Ch.57Clash (1)

The world split in two.

Under a sky where ashes scattered, an angel and a demon glared at each other. Thousands of corpses lay between them, and souls that had lost their physical bodies vanished somewhere to the west.

Durin and Azakiel.

The Regent and the War Archangel.

The two powerhouses, who could be called the leaders of each faction in terms of strength, held their reins and approached each other.

Clop, clop—

Tension filled the air. The soldiers gripping their spears tightened their hands.

They were ready to charge at any moment if even the smallest spark flew. The hatred accumulated from countless lost lives seemed ready to devour the opponent.

“It’s been a while since I felt this way, hasn’t it?”

The one who broke the silence was Durin.

The demon, casually carrying a great sword on his shoulder, flashed a smile.

“It feels like we’re finally fighting a war worthy of the name.”

“We haven’t drawn our swords yet, so it’s not quite there.”

“Of course not, when you’ve just been taking beatings. What a disgraceful sight for an angel.”

“Mock all you want. In the end, it’s your kind that will die in this war.”

Azakiel shot back, refusing to yield to Durin.

“How amusing to see such confidence after barely surviving for centuries in blood. Durin.”

“The same goes for you angels. I can still see the scar from when I shattered your jaw.”

“Ha! Thanks to that, I’ve been able to savor it constantly. In truth, I’ve been waiting for you in this war.”

Azakiel raised his sword.

A holy light shone brightly, revealing the intent of judgment against the unholy.

It was the flame that had overwhelmed demons for the past millennium.

“Don’t get cocky just because you’ve gained the upper hand in one battle. I will kill you here.”

“Submit to the natural order, Azakiel. It’s about time you lost.”

“Still loose-lipped as ever, Durin.”

Thud!

The two commanders dismounted.

The black great sword and the white holy sword radiated fierce energy. The aura of death that had covered the battlefield was completely pushed back.

Rumble—

The green hell that had devoured lives began to twist.

The earth that had withstood countless bombardments of demonic energy and holy power began to shatter under the force emitted by these two transcendent beings.

“Pull back the soldiers!”

“This is not a battle for us to interfere!”

Urgent screams erupted from both sides.

Some unfortunate ones were caught in the aftermath and lost their lives. They were literally crushed by the power and shattered into pieces.

The place swept by massive waves from just their intimidation.

It became a battlefield for just the two of them.

“Durin!”

“Come, Azakiel.”

And finally, they clashed.

Clang!

Sword crossed sword.

The world shattered with the first strike.

They spotted openings in the second probing attack.

Space twisted with the third blow.

They were two beings who far surpassed everything in the world in terms of power.

Though it was just a moment, everything around them was destroyed.

The power of the warrior raised in Heaven to oppose the Demon King was equal to that of the Regent of the demon realm.

Even as the front lines collapsed, it was worth enduring for this one battlefield.

The last bastion of angels stationed in the demon realm.

Archangel Azakiel.

“Let’s end this here!”

The white wings bestowed by God spread wide.

Holy power shot forth and engulfed Durin. The Regent shook it all off with the demonic energy wrapped around his arm. It had no effect, but it created a moment of opportunity.

While Durin hesitated momentarily, Azakiel gripped his holy sword with both hands.

He leaped into the sky and put his full weight behind it. The blade that plunged down after spinning once rushed straight at Durin.

Boom!

The black great sword blocked the attack but couldn’t completely push back the powerful strike.

Grrrr!

Durin’s feet slid across the ground. The force trying to crush him bore down like it would devour the demon. The Regent twisted his body to deflect the power.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Even in that brief moment, several sword strikes were exchanged.

Holy power and demonic energy aimed for each other’s lives.

Ashes spewed forth as they burned against each other, spreading in all directions.

Through that, the black great sword swung once more at Azakiel.

“Kuk!”

It was an attack targeting the moment his vision was obscured. Azakiel hastily blocked it with his gauntlet.

He didn’t expose his body, but it was difficult to withstand the internal damage.

The War Archangel flapped his wings and soared high into the sky.

Whoosh—

As the battlefield fog cleared, he faced Durin again.

The demon was staring at the angel from the shattered earth.

He stood firm, as if unwilling to give even the slightest movement.

“Damn it.”

Azakiel spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.

Durin had gained the advantage in the brief battle. As befitting the supreme warrior who had led demons for hundreds of years, he possessed mountain-like strength.

He had grown stronger since their last encounter.

It felt like he had ascended to another level after crowning a new Demon King.

There was no chance of winning if he engaged in a speed battle at close range.

He was confident he wouldn’t die, but he wasn’t confident he could defeat that demon.

Within the range of the great sword, Durin was that formidable.

“A power worthy of the only demon who could defeat the Demon King.”

That’s why a smile crept onto his face.

The stimulus was enough to make the scar from a demon hundreds of years ago throb.

Vitality coursed through his entire body.

The mission God had given him.

It was a fitting final trial to fulfill his duty to erase the demons of the demon realm.

The faith engraved in his heart would use this as nourishment to make him an even more powerful warrior.

“Kuhehehe.”

Azakiel felt ecstasy.

He didn’t care if someone said he looked like a demon.

God’s love felt in battle.

He was one who had lived for moments like this.

“Let’s go once more!”

“Anytime.”

Azakiel raised his sword again.

He fully revealed the appearance befitting the Archangel Warrior that he hadn’t shown until now.

His wings, now three pairs instead of one, showed his rank.

The grace bestowed by the God of Light cast holy light upon the demon realm.

The hazy sky began to turn golden.

The preliminary battle was now over.

A duel to determine the outcome would unfold.

The myth they had so loudly proclaimed.

The figures at its center were Durin and Azakiel.

“Haaah…”

Azakiel inhaled and exhaled.

His sword, lowered comfortably, lightly cut through the air.

At that moment.

Crash!

Sparks flew as if scraping metal. Acrid smoke flowed like a heat haze.

Simultaneously, dozens of scratches were etched in the sky.

With his back to the overwhelming scene, Azakiel looked down at Durin.

“I will kill demons as I always have.”

“……”

“So, Durin, show me. How do you plan to kill an angel?”

There was no answer.

The demon Regent was waiting for Azakiel in the same posture.

His excitement had cooled slightly, but it didn’t matter. Durin would block the coming wave of attacks anyway. The death mist that would bloom in between. It would be enough to see just fragments of it.

There was only one thing Azakiel wanted in this war.

“In that case…”

The extreme of battle.

“I’ll gladly come to you first!”

The three pairs of wings fluttered lightly.

That movement, seemingly slow at a glance, twisted space in an instant.

It was preparation for a leap. The moment Azakiel, who had positioned himself as if floating, properly gripped his sword.

Boom—

A wave much more powerful than before shook the world.

Clang!

A thunderous sound erupted as the black great sword collided with the holy sword. The strike, called the finest in heaven, engulfed the Regent. Durin once again deflected the force, appropriately controlling the impact.

But Azakiel’s offensive was different from before.

Crash!

Golden sword energy formed where the sword had passed and rushed at Durin. He blocked one with his gauntlet, but the attacks didn’t stop. The golden scars etched in the sky shot toward Durin.

They came so rapidly that he had to lift his firmly planted feet.

Clang! Crack! Boom!!

He swung widely, emitting demonic energy, but his hands weren’t enough. Some grazed Durin’s armor as they passed. Faint wounds from holy power were etched into his breastplate.

Azakiel relentlessly drove Durin back.

In a trance, he aimed for the demon’s neck. If one attack succeeded, he would be burned away by the God of Light.

Such powerful and rapid strikes continued several times.

Crack! Clang!

But there were fewer impact sounds than expected.

Durin blocked the threatening attacks, but the red fighting spirit surrounding him devoured the holy power.

The holy power shot from the sky was quickly intercepted and dissipated before reaching the ground.

In reality, only Azakiel’s holy sword, striking as he slid across the ground, was making contact with Durin’s sword.

Even then, it mostly glanced off without landing a proper effective hit.

“Hup!”

Minor attacks couldn’t threaten the Regent.

Azakiel minimized the movements he had been making with his wings.

Instead, he concentrated all his power in his lower body and waist.

Thud!

After swinging his sword at Durin once, he landed firmly on the ground.

He shattered the earth with a strong wave, trying to break the demon’s center of gravity.

Indeed, the Regent staggered slightly.

His strength was divided, having to focus on both fighting spirit and sword strikes.

Azakiel didn’t miss that opening.

Thinking he would end it right there, he gripped his sword tightly.

“Durin!!”

The thrill of battle enveloped him.

Azakiel gathered holy power at the tip of his sword and shot it forward.

Ping!

The holy sword that cut through space.

At its end, red fighting spirit swirled, and Durin’s vulnerable heart was beating.

Crack!

The sword touches the demonic energy.

The angel’s power devours the demonic energy.

For those without God, their deficiency can never overcome faith.

Crack!

But the belief twisted.

The holy sword began to spiral as if caught in a vortex. The firm belief was caught by the red fighting spirit. Applying more force was useless. It had already left his hand as the moment ended.

“Azakiel.”

Durin called to him softly.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

Boom—

The holy sword shattered into pieces.

The remaining holy power rebounded, throwing the angel’s body backward.

Durin didn’t hesitate.

He watched the ungainly tumbling body.

“Kuhp!”

Azakiel hurriedly got to his feet.

Gripping the broken sword, he glared at Durin. It didn’t matter that there was no blade. He could reconstruct it with holy power and cut again.

“I admire your unwillingness to give up.”

The problem wasn’t Azakiel’s will.

The demon standing arrogantly remained steadfast.

“You are a warrior, Azakiel.”

The numerous wounds on Durin’s body.

No, the scratches etched on his armor.

The traces of Azakiel’s all-out effort disappeared at once.

The holy power faintly burning over the scars was completely extinguished. The red fighting spirit had devoured everything. At the same time, intense fighting spirit emanated from his body.

He didn’t even emit a wave.

It was burning softly, but it illuminated the world.

The world immersed in holy power was dyed in its color.

Durin slowly moved his steps.

“So as a warrior, I too shall enjoy this.”

Durin, the demon who could stand against the Archangel, the strongest being in heaven.

The warrior with red horns began to reveal his true nature to Azakiel.