Chapter 143: Advent of the Great Evil (3)

A surge of darkness exploded outward, sending Rakuza crashing violently across the ground. “Rakuza!” Shadranes screamed in horror. “Ugh...!” Rakuza groaned through clenched teeth, pain radiating across his face. His arm had become stained black, corrupted as the darkness swiftly spread upward, invading his flesh. Without hesitation, Shadranes urgently channeled holy energy, desperately fighting to purify the sinister corruption. Her radiant light engulfed the creeping darkness, burning it away until it vanished into nothingness. Breathing heavily, Rakuza fought through lingering agony and glanced down at the sword still gripped in his trembling hand. “M-my sword...” Strengthened by the holy scripture, the sacred blade had snapped clearly in half—shattered by the sheer force of Lubitra’s demonic eruption. After quickly healing his wounds as best he could, Rakuza raised his gaze again toward the demon. Lubitra remained completely unharmed. Not even the slightest scratch marred his calm, composed visage. “How remarkable that you can invoke the scripture so extensively. You must have truly pleased your god with such devotion,” Lubitra mocked with an eerie gentleness. “It delights me even more knowing that devotion will soon be extinguished by my own hand.” Lubitra raised his pale, slender hand into the air. Threads of dark energy flowed out like venomous tendrils, rapidly forming deadly whips. He swung them effortlessly at the two, forcing both Shadranes and Rakuza into immediate action. Boom! “Ugh!” Shadranes struggled desperately under the relentless barrage of twisted threads. Their volume and potency were now terrifyingly different, as if all previous attacks had been mere child’s play. Suddenly, the twisted threads veered past her, intentionally avoiding a direct hit. Shadranes’s confusion swiftly turned to panic as her eyes widened, realizing too late that the threads had maneuvered behind her, cutting off any possible escape. In moments, a net-like formation rushed inward, aiming to ensnare her completely. Terrified, Shadranes screamed out another verse from the holy scripture. “Book of Bruhora, Chapter 3, Verse 22! Kalosia’s divine giant protects his holy land from all invaders.” Instantly, a colossal being of pure holy light manifested, shielding Shadranes with its massive body. The incoming threads wrapped viciously around the giant, squeezing and constricting its form. The divine guardian fought back furiously, radiating intense holy energy, attempting to burn away the demonic bindings. Yet, to Shadranes’s horror, these impossibly fine threads neither snapped nor burned—instead, they tightened mercilessly as if mocking the giant’s resistance. The body of the holy guardian slowly began to fracture. Shadranes’s face twisted in disbelief. The guardian summoned directly from scripture, a sacred defender of Kalosia’s land, was crumbling far too easily. Despite its desperate struggle, the giant failed to endure. Its luminous form shattered, dissipating in a burst of fading brilliance. Freed from resistance, Lubitra’s twisted threads raced toward Shadranes, eager to seize their prey. “No!” In a flash, Rakuza drew his spare sword, swinging it desperately at the encroaching threads. Although he barely managed to deflect them, it was enough—Shadranes narrowly escaped the deadly net, stumbling backward to safety. “Th-thank you, Rakuza.” She gasped breathlessly. “No need for thanks,” Rakuza replied grimly. Sweat dripped heavily from Shadranes’s forehead, yet they had no opportunity to recover. Lubitra lazily flicked his finger, reshaping his threads of darkness into a rigid, straight line. With a casual wave, he sliced through the air several times. The earth beneath them shattered into countless cubes, collapsing and crumbling chaotically. Rakuza barely avoided the devastation, his expression twisted in bitter disbelief. “This... this can’t be!” Now that Lubitra had grown serious, they were utterly helpless. Like frightened animals trapped before a towering giant, all they could do was desperately dodge, barely managing to survive. Rakuza refused to accept this overwhelming disparity. “How is this possible? No matter how strong you are, we’re both still Transcendent!” Rakuza shouted. Lubitra’s strength was undoubtedly at the peak of the Transcendent level, yet he was not at the Hero rank. He should have been within their reach. They too belonged to that same Transcendent tier, warriors blessed with divine energy and wielding the power of scripture, which was the ultimate weapon against evil. Yet, despite all that, they were completely overwhelmed by a single demon. “It’s impossible!” Rakuza roared defiantly. Lubitra responded with a patient, chilling calm. “Indeed, you two are not weak.” He gazed at the Saintess, who was capable of invoking the scripture, and the Transcendent holy knight. Combined, they should easily defeat most demons whose names were not well-known. “But I am Lubitra, Demon of Twisted Threads.” Two centuries ago, a religious order rose to prominence. They too had a Saintess and elite holy knights of Transcendent level. In truth, their collective strength surpassed even the current followers of Kalosia. Yet, that powerful, promising order had fallen at the hands of one solitary demon: Lubitra. This demon was just below the legendary Heroes. It was said to be the absolute pinnacle attainable by beings through normal means. Within the Transcendent tier itself, the difference in strength between its sub-ranks was immense. Even wielding the scripture, even empowered by divine energy, they could never bridge that enormous chasm. “Yes, we demons were defeated by your god,” Lubitra murmured coldly. “In the great war between gods and demons long ago, we lost. We were banished from the mortal realm and imprisoned in Hell.” His voice resonated with quiet intensity. Lubitra continued, “But it was the gods who defeated us, not you mortals who merely borrow their strength.” Lubitra swung his hand, weaving countless threads of dark energy together into a massive, spear-like shape. Its mere presence radiated a destructive force beyond comprehension. “Now, try and stop this,” Lubitra said. Initially preparing to dodge, Shadranes and Rakuza froze in horror, realizing what lay behind them. The sacred sanctuary stood defenseless at their backs. If they moved aside, Lubitra’s colossal spear would annihilate the holy barrier and everyone inside. “Rakuza...!” Shadranes called desperately. “Got it!” Without hesitation, Rakuza plunged his sword deeply into the ground, anchoring himself. Shadranes summoned her last reserves of strength, shouting fiercely with determination. “Book of Kudon, Chapter 13, Verse 24! Kalosia halted his journey and spoke thus: From now on, this land shall be mine, and you who serve me shall dwell here forever. Build your homes upon this land, for it shall be your sanctuary!” Whoong— A majestic barrier of radiant gold descended from above. It was the legendary shield Kalosia himself had established before leaving the mortal realm—a divine wall now invoked through the holy scripture. Lubitra smiled mockingly, slowly pulling back his hand. “Ah, the Wall of God. Excellent.” Then, with a violent crack, Lubitra launched the massive spear forward. The air itself shattered with a deafening boom as the spear collided with the golden barrier. Light and darkness fiercely clashed, generating an earsplitting roar. Shadranes’s face grew deathly pale as she watched helplessly—the divine barrier was already buckling, fracturing slowly beneath the devastating force of Lubitra’s unstoppable spear. “Ugh...!” Shadranes clenched her teeth tightly, drawing out every last shred of divine energy left within her. Rakuza followed suit, pouring in all his remaining strength into the holy barrier. The golden wall intensified, glowing brighter and sturdier under their desperate effort. Yet, their resistance was short-lived. The clash of immense powers became too intense for either side to withstand, and the pent-up energy suddenly burst outward in all directions. Boom! The barrier shattered spectacularly, scattering fragments of golden light. At the same moment, the spear of darkness could no longer hold its shape and exploded apart, dissipating violently. The collision had ended in a draw, but the outcome of the battle itself was already decided. “Agh...” Shadranes collapsed to the ground, utterly drained. She had spent every ounce of her strength and could no longer lift herself from the dirt. Rakuza fared slightly better, though he still struggled, hunched over like an exhausted elder, leaning heavily on his sword just to stay upright. In stark contrast, Lubitra stood calmly, wearing an expression of mild amusement. With an almost mocking admiration, he even offered them a slow clap. “Impressive. Truly impressive,” Lubitra remarked, his tone genuinely fascinated. “To think just the two of you managed to neutralize an attack I unleashed with full power. You deserve my praise.” “You... damned demon...” Rakuza gasped bitterly. “Your struggle has been quite commendable. A shame that all your desperate efforts will amount to nothing.” Lubitra casually waved his hand again. Threads of demonic energy poured out in countless streams, slithering across the earth like serpents and quickly encircling the entirety of Kalosia’s holy land. The sanctuary was no small structure. The barrier protected a space large enough to contain a modest city—yet Lubitra’s threads effortlessly encased the entire perimeter. Then, without hesitation, Lubitra closed his fist tightly. The twisted threads constricted immediately, crushing the barrier with relentless force. Cracks spread across its golden surface at an alarming speed. Under immense pressure, the ancient barrier that had held strong for centuries finally succumbed, shattering like fragile glass. Fragments of radiant energy drifted down like shattered crystal, falling silently upon the desecrated earth. The barrier, which had stood unbroken since the sanctuary’s founding, was destroyed in a single moment. Inside, terrified believers screamed in anguish, realizing their defeat. Despair and terror spread like wildfire through the once-holy sanctuary, now defenseless and vulnerable. “No... this can’t be...!” Shadranes whispered weakly. Protecting the holy land had been her sacred duty as a Saintess. Yet, she couldn’t even move a finger to resist now, helpless against the reality of defeat. Lubitra spoke softly, his voice eerily gentle. “I shall spare your lives for last. Watch carefully as the land you devoted your lives to defending is transformed into a monument of evil. That shall be my final mercy.” From the surrounding plains, fountains of darkness erupted violently, signaling the ritual nearing its completion. The divine sanctuary would soon become a demonic altar. Lubitra’s voice resonated deeply, spreading through the hearts and minds of all who cowered within the sanctuary. “Hear my words, mortals.” The sinister proclamation echoed like thunder. Believers inside fell to their knees, overcome by fear. “This sanctuary, abandoned by the god you serve, shunned by the world, shall become our foundation stone, from which we shall march forth to reclaim the mortal realm.” This was the prophecy delivered to the dark mages. It was the sacred command given by a greater being to prepare for a new invasion of the mortal realm. “Construct the cornerstone of the darkness. Offer yourselves as sacrifices and open the gateway. My servants shall descend upon this land, and thus our first pillar will stand firm,” Lubitra continued. It was the prophecy delivered directly from the Demon King himself. “Everything proceeds exactly as foretold,” Lubitra murmured with satisfaction, gazing upward at the darkening skies. The spreading darkness had completely eclipsed the sun, covering the world in shadow. Soon, the transformation of this palace into a sanctuary of darkness would be complete. “How fortunate. Perhaps I’ll even earn a higher rank for my service today,” Lubitra mused pleasantly, anticipating the imminent completion of his victory. However, at that precise moment, something unexpected occurred. The darkness above began to fade, gradually allowing rays of sunlight to pierce through once more. “Hm?” Lubitra frowned, genuinely puzzled by this sudden change. He wondered why the darkness had begun to recede. Before he could analyze the situation, a massive explosion echoed in the distance. Boom! The shockwave of tremendous power reached even where Lubitra was standing, vibrating through the ground beneath his feet. Lubitra rapidly spread his senses outward—and suddenly, his eyes widened in disbelief. “What...?” Lubitra murmured. The altar of darkness, where the ritual to corrupt the sanctuary had been nearly completed, had suddenly been destroyed. “Impossible!” It was incomprehensible. He had personally slain all the holy knights, and even now, the Saintess and the strongest among them lay defeated at his feet. Kalosia’s forces were thoroughly crushed, unable to retaliate. Furthermore, Lubitra was certain that a Transcendent dark mage guarded the altar, strong enough to repel any ordinary assault. Yet, inexplicably, the altar had been destroyed. As he attempted to understand this anomaly, a sudden gust of wind brushed past, sending chills racing down his spine. Lubitra’s finely honed instincts warned him of immediate danger—a presence rapidly approaching. Instantly, Lubitra raised his hand defensively, swiftly weaving the twisted threads around himself to create a protective barrier. At that exact moment, an overwhelming force collided against him. “Ugh!” Lubitra slid backward under the forceful impact, bracing himself firmly to maintain his balance. Though his defense had successfully absorbed most of the blow, shock still filled his eyes. I... was pushed back? Lubitra thought. He had effortlessly deflected attacks powered by the holy scripture. Yet, the strength behind this attack had surpassed even that. He narrowed his eyes sharply, searching for the source of this formidable assault. “Oh? You blocked that strike? That’s certainly new. You’re the first one to do so since I stepped outside.” A voice, filled with casual amusement and curiosity, resonated clearly. Upon seeing its source, Lubitra’s normally composed voice wavered in astonishment. “Barbarian...?” Indeed, the barbarian stood proudly in front of him. Ketal’s lips curled into a confident grin. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you... demon.”