Kaito's blades whistled through the mist as sword shadows cut toward the Mist Queen Demon's vital points. The arcs of steel and flame were precise, but the Queen reacted quickly. A translucent shield of abyssal energy flared to life around her body, absorbing the strikes with heavy sparks.
Snarling, she spread her wings wide and turned her staff not toward Kaito but toward her summoned Abyssal Demons. The runes on the staff burned black and purple as she chanted words that warped the very air. Before Kaito could break through her barrier, she released two narrow rays of abyssal light. They shot forward and pierced directly into the skulls of the towering demons.
A chill ran down Kaito's spine. He recognized the effect instantly. "A speed buff…" he thought grimly.
Until now, the Abyssal Demons had lumbered like mountains. Slow and heavy, they were easy to outmaneuver even though their strength was overwhelming. But with their weakness erased, they became far more dangerous. Their towering frames rumbled as the energy surged through them, their bodies trembling with power. Their movements grew sharper, their black eyes flaring like twin beacons in the mist.
Kaito gritted his teeth. He knew he couldn't falter now.
Without hesitation, he pressed harder against the Queen's shield, hacking at it with the Solstice Blade and Dragon Fang. Sparks scattered with each strike, but the barrier held firm. Before he could break through, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air behind him.
He twisted instinctively, and his eyes widened as a massive arm faster than any demon's he had seen before swung toward him like a black thunderbolt. The speed buff had already taken hold.
Kaito ducked low, rolling aside as the blow tore through the air where he had stood. The impact shook the ground, fragments of marble flying across the hall. He knew at once he couldn't waste time. He had to first take care of them and break their momentum before the buff settled in.
His left wrist flicked, and the Razor Claw Wrist Guard snapped forward. A gleaming claw shot out and sank deep into the shoulder of one Abyssal Demon. The beast let out a roar, more of pain than anger, and its massive hand immediately gripped the steel cable attached to the claw.
The Demon yanked, pulling the line taut and dragging Kaito forward like a ragdoll. Instead of resisting, Kaito used the pull. He let his body whip through the air, and at the last second he released the cable. Using the momentum, he twisted, landing on the Demon's arm just as another strike swung in to swat him down.
The second Demon's fist cut through the space he had just vacated, smashing down with the strength of a mountain. Kaito sprang upward from the first Demon's arm, flipping onto its head, and with both blades in hand he slashed across the chamber.
"Cross Slash!"
The twin arcs of steel cut through the air and landed directly on the other Abyssal Demon's chest. The monster howled, staggering back, its chest ripped open by the force of the strike.
But the low intelligence of the beasts worked against them. The injured Demon's black eyes flared with fury, and its wrath was totally focused on Kaito now. With a roar, it swung its fist forward, trying to crush Kaito completely ignoring the abyssal demon below him.
Kaito saw the strike coming and once again fired his Razor Claw. The claw embedded into a nearby pillar, and he zipped away in a blur. The fist meant for him landed squarely on the head of the other Abyssal Demon.
The hall shook from the impact. The struck Demon reeled back, black mist spraying from its mouth. Its gaze locked onto its fellow abyssal demon, now burning with blind rage. With another howl, it lunged forward.
In moments, the two colossal monsters collided, fists hammering into each other's bodies with thunderous force. Marble shattered beneath their feet as their immense frames clashed. Every strike carved new cracks into the throne room's foundation.
While Kaito landed lightly on the floor beside the pillar, his blades raised, watching the chaos. A thin smile flickered across his lips.
"Now then, Let's take care of you."
He turned his gaze back to the Mist Queen Demon. Her wings were flared wide as she began to chant once more, runes flickering dangerously along her staff. She was trying to stabilize the two abyssal demons.
Kaito couldn't let her.
With a sharp intake of breath, he blurred forward, blades humming with lightning. Thunder gathered in the chamber, thick and heavy.
"Odin's Wrath!"
The first strike fell, a crack of lightning exploding against the Queen's shield. The barrier splintered, shards of dark energy scattering like broken glass.
The second strike followed, heavier, blasting against her chest and driving her back against the walls.
The third strike crashed down, ripping through her robes and searing across her torso.
And the fourth strike came like a divine judgment, the lightning bursting outward in a two-yard storm that engulfed the Queen completely.
Her scream cut through the throne room as the lightning burned her, her staff quivering in her grip. The abyssal mist around her warped and thinned, and her HP bar plunged again.
The Mist Queen Demon's crimson eyes burned as she turned her gaze toward the two Abyssal Demons still tearing each other apart. Their claws raked across armored hides, and their black mist bodies gnawed at one another like wild beasts.
"You stupid pigs! What are you doing?" she screamed, her voice echoing like thunder through the throne room.
But her shout had no effect. The two Abyssal Demons didn't even glance at her. Instead, they continued ripping chunks of flesh and bones from each other, their roars shaking the pillars. Their jaws opened wide, snapping and tearing, even biting into each other's throats.
Seeing them devour each other in madness, the Queen's fury grew, and she hesitated no longer. She raised her staff high, abyssal runes flaring across its surface, and began a deep chant. The black energy swirling around her gathered, twisting violently, and from the head of her staff a massive mouth formed.
The grotesque mouth was huge, large enough to swallow both of the towering Abyssal Demons. It opened wide, dripping with abyssal mist, and shot forward with terrifying speed.
The two Abyssal Demons froze in horror. For the first time, expressions of fear flashed across their monstrous faces. Their glowing black crystal eyes widened as they realized what was about to happen. They abandoned their fight immediately, their claws releasing each other, and both turned to flee. Their massive frames thundered across the hall, each step shaking the floor as they ran instinctively toward the direction where Hiroto and the others were still battling the Abyssal Wraith Royal Guards.
But before they could even take more than two steps, the enormous mouth descended upon them. It clamped down with horrifying speed, its abyssal teeth snapping shut around both Demons at once.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
The sound was sickening. Flesh, and bone were crushed together. Black mist gushed out from the mouth as it chewed, the roars of the two Abyssal Demons cut off in an instant.
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he watched. His grip on the Solstice Blade and Dragon Fang tightened. He knew exactly what had just happened.
"This is bad," he thought grimly.
For Abyssal Demons and for all beings who had pledged themselves to the Abyss, there was one terrifying truth. They had the ability to devour others whether enemies, allies, or even themselves to grow stronger. Devouring was not just a skill but their way of survival. By consuming others of their kind, they inherited fragments of power, reinforcing their strength.
And now, the Mist Queen Demon, who had already transformed using the dreaded Demonification skill, had turned that ability upon her own summons. She had used Devour on the two abyssal demons.
Kaito's instincts screamed at him. He had to interrupt it before she completed the absorption. Without hesitation, he reached into his inventory and pulled out ten Intermediate Cyro Core orbs. The cores gleamed faintly with unstable light.
He didn't think twice. With one swift motion, he hurled all ten cores directly toward the Mist Queen Demon.