Chapter 15
The battle between Sorial and the devil escalated to an entirely different level.
His wife had joined as well.
Though she was not on par with either of them in raw might, she was more than capable of supporting Sorial from the rear, weaving her power with precision and intent.
Even so…
Facing the devil together, they still could not make him break a sweat.
After several harrowing exchanges, the two sides disengaged.
Sorial landed heavily, breath ragged, his face pale. Overusing his Azura had drained him badly, and on top of that, the white odachi was devouring his essence at an insane rate.
Releasing it was not an option.
Fighting the devil without it was suicide.
So he held on.
He had to.
For his wife.
For his children.
He only needed to stall long enough.
Just long enough for them to escape the city.
The devil stepped forward, flipping ashen dust with a single finger. His movements were calm, unhurried. The three daggers rotated around him like symbols of death, radiating suffocating danger.
His gaze shifted from Sorial to his wife, who was breathing heavily as well.
"Why are you still resisting?" he asked lazily. "You should already know there is no escaping me this time."
His red eyes gleamed.
"The only reason you managed to hide for so long was because of him. And he is nowhere to be found."
He shook his head slowly.
"Without him, no one can stall me. No one can hold me back."
He spread his arms slightly.
"Killing you brings me little benefit. So stop struggling. Surrender."
"Bow your heads."
"Receive my blessing."
Sorial's face hardened.
His grip on the odachi tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Doubt crept in.
Could he really do this?
Something gnawed at his gut, screaming the truth he did not want to face.
The devil was not using his full power.
Not even close.
Considering how many Shurals he must have devoured, his strength had surely grown to terrifying heights.
That oppressive power…
That was what Sorial was meant to face.
And stall.
He was too weak.
Far too weak.
Just as the thought of giving up brushed his mind, images exploded within him.
Gazel and Jarren bickering.
Karren dancing as her mother played the guqin.
Gazel staring at him like a devil after an especially brutal training session.
The innocent smile of little Trent.
It all flashed through him at once.
The doubt vanished.
Completely.
The flame of hesitation was snuffed out in an instant.
Sorial's mind entered perfect clarity.
There was no room for doubt anymore.
He would take the devil down.
Not because he was stronger.
But because he had to.
And because he would.
The wind surged, howling like roaring thunder as it wrapped around him.
"Olivia," he said calmly.
His wife looked at him with worry, but Sorial gave her a reassuring smile.
"Do not worry. I will handle this."
"I need to."
Olivia nodded.
She sat down cross legged, the guqin resting on her lap. Her expression sharpened as her mind reached perfect focus.
Then she began to play.
The melody echoed through the battlefield.
The howling wind around Sorial rippled slightly.
Something changed.
It was subtle.
Invisible.
But Sorial felt it.
His Radiance Core tightened, compressing inward, releasing even more essence as it nourished his Azura.
And the storm around him grew deeper.
Darker.
Hungrier.
Strength surged through him, reinforcing his body, sharpening his will.
Sorial did not hesitate.
He vanished.
Speed detonated beneath his feet as he launched forward, and at the same instant one of the three daggers orbiting the devil broke formation and shot toward him with brutal precision, aiming straight for his heart.
Then something shocking happened.
The wind around Sorial roared.
It thickened. Twisted.
And from that raging storm, a hand formed.
A massive hand of compressed wind and essence clenched around the incoming dagger mid flight.
With a violent twist, it flung the blade right back at the devil.
The devil's face remained calm.
But his eyebrow lifted slightly.
He was surprised.
Even if only a little.
"Oh? That little trick of yours will not be enough to save you," he said calmly.
The third dagger surged forward, joining the other two in a ruthless pincer attack.
They collided head on with Sorial's roaring whirlwind.
The impact was catastrophic.
Shockwaves exploded outward in all directions, ripping the ground apart, flattening buildings, and turning the air itself into a screaming wall of pressure.
Meanwhile, several meters away.
Three figures were running.
At the front was a white haired girl in her sixteenth year, carving a path through the demon horde with savage grace. Each swing of her bladed whip was drenched in killing intent and essence, every strike claiming lives.
Demons fell in droves.
Still, there were too many.
Far too many.
Reaching the city gate would take time. Precious time.
They had known this escape would be dangerous, but she believed she could handle it. As long as nothing went wrong.
She trusted her strength.
She trusted herself.
She would get her brothers out safely.
Then a strange sensation washed over her.
Her instincts screamed.
She spun instantly, snapping her whip forward with maddening force.
The flexible blade ripped through the air in eerie silence.
The impact was anything but quiet.
Several violent detonations rocked the space around her.
Karren was forced backward, skidding across broken stone before digging her heels in and stopping.
Her expression changed.
That attack was not ordinary.
Slowly, she looked up.
Standing quietly atop a half burned building was the Corruptor.
The same demon their father had once fought and defeated.
Its severed hands still had not regenerated.
Yet the danger it radiated now was far greater.
The demon named Scar.
Her grip tightened around her whip.
"Jarren. Gazel." Her voice snapped like steel. "Get out of here. The city gate is close. You can make it."
"Go. Now."
The boys hesitated.
Only for a moment.
Then they met her gaze.
Cold. Absolute.
They nodded and ran, charging toward the massive gate looming in the distance. Three figures, counting the small one Gazel carried in his arms.
Scar watched them leave.
He allowed it.
His attention returned to the white haired girl standing alone, whip in hand, a confident smirk tugging at her lips.
He spoke at last, his voice neutral, carrying a chilling edge.
"Do you truly believe you are strong enough to hold me back?"
Karren let out a low chuckle.
She shook her head slowly.
"No. You are getting it wrong."
The smile vanished, replaced by something colder. Sharper.
Her voice dropped, calm but heavy with killing intent.
"I am not going to hold you back."
She raised her whip.
"I am going to kill you."
To be continued.....
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