Sword Cage.
Sophie raised the sword in her hand high.
The five swords floating around her body rapidly ascended into the air, tracing five sharp arcs through midair before landing around Via.
The five swords embedded in the ground drew upon one another with energy, forming a complete circular arc. Golden holy power transformed into a cage that locked Via inside.
“It won’t open?”
Via swung the iron sword in her hand and smashed it against the Sword Cage Sophie had created. The golden energy wall remained completely unmoved.
She condensed abyssal aura in her hand, stirred up extremely unstable energy, and struck it. Instead, she was sent rebounding back and nearly lost her balance.
“Sacred Judgment!”
Sophie leaped high into the air. Both hands tightly gripped the silver sword that had been steeped in golden holy power. She spun through midair and plummeted toward Via.
The golden flames stirred up by her movement burned fiercely with the aid of the airflow, transforming into a violent storm.
If things continued like this, Via would definitely be reduced to fragments within the storm.
Via rapidly brushed her hand across the Sword Cage, deliberately slicing open her palm. Demon King blood sprayed through the air.
“Desolate Fire!”
Using the blood as a medium, she transformed the abyssal aura into Abyssal Force and performed an enhanced summoning of Desolate Fire, thoroughly binding this legendary weapon to her own soul in every aspect.
A pitch-black demonic blade appeared in the Demon King’s hand. After absorbing the Demon King’s blood, it entered an unprecedented state of excitement.
Slash!!
Having reached the peak of its condition, Desolate Fire released surging black flames that shattered the Sword Cage.
The young Demon King gripped the sword with both hands, took a step forward, lowered her center of gravity, and fully awakened the Demon King bloodline within herself.
Facing the storm that was about to descend, she swung Desolate Fire and unleashed a sky-piercing slash. The sword aura crashed head-on into the golden storm.
Boom!
The two energies collided. The pitch-black flames halted the invasion of the golden storm.
Sophie was sent flying by the residual force of the impact. She landed on the ground, used one hand to brake, and slid a straight distance across the ground before finally coming to a stop after quite a while.
“Demon King, Demon King!! You’re actually willing to let me drink your blood?! This is too incredible! Demon King, do you know what you’re doing? You’re creating a deep link between your own soul and me!”
Desolate Fire’s excited voice rang out inside Via’s mind.
“I’m so pumped right now that I can barely stand it!!”
“Desolate Fire, can you calm down a little?” Via asked.
“No need for your nonsense. I know.”
Via cut Desolate Fire off.
By summoning it this way, she could completely unleash every ability of Desolate Fire and greatly strengthen the power of this legendary weapon, squeezing out every last drop of its potential.
However, such strong positive benefits naturally came with negative costs.
If Desolate Fire suffered damage, the backlash would be transferred onto the user’s soul.
This was completely different from usual. If Desolate Fire shattered, then Via would die along with it.
“Because the enemy we have to deal with today is no simple matter. If I don’t liberate you to this degree, we might not even be able to break through its defenses.”
“What kind of enemy could make the Demon King feel so troubled?”
Desolate Fire was a little puzzled.
She sensed a bit and discovered that the person confronting Via was actually Sophie.
“You made me bleed?”
Sophie slowly stood up. Her fingers brushed across her cheek and felt the wound there. That blood was also completely different from ordinary human blood.
“Is this still a human?! Demon King, what’s going on? Sophie’s blood is golden!”
Desolate Fire felt rather astonished. This was the first time she had ever seen a living being in this world that possessed golden blood.
“I’m afraid even Lady Sashaya would click her tongue in amazement if she saw this scene!”
“The current Sophie is no longer human. An incomplete angel’s will has occupied her body,” Via explained. “Strictly speaking, our opponent right now is an angel.”
“An angel?”
“Mm.”
“Have you ever fought an angel before?”
“No, Demon King. This is the first time.”
“Very good.”
Via chuckled softly and stroked the blade.
“Then your record will gain an additional entry today—the achievement of defeating an angel.”
“Demon King! Demon King! Demon King!!”
Because she would be able to battle a legendary existence, Desolate Fire’s voice grew high-pitched as she continuously called out to her user.
“Offer everything of yourself to me, Desolate Fire.” Via commanded.
“Understood, Demon King!”
Pitch-black fierce flames twisted the very space around them.
Via temporarily abandoned the use of magic. Desolate Fire burned. She spread Abyssal Force along her blood vessels into every corner of her body to elevate her own abilities.
At extremely high speed, she closed in on Sophie, raised the blade, and brought it down.
Ding!
Sophie controlled the silver sword to fly back and blocked the first strike.
However, the weapon she was confronting was no longer the ordinary object from before. It was a legendary demonic blade liberated to its absolute limit.
She could barely withstand the slash, but she could not stop the Demon King’s offensive.
The silver sword was pushed aside, and the second slash fell.
Sophie retreated backward. Following her will, a second silver sword once again came forward to protect her.
Another heavy sound of clashing metal rang out.
Sophie was suppressed and couldn’t help but click her tongue.
Yet Via gave Sophie no opportunity to speak and continued launching attacks.
The third slash.
The fourth slash.
The fifth slash.
Sophie lost all of her silver swords that could automatically defend. She had no choice but to receive the attacks herself.
She could only barely block Via’s attacks while trying to find an opportunity to counterattack.
However, Via gave the other party none. The Desolate Fire in her hand simply would not stop. Her stamina seemed endless. The overwhelming attacks finally broke Sophie’s stance.
The final slash sent a surging sword aura that blasted Sophie flying, slamming her into the wall.
“How is it?”
Via looked at the disheveled Sophie and couldn’t help but smile.
“Is the so-called messenger of the gods only capable of this much?”
“Fallen one, your foolish actions have undone the restraints.”
Golden blood slid down Sophie’s face, droplets falling onto the ground.
Her gaze grew sharp. A faint golden light lit up, and the depths of her pupils seemed to burn with golden flames.
The red-haired girl’s feet slowly left the ground. A pair of wings appeared behind her.
The holy power surging through her body transformed into divine power that ordinary people could never possibly control.
“Behold my true form.”