Chapter 43: Deimos
Zhou Tai No. 9 was drawing a summoning formation inside a secluded cave deep within a remote mountain range. He had awakened the ability to summon devils. Although he wasn't particularly satisfied with it, the ability was only temporary. By tomorrow, it would be gone along with this body, so he didn't care all that much.
Pinned by a massive boulder in the center of the summoning formation was Zhou Tai No. 8. Struggling to break free, he alternated between threats and persuasion. "Old Third, let me go already! I never agreed to cooperate with you. If you dare use me as a sacrifice, the others will never let you get away with it!"
Perhaps personality did influence the direction of their mutations. Zhou Tai No. 8 loved deceiving people, and his mutation after drinking the Death-Curse Blood had not made him stronger. Instead, he had become frail and emaciated. The ability he gained was a giant mouth. His mouth had transformed into something resembling a loudspeaker, allowing him to produce deafening sound waves.
Zhou Tai No. 9's tone was domineering and unquestionable. "Shut up. If you don't want to become a sacrifice, then switch bodies. I want this one."
Zhou Tai No. 9 had always been overbearing. The Boss's position was untouchable, while No. 2 sounded more like an accessory than an actual rank. So, he had set his sights on the position of No. 3. Fortunately, the original No. 3 had been sensible enough to step aside voluntarily. Otherwise, they would have fought each other to the bitter end.
After finishing the devil-summoning formation, Zhou Tai No. 9 sliced open his wrist and allowed his blood to drip onto the formation. Gradually, blood filled the engraved lines, and a crimson glow spread across the formation.
Seeing that the ritual had already begun, Zhou Tai No. 8 roared in humiliation and fury. "Just you wait, No. 9! One day you'll be begging on your knees!"
He quickly withdrew his consciousness, returning control of the body to the original Aberrant Parasite.
Zhou Tai No. 9 curled his lip in disdain. He hadn't taken the threat seriously in the first place. Besides, he was now Zhou Tai No. 3. That idiot even got my number wrong, and he wanted to threaten me?
Crimson light flooded the cave, and Zhou Tai No. 8's body rapidly withered away. Then, a gigantic arm emerged from the summoning formation. With a casual swipe, it sent the massive boulder pinning Zhou Tai No 8 flying across the cave. After that, the devil began forcing its way through, gradually widening the crack in the summoning formation so that its head could emerge.
The devil looked at Zhou Tai No. 9 and spoke in a language the latter had never heard before, yet somehow understood perfectly. "State your wish, insect."
Zhou Tai No. 9 grinned. "My wish is simple. Kill everyone in this area. Anyone you see is fair game."
The devil grinned, revealing a mouth full of jagged teeth. "A reasonable request. I accept. Now call my name. I am Deimos."
If the request had been unreasonable or if Deimos simply found it uninteresting, it would never have revealed its name. In that case, the summoning would have failed. The sacrifice would be lost, and nothing would be gained. Since Deimos had given Zhou Tai No. 9 its name, the deal had been struck.
A smile spread across Zhou Tai No. 9's face. "Come forth, Deimos!"
The spatial rift within the summoning formation widened further and further, and Deimos's monstrous body slowly emerged from the fissure. The moment its head pushed through, it smashed apart the ceiling of the cave. Soon afterward, it burst through the mountain itself, tearing the entire peak open from within.
Deimos's head resembled a grotesque fusion of a baboon and a crocodile. It had an ape-like body, while a pair of bat wings sprouted from its back. Its tail was a living cobra.
The devil was unimaginably massive. After fully emerging, it released a long, thunderous howl. It reached down and closed one enormous hand around Zhou Tai No. 9.
Deimos looked at him and smiled. "You will be the last one I kill."
Zhou Tai No. 9 merely laughed. "Suit yourself. For now, I just want to see rivers of blood. I hope you can slaughter to your heart's content."
***
The moment Deimos emerged from the summoning formation, warnings flooded the communication channels of the various squads. It was simply too enormous. Its towering frame was more imposing than a mountain. No one would miss it even from a great distance.
Jin Sheng was stationed relatively close to Deimos, with only three mountains separating them. Holding his phone in one hand, he sent messages while studying the colossal devil in the distance. His expression grew increasingly grave. "Tiger rank? Or... Dragon rank?"
Bluebird streaked through the mountains at high speed. Whenever she encountered members of another squad, she immediately relayed the new orders. "Withdraw! The situation has changed! All personnel below Serpent rank are to evacuate the sealed-off zone immediately!"
One after another, operatives packed up and retreated from the sealed-off zone.
Meanwhile, Yu Xian sat atop a floating bubble, watching the terrifying devil in the distance. "Which Zhou Tai is he supposed to be?"
One of the Zhou Tais he had captured burst into loud laughter. "Hahahahaha! That's the real Zhou Tai No. 3. I'm actually Zhou Tai No. 9. Didn't see that coming, did you?"
The only reason Yu Xian had removed the gag from No. 3's mouth was that he had discovered that this guy truly couldn't keep a secret. Once he started talking, he would reveal practically anything.
The real No. 3? Then this one is actually No. 9? Yu Xian suddenly thought of the White Ape he had fought in the Silver General Arena. Could that have been Zhou Tai No. 3?
"That's just ridiculous."
Originally, Yu Xian had thought his rate of growth was already absurd. Now, however, he felt he could still improve by just a tiny bit more. A tiny bit. No. Perhaps several hundred million times more. I have made up my mind! From now on, I am going to fly into the sky to sunbathe!
At that moment, Deimos bent its legs and launched itself into the sky. The enormous devil soared high above the mountains before opening its mouth. A crimson sphere rapidly condensed within its jaws, radiating a brilliance brighter than the sun itself.
"Not good!"
Yu Xian immediately retreated along with his bubble at full speed. At the same time, he stretched out a hand and released a vast number of bubbles. His bubbles could travel at roughly five times the speed of sound. Pushing them to their limits, he swept across the battlefield, wrapping many operatives who had not yet managed to evacuate and carrying them away from the danger.
Some of them initially thought they were under attack. Only after realizing the bubbles were carrying them away from the center of the battlefield did they understand that the bubbles had come from an ally.
The crimson sphere charged with astonishing speed, but its descent was even faster. The next instant, a massive crimson pillar of light erupted from the ground and shot into the sky. Then another appeared. And another. More and more pillars burst forth from the ground in rapid succession.
The attack was completely different from the explosion Yu Xian had anticipated. Yet its destructive power was no less terrifying.
Each pillar of light brought with it devastating heat and shockwaves that ravaged the surrounding area. Some of the operatives whom Yu Xian had failed to protect and those who had not reacted in time themselves were instantly reduced to ashes.
A petite figure suddenly shot out from a nearby mountain and hurtled straight toward Deimos. An instant later, a fist slammed into the devil's cheek. "You bastard! Die!"
Deimos's cheek rippled violently from the impact, and its eyes rolled upward. But it clenched its teeth and tensed its body, somehow managing to withstand the young girl's attack. Then, the devil lashed its tail about. The blow sent the young girl crashing through three mountains in succession before she came to a stop.
At that moment, a lion's roar echoed across the battlefield. "Lion's Majestic Aura!"
Moments later, a golden lion composed entirely of energy materialized in the sky. Its mane blazed like the sun itself, radiating scorching light and heat. The golden lion collided head-on with Deimos. A terrifying shockwave erupted from the impact, sweeping away everything in the surrounding area.
Deimos let out a low growl. Its massive hands seized the golden lion, hoisting it high overhead. Then, with a tremendous burst of strength, it hurled the golden lion away, sending it crashing into the ground.
Golden light exploded outward. The radiance dispersed to reveal Jin Sheng. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the light within his eyes immediately dimmed.