Chapter 458: Crumble
The demon soldiers rushed toward Deiora’s crumpled form, their voices overlapping in frantic concern.
"Lord Deiora! Are you alright?!"
"Lord Deiora, hold on—!"
Deiora’s massive hand shot out, grabbing the nearest demon by the skull. His fingers tightened, and with a wet, sickening crunch, the demon’s head collapsed inward like an overripe fruit. The body crumpled to the ground, twitching once before going still.
Deiora rose slowly, his gaze fixed on Adam with barely contained fury, his body trembling with the weight of his emotions.
"I don’t like this."
He stepped over the fallen demon’s body, his voice low and seething as he spoke.
"Your attitude, I find it extremely unpleasant."
The demon soldiers behind him didn’t flinch, as one of their own being killed by their lord was nothing out of the ordinary. With unwavering loyalty, they spoke.
"Lord Deiora is right! Fighting with such underhanded tricks—!"
Another demon’s voice rose in agreement.
"He must be terrified of you, Lord Deiora!"
"Kill him, Lord Deiora!"
"Show him the power of the Sky-Breaking Fist!"
Reith’s brow furrowed as he watched the exchange unfolding before him.
’That’s impossible... every living thing has an aura or mana... But that man....’
He turned to Bianca, who was still working to heal Franc’s broken body, her hands glowing with faint golden light.
"Bianca. You feel it too, don’t you?"
Bianca’s hands trembled, her voice strained with exhaustion and confusion.
"Yes... I can’t sense anything from him either. It’s like he doesn’t belong to this world..."
Adam, annoyed by the endless chatter of the demons, finally spoke.
"You’re all too loud."
Then, one by one, the demon soldiers crumpled to the ground. Their bodies hitting the earth with heavy, synchronized thuds. Within seconds, the clearing fell silent, save for the groans of the wounded and the faint whisper of the wind.
Only Deiora and Celine remained standing. Isolde still knelt nearby, with Lilith at her side, who was already beginning to regenerate.
Deiora’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine wariness passing through them.
"What did you do?"
Adam looked at him calmly and said.
"That’s not important. Because all of you are going to die."
He surged forward, his form flickering as [Ghostwalk] carried him across the clearing in an instant.
Celine threw herself forward, positioning herself between Adam and Deiora, her voice sharp with desperate defiance.
"I won’t let you—!"
Adam’s left hand shot out, catching her mid-charge. The impact sent her flying sideways, her body tumbling across the blood-soaked earth before crashing into a cluster of jagged rocks.
Deiora’s grin widened as he raised his massive arm, his fist already poised to meet Adam’s incoming strike.
"Your attacks won’t work on me."
"Want to bet?" Adam said, his voice laced with challenge.
His fist struck Deiora with devastating force.
A shockwave of pure force rippled outward, sending dust and debris spiraling in all directions. Deiora’s eyes went wide, a sharp grunt of pain escaping his lips as blood sprayed from his mouth.
"UGHH!"
His massive form was hurled backward, his boots carving deep trenches in the earth as he struggled to regain his footing. He skidded to a halt, one hand pressed against his chest where Adam’s fist had struck, his breathing ragged.
Adam didn’t waste a single breath. His fist shot forward again, cutting through the air and connecting squarely with Deiora’s jaw.
CRACK!
The sound of bone splintering echoed through the clearing. Deiora’s head snapped to the side, a tooth flying from his mouth in a spray of blood. His massive body swayed, then crumpled to one knee, his hand pressed against his broken jaw.
Adam lowered his fist, tilting his head with cold curiosity.
"So this is what they call the Sky-Breaker? This is disappointing."
Deiora’s eyes blazed with fury. His voice came out thick, distorted by the damage to his jaw.
"Don’t... underestimate me!"
He lunged forward, his massive fist swinging in a savage arc aimed at Adam’s head.
Adam sidestepped effortlessly, the blow passing through empty air.
"Good," Adam said, his voice calm and steady. "Because I don’t enjoy beating someone who can’t fight back."
Deiora’s aura flared. The golden veins along his arms pulsed brighter, thicker, spreading across his entire body like molten rivers of power. His muscles swelled, his form denser, more imposing. With a guttural roar, he lunged forward faster than before, his fist carving a blazing arc through the air.
Adam’s body moved, flowing around the strike like water around a stone. He ducked under the next blow, sidestepped the follow-up, and weaved between Deiora’s relentless assault with an almost lazy grace.
Deiora’s voice boomed across the clearing, thick with frustration and exertion.
"What’s wrong?! Are you just going to keep running?!"
Adam retreated a few steps, putting distance between them.
"Now that you’re properly warmed up... I can take my time breaking you."
Deiora’s grin widened, his massive fist already cocked back as golden energy surged along his arm. His voice boomed across the clearing, thick with arrogance and amusement.
"You’re just bluffing! I am the unbeatable one! No one can stand against me!"
With a guttural roar, Deiora launched himself at Adam, his fist trailing arcs of searing light as it arced toward its target. The sheer force of the strike split the earth, sending shockwaves rippling outward as the ground cracked and buckled beneath the impact.
Adam dodged every attack, thinking to himself, ’His attacks are deadly. If I get hit, I could be badly injured. But thanks to Apex Instinct, I can predict his movements.’
Adam caught the strike mid-swing, deflecting it with a sharp twist of his wrist, and countered with a blow of his own.
"You seemed to enjoy yourself earlier, playing with my women."
Deiora’s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with cruel mockery.
"Oh? You mean the spider and the vampire? They were quite entertaining especially when they begged for mercy."
Adam’s expression remained impassive, but something shifted in his eyes.
"I see."
He raised his hand, dark energy coiling around his fingers. A sphere of condensed shadow formed in his palm, pulsing with contained power.
"Then I’ll enjoy this a little more."