Myriad Devils-Chapter 81: The beginning of madness

Across the hundreds of meters separating the stellar geniuses from the one-winged monkeys, there were deafening eruptions, blinding explosions of light, and chaotic gales of wind. Streaks of lightning flashed at different parts of the battlefield simultaneously, sometimes even, hundreds of feet in the air.

There, glimpses of Jacob’s exchange with the one-winged monkey were visible for a brief moment before other afterimages then formed on the ground, showcasing the countless exchanges between the two.

Though it was difficult to tell who held the upper hand, one thing was certain, and that was the speed at which these two creatures moved at, reaching a level that left some of the stellar geniuses with their mouths agape, completely taken aback.

If not before, right now, they had come to realize the disparity between them and the second world. The gap, so large, was fear-inducing, completely despairing. In fact, of the thirteen figures observing Jacob’s battle, there were more than one who doubted whether they would walk away with their life.

After all, even if this group of individuals were lucky enough to escape, most likely, it would only be the strongest of the group. The one-winged monkeys in the distance also had their eyes on them, ready to move when one of the geniuses made any movements.

Of course, there was another possibility.

Only Anon had attempted to move, so maybe, the one-winged monkeys were only interested in Anon who, like Jacob, was a second world stellar fighter. This also meant that these beasts would also be fixated toward Seth too.

Maybe, these beasts would ignore the weaker ones, allowing them to escape with their lives...

The one-winged monkeys were obviously playful by nature, mischievously wicked, and maybe the weak did not quench their thirst for madness.

And though this was a flawed way of thinking, in this moment of fear, more than one individual amongst the group of geniuses had such ideas forming in their minds.

Fear did this.

It lowered thinking clarity and incapacitated logic.

So, when two such individuals had made their move, and took one step back, followed by two, and then three, separating themselves from the group, although the others noticed, they chose to ignore them.

Maybe, it was simply because they were waiting, to gauge the reactions of the beasts, or more accurately, the reactions of Anon and Seth, the two strongest members of this group, before they did the same, or just because they thought what these two inheritors were doing, wasn’t exactly intelligent.

But what truly grasped everyone’s attention was the lack of reaction from a certain group.

Towards these two first world stellar fighters, not one of the red winged creatures seemed to react, nor even bat an eye. Naturally, this brought about a burst of euphoria to erupt in the hearts of these two inheritors as they turned their backs almost simultaneously, before exploding with their maximum speed.

In a few seconds, they had already reached the end of the open field. Not even a dozen seconds had passed, but their figures had disappeared under the cover of the towering trees that densely populated the jungle. So, time passed. The battle between Jacob and the one-winged monkey was reaching its climax whilst the other inheritors began to believe...

Sadly, or maybe luckily for them, their delusions were soon shattered.

EEE! EEE! EEE!

The wing attached to the backs of two distinct one-winged monkeys quivered!

They bellowed out loudly before flapping their single wing once, lifting into the air, and flapping a second time. Like a pair of rockets, they shot across the battlefield instantly, rushing towards the direction in which the two inheritors had gone.

For a moment, a chilly wave trickled down the backs of the other inheritors as they wondered inwardly what their states would be, their hearts quivered under the immensely shocking scenes that followed.

Shing~!

A sharp sound entered their ears at the same time as the two one-winged monkeys rocketed over them, towards the two escapees. Following this sound was a blinding light, like the second coming of the golden sun from the world of old. Simultaneously, their noses perceived the strange, no, strong scent of blood that suddenly permeated the air.

A subtle smirk was barely noticeable on Anon’s face as he realized that his intentions had aligned perfectly with Seth’s: ’Letting those two go, as bait for these beasts...’ His eyes lit up with splendorous golden light: ’Has paid off beautifully!’

The moment that the two one-winged monkeys made their move, he also acted out. His spirit churned an impressive amount of stellar cosmic energy, drawing out an immense amount of power from his principle, Inevitable End. Upon completing such an act, to Anon’s eyes, it appeared as if the world had come to a halt, as if time had stopped.

His speed of thought skyrocketed. His perception made it so that even Jacob appeared relatively slow in his eyes. He could see Jacob’s every step, as purple lightning crackled in the depths of his eyes, and the streaks of lightning discharging from his feet, increasing his speed.

At the same time, he saw the one-winged monkeys that had their eyes fixated towards the direction of the two inheritors. It appeared as if they could still see those two escaping figures, even past the dense amount of trees.

What Anon drew out of his principle was an unprecedented amount since entering the second world, and it touched on his current limit. The fight hadn’t begun, but unlike Jacob, he was going full throttle from the get-go.

The strength that he was once cautiously hiding from Seth’s eyes, in order to grasp a small advantage in this confrontation against the one-winged monkey horde, he decisively scrapped such thinking, and instead, chose to expose practically everything.

To the point that the remnant energies which leaked from his fleshy body caused a blinding light to descend manifest above the battlefield, appearing due to the sheer intensity of the power that coursed through his body.

With such strength at his disposal, quicker than what the one-winged monkeys could react to, his staff was sent like an ascending comet towards the one-winged beasts! And behind it was a tower rising at similar speed, one made purely out of blood.

Seth’s eyes were momentarily covered in a silvery hue, seemingly causing the blood tower that followed the golden staff, to change course.

At that time, the two one-winged monkeys finally perceived what was taking place.

But Anon’s sudden attack was simply too unexpected, and more than that, he completed it with astonishing efficiency. Of them, only one was barely able to react, dodging the golden staff. The other, instead, saw said staff sink into its chest, bursting its flesh, and piercing its heart, before ruthlessly tearing its skin on the other side and rocketing out of its back.

As if guided by an invisible hand, the staff curved through the air and shot towards the second one-winged monkey, and yet, it came to an abrupt halt when the second one-winged monkey descended from the sky limply, its single wing still quivering whilst its body was pierced by more than thirty holes created by tendrils of blood.

There was no hesitation in the duo’s actions.

Having knowledge of these beasts, the group of geniuses could all somewhat accurately predict the reactions of the monkey horde.

The beasts were bound to go crazy after the deaths of two of their kind, and the playfulness they had would instantly disappear.

However, after the simultaneous death of the two one-winged monkeys, Anon and Seth made their move. The first to react was Bolan. Wielding a single dark blade, his figure formed shadowy images in his wake as he crossed the battlefield.

Behind him was a group of seven individuals which included Andrew, Felix, and Catharina.

As the rest of inheritors teamed up with the three, only Natalia, sitting atop the dirt whilst assuming a meditative posture, remained behind.

They all exploded with strength and crossed the battlefield, heading towards the one-winged monkeys a distance away.

Most noticeably, the aura that surrounded all of the inheritors, and even Catharina, appeared much more powerful than before.

Not visible before, around Catharina’s neck, a silvery blue necklace materialized. From it, a frosty chill rushed across the battlefield. A frigid aura permeated the air surrounding her. Her blue eyes lit up whilst the ends of her hair whitened.

Materializing before her was a six-meter large platform made from gold. Shaped in the form of a snowflake, as she stepped foot onto it, the golden snowflake erupted with speed and whizzed across the battlefield.

In its wake was a trail of unassuming golden particles. But these particles unsuspectingly rose into the sky whilst slowly drawing closer to each other.

Whether it be Catharina’s necklace, or an earring, a finger ring, or a bracelet, whatever it was, it saw Catharina’s power, and the power of the inheritors increase tremendously.

As for the origin of these objects...

The answer lied in two words, ’Otherworldly Knights’.

Besides Catharina, the inheritors were the only ones who had relationships with the Knights, entities who had a wide variety of magical items, divine weapons, and mystic treasures in their grasp.

Though these items held considerable value in their minds, with the one-winged monkeys on the other side, the inheritors had no choice but to reveal all of their cards.

In the face of all this, from the sudden attack made by Anon and Seth, to the abrupt rise in strength from the others, and their bravery to cross the field and commence an attack, the one-winged monkeys reacted strangely.

Their faces showed no distinguishable expressions whilst they just stared at their incoming prey.

But just then,

Descending from the sky above...

Bang!

Landing just before the group of one-winged monkeys, a disfigured corpse rested.

From the impact caused when it landed, the charred corpse broke into multiple pieces. The group of monkeys had a front row seat, towards the ruthless end to another one of their kind.

And at the same time, a maddening laughter shook the skies with sounds of crackling lightning resounding out.

If not before, certainly now!

Aaooh! Aaooh!

The one-winged monkeys bellowed out at the top of their lungs, causing the earth to tremble from the might of their voices alone!

Their bodies shot upwards, into the sky as they prepared to commence a slaughter.

However, right then, a gathering of golden particles took the shape of a giant palm that stretched for tens of meters.

It approached them without warning, spilling blood upon arrival.

The seven or so one-winged monkeys that were still yet to recover were unable to avoid Catharina’s golden palm, exploding into blood and guts upon impact.

As blood fell from the skies, the ruby red orbs in the eyes of these one-winged monkeys were tainted by a crazed light.

Madness had now fully consumed their minds...