Chapter 56: He Can See
Belial had to admit, he had underestimated this "Ultraman."
It was no wonder. After all, in his eyes, the group of demonic spirits who worshipped him were nothing but a bunch of weaklings. When a bunch of weaklings described an enemy as somehow invincible, it might put him on alert, but he hadn't taken it too seriously.
Only now, after taking that punch to the face, did he realize they might have actually been telling the truth.
It hurt like hell.
The demon was sent flying backward by the punch, slamming into the floor several times before his body was plastered against the wall of the Great Hall like a sheet of dough.
He peeled himself off the wall with difficulty, staggered to his feet, and looked up at the red-and-silver giant who seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
Then, the corner of his mouth twitched into a savage grin.
"I see now. Truly formidable power. To think that even after losing Wizard Shazam, this dimension still has such a powerful guardian."
"In that case…"
He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
The temperature in the Great Hall seemed to plummet by several degrees, and the air grew heavy. Formless magic power gathered like a dark cloud, and even the surrounding demonic spirits sensed that something was amiss. They quickly distanced themselves from their boss, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
With a great roar, the black mist around Belial surged.
It's coming!
Magic power erupted from beneath his feet, and dark wings spread open like those of a fallen angel! An incredibly tyrannical energy propelled his body into the air…
And then he turned around and dashed at super-speed straight back into the Mirror Plane he had emerged from.
Orin Vale: "?"
The demonic spirits: "?"
Before anyone in the Great Hall could react, the magic power that had just been brewing had already dissipated. When they looked again, Belial had already slipped back into his own dimension at light speed, laughing boisterously from behind the Mirror Plane.
"What do you think? Didn't expect that, did you?" Belial cackled from behind the Mirror Plane. "Can you keep up with my speed?"
The demonic spirits were speechless.
How should they put it…
As expected of That Lord? Even his retreat was so imposing…
But was this really okay?
The demonic spirits were in disarray.
All these days, they had scrimped and saved, laid low to survive, and even sacrificed so many of their brothers—what was it all for?
The demon Belial was completely oblivious to the fact that he had sold out his teammates. He even continued to taunt from the other dimension, "Aren't you supposed to be strong? If you've got the guts, come through this gate and fight me!"
Orin Vale pondered for a moment.
The energy level of his bracelet had increased, and many more of its functions had been unlocked compared to when he first transmigrated.
If it was now, maybe…
With a thought, he raised the bracelet on his arm.
The Hyperspace Bracelet flashed, and a beam of energy shot out, striking the black mist-wreathed Mirror Plane in mid-air and creating a faint ripple.
The next moment, Orin Vale's entire body erupted in a brilliant glow, transforming into an orb of light.
He plunged headfirst into the ripple.
Belial was still shouting "Come and get me!" when his movements abruptly froze mid-shout.
Slowly, he turned his head. To his horror, he saw a golden radiance appear in the space behind him. The red-and-silver giant emerged from the brilliance, looking down at him.
Belial: "…"
*Bang.*
A fist descended, smashing Belial's entire body into the dark ground below. The force of the punch sent gravel flying and cracked the earth.
*I've never heard such a strange request before.JPG.*
Orin Vale retracted his fist. A massive crater remained in the ground where he had struck, but there was no one inside.
The next moment, laughter seemed to echo from all directions in the space.
"Hahahahahaha! I'll be honest, I truly didn't expect this. You actually dared to barge into my Dimension, my Domain!"
Belial's voice sounded like it was in 360-degree stereo surround.
"Since you're here, don't even think about leaving. This place will be your tomb!"
He had a point.
Demons, regardless of their rank, were all boosted to some degree by their domains. Some powerful demons had enough strength to destroy an entire world, but they still often needed to trick believers into doing their bidding when invading other dimensions for this very reason.
Only in their own dimension could a demon unleash their full strength. And the more powerful the demon, the stronger the boost they received in their domain.
Orin Vale stood on the ground of this dark world and surveyed his surroundings.
It was a world shrouded in darkness, where chaos churned like a vast, calm ocean. Jagged black rock formations were surrounded by eerie rock structures, and illusory mists drifted about. Shadows seemed to dance in every dark corner.
A world without light, without hope.
Belial's form was concealed within that darkness.
This was his home turf; he could merge into any part of this world. He moved silently, like a patient predator, cultivating fear in his prey's heart, waiting for the moment that fear would reveal a weak point.
At this moment, the giant seemed to have completely lost him, his gaze lost in the boundless darkness, utterly unaware of the threat lurking beside him.
A triumphant, savage grin appeared on Belial's face.
Now!
A vicious glint flared in his eyes as he prepared to launch a decisive, killing dash…
But in that very instant.
He noticed that the giant seemed to turn his head…
And glance in his direction!
Belial: "!"
That one look made his heart tremble. Without a second thought, he detonated a phantom image on the spot while his true form, hidden in the darkness, used two displacement spells to change his position.
Hunkering down from a new angle, he saw that Orin Vale wasn't looking over anymore and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Doubt flickered in Belial's mind.
*Did he see me?*
*No, that's impossible.*
This was his domain. He could become a part of this domain; his disguise was flawless.
*A coincidence. It must have been a coincidence!*
Belial quickly reasoned that he had indeed seen some exceptional soldiers with astonishing intuition before. It wasn't a special ability, but simply a combat instinct honed through countless battles—something akin to a sixth sense.
*Yes, that must be it. He couldn't possibly see me.*
Belial relaxed, then mockingly thought to himself that his reaction just now might have been a bit over the top.
The guy just glanced in his direction, and he was so scared that he used a substitute and two Flashes. It did seem a bit exaggerated…
Belial approached silently.
Five hundred meters, four hundred meters, three hundred meters…
He stopped about three hundred meters directly in front of his opponent, still feeling a little uneasy.
First, he struck a pose as if preparing to lunge with his claws, just to test the waters.
There was no reaction.
Belial tried getting a little closer, striking a pose as if he were about to charge up a skill.
Still no reaction.
*He really can't see me!*
Belial laughed triumphantly in his heart.
He decided he would gouge out this abominable alien's glowing eyes and use them as light bulbs.
Emboldened, Belial continued to approach. He arrogantly stretched out his neck and brought his face right up close.
As if to taunt—hit me again if you've got the guts, huh?
*Bang.*
A supersonic punch, accompanied by a sharp whistle as it tore through the air, struck Belial's body head-on like swatting a fly.
The terrifying force of the punch shot through his entire being, his internal organs quaking violently. As he was sent flying backward, spitting blood, his mind was still roaring in disbelief.
That sly old fox was faking it!
He really can see!
***
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(end of chapter)