Chapter 116: Distrustful Allies

In the spirit realm, there was a saying that demons represented quantity while angels embodied quality. While this idiom held true in most cases, it became utterly false when demonic nobles entered the equation.

They were elites, forged to represent the underworld on any battlefield. They were not merely trained to lead armies, but to decimate angelic forces alone.

If these two truly believed that the union of an archangel and a premature sin of lust would be enough to kill him…

Brrrr!

Suddenly, Duke Haborym vanished in a burst of fire, leaving his serpent behind to bear the full brunt of the combined assault.

“Fall!”

“Break!”

Two voices thundered through the chaos as white flames surged upward and the golden comet descended like divine judgment. The emerald serpent was not even given the chance to scream. Its jaws snapped open, its eyes wide with shock, as its entire body disintegrated into nothingness, reduced to dust.

The moment the two overwhelming forces erased the serpent, they vanished just as quickly, leaving Damian and Corbin standing face to face, their gazes cold, their fists clenched.

Out of mutual restraint, they had both withdrawn their attacks to avoid clashing against each other.

’That sword…’

Damian’s brow furrowed as his attention shifted to the blade in Corbin’s hand. It bore a white tiger hilt, and its blade was entirely engulfed in unending flames laced with divinity.

The weapon itself radiated a halo of light, and by merely holding it, Corbin too bore a halo above his head. Standing near him made Damian’s skin crawl with an irritating sensation that unsettled him deeply.

“Is it weird that two humans are flying?” Corbin’s abrupt question shattered the tension instantly.

Damian blinked, momentarily thrown off by the unhinged man before him. During their first encounter, Corbin had been loud and erratic, like a madman without restraint. Yet now, even amidst battle, that same madness remained, only it had become quieter, sharper, more focused.

This was the first human Damian had encountered since gaining his power that he could not see through.

“Well, I just manipulate the condensed demonic force around me to stay afloat. I don’t really need my wings,” he replied, his tone edged with confusion.

Corbin burst into laughter and reached out as though to pat Damian’s shoulder, but Damian swayed back effortlessly, his eyes igniting with a faint crimson glow.

“Relax, we are on the same side, remember? You human, me human?” Corbin grinned mischievously, gesturing exaggeratedly as he spoke, which only deepened Damian’s frown.

Every instinct within him screamed danger.

’I’ll kill him and that archangel too when we are done with this Duke. They cannot be allowed to see the light of tomorrow,’ Damian thought, his expression darkening.

Linda’s situation had been different. Even if she obtained another angel, he could simply kill it and force her into submission. But this man…

This man was different.

He could feel it.

As Damian lost himself in thought, Corbin’s gaze drifted toward the ring on his hand. The fox-shaped design was far too striking to ignore.

“I think I’ve seen that ring somewhere,” he muttered.

Damian’s heart skipped a beat.

Yet his face remained cold and unmoved. He did not attempt to hide the ring or withdraw his hand. He could see that Corbin was genuinely uncertain, and in a situation like this, any attempt to deflect or conceal would only breed suspicion.

So he chose the most effective option.

Feign ignorance.

Without a word, he casually shifted his attention toward Duke Haborym, who stood nearly a hundred meters away on a rooftop, glaring at the blood barrier sealing off his army, annoyance etched across his face.

“When you are done fooling around, tell me. Talking won’t kill a demon noble,” Damian said with a shrug.

Since Damian made no effort to hide his hand, Corbin eventually let it go, though he lingered on the ring for a few seconds longer, unable to recall where he had seen it before.

Truthfully, ever since arriving in Chicago, he had encountered many strange ring designs. They were nothing like what he was accustomed to in the Vatican.

Deciding not to waste more time, he shifted his focus back to Duke Haborym.

“I felt it move physically, even though it looked like he vanished,” Damian said with a frown.

When Duke Haborym had burst into flames, it appeared as though he had teleported. But that was not what Damian’s instincts told him. He had felt something slip away from the attack, moving at a terrifying speed.

Whatever technique Haborym used, it was not teleportation. It only mimicked it.

After his battle with Bathin, Damian’s perception had sharpened immensely. Compared to Bathin’s abilities, Haborym’s technique was not beyond comprehension. It was only natural he could see through it.

“Ooh?” Corbin raised a brow, clearly intrigued. “Can you do something about it?”

Damian frowned deeper, pondering silently before responding.

“I can try to chase him if we can force him to use it again…”

“And if you catch him, or at least predict where he’s going, we can neutralize his escape,” Corbin added with a mischievous grin.

Damian nodded.

If they could anticipate where Duke Haborym would reappear, they could redirect their attacks and strike the moment he emerged.

Neutralizing that escape ability would make this battle far easier.

Damian’s gaze briefly shifted to his stats, and he nodded in satisfaction. He still had 1,300 out of 1,400 demonic force remaining, and he continued to regenerate one unit every second his black heart pulsed. If he could awaken more hearts, he would eventually reach a point where his regeneration exceeded his expenditure.

At that point, who in this world could challenge him?

Hovering forward with his hands clasped behind his back, his hair and robes whipping in the wind, Damian’s gaze locked onto Duke Haborym.

“I’ll break his defense and give you a chance to land a fatal blow. If he dodges, we catch him. If he doesn’t… he dies,” Damian said calmly, his cold eyes never leaving the demon noble.

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