Chapter 40: The Knife Was a Bluff

The burning pain erupted once more in every joint of the demonic body lying on the floor, and its muffled groans mingled with Elliot’s loud laughter mocking him with overt sarcasm from above, causing the cauldron of rage and malice to boil further within his chest.

The demonic soul pushed through its injuries, slowly rising from the hard floor while groaning from the sheer pain, yet its eyes blazed with a sick, dark gleam; for nothing had ended yet, and there remained one final way out to survive or drag everyone down into the abyss!

Suddenly, its eyes fell upon the sharp knife that had previously fallen from the table, settling among the fragments of ceramic on the floor. The soul residing in Michael’s body swallowed hard while staring at the knife’s shining blade, then advanced with heavy, broken steps to pick up the knife by its handle with suspicious firmness, right before the eyes of Elliot, who was observing his movements with curiosity and wonder at what this fool intended.

Elliot said with a mocking smile while contemplating him from atop the pole: "Are you planning to throw the knife at me? Let me tell you that this will be completely useless in your current situation.."

However, what the demonic soul proceeded to do completely bypassed Elliot’s expectations; for without the slightest tremor in its palm, it moved the hand carrying the knife directly toward its neck! It directed the sharp blade extremely close to a major artery, yet with a malicious, calculated motion that kept it mere millimeters away from the skin, so that the mark of sacrifice would not trigger its self-paralysis mechanism to prevent it.

A hysterical laugh dripping with evil and malice burst from his throat: "Hahaha!.. Hahahaha!.. You are the only fool here! Do you know what I am about to do now thanks to your supreme intelligence? Do you know what happens to the sacrifice body when its partner dies? She dies as well, for she has become a useless entity now! Or perhaps her fate will be far more hideous: being given the choice between death or confinement in a wretched circular capsule awaiting an unknown fate!"

Elliot’s eyes widened and his features froze in utter shock; he had not expected the recklessness of this scoundrel to reach the point of threatening suicide! If this sick soul committed suicide, Michael would die, the original body would be completely destroyed, and Elliot would be dragged into destruction along with him!

Overthinking began storming inside Elliot’s head, and his coldness was replaced by anxious agitation clearly manifested on his features.

When the opponent noticed that fleeting change, his demonic smile widened and he said in a victorious tone: "Oh!.. Look at these excellent expressions! It seems I struck the target with extreme precision.. You are not that woman; rather, you are the original soul that owns the body!"

The demonic entity residing in Michael’s body continued in a tone brimming with contempt and malice, his eyes shining with a sinister gleam:

"You might not be that vile woman, but you are far more despicable and wretched than her! Hiding up there in the most cowardly, conflict-averse manner possible.. If you are truly a man as you claim and enjoy possessing this male frame, the battlefield is before you to prove it!"

A cold shiver of anxiety ran through Elliot’s consciousness, while the opponent added as he moved the knife along the artery:

"It seems you intend to continue sitting up there like a coward.. The mark of sacrifice will not prevent me from plunging this blade into my neck before you come down, and I feel genuine pity for your ignorance; for you do not know that this accursed mark contains fatal loopholes you have yet to discover, being so new to it!"

Elliot’s mind entered a whirlwind of complex calculations; he knew that the sacrifice ritual he had crafted alongside Michael was not governed by completely airtight magical rules, and assuming the existence of loopholes utilized by the soul to circumvent self-paralysis was not out of the question. However, a fleeting thought struck his mind amid this nervous pressure: What if this scoundrel was engaging in a transparent psychological bluff, feigning knowledge of loopholes merely to lure him down from the heights?

Elliot settled on the decision to bet everything regardless of the consequences—a decision made after formulating a plan in his mind!

Elliot leaped lightly and gracefully from the ceiling, landing firmly on his feet directly in front of him.

A sick smile of victory formed on the possessing soul’s face; he threw the knife aside onto the floor immediately and rushed like a madman to overwhelm Elliot and destroy him.

Elliot did not retreat; instead, he immediately assumed a hand-to-hand combat stance ready to block. But before he could throw a single punch, the soul ambushed him with two rapid, striking jabs to his jaw, making stars dance before his eyes as his body rolled and crashed onto the hard floor!

Elliot sensed the imminent danger and the opponent’s attempt to finish him off while he was down, rolling away across the carpet, then springing up to raise his fists again to protect his face, muttering in a defiant tone despite the dizziness:

"Heh.. Is that the best you’ve got?"

Before he could finish his phrase, the opponent charged toward him in a new offensive wave, delivering a straight punch toward his face. Elliot immediately recalled the basics of boxing training; he leaned his head and torso completely backward to dodge the strike, exploiting his opponent’s lowered defenses to launch a sharp low kick toward his legs.

However, the demonic soul caught the movement in a fraction of a second; he raised his leg to dodge Elliot’s kick, and instead of retreating, he lunged with all his weight to deliver a decisive kick right into the middle of Elliot’s stomach!

The kick sent a violent shock through his abdomen, robbing Elliot of his breath and throwing him back onto the floor, groaning and holding his stomach as it squeezed from extreme pain.

The demonic soul smiled upon seeing him down, then bent over and picked up a massive wooden plank from the debris of the shattered table.

He intended to bring it down upon Elliot with all his strength.

When Elliot realized what this lunatic intended to do, he fought the pain and leaped up from his place, attempting to flee. But he was not fast enough, as the previous kick had drained most of his energy.

Before he could get far enough, the soul raised the plank above its head, then brought it down with all its force.

SMASHHH!..