NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 334: Familiar...?
{[Original Abyss]} - [??? Rank] - (EX???)
— [Although just a fragment of the genuine article, this creature is the Original Abyss nonetheless. And due to a severely traumatic experience that occurred within the limitless stream of time, it no longer remembers who it was or who it is. It doesn't even know how it found itself inside the World's End Gate.]
— [Caution: The Original Abyss's Fragment is extremely unstable and could perform actions that would otherwise be seen as highly unadvised.]
— [???????????.....]
Other than the general description, Cassius was unable to glean any more information. Everything was locked behind question marks and uncertainties, with the Original Abyss's past just one big mystery.
"YOU'RE NOT FAMILY!!! FOE YOU ARE!!! DIEE!!!!"
SHA! SHA! SHA!
Not allowing Cassius to ponder the matter any longer, phantom flashes of an enormous sword tip carved through the watery Abyss. Having barely any time to react, Cassius lost an arm in the process of evading the small barrage of sword attacks.
"Cassius!"
"Master!!"
The girls stared at his bloodied right side, with horror dilating their pupils. Yimin's worry, however, was quickly replaced by a suffocating amount of fury as she directed a death glare toward the chubby little boy.
Waving his remaining hand, Cassius said, "It's fine; something like this is not nearly enough to take me out of the game. However, you two will need to stand back."
Thinking of a better option, he forcefully teleported them both to a distance so far away that it would take them months to return to him by themselves. They shouted in unwillingness while being flashed away, but that didn't change anything.
Having them there with him was a burden. One that would surely cost all three of them their lives.
Keeping them at a distance and with a few protective barriers amplified by high-ranking Magical Items was the wisest decision.
"Now then," Cassius's eyes coldly glowed. "Why don't we have ourselves a little duel?"
SHA! SHA! SHA!
"I'll take that as a confirmation," he uttered while brandishing Lilith. Mora materialized right after, with both of them radiating a killing intent so immense that premonitions of seas of blood accompanied them.
"Hum…?"
Noticing something peculiar while parrying the incoming planet-sized sword thrusts, Cassius's nose crinkled, 'Is something the matter, Lilith…?'
She vibrated like crazy every time she made contact with the huge bloody sword.
Seemingly reading her intent, question marks flew off above Cassius's head. 'This sword is familiar to you…? Just like the chubby boy is to me… What… What exactly is going on here…??'
Before he could mull over the subject any longer, the massive phantom sword thrusts were followed up by multiple scarlet arcs of energy shredding through the water on both sides of the sword thrusts. They razed the water-air, incinerating everything in their path. And being over one hundred thousand miles in width, that included just about everything in the vicinity.
"Aren't these…!?"
Cassius's shock was put on hold as he was forced to activate several Bloodline Transformations just to increase his speed. Yet, even with that, he only managed to barely evade the first few spinning arcs of energy. The others crashed into him, making him spit out blood.
But there was still one more—and he was knocking on death's door.
"Fine! Let's not play around then, shall we!?"
WAAA!
After bringing out the full power of his Demon King Cultivation, Cassius was able to take on the brunt force of the last spinning energy arc. It took almost everything out of him, but he still survived.
Purposefully spitting out blood, Cassius's expression turned fierce. His body spasmed out because of all the active Transformations as well as the healing of the severe injuries he sustained. But oddly enough, this only further stroked the fire inside him.
"I want to know how you're using those weapons," he declared as his voice became increasingly colder. "And whether I have to beat it out of you or not, I'll get to the truth one way or another."
RUMBLE!!
"NOTT… NO FAMILY!!! FOEEE!!!!!"
SHA! SHA! SHA!
"I see words are wasted on you," Cassius remarked. "So be it then. I prefer it this way as well."
Both spinning scythe arcs and sword thrusts filled the space in front of him, their absurd brilliance even felt by Yimin and Viola in the far-off distance. Their trepidation only grew, but what could they do about it?
Cassius made it abundantly clear that this fight was his and his alone. Going after him now would not only be useless, it would disappoint him…
— An Unknown Amount of Time Later —
"Kuk!" Coughing up blood, one could see how worn-down Cassius had become. "For a small child, you sure are ruthless. Every blow is one aimed to take my life, which you have done. A lot."
"FAMILY… GONE… NOT FAMILY!!! FOEE!?!!"
SHING! SHING!
"Yeah, I know," Cassius sighed, his attempts at evading and/or blocking the Original Abyss's attacks far smoother than they were when he first arrived. "That's all you say. And yet I still don't know what it means, nor have you bothered to elaborate."
"DIEEE, FOEE!!!"
KA—BOOOOOM!
The Original Abyss fired off a beam of destructive energy so powerful that the water in the air for millions of miles evaporated. Countless Sea Monsters lost their lives in an instant, with the subsequent beam damage obliterating higher areas of the Abyssal Bowl as well.
CRACK—
The damage was so unbelievable that a sixth of the Abyssal Bowl cracked off the main landmass. The separated piece fell into the darkness that encompassed the Abyssal Bowl, never to be seen again.
"Damn, that was a close one," Knox muttered, with the whole right side of his body gone. "That could've gone badly."
FWOOOM!
The regenerative properties of his Mythical Phoenix Bloodline healed him in an instant, but phantom pain still lingered. Though, to him, it was just a drop of liquid added to an already pre-existing ocean.
His entire life was filled with endless pain—what difference did it make if there were a little more?