Chapter 217: Perspective
Chapter 217: Perspective
"Lava Slash!" Marlon roared, swinging his katana with determination. The blade transformed into bright red-hot metal, ready to unleash its devastating power.
SWOOOOSH!
Marlon disappeared from the spot, using the intense pent up heat in his body to propel himself forward at an incredible speed over a short distance.
Of course, from Reign's perspective, he could clearly see the hunter's movements because of his high reaction time.
He could even tell how hot the metal was; it was a miracle that the katana could withstand such intense heat.
When Marlon reappeared, he was already above Reign, his form a shadow against the day sky.
Gripping his katana with both hands, he focused the raging power from his whole body in a single strike.
He swung down his katana with all his might, the heat igniting the air as flames and sparks erupted around him, even before the blade reached its target.
"This is for all the humans you killed," Marlon spoke in a cold tone.
Reign saw the attack coming but made no move to dodge.
Instead, he raised his hands, coating them with negative energy to increase its tolerance against Heat and flames.
The dark energy turned his hands pure black, completely covering the red lightning pattern.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The collision between Reign's palm and the hot-red katana sent shockwaves rippling through the air, flames and sparks erupting around them.
Nearby buildings crumbled as steel beams melted, and the fire spread across the road, burning everything in its path.
It was like a part of the city had been bombed with napalm, leaving behind a scene of chaos and devastation.
When the clash was over, Marlon dropped to the ground, his knees sinking into the searing-hot pavement beneath him.
But at this point, he was already too numb to even feel the pain.
Whatever temperature the outside, the agony coursing through his body was far worse and more unbearable to tolerate.
COUGH!
COUGH!
He coughed blood and gasped for breath, his chest heaving under the immense pressure bearing down on him.
The acrid stench of smoke filled his nostrils, mingling with the crackling of flames that still raged around him.
'Is he dead?' Marlon muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the crackling flames and the ringing in his ears.
When his attack landed, he felt the impact sending the demon hurtling downwards
But as he scanned the place, there was no sign of the demon's body amidst the fire.
For a fleeting moment, he dared to entertain the idea that maybe the demon had a weak defense, or was super vulnerable to fire, and that he actually one shot it.
"I've got to admit, that attack was pretty strong," Reign's voice cut through the crackling flames from behind Marlon.
Startled, the hunter whirled around and slashed his katana, but it was effortlessly stopped by Reign's left hand.
Seeing this, Marlon pushed his remaining power towards the katana, intending to increase its temperature enough to melt Reign's palm.
However, despite his efforts, the extreme heat generated by the blade seemed to have no effect.
The reason Reign was sent flying downward before was not because of the force of Marlon's technique, but rather because he was attacked while mid-air.
This caused him to lose stability as he struggled to flap his wings against the force, a maneuver he had forgotten to execute properly since it was his first time being hit while flying.
"I have to admit that you're impressive, but you're not the only one who has that kind of attack," Reign chuckled to himself as he raised his Skull Grinder using his right hand and revved it up to the fullest.
Dark red lightning coursed through the weapon, making the cutting teeth spin faster and faster until they glowed bright red from the friction.
"Thank you for the inspiration," Reign said, slashing the Grinder straight directly toward Marlon, who was still holding the hilt.
'Not good,' Marlon reacted instinctively, letting go of his katana and using the heat pressure from his body to jumped backward just before Reign's attack could connect.
With a burst of speed, he managed to put a distance of 50 meters between them, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. Now, he just need to find a way to get back his katana and salvage the situation.
That's what he had in mind, but when he looked down at the ground, he saw a line sliced through it, as if cut by a laser.
As he looked closer, horror washed over him as he realized the line went directly through his legs.
"Fuc.." Marlon's body was brutally cut in half.
His internal organs, brains, and bones was exposed as both halves of his body dropped to the ground with sickening thuds.
"Another one for my collection," Reign nodded in satisfaction as he absorbed Marlon's body, adding its essence to his own.
A notification rang out, informing him of all the benefits he had gained from the absorption.
With a quick glance, he selected a mutation organ he found useful, saving the rest of the benefits for later examination.
For now, he had one target left to take care of.
With a powerful flap of his wings, he took to the air again, his undead eye scanning the landscape below.
He tracked Jarren's vitality, and although the hunter was far away, his energy signature stood out amidst the dead city.
In a place filled with humans, Reign would have struggled to detect him, as hunters could conceal their presence.
But now, with everyone dead, Jarren's energy signature was unmistakable and painted a target on his head.
SWOOOOOSH!
Reign focused and tracked down the last hunter.
When he was right above him, he floated down, landing lightly in front of the hunter, who had already activated "Rune Overload."
Unlike Marlon, Jarren's transformation was more subdued in terms of aura, but he compensated with his appearance.
He now appeared more muscular, his skin smooth as marble. He seemed to have gained a few inches in height, and the veins protruding from his head made him look like someone who took too much steroids.
"If you were just going to activate your suicidal technique, then you should have come at me together from the start," Reign shook his head in disappointment, finding their tactics dumb as hell.
"And what? So the other demon lord could shoot us while fighting you?" Jarren sneered in contempt, his voice laced with defiance.
"What other demon lord?" Reign asked with a sarcastic voice.
"Stop playing with your words, Fucker! Come at me together. I'll make sure to at least beat the shit out of you," Jarren taunted, his voice dripping with anger.
Unlike Marlon, who accepted his fate, Jarren turned even more violent at the thought of dying.
His resolve only strengthened in the face of adversity, fueling his determination to fight until the bitter end.
"I wish I could just summon another demon lord, but I'm the only one here," Reign couldn't help but smile creepily, relishing in Jarren's continued misconception.
This just showed the power of words, and how planting ideas of fear in one's mind could manipulate their perception.
Now, no matter how much Reign explained, Jarren remained convinced that it was merely an attempt to lower his guard.