Evolution: From Little Devil to Devil Empress

Chapter 82: Demon World [6] - Killing

For a long time after the beginning of the fight, Liora and the Fire Elemental continued colliding against each other, flesh against flesh. Or rather, flesh against flames.

While it had not been very obvious during the last months she stayed in the Crucible, Liora’s defense had always been her strongest advantage.

With the Myriad Devils Armor, she was easily able to fend off most blows of her enemies, giving up defending in order to launch reckless attacks.

Following her advancement to a Lesser Devil, this advantage had become even more apparent.

The Myriad Devils Body not only retained the characteristics of an armor but also provided her with inhuman healing capabilities.

No matter what injury Liora sustained, as long as it did not kill her instantly, it was only a matter of time before she would be able to recover.

Besides these, however, another crucial aspect of the Myriad Devils Body was the significant boost it provided in the department of physical strength.

Evidence of this was that, although Liora’s figure was many times smaller than the Fire Elemental’s, she was able to compete against it evenly.

”I should be able to match some weaker Lesser Devils merely on account of my physical strength at the moment. I don’t even need to cast any other abilities.”, Liora judged silently, using this opportunity as a way to confirm her current combat power.

Even though the Fire Elemental was not a true Lesser Devil and its strength was perhaps slightly lower than a real one, it could still serve as a suitable sparring target.

Or rather, it was the only creature suitable that she could find at this damned place.

Liora didn’t hide her intentions, and the Fire Elemental immediately noticed what she was hoping to achieve.

Realizing that its prey did not use its full strength, as if it were not taking it seriously at all, an intolerable fury began burning within its heart.

The personalities of elemental creatures were largely shaped by the element that they represented. The fire element was fiery and raging, making the Fire Elementals not only impulsive but also easily enraged.

Thus, facing Liora’s disdain, the Fire Elemental erupted.

The demonic energy within its core rumbled and quickly transformed into fire elements, elements that gathered on its torso and slowly rose toward its throat.

On the other side, though Liora could not see what was happening inside the Fire Elemental, its changes failed to escape her senses.

She immediately noticed the fluctuations of its aura and watched it rise at an incredible speed.

It didn’t require one to be a genius to guess what was happening. Clearly, the Fire Elemental was getting ready to activate its trump card.

”Can this battle no longer go on?”, Liora muttered, with faint regret in her voice.

She did not panic when she discovered that the elemental was about to go all out, but instead felt slightly disappointed—at having lost her sparring companion.

However, she also understood that since things had come to this, she could no longer hold back.

Raising her head and glancing at the Fire Elemental that was seemingly charging up its trump card, Liora stopped restricting the use of her abilities at last.

With a move of her mind, her figure retreated into the shadows beneath her, reappearing a few steps behind the Fire Elemental.

The gauntlets in her hand flew in the air and came together, transforming into a giant axe which fell straight into her hands.

Holding its handle tightly, Liora raised the axe and swung it down with all her strength, aiming at the elemental’s left knee.

Throughout the entire fight so far, Liora had never shown any signs of possessing such abilities.

Thus, faced with her sudden outburst, the Fire Elemental was inevitably caught off guard.

Unable to dodge or defend, it could only allow the axe to strike at its unprotected body.

A loud bang echoed in a radius of hundreds of meters, followed by a large number of crackling sounds and then a thunderous boom.

Although the flames making up its body tried to resist, the difference in preparation time proved to be vital. The axe easily cut straight through the elemental’s left leg.

Though it didn’t feel any pain, the Fire Elemental suffered as a result.

Losing the delicate balance that had been supporting its entire body, it suddenly lost its footing and smashed to the ground, landing on top of its right knee.

Still, because of its ginormous frame, Liora had to raise her head to stare at its face.

Once she did, she discovered that the Fire Elemental’s lips had parted at some unknown time, revealing inside neither its mouth nor its throat, but a large amount of scorching, flowing magma.

Even though the two were separated by quite a distance, Liora instantly felt an extreme heat rushing towards her face as the liquid lava looked ready to shoot toward her direction.

Alarms rang in her heart.

Ordinary lava should have been unable to cause her much damage. But how could the carefully prepared attack of a Lesser Devil be ordinary?

”Fortunately, this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”, Liora muttered in a low voice, and facing the incoming shooting magma, she didn’t dodge to the side.

With a calm expression, she casually waved her hand, and a white, intricate rune emerged in her palm.

The rune seemed to lack a real material form, as it sometimes looked like a revolving whirlpool, while at other times like a half-opened eye.

Regardless, Liora glanced briefly at the rune and, as if she were holding a sword, she swung it upwards.

The rune’s brilliance and its upward motion were reflected in the Fire Elemental’s obsidian eyes.

At first, it didn’t think much of it, but soon, it discovered something unusual.

Unbeknownst to it, its consciousness had at some point left its own body and was floating a few meters above it.

The Fire Elemental realized something and urged its power, wishing to break free from this state and return to its body as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for it, Liora wasn’t planning to show any mercy.

Facing the remaining shell of the Fire Elemental, her mind moved, and a majestic golden spear appeared in her hand, a spear that was burning with eerie demonic flames.

Gripping its handle and feeling the uncomfortable tingling against her skin, Liora stepped forward and thrust it upwards, aiming directly at the elemental’s head.

The spear’s sharp tip glowed as it arrived before the elemental and pierced straight through its head.

The flames were unable to resist.

The moment they touched the spear’s holy power, they instantly scurried away, like a lone sheep meeting a pack of wolves in the wilderness.

With no one to stop it, the tip penetrated deep through the Fire Elemental’s head, soon reaching its core.

The core—just like the flames before it—was also unable to deal with the overwhelming holy power, instantly crumbling into fragments.

Instantly, the elemental’s external body began dispersing.

A moment later, when its consciousness finally returned to its body, the Fire Elemental was shocked to discover that not only was half of its external body gone, but more importantly, its core had been shattered.

For it, such an event meant certain death.

A rare trace of clarity flashed in the Fire Elemental’s furious eyes.

Opening its mouth wide, it wanted to let out a roar, to warn its companions not to underestimate the enemy.

Unfortunately, before a sound came out of its mouth, an invisible white domain expanded and covered its figure.

Until its final breath, the Fire Elemental was unable to let out a warning.