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"HAAAAHHH!"
With a mighty roar that sent shockwaves rippling in every direction, the Heavenly Demon unleashed his power without restraint. Any foe foolish enough to approach would be hurled away by the force alone.
His body suddenly swelled to three times its original size, becoming more muscular than ever. His wounds hardened into scars, and his missing wing regenerated from pure Ki, forming a blazing limb of red and black flame. Even his shattered beak reformed from solidified darkness.
"How amusing! You are not a demon like me, yet your power feels so similar to ours. I am simply at a loss for words! Now I definitely want you in my pet collection. Hahahaha!"
The Demon stopped sitting cross-legged and rose with a laugh. He realized the Heavenly Demon was about to get serious, so he prepared himself for the coming clash.
And yet—
FLASH!
The Heavenly Demon appeared directly above him in a split second. The Demon's eyes widened—all of them. He had barely seen the attack coming. Perhaps he had relaxed too much and underestimated his opponent after all.
"UGH?!"
The Heavenly Demon drove his fist into the Demon's nose with concentrated force, releasing a massive explosion of black, red, and purple flames. The Demon's head twisted violently in the opposite direction, his neck snapping from the impact. He plummeted toward the ocean, teeth flying from his shattered jaws.
SPLAAASH!
He crashed into the sea with tremendous force, creating a gigantic turbulent whirlpool. A nuclear-like explosion erupted moments later.
BOOOMMM!!!
The Heavenly Demon's punch carried not only raw physical power but also spiritual force. Upon contact, it triggered a delayed detonation that could accumulate damage and release it as multiple explosions at once.
"This is a new technique of mine. Did you enjoy having your damn skull broken?" The Heavenly Demon smiled proudly. "I call it {Cursed Fist Explosion}!"
As he laughed, the seas trembled and turned completely black. From the inky depths, a huge crimson eye opened and glared up at him. Its overwhelming presence generated crushing pressure, silencing even the Heavenly Demon.
RUMBLE!
The black seas swirled violently and rose into the sky. The Demon he had just struck emerged from the swirling mass, sitting atop the slimy, miasma-like water. Despite his slightly swollen face and bleeding broken nose, he looked as if he were enjoying the fight.
Indeed, his handsome features had been ruined, and the pain must have been excruciating. Yet he kept smiling, which only fueled the Heavenly Demon's fury even more.
"Hahaha! Amazing! Show me more! I like my pets as fierce as possible!"
The King of All Demons spread his arms wide. The eyes in his palms began to glow brightly as his full power started to manifest.
Hearing those provocative words, the Heavenly Demon grew even angrier. He gritted his sharp beak and clenched his fists tightly.
His aura swirled and transformed behind him, taking the shape of a gigantic black specter. It grew into a multi-armed, multi-headed crow demon wielding several weapons. Behind the specter, thousands of wailing souls appeared—not real souls, but representations of the tens of thousands of enemies the Heavenly Demon had slain. Their screams echoed through the air, turning the agony he had inflicted on others into his own source of strength.
"You really don't understand, huh? I'm not going to become your pet, shithead!"
Driven by rage, he charged straight at the King of All Evil. His boldness surprised even the other demons serving their king. He attacked this monstrous being without the slightest regard for his own life or a trace of despair in his eyes.
"That bastard… Is he really from this lowly world?!"
"I can't believe a world forgotten even by its creator would produce such a demon!"
"But he isn't a real demon to begin with!"
"Even then… Hahahaha! He's amusing!"
"As if he could ever defeat our King! His struggle is futile!"
"Who knows? He's the only one who has lasted this long against him!"
As the demons whispered among themselves while watching the battle, the Heavenly Demon's powerful black aura clashed violently with the fiery red aura of the King of All Evil. The collision alone generated a massive explosion that shook the entire world of Bestia and sent cracks spreading through space.
In that split second, as their eyes met, both fighters moved at lightning speed. Their fists flew toward each other's eyes, necks, and chests.
The Heavenly Demon's precise and masterful martial arts collided with the King of All Evil's raw brute force and unique fighting style.
Explosions of blood and torn flesh echoed across the sky. Every clash ripped away skin and shattered nails.
"This damn bastard is immensely strong, but he lacks technique!" the Heavenly Demon thought. "Despite how ancient this monster is, he probably never bothered learning proper martial arts. His movements are full of weaknesses and openings… But the problem is…!"
The Heavenly Demon pressed his attack with precise, dexterous movements. His strikes landed with devastating power. He punched the Demon's chin, then drove a kick into his stomach before the Demon could react. As the Demon crashed into the sea below, the Heavenly Demon followed with a relentless barrage of punches targeting his eyes, neck, stomach, and chest in an attempt to reach his heart.
BAAM! BAAM! BAAM!
His attacks were incredibly strong and accurate, yet the monster he faced was no cultivator, nor anyone from the Murim. Technically, he was not even considered a "person" by many.
He was simply a monster.
"AHAAAA!"
The Demon laughed as he thrust his claws upward while falling. His four muscular arms moved like blades at a speed the Heavenly Demon could not match in time.
"UNGH?!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Before he could defend, deep cuts covered his entire body. Blood poured freely as he failed to block even a single strike.
"He might lack technique, but he compensates with incredible physical prowess and supernatural abilities!"
"HYAAAHA!"
With a wicked grin, the King of All Evil surged forward. He kicked the Heavenly Demon squarely in the face, launching him high into the sky. He chased after him, spreading his wings to reveal countless crimson eyes across their surface.
Dozens of red laser beams shot from each eye, bombarding the Heavenly Demon. He quickly conjured multiple shields and barriers with his aura, using his Spectral Guardian to withstand the endless explosions.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Crack… crack…!
CRASH!
His barriers shattered like glass. His power had never been shaped for strong defense. The Heavenly Demon had developed all his techniques for pure offense.
"Hey! Aren't you going to fight back?! Didn't you say you were going to show me something?!"
The King of All Evil laughed as he reached the Heavenly Demon and swung his tail. The Heavenly Demon knew the stinger carried poison. He struck it with his left hand using a special technique, shaping his hand and aura into a black sword.
SLAAASH!
The blade sliced through the Demon's incredibly tough flesh and severed the tail completely.
The Demon groaned in pain. The Heavenly Demon grabbed the severed tail, yanked the Demon toward him, and punched his face with all his remaining strength.
BAAAMMM!!!
A violent explosion of black, purple, and red flames erupted from the impact, sending the Demon flying with his face destroyed once again.
The Heavenly Demon glanced at his own hand and realized he was missing two fingers. Scales and feathers had been torn away, and bite wounds covered the area.
"That feral bastard bit my damn hand!"
Even in Bestia, a world full of beast people, the Heavenly Demon had never encountered anyone savage enough to bite his hand during battle.
"Hahahah…! That hurt a lot, you know~?!"
The Demon floated in midair as his disfigured face slowly regenerated. His avatar possessed powerful regenerative abilities.
"But is that everything you can do? Then become my pet and let's be done with it…!"
"Nah, that's not everything I can do."
The Heavenly Demon smiled back, closing his bleeding fist.
"{Cursed Fist Explosion: Release}"
"Ngh?!"
Before the Demon could say another word, he felt his entire body begin to inflate. Every punch and blow he had received now activated the "curse" the Heavenly Demon had imprinted into the wounds.
As the power released, the curse exploded into flames from within his body.
The result was devastating. His body bubbled and bulged as countless internal explosions erupted one after another.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"UUUAAAGGH…!"
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