Chapter 562: The Devil Fox

"ASURA!"

Gasps erupted from every corner of the city as the enormous three headed, six armed avatar behind Damian became fully manifested, its oppressive presence spreading across the battlefield.

Soldiers stared upward in shock, while several nobles instinctively stepped backward from the sheer pressure radiating from the divine construct, but Damian paid them no attention. His eyes remained fixed on the golden sphere protecting Lazarus and Hagrid.

"Continue the attacks on the scoundrel... We have a nut to crack!" Damian sneered, and the soldiers immediately obeyed.

The Heaven Sundering Cannons roared once again as volleys of enormous cannonballs tore through the air from every direction, crashing against the golden shell and producing violent explosions that shook the surrounding buildings.

Damian snapped his fingers, and thousands of enormous rusted weapons began materializing behind his Asura avatar. Each weapon was twice Damian’s size, their corroded blades and spearheads carrying an ominous aura as they filled the sky behind him. The weapons continued appearing without end, stretching across the battlefield like an endless arsenal.

"Demonic Weaponry: Asuras Wrath!" Damian declared, and the weapons immediately descended.

Booom! Booom!

Booom! Booom!

Each weapon that struck the golden shell exploded on impact, only for several more to materialize in its place and immediately follow. The bombardment quickly became a continuous storm of rusted weapons and cannon fire, with every explosion sending another wave of force across the battlefield.

The golden shell trembled beneath the relentless assault as cracks began appearing across its surface, only to vanish moments later as fresh gold flowed into the damaged areas.

"A GOD HIDING FROM A DEMIGOD... DISGUSTING... DON’T TELL ME YOU PLAN TO STAY HIDDEN IN THERE FOREVER LIKE THE BITCH YOU ARE?" Damian scoffed, deliberately raising his voice so Lazarus could hear him through the bombardment.

Inside the shell, Lazarus’ face twisted into an ugly frown as he stared at the cracks spreading across the thick golden barrier. He could see the damage accumulating faster now, yet the gold river continued repairing the shell almost as quickly as it was damaged.

His fingers tightened as frustration boiled within him. He wanted nothing more than to tear through the barrier, close the distance between himself and Damian, and rip the arrogant demigod apart with his own hands.

"Sire, don’t take his provocations to heart... He’s trying to lure you out of this shell for a reason," Hagrid warned in a tired voice, his breathing still labored as he leaned against Lazarus for support.

Lazarus glanced at him before slowly closing his eyes. His pride screamed at him to ignore the warning, but the battlefield had already proven that Damian’s provocations were never without purpose.

"Very well!" Lazarus reluctantly nodded as golden light erupted from his eyes.

Buzz!

The liquid gold surrounding the sphere suddenly churned violently before dozens of enormous golden drills erupted from beneath its surface. They spun rapidly as they shot toward the surrounding buildings, targeting the soldiers operating the cannons and threatening to destroy the defensive formations protecting the square.

Several soldiers gasped when they saw the massive drills approaching, but Damian remained perfectly still.

"Rin..." he muttered.

"I know!" Rin nodded before launching himself from Damian’s shoulder like a fierce comet.

His small body became engulfed in rainbow colored flames as he accelerated to terrifying speed, circling the entire square within seconds. Every golden drill he encountered was smashed apart before it could reach its target, Rin moving so quickly that most soldiers could barely perceive him.

Moments later, he returned to Damian’s shoulder as though he had never left, smoke pouring lightly from his body while his nine tails danced behind him, their tips licking with rainbow flames.

"Hmph!" Damian snorted disdainfully as he snapped his fingers.

Several massive shields materialized behind him before shooting toward the surrounding buildings. They positioned themselves beside each structure, intercepting any remaining golden fragments and protecting the soldiers manning the artillery positions while the bombardment continued without interruption.

Damian’s expression remained cold, but a thin stream of red liquid suddenly escaped from his nose. He wiped it away immediately with the back of his hand before anyone nearby could notice, his gaze never leaving the golden sphere.

Rin noticed anyway. He leaned closer and whispered, "How much longer can you take the strain of using the fox pendant?"

Damian’s eyes narrowed slightly. "As long as I need to."

Despite the tremendous increase in strength granted by the Fox Pendant, Damian’s body was never meant to contain this level of power for an extended period. His soul was already damaged, and every additional surge of energy pushed that damage further. Pain pulsed through his body beneath the surface, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"I won’t be holding back then!" Damian hissed as the fox throne suddenly materialized behind him in a burst of purple flames.

He sat down upon it, and the moment his body touched the throne, the Asura weapons behind him doubled in size. Their already immense explosive power increased sharply, causing the surrounding air to tremble from the sheer concentration of energy.

The weapons descended faster, each impact leaving another enormous crack across the golden shell. The cracks were repaired almost immediately, but another weapon struck the same location before the restoration could finish.

Eventually, the accumulated damage became too great for the gold shell to repair at the same rate it was being inflicted. The golden sphere began losing pieces of its surface as the bombardment overwhelmed its regeneration, while the river of gold surrounding it steadily diminished from Lazarus’ constant expenditure of power.

As the golden river thinned, the dark red Devil Rose vines finally began breaking through. They crawled across the exposed ground and wrapped themselves around the golden shell, tightening around it as their thorns dug into the surface and began draining its energy.

Lazarus could feel the pressure increasing from within. His defensive shell was no longer an impenetrable fortress. It was slowly becoming a prison.

Damian noticed the change immediately and raised his hand.

"Devil Ballistas... Archers!" he called coldly.

Yuji’s voice immediately boomed across the battlefield. "DEVIL BALLISTAS, ARCHERS TAKE AIM!"

Thousands of archers pulled their bowstrings back, their explosive arrows glowing as they were aimed toward the damaged sphere while the Devil Ballistas locked onto the same target.

"LOOOOOSE!"

The command echoed across the square, and the next barrage descended.

SWOOOSH!

Thousands of explosive arrows and massive ballista bolts rained down upon the golden shell, detonating across its surface and adding another layer of destruction to the already relentless assault. Small chunks of gold began breaking away from the sphere, only to be replaced by fresh material drawn from the thinning river below.

Damian watched the process carefully before slowly stretching both hands toward Lazarus. His fingers curled like claws, his hands positioned parallel to one another as though an enormous beast was preparing to bite down on its prey.

"LAZARUS... LAZARUS... LAZARUS..." Damian hissed, his voice carrying through the battlefield. "IF YOU DON’T DAMN THE CONSEQUENCES AND GO ALL OUT, YOU WILL DIE HERE SANDWICHED AND GUNNED DOWN BY MY SOLDIERS LIKE THE DOG YOU ARE."

A sinister chuckle escaped Damian’s lips as an invisible outline slowly appeared behind the golden sphere. The enormous shape of a nine tailed fox became visible through the distortion in the air, its colossal jaws opening wide with the golden shell positioned directly between its fangs.

Damian’s expression became almost gleeful. "STOP HOLDING BACK... THERE IS NO CHANCE OF REACHING MY SOLDIERS. TAKE THE CHANCE, SHATTER YOUR SOUL AND UNLEASH YOUR TERRITORY, SO THAT WE CAN PUT THIS FIGHT TO AN END. IF YOU BEAT ME, YOU MAY HAVE A SHATTERED SOUL, BUT YOU HAVE TWO INHERITANCES..."

Damian’s claws slammed together.

"World Devouring Maw!"

BANG!

The invisible fox snapped its jaws shut with terrifying force. The golden sphere shattered instantly, fragments of gold exploding outward as the defensive shell was destroyed in a single brutal bite.

Lazarus shot out from the wreckage, his pale figure streaked with blood as a fang like wound pierced through his abdomen.

Despite the injury, he kept moving, carrying Hagrid over one shoulder while golden energy flickered violently around his body. His eyes locked directly onto Damian with a cold, murderous gleam.

Damian slowly lowered his hands and revealed a devilish grin, his purple eyes shining beneath the chaos of the battlefield.

"DON’T YOU THINK THAT IS A GOOD BARGAIN?"