Kapitel 129: Devil's Reckoning: Unveiling the Phantom Menace
Mission Name: Demon's Awakening
Objective: Prevent the Eclipse from completing the demonic summoning ritual and neutralize any potential threat posed by the summoned demon.
Location: Abandoned Building
Status: High Priority
It was at that moment that Carl had widened his eyes and gotten up from his seat.
He knew that he wouldn't be able to tell Isabella and the others to do it for him, after all, they were locked in battle against the Eclipse and didn't have time or power to spare, not to mention that stopping a summoning won't be that easy.
'Shit, I'm too far away, it'll take me too long to get there!'
Carl quickly got his phone out and called Carla. Without even needing an explanation, she appeared in front of Carl with a smile before using her powers to teleport him near Isabella and the others.
With him nearby, he was able to quickly make his way to the building during their battle.
Still, he had no idea how to stop the summoning, but that was why he had the system.
[ Seriously, is your brain that bad?! ]
[ Blast it with your wind to weaken it, no matter what it is, no matter what kind of energy, what kind of being, the wind will take the power of anything it touches! ]
[ It's a ritual to summon a demon, so after weakening the barrier, use your devil powers to attack it. With your devil ability, you are much more sensitive to demonic energy and demons than anyone else, after all, devils usually rank higher than demons, so you should be able to sense the origin by yourself easily. ]
Carl did just what the system asked him to do and blasted the barrier with his hellfire, attacking it in order to get a feeling for it. Upon sensing one place inside that was different than the rest, one spot that was seemingly responsible for bringing the energy out, he asked the system if that was it, which caused him to be yelled at more before he blasted it to pieces.
Killing the three was, as he had told the others because they truly could implode their souls and bodies in order to cause a powerful explosion. With their failure, the demon they had signed a contract with would not be happy and they knew that it was the end of the road for them.
That was why Carl immediately killed them, but, there was something he didn't tell Isabella or the others.
"You go, I'll be back, I have to finish something up," Carl told Isabella as he went back to his office, only to go out of the office and leave the building 10 minutes later.
Carl arrived at a desolate location, an abandoned church on the outskirts of the city. The air was thick with an unsettling energy, and the once-holy grounds now seemed tainted by the presence of a demonic force. The remnants of The Eclipse's ritual lingered, and Carl could sense the faint traces of the demon's energy.
Even though he and the others had stopped the main ritual, his quest was not deemed complete, which immediately tipped him off that something was wrong.
If destroying the ritual had not fully stopped the demon from coming, that meant that there was another location as well, one that was made by the demon as a backup, with probably more bastards that sold their souls present.
It could also be a second location where there was nobody there and the demon was trying to break into the world by itself, it was not easy and unconventional, but the system told him it was indeed possible.
The system guided him as he delved deeper into the church, with caution in every step. The summoning ritual had left an imprint on the very fabric of reality, and Carl knew he had to act swiftly to prevent the demon from fully materializing.
As he approached the altar, the epicenter of the ritual, Carl felt the malevolent energy growing stronger. The demon, drawn by the failed attempt to breach the mortal realm, lingered in the shadows, eager to wreak havoc upon its summoners' demise.
Using his wind powers, Carl weakened the residual barrier that held the demonic energy in check. The air around him howled as the wind tore through the lingering remnants of the ritual, creating an ethereal symphony that resonated with the supernatural forces at play.
With the barrier weakened, Carl focused his devil powers, attuning himself to the demonic presence. The subtle nuances of demonic energy became clear to him, and he could sense the origin point of the summoned entity.
As he moved through the darkened corridors of the church, the system provided him with real-time analysis. The demon was a formidable adversary, its power vast and its hunger for chaos insatiable. The only advantage Carl had was his sensitivity to demonic energy, a trait unique to his devil powers.
The corridors seemed to close in around him as he approached the source of the malevolence. The air itself seemed to pulse with the demonic force, and the shadows danced with an otherworldly intensity. Carl steeled himself, knowing that the confrontation ahead would test the limits of his abilities.
In the heart of the church, a chamber adorned with sinister symbols awaited him. The demonic energy coalesced, taking a grotesque form that defied mortal comprehension. The demon, though not fully materialized, exuded a palpable aura of menace.
"I sense you, mortal," the demonic voice echoed in Carl's mind, a chilling resonance that sent shivers down his spine. "You are the one that killed my minions."
The demon's aura suddenly flared up as his anger became something that Carl was able to sense.
"A measly human dares come here, dares to try and fight me?!"
The demon's form wavered between the realms, a grotesque fusion of shadows and malevolence. Its eyes, pools of darkness, fixated on Carl with a hunger that transcended the mortal realm.
With a surge of hellfire, Carl confronted the demon. The clash of energies created shockwaves that reverberated through the church. The demon, though formidable, was at a disadvantage. Carl's devil powers, attuned to the demonic essence, disrupted the creature's attempts to fully manifest.
"That aura, a devil?!" The demon roared in shock before calming down.
"No, you merely possess the power of one, but how, a servant of a devil, no, your aura is not like one of theirs, which means … a devil in the working, a human that has gained devil powers, interesting."
"I didn't think I would mean a future brethren here."
"And you didn't," Carl said calmly as he struck again, causing the demon to pull back with a growl.
"Don't push your luck, human, even if you have gained the power of a devil, you are still merely an ant, one that cannot utilize his powers properly, hmph, I can see that only your hands have changed."
"In the end, you are still nothing but an unfinished product."
"It's more than enough to stop you here, don't try to fool me, I can sense just how weak and unstable you are," Carl said with a smirk before attacking again.
The battle unfolded in a dance of fire and shadow. Carl, his devil abilities pushed to the limit, maintained a relentless assault. The demon, its form flickering like a dying flame, struggled against the onslaught.
It was just like Carl had said, with the ritual disrupted and without any minions here to help the demon stabilize himself, nor any worshippers to help his soul strengthen in the world, he was a mere phantom, one that could barely utilize any of its powers.
Even then, the power it possessed was enough to make Carl realize just how powerful the demon was. It was probably only able to utilize 5% of its strength, and yet, even that was enough to make Carl go all out in order to push him back and win.
With a final wave of his hands, a torrent of hellfire was poured on the demon, causing his phantom to dissipate, slowly returning back to where it came from.
[ Quickly, use this! ]
The system's words suddenly echoed in Carl's head as he saw a bottle appear in his hands.
He opened the bottle without questioning the system why he needed to do so, and suddenly, the phantom stopped retreating as a roar echoed in the church.
"YOU DARE?!"
Before the demon was able to say anything else, the phantom was cut off as a powerful suction force came from the bottle, sucking the phantom inside of it completely.
[ Close it, now! ]
Carl closed the bottle, only to see it shake heavily.
[ That is your reward, good job, getting a phantom of a demon is not easy. ]
[ In a couple of days, the consciousness of the demon will be wiped away by the bottle and you will be able to ingest it, it will strengthen your devil form, and if you use it properly, you can even gain stronger control over the form as well. ]
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein