1008 The Shifting Rhythm

Varian's injuries healed at a visible rate as he launched concentrated attacks on Demon King.

The abyssal managed to block every single attack without taking any damage. Despite getting several major injuries from Evander and being weakened, Varian was no match for him.

As the fight continued, the Abyss ruler realized that his worst fears were coming true.

Varian's strength was growing. Not as fast as it did in the previous fight but not certainly not slow.

'Wait, his slow is what normal level 9s need months for. His growth messing with my common sense.'

Unease filled Demon King's heart as Varian's achievements flashed in his mind.

He always clashed with the stronger enemies, battled his way through impossible fights, and came on top.

Demon King felt like he was in one of such many 'achievements'. For the people in the future, this battle might be one of those many in Varian's record.

'That's exactly why I have to destroy him at any cost!' Demon King's eyes grew fumed with killing intent and he shot toward Varian at his fastest speed.

The space behind him shook as the shockwaves from just his movement destroyed the satellites orbiting the moon.

Varian was prepared for a long battle but he instantly knew something was wrong when the Demon King's fist burned with a scarlet glow.

His mind sense found a blood-colored bracelet that appeared on Demon King's wrist at some point. It was melting away at a rate visible to naked eye and when it did, it raised the power of Demon King.

'Oh fuck.'

Varian's body froze as a mental suppression filled his mind. The bracelet began to melt faster and the pressure on his body increased.

With no time to teleport, Varian raised his arms in defense. His powers formed a complex cocoon and wrapped him defensively.

Demon King grinned with a savage smile. The blood bracelet wouldn't fail him. It's a single-use treasure sent by the Abyss Emperor.

Once activated, it'd increase his strength by a notch, exert a pressure on his enemies. But the most sinister of all, once the attack connected, it'd start corroding the enemy.

He just needed to attack Varian deep enough and the bracelet's special feature would eat him alive.

'He's weak enough now that I can push my fist into his lungs.' That much of an injury would allow a corrosion so intense and quick that his death would be a certainty.

"Die!"

Demon King's silhouette that moved at speeds dozens of times higher than sound collided with Varian's cocoon.

The world froze for a moment before the cocoon unravelled, its intricate layers forcibly torn to the sides by the scarlet fist. The fist broke through Varian's arms and reached his chest.

'Yes...Yes!' Demon King's eyes glowed with relief.

He's done it! Varian was over! His lungs would be corroded and then his heart. No matter how much he could heal, it'd be futile.

'I made histor--'

The Demon King's eyes froze as he felt an extra resistance over his fist.

A wall of light, followed by a layer of darkness, and an invisible gravity wall repelling his fist. Even an annoying prickling pain appeared in his mind.

These moves by themselves were inconsequential and would've done little to Demon King's attack.

In fact, even if Sarah and Sia stacked their attacks together, they wouldn't be able to block the abyss ruler's punches.

However, what they were now facing was a punch that already had to break through Varian's defense. As a result, the defense layers set up by Sia and Sarah slowed down the fist and weakened it even more.

When it finally struck Varian's chest, except for a few ribs breaking, he was mostly fine.

Of course, the scarlet light began to corrode his injured chest and tried to destroy his body.

But since it's a surface injury, Varian easily expelled the foreign aura out of his body and quickly healed back to peak.

"Y-You!" Demon King finally shifted his gaze to the two women assisting Varian from far away.

Since the start, he neglected them. Their attacks were good for a peak level 9, but they meant nothing to someone of his level.

They seemed to have improved significantly from the last battle, but they're still too weak for him to take seriously.

Yet, it's these two...the ones he dismissed as useless that made the most important difference.

If they weren't present, his fist would've injured Varian deeply. Then the corrosion would've easily killed him.

The one-time opportunity he had was gone!

Demon King's chest heaved up and down as he looked at Sarah and Sia with burning hatred. In his eyes, only they remained. They must die for what they did! And not in a merciful way!

Demon King shot toward them in a blink. "Arghh! I'll kill you! You pathetic low lives, you filthy bitche--omff"

A fist appeared in the way and he ran his face straight into it.

The world turned purple and green as blood spilled out of the Demon King's injured face.

"You aren't insulting them and walking away alive." Varian declared and moved forward.

Demon King responded with all the strength he could muster. Even though he was extremely reluctant, Varian forced him from reaching the two girls.

As the battle proceeded, Demon King's heart sank.

Varian was nothing like Evander. He'd fight you with pure strength while simultaneously trying to drive a sword made of lightning and ice down into your heart.

He even used illusions to confuse him and gain control of the battle rhythm. Normally, using illusions in a physical fight against Demon King wouldn't work for the simple reason that these fights were so fast and intense that a psychic needed not only the current position of the fighter, but also his future position so that it can be covered up.

In simple terms, the new illusion would be 'shown' to the enemy while the original body would actively be 'hidden' as it moved forward to fight.

Since even the best psychics couldn't 'predict' where their ally was going to move in the next second, they couldn't make those illusions.

But as a man with body and psychic powers, Varian could.

However, it's exceedingly hard even for him. And despite facing thousands of battle, he wasn't able to do it.

But another path helped.

Time.

Varian's mind speed increased with respect to his body and did all the heavy lifting for the illusion.

"Why?! Why do you have both body and mind powers?!" Demon King roared as he punched Varian right in the head.

But his fist passed through empty space and the empty space beside him shifted as the real Varian appeared in it and punched out.

Demon King scrambled to defend himself but he was still slightly late. Varian's fist struck his sides and shattered every single rib on his right. Not only that, every damn organ in the right side of his torso was smashed into a mush.

"Arghh!"

Before he had any respite, a lightning bolt smashed through those injuries and began frying his insides.

Demon King's momentum began to falter as the fight continued.

A legend was being written.