The moment Alex’s mind snapped back to reality, he didn’t hesitate.
His body reacted the instant he was back in control, pushing forward with explosive speed.
Fwish! Dash!
His feet barely grazed the ground as he launched himself toward the Hatred Demon, moving as fast as his body allowed.
His mind had already made the decision, and now his body was simply following through.
[The Crown of Calamity acknowledges your intent. We will protect you.]
That was all the confirmation he needed.
He didn’t care about the size difference, about how this monstrosity towered over him like a living mountain.
The Hatred Demon was at least five hundred times his size, but that meant nothing.
Even giants could fall. Even gods could bleed.
The laughter of the Hatred Demon echoed through the air like a chorus of voices speaking in unison.
Its hole-like face twisted, the dozens of glowing red eyes following his every movement.
“Oh…?” it mused, its voices merging into one, “You’re actually trying to fight me head-on?”
The mouths in its hole-face curved into wide grins, some of them overlapping grotesquely.
It was amused, entertained by the idea of a mere human throwing himself forward despite knowing the overwhelming difference in strength.
But Alex ignored it.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Hatred Demon’s claws lashed out like whips, cutting through the air with enough force to split mountains.
But before they could reach him, the [Crown of Calamity] responded instantly, forming black tendrils that materialized as barriers.
Each strike was met with a shield of darkness, the impact creating shockwaves that shattered the ground beneath him.
Alex didn’t stop moving.
He wasn’t reckless; he simply didn’t have the luxury of hesitation.
[What is your plan?]
“Same as always,” Alex responded, his tone firm, “Go crazy and attack without fear.”
[That is… incredibly foolish.]
The crown almost sounded exasperated, as if it couldn’t believe this was the strategy its wielder had come up with.
Alex smirked nervously, “That’s all we have for now.”
This wasn’t about logic. This wasn’t about strategy.
It was instinct, raw, undeniable instinct.
The Angel of the Blade of Destiny had told him to do what he did best, and this was the first thing that came to mind.
In his head, he quickly assessed his resources.
Fifteen minutes had passed since the fight started.
That wasn’t enough time for his [Universal Orbs] to recharge.
He had three left:
[Orb of Cataclysm, Orb of the Unbreakable and Orb of the Storm]
It wasn’t much, and since each orb took twenty minutes to recharge, his next one wouldn’t be ready for another five minutes.
But something told him that he wouldn’t get that far to begin with, and this fight wouldn’t last that long.
The Hatred Demon wouldn’t allow it, and even if it did, Alex wouldn’t stay idle waiting either as attacks kept coming.
It knew Alex had powerful skills, it knew letting him stall for time was dangerous.
But there was one thing it didn’t know.
It didn’t know about the [Orb of the Unbreakable].
And most importantly, it didn’t know that [World Cleaver] was in the process of activating.
These were Alex’s only two real advantages.
[Three, actually,] the Crown of Calamity said, [You know that, right?]
“…” Alex didn’t say anything, but he knew that as well, for there was a singular item he could also use to win, though it was too risky, so he dismissed it.
The Angel of the Blade of Destiny was still preparing itself, meaning Alex was on his own for now.
And the [Orb of the Unbreakable] would be kept as a last resort.
If he could reflect the Hatred Demon’s strongest attack, then he would win.
That was his best bet.
“But…” the Hatred Demon said, lowering its massive head slightly as if inspecting him,
“I also have three skills I haven’t shown you yet, you know?”
Alex didn’t reply.
He didn’t even blink.
His eyes were blazing with aura, burning so intensely that any normal person would assume he was on the verge of destroying his own vision.
The Hatred Demon had gained three new skills upon transforming into its second form:
[Full Assault]
[Hatred Copy]
[???]
That last one was a [Forbidden Skill].
The fact that it hadn’t used it yet was concerning.
And now that it had reached its final form—[Pure Hatred]—it had unlocked two more skills.
Three [Forbidden Skills] in total.
Why hadn’t it used them yet?
If it was as confident as it claimed, then why hold back?
It could’ve ended this already.
Or maybe…
[It still believes you can revive yourself.]
The Crown of Calamity’s words confirmed Alex’s suspicion.
Yes. That was it.
The Hatred Demon was second-guessing itself.
It had been absolutely certain that this was Alex’s last life, but every time, he had managed to survive.
Now, it was hesitating. That was perfect.
Alex had zero [Destiny Points].
If the Hatred Demon believed he had some left, then let it believe that.
“Enough,” the Hatred Demon finally said, “How many lives do you still have? I wonder… but it cannot be infinite, or else you wouldn’t bother defending yourself.”
Alex grinned, tilting his head, “Who knows?”
Celestial Judgment!
Twelve holy blades materialized in the air around him, glowing with divine energy.
The moment they appeared, he sent them flying toward the Hatred Demon’s legs.
“How futile.” The Hatred Demon didn’t even flinch, “Those blades cannot harm me.”
Swash! Swash!
The swords cut through the air and struck.
[Good job!] The Crown of Calamity sounded genuinely pleased.
Of course, the moment the blades made contact, they disintegrated instantly.
But that didn’t matter.
Because—
[Destiny Points: 24/150]
The Hatred Demon finally realized what had just happened.
“Oh…” it mused, its hole-face twisting in amusement.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have let you hit me.”
Alex gritted his teeth.
He had finally gathered some Destiny Points, but it wasn’t enough, not yet.
He reached the Hatred Demon’s massive boots, preparing to leap—
SMASH!
But the Hatred Demon simply kicked.
A single, casual movement, but that was enough for Alex’s body to be launched backward.
‘Oh, shit—’
He barely had time to react.
The force sent him flying through the air, the wind howling past his ears.
His wings snapped open at the last second, stabilizing him midair.
Now, he was hovering at the level of the Hatred Demon’s stomach.
“This battle will last forever if we keep going like this,” the Hatred Demon groaned, “I could be conquering entire cities right now.”
Alex narrowed his eyes, it was getting impatient.
Snap!
The Hatred Demon snapped its fingers, and the hole in its face began to distort: the mouths twisted and the eyes flickered and vanished.
They laughed.
The laughter didn’t come from its mouths anymore, it came from everywhere.
And then, the Hatred Demon whispered:
“Here is my first [Forbidden Skill] in this new form!” It clasped its massive hands together, “I shall not interfere anymore with IT coming. Please… entertain me, child.”
“What the hell are you talking abou—”
But Alex stopped as a portal appeared before him, a massive, swirling black portal.
It ripped open the space between them and was at least 100 meters tall.
And even stranger, it felt like something was coming through.
[The Crown of Calamity warns you: Whatever is beyond this portal is dangerous. Be ready for a fight.]
…
A/N
We are actually reaching the final stretch of this battle, I did say it would be the longest fight in the ENTIRE novel, I hope you liked it and sorry if it stretched for too long since there was just too much happening.
We are nearing the start of the [Chosen Games].