After using Concealed Heavy Wounds from the Five Way Imprint Inscription on his Sword of the Storm, Izroth managed to slow Smiling Demon down.
The active effect of Concealed Heavy Wounds made it so that those affected would have their total body mass increased by 200% for five seconds. However, the most useful thing about this effect was that it did not count as crowd control. This meant that even with the level difference between Izroth and Smiling Demon, the Siren Head Master could not merely shake it off.
Once Smiling Demon’s speed was reduced and his balance thrown off from the sudden change in his mass, Izroth wasted no time activating his Light Feather Footwork and Flickering Steps in sync. In addition to the speed buff he received from Empyrean’s Heaven Connecting Tether, Izroth soared through the sky at terrifying speeds.
In the blink of an eye, Izroth arrived before Smiling Demon and swung his sword downward with a speed that could not be followed with one’s eyes alone. The strangest aspect about this sword strike was that it had no start-up motion and just seemingly appeared out of thin air. However, it was just that the sword strike was so blindingly fast that the beginning motion could not be perceived. This was the result of Izroth’s Flash Counter, a skill that enabled him to temporarily ignore attack speed restrictions after he successfully parried an attack. And, since Izroth just recently parried Smiling Demon’s Killing Blood Palm, he seemed determined to take full advantage of the situation at hand.
Swoosh!
“?!” Even though Smiling Demon was under the effects of Izroth’s Concealed Heavy Wounds, as someone with an ample amount of experience, it did not take long for him to recover.
But, not even half a breath after he regained his balance, Izroth’s blade was already coming down right at his head!
Smiling Demon was confident that he could take this strike head-on without suffering a major injury; however, he was cautious of the black lightning contained within Izroth’s sword. Therefore, in the end, he chose to take a different and safer approach.
Boom!
A mixture of dark purple and red aura exploded from Smiling Demon’s body and formed a thin veil of energy. Although the veil of energy was thin to the point that it looked as though the wind alone was enough to blow it away, in reality, it was a sturdy protective barrier that had no issue defending against an attack from someone at the initial stage of the legendary realm.
Of course, this was not the most dangerous thing about this barrier. Those that attacked it would suffer a harsh backlash due to the chaotic mixture of energies that formed the barrier. The more powerful the attack, the more severe the backlash one would undergo.
Knowing that Izroth willingly charged at him head-on, Smiling Demon could not help but smirk under his demonic mask. Not too long ago, Izroth had turned Smiling Demon’s own attack against him. Now, Smiling Demon wanted to do the same!
“Hmph, I will pay back my humiliation tenfold. Brat, don’t blame me for being ruthless when I gave you a chance to submit!” Smiling Demon internalized.
Just as the veil of energy made its appearance and Izroth’s sword was about to strike against it, something unexpected occurred. Izroth, along with his Sword of the Storm, stopped a couple of centimeters before hitting the barrier.
At the same time, a hair-thin silver thread could be seen floating freely in the wind behind Smiling Demon’s back. Then, right in front of Smiling Demon’s eyes, Izroth vanished from view without a sound.
Swoosh!
Without hesitation, Smiling Demon rapidly spun his body. At the same time, he instantly absorbed the power from the barrier he created into his hand and lashed out without mercy at his back!
BOOOOOM!
The barrier disappeared as a large explosion occurred where the silver thread was located.
“Ahahaha! Ignorant brat! It’s a hundred years too soon for you to launch a sneak attack on me!” Smiling Demon stated with a hint of disdain in his voice.
How long had he been performing high-level assassinations? Smiling Demon had sharp senses that had been forged through countless battles. While he did not know the exact powers of that silver thread, Smiling Demon could tell when he was being set up for an ambush. After all, he had performed similar tactics many times himself.
Still, Smiling Demon was somewhat disappointed that Izroth did not suffer the same humiliation as him and was sent flying back by his own attack.
“It’s a little disappointing that he got off so easy, but what’s done is don-“
Phhhtk!
All of a sudden, a sharp blade pierced through the left side of Smiling Demon’s chest out from his back.
“?!” Smiling Demon’s body shook from shock as he glanced down and saw the blade protruding from his chest.
However, Smiling Demon did not have to time react as he was surrounded by a cage created by the Heavenly Lightning of Extinction. This cage was formed by another one of the weapon skills attached to Izroth’s Sword of the Storm, Lightning Cage.
Under normal circumstances, the cage would paralyze enemies inside for five seconds, but Izroth knew that it was highly unlikely it could contain Smiling Demon for that long. Fortunately, he had no plans to wait that long!
In one smooth motion, Izroth’s pulled his Sword of the Storm out from Smiling Demon’s body as a burst of energy erupted from the wound.
The next moment, an overbearing aura of destruction converged at the edge of Izroth’s blade as he slashed down mercilessly, leaving a deep wound across Smiling Demon’s back.
‘First Baneful Sword: Destruction.’
Bzzzzt! Crrrrck!
Smiling Demon’s mask cracked as his body slightly twitched. It had not been half a second, yet he was already forcibly breaking through the Lightning Cage!
‘As expected from someone in the legendary realm. Keeping them subdued with crowd control is too unreliable. However, it’s already too late.’
A heavy killing intent spilled out from Izroth’s sword. It gave one the feeling of impending dread as it swept across the battlefield.
When the sharp killing intent emerged, Smiling Demon’s mask cracked, revealing the face of a middle-aged man in a state of disbelief.
“That sword intent and black lightning are too overbearing..! I have to call the tapestry!” Smiling Demon internalized.
Ooooooom!
A golden light appeared above Smiling Demon’s head as a beautiful hymn rung throughout the skies. Those who heard this song were often placed into a state similar to intoxication and lowered their guard. But, this was not the main purpose this song served. In fact, it was the key to summoning the trump card of the Siren organization, the SSS-ranked magic item, the Call of the Siren Tapestry!
“Die!” Smiling Demon roared as the golden light faded.
When the golden light faded, an eerie silence filled the air.
“…”
“What’s going on?! Where is the tapestry?!” Smiling Demon thought to himself as he grew anxious.
“Were you expecting something?” Izroth’s voice sounded.
‘Azalea must have been successful in obtaining the tapestry. Without it, his last lifeline has been cut.’
“What did you do?!” Smiling Demon asked coldly.
“You were right,” Izroth said, ignoring Smiling Demon’s inquiry.
“It is a bit disappointing. I expected more from someone in the legendary realm. But, it seems that you only amount to this much. How utterly… Disappointing.” Izroth’s said indifferently.
“Wait-!”
Before Smiling Demon could finish speaking, a single wave of powerful sword energy filled with killing intent traveled right through his body without obstruction.
“Second Baneful Sword: Kill.”
Indeed, Smiling Demon had stepped into the legendary realm and his overall power could not be ignored; however, Smiling Demon was too arrogant.
Smiling Demon’s strength may have exceeded Izroth’s, but he could tell with a glance—Smiling Demon was no close combat expert. The Siren Head Master’s movements were awkward and the depth of his skills left much to be desired.
Not to mention, Smiling Demon was an assassin. This meant that he specialized in stalking his enemies and waiting for the perfect moment to strike from the shadows. But, he disregarded this method of approach and openly revealed himself when Empyrean first launched an attack on Siren’s main headquarters.
Izroth believed that since he and those he brought along had not yet stepped into the legendary realm, Smiling Demon became comfortable and displayed his arrogance. With this, he lost his biggest advantage as an assassin, which was the element of surprise.
Additionally, Smiling Demon had the support of a Great Duke of the Underworld and its ministers. Also, while he was impressed with Empyrean and Izroth’s talent, as a legendary being, he still looked down on them. All of this together caused Smiling Demon to hold absolute confidence in his control over the situation that was unfolding. But, he could have never predicted that things would turn out this way!
Enigma had been removed from the picture and there were no signs of Paradox. But, what truly surprised Smiling Demon was the fact that Empyrean was holding his own against the Great Duke’s ministers. This prevented the Great Embracer and Great Denier from interfering in their battle.
After these events, Smiling Demon was convinced that there would be no more surprises; however, that could not have been further from the truth. And, in the end, Smiling Demon paid for his arrogance with his death.
«Critical Hit»
-85,306
-22,500
-26,248
-164,050
〈System Alert: Congratulations, you have defeated Head Master of Siren, Smiling Demon!〉
