RISE OF EROS-Chapter 771 - 770

The sky was tinged with ominous crimson as the demigods gathered on the devastated plain. Each had been summoned by kings and emperors who feared the unstoppable advance of the beast, an entity that should not exist, born from the fusion of two previous monsters that once dominated the Purgatory organization.

Its return had brought a wave of death and destruction, and now, it was time to put an end to it. The demigods were no ordinary warriors. Each of them was a titan in their own right, wielders of abilities that could change the course of a war with a single gesture.

Their weapons glowed with divine power, and their bodies emanated auras that distorted the air around them. Six of them led the assault: the Lightning Wielder, the Queen of Steel, the Crimson Blade, the Weaver of Shadows, the Celestial Guardian, and the Conqueror of the Abyss.

They were names that commanded respect and fear, even among their own kind. But the beast was something beyond imagining. It had no perceptible presence. It emitted no energy. It possessed no detectable soul. It moved like a specter in the darkness.

Its silhouette was only perceptible when the reflection of moonlight touched its grotesque skin, an amalgamation of flesh, steel, and shadow. Its very existence defied sensory perception, and that was its greatest danger.

The first to act was the Lightning Bearer, who raised his spear and unleashed a storm that rushed down with fury upon the beast. The heavens roared, and the bolts fell like spears of divine fire.

The burst of light illuminated the beast for an instant, revealing its twisted form, but when the flash dissipated, it was no longer there. Only a hiss cut through the air, and suddenly, the Lightning Bearer was thrown backward, his body slamming into the ground with a force that shook the earth.

"We can't see her!" the Queen of Steel screamed as she raised her massive sword and brought it crashing down upon the ground, creating a shockwave that raised a wall of iron thorns.

The Crimson Edge was already in motion, slithering through the shadows, its blade imbued with an energy that cut through the very essence of existence, but even its speed wasn't enough.

Before it could strike, its torso was pierced by a dark claw that emerged from nowhere. A scream rent the air as blood stained the plain. The Celestial Guardian summoned a shield of pure light, expanding it over the fallen warriors, while the Conqueror of the Abyss unleashed a wave of black flames that devoured everything in its path.

The earth itself fractured under the impact of the demigods' power, but the beast never stopped moving. Like a ghost, it slipped between the attacks, striking unseen, destroying unchecked.

The Shadow Weaver closed his eyes and extended his influence, trying to trap the beast's presence in a labyrinth of darkness, but found only emptiness. It was as if the creature didn't exist within the flow of the world, as if it were an illusion with real fangs.

"We can't go on like this..." the Steel Queen said, gritting her teeth. The Lightning Wielder stood up, his armor shattered, and spat blood. "We must force it to reveal itself," he said. "And how the hell do we do that?" roared the Abyss Conqueror, brandishing his flames as he searched for a target to strike.

It was then that the Celestial Guardian looked up at the sky. Her golden eyes flashed with understanding. "If we can't sense it... Then we will destroy everything around it. Let it have nowhere to hide," she proposed.

With a sweep of her staff, she summoned a torrent of light that ascended into the heavens, forming an artificial sun over the plain. The purifying light spread like a blanket over the battlefield, and in that instant, a primal roar shook the air.

The beast, trapped for the first time in the light, was exposed. It was an amalgam of despair and hatred, a constantly changing body, formed by the damned souls of Purgatory's former leaders and the original abomination that had devoured them.

Its multiple eyes opened in different parts of its dark hide, misshapen mouths muttered incomprehensible curses, and its limbs were claws and tentacles wrapped in an aura of annihilation.

He wasted no time. With his inhuman speed, he launched himself at the Celestial Guardian, seeking to silence the light that had exposed her, But the Queen of Steel intervened, her blade slicing through the air with a deafening crash.

Steel against cursed flesh, the battle reached its climax. The Crimson Blade, wounded but still standing, charged, coordinating attacks with the Shadowweaver, who wove chains of darkness to try to restrain the beast.

The earth shook as the Conqueror of the Abyss and the Lightning Bearer unleashed their powers in unison, combining the fury of storms with the fire of the underworld. The battle was a spectacle of chaos and glory.

Devastating blows rent the earth, explosions of light and shadow stained the sky with blinding flashes. The beast roared, wounded now, but not defeated. Every time it seemed to lose a limb, another emerged from its twisted body.

Their mouths conjured curses that corroded the air, their blood evaporated into a toxic fog that drained life itself, but the demigods were unbreakable. With one last combination of forces, the Celestial Guardian raised her light to the maximum, blinding the entire battlefield.

The Queen of Steel hurled her sword with superhuman strength, piercing the beast's skull, while the Lightning Wielder channeled all his power into a final volley. The Crimson Edge severed the creature's connection to its corrupting power, and the Abyss Conqueror engulfed it in a sea of ​​devouring fire.

A roar of agony echoed through the air. The beast writhed, struggling to hold itself together, but the destruction was absolute. Its form collapsed, and in a flash of black energy, it was consumed entirely.

Silence fell over the devastated plain. The demigods, exhausted and wounded, stood among the wreckage of the battle. They had won… but at a heavy cost. The beast had fallen, but in their hearts, they knew that the shadow of Purgatory would not disappear so easily. And that, sooner or later, another horror would rise from its ashes.

What they didn't know was that this beast was more cunning than it looked. Although lacking intelligence, its survival instinct was strong, and when the demigods relaxed, believing they had won, the beast escaped.

Most intriguing was that the beast used a strange technique where it left a body behind. It was a kind of extremely lifelike clone; in fact, very few could tell it wasn't the real beast.

As the demigods celebrated and prepared to leave to notify the world that they had defeated the beast—something that not even the most powerful warrior in the world, Crhono, had been able to do—the beast moved in the shadows.

It was weak, but still powerful. It was cunning enough to hide until its wounds healed so it could continue its mission, which seemed to be the elimination of all life. News that the beast had been slain quickly spread. Even the beast's body was brought out and displayed to prove they had succeeded in slaying it.

Many were both surprised and overjoyed. It was no wonder, for this beast had managed to outwit Crhono and his allies twice, and being the most powerful warrior known, everyone was incredulous.

News spread quickly, and Crhono learned what had happened. He and Sereda quickly arrived to inspect the beast's body. It wasn't that they doubted this news, but they had to be sure.

Many believed Crhono was just trying to complicate things and save his reputation. After all, what he couldn't do had been done, and everyone believed Crhono was just being arrogant for doubting the feat.

Still, no one refused to let them inspect the beast's body. Some even mocked Crhono, but to their surprise, Crhono paid no attention. They have a misperception of who Crhono is. They only know him as the strongest; they don't know everything he's done to protect this world and what he's still doing. It was Sereda who conducted the body search.

As an arcanist, she was unsurpassed, and despite Crhono's skills and power, Sereda was the most qualified for this type of work. She began using her techniques to evaluate the beast's body.

Although everyone believed this was a waste of time, there was still some nervousness about her verdict. Surprisingly, Sereda's sour expression appeared, and everyone believed they had indeed killed the beast.

They believed this because Sereda's sour expression on their heads represented that they had accomplished what Crhono could not, and that this would somehow tarnish their reputation. However, Sereda's words shattered the illusion. "I'm afraid you failed to kill her," Sereda said bitterly.

These words shocked those present, but soon filled them with anger. They believed Sereda was only saving Crhono's reputation, but that was not correct. Sereda had seen through the beast's clone, and although she was certain the beast had lost a lot to this technique, it was still alive and still a threat.

Among those who believed this was the Lightning Wielder, who contemptuously said, "It's a shame that Arcanist Sereda, with her status, would lie to protect Lord Chrhono's reputation."