Amon didn't yell, scream or panic at the fact his hand was severed a few moments ago. He didn't show any signs of pain or fear, merely creating a small distance between us so he isn't in reach.
"Regenerate," he orders, his hand growing back. The bones are first, after which the tendons and ligaments follow a few seconds after, with muscles and skin being the last. The regeneration lasted no more than 10 seconds, and his hand was charred black again, ready for battle.
"There's something weird about you," he squints his scarlet eyes while his magic flares up.
I point the Sunsword at him, using the
Amon spreads both of his hands, summoning as much hellfire as he could gather in a few moments. He claps his hands together violently, shooting a wave of fire that could be called a tsunami.
If he was going to use up all of his magic, I might as well get serious. I grab the Sunsword with both hands, putting an ungodly amount of magic through it.
With a single swing, I redirect the whole wave of hellfire to my left, blowing it off like a giant fan. I didn't calculate where I would deflect it, so I could only curse under my breath as the rampaging tsunami headed for the town.
I couldn't stop it, since it was too fast for me to redirect again. The flames ate the whole town, scorching it to the ground.
It all happened so quickly, I couldn't process the destructive power of Amon's hellfire. There was nothing left behind, not even a park bench. There were no clay remnants of the previously damaged houses and buildings.
As the tsunami crashed into the town, it ate up everything, only leaving black sand below.
I turned back to the problematic demon child, who had wasted most of his manapool while I wasn't even halfway done.
"Light prison"
I cast a spell which erected bars made from light, encasing Amon in a prison with a light magic circle on top and bottom. It was a pure containment spell, unlike 'Rain Swords' which could damage opponents along with limiting their movements.
Amon extended his hands again, releasing a pulse of fire in hopes of burning my prison. It was durable, but I didn't doubt his ability to go through.
"Down," I ordered, pressing him with the
Similar to telekinesis, I pressured him with the spiritual and physical force of the 'martial arts' that the deceased elder taught me, may his soul rest in peace.
"W-what is this!?" Amon questions as his body is smashed into the ground, unable to stand up. "You can use spirit magic?? Or is this gravity magic?"
"Both in a way," I answer, walking up to him and pointing the tip of my blade into his face. "Yield."
"Alright, I get it. I've lost..."
I didn't expect him to admit defeat so easily. It would come naturally as I dominated our fight, but you never know with this kid.
"But I'll get you next time! It was close!" he loudly states.
"No it was not," I humble him, raising an eyebrow at how delusional he can be.
"Fight me again!" he orders, standing up while burning flames appear in his hands.
He couldn't muster the same level of power he could previously, as his mana reserve was at its limit.
I pondered the possibilities with him for a second. He could be useful against the Dreamer, as his hellfire seems unstoppable.
It burns through every magic if he has enough power, so I could use him. In my previous life, he could've fought alongside me, but I was tricked. This time, that won't be the case.
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Taking into account that his manapool is the same as it was in my last life, it must mean that's his natural state. The power he was practically born with. If that's the case, an indescribable potential lies within him, even more than me.
"Kid, who taught you how to fight?" I ask him while removing the prison of light.
"Don't call me a kid! You're also my age, dumbass!"
"Just answer me for Heaven's sake."
"My father. He is the demon which changed Hell itself, but isn't as strong as my grandpa, the King of Hell—Azazel!!"
My eyes widened at this sentence. He stated that in my previous life, but is it really true? Can he be the legitimate grandson of the strongest demon and one of the strongest beings in existence?
"Your pops must be proud to have an insolent devil like you as his child," I quipped, waiting for his classic outburst.
"My father left me to go into a different dimension to find his old friend. He is proud of me, but I don't care about his validation. Neither he nor my mother can dictate the course of my life, which is why I left home," he opens up, explaining his rebellious stage.
"You shouldn't talk about your parents that way, since you're lucky to have them. Where is your mother currently?" I ask him, as she must be in Eviansis somewhere, perhaps in this very region.
"In Holdanis," he responds.
She was in another region, the one I was in during my past two lives. This arose more questions than it did answers.
I decided to narrow it down, since Amon was actually communicating humanely.
"What are you doing here then, so far away from home?" I ask while putting the Sunsword back in the cuboid artifact.
He grunts in annoyance, but answers nonetheless. "Like I've said, I decided to live my own life, and wanted to find strong opponents to fight in order to grow stronger."
"That's your goal? You want to be the strongest?" I raise an eyebrow in disbelief, for such a simple goal befell on a kid with such an intriguing backstory.
"Precisely!" he confirms, clutching his fist while laughing maniacally. His villainous laugh dies down and I sigh internally.
I rub the top of my nasal bone, deciding to try and persuade this kid to follow me on my path towards peace. My goal of achieving a tranquil life without obstacles and his wish for absolute power could compromise, forming a middle ground for the both of us to benefit from.
"Listen to me. I know of ways for you to get stronger, as I've spent the last year researching ways of getting stronger and furthering your magic capabilities. If you follow me, I'll spar with you sometimes and offer challenges that will satisfy your need to evolve. How does that sound?" I raise my arms, offering him a deal that I hope he takes.
He crosses his arms, eyeing me suspiciously. "You're telling me you'll make me stronger?" he asks. "Why should I believe that you can do such a thing?"
"Because I literally beat you in a fight like 5 minutes ago," I state, slapping my own forehead.
"Fair enough," he shrugs his shoulders, walking past me while whistling to himself.
Just like that, I've made a companion out of this rowdy demon. He is an oddball, but there is a potential inside him that no other has. I feel as though I'll manage him, and use his strength to my benefit.
We walk for half an hour or so while his mana returns. Besides his insane regenerative properties, his ability to absorb mana and replenish his pool is also praiseworthy.
"Ready to run?" I ask him.
He bursts forward, leaving a giant dust cloud from his explosive magic. "Only if you can keep up!"
I smile, digging my feet into the ground as I follow suit. Although a bit arrogant, this kid's restless nature can be beneficial. I smile as we race towards the closest big town.
-
After running for about 10 minutes, we reached the city I intended to stop in. Here, we have a warp gate which we’ll take to Holdanis. A warp gate is a portal which uses advanced spatial magic to transport people and objects across long distances. In major cities, there is at least one, which is connected to another region.
"What is your next plan?" Amon asks.
"I'll take a warp gate to Holdanis. Once we get there, I'll become a Sword Saint."
"A Sword Saint?" he raises his voice. "You told me you'll get me stronger! Liar, you only want to grow your glory!"
"My intentions are not as simple as that. I don't intend to become a Sword Saint for fame or glory, I need it to infiltrate the military system."
"The military?" Amon echoes back.
"There is a certain... thing I must kill which isn't as easy to find as one might think," I confess, clenching my teeth.
"Oh, you want to kill something? I'm all up for it," Amon says while cracking his knuckles in excitement.
I didn't know whether Amon was a growing psychopath or just twisted because of his demonic predisposition. Whatever the case, if he's motivated to help me, that's the only thing which matters.
"As a Sword Saint, I'll be able to get all of the information I need on the red-eyes, and find my nemesis," I explain, while Amon looks at me judgmentally.
"Not like your red eyes," I defend myself, "There is a group of people that have access to dream magic, and borrow their power from an evil mastermind that I'm trying to kill."
"Sounds simple enough," he affirms, nodding his head.
"But we have to take another precautionary step before we embark on this assassination. You have to get stronger and we have to take help from someone."
"And how do you intend to get me stronger?" Amon asks.
"I've read up on demons in Emperia's libraries. There are a plethora of books describing your kind here compared to Holdanis, which makes it easier to study your build. There should be some kind of final form or power that every demon can achieve," I tell him, although he should know this already, as he's spent the majority of his short life in Hell.
"A stigmata," he confirms.