Return Of The Strongest Player-Novel

277  Devil's Subordinate: Grasp Of The Behemoth

With an authoritative tone of voice, he slapped Nihilus across the face, sending him flying several hundreds of meters. As the Devil landed in a pile of rubble, he rubbed his pale face, widening his eyes at the indent.

'My bones…'

He couldn't help but admire the crimson-eyed man's power… But it wasn't always like this. When Nihilus was summoned, the young Devil definitely sensed that Arthur's power was only a bit above his own… So, how had the man improved so much in mere seconds?

'It's an ability… But I can't put my finger on it… Perhaps it's transformation.'

Nihilus revealed a smile of admiration, plopping down atop the rubble in order to channel the energy he consumed from the Devil Blood. Only after he truly reserved and absorbed the mysterious power for himself would he be able to increase his power.

'Only a couple of Devil Marks away…'

Nihilus couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. A malevolent, dark energy swirled around his body, providing him with a rather scary appearance. He could feel himself edging closer and closer to bliss.

It was only a few more Devil Marks away…

At that moment, it was as if a nuke was dropped.

*

Arthur faced the spinning sphere of destruction, his expression emotionless and his multi-colored eyes blank. Remaining motionless, he simply observed the fear-inducing attack approach him.

Devoid of thoughts, devoid of attachments.

Focused solely on what lay before him.

Arthur unsheathed the silver blade, pointing it at the sphere. Sun Energy burst from the falchion, engulfing it in an unparalleled, blinding light that seemed to convey invincibility. The flames burnt more intensely as if reacting to the sudden influx.

Nihilus felt his dark energy slipping away, causing him to hurriedly consolidate his power, not allowing a single drop to spill. He glared hatefully at Arthur for a split second before reverting to admiring the man.

The wind brushed along Arthur's fingertips. His bloody hair seemed to flutter, while his torn clothes held on for dear life. His toned physique was on the verge of being revealed, the stinging heat prickling his skin.

Tendrils–or strings–of Sun Energy emerged from Skofnung.

Arthur raised Skofnung, employing [Ethereal Glide] to its full potential. Plates of mana formed beneath his feet as he rushed forward, directly facing the spinning sphere. At that moment, Bob flapped his wings, producing strong winds that only worked to increase the sphere's already terrifying speed.

Beads of sweat fell from Arthur's forehead, his muscles tightening. When the sphere was merely a few inches away from him, Arthur swung down with Skofnung before hurriedly unfurling his Celestial Wings. Purple-gold thunder engulfed the battlefield, Arthur's eye glowing a sharp hue.

A faint smile appeared on his face as the force of a thousand needles prickled his skin.

Slice!

Skofnung cleanly sliced through the sphere, while the Celestial Wings protected him, albeit barely. Crack!

Arthur's Celestial Wings shattered, causing his eyes to widen. With a dumbfounded expression, he hurriedly conjured a barrier, raising it to his current height before backflipping off it, allowing it to consume the momentum the sphere possessed.

If the attack managed to reach the ground, he and Nihilus were fucked.

With blood dripping down his torso, he deactivated the State Of Mushin. "Get your ass over here!"

Arthur's authoritative tone of voice made it impossible for Nihilus to refute. It was utterly stupefying that a human and a Devil were cooperating since most would prefer death over the loss of dignity.

As Arthur fell to the ground, Nihilus stood before him.

The former clutched his torso, employing [Judgment Regeneration]. Yet, even the skill couldn't do much due to his pitiful mana reserves. 'It'll take a few minutes to heal this… I need to get out of the way.'

Roll!

Rolling around the debris, Arthur escaped the scene, allowing Nihilus to contain the sphere.

The latter extended his palms, releasing a liquid-like dark energy that engulfed the sphere in a particular color. Nihilus muttered a few words under his breath, biting his thumb to draw his blood.

"Fuck it," he announced, watching emotionlessly as a tiny flame ignited from his blood. "Chronicles Of The Devil Subordinate: Hellfire Invocation."

"Chronicles Of The Devil Subordinate: Grasp Of The Behemoth."

With those two phrases, Nihilus felt as if his head were being crushed millions of times per second as if his heart was being pierced by blades. Blood was like water in such grotesque battles…

Splash!

Arthur observed with his eyes wide open.

Chronicles Of The Devil Subordinate: Hellfire Invocation… and Chronicles Of The Devil Subordinate: Grasp Of The Behemoth.

As far as he was aware, they were both spells exclusive to Devil Subordinates that drew power from a Devil's enormous lifespan. Since Devil Subordinates had a lifespan well beyond what they needed to ascend to the rank of a Myriad Devil King, they didn't mind utilizing such taboo spells.

But a Novice Devil like Nihilus?

'It's a surprise he hasn't died, already…'

Arthur stared at Nihilus as if he were the craziest little Devil in Heaven's Spire. 'He's betting everything, even his life, on this.'

'It's a surprise to see a Devil have such conviction.'

He chuckled softly, placing his hand atop Nihilus' stomach. "Stay Still."

Nihilus tried to struggle but was incapable of moving. He simply averted his gaze, his eyes burning with disdain and hatred towards the wretched Dragon. He suppressed a shrill scream, as that would sully his dignity.

Arthur coughed blood, allowing a crimson hue to escape from his palm.

'[Judgment Regeneration].'

The two remained silent and motionless. They both felt excruciating pain, and neither wanted to accidentally show weakness.

Their partnership was based solely on benefits. To reveal one's weakness in such a relationship would be akin to giving up control over their side. Although injured, they maintained their dignity, even despite feeling much pain.

They lay on their backs, watching the show as if it were on television.

Not that either of them knew what that meant.