Chapter 55: The Breaking

  When Justinian once again uttered his insane threat, the devils did not react with their previous uproar.

  There were no raised shouts or disbelief.

  Instead, there was a tense, heavy silence, and shivers ran down their spines.

  Regardless of what anyone thought of the Grim Judge, his actions today had earned their respect.

  No one could deny that.

  Just as no one could deny the insane, incredible strength he had developed entirely on his own—strength that had caused the powerful ruler of the mountain, Greedius, to betray fear in his gaze.

  And the devils, guided by the commands of the King of Names and Symbols, respected nothing more than strength.

  Standing before Greedius, the one who had brought hell upon his life, Justinian read the emotions on the devil's face.

  The calm, almost mocking countenance betrayed disbelief at the absurdity of the situation.

  There was also visible pain from the loss of one of his great horns.

  Breathing heavily and covered in blood, Justinian calculated his options.

  He already knew he wouldn't be able to keep pace with the enemy in a pure exchange of blows.

  Even the cut he had just executed, had proven to be far from sufficient.

  'The difference in levels is just too large...'

  He could no longer use the power of Totius, which he had utilized during the crisis on the moon. His iron hand required being exposed to devastating attacks beforehand. Even his intent wasn't working, failing to create a favorable opportunity.

  'The worst part is, I can't fight him at a distance.'

  The spikes protruding from his opponent's skin were truly destructive. Avoiding them, especially with broken ribs, was impossible.

  In the end, only one conclusion remained.

  'I have to take the risk.'

  Soon, Greedius let out a loud, bone-rattling laugh.

  "Good, good. You've really got balls, boy."

  The guttural words were steeped in hatred. There was no question: this was a fight to the death. The devil began to emanate a terrifying power, clearly preparing for a massive attack.

  Justinian knew he couldn't take a blow with such a concentration of energy.

  Instead, he began to prepare his own strongest strike. He raised his saber, which began to emanate a crimson glow.

  The entire dimension held its breath as these two powerful forces began a race to destroy the enemy!

  Greedius smiled inwardly, seeing his opponent's blade become covered with an ever-larger layer of ki.

  This was exactly the effect he had been counting on.

  A saber that could wound him to the point of losing a horn was too dangerous to leave in the fight.

  'Who knows where the kid's desperation might lead him?'

  There was no more room for mistakes. Victory, even if the kid died, was crucial.

  He didn't want to allow himself the madness of using all his power here.

  After all a good plan must include the possibility of failure. And that failure could come during his later escape to another dimension.

  On top of that, perhaps from worrying about Belisara, his tattoo with the number 11 began to itch.

  He knew, however, that it was just nerves.

  'Nerves sharpened by this damned human.'

  The tens of seconds that had passed since the beginning of their fight held the value of almost an eternity in the devil's eyes.

  That was why he intended to fix all his previous mistakes. With one, decisive skill.

  The power pulsing from his large hands grew and grew, slowly warping the air around them and heralding a catastrophe for his opponent.

  He saw how the young adept, in response, frantically drew more and more energy to match him.

  How he thought he was capable of winning the coming clash.

  'But he lacks experience.'

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  Greedius had deliberately made such a spectacle. Exhausting the opponent's power on a single attack was exactly what he was aiming for.

  The Mountain Lord began to set an increasingly fast pace, leaving no room for doubt. It was high time to end this.

  'Hmm?'

  A moment later, he frowned, seeing a strange specter beside him. It looked as if the ghost of a young she-devil was gazing at him with indifference.

  He knew that face. He directed his amused gaze at Justinian.

  "I only fear the living, not the dead."

  It was the specter of Aldona Borowiak, who had died by Belisara's hand.

  "Shut up!"

  The kid was proving to be no fun here.

  What the devil hadn't anticipated however, was that a moment later, this projection made of energy would begin to attack him!

  'Damn it!'

  He almost jumped as the attack struck him, only for the specter to... disintegrate right after his block!

  The blow itself caused him as much pain as a small pinch.

  When he realized what had happened, he immediately turned to his opponent.

  "You're treacherous for a human!"

  It was clear this phantom was just a distraction to buy him time to gather ki.

  Greedius actually appreciated this. Information about techniques, like everything else, could not be wasted.

  He also noted with satisfaction that Justinian had already gathered more energy than him.

  Exactly as he had planned.

  'Just a little longer...'

  The light around his hands began to warp into tens of shades when the young man cursed loudly.

  Near the devil, two more specters appeared, this time their faces completely blank!

  He wanted to simply ignore them, taking the ridiculous blows, when he suddenly went pale!

  He felt a strange energy just before it landed!

  'The less detailed the specters, the stronger they are?'

  And indeed, this time, the attack from one of them really hurt him.

  He anticipated where the second specter would attack, when he heard the boy take a heavy breath.

  The final cut was ready!

  Greedius felt the powerful energy coming, which sent shivers down his spine and... he smiled blissfully!

  'So naive.'

  This was exactly what he had been waiting for!

  The technique the devil was pouring energy into was a simple feint, one of his skills reserved for particularly annoying enemies.

  He deliberately tricked the boy into a race to empty his ki reserves and finish this stupid fight quickly!

  Feeling his heart pound, he didn't meet the technique head-on but simply avoided it, leaping up, meters into the air!

  There, he smiled menacingly.

  "And what now, boy?"

  When he looked into his opponent's eyes, however... fear once again crept onto his skin!

  'There is not even a fraction of resignation in them!'

  Before he realized what was happening, a phantom made of ki appeared right behind him, emanating all the power Justinian had gathered earlier!

  He didn't have time to block as the powerful attack landed with devastating consequences, causing a small explosion in the air!

  And from the sky, a second later, the devil himself crashed down with immense speed, creating a great plume of dust on impact.

  Just as he had wanted to outsmart the adept, the slashing attack was a simple feint, hiding the most powerful phantom the human could create!

  Justinian could barely stay on his feet.

  Into the attack moments ago, he had poured almost all his strength; he also had to control the feinting cut of the saber.

  His entire body was in terrible pain. His muscles burned as if from a terrible illness, and the joy coming from Ignatius nearby didn't even register.

  "That's it, my adept! Great work!"

  The Emptyhead, deprived of his foundation, had to rely on his sense of sight to assess the battle situation.

  Now, witnessing the fall of his former friend, who had barbarically tried to murder him, he was clearly overjoyed.

  The boy, however, did not react.

  He felt no echo of power coming from the direction where Greedius had fallen, but he preferred to be cautious.

  'If he survived this...'

  Justinian preferred not to think about how dire that situation would be.

  The following seconds ticked by, and he slowly began to relax.

  Time only stopped when he looked at Boruta, who until now had been watching the fight with a serious expression. When their gazes met, he found no joy in the voivode's eyes.

  'Fuck.'

  A moment later, his opponent's power revealed itself like a giant fountain.

  Greedius wore a serious expression. A massive burn from Justinian's earlier attack covered his shirtless torso, from stomach to neck. A trickle of blood ran from his swollen lips.

  He had survived. And this time, he had no intention of using half-measures. He was treating the young man as an equal.

  He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spat out a dozen flames. In the blink of an eye, they transformed the green scenery into a hellscape.

  "How dare you use these techniques outside your mountain?!" The semi-transparent Boruta was outraged.

  Ignatius's face, joyful moments ago, turned pale. He clearly knew this technique. The devils watching from across the dimension also reacted.

  "That's the technique of the previous ruler of the Mountain of Envy and Conflagration!"

  "How can Greedius use it?! He never manipulated fire!"

  "Maybe it's a matter of the mountain's own legacy?"

  There was much speculation, but the fiend himself could count those who knew his secret on one hand. The few who knew and had survived were terrified.

  This was a cursed power, hailing from the system of the King of Names and Symbols itself. Like Belisara, Greedius's cultivation required absorbing cultivators stronger than himself to progress. That was why his mountain accepted everyone and promoted the survival of the fittest. He needed such adepts.

  He was willing to sacrifice everything to strive for greater power, in accordance with the devilish code. He was the one behind the traps set on Ignatius's mountain many years ago; he had coveted his colleague's power even then.

  The situation back then was more difficult, forcing him to wait for an opportunity like this one, which had finally blossomed in the Kingdom of Peace. He had stepped onto a path of no return and knew he had to see it through. There was simply no place for him in the 66th dimension anymore.

  His tattoo, which usually deterred others with its suggested immortality, itched terribly as he met Justinian's eyes.

  "This is true hellfire. This is how we will end our fight."

  The boy, looking around the burning battlefield, was sweating profusely. The fire domain was a natural environment for devils, but a human could not survive in it for long. Still, the resolve in his eyes did not fade.

  "Then so be it."

  Greedius nodded in respect—his opponent had earned it—and unleashed his power, disappearing. The games were over.

  Half a second later, the adept jumped desperately as a column of terrible fire materialized right behind him.

  "Damn it!"

  He cursed as his dodge led him straight into the devil waiting in the air. Greedius exploited the lapse in concentration, driving a powerful kick into the adept's ribs and breaking them on the other side.

  The blow knocked him unconscious for a moment. As he tumbled to the ground with a thud, spitting blood, another blow was already waiting. A desperate block with his hand did little and only made the situation worse.

  The boy howled in pain as a piece of bone pierced his skin. He barely avoided the subsequent attack.

  He escaped a dozen meters into the air over the burning field, only to realize his predicament. His right hand hung uselessly, his forearm broken in two. He couldn't even lift his saber.

  Ignatius stared in horror, his own fight against the raging fire becoming more desperate. Boruta also turned pale, seeing where this was headed. Even for the other devils, there was no longer any doubt.

  The Grim Judge was on the verge of death.