Chapter 14: Lilith
In the World Ender state, Orion Cross felt a power that was not inferior to when the War Aspect possessed him. With a casual swing of the blade, he unleashed streaks of death-dealing sword energy.
"Come on. Stop holding back."
"I’m not holding back."
Carol rubbed her fists, which had grown somewhat sore from the repeated impacts, and charged at him again.
Orion Cross knew Carol’s strength, so he no longer held back either. He flew straight into the air, raised the blade high, and smashed it toward the ground.
Boom!
Carol crossed her arms above her head and forcefully took the strike head-on.
In the distance, Hela stood leaning against the desk with an expressionless face. Every time a shockwave came over, she had to take action to eliminate it and prevent the equipment from being destroyed.
The feeling of acting as a babysitter left her extremely displeased. If not for the fact that the two of them were having a fair duel, Hela would have immediately stepped into the fight and beaten Orion Cross herself.
This battle raged from the sky to the ground. Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, finally began to understand the meaning of combat, and she was improving at an incredible speed.
Ever since Captain Marvel awakened and gained the ability to fly, the ordinary combat techniques she had once learned had already lost their meaning.
But she had no way to practice new battle skills either, because against ordinary enemies, all she needed to do was clench her fists and unleash enough energy to destroy them.
Overwhelming all techniques with raw strength? That was nothing more than ignorant talk born from a situation where one side’s power completely crushed the other.
Once one encountered an opponent of equal strength, overwhelming all techniques with raw strength became a joke.
Just think of the Hulk in Avengers: Infinity War, beaten by Thanos with a combination of punches until he could not fight back.
Did Thanos overpower Hulk in terms of strength? No. He did not even use the Power Stone. Relying purely on combat skill, he beat the Hulk, who had always been the one beating others.
"That sword of yours is so annoying!"
Carol’s breathing was slightly hurried. She brought both hands together and fired explosive energy at the blade that was once again chopping down from the air.
Nearly an hour had passed since the battle began, and the demonic sword had been howling madly the entire time.
But in the end, both sides were temporarily locked in a draw.
The demonic sword tried to use madness to lure Orion Cross into corruption and seize his body, but up to this point, it had only occupied half of Orion Cross’s arm.
However, the duration of the Devil’s Contract was almost over.
Orion Cross flipped backward, then suddenly hurled the demonic sword in his hand toward Carol.
In midair, the demonic sword transformed into the true form of the Darkin, Aatrox. His true body gripped the hilt and unleashed one final strike.
"Your dirge will sing my name!"
Boom!
Carol punched the air and looked toward Orion Cross in the distance with confusion.
That sword had suddenly disappeared.
"Who will it be this time?"
Orion Cross used Devil’s Contract again and quietly waited for the arrival of the next being.
Whoosh.
Under Carol’s astonished gaze, the entire world to Orion Cross’s left turned blood-red.
And at this moment, even though Orion Cross had prepared himself, half of his body was still instantly occupied.
"A human like Uldyssian. But you do not seem to be my child. Is this another world?"
A dark and profound female voice sounded from Orion Cross’s left half.
Then, Orion Cross’s left hand, already dyed crimson, gently caressed his own right cheek. That female voice sounded again. "Your mind is even sturdier than Uldyssian’s. How perfect."
"Are you done?"
Orion Cross slapped away the left hand on his face with his right hand and replied calmly.
The moment Devil’s Contract took effect again, he had already learned the true identity of the demon that had arrived.
Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, one of the Seven Lords of Hell from the world of Diablo. She detested war, created Sanctuary, became the ancestor of humanity and the Nephalem, and was known as the Blood Mother, the Holy Mother of Creation.
As for Uldyssian, whom she mentioned, he was a human who had awakened his power, or rather, a Nephalem. Relying on his own strength alone, he swept through the High Heavens and the Burning Hells.
Unfortunately, Uldyssian could not withstand the corruption brought by such immense power. In the end, his humanity overcame his divinity. He chose self-destruction, and with his final breath before exploding, he left humanity with hope and time.
"You summoned me merely for a trial?"
Lilith borrowed Orion Cross’s eyes to look at Carol across from them and could not help feeling somewhat disappointed, yet she also felt it was within reason.
After all, judging from what she sensed within Orion Cross’s heart, how could he be the kind of person who would willingly fall, sell his soul, and summon a demon just because he encountered a powerful enemy?
"Are you done? Then I’m going in."
Orion Cross shook out his hair and reclaimed control of his body.
"Facing my descent, there is not the slightest fear in your heart. Diablo would certainly hate an existence like you... In that case, take my power."
Whoosh.
A cloud of blood mist spread through the surrounding air out of nowhere, weaving layer after layer of thin crimson membranes around them like gauze.
"Should I say, ’Take this, Carol, a twenty-meter-radius Bloodstone Splash’?"
With a flick of Orion Cross’s finger, the blood mist in the air transformed into streaks of blood arrows and shot toward Carol, who stood at the center.
Hiss!
One blood arrow struck in front of Carol and instantly dissipated, but it still produced a corroding sound, making Carol frown.
Was this blood or sulfuric acid?
Also, what exactly was this blood-soaked, evil presence?