Chapter 169: Pashupatastra!

The abandoned industrial district outside Zenith City had been reduced to a battlefield of shattered concrete, collapsed factories, and enormous trenches carved through the reinforced roads.

Dust drifted between the ruined buildings as Jet stood in the middle of a crater, his chest rising and falling heavily beneath his torn clothing.

Blood trickled down his abdomen from the deep wound Damian’s broadsword had inflicted, while several smaller cuts covered his shoulders and arms.

The demonic Asura Mask remained fixed over his face, although cracks had spread across its surface, and the golden-white Samadhi Flame surrounding his body had begun flickering beneath the strain of his dwindling Mana reserves.

Thirty meters away, Damian Visconti emerged from the remains of a collapsed warehouse, dragging his enormous golden broadsword through the debris.

The armor covering his chest and shoulders was fractured, his left arm hung stiffly at his side, and blood continued dripping from his broken nose.

Nevertheless, his metallic golden eyes remained fixed upon Jet with unmistakable hostility.

He had entered the confrontation expecting to capture an inexperienced expedition survivor, yet the young Awakener before him had not only slaughtered his entire security detail but also inflicted injuries that Damian hadn’t suffered since becoming a 3-Star Awakener.

Damian spat a mouthful of blood onto the broken asphalt before raising his broadsword. "You really are an irritating little bastard, Saint-Clair. I was willing to overlook your insolence because you might possess information about the Palladium Tree, but you’ve pushed your luck considerably further than you should have."

Jet adjusted his grip around the Vorpal Blade while his two additional arms raised the Ironbound Castellan.

His muscles were screaming from exhaustion, and the pressure building inside his skull warned him that maintaining the Asura Mask much longer would become dangerous.

However, Damian’s condition wasn’t much better, and Jet had no intention of allowing the man responsible for threatening his sister to escape simply because the battle had become difficult.

"You should be more worried about whether you’ll survive the next few minutes. Your men are dead, your convoy is destroyed, and there’s nowhere left for you to run."

Damian’s expression twisted with anger. Golden Mana erupted around his body, repairing portions of his damaged armor as several enormous chains emerged from the roadway behind him.

At the same time, the surface beneath his feet transformed into dense metallic gold, spreading outward in branching patterns that reached toward the surrounding rubble.

Jet immediately recognized the danger and accelerated forward before Damian could establish complete control over the battlefield, his body becoming a reddish-gold streak as he crossed the distance between them.

BOOOM!

Their weapons collided with tremendous force, sending a violent shockwave through the surrounding ruins.

Jet swung the Ironbound Castellan with both additional arms, forcing Damian to intercept the enormous axe with his broadsword, while the Vorpal Blade simultaneously thrust toward the exposed gap beneath his opponent’s damaged shoulder armor.

Damian twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding the sword before summoning a golden shield to intercept Jet’s follow-up strike.

However, Jet immediately released a burst of Samadhi Flame from his left palm, shattering the shield and forcing Damian backward.

Damian retaliated by swinging his broadsword horizontally, releasing enough force to tear through the damaged roadway.

Jet leaped over the attack, twisting in midair as golden chains erupted from the ground and pursued him.

Two wrapped around his additional arms, but he immediately intensified the flames surrounding his body, weakening the restraints before tearing them apart with the Asura Physique.

He descended toward Damian with the Ironbound Castellan raised above his head, bringing the enormous axe down with every ounce of strength he could muster.

CRAAAAASH!

Damian intercepted the attack with his broadsword, but the force drove him to one knee and shattered the asphalt beneath him.

Jet immediately followed with a flaming kick that struck Damian’s exposed ribs, sending him crashing through the remains of a concrete wall.

Before Damian could recover, Jet launched himself after him, determined to maintain the pressure rather than allow his opponent another opportunity to summon additional weapons and restraints.

Their battle continued through the ruined factory complex, the two Awakeners exchanging devastating attacks at speeds that reduced their movements to streaks of reddish-gold and brilliant gold.

Jet’s axe shattered metallic barriers, his Vorpal Blade sliced through golden constructs, and his flaming fists repeatedly struck Damian’s armor, while Damian’s broadsword carved enormous trenches through the concrete and his chains attacked from unexpected directions.

Each collision destroyed more of the surrounding structures, bringing down weakened support pillars and sending enormous sections of abandoned buildings collapsing around them.

However, Jet was beginning to reach his limit.

The Asura Mask had already consumed a considerable portion of his Mana, and maintaining both the additional arms and Samadhi Flame placed an enormous burden upon his body.

His breathing became increasingly labored, while the pain spreading through his chest made every movement more difficult.

Damian noticed the change almost immediately, and despite his own injuries, he began pressing forward with renewed aggression.

"You’re finished!" Damian roared, swinging his broadsword toward Jet’s neck. "Whatever ridiculous transformation you’re using, your body clearly can’t sustain it!"

Jet intercepted the weapon with the Ironbound Castellan, but the collision sent a sharp pain through his shoulders.

Damian immediately summoned three golden spears that attacked from different directions, forcing Jet to twist his body while simultaneously defending against the broadsword.

One spear grazed his thigh, another pierced his shoulder, and the third was intercepted by the Vorpal Blade moments before it reached his throat.

Jet staggered backward, but Damian refused to give him any breathing room, driving an armored fist directly into his abdomen.

BOOM!

Jet was thrown across the road and crashed into an abandoned cargo truck, crushing its reinforced cabin beneath his body.

Blood escaped from beneath the Asura Mask as he struggled to recover, and for several seconds, his vision blurred from the impact. The demonic mask began trembling, its cracks spreading farther across the surface as the backlash intensified.

Damian approached slowly, his golden broadsword resting against his shoulder. "You should have accepted your position, Saint-Clair. You’re talented, I’ll acknowledge that much, but talent doesn’t change the difference between a 2-Star and a 3-Star Awakener. You might have defeated my guards, but defeating me was never going to be so simple."