Cold beads of sweat trickled down Samael's forehead, drenching his back as his heart galloped wildly.

His eyes trembled, his body tensed, and his breath hitched as he watched the abomination's maw glow incandescent.

Samael didn't know the range of effect the skill has, but his Void compass rang warnings in his head.

Samael clenched his jaw. With a forceful kick to the ground, his figure flew back, sending pieces of dirt forward as he breezed in the air.

The leviathan cub remained frozen in position, locked tight to Ajax and his shadow spawn.

Occasional waves would disperse off of its lips, sending mild shockwaves more frequently than the last.

Samael spared not a single glance as he kept dashing forward, creating as much distance as he could from the two saints.

To think that the leviathan cub would use an ability now is out of his calculations.

On the other hand, Ajax and his spawn braced for the worst. Merlin kept casting one skill after the other, boosting their defenses off the roof.

Igram tightened his grip, his blade emanating strength and fortitude.

The shockwaves kept coming after each other, akin to drums gaining pace; their beat far stronger and more ferocious than before.

Samael felt the atmosphere weigh him down; his hair stood on ends, and for a moment he felt everything stop.

The shockwaves came to a sudden halt as the beast's jaw fell open, unleashing the horrors underneath and engulfing everything in a blinding flash.

Samael's figure was devoured by the light, drowning everything around him in its high glory.

Samael cast a glance over his shoulder, his bloodshot eyes widening.

Oh shi—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

Before Samael's eyes, the leviathan cub shot forth a straight blue blast, lighting the entire shore and casting shadows in its wake.

The explosion thundered in the air, drowning out all sounds except its fury.

The blast extended as far as Samael could see, reaching way past the river and the other side of the shore.

The attack towered high in the sky, blowing off the clouds unfortunate enough to nestle near it.

Not wasting another second, Samael dug Crimson's raven deep into the ground as he grasped the coarse earth, rooting himself in place.

With an explosion like this, there's no doubt—! Samael's thoughts were interrupted when a blast of wind struck him square in the face, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The shockwave was so strong that it uprooted the trees two to three kilometers from the blast radius.

Large chunks of earth and boulders soared in the sky, descending down like a rain of fire as the projectiles tore through the ground, creating more chaos.

Samael's figure fluttered wildly under the revolting wind, veins etching lines in his arms as he gripped Crimson Raven's hilt with all his might.

However, his struggles proved futile as his figure was thrown under a shade, growing larger by the second.

Samael jerked his head up, his eyes frying open as a boulder came hauling his way, gaining momentum as it inched closer.

Left with no choice, Samael loosened his grip, allowing the wind to drag him back as he muttered.

"Return!"

Crimson Raven zoomed up, swiftly releasing itself from the ground. The blade flew in an arc, barely avoiding the boulder before landing on Samael's calloused hand.

Samael brought his arm forward, shielding his eyes from the debries barreling his way.

"Void latch!" Samael roared as dark, elongated tendrils of Void matter gushed out of his arm, latching onto his weapon.

Dialing his arm back, Samael threw Crimson Raven forward, impaling the weapon on the earth and preventing himself from flying away.

The harrowing winds kept coming wave after wave, as though they were endless.

Samael gritted his teeth, his groan reverberating in the air as his knuckles morphed pale under his grueling grip.

Seconds felt like days.

Minutes felt like an eternity.

Just when he thought he was about to be taken by the violent shockwave, its fury had finally subsided.

Samael's feet slowly lowered to the ground, his hair dancing under the mild nudges of the wind.

Dust clouds of titanic proportions have formed behind him, akin to a tsunami in the sea.

Raising to his feet, Samael speared a glance ahead, his eyes quivering at the sight left behind by the explosion.

In the distance stood the leviathan cub, smoke gushing out of its lips, nearly hiding its face.

In front of the beast nested a rift trailing over the horizon, way beyond the river and unto its other shore.

Everything within the three-kilometer radius was wiped flat by the attack. Trees, boulders, and water were reduced to ashes by the power of the Leviathan Saint.

Most of the river had evaporated, leaving nothing but a small surface of water and a deep crater once called the Tirnu River.

Samael's gaze darted back and forth, beads of cold sweat meandering down his forehead, slowly dripping off his chin.

Where...? Samael thought.

Where, where, where!? Samael thought in a panic, dread seizing his heart.

It's not possible— Samael's thoughts were cut short as he caught a glimpse of another silhouette taking form in the thinning smoke.

A deep sigh escaped Samael's lips, relief washing over his entire being. For a moment, Samael thought he had lost Ajax.

As the dust cloud seized to exist, Ajax stood unscathed behind Merlin and Igram.

In front of them stood multiple barriers of different origins, most of which were reduced to mere fragments by the attack.

The only thing separating the three from the blast was a gigantic armor enveloping them in its protective embrace. However, cracks marred its visage, a testament to the prowess possessed by the beast.

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However, Igram, the shadow knight, fell to his knees, his hands trembling under the rebound of the attack.

Unfortunately, in order to hasten the process of adaptation, Merlin had to adjust the defensive abilities in such a way that Igram would still take a portion of the attack.

This was the consequence.

Ajax inched closer to the knight as he muttered.

"Repair."

Specks of shadow matter coursed through Ajax's hand, slowly slithering towards Igram as the cracks of his armor started mending together.

Shifting his gaze forward, Ajax met the abomination eye-to-eye, further fueling the rage burning within the beast.

"Is that all?" Ajax asked in mockery.

Behind him, Igram rose to his feet, blue lines etched in the surface of his armor.

Adaptation 100%...

Igram had completely adapted to the attack of the leviathan, granting him immunity against that specific attack.

Filled with rage, the abomination released a bloodcurdling screech as it summoned rain once more.

As earlier, the droplets of rain flocked each other, forming a single ginormous sphere of aqua hovering near the maws of the cub.

With one bite, the giant water sphere was engulfed by the beast as its jaws glew incandescent once more.

Assessing the situation calmly, Ajax darted forward with a forceful kick to the ground, appearing mere inches from the leviathan cub, along with Igram trailing close.

The abomination pointed its jaw towards the two, unleashing another wave of blast in hopes of reducing Ajax to nothing.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be easy.

Samael swiftly casted a Void Aegis, his body bracing for the upcoming shockwaves. As the blinding flash devoured the vicinity, Samael's expectations were left hanging.

As the Leviathan cub fired the attack, Igram came forward, cleaving the beam in two. Completely unharmed and unaffected by the blast.

Seizing the opportunity, Ajax inched closer towards the creature, shadows swirling in the tip of his blade.

The abominations Crimson eyes widened, panic reigning in its heart, opting to end the attack prematurely as it recoiled back, hoping to achieve distance.

But Ajax was faster.

The shadow saint zoomed forward, delivering three consecutive blows, each tearing a symmetrical hole in the body of the abomination.

The leviathan cub released a grating cry of torture. However, its regeneration had begun once more.

Before Ajax's eyes, the damage he dealt stitched itself back up, rendering all his efforts useless.

However, he wasn't alone.

"Samael!" Ajax called.

"I know!" Samael replied as he dashed forward, shattering the ground beneath him as he flew in an arc, greeting the beast by surprise.

"My turn," Samael said as he muttered.

"Void Fire!"

Multiple Void bullets fired off Samael's fingertips in rapid succession, accompanied by continuous resounding explosions as each Void fire struck the beast square in the body.

The abomination roared in agony as Samael's Void element went to work. The dark matter wasted no time as it immediately clung tight to the beast, scorching its exposed flesh and disabling its regenerative capacity.

But Samael wasn't done yet.

"Void Chain!"

Dozens of chains sprung out of the ground, slithering towards the saint and shackling the beast down.

"Ajax! It won't hold for long!" Samael bellowed.

The shadow saint gave a nod before disappearing, only appearing above the Leviathan cub with his blade in tow.

Ajax swiftly impaled the beast as he spoke.

"Parasite."

Through his blade, Ajax pumped shadow matter straight through the flesh of the abomination, wreaking havoc within it.

Sensing Ajax on its body, the leviathan cub shook in a frenzy, shattering the chains binding it down.

Ajax uprooted his blade, hastily gaining distance, as he said.

"Erupt."

A resounding cry escaped the abomination's lips as a large chunk of its body inflated, erupting in a bloody explosion.

Chunks of flesh came barreling in the air, along with the rain of blood staining the ground red.

The beast wailed in agony, its entire side torn open for the world to see.

Adding to the damage, Samael cast Void spikes, impaling the wound caused by Ajax and stunting the regeneration of the abomination.

Fear, panic, and dread seized the beast. It attacked in a frenzy, destroying the landscape in its rampage.

Sensing the opportunity, Ajax came forward as he muttered.

"Shadow Bind."

Large, elongated tendrils of shadow matter latched onto the pale skin of the creature, pulling it down to the ground and immobilizing it.

"Time to finish this," Ajax said.

The shadow saint flew upwards, hovering above the Leviathan cub as waves of shadow matter escaped his body.

"Shadow drill," Ajax said.

The shadow matter swirled in the air, clumping together to form a spiral appearance.

Slowly, the drill rotated clockwise, gaining momentum by the second.

Ajax lowered the drill, its tip penetrating through the flesh of the beast with ease—

A bone-chilling roar emanated from the abominations maw, knocking Ajax dozens of steps back.

Samael lowered his stance, barely avoiding a tumble under the pressure.

What the he— Samael's thoughts came to a halt as his eyes widened.

The abomination flailing earlier had come to a stop; its body released a soft, lush glow similar to that of the sea.

The creature looked almost dead if it weren't for Samael's Void compass screaming at him to run. Run and never look back.

Don't tell me it's... Samael felt a shiver run down his spine.

"It's blowing itself up..." Samael muttered, his pupils quivering and his voice shaking.

Left with nowhere to escape and despair looming in its heart, the leviathan chose...

Death.

But it wasn't going silently.

This was a suicide.

Samael felt the color drain from his face.

Can they escape the blast radius?

Yes, they can escape if they give it their all, but will Erubin and his men leave unscathed?

No. They would perish.

Samael's Void compass has never been so desperate for him to run and leave everything behind.

Erubin wouldn't survive. No one near the abomination would.

Samael felt the world pin him down.

He had two choices.

Run and leave Erubin and his men to die.

Or.

Risk everything.

Cold beads of sweat meandered down his forehead, his heart galloping like a stallion. The air felt heavy, and the world felt dark.

The dread creeping up his heart inched closer as the seconds ticked away.

What does he do?

What can he do...?

"We don't back away from a fight. We do whatever we want, whenever we want," a voice within Samael said.

For a brief second, Samael's perception warped as he stood within an empty Void... His Void.

A few meters from him stood a silhouette. It was him, but he was one with the darkness. Bathing in it.

"It's you," Samael muttered.

"Who I am is who you are," Alter Samael said.

A frown etched lines in Samael's visage.

"You say we don't run from a fight, but can we even beat a saint?" Samael asked.

Alter Samael inched closer, meeting Samael's gaze.

"Don't ask me; ask yourself," Alter Samael replied.

Glancing into the unyielding darkness, Samael reached out.

He was uncertain.

In doubt.

But it is in such times that he must ask the Void... himself, is he really giving up now?

The endless expanse of the darkness swirled in response, shrouding Samael in its protective embrace.

To answer his question.

No.

Surrender is not an option.

He was powerless before, weak and unable to protect anyone. He promised Lilith that the next time they met, he would be able to protect her. If he can't even keep his men from danger, what worth are his words?

It's time to unleash the powers he fears to wield.

Samael opened his eyes, waves of Void matter gushing out of his vessel.

In the time he spent out in the wilds, he has grown stronger. He has gained many skills and learned many things.

Some skills were useful, some were destructive. Far too destructive.

He feared that using such skills might hurt everyone he holds dear, so he locked them all away.

Kept them hidden in a cage deep under his heart. Buried under fear and uncertainty that they may became uncontrollable.

But now... He fears no more.

It's time to open the gates and set everything free.

Burning through his Void charge, Samael took all his reserves out.

In a flash, Samael's entirety was submerged in Void matter, shrouding every part of his body in its marvel and for a moment, becoming one with the Void.

Slowly, he lowered his stance, his gaze locked on the leviathan cub.

Deep within Samael, his alter ego released a smirk as he spoke.

Lets kill ourselves a Saint.

Samael's figure zoomed forward, destroying and catapulting large chunks of earth away. He breezed through the wind with speeds no man could ever see.

To Ajax, Samael appeared like a purple shooting star, leaving streaks in the sky. Bringing hope and destruction in its wake.

Within seconds, Samael gently landed on top of the beast as he delicately laid his palm upon the creature and muttered.

"Ingrid."

Then... There was no then.

The leviathan cub grew in size, its body bloating wide before imploding.

Pieces of the creature rained down like shattered glass, disintegrating in the air like paper burned to ashes. What was left were the small specks of Void matter dancing in the sky. Falling down like snow after a harrowing winter.

It was over.

Devoured Void Essence of "Leviathan (cub)" [Saint I] +5100

Your power grows stronger...

***

[Ingrid]

-Allows the host to transfer Void Essence within the enemy, destroying them from the inside and harming their soul.