Chapter 145: Adrian Vs Asmodeus Part 2

With a deafening crack, the Dark Vanguard shattered. The force of Adrian's strike tore through the shield like it was made of paper, the explosion of mana scattering the remnants of the barrier like shards of broken glass.

Asmodeus stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

And then, before he could even react, Adrian was upon him. His dagger flashed in a series of rapid, precise strikes, each one aimed at a vital point.

Blood sprayed as the enchanted blade cut through Asmodeus's defenses, drawing deep gashes across his chest and arms.

The pain was immediate and excruciating, each wound burning as if it were seared by fire.

Asmodeus grunted in pain, his vision blurring. He tried to retaliate, swinging his massive sword in a desperate attempt to push Adrian back.

But Adrian was relentless. He weaved around the clumsy swings with ease, his movements graceful and fluid, each step calculated to maximize his positioning.

With one final, powerful strike, Adrian's dagger pierced through Asmodeus's armor, embedding itself deep in his side.

The blade sank into flesh and bone, its enchanted edge bypassing the Abyssal Knight's defenses as if they were nonexistent.

Asmodeus gasped, his breath hitching. He could feel the cold steel of the blade buried deep in his flesh, the pain radiating through his entire body like wildfire.

Adrian leaned in close, his voice a soft whisper in Asmodeus's ear. "You fought well. But it's over."

With a swift motion, Adrian withdrew the dagger, and Asmodeus crumpled to the ground, his strength leaving him.

His sword slipped from his grasp, the massive blade clattering against the ground as he fell to his knees.

Adrian straightened, his gaze cold and unfeeling as he looked down at the fallen Abyssal Knight. "You were stronger than Vincent," he murmured softly. "But still not strong enough."

Asmodeus struggled to rise, his fingers clawing at the earth beneath him. Blood seeped from the deep wounds carved into his body, each breath a painful reminder of his failure.

His vision swam, darkness encroaching at the edges, but he refused to fall completely. His pride as an Abyssal Knight, as one of the elite under the Count Vortigern banner, demanded that he fight until his last breath.

"Damn you…you...brat," Asmodeus spat, his voice hoarse, filled with a mixture of rage and pain. "You think… this is over?"

Adrian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Despite the blood pouring from his wounds and the toll the fight had taken, Asmodeus's spirit remained unbroken.

Most opponents would have succumbed to despair or begged for mercy by now, but this Abyssal Knight continued to defy him.

"Still resisting?" Adrian asked, his tone almost mocking. "You've lost too much blood, your mana reserves are nearly depleted, and you can barely stand. What more do you hope to achieve?"

Asmodeus's lips twisted into a grim smile, his teeth stained with blood. "I haven't shown you everything yet, Everhart. I'm not going to beg for my life like some coward."

Slowly, agonizingly, Asmodeus raised his hand, dark energy swirling around his fingertips. The air around them seemed to freeze, the oppressive aura intensifying.

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he sensed the sudden shift in mana—this was different from before. It felt… darker, more primal.

A sinister force was beginning to take shape within Asmodeus, something ancient and malevolent.

"Blood… Pact!" Asmodeus roared, his voice echoing with a resonance that sent chills down even Adrian's spine.

The dark energy around Asmodeus flared violently, and a crimson glyph appeared beneath his feet, glowing with a sinister light. Symbols of the Abyssal language carved themselves into the air, each one pulsing with raw, chaotic power.

Adrian could feel the ground beneath him trembling as if the earth itself was recoiling from the spell being cast.

Adrian's expression hardened as he realized what Asmodeus was doing. "A sacrificial pact," he muttered, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"You're calling upon the power of the Abyss… in exchange for your life?"

The Blood Pact was a forbidden technique used only by those with nothing left to lose. It granted the user a final surge of power by sacrificing everything—their remaining health, their mana, even their soul.

It was a desperate, last-ditch effort, a suicidal strike meant to take down even the strongest of foes.

"You think… I care… about my life?" Asmodeus snarled, his body trembling as the dark energy surged through him.

His wounds began to close, the blood around him congealing and reabsorbing into his body as his Strength and Endurance shot up exponentially.

Adrian could feel the sheer power radiating from Asmodeus, the force of it like a storm bearing down on him. This was no ordinary power boost—this was the essence of the Abyss itself, unfiltered and unrestrained.

"If I can take you down with me… if I can eliminate the trouble for Count… even if it costs me my life…"

Asmodeus's voice was laced with fervent, almost fanatical determination. "Then I'll gladly offer my soul to the Abyss!"

Adrian's eyes narrowed, his stance shifting as he prepared to defend himself. "So, that's your resolve, huh?"

He murmured softly, more to himself than to Asmodeus. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Very well. Show me what you've got."

The crimson glyph beneath Asmodeus pulsed one final time, and then, with a deafening roar, the energy erupted outward.

A towering column of blood-red light shot up into the sky, the force of it causing the ground to quake violently.

The dark energy condensed around Asmodeus, forming a massive, twisted figure—a spectral image of an ancient abyssal beast.

Adrian looked up at the monstrous form, his gaze unflinching. The beast loomed over them, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light, its maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. The sheer size and presence of it dwarfed everything around them.

"You're summoning an Abyssal Beast to enhance your own body." Adrian murmured, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation.

The blood-red light began to coalesce around Asmodeus, the spectral figure merging with his body, its power flowing into him.