Chapter 465: Midnight
The Man stood in front of Mammon and Saitan who were lying on the ground, the both of them unable to move after a grueling fight that ended with the Man getting the upper hand.
"He's not just a normal being," Mammon grunted. "The skill I used earlier allowed me to take the skills of the people around the magic circle. I used, combined, and even sacrificed a lot of them just so the others would get stronger but it was no use. This person is still more powerful."
Saitan was laying on his stomach when he slammed his hand on the ground. A large magic circle appeared below them. "Blood Reclamation!"
"Saitan, what are you doing?!" Mammon gasped. "I made a pact with this host. I have to save his life."
"Too late for that now," Saitan yelled. "We'll die together, the Man. We'll bring you to the darkness."
The red magic circle glowed brighter and brighter until it looked like a red sun was rising from the ground. Saitan continued to cast his skill, screaming on top of his lungs to create as big of an explosion as he could.
Then the light died down.
The Man tapped his foot on the magic circle, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "If there's anything that you could do to stop me, even if it also means sacrificing your life, you have to do it in a flash or else I would avoid death itself."
"But I already casted the skill–"
"Nothing is set in stone," the Man cut Saitan off. "As long as it is yet to happen, it can still be stopped. Only I am inevitable."
The man conjured six giant swords above him. The swords were pointing down, spinning slowly around him and the demons. "But I have to admit. You two were very good. I haven't fought people that are as good as you, so I'll give you an honorable death. I'll let you taste my true power."
The swords started to spin quicker and quicker. They were now at the speed where no sword is visible with the untrained eye as they slolwy form a vortex made of pure aura.
"By the power that was given to me by the Almighty!" the Man yelled. "I reward you with death!"
"Sanctum of the Unholy."
The swords shattered into pieces and the vortex became merely a gentle breeze as a giant stone arch emerged from the ground. The arch looked old with the moss around the top part and the dead vines that were wrapped around the sides.
"What's this?" the Man smirked. "Another ant has come to play."
"Leviathan!" Mammon and Saitan chorused. They looked at each other, grinning widely as they saw their brother appear from the skies.
"It seems like fate has other plans," Leviatah said. "I was going to enjoy my sweet time playing with Terrans and pretend like I did not exist, but you appeared and threatened my brothers."
Leviathan helped his brothers up, healing them with a mist of darkness that instantly purified their wounds. This also granted them more power, energized by the fresh flow of darkness in their bodies.
"But how?!" Saitan asked. "I never felt you before. I have always seen Mammon roaming around, but not you."
"I've been here in this world for almost twenty years," Leviathan smirked. "I hid my presence in this kid."
"Who is she?" Mammon asked. "She's pretty."
"She is a guy," Leviathan laughed. "And he is Midnight, an Adventurer from the West."
"Err," Mammon pursed his lips. "Looks female enough."
"Enough!" the Man yelled. "I don't care who you are but you are standing in between me and my APRIL. I have to get the Jade Emperor's powers so I can become an Absolute. If that happens, then I will have control over my APRIL."
"So obsessed with a book," Leviathan grunted. "Whatever. I'll just kill you before you become an Absolute then."
"Let's see you try," the Man smirked. "You're in a body of a human. A weak human at that. How will you ever par up to me?"
"This body has endured so much," Leviathan smirked. "Mental trauma hardens the soul a hundred times more than physical training. Let me show you how Midnight has been enduring his pain all his life."
–
Almost three decades ago, in a village back in Avancia, a couple had always dreamt of getting a baby girl. They tried and tried to reproduce, but they failed countless of times.
That was until a father made a deal with a Black Well, that he will have a female child, but this would be in exchange for his wife's life. Unknown to the wife, the husband made the deal with Malice, and so she was conceived.
"It's a boy!" the nurse said, making the husband's eyes widen. He turned to see his wife but she had already perished, her skin turned black and her flesh was sucked inside her body.
Drawn to the will of getting a female child, the man remarried and made the same deal with Malice. The same thing happened until he hung himself, leaving his grudge and wishes to another couple who adopted his children.
The darkness in the husband was transferred to the couple, making them force the eldest son to dress and act like a girl. If he tries to show any masculine side, he would be punished severely.
Midnight started to become more feminine as days passed. When he saw Sun being forced into wearing a dress, he made a deal with his parents that he will make the perfect daughter as long as they wouldn't let his brother suffer the same fate as he did. Although they agreed to not force Sun to dress up, they still punished him from time to time.
Midnight's breaking point was when his facial hair started to grow. The foster mother saw this and he made Midnight make his own dress while kneeling on rock salts. When he forgets to shave his hair, he would do this every day for three months until his knees had already lost a lot of its flesh.
He was thin, he was helpless, but as long as his brother was safe, he was okay. Midnight could endure any pain. He was already abused by his real father when he was younger. What he worries about most was his brother who was merely a child.
But when he saw Sun get almost die in front of him, Midnight broke. Blood, sweat, and tears, Midnight called out for help until a distant being heard his pleas.
Leviathan was about to die due to his state of not having any host. His soul would disintegrate into nothingness. When he heard Midnight's cries, he needed to make a pact.
"I can help you," Leviathan said. "I will give you power, but you have to do as I say. We will create a pact and you will let me live inside your body. In the future, I will reclaim your body, but you will have powers right now. Just to save you."
"Just save my brother," Midnight pleaded. "I'll do anything, so please save Sun."
"Okay," Leviathan said. "The pact is made. You now have powers that goes beyond limits."