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n

n“Haa…haha…I didn’t expect it to be this difficult…”

nImmediately after Sebastian retreated, Damien dragged his haggard body into the spatial layers and began moving at his fastest speed towards Calypto.

nUnfortunately, the task was far harder than he originally expected.

nThe previous battle was extremely intense, and even if it was abruptly cut off, Damien still used the majority of his power to fight off Sebastian.

nHe’d even used his Void Physique’s abilities, something he’d been avoiding doing openly ever since the Wrath incident.

n‘That butler…he definitely knows.’

n“Khhh…!”

nDamien trudged through the muddied waters of space with a metaphorical limp. His body was healing, but at a far slower pace than Transcendent Regeneration usually allowed.

n‘Haha…is this the consequence of low mana reserves? While it’s fun to feel something new every once in a while, this isn’t really the time for that, is it?’

nTranscendent Regeneration, no matter how heaven-defying it was, was still a skill. Its continued activation was heavily reliant on mana.

nIn truth, it was only because of Damien’s unorthodox Mana Circuit and ability to gather mana into his body that Transcendent Regeneration could function. For any other person, it’d be a nigh-useless skill in battle.

nDamien was currently experiencing what it was like to be “normal.”

n‘Dammit. Has the Ananta Matrix been affected as well?’

nBodily regeneration and mana regeneration were both moving at a snail’s pace, but Damien didn’t have the time to check on the damages in his body.

nAll he knew was that he was a wreck, a wreck that urgently needed to return to Calypto and save his companion.

nWhat felt like hours passed within a few seconds. Damien exited the spatial layers within Calypto’s atmosphere and took in a breath of fresh air.

n‘Right, the air here sucks.’

nIgnoring the foul stench filling his nostrils, he spread his awareness to its limits. His spiritual intent raged as a substitute for mana, connecting with space and forcing his awareness past the bounds of its usual reach.

n‘Where the hell did you go?’

nDamien wondered for only an instant before he realized.

n‘Ah yeah, the answer is way too obvious for me to dally like this.’

nFor a blood-crazed Zara who wanted to devour every Nox in sight, what better location was there than the Willow Continent?

nDamien flashed through the atmosphere. He redirected his mana so that Transcendent Regeneration only focused on his arms and arrived on the Willow Continent in a little over a minute.

n‘Holy **…’

nThe scene of destruction before him was terrifying in its connotation.

n‘I can’t let this continue.’

nZara’s feral state was a secondary concern. The existence of the Sanctuary allowed Damien the peace of mind when it came to Zara’s overall safety.

nBut that was only within the Sanctuary.

n‘If our allies find her, they’ll kill her, and if our enemies are given the chance, they’ll turn her into a puppet.’

nZara was in a situation where she could become an enemy of the universe in a single instant.

nDamien couldn’t hesitate.

nHis body became a blur as he kicked off the air and rushed towards the area of the continent where rampant mana fluctuations were currently tearing everything apart. From the sky, he could clearly see the intense battle taking place.

nZara had completely shifted back to her beast form. Her titanic wolf body crushed everything in its path and spread a plague of shadows across the continent.

nThe inky and horrid smell of Nox Mana in her aura was growing by the second, and the complexity of her utilization was growing with it.

nAt this rate, Zara would become a full-fledged Nox being before the battle ended.

nIn front of her stood a group of thousands of Nox, far outstripping the number that the Stargazer Squad had fought only mere minutes prior. These Nox were in strict formation, emanating a devastating killing intent as they formed a myriad of seals around Zara’s body.

n‘No…!’

nDamien immediately became alert. Those seals were too similar to the ones Sebastian formed for him to stay still.

nHis body came crashing down like a meteor. With the dredges of mana he had gathered while making his way to the continent, he activated his most chaotic ability without any of the care he usually showed.

n‘Starfall: Endless Rain’

nBOOOOOOOOM!

nA flurry of portals opened in the sky. Massive chunks of space debris and equally large meteors streaked out of their depths and crashed into the continent below.

nBOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

nThe deathly impacts seemed never-ending. The massive Willow Continent was bombarded from one end to the other, with no land left untouched by the terrifying rain of celestial bodies.

nDamien’s body blurred through the storm and arrived atop Zara’s mountainous body. He slammed his hands down against her back and pushed any remaining mana he had to swirl around her.

nYet, with his measly reserves, how could he cover a body spanning multiple thousands of kilometers?

n“FUCK!”

nDamien roared. His blood began to boil and burn, roaring alongside him.

nA second wave of power filled his body, but at the same time, he could feel himself weakening immensely.

nStill, his mana was doing what he desired it to do. Zara’s body was coated in a thin filament of spatial mana that was slowly becoming more pronounced.

nIt was at this time that Zara herself noticed his continued presence on her back.

nAWOOOOOO!

nA fearsome howl left her maw. A layer of shadow immediately spread across her fur and activated, turning every single follicle of hair into a blade to attack her enemy.

nThe enemy, however, was her only ally in the current circumstance.

n“ARGH!”

nCountless thorns stabbed through every inch of Damien’s skin. Even his heart was pierced, darkness permeating its core and interfering with its operation.

nDamien felt suffocated. Blood spurted from his body in fountains, dying Zara’s black coat in red.

n‘DAMMIT! THIS…FUCKING…HURTS!”

nThe thorns piercing his body didn’t stop after a single barrage. With every passing second, his worsening wounds were further aggravated by their continued assault.

nHe felt the stench of death encroaching upon him, making him nauseous.

nBut at the same time, this stench was invigorating. Death wasn’t some new concept to Damien. He’d been living while teasing its keeper for years, and its presence only brought his attention to a new high.

nSomething within his body came to life, empowering him further. A black and white seed hidden somewhere within him emitted a strong pulsation of light that filled every nook and cranny of his system with energy.

n“I WON’T…GO DOWN…UNTIL I FULFILL…OUR PROMISE!” Damien bellowed through halted breaths.

nHis blood burned brighter, reddish-black sparks enhanced his abilities, and his spatial mana…

n…finally succeeded in covering Zara entirely.

n“COME ON!”

nHe made his final push. He put all his focus into his connection with the Sanctuary. With the smell of burning blood vitality, he used every ounce of power remaining in his body.

nHis blood drained rapidly, his face turned pale white, his aura deflated like a popped balloon, but even then, he didn’t have any mind to stop his actions.

npαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ

nHis spirited shout echoed through the world, and in the same instant, finally…

n…he and Zara completely disappeared from its surface.

n