V3 Chapter 53

“What a monster…”

Oriel muttered in frustration.

Walking through the smoke, Julian’s figure appeared.

Though his upper body was covered with blood, and even with a large wound on his chest, Oriel seemed to feel that the wound only look worse. It’s not a fatal wound.

Well, even if it's serious, this monster, perhaps, would not even bat an eyelid to it.

That suspicion could be affirmed by the look of Julian who seemed to have ignored the bleeding wound on his body. He raised his head and glanced upwards at the mid-air Demon Princess.

In that instant…

Their gazes met!

One on the ground, the other mid-air.

Their gazes seemed to clash in the air like physical blows.

“Your Highness.”

A hint of a smile was on Julian’s beastly face. He then calmly said, “I have heard long of your reputation, and now I can only say they do no justice to you, your highness. You’re very strong…much more powerful than the rumors portray.”

Oriel snorted in response.

“But it’s not enough!"

Julian snorted with a cold voice.

"...The Beast of War would never yield in only that amount of power. But if you join us, you can get whatever you want in this world. But why do you so fight against us? The Demon Empire will crumble soon… the great empress would never stop the inevitable fate! Why do you set yourself in ruin?!”

Oriel’s forehead furrowed slightly.

“I never thought you beasts know how to bluff.”

She snorted in contempt.

“Crumble? The Great Demon Empire…will never crumble! What fate?! Even if the Gods dictates, the Demon Empire would never fall… you, just because you possess that amount of power, you thought you can grasp the world in your palms… how arrogant, you are for a mere beast!”

Oriel laughed coldly.

“You don’t know how deep the waters of the empire runs. You only see the surface and yet you already thought of it as shallow… hahahahaha, how ignorant you beasts are!”

“...Nonsense! Perhaps the Great Empire is truly powerful in that it can stand against the entire continent as its enemy for thousands of years… but that’s already in the past. Times are changing… what you think of, and based on, are nothing but words of history!”

Julian scowled in rage.

Oriel stared at Julian coldly.

“Words mean nothing to you, it seems,”

Oriel sneered while shaking her head.

“Whether I live or not on this day. But you will understand in the future… of how foolish you all are. You are underestimating the Empire too much!”

You are underestimating my mother too much!

Do you think you are the only one who wanted her to fall?

I wanted it more than anything in this world, but even I dared not display my intent.

Oriel narrowed her eyes.

There seemed to be something that is holding her down lately, no, perhaps, she was waiting.

Waiting for something.

But still, you all actually regarded her as a beast with broken claws. Hmph! Foolishness that will bring you your death!

"You foul beast, a fool who thinks in instinct, never to feel and notice that a shadow crawls across our world, and the stench of terror drifts on a bitter wind... You people, find foolishness as confidence, death as hope- you might as well pray for the mercy of a swift death...for I have seen what the darkness hides!"

Oriel cried out with an icy, cold voice.

Chilling wind revolves around, along with beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky.

No one knows how cruel and invincible her mother was.

Oriel had seen things she couldn't believe, but even still, she felt even that was still the tip of the whole. How deep her mother's power is, she knows it's not something this mortal world could accommodate.

If she unleashed her power, not one could stand against her in this world!

Trying to bring her down, is like a mantis trying to topple a mountain.

"The empire will not fall, just like the darkness never disappears!"

You will know soon, just how foolish you all are!

"ENOUGH!"

Julian roared in anger, and with a high leap, dashed into the air, and charged toward Oriel with furious aura.

"Foolish Beast!"

… …

Wooosh.

Baang!

Booom!

Clashing against Julian, Oriel was moving and flying at a very quick speed.

She would go to the front, to the back, the left, and the right. Her speed not diminishing at all.

However, Julian’s body bore all her attacks easily. Even without the steel skin ability, his innate thick hide was already as tough as magical armors.

Oriel’s crystal sword was able to triumph in speed, but in front of absolute power, her speed means nothing at all.

She was able to wound Julian’s body, though short, shallow wounds, but she was successfully making him littered with wounds while avoiding direct confrontation and taking advantage of her speed, but the moment the flames wrapped around those wounds, it immediately healed as if the wounds were an illusion.

Oriel’s face was calm and collected.

However, inside her, her gloom and frustration were increasing.

No matter what she does, she cannot see the path of victory. An inevitable fate seems to linger around her at this very moment.

"Frost Ray!!"

The crystal sword in Oriel’s hand flickered, then in the blink of an eye, her body seemed to have been surrounded by a blizzard while at the same time, countless flashes of azure light simultaneously struck at the Minotaur.

“Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!”

Countless crashing sounds could be heard, and then, suddenly, an iron-whip-like chain appeared behind Julian, and turned into a blur as well, smashing viciously against Oriel, causing the latter to stop her onslaught.

Oriel flapped her wings and retreated, not daring to be caught by that troublesome chain.

“Clang.”

The crystal sword in her hand slammed against the chain coming toward her, then she flew backward at high speed.

“Give it up, your highness! You can not win! Surrender!”

Julian roared and chased after her.

Raising his axe, he channeled an incredible amount of magic power, causing the flames to blaze even stronger. This was a single-target attack, relying on ultimate speed and power.

“BOOM!”

Sonic booms erupted.

Julian transformed into a blur as he charged straight toward the Demon Princess.

“Never!”

Oriel looked solemnly at Julian, the crystal sword in her hands gleaming with pale azure light, like a beautiful illusion.

Knowing she cannot run away from him, she chooses to take the enemy head-on. That devilish azure light in her sword moved as fast and as ferociously as a bolt of lightning when she slashed her sword, but at the same time it carried with it the chill of the winter wind.

“Boom!”

The terrifying force of the collision blasted out in every direction. The ground below was slashed open by countless invisible blades, with many gouges appearing on its surface. Not to mention, flames started to scatter, while at the same time, some parts of the ground were frozen in ice.

At the same time, a frighteningly powerful wave of force emanated in each direction, causing the people and monsters fighting intensely beneath to sway and stumble.

A figure crashed on the ground.

It was Oriel.

She had been defeated in the contest of strength. Her current power was not enough to compete against Julian anymore. But before she completely crashed, the wings on her back spread open, and she stopped, landing gracefully on the ground.

Suddenly, a bizarre, bestial howl could be heard as a red blur suddenly charged towards her.

Oriel’s face darkened in anger

“Haaaaaaargh!”

“Haaaaaaargh!”

Two angry roars rang out at the same time.

The two blades collided!

“BANG!!!”

It was as though two mountains had collided.

The terrifying power of that collision produced waves of energy that one could see with the naked eye. Those waves of energy were knife-sharp, and the ground beneath was split apart. Some boulders were chopped into rubble, while countless rocks and pebbles blasted in all directions.

“Gaaaah!!!”

The sheer force behind Julian’s full-powered attack was enough to knock Oriel away. However, Oriel halted herself in her tracks with a flutter of her wings and took to the air to maintain a safe distance.

She then flipped her hand as she raised her sword.

Countless shiny ice crystals that look like stars flashed about. Then, these ice crystals suddenly flashed again and sprinkled towards Julian in a watertight form.

“Frost Nova!”

Julian couldn't remain entrenched in that shower of attacks.

And, the Fire Eater jumped back.

A dark sound was heard as his axe crisscrossed, his flames seemed to burn everything it comes in contact with.

Oriel evaded the incoming attack, however, as she was about to follow with another attack, suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Oriel immediately ducks and a black, slender, and thin whip-like object swept over her head. Oriel cried out in annoyance and swung her sword behind her, but the presence has disappeared.

“Fufufu, don’t think that you are fighting Julian only, your highness~”

Oriel stabilized her balance as she landed on the ground. She then glared at the woman who had attacked her sneakily. It was a woman with a strong aura about her.

She had a ponytail and was wearing a very skimpy bikini that showed her voluptuous body along with her long legs beautifully. She wore a pair of black stilettos that was nearly 20 centimeters high, making her quite tall, around two meters tall. In her hand was a long black whip, and she had a mischievous but arrogant smirk on her face.

"...this is not a duel, you better watch your back, your highness, ~"

The infamous demon criminal, one hailed from the Succubus race; Sorietta the Pain Temptress.

This Bitch...

Oriel gritted her teeth in frustration.

She was already having a hard time dealing with Julian, and now, the accursed traitor had also joined in.

It seems like the heavens really wanted me to fall today…!

Oriel’s expression turned cold. Though she’s not afraid to die, her only regret is not being able to see her beloved brother for one last time.

I’m sorry, Aanuel…

I don’t think big sister would still be able to protect you…

“You’re only delaying the inevitable…give up, your highness! This will make things easy for both of us. In the honor of my name, I will assure you of your safety!”

To his words, Oriel smirked in contempt, and then suddenly burst into crazed laughter.

“Safety?! When have I, Oriel Heretarium Vorn Stormfury, the Great Demon Princess of Winter Mountain, ever balk in the face of death?!”

Oriel snorted.

“If today is my end, I shall face it with a proud and arrogant heart! I had never kneel to someone, not in the past, never now nor in the future! I never beg in my life. If you want to take me, then you can only get an ice-cold corpse!”

“You're taking the road of suffering, your highness!”

Julian snorted, and smoke came out from his nose.

“...then so be it.”

Oriel grinned, her ice-cold expression beaming unusually.

“The journey to the Underworld is my consolation!”