Aki was launched backward uncontrollably.
*Swish*
*Crack*
*Crack*
*Crack*
Shooting into the ground, Aki's body skipped across it like a pebble on a lake, causing mini potholes and cracks to appear as stones and small fragments scattered from the impact.
"Agh!"
*BOOM*
Finally hitting a dead end in the form of a wall, a loud boom echoed as Aki's body embedded into it in a comically cartoonish manner.
If it weren't for him switching to the Dream Path and gaining a significant boost in physical strength, this attack would have likely been enough to fatally injure him, if not completely end his life.
However, even with this improvement and the fact that Aki was able to defend himself at the last moment, he still couldn't emerge unscathed.
*Cough*
Following the impact, even though there were no visible injuries thanks to his devil hunter suit and his defense, Aki couldn't help but spit out some blood, indicating he had sustained some internal injuries.
*Cough*
Coughing a few more times, Aki ignored his current state as he extended his arms, trying to extricate himself from the wall before his enemy could take advantage of the situation.
'Damn it! I got too careless...'
'...'
Frankly, if Lorien had been here, he would have most likely laughed his ass off, as dozing off mid-battle and turning his attention away was something he would repeatedly do even when he knew it was a bad habit.
However, at the very least, Lorien possessed a sufficient level of strength that made the danger of such pauses negligible, ensuring almost no enemy could take advantage of it.
It's just that such a thing wasn't viable for Aki, who somehow picked up this habit without reaching the minimum requirements for it.
Nevertheless, none of this mattered right now as Akane, who had succeeded in her sneak attack, immediately used her full force to target him.
Even the snake devil, which usually required sacrifices to lend its power, took this opportunity to counterattack on its own as payback for the previous pain inflicted upon it.
[Kon.]
[Swallow it whole.]
*Swish*
*Swish*
With both attacks rushing towards Aki at incredible speed, a look of relief couldn't help but appear on Akane's face.
'Newbie Devil Hunters, even with such great strength, they are still careless.'
'However, thankfully he doesn't have enough experience; Otherwise, this would have been bad.'
It's just that before Akane could begin her celebration, Aki, who appeared to be in a hopeless situation, suddenly extended his arms and formed a weird sign using his fingers.
"The accumulation isn't as much as I wanted, but, there's nothing I can do about it now..."
[Curse: Activate.]
*Bzzzz*
The moment this strange power was activated, dark energy surged from Aki's body, vibrating intensely, seemingly echoing across space, resonating into the unknown.
*Bzzzz*
Consequently, as this unknown and mysterious power reverberated through the space, weird patterns, runes, and witch-like murals suddenly emerged from the body of the snake devil completely enveloping it and preventing it from moving.
At this very moment, it was as if a powerful being had pressed the pause button on the snake, causing it to completely freeze in time.
That, alongside the weird patterns covering it and the dark atmosphere that suddenly enveloped the place accompanied by the whispers from the unknown, caused the previous hot-blooded battle scene to take a swift turn into horror movie territory.
However, what made it even more eerie was that the same pattern also began to emerge on Akane's body, with similar fashion and effects.
"Ughhh! Ughhh!"
Moving the only part of her body that wasn't fixed which was her eyes, Akane tried her best to see what was happening, emitting soft, breathless growls of frustration instead of the words she intended to express.
'Agh! What is this?'
However, unlike before, it seemed that Aki had learned from previous events, as shortly after this occurrence, the witchcraft-reminiscent patterns covering Akane and the snake devil's bodies began shifting with a dark hue, rapidly siphoning away their life energy.
It appears that Aki had no interest in wasting any more time, wanting to end this battle once and for all.
*Bzzzz*
*Bzzzz*
"This is the end...'
Watching as Akane and the snake devil's bodies quickly shrank, transforming into physiques reminiscent of thousand-year-old mummies, Aki couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief.
However, this time, he didn't stop using his power until the two in front of him finally disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving Aki with a look of pity on his face.
'Aah, It's a pity that I'm only at the [Awakened] stage, otherwise, absorbing this devil would have improved my strength greatly.'
'Thankfully, when I first received the Dream Path Seed, it allowed me to reclaim the power from contracted devils; Otherwise, who knows when or if I would have been able to restore my life force.'
'Speaking of which...'
*Crack*
*Crack*
Getting himself out of the pothole, Aki leaned against the wall beside him and turned his attention back to the other battlefield.
'Himeno should go to the restricted zone to try and switch paths; Otherwise, she won't be able to hold on for long with how things are turning...'
Meanwhile...
--Note--
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---Author---
P a t r e o n . c o m /AuthorHoussem (Support me there and get to read up to 15 advanced chapters or more) - You can finish reading the 3rd volume now~
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