Chapter 426 - 426: At The Edge Of Hell
Given the limitations both carried as Lords not meant to use Authority Manifestation just yet, although their will bent the world according to their command, the territory they were able to govern was rather restricted.
Though in their case it was more than enough, since from their perspective their two territories spread across the whole expanse of the hollow valley.
The silver lining at least was that, since their authority didn't extend much farther than where the two were located, Ruby still clutching Cyberfang's remains and Robert, who lay unconscious, were going to be free from any harm.
The two wills of the Lords met in a violent burst.
Nicole's domain was strikingly beautiful.
Intense blazing flames radiated a magnificent crimson color, covering the ground.
Above them rose a breathtaking phoenix. The creature imposed a sense of undeniable authority. Each one of its sleek feathers was painted in the color of blood. Its wings spread so far apart they were capable of casting a shade over entire mountains.
Every fiber of its presence screamed elegance that no real entity could ever possess.
The form of the stunning beast loomed behind Nicole, illuminating her stunning figure like a goddess of destruction.
Her dignified presence was a mirror of her soul. Beautiful beyond belief on the eye, yet overly harsh on anyone who dared to tread too close.
As for Michael… he was a stark contrast.
Due to the effects of his Demonic Form, a part of him had been temporarily restrained, altering the final result. Nevertheless, it served as a good enough reflection of his inner self, or so he believed.
An immensely colossal landscape that spanned farther than one's eyes could ever hope to perceive. The ground lay utterly corrupted, covered by a pitch-black ash that prevented any life from taking root.
Gray clouds hung high in the air, drifting in incomprehensible patterns, their forms constantly shifting into sharp shapes, releasing an acidic rain.
Towering above it all stood a giant skull, more imposing than any mountain in existence. Endless black ash spilled from its two empty eye sockets, falling toward the boundless field, gradually expanding it. Lastly, its jaws were distorted, twisted into a horrifying grin, its presence hauntingly overwhelming.
Anyone unfortunate enough to take a glimpse of it would feel their instinct for self-preservation scream that they were about to meet their demise.
Standing tall, Michael gazed at what was meant to represent his inner soul.
"Why did no one tell me?"
He grinned.
"It turned out… I am quite beautiful on the inside after all!"
Delighted, he charged forward.
The skull behind him shook, the ash clinging upon it forming a crooked crown, before surging to aid every one of Michael's movements.
Upon contact with Nicole's domain, the black ash was ignited until it started to corrode the flames, their color taking on a purple hue.
Nicole's expression hardened. She steeled her resolve.
A powerful shockwave resonated from the phoenix. Gleaming in a brighter color, the flames responded in kind, assaulting Michael's territory in a merciless clash.
"Is that your masterful plan, Nicole?" Michael laughed, unending agony spreading across his body, every tendon burning, only to be healed by his Egoistical Restoration.
"No."
Nicole flicked her finger.
The blood in Michael's body betrayed him.
Unable to withstand the pressure, the veins trailing across his neck erupted. The explosion was so intense that it tore his head from his neck, beheading him on the spot.
Michael's smile never left his face.
Catching his head midair, preventing it from flying away, he forced it back onto his neck. Egoistical Restoration repaired the ruptured tendons in a second.
"Who are you to dictate how I carry myself and use the power I have seized with my own hands?!" He shouted, surging closer.
A loud roar came from the skull behind him, pushing Nicole's authority back.
Sweat beaded on Nicole's forehead. With great effort, she fueled her phoenix with greater energy, the light of the mighty beast amplified, rivaling an intense star amidst its explosion.
"Nobody is trying to command you. We just want you to calm down and revert back to who you really are! You aren't looking at your state objectively!" Nicole reasoned.
Michael grew enraged.
"Who really am I? Like anyone knows! Let me tell you straight up, I am a killer, plain and simple!"
With each step forward, Michael's skin was ripped from its place, only to grow back with inhuman speed. Pain was irrelevant. Since his Egoistical Restoration healed him faster than he was damaged, he could ignore it all.
An abyssal darkness walked toward blinding radiant light.
[Warning!]
[Demonic Technique: Corrupted Mind is being cleansed!]
[Forcefully reverting Demonic Form…]
"NO! NO! NO!" Michael's body shuddered. "Like hell I will be defeated! I never lose! I can't afford to fail!"
The black ash spiraled upward, wrapping around the skull like a living thread. It pulled the skull higher, and as it did, a massive form took shape. Six enormous wings sprouted from its back, and a long, sinuous neck stretched, connecting to the colossal skull that now served as its head.
With a deafening roar, it soared into the heavens. The skull's jaws parted wide, capable of swallowing entire planets with a single bite. The dragon surged toward the phoenix, intent on devouring its radiant light, to crush it under the weight of corruption before its master's inevitable fall.
Nicole watched the approaching monstrosity, her heart pounding in her chest, mere seconds before her demise.
In a last-ditch effort, she focused all her energy on Michael's mind. Her phoenix granted her the power to amplify the mental strain on her target, and she channeled every ounce of it into his psyche.
The dragon's massive skull loomed over her, overshadowing, closing in, its jaws poised to snap shut. About to consume her along with her phoenix.
But then, just as the jaws began to close…
[Demonic Form has been reverted.]
The eldritch form dispersed, signaling the end of the authoritative clash, with Nicole barely scraping victory.
Exhausted, she fell to her knees, panting heavily for air.
Given her status as a Supreme Lord, she couldn't remember the last time she had been pushed to the brink.
After a few seconds she recovered enough to raise her gaze.
To her surprise, she wasn't in the hollow valley nor in the domain clash she had just had with Michael.
Before her stood a worn-out white wall that was in desperate need of repainting.
"Where am I?" Nicole murmured. "Could I have gone too harsh on Michael's mind? Am I inside it?"
Struggling to her feet, she stepped into the hallway. From the smell of medicine in the air, she could deduce she was located in some kind of hospital.
Past the corridor, she entered a small, claustrophobic room.
A hospital bed was placed in the middle of the room, several life-supporting machines running relentlessly to keep the man alive.
More notably, a chair was placed next to the bed. A small child, no older than ten years old, sat there, staring at the unconscious figure.
Nicole discovered that she was in some sort of memory, only capable of observing but not making any changes whatsoever.
Drawing closer, she got a better view of the boy's face.
Most of the masculine features she knew had yet to form. However, the look in the boy's eyes made it apparent she was looking at Michael in his childhood.