Chapter 443: The Total Defeat of All

“Is everyone here......”

Darius did not rush to attack the group. Instead, he slowly scanned the faces before him, his voice cold and detached.

“Good. Then we can begin.”

Gone was the frustration and unease he’d shown earlier when besieged by the group. In its place was an eerie calm and composure.

“Earlier, you all spouted some meaningless drivel at me. Now, I’ll use facts to teach you a lesson......”

HUM!

The demonic spear in his hand trembled, and the pitch-black light it emitted shrouded the area around him, transforming it into a realm of darkness.

This terrifying transformation sent a new wave of alarm through the group. They tensed, silently readying their attacks.

Darius saw their subtle movements, but paid them no mind. He spoke slowly, his voice ringing out clearly.

“Remember this—trash will always be trash. Gathering in a mob won’t make you useful. A true powerhouse has no need for weak, burdensome allies. Only the weak huddle together for warmth!”

“Now, meet your end, weaklings——!”

BOOM——!!!

A violent surge of power burst forth from Darius’s body without warning. A black tempest swirled outward from him, engulfing everything in its path.

“Attack!”

The group unleashed their assaults at the same instant.

But their attacks vanished without a trace the moment they touched the tempest, swallowed whole by the darkness.

As the tempest spread, the group found themselves trapped within it, their vision blurred and their surroundings obscured.

HUM!

At that moment,

a brilliant, holy light suddenly bloomed within the dark tempest.

The Seven Luminaries hovered high above Hulim Heyerar’s head, radiating waves of light in all directions.

“Ninefold Magic Circle—Demon-Purging Ring.”

BOOM——!!!

Layer upon layer of holy light rings rippled outward, dispelling a vast swathe of the darkness.

“Irus!”

The moment the darkness receded, Hulim Heyerar shouted.

Irus understood instantly.

She snapped her right hand upward, and a golden stringless bow materialized in her grasp.

She drew the bowstring taut without hesitation.

“Go——!”

SWISH!

A beam of emerald light shot skyward from the bow.

The beam twisted sharply in mid-air, streaking toward a certain spot within the dark tempest at blinding speed.

“Hm?”

Sensing the incoming attack, Darius paused. A look of disdain flickered across his face as he lifted his demonic spear and stabbed casually at the sky.

BOOM!

The incoming attack shattered into nothingness on the spot.

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But immediately after—

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH......

More beams of light rained down from the sky.

Darius swung his spear, shattering each one effortlessly.

But before long, he realized what was happening. His gaze flicked toward the lone pocket of light in the darkness—and the figures gathering there.

“You think you can protect them? Then let’s see if you have the strength!”

With that, he planted his right foot firmly, channeling more power into his demonic spear.

BOOM——!

In the next heartbeat,

his entire body transformed into a streak of black light, hurtling toward the only sanctuary of light in the tempest at terrifying speed.

“He’s coming!”

Ignir roared a warning.

The next instant,

Darius burst into the light-blessed area, shattering the calm.

Hulim Heyerar poured every last drop of her mana into her spell without hesitation.

THUD! THUD! THUD......

The Demon-Purging Rings crashed against Darius’s body one after another, like waves pounding against a shoreline.

But Darius stood unyielding, immovable as a reef against the tide.

“Hulim can’t stop him alone! We attack together! Dragon Language Magic—”

A searing pillar of light shot straight at Darius.

Darius didn’t even bother to look up. He simply waved his spear sideways.

BOOM!

The pillar of light split apart in the middle. The residual force slammed into Ignir head-on.

“ROAR——!”

Ignir let out a scream of agony, blood spraying from his wounds.

SWISH——!

An emerald beam of light streaked toward Darius from the distance.

Darius raised his spear to block it.

But then—

SWISH!

A sharp flash of white light stabbed toward his heart from the side and rear.

“Hmph!”

Darius let out a cold snort. His demonic spear blurred, and two strikes came in quick succession.

He shattered the incoming attack from afar, and parried the stab from behind—sending a shockwave of immense power surging along the spear.

“Ugh——!”

Pujeliru felt a devastating force wash over her. Her organs churned violently under the impact, threatening to tear apart.

BOOM!

A meteor suddenly tore through the clouds, hurtling toward Darius’s head. At the same time, a pillar of fire erupted beneath his feet.

Magic attacks of all kinds surged toward him from every direction, forming an inescapable encirclement.

Darius faced them all with an expressionless gaze, tightening his grip on the demonic spear.

BOOM——!

He swept the spear horizontally in a single, devastating blow.

An overwhelming surge of power swept away everything in its path.

Every incoming attack was shattered into dust. Even the light domain Hulim Heyerar had constructed was torn apart.

The violent backlash sent Hulim Heyerar staggering, unable to maintain her balance.

Darius seized the opportunity. His demonic spear blazed with black light, and he thrust it forward in a brutal, unstoppable strike.

“Never——!”

Irus darted forward in a flash, placing herself between Hulim Heyerar and the attack. She threw up an emerald barrier.

CRASH——!!!

The black light slammed into the barrier with earth-shattering force.

CRACK. CRACK......

Cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier’s surface in an instant.

“No!”

Ignir shouted in panic, unleashing his ultimate technique.

“Dragon Language Magic—Dragon Star Roar Cannon!”

A golden magic circle flared to life before him, shimmering like a constellation. Then, a pillar of crimson-gold light erupted from it, streaking toward Darius.

The others unleashed their most powerful attacks as well.

“Great Funeral Pyre!”

“Funeral Vortex!”

“......”

Hulim Heyerar regained her footing, her eyes blazing with resolve. The Seven Luminaries above her head flashed brightly as she channeled her magic once more.

“Ninefold Magic Circle—Final Light!”

The white beam of light collided with the other attacks, slamming into Darius all at once. For a brief moment, the two sides were locked in a tense stalemate.

But—

this time, the outcome would be vastly different.

“Foolish weaklings! Everything you do is nothing but futile resistance!”

As his words faded, the tempest that had spread far and wide contracted abruptly, converging back toward him.

Then, an even more violent surge of power erupted from Darius’s body.

BOOM——!!!

The balance was shattered in the blink of an eye.

Everyone was sent flying by the terrifying shockwave, vanishing from sight in an instant.

THUD! THUD THUD THUD......

Hulim Heyerar crashed heavily into the ground, rolling a long distance before finally coming to a stop.

“......Cough.”

Amidst a cloud of dust,

Hulim Heyerar coughed up a mouthful of blood.

She reached out unsteadily, pushing herself up from the ground. She looked utterly disheveled, covered in dirt and blood.

But now was not the time to care about her appearance......

She lifted her head, gazing toward the sky.

Everyone else had been blown away to who knew where. Only Irus had withstood the blow, still battling Darius high above the ground.

“Irus......”

Hulim Heyerar used the Seven Luminaries as a cane, straining to stand upright.

But before she could steady herself—

“Cough!”

A fit of violent coughing wracked her body.

“Ugh!”

Another mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips, splattering the ground in vivid crimson splotches.

HUM.

HUM.

Helkem and the Seven Luminaries glowed faintly at the same time, their light wrapping around Hulim Heyerar’s body like a warm blanket.

The agonizing pain receded instantly, and her chaotic mana stabilized rapidly.

“Thank you......”

Hulim Heyerar whispered her gratitude.

Then she lifted her head once more, her eyes fixed on the sky.

“I have to hurry and help——”

Her words died in her throat.

High above in the sky,

Hulim Heyerar witnessed a sight that filled her with utter despair.

SLICE——!

The pitch-black spear pierced straight through Irus’s chest.

......