183 TO KILL A PIG
Azuthol's eyes blazed with rage. "I'll tear you apart!" He charged again, axes raised high, but this time Leo was ready.
With a flick of his hand, a barrage of magical missiles erupted from Leo, striking Azuthol and halting his advance. The demon stumbled back, snarling in frustration.
"Coward! Fight me like a man! Stop throwing your child's play magic at me!" Azuthol roared.
Leo's smirk widened. "I'm not fighting a man. I'm fighting a pig."
Another wave of magical missiles struck Azuthol, forcing him to retreat further.
Azuthol's frustration boiled over. "Enough!" he screamed, clasping his axes together.
A dark, towering avatar of himself materialized, a pig. Its monstrous form roared as it lunged toward Leo. The force of the apparition's attack sent Leo sprawling, knocking the wind out of him.
For the first time, Leo felt a sting of pain. It wasn't a physical strike but a magical one.
Azuthol grinned wickedly. "Die, fool!" He charged, the spectral figure mirroring his movements as it bore down on Leo.
But Leo wasn't done.
With a burst of golden light, an enormous dragon avatar surged from his body, its scales gleaming with radiant energy. It roared, meeting Azuthol's apparition head-on. The ground quaked as the two entities clashed, their energies colliding in a dazzling display of raw power.
"How is a mid-tier summoning magic that rivals Svad-tier?" Hagglis asked in disbelief, watching from the sidelines.
Minister Alem stroked his beard. "Some suspected he was a demon before he proved otherwise."
"Even demons aren't that strong at his level," Aseran added, his voice laced with awe.
The apparitions canceled each other out, the explosive collision leaving the battlefield eerily quiet for a moment. Leo and Azuthol stood face-to-face, their breaths heavy, their eyes locked.
"You're nothing without your dragon," Azuthol sneered.
"Yeah, sure," Leo replied with a wry grin. "Like I'm scared of your pig."
Their weapons met in a flash of sparks.
Azuthol's raw strength gave him the advantage, but Leo wielded Aseran's enchanted sword, its magic enhancing his speed and reflexes. He danced around Azuthol's powerful strikes, landing precise blows that forced the demon onto the defensive.
From the pavilion, Argun's patience wore thin.
He blew a horn, its deep note rallying the demon army. A deafening war cry erupted from the ranks, shaking the air with their fury.
Leo glanced toward the pavilion, rolling his eyes. "Seriously? You need cheerleaders to help you?" he taunted.
Azuthol roared in frustration, but his advance was once again halted as Leo unleashed another barrage of magical missiles. The strikes were relentless, battering the demon and forcing him to his knees.
The tide of the battle was turning, and for the first time, Azuthol's confidence began to waver.
Suddenly, the demons who had been cheering for Azuthol collapsed, their bodies violently rupturing as blood poured from their wounds and pooled on the ground.
"Dammit, that wasn't a war cry! That was a damn demon sacrifice!" Leo shouted, his voice filled with disbelief.
Azuthol bared his teeth, grinning wickedly. "What do you expect? We're demons. What's wrong with using demon magic?"
The blood that stained the earth began to pulse, seeping into Azuthol's form, infusing him with a surge of power.
His muscles swelled, his body growing even more massive as he absorbed the dark energy. With a roar, he leapt toward Leo, his massive frame slamming down like a falling mountain.
The impact of the blow sent Leo crashing into the ground with a deafening thud, creating a wide crater that shook the battlefield. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring the scene.
"No…" Petunia gasped in horror, her eyes wide with terror.
"Is he dead?" Hagglis asked, his voice trembling with concern.
"We can't see through all the smoke and ash, but there's no way he survived that," Aseran said, his voice grim.
From the cloud of dust, Azuthol stood tall, his figure towering over the battlefield. He didn't hold his axes in a battle stance, but rather raised them in triumph, flaunting his victory to his demon army.
His eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction as he reveled in the thought of having crushed the human who dared to challenge him.
-----
"Wake up," Vanessa's voice cut through the haze.
Leo's body was a mass of agony, his skin scorched and mangled from Azuthol's brutal sacrificial charge. Ash clung to him, a heavy veil that made it impossible to open his eyes.
But he wasn't dead.
His immunity to physical force had saved him—but just barely.
"Fuck... how the hell can I beat that shit?" Leo groaned, struggling to move.
"There's a trail of blood on the ground from the demon cheerleaders," Vanessa said.
Leo's eyes snapped open in shock. "Vanessa, you would actually volunteer to help me? That's... rare."
"Shut up if you want to live," she snapped back, her voice colder than usual. "I might need your help later."
Leo grinned despite the pain. "Alright, I'll finally fuck you if I survive this."
"Focus, idiot," she muttered.
Leo's hand reached down, touching the ground where blood still gushed, pooling in dark, ominous swirls.
"Touch of Consummation."
With a precise movement, Leo condensed the demon sacrifice into his touch, amplifying its absorption. His hands glowed briefly, drawing power from the sacrificed blood.
The demons who had offered themselves up in the sacrifice collapsed, their bodies shriveling as life drained from them.
"What's happening?" Argun's voice cut through the chaos, but there was no answer. His eyes scanned the scene, confusion flashing across his face.
Azuthol, caught up in his victorious dance, was oblivious to the shift. He continued waving his axes, celebrating his perceived victory.
Then, suddenly, Aseran's magic sword pierced him through the heart.
Azuthol screamed, rage flooding his eyes. "How dare you sneak attack me?"
But as he turned to counter, his body locked in place, paralyzed.
"Touch of Immobility," Leo murmured, his magic working in silence.
Azuthol growled in confusion. "What kind of trick is this?"
The realization hit him as he felt his blood draining, his strength ebbing away.
The ash cloud that had formed around them began to dissipate. Leo cursed softly. "Dammit, they'll see what I'm doing now."