424. Humanity's Primal Fear

“I am [Your Worst Nightmare].”

Saffron’s eyes grew wide as Avaritia’s voice pulsed out. She could feel the power of his Grand Skill in her bones. A shiver ran through her body— her skin prickling with the crawling feeling of ants running up her back. She lowered her hands, no longer struggling as the Salvos clone carried her further away from the battlefield.

It was overwhelming. The young Vampire shuddered as she looked on. The Archdemon’s body twisted. He was a [Changeling], and he’d transformed many times throughout the fight. But this time? It was almost grotesque to look at. At first, he’d lost all recognizable features of any Demon— not an [Incubus], not a [Hellbeast], and not even like any kind of monster Saffron had ever seen.

He’d shifted into an amalgamation of different beasts and creatures, with various spindly limbs like arms and legs and even fingers poking out of his body before receding back into that ball of flesh. He’d stared up at Salvos with a hundred eyes, then one, then a dozen, then no eyes at all. His body stretched and thinned and expanded in the blink of an eye, all the while keeping a pallid shade as he let out a deep, resounding groan.

It happened so slowly and so quickly. Lofus realized this was the time to strike, and the Berserker lunged forward. She swung at the transforming Demon. Her punch connected. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Avaritia’s body exploded.

Lofus blinked, then laughed as she watched his flesh splatter all over the ground. Bits and pieces of the Demon went flying as she stepped back.

“Hah! I did it! That idiot didn’t even see it coming!”

She basked in her victory, but all Salvos did was narrow her eyes. Saffron saw it too. The young Vampire looked on as the chunks of Demon flesh froze midair— the black blood refusing to fall to the ground.

“Lofus—-”

Saffron called out, and the Berserker finally saw it. All at once, Avaritia’s body flew back together. The black blood and chunks of flesh reassembling the same morbidly abdominous shape from before. It happened so quickly, Lofus didn’t even have time to react. And the floating ball of deformed flesh struck back at her.

She went flying as Avaritia’s warped voice echoed, laughing.

“You cannot kill me, Humans. Not when I shall consume your very soul!”

And all at once, the Demon’s body spiked out. Like streaks of veins reaching out with a cloying grasp. And a layer of crimson skin formed over it. Saffron blinked once, seeing the vague outline of a towering figure forming. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the pair of horns protruding out of its head. Curved and long, each with a slender sharp edge, built like a sword.

Avaritia stood tall— twenty feet in height. Not as large as an [Arachne], but he was rippling with muscle. A black aura cloaked around him, dressing him with a faux regalia befitting a king, and he looked up with a shadowed gaze. A long tail made of plated bones swished behind him as he raised his head.

Saffron stared at the crimson Demon as he spread his arms wide.

“How is this? Are you scared? Terrified? I know you are. I have become the thing which Humankind fears the most. I have become the terror from the stories you tell your children when they misbehave. I have become my King himself. The one and only ruler of the Netherworld.”

The [Changeling] cackled, taking a step forward. The ground shook just from that single footstep. Saffron stared on as the Salvos clone paused.

“Regnorex is at the gates..”

The young Vampire whispered, closing her eyes. She knew this was Avaritia. That it was a fake. But he’d co-opted more than just the Demon King’s looks. Saffron could tell. She could feel a pressure weighing on her— one that she’d never felt before.

It was so heavy. Almost palpable. And something within Saffron told her that this was merely a fraction of the real power of Regnorex.

“T-this..”

She bit her lower lip. But as Avaritia stood there, basking in his own grandeur, someone moved. A bear-like creature. One that had two heads, but now only with a single head left. Zin Norwood bounded forward, hoping to strike him while he was distracted.

He inclined his head callously.

“Begone, pest.”

And with those casual words, he swiped his tail at her. Saffron opened her mouth.

“No—”

But Salvos moved. She’d been silent the entire time, not really reacting to Avaritia’s form. But the moment he struck out for the [Druid], she swooped down. The silver-haired girl reached Zin just in time to block the tail-swipe. His tail crashed into Salvos’ side, but the iridescent aura around her sparked out, clashing with the black aura. For a moment, nothing happened— then she went flying.

“Argh—!”

Saffron’s eyes widened as she watched both Salvos and Zin crash into the side of a wall. Avaritia’s black aura had shattered whatever protection was covering the silver-haired girl. The indomitable invulnerable aura she exuded gone. And she lay there, in the crater, bruised and bloodied as she looked up at the faux Demon King.

And the young noble understood— this really was her worst nightmare.

“Huh.”

I didn’t expect that. To be honest, I had been a little underwhelmed by Avaritia’s Grand Skill. He’d just.. transformed again. It wasn’t anything special. He was taller now, sure. I couldn’t see his face, and he did have an odd black aura veil covering his body. But to me, he just looked like another Demon.

Yet, somehow, when he struck me with his tail, he’d managed to break through my Grand Skill. It was odd. I was certain [My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] rivaled— or even surpassed— the Breastplate of Alexander’s Aura of Protection. But against Avaritia as he was now? That didn’t matter.

“What’s wrong? Do you regret your decision now, Human?”

He loomed over me— his shadow just as tall as he was. I got to my feet and shook my head. My arm was bloodied, and the sleeves of my blue jacket were ripped and torn. I narrowed my eyes as I saw the shadows wisping off him.

“That’s..”

I didn’t recognize it at first. But now, after a moment of studying it, I did. Avaritia was wreathed in a Divine Essence. One that.. didn’t really feel like Divine Essence. It felt more like a fake replica of what I had— of what the Treasures of Alexander contained— but one that was still overwhelming in power nonetheless.

“You’re definitely stronger than I thought, I’ll give you credit for that.”

I spoke simply, facing the menacing giant of a Demon. Avaritia leaned forward, speaking in an amused voice.

“Oh?”

“But you are mistaken, I am not scared of you.”

He shook his head as he spoke proudly.

“I am the manifestation of all your greatest fears. I have become the greatest Demon in history— the one who slayed your Immortal King himself. I have taken the form of the one who rules the Netherworld, unchallenged by any other being. To say that you do not fear me, when I have become what you Humans are scared of the most?”

Avaritia paused. I cocked my head at him. And he snorted.

“Don’t make me laugh.”

The Demon whipped his tail at me, and I ran forward. I knew that if I relied on [My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] just like before, his faux Divine Essence would win out. It didn’t necessarily destroy the iridescent aura protecting me. Rather, it could momentarily tear through it. I was certain that even if I had the Breastplate of Alexander here, his attacks would also render its Aura of Protection null.

I didn’t think it would break the Breastplate of Alexander, just like how his tail-swipe hadn’t actually killed me. It simply.. phased through any protective Divine Essence.

I swung up with my Divine Nebular Scythe, and sure enough, the weapon didn’t shatter in contact. We clashed for a moment as there was a flash of black and rainbow-colored light. His aura won out, but I didn’t remain idle. Instead, I flew up, circling behind him.

“Hmph. If you won’t accept your fate willingly, then I shall make you understand.”

Avaritia held both his arms to the side as his voice boomed out.

“[Copy Skill: Domain of the Demon King].”

I recoiled as a deluge of his fake Divine Essence poured out. The black liquid spilled around him before shooting up like giant spikes. I dodged around this shifting landscape, only to hear a crackle from above. I looked up as the ascending black spikes began to melt, raining back down on me.

“This is annoying—”

I sent a blast of rainbow-colored flames up before the rain could touch me. I knew it was bad even before it came crashing back down. It sizzled under the heat of the flames, evaporating into a black air that clouded the sky above.

Whatever Skill this was, it really lived up to its name. I swung out with my Divine Nebular Scythe, lopping off the top of a nearby spike as I gritted my teeth.

“Your fake Divine Essence isn’t enough to win. All you do is copy, but you don’t even know what you’re doing!”

“Perhaps.”

Avaritia answered simply, standing at the center of this torrential landscape. He didn’t move, his eyes fixed on me.

“But this is more than enough to defeat you.”

And his body blurred. My eyes grew wide as Avaritia appeared behind me, carried by the Boots of Alexander. He swung first with his tail as I spun around, barely raising my weapon in time. He knocked the Divine Nebular Scythe aside before clapping his hands together at me like I was some sort of insect.

“Now you die—”

And his hands stopped mid-air. I held my legs out, doing a split and holding him back. He blinked once, even through his darkened gaze, in shock.

“What..?”

The Greaves of Alexander at my knees shimmered as I grinned at him.

“Did you forget what we’re fighting for?”

They flashed, and I kicked his hands back, each strike flashing with a pulsing glow. Flipping through the air, I kicked him across his jaw as he recoiled, and I flew back.

“Don’t get me wrong, I copy others too, but unlike you, that’s not the only thing I rely on.”

I flew in the middle of his black storm as he straightened, his shadowed gaze burning with anger. And I smiled.

“Now, let’s try this again.”