Chapter 205 - 202: Struggle
Sora was on his knees, his body trembling under an unbearable pressure. Every breath felt like a battle, his lungs barely able to expand. The Demon King loomed above him, his gaze filled with contempt. Without warning, Abbott moved.
A brutal kick struck Sora's stomach, his body tearing through the air like a broken doll before crashing into the ground. Before he could even register the pain, the pressure intensified. An unbearable force pressed down on him, forcing him face down on the ground.
He gritted his teeth.
'I can't move.'
Abbott strolled forward, his steps unhurried. "Did you really think you were the only one?" Sora could hear the amusement in his voice. "That you alone could fight beyond your level?"
Sora struggled to lift his head.
Abbott smiled, crouching slightly as if speaking to a stubborn child. "What you saw before—that was nothing. Don't forget, I've only been here for a few minutes, and I've only used the raw strength of this body." He flexed his fingers, getting used to his new body. "It's still lacking. But once I refine my body using my bloodline…"
His smile widened. "Even my base form will be untouchable."
Sora's eyes turned red as he tried moving. His whole body screamed in protest, but he refused to accept defeat.
Summoning every ounce of energy stored within him, he forced his [White Dwarf] form past its limit.
Heat surged through him, veins swelling, burning. His skin cracked and blood vessels ruptured. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
'If I don't do something now… we're doomed.'
Abbott sighed, shaking his head. "Why struggle?"
He lifted a hand, indifferent to Sora's efforts. "You are an insect before a dragon."
Sora ignored him. A finger twitched. Then another. Little by little, he regained control over his body.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself up. Resisting the invisible pressure crushing him, he moved little by little.
His vision blurred and every breath felt like fire in his lungs, but soon, he was back on his feet.
Abbott watched, unimpressed. "Persistent."
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he raised a finger.
Sora's instincts screamed at him to run. A wave of dread flooded his mind. He tried to move—to dodge, to react, to do anything. But he was powerless.
Abbott lowered his finger.
Sora was unable to see the energy beam falling from the sky but a force tore through his left side, severing his arm in an instant. A second strike soon followed.
His right arm was gone.
As blood splattered the ground, Sora lost his balance, and wavered. But he didn't scream or fall. He remained silent and stared at his enemy.
His glare burned with pure, undiluted hatred.
'I will remember this.' He swore to himself.
Abbott's muttered, "How amusing," he mused, watching him struggle. "You've got quite the scary look in your eyes."
He lifted his finger once more, and Sora felt his body rising from the ground, before falling on his back.
Sora gritted his teeth, his body trembling from the aftershock of the attack. His [Adaptative Regeneration] should have already begun restoring his lost limbs. But something was wrong.
The lingering energy from Abbott's attack clung to him, crawling beneath his skin like a venomous parasite. His body fought against it, rejecting it, burning through his reserves to purge it.
A notification flickered before his eyes.
| [Resistance to Demonic Mana has increased.] |