Chapter 1161: The Demon: Clash

Their goal wasn’t to defeat the enemy.

It was to survive this battle.

Erkigal couldn’t fully grasp his intent, but she could tell that Souta wasn’t the type to fight without a plan. His eyes carried purpose—cold, calculating purpose.

"Stay alert for ambushes," Souta said. "Those demons must be hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike."

He was certain of it. The demons had instigated this war—they wouldn’t simply stand by and watch. The only explanation was that they were already here, lurking within the chaos, manipulating the armies from the shadows.

"Let’s go."

A crimson surge exploded from Souta’s body. His aura spiraled like a storm, shaking the air as he underwent his Released Form in a single motion. The sky dimmed under the pressure, the ground beneath him fracturing from the force.

His normal form wouldn’t be enough—not against twenty-two Hero-rank experts.

"Don’t hold back!" Souta roared, his voice thundering across the battlefield. "Kill them all!"

Murderous intent erupted like a tidal wave, sweeping through the fortress and the battlefield beyond. Under that suffocating aura, even the strongest felt their hearts tighten.

The true battle had begun.

Boom!!

The twenty-two Hero-rank experts froze for a brief moment as a suffocating murderous intent locked onto them.

"The Blood Lightning Monster...?"

"He’s going to make a move."

"Understandable."

Even among Hero-ranks, a few felt a chill crawl down their spine. Still, they wouldn’t cower. Their advantage in numbers was overwhelming—victory seemed inevitable. All they had to do was delay the Blood Lightning Monster, and reinforcements would flood in.

Across the God’s Continent, countless beings hungered for his death. Some wanted vengeance for the demon invasion. Others desired what the demons themselves sought—whatever secret lay within Souta.

Boom!!

The moment the Hero-ranks moved, the atmosphere itself changed. The air trembled, and the weight of their combined energy pressed down on the entire battlefield. Those below Hero-rank staggered, struggling to breathe under the crushing pressure.

"Souta..." Alice whispered, gazing toward the source of that monstrous aura. Her chest tightened, but she shook her head and turned back to the front lines.

She had no time to hesitate—tens of thousands of enemies were pouring into the [Five Elements Barrier Formation]. Among them, hundreds of Sixth Shackle Realm experts advanced like a tide of death.

Swoosh!!

In the next instant, several figures burst through the air, leaving trails of destructive energy in their wake.

Souta. Doranjan. Kessa. Erkigal.

They moved as one, their auras blazing.

In an instant, they pierced through the skies, broke past the barrier formation, and clashed head-on with the Hero-rank experts.

Boom!!

The heavens roared as the clash of legends began.

Boom!!

The sky split open.

A wave of destruction spread from the point of impact, rippling across the entire battlefield.

Even those who weren’t directly involved in the clash felt the pressure. It was as if the heavens themselves were about to collapse.

The [Five Elements Barrier Formation] trembled violently. Cracks ran across its luminous surface as energy storms raged above.

"Wh-What’s happening?!" a soldier shouted, covering his face as debris and sand were lifted by the shockwave.

"The Hero-ranks have begun fighting!!" another screamed back.

Alice gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand firm as the pressure bore down on her body. The moment Souta and the others clashed, the sheer scale of the energy overwhelmed everyone below.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted endlessly in the sky. Each impact sent destructive waves of mana crashing into the ground, tearing apart mountains and evaporating entire battalions of soldiers.

The battlefield turned into hell.

Even the experts of the Sixth Shackle Realm were forced to withdraw, unable to get close to the source of the battle.

"Everyone, maintain your position!! Reinforce the formation!!" Alice shouted, her golden eyes flaring. Golden energy burst from her body, spreading to the nearby troops.

Vashno stood beside her, releasing his energy to stabilize the crumbling barrier. "At this rate, even the barrier won’t last for long."

"We just have to endure," Alice said. Her voice was steady, though her hands trembled slightly. "Once the Commander finishes... we retreat."

In the distance, the sky was no longer blue. It was dyed crimson and gold—streaks of lightning, flame, and blood twisting together as Souta and the Hero-ranks battled beyond human comprehension.

The soldiers of Astros could only watch from below, their morale flickering between awe and despair.

Some cried out Souta’s name.

Others fell to their knees, praying to gods that no longer answered.

And high above them all, the clash of higher beings continued to tear the skies apart.

Boom!!

Shockwaves tore through the air, shaking the entire battlefield.

Souta had ignited the war between high-level experts. The Hero-ranks on the opposing side had no choice but to respond.

Doranjan, Kessa, and Erkigal blitzed toward the enemy ranks. The only Eighth Shackle Realm expert immediately clashed with Kessa—flames and darkness colliding in a cataclysmic burst.

Twenty-two Hero-rank experts.

It was a lineup that even the Large Countries could produce.

And below them—tens of thousands of experts surged toward the Guardian Fortress like an unending tide.

Souta raised his hand. Blood spiraled around his arm, then erupted into the sky.

Swoosh!

Countless crimson spikes formed above him before raining down on the enemy army like a scarlet storm.

Splat! Crack! Boom!

Screams followed. Hundreds were impaled instantly; thousands more were shredded and burned by the blood energy’s aftermath.

"No!!"

"Help me!!"

"B-Blood Lightning—!"

The cries were drowned beneath the sound of rupturing flesh and burning earth.

When the rain finally stopped, a vast field of corpses stretched below. The survivors stared up at the sky in horror, trembling under the crimson light. Fear seeped deep into their bones as they gazed at the legendary Blood Lightning Monster.

Souta exhaled slowly, crimson mist swirling around his body as his power surged. His eyes gleamed with cold determination.

Then he turned his head.

Three figures stood before him, their energies flaring violently.

"Oh?" Souta tilted his head slightly, his tone calm and sharp as a blade. "Are you three going to fight me—or just stare?"

The three figures stepped forward. Each radiated immense power—aura bending the air around them.

All of them were Seventh Shackle Realm experts.

Two were old men, their faces lined with experience and killing intent. The third was a woman in her thirties, her long crimson hair swaying behind her. One of the men wasn’t human—his fox ears twitched, and seven tails flicked behind him like coiled whips of energy.

The demi smirked faintly. "Blood Lightning Monster... your reputation truly precedes you."

Souta’s lips curled upward, faint arcs of red lightning dancing across his skin.

"Good. Then you already know—"

He vanished.

"—how this ends."

BOOM!!

The three Seventh Shackle Realm moved but the impact pushed them away from each other.

"Blood Lightning Monster, just what are you hiding from the demons?"

The tall woman stepped forward, her revealing battle gear glinting under the crimson light. Two greatswords hung in her hands, both etched with runes that pulsed with killing intent. Scars ran across her body—badges of countless battles.

Souta smiled faintly. "A demon...?"

"Hmph! Do you think we’ll believe that?" the slender man in the greenish outfit snapped. His voice was cold, his movements coiled and sharp like a viper waiting to strike.

They clearly didn’t buy his words. None of them did.

Even so, they didn’t rush in recklessly. Each kept their distance, circling, reading every twitch of Souta’s body. They knew the legends—one careless step, and their corpses would be erased before they hit the ground.

Souta’s grin widened. "Why bother asking me...?"

He lifted his hand.

The [Orb of Arcane Seal]—a universal-grade artifact—floated beside him, pulsing with crimson and black light.

"Let’s talk with strength."

The artifact hummed. Spells activated in quick succession—layered enchantments and formations overlapping in a spiral of sigils.

The three Hero-rank experts’ instincts screamed.

They blurred into motion—splitting apart just as pillars of blood erupted where they had been standing, tearing through space and pulverizing the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The demi with fox ears raised both hands, his seven tails glowing like molten streams of mana. "Blessing of the Sevenfold Moon!"

Ohm!!

Energy surged. His aura washed over his two companions, boosting their strength and speed severalfold. The pressure from their combined power made the very air quake.

They couldn’t afford restraint—not against him.

Souta’s eyes gleamed with crimson light. "Good. Show me your best."

Blood and lightning intertwined around his body, his form flickering with violent energy. He launched forward, cutting through the air like a scarlet meteor.

The gravitational field around him distorted reality—rubble and dust bent toward him as though the world itself was being dragged into his orbit.

Crack!

Each of his steps shattered the air.

The three Hero-ranks braced themselves, weapons ready, as the Blood Lightning Monster descended upon them.

The tall woman and the slender man braced themselves.

In an instant, they clashed with Souta.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Shockwaves exploded in rapid succession. The land trembled as violent energy storms tore through the battlefield.

Within just a less than a second of fierce combat, the two Hero-rank experts were blown away—sent hurtling several kilometers through the air. When they stopped, their bodies were battered and bloodied, armor cracked and breathing ragged.

Souta exhaled slowly, his form now clad in the [Blood Armor: Divine Retribution]. Crimson light pulsed through the cracks of the armor like living veins of lightning.

They had only exchanged blows in less than a second—but for experts of their caliber, that meant hundreds of strikes, too fast for the naked eye to follow. To the warriors below, it was as if the heavens themselves had collided.

The three Hero-rank experts fixed their gaze on Souta, their expressions grim.

"The power of the Blood Lightning Monster... it’s stronger than we thought."

"He’s too much for one of us alone."

They exchanged quick, knowing glances.

A silent agreement passed between them.

They would have to fight together—with everything they had—if they wanted even the faintest chance to bring him down.

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