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Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
( 1 Corinthians 10 : 31 )
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*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
Deafening explosions reverberated with every exchange of blows.
The figure staggered back, her body covered in rugged armor revealing patches of gray fur. Her fangs gleamed menacingly as she clenched her teeth, and blood stained her fur, mingling with the red hue of her wounds.
"Huff... huff... he's barely taking any damage," she gasped for breath.
*BOOM*
Another figure soared above her, smaller in stature. She reached out her hand, catching the airborne figure, causing her massive frame to waver momentarily, yet she managed to regain her balance. Gently, she lowered the person back to the ground.
"Thanks," he expressed his gratitude.
"How can we defeat him?" she asked, her voice filled with determination.
"He's absorbing the demonic energy flowing from the gate," a man in a magician's cloak landed next to them.
"We must find a way to halt the flow of demonic energy," a silver-haired elf suggested, channeling his healing magic to tend to their wounds.
*BAM* *BOOM*
A hulking figure crashed down before them, cracking the already shattered ground.
"Hrrr... that hurt," grumbled the green-skinned orc as he struggled to rise.
All eyes were fixed on the figure standing opposite them, the final obstacle guarding the gateway to hell. He was a demon, once the emperor of the empire who had succumbed to corruption and transformed into a monstrous entity driven by his insatiable desires.
His appearance was that of a full-fledged demon, devoid of any remnants of humanity. His ebony skin exuded an aura of darkness, his once vibrant hair turned stark white, and his eyes burned with an intense, unyielding red hue. Two curved horns adorned his head, a testament to his demonic essence.
His gaze locked onto the weary group that had come to defeat him—men and women of various species, their clothes tattered, their armor in ruins, and blood oozing from their wounds. Yet they stood undeterred, united in their purpose, facing the ultimate adversary before them.
"Futile but commendable efforts," the demon taunted, his voice resonating with malevolence.
His piercing gaze swept over each member of the group, sending shivers down their spines. Though at a disadvantage in this battle, the demon withheld his attack, as if awaiting something.
"What's our plan, Ryker?" the orc turned to the man standing at his side.
Ryker remained fixated on the demon before them, his armor in disarray, his sword showing signs of wear and tear, his breath ragged, and his body radiating intense heat. Yet, he knew he wasn't the only one teetering on the edge of exhaustion. Each member of their valiant group was pushed to their limits.
"We must fight with everything we've got and seal the crack," Ryker declared, raising his sword as a crimson aura enveloped it.
"The demonic energy poses a significant threat. If left unchecked, it will consume us," the elf interjected, dark veins beginning to trace across his skin. As the most attuned to mana, he was the most susceptible to the corrosive effects of the demonic energy.
"We must bring an end to this fight. If we prolong it any further, we risk defeat," the magician stated, erecting a protective shield.
"Let's finish this," the orc proclaimed, hoisting his fallen axe.
As they strategized, their unwavering gazes remained locked on their adversary. They were poised to react swiftly at any moment, determined to achieve their goal.
They had battled relentlessly for the past thirty minutes, yet their efforts proved futile. The demon's regenerative capabilities and the unrelenting flow of demonic energy from the crack rendered him nearly invincible.
"Why do you persist in this struggle? Surrender to me, embrace eternal life," the demon tempted, observing their collective hesitation.
"Not interested. I'm not fond of men who babble too much," the werewolf retorted with a twisted grin.
Her body underwent a dramatic transformation as her muscles swelled, her nails elongated, and her face contorted into a grotesque visage resembling a horror story werewolf. But she wasn't the only one who experienced a metamorphosis.
Ryker's sword pulsated with condensed aura, and the orc's muscles expanded, making him even more imposing, natural forces swirled around the Elf as he summoned high-ranking spirits, and the air crackled with visible condensed mana as the Mage channeled his magical prowess.
"So, shall we have our final stand down," the magician asked as he levitated up.
"Gladly," the werewolf spoke.
"let's end it here once and for all," Ryker tightened his grip.
"I am taking down the shield, Fran take care of the demonic energy,"
"Oh, the spirit that guards the spirit world. the one that rules over the wind. I, Francis de Griffin, your contractor ask for your help…" the elf began his summoning.
"Let's go!!!," the Orc charged straight at the demon.
But he was a tad bit late as the werewolf arrived next to the demon, clawing at him. It was an attack that used her explosive speed to its max, making it impossible to avoid when caught off-guard.
*BAW*
But the demon sidestepped to avoiding the claws from touching him. His fist landed on the werewolf's face, sending her heavy body fling back.
"KIKEN!" a shout came from behind the orc as the shadow rushed forward.
"Got it," the orc stopped his charge.
The shadow avoided the flying werewolf and rushed toward the demon; its hand was a glowing sword. he swung his sword at the demon as the aura swirled terrifyingly.
[Crimson lion's first claw]
The sword rushed at a terrifying speed toward the demon's neck.
The demon's body blurred before it appeared next to Ryker, a kick landed straight on his abdomen as his body flunk back and crashed into the walk.
*boom**crash*
"Futile," the demon mocked.
"No," a voice sounded from above before multiple magic spells bombarded the demon.
"BOOM**BANG**Crack*
A bombardment of magic missiles, lighting spears, heat fission, etc, fell on the demon. each spell destructive on its own devastated the battlefield.
Dust rose high as it obstructed the view.
"URAAHHH!" the Orcan worrier shouted as he swung his axe.
He had stopped to catch the werewolf and rushed to attack when the magic bombardment fell on the demon.
*Boom*
His heavy axe came to a sudden stop with a thunderous boom, and the shock wave pushed the dust that obstructed the view.
The orc's eyes widened as he saw his ax caught by a black hand adorned with scales, the demon's body fully came into view. He was unscathed by the magic bombardment. His body exuded a black mist as his whole body was covered in black scale.
"Futile,"
*Crack*
With that word, he crushed the axe and gave a straight jap to the Orc who stood towering. Even though the orc was bigger, the light jab caused him to bend forward.
The demon raised its hand as he chopped down on the orc's head.
"NO, it's not,"
A claw rushed at him at a frightening speed from behind the orc. The werewolf had used the orc's body to hide her attack.
Seeing the attack closing in at a terrifying speed, he bent back to avoid the attack. The claw missed him by a hair's breadth.
But the demon's eyes noticed the sword coming straight at him, aimed at his neck in his bend posture. They had used the orc as bait and used a werewolf to bend and attack him from his blind spot.
The demon tried to move to dodge the incoming attack but was surprised to find out he was pinned.
"You are not going anywhere," the Orcan worrier shouted as he gripped down the demon using his weight and size.
"Don't forget me," A beastly voice sounded from the side as claws rushed towards his abdomen.
With the attacks only inches away from contact, with no way to avoid them, he raised his black hand to block the incoming attack.
*BOOM*
A thunderous boom reverberated across the broken hall as the attacks landed. The claws of the werewolf dug into the demon's abdomen where the scales were less, and the aura blade sliced through one hand but was stopped by the other.
"Ready," a shout came from above.
The orc, werewolf, and the swordsmen gave up on continuing their attack and moved away from the place.
*Rumble*
The rumbling of thunder came from the sky as the clouds gathered above the castle, blocking the sun and casting shadows over the darkened city. And it rained lightning. The silver lightning brightened the darkened castle as it devoured the entire space.
[God's tribulation]
The lightning filled the hall as it consumed the demon lying on the ground. It was one of the highly destructive magic that can only be used by 8th-circle mages.
"Hope you are ready," the mage shouted.
"Ready," came the reply.
As the lightning shower diminished, darkness enveloped the entire hall. But before the darkness could fill the space, a red pillar rose near the scorched floor, increasing in height as the red glow became brighter.
Ryker swung his sword down at the demon, who was stunned by the lightning. Black smoke rose from his body as the black scales on his body burned. With nothing to block it, the sword descended upon the defenseless demon lying on the floor.
[Crimson Lion's Earth-shattering Claw]
*BOOM*
The red pillar fell upon the demon like a predator's attack, meant to kill its prey in one strike. Ryker's aura tore into the demon's body, tearing it apart. The crimson hue exploded, illuminating the hall, and the resulting explosion shook the castle as the floor cracked further. Dust shot up, covering the hall and hindering their sight.
They all waited for the outcome of the attack, but they didn't let their guard down as they prepared for follow-up attacks. The elf waved his hand, causing the wind to blow away the dust. As the dust cleared, they saw the aftermath of the battle.
What filled their vision was the crater dug by the sword aura and the demon in torn pieces. His head was still alive, and his body was scattered across the crater. Ryker was on his knees, panting heavily.
"Insects, how dare you!" the head screamed as tendrils sprouted from his body, reaching for the torn pieces to regenerate.
*Swish*Swish**swish*
Multiple wind blades blew, severing the tendrils that tried to attach themselves.
"Don't even think about it," the elf said as he looked down at him.
It was then that the demon noticed his slow regeneration, and when he tried to absorb the demonic energy from his surroundings, he could only absorb a minute amount. His eyes then moved towards the elf again.
"YOU!"
It was then that he noticed the scarcity of demonic energy in the air around him. Fran, who was not participating in the battle, was using the high spirit he summoned to keep the demonic energy away from himself throughout the battle.
"This time you can't resurrect. That's it for you," the mage declared as lightning danced around him.
He threw down the lightning spear at the demon's head, obliterating it and turning it to dust. With the head destroyed, the swarming pieces of the demon's body stopped and slowly dissipated into dust. Seeing that the demon had turned to dust, they turned their attention toward the crack near the throne. The crack still glowed red as demonic energy flowed out of it. They waited with bated breath for the crack to close, and only when it was fully sealed could they breathe a sigh of relief. They waited, and without disappointing their expectations, the crack slowly collapsed on itself with no anchor. The crack shrank and vanished into thin air.
"Is it closed?" Ryker asked without taking his eyes off the spot where the crack had been. The mage stepped forward and extended his hand, sensing the mana around them. He keenly sensed the shift in the space around
them, confirming that everything had returned to normal. He turned and nodded at the group.
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