FWOOOP!

In an instant, Belial launched forward.

The stone floor where he had stood exploded into dust and broken slabs, as his enormous body vanished from sight, leaving only a streak of darkness and red lightning behind.

CRAAAASSHH!!!

A monstrous claw came down like a falling meteor.

But Aestrea sidestepped, letting the blow crash into the floor, which shattered in a circular shockwave, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction.

FWOOSH—!

Belial spun mid-air, wings slicing through the dust.

『 Blood Series: Crimson Lance! (✯ 7th-level Spell ✯) 』

A dozen crimson spears formed in a half-circle above him, their tips glowing with pulsating magic. Each one launched toward Aestrea at blistering speed.

SHHHHHHHHHK!!

SHHK!

The spears slammed into the ground one after another, piercing deep, bursting in explosions of red mist and magical impact.

BOOM—!

BOOM!!

BOOM!!!

The sound pounded the walls. Flame and blood vapor danced around the field.

But as the smoke cleared, Aestrea was already gone.

Belial snarled.

『 Darkness Series: Abyssal Grasp! (✯ 8th-level Spell ✯) 』

From beneath the cracked earth, shadowy arms surged up—long, black, clawed. They reached for Aestrea, trying to grab him from every angle.

WHIP!

The arms shot out, each one moving like a whip, cutting through the air.

Aestrea flickered past them.

He flipped backward through a gap in his arms, landing on one knee and skidding. Frost formed beneath his feet as his aura pulsed.

But Belial didn’t give him a moment to breathe.

『 Blood Series: Exsanguinate Burst! (✯ 7th-level Spell ✯) 』

“DIIIIIIEEEE!”

With a wild scream, Belial opened his claws, and a storm of blood needles exploded from his body in all directions.

TSHHHHHHHHHHH—!!!

Thousands of red thorns shot toward Aestrea like a deadly rain.

He jumped, sliding across one of the crumbling pillars mid-air.

PFFFT!

PFFT!

The needles pierced the stone behind him, splattering and drilling through everything they touched.

But then…

Fwip!

Belial was already behind him.

He didn’t cast a spell, and just swung a massive claw.

It connected.

SMASH—!!

Aestrea was sent flying, crashing through one of the stone walls.

BOOM!!!

Dust exploded everywhere. Bits of rubble fell, burying the area he hit.

Belial landed on all fours like a beast. His claws scraped against the stone as he breathed heavily. Blood dripped from his mouth, but his grin had never looked more satisfied.

“You BLEED like the rest of them!” he shouted.

But suddenly—!

FWSSHHH…

A soft gust of frost swept through the battlefield.

Belial froze.

Aestrea stepped back into view, walking calmly from the rubble with scratches across his face and a trail of blood from his lip—but his eyes still glowed.

His body still moved steadily, and instead of his aura weakening, it only seemed to have gotten stronger.

“JUST DIE ALREADYY!!!”

Belial screamed and charged again.

『 Darkness Series: World Ender Maw! (✯ 8th-level Spell ✯) 』

A demonic mouth formed in the sky, opening wide, black teeth the size of buildings forming above Aestrea.

It came down with a roar.

GUWAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!!!!!

And to his catastrophic level spell, Aestrea simply raised his hand.

『 ✯ Winter Series ✯: Chains of Eternal Winter! (✯ 7th-level Spell ✯) 』

Thick chains of ice erupted from the ground and sky, latching onto the dark maw.

CRASH—!!

SNAP!!

They held it in place just long enough for him to slip through, sliding under the attack as it slammed shut above him.

But Belial didn’t care at all and simply shot towards Aestrea.

They clashed again.

CLANG—!!

A claw struck against Aestrea’s scythe.

Then another.

BANG!

CLANG!

CRACK!!

Belial’s attacks were relentless and had a huge variety, from heavy slashes to kicks strong enough to create craters, his wings slicing through the air like blades.

Each blow sounded like a stone being shattered.

But still, Aestrea blocked and endured them.

Even as Belial regenerated faster than wounds could form—his arms healing, flesh sewing shut, wings flapping harder—Aestrea didn’t falter.

Belial raised both claws high.

『 Blood Series: Heart Reaver Storm! (✯ 7th-level Spell ✯) 』

A dome of blood magic covered the chamber. Blades made from pure blood began raining down, slicing through everything.

SHHK!

But Aestrea moved through them like a blur, leaving frost footprints behind. He dodged every single blade perfectly, parrying them just at the right moment.

Belial’s grin was now shaking.

“JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY!”

Aestrea lifted his gaze slowly.

He didn’t answer.

He only whispered—

『 Frostbound Arcana! (✦ Flash Freeze Counter ✦) 』

A ring of snow exploded outward, freezing the blood rain mid-descent.

The entire battlefield stopped breathing for one moment before a massive surge of light blue light enveloped Aestrea.

FWWOOOOOSHHHHH!!

A burst of pure magic, neither hot nor cold, surged outward from him.

The frost didn’t creep—it commanded. The blood dome shattered into frozen shards that scattered like crystal glass across the chamber.

And then, something strange happened.

Belial grinned again, preparing to lunge.

But his body froze.

Not from the cold.

From something far, far worse.

He couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t blink.

Couldn’t think.

『 Time Freeze (✯ 9th-Level Spell ✯) 』

The world had stopped.

In that sacred silence, Aestrea stepped forward.

His body moved freely within frozen time, surrounded by a pale aura of moonlight and frost.

His scythe shone, heavier now, divine symbols carved along its blade, vibrating slightly as mana continuously wrapped around it.

Aestrea’s expression was calm.

His eyes glowed brighter than ever, blue like the moon at its peak.

And then, with frightening precision—

SLASH.

SLASH.

SLASH.

CRACK.

STAB.

SMASH.

He began to move.

『 Damage Delay (✯ ???-Level Spell ✯) 』

In just a mere second, he delivered a storm of attacks.

His scythe blurred through the air, slicing into Belial’s throat, chest, ribs, spine, knees, and heart. Every movement was precise, at every perfect angle.

TWIST.

SHRED.

CUT.

SPLIT.

Time still did not move.

Not even sound existed.

And when he had finished—his figure standing at Belial’s side, breath even, frost curling off his shoulders like steam from a winter blade—he whispered another phrase.

『 Damage Transfer (✯ ???-Level Spell ✯) 』

A runic seal of unknown origin appeared beneath his feet.

A chain of symbols danced through the air and latched onto Belial’s enormous, immobile body.

Time resumed.

CRACK—!!!

Every single strike, every gash, every shredded organ, every shattered bone Aestrea had delivered in the frozen moment…

They all exploded into reality at once.

BOOOOM!!!

“GURAAAGAHGHH!”

Belial shouted in pain as blood sprayed from his mouth in a geyser.

His chest caved in, his wings snapped at the joints, and several of his ribs jutted out through his skin.

CRASH!!

He was thrown back with inhuman force, smashing through three pillars in a row, tumbling across the floor with chunks of broken stone until his massive body slammed against the far wall with a thunderclap.

SKRRRRRRKKKK—!!!

His claws dug into the ground as he tried to stand, but his arms were shaking violently.

His regeneration was failing—stuttering—as if it couldn’t keep up with the sudden flood of damage.

“Keugh, cough, bleugh—!”

He coughed out blackened blood, still trying to grin through his cracked fangs.

“You… YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

Belial roared madly.

To his words, Aestrea scoffed.

He simply took one step forward.

That one step echoed louder than thunder.

Belial’s pupils narrowed.

“THAT GAZE… HOW DARE YOU!”

The Archdemon of Pride let out a shout of pure hatred and humiliation, wings flaring wide, sending out a shockwave of demonic energy that crushed the walls, collapsed the ceiling, and split the floor in multiple directions.

『 Darkness Series: Eternal Hollow! (✯ 8th-level Spell ✯) 』

From beneath him, a chasm of blackness split open, swallowing all light. It wasn’t exactly a spell, but a curse.

An abyss that devoured even souls.

And from above—

『 Blood Series: Hemorrhage Spiral!! (✯ 8th-level Spell ✯) 』

An enormous blood sphere began forming in the sky, spinning faster and faster, drawing in Belial’s own spilled blood, turning it into a swirling bomb of rage.

Both spells activated simultaneously—

KRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH—!!!!!!

But Aestrea simply raised one hand, his palm glowing with pale white light. His eyes briefly turned into a glowing pristine white color, a faint scarlet smoke oozing out of them.

『 ✯ Winter Series ✯: Mirage Of Ten Thousand Snows! (✯ 7th-level Spell ✯) 』

A cold wind roared from nowhere.

The chamber’s temperature dropped instantly, so fast that even Belial’s blood vaporized into frost midair.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!!!

A storm of illusions surged outward. Snowflakes, no, reflections rained down in every direction.

Ten thousand mirrored versions of Aestrea appeared, each one wielding a different stance, a different angle, a different emotion.

But all of them radiated killing intent.

The ground cracked beneath them.

The abyss of Eternal Hollow collapsed; it swallowed not Aestrea, but itself, frozen solid by the sheer scale of the spell.

The Blood Spiral tried to fall, but instead, it shattered on impact with the mirrored snows, scattering crimson crystals across the chamber like broken rubies.

Belial’s eyes widened in fury, but his pride wouldn’t let him back off that easily.

“AAGHHH!”

He slashed wildly, claws tearing through illusions, trying to find the real Aestrea.

But every image that shattered released another burst of cold energy that stabbed into his flesh, disrupting his regeneration, slowing his cells, locking his limbs.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Thousands of phantom blades carved into him like a glacier burying a mountain.

And in just a few meters away from him, casually sitting in a dome made out of snow, Aestrea stood, merely gazing upon him.

Then, Aestrea slowly lifted his scythe.

Shing.

A bland noise echoed.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep