Chapter 1054: Kill Max!
Varian’s face contorted with fury as he glared at Max’s figure. His chest heaved, his rage boiling over until his control finally snapped. "Aden!" he roared, his voice tearing through the barrier of the arena. His eyes blazed with dark light as his killing intent locked onto Max. "I want Max! I want him to die! You all can leave here, but Max stays!"
He did not even know himself what burned hotter in him. Was it the humiliation of watching Zoltan fall to a human boy barely at the Legend Rank? Was it the fact that his most prized student, the strongest genius of the demon race, had been reduced to a corrupted husk? Or was it the unbearable pain of knowing that he himself had delivered the killing blow? He did not know. He only knew one thing. At this moment, he wanted Max dead more than he wanted air to breathe.
His demonic aura erupted violently, surging into the sky like a tide of darkness. The arena trembled and shattered further as black mist spread outward, blotting out the light. His body grew larger, his frame enveloped by pure darkness, as the true power of his bloodline revealed itself.
Before he could strike, Aden’s figure rose from the ground into the air above. His red hair blazed, and behind him unfurled a set of magnificent phoenix wings made of fire. Flames roared to life around his body, each feather burning with divine light. The aura of the Divine Phoenix Bloodline filled the sky, a power ancient and proud, the antithesis of Varian’s shadowed might.
"You will not touch him," Aden declared, his voice calm but firm. His body glowed brighter as the flames intensified, surrounding him with a radiant barrier of scarlet and gold.
Varian shot upward, the darkness condensing into massive claws that reached for Aden. The air split with the force of his strike. Aden answered in kind, sweeping his blazing wings and summoning a storm of phoenix fire that collided with the claws in a deafening explosion.
The shockwave tore through the sky. Mountains in the distance cracked, and the clouds above were ripped apart, leaving the heavens bare.
Varian roared and unleashed torrents of darkness that spread like a storm, swallowing the horizon in shadow. The ground below turned pitch-black as if consumed by night itself. Aden’s eyes narrowed as he spread his wings wider, the flames igniting brighter. The phoenix fire surged upward, taking the form of a colossal bird of flames that shrieked across the sky.
The fiery phoenix clashed with the endless darkness. Every collision burst into explosions that shook the very world. Firestorms and waves of shadow consumed each other again and again, their light illuminating the horrified faces of both humans and demons watching below.
"Die, Aden!" Varian bellowed, his hammer of darkness manifesting once again in his hand. He swung it with the force to shatter mountains.
"Rise, Phoenix!" Aden responded, and a blazing sword formed in his grip, forged from pure fire. He slashed it downward, meeting Varian’s hammer in midair.
The collision split the sky itself. Fire and darkness rippled outward in waves that carved through the air like blades. The two figures stood locked in the air, their weapons clashing again and again, every impact creating thunderous roars that echoed far beyond the Black Rock Region.
Below, Max stood still, his white hair glowing faintly in the aftermath of his devouring. His eyes followed the clash in the heavens, calm and unwavering. ’So this is the level of strength Divine Rank experts wields.’ He thought understanding that any of these attacks could destroy an entire region of Middle Domain.
High above the shattered arena, Aden’s flaming wings beat once more, sending rivers of fire cutting across the sky. Varian’s hammer of darkness rose to meet him, its shadow stretching wide, splitting the heavens into light and dark. Every clash between them rattled the land, the ground below groaning under the weight of their fury.
"Max stays! His life is mine!" Varian roared, his voice carrying like thunder. His rage was no longer contained. He was madness given form. Black mist erupted from his body in endless waves, covering the horizon in choking shadow. His eyes glowed crimson as he bellowed down at the battlefield. "All demons! Hear my command! Slaughter the humans! Leave no one alive!"
The demons erupted at once, their horns gleaming and their eyes filled with bloodlust. A tide of red, black, and dark green surged forward, their battle cries echoing like the screams of the abyss.
Aden’s eyes narrowed. His wings flared outward, blazing like the sun. His voice rang with authority and fire, cutting across Varian’s roar. "Humans! Stand with me! Kill every demon that dares to step forward!" His command thundered through the hearts of every expert present, igniting their blood with the power of his Divine Phoenix Bloodline.
The humans answered in unison, their cries shaking the arena. Their blades rose, their energy surged, and their killing intent pierced the sky.
Above, Varian swung his hammer once more, the weapon dripping with shadow. It came down like the judgment of night, aiming to crush Aden outright. Aden met him head-on, his flaming sword clashing against the darkness. Sparks of black and scarlet exploded outward, raining destruction on the battlefield.
The sky itself trembled as the phoenix of fire and the hammer of darkness collided again and again. Aden’s flames cut across the shadow, searing holes in the mist, while Varian’s hammer shattered every fiery construct it touched. Their faces were grim, their bodies straining under the sheer scale of their battle.
"Your humans will die today, Aden!" Varian bellowed as he swung with enough force to split mountains.
"Your arrogance will burn to ash, Varian!" Aden countered, his flaming wings spreading wide as he summoned a phoenix of pure flame larger than the arena itself. It screamed as it dove toward Varian, colliding with his storm of darkness in a blinding explosion that lit the entire region like daylight.
Below, humans and demons clashed in a frenzy. Blades met claws, energy tore against demonic energy, and blood sprayed across the ruined ground. The delicate peace that had lingered for the battle between Max and the twin demons shattered completely. The Black Rock Region had descended into war once again.