The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 635: Devouring Hand, Divided Self

“Clang—!”

As the sword light and claw light clashed again, this time, not only sparks but also a shockwave-like gust of wind erupted, spreading outwards.

Shien and Mara engaged in a fierce battle without a word, their sword light and claw light clashing at astonishing speed, like a flurry of blades.

The clashing sounds echoed like thunder.

The ground cracked like a spiderweb.

The entire throne room shook violently, as if about to collapse, forcing the vengeful spirits back, not daring to approach the battlefield filled with flashing blades.

This gave Diere, Capeline, and the others a chance to breathe.

“Now! Retreat!”

Capeline shouted, raising her knight’s sword and shielding the female knights.

The Broken Blade knights immediately retreated towards the entrance.

“Groan!”

“Groan!”

There, mummies, sensing the commotion, shambled towards them, groaning. Possessed by death aura, they had become undead, puppets under Mara’s necromancy, and naturally wouldn’t let any living beings go.

Facing them, the female knights finally showed their prowess.

“Kill!” Capeline ordered without hesitation.

The female knights charged towards the undead, shouting.

Some remained, chanting spells and creating barriers to block the incoming vengeful spirits.

“Boom!”

Capeline’s magic power surged, and white wings spread from her back like an angel’s as she charged into the vengeful spirits with her [Magic Sword]-enhanced knight’s sword, relieving the pressure on the Broken Blade knights.

“Slash! Slash! Slash!” …

Diere also fought fiercely, her dual blades, enhanced by [Magic Sword], creating a storm of crimson blade light, cutting down the approaching vengeful spirits.

Diere, having reached level seventy, showed the demeanor of a true expert.

She glanced at the battlefield between Shien and Mara, seeing the intensity of their fight, and knew that if she approached, she would only hinder Shien.

So, Diere calmly kept her distance, slaying the vengeful spirits, trying to reduce Mara’s death energy reserves and lessen the pressure on Shien.

Unfortunately, although [Magic Sword] could cut down the spirits, it couldn’t purify the death energy.

The vengeful spirits slain by Diere and the Broken Blade knights simply returned to their death energy form and would soon reform.

They couldn’t be destroyed.

If this continued, they would eventually be exhausted.

Capeline, however, was different. Wherever her sword passed, the vengeful spirits were not only cut down but also purified by a faint white light on her sword, completely annihilated.

Diere noticed this.

“Is this the power of the Goddess of Justice’s blessing?”

With the Goddess of Justice’s blessing, Capeline possessed some abilities against evil powers.

Perhaps even if Capeline was hit by Mara’s [Grand Astarte], she wouldn’t lose her life force?

After all, the Goddess of Justice’s blessing would dispel negative forces, preventing Capeline from being affected by the death aura.

If not for this, in the dungeon, Capeline might have been turned into a half-human, half-corpse monster by Mara’s necromancy.

Thanks to the blessing, Capeline was unharmed.

So…

“What can I do in this situation?”

Diere pondered as she fought.

She wanted to help Shien.

She also wanted to achieve her own goal.

“Is my horn here?”

Diere quickly scanned the surroundings.

This subconscious action made Diere, blessed by the Goddess of Fate, luckily avoid the incoming disaster.

“…!”

Diere inadvertently spotted a figure silently and swiftly approaching amidst the undead, her heart pounding.

In the next second, Diere retreated explosively.

“Clang!”

At that very moment, the figure arrived before Diere, a cold sword light flashing across her throat.

Diere’s retreat narrowly avoided the attack.

“Ha!”

Diere stopped her retreat and, like a bullet, shot towards the figure, slashing with her blades.

“Clang!”

With a crisp clash, Diere’s blades were deflected, the force of the impact numbing her hands and almost making her drop her weapons.

“Tsk…!”

Diere clicked her tongue, realizing the newcomer was a formidable opponent.

At the same time, she saw the figure clearly.

“It’s you…!?”

Diere’s expression changed upon seeing the familiar face.

“Hee hee… hahaha… hahahaha…!”

The newcomer let out a suppressed laugh, as if having waited for this moment for a long time, their voice filled with ecstasy.

Capeline, slaying vengeful spirits in mid-air, noticed this scene.

“Wolram Raifurut…!”

Capeline called out the newcomer’s name in surprise.

It was Wolram.

“You’re still alive,” Diere said, looking at him with a serious expression, keeping her distance.

Wolram’s eyes seemed to be fixated on Diere, smiling pleasantly as if enjoying her attention.

“Of course I’m still alive,” Wolram grinned, staring at Diere, “Although when Shien Buztout appeared in the Raifurut residence, I thought I was dead, but fortunately, he didn’t notice that I switched places with my ‘tentacle’ and escaped.”

—”Tentacle.”

Wolram sometimes used this term to describe his “clone.”

Diere, having interacted with Wolram almost constantly during this month in the Imperial Capital, and even seeing him disguised as a Royal Knight in the Royal Capital, already knew what he meant by “tentacle.”

It was Wolram’s Unique Skill.

“By touching someone with a finger and consuming a piece of their flesh and blood after killing them, that finger gains their characteristics. When that finger is severed, it instantly transforms into a clone with their appearance and magic power aura.”

Diere calmly described Wolram’s ability.

“The clone’s strength is only half of the target’s, and it’s ineffective against those stronger than you. The clone can train and improve, but its strength cannot surpass the original body, and its limit is the target’s strength at the time of contact, after which it won’t improve any further, right?”

This was Wolram’s Unique Skill – [Devouring Hand, Divided Self].

“It seems you’ve done your research on me,” Wolram sneered, “That’s right, this is my Unique Skill. It allows me to have ten ‘tentacles’ as clones. Even if the severed finger is healed with Restoration Magic, that finger can no longer become a ‘tentacle,’ so I only have ten.”

It was thanks to these ten “tentacles” that Wolram rose to prominence in the Raifurut training facility, not only surviving but also becoming their best assassin, adopted by Direkiss.

Of course, these “tentacles” had other limitations besides those Diere mentioned.

“Once my ‘tentacle’ dies, it’s truly dead, and not only can it not be restored, but I, the original body, will also suffer some damage.”

Saying that, Wolram pointed at his heart.

“Thanks to this, when you pierced my ‘tentacle’s’ heart in the Royal Capital, I felt that attack myself, Diere Elvenbein.”

Wolram clutched his heart and gave Diere a deranged smile.

“From that moment on, I swore that I would pierce your heart in the same way, take your body, and turn you into my final ‘tentacle’ collection.”

Hearing this, Diere’s expression remained unchanged, simply staring coldly at Wolram.

That cold expression and murderous gaze made Wolram tremble, his heart racing.

He remembered that expression. It was the same expression she had when she killed “him.”

That expression had appeared countless times in Wolram’s dreams, both captivating and maddening him.

He knew that from that moment on, he had changed.

He wanted to kill Diere more than anything.

At the same time, he felt an indescribable emotion towards her.

Therefore, Wolram was determined to kill Diere and turn her into his final “tentacle.”

“In the Raifurut training facility, I lost four ‘tentacles’ in order to survive.”

“After that, while carrying out missions as the adopted son of the Raifurut family, I lost another three ‘tentacles’.”

“Of the remaining three, one was killed by you, one was used as a scapegoat when Shien Buztout attacked, and now, only this last one remains.”

Wolram’s eyes were filled with madness as he shouted,

“I will definitely turn you into my final ‘tentacle’! Diere Elvenbein!”

Saying that, Wolram raised his weapon.

That gleaming sword made both Diere and Capeline in mid-air change their expressions drastically.

Especially Capeline.

“The replica Holy Sword…!”

It was the replica Holy Sword she had lost.

Chapter 636: Opponent! A Complete Disadvantage?

“Clang…”

A faint light flickered on the replica Holy Sword, flowing into Wolram and strengthening his aura. He gripped the sword, pointing it at Diere, a look of obsession on his face.

Diere and Capeline were shocked.

“How… how is this possible…!?” Capeline exclaimed.

It wasn’t that the replica Holy Sword was in Wolram’s hand. Mara had taken it, and Wolram was working for her. Giving it to him wasn’t surprising.

However, Wolram being able to use it was a different matter. Forged from Hero Ragna’s ashes and precious materials, it required the user to have the Hero’s bloodline.

Did Wolram have the Hero’s bloodline?

No! Impossible!

“Could it be…?” Diere stared at Wolram, realizing something.

Wolram knew his trick was discovered.

“You’re right,” he grinned, “I can switch places between my ‘main body’ and my ‘tentacles’.”

Wolram could designate any clone as his main body. He could switch between his original body and the clones created by his Unique Skill.

This was how he became Direkiss’s adopted son. He consumed the flesh and blood of one of Direkiss’s abandoned sons, turning him into a “tentacle” and designating that “tentacle” as his main body, gaining the Raifurut bloodline.

The Raifurut family had intermarried with the Imperial Family, and some descendants had the Hero’s bloodline.

Wolram, with the Raifurut bloodline, also had the Hero’s bloodline, fulfilling the requirement for wielding the replica Holy Sword.

“You’re now facing a true Hero descendant wielding the replica Holy Sword, Diere Elvenbein!”

Wolram charged at Diere.

Sensing his power and the threat, Diere raised her dual blades with a serious expression.

This battle would be difficult. Wolram’s level was higher, and now with the replica Holy Sword, he was even more formidable.

But Diere charged forward. This was a battle she had to fight. Her opponent was the last of the Raifuruts. It was time to settle the score.

“Come on!” Diere prepared herself, swinging her [Magic Sword]-enhanced blades.

…

“Damn it!”

Seeing the fight, Capeline wanted to help Diere and retrieve the replica Holy Sword. Its reappearance in enemy hands was unacceptable.

Diere was at a severe disadvantage. Her chances of winning were slim.

Capeline wanted to intervene, but she couldn’t.

“Crackle!”

A figure wreathed in electric arcs appeared before her.

“Clang—!” A greatsword, crackling with electricity, slashed down on Capeline’s sword, making it tremble.

“Wha…!?” Capeline was sent reeling backwards.

Upon seeing her opponent, her face changed.

“Brother…!?”

It was Harvis, hovering in mid-air, wreathed in electric arcs, just like her. Capeline recognized the effect of his Unique Skill, [Thunderclad Body], which transformed him into lightning, granting him immense speed, an intangible form, and immunity to physical attacks. Because of this skill, he wielded the “Thunderstorm” greatsword, second only to the replica Holy Sword.

Capeline was known as the Valkyrie, and Harvis as the Thunder Prince. At level eighty, with Thunderstorm and [Thunderclad Body], his strength ranked among the top five in the Empire.

Now, this brother she respected was attacking her.

“Brother, you…”

Capeline noticed something was wrong. Harvis’s expression was emotionless, his eyes a chilling ghastly green.

“That venomous Consort turned my brother into a half-dead puppet…!”

There were many such beings in the secret base. Those under the High Priest’s control were turned into half-dead monsters. They weren’t fully undead, but close.

Greater Spirits, created by [Soul Essence], were similar, but they transcended “life,” unlike these monsters.

Harvis had been turned into such a monster, controlled by Mara.

“Damn that venomous Consort…!” Capeline’s rage surged.

Harvis, like a merciless assassin, transformed into lightning and charged.

Capeline retreated with her white wings.

But Harvis, as lightning, was faster.

“Clang—!” Thunderstorm struck Capeline’s sword again.

“Crack…!” A crack appeared on her sword.

Capeline’s face was grim. With the replica Holy Sword, she wouldn’t fear Harvis. But now, her weapon was far inferior, and her level was lower than his, her growth potential not enough to close the gap.

Harvis’s [Thunderclad Body] nullified physical attacks and greatly enhanced his power and speed. Capeline’s [White Wings], although versatile, wasn’t much better. Without the replica Holy Sword, she was at a disadvantage.

“This is bad…” A bitter look appeared on Capeline’s face.

Harvis, indifferent, attacked again.

…

“Bang—!”

In the throne room, two figures were sent flying by a shockwave.

“[Grand Astarte]!”

Mara’s hands transformed into claws, and the death aura around her went berserk, charging towards Shien like demons from hell.

“[Bestowal: Dispel].”

Shien’s magic power surged as he charged into the vengeful spirits.

“Bang—!” The spirits that touched Shien vanished like melting snow.

“Swoosh!” Shien teleported before Mara, his Holy Sword slashing at her head.

“Clang—!” Mara’s claws deflected the attack.

Shien attacked relentlessly, his Holy Sword like countless white thunderbolts.

Mara’s death aura surged, becoming viscous like a swamp, trapping Shien’s sword.

Shien raised an eyebrow.

“Weng!”

A dazzling light erupted from the Holy Sword.