Chương 44: Familiar familiar

As the flames subsided, revealing Chief Gralis standing amidst the remnants of the explosion, Zanno's eyes widened in disbelief. Instead of being defeated, the chieftain seemed to survive by shielding himself with a dark cocoon of black flames.

The black flames flickered and danced, emanating an aura of malice and darkness. As the flames gradually withered away, a sinister voice echoed from within. Chief Gralis seemed to be possessed, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light, and his jaws dripping with vantablack blood.

Zanno's heart raced as he realized the true nature of his opponent. This was no ordinary battle; it was a clash against dark forces that extended beyond the physical realm. The demon's presence sent a chill down his spine, but he refused to be paralyzed by fear.

「 Chief Gralis 」

"Useless lizards..."

"Looks like I have to take care of this myself!"

Mayor Rachmat recognized the voice immediately. It was the same one he had heard during the Summer Tide Festival not long ago.

「 Mayor Rachmat 」

"No!"

"It can't be..."

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Hey there, Raja Rimba."

"It has been a while I presume?"

"Hahaha!"

「 Phoenix Armor Zanno: Mk 2 」

"Mayor..."

"You know of this demon?"

「 Mayor Rachmat 」

"Yes, Zanno."

"This is the one responsible for putting me beside you in the hospital last time."

"The first time we met..."

"Raf il-Cul, the Lord of Anguish."

「 Zanno 」

"That means..."

"This is the guy with the zak'nagi slugs?"

「 Mayor Rachmat 」

"Yes."

"It's that guy indeed."

"You better be careful son."

"Stall him."

"At least until the Sheriff is here."

After a brief chat with Zanno, Mayor Rachmat turned his attention back toward the demon, Raf il-Cul.

「 Mayor Rachmat 」

"Demon!"

"What more do you want with me?."

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Hahaha..."

"Now that's a laugh."

"This world does not revolve around you, kitty cat."

"I only went after you to get to the kid, you know..."

Raf il-Cul looked around for the rest of the craglisk warriors. Seeing them slowly losing their ground against the guards, the demon decided to dispose of the dead weights.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Looks like you lot have no more use to me."

With a snap of his finger, the remaining craglisk warriors, except for Gratus, Chief Gralis's son burned within black flames conjured by Raf il-Cul. They screamed in anguish as the fire burned them alive.

Zanno's heart plunged as he witnessed the cruel fate that befell the craglisk warriors, even though they were his enemies. Anger and determination surged within him, fueling his resolve to stop Raf il-Cul and protect those who remained.

With a clenched fist, Zanno channeled his Phoenix Armor magical energy, his aura blazing with renewed intensity. He refused to let fear consume him. He had faced powerful adversaries before, and he would not falter now.

「 Phoenix Armor Zanno: Mk 2 」

"You won't get away with this, Raf il-Cul!"

"I will stop you and protect everyone here!"

Zanno lunged forward, his movements swift and decisive. He channeled his fiery energy into his fists, preparing for a direct confrontation with Raf il-Cul. Determination etched on his face, he met the demon's gaze with unwavering resolve.

Raf il-Cul smirked, seemingly amused by Zanno's defiance.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Oh, how amusing."

"A mere mortal challenging me."

"You overestimate your abilities, child."

Zanno ignored the demon's taunts, focusing solely on his objective. He darted forward, his movements a blur as he unleashed a barrage of rapid punches and kicks infused with the scorching power of his Phoenix Armor. Each strike aimed to break through Raf il-Cul's defenses.

Zanno's attacks were loaded with force and precision, the flames from his Phoenix Armor engulfing the possessed body of the Craglisk Chieftain. However, the demon proved to be resilient, swiftly dodging and parrying Zanno's strikes with an unnatural agility.

Raf il-Cul retaliated with his own display of power, summoning dark tendrils of shadow that lashed out towards Zanno. The tendrils coiled and twisted, aiming to ensnare and immobilize him. But Zanno's agility and combat prowess allowed him to evade the shadowy onslaught, narrowly dodging each attack.

With each clash, the battlefield became a dance of fire and shadow. Zanno's determination refused to waver, even as the odds seemed stacked against him. He knew that defeating Raf il-Cul would require more than just physical strength; it would require outsmarting the cunning demon.

Zanno's mind raced as he analyzed the demon's movements, searching for a weakness to exploit. He knew that fighting fire with fire wouldn't be enough. He needed a strategy that would catch Raf il-Cul off guard and give him an advantage.

「 Zanno 」

"Let's see if you can take this!"

Zanno held both of his hands together, clutching them into a ball, and began to concentrate his magical energy. He then slowly loosened his grip, leaving a minute fireball in the middle, still accumulating power as it started to grow larger.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Oh... Haha."

"You still think that you can hurt me with your embers and cinders."

"Foolish child!"

"I AM OF FIRES!"

Zanno smirked, his eyes gleaming with determination. He knew that he couldn't match Raf il-Cul's power directly, but he had a plan.

As the fireball continued to grow in size, Zanno focused his energy, infusing it with an unexpected element. He channeled his rage and pride into the ball of fire, meshing them with the flames. The fireball transformed, taking on a brilliant blue hue, and crackling with electricity and cold energy.

The sudden change caught Raf il-Cul off guard, his confident smirk fading for a moment. He could sense the shift in Zanno's power and knew that something was different.

[ Rage Experience Point: +1 ]

[ Pride Experience Point: +1 ]

「 Zanno 」

"Thanks, Mom. For the formula!"

"VEHEMENCE BLAST!"

With a powerful thrust of his arm, Zanno launched the fireball filled with anger and pride energy toward Raf il-Cul. The ball streaked through the air, leaving behind a trail of sparks, snowflakes, and crackling energy.

The demon attempted to dodge, but the ball's trajectory was too precise, too fast. It collided with Raf il-Cul, engulfing him in a maelstrom of electrified flames and frost. The combination of fire, cold, and electricity surged through the demon's body, momentarily disrupting his control over the possessed body of the Craglisk Chieftain.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhh..."

"Aaaaarrrggghh..."

"Aaaahhhhh..."

"Aaahhhhaaa..."

"Ahh... Hahaha!!!"

Raf il-Cul was laughing maniacally while in flames, after purposely taking Zanno's attack head on. The explosion caused by Zanno's Vehemence Blast sent shockwaves throughout the battlefield. The ground shook, and debris flew in all directions.

The laughter of Raf il-Cul echoed through the chaos, his voice filled with a mixture of pain and twisted delight. Zanno quickly regained his footing, his eyes fixed on the aftermath of the blast. He could see Raf il-Cul emerging from the dissipating flames, seemingly unharmed by the attack.

「 Phoenix Armor Zanno: Mk 2 」

"No..."

"How is this possible?"

"My attack has no effect on him…"

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Hahaha... Impressive, child."

"Your attack was impressive, I'll give you that."

"But you underestimate the power coursing through my veins."

As Raf il-Cul spoke, the possessed body of Chief Gralis began to transform. Dark energy surged through its limbs, distorting and warping its form. The chieftain's body grew larger, and his skin turned ashen, veins pulsating with an eerie black glow.

The demon's true form was beginning to manifest, shedding the limitations of the Craglisk Chieftain. Raf il-Cul's malevolence and power were now unleashed, dwarfing anything Zanno had faced before.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Now, witness the true extent of my strength!"

"Prepare to be consumed by darkness, little firefly!"

「 Babah 」

"Let me steer for a while, Zanno..."

"Wa ja'alnā mim baini aidīhim saddaw wa min khalfihim saddan fa agsyaināhum fa hum lā yubṣirụn..."

After reciting the verse, Zanno bowed down and punched the ground, as sand and debris flew everywhere, covering him in a cloud of dust.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"What is this?"

"Some fancy cantrips won't do you any good, child!"

Raf il-Cul started preparing for an attack as the demonic energy he was gathering turned from blue to red.

"Little kitty cat... I believe you remember this attack."

"Hahaha..."

「 Mayor Rachmat 」

"Oh, dear God."

"This is bad..."

"He is using Demonic Bombard!"

"Everyone… Brace yourselves!"

Mayor Rachmat remembers the attack too well. It was called Demonic Bombard, an attack the mayor witnessed firsthand during the Summer Tide Festival. He was frozen helpless as he knew the magnitude of the attack and there was nothing he could do about it.

Raf il-Cul was ready to unleash his most devastating attack, as he waited for the dust to settle so that he would have a clear shot. But as soon as it did, everyone in the courtyard, including the demon was shocked. Zanno was nowhere to be found. His presence had completely disappeared.

Confusion and uncertainty filled the air as they searched for any sign of Zanno. Mayor Rachmat's heart sank, fearing the worst for the young warrior. But deep down, he held onto a glimmer of hope, hoping that Zanno had found a way to protect himself.

「 Babah 」

"Zanno…"

"I have recited a verse from The Holy Book of my world."

"Even though we have managed to erase our physical presence, the ones with a pure heart can still see us."

"I was betting on the demon, to not have a pure heart."

"Let's just hope this works."

「 Phoenix Armor Zanno: Mk 2 」

"Well…"

"There is only one way to find out, isn't it?"

As the words of Babah echoed in Zanno's mind, the rest of the people there soon noticed a faint shimmer in the air. Slowly, Zanno's form became visible to those who were pure of heart, but there was a difference. Surrounding him was a translucent aura, an ethereal glow that seemed to shield him from the demon's sight.

Raf il-Cul's eyes widened in disbelief. The verse recited by Babah had indeed granted Zanno protection, making him imperceptible to the demon's senses. The cunning demon, who had reveled in his power and dominance, now found himself at a disadvantage.

Zanno, empowered by the words from The Holy Book, seized the opportunity. With a renewed sense of determination, he launched himself at the demon, his movements swift and precise. Raf il-Cul, unable to detect Zanno's presence, was caught off guard as the young warrior unleashed a barrage of strikes, each one aimed at weakening the demon's defenses.

「 Phoenix Armor Zanno: Mk 2 」

"Nova Strike!"

With each blow, the ethereal aura surrounding Zanno pulsated, imbuing his attacks with an otherworldly power. The demon's confident demeanor began to falter, his defenses crumbling under the relentless assault.

Zanno's movements were guided not only by his physical prowess but also by the wisdom and guidance of Babah. Together, they had found a way to turn the tides against Raf il-Cul, using strategy and the power they currently have to their advantage.

As the battle raged on, the courtyard became a battlefield of light and shadow. Zanno fought with unwavering resolve, his invisible presence making it nearly impossible for the demon to strike back effectively. The tides had turned, and victory seemed within reach.

The Lord of Anguish, who was meant to inspire despair, found himself succumbing to it instead. But the battle was not yet won. Raf il-Cul, consumed by anger and desperation, drew upon his deepest reserves of dark power as dark tendrils of shadow sprouted all over his body, latching on to corpses all over the courtyard.

The tendrils pulled the dead bodies, mostly the craglisk warriors he had slaughtered with his black flames. They meshed together, forming a grotesque blob of burnt flesh, bones, and twisted limbs. The amalgamation of death and darkness writhed with an unholy vitality, as if infused with the essence of the fallen warriors.

As the blob of burnt flesh and twisted limbs continued to writhe, the transformation took a grotesque turn. Monstrous mandibles emerged from the center, elongated and razor-sharp, dripping with a foul-smelling ichor. Two sets of claws burst forth from the sides, each clawed limb ending in wickedly sharp talons that glinted with a malevolent gleam.

The creature's body elongated, forming a segmented exoskeleton reminiscent of the fearsome zak'nagi that plagued the world of Aena. The exoskeleton was a sickly shade of gray, marred with charred patches from the burnt corpses it had consumed. Jagged spines jutted out from its back, adding to its menacing appearance.

At the rear, two spike-like tails sprouted, lined with barbs that oozed a toxic substance. The tails twitched with a deadly precision, ready to strike with venomous force. Finally, sets of chitinous armored legs burst out from both sides of the creature's body, shuddering and twitching slowly as the zak'nagi stood.

The creature was two storeys tall, towering over the battlefield, its insectoid eyes glowing with a malevolent intelligence. It let out a guttural screech, a sound that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it. The transformation was complete. A monstrous zak'nagi was born from the amalgamation of death and darkness, a formidable foe in its own right.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"Have fun with this then!"

The zak'nagi's head emitted a bright flash of light, and it was aimed directly at Gratus, the son of Chief Gralis. Gratus' eyes turned red right after the beam hit him, and his voice underwent a significant change. It appeared that Gratus had been possessed by the demon Raf il-Cul, just like his father.

「 Raf il-Cul 」

"I will be back, child."

A dark portal appeared behind the demon, as dark tendrils started to pull him in. Raf il-Cul left the courtyard, not before leaving a titan of a mess to be dealt with. Those in the courtyard were voiceless, horrified after witnessing the birth of a terrifying zak'nagi.