In the observation space, Veen stared intently at the image in the water mirror, shock appearing in his golden eyes for the first time.
That sword.
Could that pitch-black greatsword in Orosius’s hand actually ignore Lilith’s Mana Shield and wound her body directly?
That was impossible.
The Mana Shield was one of the highest-level defensive spells; as long as the caster’s mana wasn't exhausted, it was fundamentally impossible to breach from the outside.
While there were many ways to dismantle it, having it shattered by a single sword was clearly impossible.
“That sword... what is it?” Veen whispered to himself, his voice carrying a trace of disbelief.
He raised his hand and made a grasping motion toward the void.
Several ancient books that had been sitting in his study back in the Demon Realm instantly appeared in his hand.
These books were very old, their covers made of dark red leather with worn edges and yellowed pages that emitted a musty scent. They were part of the collection left behind by the former Demon King, recording the secrets of the demon race over the past thousand years.
Veen flipped through the ancient books rapidly, his golden eyes scanning the pages for any clues regarding the pitch-black greatsword.
One page, two pages, three pages...
Suddenly, his fingers stopped.
There was an illustration on the page.
Though the illustration was crude, it clearly depicted a tall demon holding a pitch-black greatsword with dark red patterns spiraling around the blade.
It was identical to the sword in Orosius’s hand.
Below the illustration was a passage of text:
“Year 3472 of the Demon Calendar: Orosius returned from the void wielding a pitch-black greatsword named World-Devouring. The sword’s origins are unknown; it can devour the souls of living beings to empower its wielder. After obtaining the sword, Orosius’s strength exploded, and within a century, he rose from a standard rank above Rank 9 to become the first beneath the Demon King.”
Veen’s pupils constricted.
“So he wasn't always this strong!”
He continued reading further down.
“Year 3521 of the Demon Calendar: Orosius began his campaigns against external planes. For every plane he conquered, the World-Devouring Sword would devour half of that plane’s inhabitants, and Orosius’s strength would grow accordingly. By the Year 3600 of the Demon Calendar, Orosius had destroyed nearly thirty planes, with the World-Devouring Sword devouring over a hundred billion souls. Orosius’s strength approached that of the Demon King.”
“Year 3605 of the Demon Calendar: Orosius began calling himself a Calamity. The former Demon King tacitly accepted this status, decreeing that the strongest of the demon race could be called Calamities, thus establishing the Four Calamities.”
“Year 3610 of the Demon Calendar: The Demon King summoned Orosius and warned him to cease his conquests. Orosius outwardly agreed but continued in secret. Enraged, the Demon King intended to seize the World-Devouring Sword, but Orosius fled into the void with the blade. Thereafter, the Demon King ceased to concern himself with the matter, announcing to the world that Orosius had left this world.”
Veen closed the ancient book, his expression grim.
So that was it.
Orosius’s campaigns against the external planes weren't for conquest or resources, but to... feed that sword.
With every plane conquered, the sword devoured half the population and empowered Orosius, making him stronger.
In such a cycle, within just a few hundred years, he had risen from a standard rank above Rank 9 to the first beneath the Demon King.
“World-Devouring Sword...” Veen whispered the name, a chill flashing through his golden eyes.
He looked back up at the water mirror.
In the battlefield, the situation had become extremely unfavorable for Lilith.
Although Lilith’s stats far exceeded those of Orosius while he held the sword, she lacked actual combat experience.
In contrast, Orosius had spent a thousand years at war, and his combat experience was terrifyingly vast. Every move he made was precise and lethal.
However, it turned out that high stats were still useful; Orosius was gradually losing ground.
In the water mirror, Lilith was covered in sword wounds.
Orosius wasn't faring much better.
Multiple bloody holes had appeared on his body, punched through by Lilith’s fists. Lilith’s physical strength was too high; every punch carried a terrifying force. Although Orosius could regenerate, his speed of regeneration had visibly slowed.
The two hovered in the void, a hundred meters apart, facing off.
Orosius looked at Lilith, a trace of irritation flashing in his dark gold vertical pupils.
“This won't work,” he thought. “If the fight continues like this, I definitely won't be able to outlast her.”
Lilith’s mana was nearly infinite, her physical strength was high, and she could use healing spells to recover from her injuries.
Meanwhile, although the World-Devouring Sword could ignore the Mana Shield, every attack consumed a massive amount of mana, and his regeneration speed was getting slower and slower.
If he dragged this out any longer, he would be the one to lose.
He had to end this quickly.
Orosius took a deep breath and made his decision.
He raised his hand and looked at the World-Devouring Sword, a flash of resolve in his eyes.
Lilith’s expression immediately became solemn.
“What’s happening?” Alarm bells rang in her mind. “What is he trying to do?”
Orosius didn't answer.
He gripped the hilt with both hands, pointed the tip of the sword at his own chest, and then thrust it in with force.
Squelch.
The blade pierced through his chest, emerging from his back.
Blood sprayed out, but Orosius felt no pain. Instead... he was laughing.
A low chuckle escaped his throat, growing louder and louder until it became a manic laugh.
“Hahahaha!!!”
The World-Devouring Sword began to tremble, and the dark red patterns on the blade lit up, emitting an eerie glow.
Orosius’s aura began to grow exponentially.
“Sacrificing 50% of my mana to the blade in exchange for a brief burst of power... the price is high.”
Orosius grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth. “But as long as I can kill you and seize the Demon King’s authority, my strength will surpass its peak regardless.”
He paused, his laughter becoming even more crazed.
“Hahahaha!”
Lilith’s pupils shrank, and she instinctively retreated.
But Orosius appeared in front of her in an instant.
He was so close that Lilith could see her own face reflected in his dark gold vertical pupils.
“When did he—?” Lilith was shocked.
She hadn't even seen Orosius move.
Orosius gave her no time to react.
He raised his hand and thrust the World-Devouring Sword forward.
The blade pierced through Lilith’s abdomen and out her back. Then, Orosius twisted his wrist.
Lilith’s body was sliced in half at the waist.
Her consciousness began to blur.
Then, darkness swallowed her.
...
Veen watched the scene from the observation space in shock, unable to believe his eyes.
“Her Majesty... lost?”
He murmured to himself, his voice trembling slightly.
In the water mirror, Lilith’s body had been severed at the waist.
Orosius hovered before her, the World-Devouring Sword in his hand still dripping with blood.
He grinned, showing his bloodied teeth.
“The Demon King’s authority... is mine.”
He reached out, grabbing toward Lilith’s chest, where the Demon King’s authority resided.
But just as his hand was about to touch Lilith...
Veen tore through space and instantly appeared on the battlefield behind Orosius.
In his hand, he held the sword that could cut through anything.
Veen didn't hesitate, swinging the sword toward Orosius’s head.
Orosius’s expression changed.
He felt the killing intent behind him and sensed the aura of that sword.
“What?!” He whipped his head around, shock flashing in his dark gold vertical pupils.
But in the next second, that shock turned into a contemptuous smile.
“Did you really think I wasn't on guard against you?”
With a flick of his wrist, the World-Devouring Sword swung out, directly severing Veen’s sword arm.
Simultaneously, he kicked the falling sword away, sending it flying until it embedded itself in a distant meteorite.
Veen’s pupils constricted as Orosius threw a punch, blasting Veen backward.
Orosius hovered in the void, looking at Veen’s wretched state with a cold sneer on his lips.
“It won't be too late to kill you after I've absorbed the Demon King’s authority.”
With that, he ignored Veen and turned back toward Lilith.
Orosius reached out, grabbing for Lilith’s chest.
But just as his fingers were about to touch the golden light...
Time, it seemed, was flowing backward.
Rate on N.U.
