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For everyone else, it was formidable black magic. Yet, when it came to this opponent, it proved utterly ineffective!
Abdon couldn't believe it. He had never encountered such a situation before.
The Barut Kingdom was undoubtedly one of the world's leading nations. They wielded mysterious powers, and although magic had its drawbacks — rigorous training, a difficult initiation and time-consuming practice — when mastered, the power unleashed defied human imagination.
Magic came in diverse forms, typically categorised as elemental, alchemical, and potion magic, as well as the black magic that Abdon himself wielded. Of these, black magic reigned supreme!
It was a mystical magic that could manipulate the human mind, influencing emotions and plunging victims into inescapable despair and sorrow.
When your mental state teeters towards darkness, your ability to attack naturally crumbles.
But now, his magic had failed!
"This is impossible!" Abdon roared.
No sooner had he uttered these words than the Animal Path's foot lashed out.
Compared to the wizard's fragile physique, the Animal Path's physical strength was immeasurable. With a single sweeping kick, the air cracked with a thunderous boom.
Boom!
Abdon was blasted into a cloud of black mist as the kick tore through him.
The Rinnegan in the Animal Path's eyes narrowed. He clenched his right fist, coating it with Armament Haki, and lunged forward again.
The black mist was forcibly pulled out by the Animal Path's grip. The Armament Haki shattered the energy barrier, breaking through Abdon's magic and seizing his right foot.
"Got you!"
With a cold sneer, the Animal Path flung Abdon away with a violent jerk.
The wind whistled past Abdon's ears as he was thrown across the King's Great Hall. In an instant, he crashed into one of the palace's massive stone pillars, reducing the ancient structure to dust.
A agonising pain surged through Abdon's body, forcing a groan from his lips. Yet he reacted swiftly. Channeling black magic, he transformed into a serpentine wisp of black mist and slithered away from the stone pillar in a few swift movements.
Bang!
The instant he had evaded it, Animal Path's fist smashed into the pillar, sending another shower of stone fragments flying.
"Magic Ball!"
As he retreated, Abdon materialised, pointed his wand and unleashed a jet of black energy. In the blink of an eye, it struck Animal Path.
Boom!
The beam was so fast that it seemed to strike the instant Abdon unleashed it, leaving no time to defend himself.
Animal Path was immediately propelled backwards by the Impact Wave, flying dozens of metres until he slammed into the rear wall.
The King's Great Hall shook violently, sending debris cascading down to bury Animal Path beneath a mountain of rubble.
"So that's it! I still don't understand why black magic has no effect on you, but pure elemental and energy-based magic can hurt you!'
Abdon snapped out of his stupor, a ferocious grin spreading across his face.
"If I can hurt him, then I have nothing to fear."
Just then, Animal Path leapt out from the rubble. His right hand trembled as five black orbs materialized. With a violent flick of his wrist, he hurled them forward.
"Twentyfold power!"
Mindful of damaging the castle, the Animal Path held back his full strength.
Xiū xiū xiū!
The five black streaks of light shot three metres ahead of the Animal Path before suddenly expanding into cannonballs. They hurtled towards Abdon with blinding speed.
"Raging Fire Flames!"
Abdon pointed his magic staff and unleashed a barrage of crimson energy beams that surged forth like a powerful shockwave.
The crimson beams collided with the cannonballs in an instant, piercing them with devastating force and triggering massive explosions. The next instant, flames dove toward the Animal Path and erupted into a towering inferno engulfing a hundred-meter radius.
In the blink of an eye, the Animal Path was engulfed in flames.
The King's Great Hall was absolutely vast, no smaller than a football field.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind howled, causing the flames to suddenly flicker and dip. The Animal Path emerged from the inferno bathed in fire, his body completely ablaze.
"I'll go help him!"
At the entrance, Deva Path stepped forward.
Abdon was by no means weak. When he used his black magic against humans, it could have terrifying effects. It struck directly at the heart and mind, and even the most rigorously trained individuals couldn't escape its influence. Abdon was even more formidable because he was the only powerhouse in the Barut Kingdom who had mastered both elemental and black magic.
Conventional magic was as powerful as a Marine cannon shell, while wizard-level spells had the power to destroy an entire city.
At this stage of the battle, both sides were holding back, not yet unleashing their full potential.
The Deva Path's speed was astonishing. In just five seconds, he had already reached the Animal Path's side.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Gravitational force was unleashed, rapidly absorbing the flames engulfing the Animal Path.
The two clones then turned to face Abdon, their eyes cold and emotionless.
"Those guys' eyes..."
Abdon's gaze hardened. He sensed something mysterious about them, but, having never seen such a thing before, he couldn't quite place it.
"You take the left; I'll take the right!"
The Deva Path's icy voice had barely finished speaking when he sprang into action.
The two clones quickly split apart, flanking Abdon from both sides and launching simultaneous attacks.
"Magic ball!"
A blinding stream of light erupted and hurtled toward the Deva Path. Yet he didn't even blink; his figure merely swayed slightly to evade the projectile.
Sharing the Six Paths clone's vision allowed him to anticipate the direction of the incoming attacks precisely.
Stripped of its summoning abilities and the residual power of the World itself, the Animal Path clone was actually weaker than it had been in life. Victory would be difficult against Abdon's long-range magic.
By the time the magic ball slammed into the ground and caused a twenty-meter-wide area to collapse, the two clones were already upon Abdon.
"Armament!"
The Animal Path clone's arms were coated in Busoshoku Haki, or Armament Haki, and his fists struck out with ferocious force.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
The Deva Path clone extended his right hand and unleashed a terrifying gravitational pull that swept outward.
Abdon reacted swiftly, transforming into a wisp of black smoke and attempting to escape.
But, to his astonishment, the gravitational force managed to drag the black smoke back.
"This is gravitation!"
Abdon's face was frozen in shock.
In an instant, he was yanked before two clones.
Under this bizarre force, his entire body stiffened, rendering him immobile.
Thud! Thud!
Muffled impacts echoed as Abdon coughed up blood and was flung high into the air.
He was hurled over a hundred meters and crashed violently into the Throne, shattering the gold-forged King's Chair into fragments.
Abdon's already gaunt, ghostlike face grew even more ghastly.
He slowly staggered to his feet, muttering under his breath.
Eerie syllables escaped his lips. As the incantation flowed, his injuries began to heal at a visible speed.
"Your power... exceeds my expectations!"
"But from now on, you won't get another chance!"
(End Of This Chapter)