Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

Chapter 342: The Final Battle (1)

As Damien drew out Erebos, the Four Great Demon Kings immediately unleashed their true forms.

Their bodies began to rapidly expand, transforming into massive figures the size of several humans combined.

It wasn\'t just their size that changed. One turned into metal, another was covered in scales, and someone sprouted tentacle-like appendages resembling jellyfish.

Originally, the true forms of the Four Great Demon Kings were monsters, not humans. This was because their base bodies were demons and dragons or extinct giant race.

However, the true forms of the Four Great Demon Kings that Damien now saw before him were different. Though still monstrous, their appearances were closer to that of humans.

This change was undoubtedly due to their absorption of the Demon Lords\' flesh.

"Why is everyone hesitating? We need to offer him to Mother quickly!"

Among the Four Great Demon Kings, Iota was the first to move.

Iota\'s original form had been that of a massive dragon. But not anymore.

Now, he had a huge body that looked like three humans combined, with dragon scales and claws protruding from it.

The term \'dragonoid\' perfectly described his appearance.

"I\'ll pay you back for everything you\'ve done to me right here!"

Iota opened his mouth wide. Crimson flames gathered in his throat.

At that moment, a symbol appeared on Iota\'s forehead. It was none other than the Authority of Wrath.

The Authority of Wrath had the ability to amplify anything. It was a simple but powerful authority.

As soon as the authority manifested, the flames gathering in Iota\'s mouth grew exponentially. Then, they were released towards Damien.

It was like a dam bursting all at once. A massive tidal wave of fire engulfed everything in its path.

Even Damien had no choice but to exert himself to block a breath attack of such magnitude.

Damien concentrated his mana into Erebos. A jet-black aura blade enveloped Erebos.

He swung Erebos towards the oncoming tidal wave of flame. In that instant, a slash rose from the ground and cleaved the tidal wave.

It was as if a black wall had blocked the tidal wave. The red tidal wave was split in two.

Damien retrieved Erebos, which had been raised towards the sky. At that moment, blue lightning struck from above.

This was no natural lightning. It carried an ominous power.

Damien leaped away as he pushed off the ground. The lightning struck where he had been standing.

The lightning exploded and a storm of electrical current blew away everything in the vicinity.

Damien looked up at the sky. A human with an enormous head like a light bulb was looking down at him.

When Lambda pointed his index finger at Damien, the demonic energy he emitted transformed into an electrical current.

Blue lightning filled the sky. It gathered at a single point and then struck down towards Damien.

This time, it wasn\'t just a single bolt. It fired repeatedly. Damien dodged the lightning by moving here and there.

\'As expected, they\'re troublesome opponents.\'

Both were formidable adversaries. If the battle continued like this, it wouldn\'t be good for Damien.

"Damien Haksen! Why are you only running away!"

Iota began gathering flames again. In the sky, Lambda was raising his lightning power.

\'This is annoying.\'

Dealing with the Four Great Demon Kings wasn\'t difficult. The problem was Dorugo.

Right now, Damien\'s body couldn\'t properly withstand the Soulflower of Tranquility.

He couldn\'t use the Soulflower of Tranquility against the Four Great Demon Kings in this situation.

If he did, his body would collapse when it came time to fight Dorugo.

But now wasn\'t the time to conserve his strength.

\'I\'ll use up to the First Flower.\'

Damien activated the Soulflower of Tranquility. As the mana throughout his body ignited, an immense power welled up.

"First Flower."

Damien\'s figure disappeared.

He closed the distance in an instant and appeared in front of Iota. Iota was greatly surprised by his sudden appearance.

"W-what? How is he so fas—"

Damien\'s hands moved. The divine sword and Erebos moved simultaneously.

The two blades drew countless slashes. So many slashes that they were hard to count cut into various parts of Iota\'s body.

However...

No blood flowed. Not even a wound appeared.

It was because of the symbol that appeared on Iota\'s body.

The Authority of Gluttony.

The authority that could absorb anything had completely sucked in Damien\'s slashes.

"You\'re being annoying."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the symbol flashed.

The Authority of Gluttony released the slashes it had absorbed. Damien leaped back to avoid the slashes.

"Iota, how many times have I warned you that we need to work together?"

Epsilon stood next to Iota and scolded him. Iota dusted off his body as he replied.

"I was counting on you."

"What a sweet talker."

Iota placed his hand on Epsilon\'s shoulder. As he did, the symbol of Wrath appeared on Epsilon\'s forehead.

"This time, let\'s crush him for real."

"We can\'t kill him. Mother wants Damien Haksen captured alive."

Iota and Epsilon moved simultaneously.

The Authority of Wrath amplified their speed. The movement of the two suddenly became much faster.

Iota moved frantically, swinging both fists. Damien used his dual swords to parry the force of the blows.

Suddenly, Iota flattened himself against the ground. In sync with his movement, Epsilon swung his axe widely.

Damien crossed his dual swords to deflect the axe. At the same time, he slashed at Epsilon\'s side.

But no wound appeared on Epsilon\'s body. Once again, the Authority of Gluttony had absorbed the slash.

"I didn\'t know that would be such an annoying authority."

"I\'ll take that as a compliment."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Iota closed in.

Damien avoided all of Iota\'s attacks while slashing at various parts of his body. But this time too, they were sucked into the Authority of Gluttony.

At that moment, a sharp sound struck Damien\'s eardrums.

No, not just his eardrums. Damien\'s entire body was vibrating.

\'Theta...!\'

Damien instinctively realized. It was the sound waves that Theta had sent that were causing this.

But it was strange. Damien\'s body was protected by the Soulflower of Tranquility. Even if Theta was skilled with sound, she shouldn\'t have been able to shake Damien like this.

\'The Authority of Greed... you obtained Insight!\'

With Insight, one can analyze and see through anything. It would have been easy to figure out how to shake Damien\'s body.

Iota and Epsilon didn\'t miss the opening Damien showed.

"Lord Damien! We\'ll end it with this!"

The Authorities of Gluttony and Wrath appeared simultaneously on Iota\'s axe.

Iota swung his axe towards Damien. The Authority of Gluttony spewed out all the slashes it had been absorbing until now.

The released slashes were further strengthened by the Authority of Wrath.

A storm of slashes engulfed Damien.

***

Countless gashes were carved into the ground where the storm had passed.

In the midst of it all, Damien lay fallen and covered in blood.

"As expected, I knew you would withstand it."

Epsilon looked down at Damien with admiration.

Damien glared at Epsilon with eyes full of killing intent.

Normally, it would have been frightening, but not now. Who would fear a dying enemy?

"Kyahaha! You fool! This is what happens when you challenge us with such pathetic skills!"

Iota raised his foot and pressed it firmly on Damien\'s chest.

"Cough."

Damien coughed up blood. Iota\'s expression grew even more satisfied.

"Iota, step back."

It was Theta.

Iota looked puzzled at Theta\'s words.

"Why are you being so prickly? After everything this damn bastard has done to us, we should at least be able to vent a little!"

"I told you to step back... didn\'t I?"

Theta\'s voice lowered. Iota reluctantly removed his foot.

"Damn... why are you only picking on me?"

"Lambda, let\'s move Damien Haksen. We need to present him to Mother."

"Understood. I\'ll do that."

Lambda, who had been floating in the sky, descended. He used magic to levitate Damien\'s body.

At that moment, Lambda hesitated and looked at Damien with a puzzled expression.

He examined him from various angles.

"This is... impossible... it can\'t be... it can\'t be..."

"Lambda, what\'s wrong with you now? Stop acting like an idiot and bring him here quickly."

Iota spoke in an unpleasant voice. It seemed he intended to take out his frustrations from Theta\'s rebuke on Lambda.

"This is... not him! This isn\'t... Damien Haksen!"

"What nonsense are you... Guh!"

Suddenly, a blade protruded from Iota\'s chest.

"Guh! Gaaah!"

Iota coughed up blood and looked behind him. He saw Damien, who had stabbed him in the back.

"That\'s one down."

Damien swung his other sword. He sliced off Iota\'s head.

"Iota!"

Epsilon was startled and rushed towards Damien.

Damien spread his palm towards Epsilon. A symbol appeared on his palm.

The Authority of Gluttony that Damien manifested spewed out slashes. Countless slashes flew towards Epsilon.

"T-This is...! What I released earlier...!"

Epsilon immediately manifested the Authority of Gluttony. He reabsorbed the slashes that Damien had released.

"As expected, you can only use it in one direction."

At that moment, Damien\'s voice came from behind. Epsilon turned his head in surprise.

Before he could react, Damien\'s sword sliced through Epsilon\'s neck. Epsilon\'s head fell to the ground.

"H-How...!"

Epsilon\'s fallen head cried out with a shocked expression.

Epsilon survived despite having his neck severed. It was thanks to the Demon Lord\'s robust vitality.

"How did you... copy the Authority of Gluttony so perfectly!"

"I learned by watching."

Damien said nonchalantly. Epsilon\'s face went blank at those words.

"D-Don\'t talk nonsense! The authority you inherited is only a small fraction! You can\'t possibly imitate me with that..."

"Oh really? It seemed to work when I tried it."

Damien spoke casually. Epsilon was at a loss for words.

"The same goes for that doppelganger. I made it by copying what that fat one was doing."

Damien pointed at his own corpse lying at Lambda\'s feet as he spoke.

It was a doppelganger created by using the Authority of Envy to alter energies.

He had adapted it after seeing Lambda create doppelgangers.

"Impossible... It\'s not... that easy..."

Lambda spoke with an unbelieving expression. Damien replied with an annoyed tone.

"Maybe for you lot."

As they said, the Demon Lord\'s authority that Damien had obtained wasn\'t all that impressive.

But Damien\'s talent transcended common sense. He could utilize even that meager authority to perfection.

"More importantly, aren\'t you curious why I\'m rambling on like this?"

"What do you... Guh!"

After suddenly appearing in front of Lambda, Damien kicked him in the stomach.

Then he held swords to both Lambda\'s and Theta\'s throats simultaneously.

"Don\'t move. Or I\'ll slice through your very souls."

Theta and Lambda\'s bodies stiffened at Damien\'s fierce warning.

"Dorugo! Are you going to just watch these ones die?"

Damien shouted towards the sky.

Suddenly, the air rippled and Dorugo appeared. She glared at Damien with a sour expression.

"...It would have been better if you had just quietly let yourself be captured."

"I can\'t do anything that would please you."

Damien swung both swords simultaneously, cutting off Theta\'s and Lambda\'s legs. They collapsed to the ground.

"Don\'t think about running away. If you do, I\'ll kill everyone here."

"Don\'t worry. I have no intention of running."

Dorugo raised her demonic energy. Her entire body writhed.

"I intend to capture you with my own hands."

"How honored I am."

Damien\'s lips twisted.

Despite his expression, Damien calmly assessed his physical condition internally.

\'I used the First Flower, but my internal injuries aren\'t too severe yet.\'

The reason Damien had resorted to trickery against the Four Great Demon Kings was because of Dorugo.

If he pushed the Soulflower of Tranquility to its limit, he could kill the Four Great Demon Kings in an instant.

But then he wouldn\'t be able to fight Dorugo. Damien\'s body was too weak to withstand the Soulflower of Tranquility now.

That\'s why Damien had no choice but to conserve the Soulflower of Tranquility against the Four Great Demon Kings.

"It truly has been an irritatingly persistent connection."

Damien activated the Soulflower of Tranquility.

He seized control of all the surrounding demonic energy emitted by the Four Great Demon Kings.

He absorbed it all. He transformed it with the Authority of Envy. Dark mana and divine power surged within Damien\'s body.

"Let\'s settle this here."

Damien channeled all that energy into one. He pushed the Soulflower of Tranquility to its limit.

The energy exploded. His body burned. His soul shook.

Flowers began to bloom inside Damien\'s body. Not one, not two. Too many to count.

"Flowers in Full Bloom, Spring in Its Glory."

Flowers blossomed throughout the entire world.

***