The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 713: “Come, Let Me Have a Cut.”

“—Master Parion—!?”

Seeing Parion explode into a mist of blood, the four Apostles cried out in shock.

“This…” Shien was also dumbfounded.

That was it? It was over just like that?

“What did you do to him?” he asked Shafney, astonished.

Shafney raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “I didn’t do anything. He was the one who absorbed all the magic power in this space, wasn’t he?”

Shien almost didn’t understand what she meant.

Then, seeing the magic power emanating from Shafney and dissipating into the surroundings, he realized.

“…You mixed your own magic power into the atmosphere, letting that Apostle absorb it with his Unique Skill, then made that magic power go berserk, causing him to explode?”

Shafney didn’t reply, only giving him a beautiful and captivating smile.

Holy moly.

Weren’t the Poison Demon and the Dragon Demon supposed to be the most ruthless among the Demon Lords? Why did he feel that this seemingly harmless Succubus was the most ruthless? Some people looked like Succubi, but were actually wolves in sheep’s clothing. It seemed he couldn’t be careless with this enchanting woman.

Shien wiped away nonexistent sweat.

However, just as he and Shafney relaxed, a bloody wind suddenly swirled.

“It’s not over yet!!!”

Parion’s body, which had exploded into a mist of blood, reformed amidst the bloody wind, his form returning as he roared,

“I’m not that easy to kill! Shafney!”

Saying this, he swung his cane, creating a violent gust of bloody wind that blew towards Shien and Shafney.

“Not dead yet?” Shafney frowned, then, without a word, struck out with another palm.

“Boom!” A giant hand formed of surging magic power shattered the incoming wind, the chaotic atmosphere, and Parion’s newly reformed body, turning him into a mist of blood again.

But soon, his body reformed again amidst the bloody wind.

“Aaaaaah…!”

This time, the resurrected Parion not only created a violent, bloody wind, but also made the world spin, turning the entire space into a chaotic, inverted world, making people dizzy and disoriented.

Shafney’s frown deepened, and her magic power surged, stabilizing the surrounding space with her immense power, just as she had done before when the space was distorted.

Shien also used the Fixation property of Bestowal Magic without hesitation, fixing the surrounding space and preventing it from distorting and inverting.

Parion, seeing this, continued to roar and create bloody winds, trying to crush Shien and Shafney.

Unfortunately, although his ability was powerful, it wasn’t unbeatable. Not to mention Shafney, even Shien, whose magic power far surpassed his, could use magic to counter the spatial anomalies of [Crimson Sun Hell].

However…

“His Unique Skill seems to have other effects, making him difficult to kill,” Shafney said, stabilizing herself with magic power and looking at Shien with annoyance, as if she had encountered an unkillable cockroach. “You deal with him and kill him.”

If she spent some time, Shafney could definitely break through Parion’s Unique Skill and completely annihilate him.

But there was no need. Even if Parion was an unkillable cockroach, encountering Shien was his misfortune. After all, the Holy Sword was the true nemesis of the Demon Race. Being struck by it meant certain death, even for the most resilient demons.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Shien sighed, drawing his Holy Sword without hesitation.

“Heresu!” With a short chant, the sealed steel blades on the Holy Sword shattered, turning into three sealing rings that appeared on the hilt.

Shien had unsealed all three seals at once. With his identity exposed, there was no need to hide anymore. He could freely use the Holy Sword. Moreover, his experience in the Imperial Capital taught him that even the strongest could be defeated, so he no longer held back in high-level battles. He didn’t want to be known as someone who held back, having hidden power but not using it. Since there were no longer any reasons to hide, he naturally wanted to overwhelm his opponents with his full strength.

Therefore, except for the double-edged [Samsara of Heaven’s Decree], Shien decided to no longer conceal his power.

The Holy Sword, born from the concept of “Hero,” was the strongest artifact, a crystal of power usable only by true Heroes, and using it didn’t have any cost. So why should he hold back?

Just go all out!

A brilliant light, as bright as the sun, erupted from the unsealed Holy Sword, instantly filling the world, turning the crimson into gold.

A terrifying holy wave swept through the space, making Parion’s pupils constrict and Shafney’s expression turn serious, her heart pounding.

This was the divine weapon that could slay all demons, even Demon Lords and the Demon King.

“Come, let me have a cut, and let’s see if you can still resurrect,” Shien said to Parion with a chilling smile.

An astonishing aura erupted from him. At this moment, enhanced by the Holy Sword, Shien effortlessly surpassed Legendary Level, even Limit Level.

“His… his Holy Sword is actually this powerful…!?” Parion was horrified.

“Swoosh!” Suddenly, Shien vanished.

“This is bad!” Parion immediately sensed something, his expression changing drastically. Without hesitation, he merged into the distorted space and disappeared.

“Clang!”

A brilliant sword light slashed through where Parion had been, cutting through the distorted space.

“Trying to run?” Shien reappeared, his eyes narrowing, then he shot towards a certain direction.

There, Parion’s figure reappeared.

“Quick! Stop him!” he shouted anxiously.

Even Parion, although difficult to kill, knew that being struck by the Holy Sword meant certain death.

The Apostles, hearing his desperate command, cursed inwardly. Even Parion, a Limit Level expert with such a powerful Unique Skill, had to flee from Shien. How could they, mere Legendary-level beings, stop him?

But Parion didn’t care about his Apostles’ willingness, using spatial manipulation to place them in Shien’s path.

At the same time, he also used his control over this space to hinder Shien, increasing the gravity around him, restricting his speed, and distorting the space to prevent him from teleporting, even repeatedly inverting the world to disorient him.

Parion did everything he could.

However…

“Boom!”

As terrifying magic power erupted from Shien, the increased gravity, the spatial distortion, and the inverted world were all forcibly stopped.

“How is this possible…!?” Parion couldn’t believe his eyes.

Even Shafney gasped, murmuring,

“Transcendence…”

Indeed.

Transcendence.

Having reached level ninety-five and unsealed his Holy Sword, even without using [Samsara of Heaven’s Decree] to burn his magic power and enhance his strength, Shien had already reached the level of Transcendence.

That power might not be as great as a Demon Lord’s, but it was definitely no less than that of the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature.

Therefore, Shien could now, like Shafney, control the space and even the world around him simply by releasing his magic power, relying on pure and absolute power.

So, Shien’s figure flickered several times, bypassing the terrified Ses and Sheen who were blocking his path.

“Slash!”

With a unified slashing sound, a sword light flashed.

Ses and Sheen, already weakened by the Holy Sword’s divine power, couldn’t dodge Shien’s attack, their bodies splattered with blood.

“Sheen…!”

“Big brother…!”

The two Legendary-level experts of the Heterogeneous Spirit Clan cried out, calling out to each other as they were cleanly bisected amidst a rain of blood.

Ses, dead.

Sheen, dead.

These two brothers, who had been hiding in Succubus City for hundreds of years, died meaningless deaths in this crimson world.

Shien didn’t even look back, continuing to charge towards Parion.

“Stop him! Stop him—!” Parion, terrified, roared repeatedly, then disappeared into the distorted space.

“Aaaaaah…!”

The remaining two level ninety-eight, middle-aged Apostles of the Old Demon Faction could only watch as Shien approached, roaring and raising their weapons, one a giant sword, the other a giant shield, trying to stop him.

They were met with a dazzling sword light flashing before their eyes.

Looking at the brilliant sword light, they vaguely remembered their words when they first arrived in Succubus City with Parion, learning about Shien’s existence:

“If Master Parion orders it, we’ll bring the Hero’s head back now.”

“Even if he’s the Hero, the four of us can take him down.”

Recalling those words, only now did they realize how naive they were.

Endless regret filled their hearts.

Then, the sword light flashed…

The consciousness of the two middle-aged Apostles of the Old Demon Faction, a man and a woman, was completely severed.

Chapter 714: [Ripple Heart Demon]

In the crimson world, four Legendary-level experts who had been so arrogant just moments ago were slain by Shien in mere seconds.

The bodies of Ses and Sheen were still falling, followed by the two middle-aged Apostles of the Old Demon Faction, their severed weapons and heads, along with a spray of blood, plummeting downwards.

Shien, wielding his gleaming Holy Sword and exuding a transcendent aura, glanced towards Parion.

But Parion, like a desperate fugitive, was already teleporting through the distorted space, fleeing towards Shafney, who was hovering in mid-air.

After sacrificing his four Legendary-level subordinates to buy time, Parion was now charging directly at Shafney.

“How dare you,” Shafney said, her anger turning into a cold smile.

Parion’s audacity felt like an insult.

Without hesitation, she raised her hand, gathering a terrifying amount of magic power. This palm strike, if unleashed, would be far more powerful than any of her previous attacks.

Even Parion felt a deadly sense of danger, his scalp tingling from the terrifying magic power. However, he didn’t stop.

“Hurry… hurry…!” he chanted anxiously in his heart.

His preparations were underway.

…

Succubus City.

After Shafney left, the city remained calm, functioning normally.

However, unnoticed by anyone, a chilling scene unfolded repeatedly within Succubus City while Shafney was trapped in [Crimson Sun Hell].

“This day has finally come,” a demon who had lived in Succubus City for a long time sighed, glancing towards the Succubus Fortress with both infatuation and reluctance, then reached out and, without hesitation, pierced their chest, ripping out their heart, collapsing on the ground and dying.

“Farewell, Master Shafney,” a Clan Chief murmured with similar reluctance, then plunged a knife into their abdomen, dying instantly.

Similar scenes occurred throughout the city. Residents of Succubus City committed suicide one after another, some even setting themselves on fire before the Succubus Fortress, gradually causing unavoidable chaos.

Especially the Heterogeneous Spirit Clan, the fourth-ranked tribe, who committed mass suicide without hesitation, not a single survivor.

This horrifying scene repeated itself, the resulting blood energy converging and, following some unknown connection, flowing towards a being far from Succubus City.

…

“…!?”

In the crimson world, Shafney, about to unleash a palm strike infused with all her magic power at the audacious Parion, suddenly froze.

“Weng!”

A surge of blood energy appeared around her and entered her body, making her tremble violently, an unnatural blush appearing on her face.

“This is…!?” Shafney’s expression finally changed.

“What’s happening?” Shien was also startled by the sudden change.

Only Parion, seeing this, was overjoyed, laughing loudly.

“It worked!”

“It worked!”

“As expected, that person’s method is effective!”

“You’ve finally been cursed! Succubus!”

Parion’s voice echoed through the crimson world, accompanied by a gust of bloody wind.

But Shafney couldn’t care about him anymore, her expression turning grim as she felt the curse invading her body.

Logically, as a Demon Lord, she shouldn’t be so easily cursed. Any curse, no matter how powerful, would be blocked by her magic power. Having achieved Transcendence and surpassed the limits of life, a being like her couldn’t be affected by ordinary curses, or even most negative forces other than Unique Skills. Only the extraordinary power of a Unique Skill could possibly hinder a Demon Lord.

However, even then, finding a Unique Skill effective against a Demon Lord was incredibly difficult.

Only a small portion of beings could awaken Unique Skills. Besides the God Race, who were born with powers equivalent to Unique Skills, other beings couldn’t awaken them at will. Those who did awaken them were a minority, and many of those Unique Skills weren’t very powerful, even useless in combat, only applicable to daily life. Therefore, Unique Skills powerful enough to affect Demon Lords were usually possessed by beings on the same level. Such beings, besides those born with Transcendence, were mostly Heroes summoned from another world, who usually awakened powerful Unique Skills.

In other words, someone at Parion’s level shouldn’t have a curse effective against a Demon Lord. Even if he did, actually inflicting it on a Demon Lord wasn’t easy.

But now, Parion had succeeded.

And Shafney realized the reason.

“He actually used my Unique Skill…?”

Yes.

Parion used Shafney’s Unique Skill.

“Shafney, the Succubus, your Unique Skill allows you to establish a connection between minds, linking the power of different individuals!”

“This connection exists at the core of a person’s being, deeper than their existence, their concept, even their soul!”

“With this ability, as long as someone has a deep impression of you, you can establish a connection with them based on that impression!”

“The deeper the impression, the deeper the connection!”

“Therefore, those captivated by you, enthralled by your beauty, becoming your followers, are all your servants!”

This was a terrifying ability. With this deep connection, Shafney could even share their senses, appearance, and even power. If someone like Liel, completely devoted to Shafney without any dissent, then Shafney could even control their body, projecting her will onto them and using their body to walk the world. This connection was absolute, unavoidable even by Unique Skills or the Holy Sword. After all, it was a connection through the mind. Once the heart was captivated, how could one resist?

Therefore, the only way to resist this ability was to completely ignore Shafney and not be affected by her charm.

But who in this world could resist the charm of the most beautiful Succubus?

That’s why Liel said that Shafney’s Unique Skill’s power stemmed from her own charm.

The reason Shien couldn’t resist Shafney’s influence, having his memories blurred, being hypnotized, and even having his dreams invaded, was because of this. Although he resisted her charm, he still had to admit she was incredibly seductive, leaving a deep impression in his heart, creating an opening for her to enter his dreams.

Of course, at that time, this was the extent of Shafney’s influence. After all, Shien hadn’t been completely captivated.

Until later, when he accidentally slept with Shafney. Although his memories were blurred, his body’s instincts didn’t forget, deepening their connection unprecedentedly.

This allowed Shafney to do more to him.

However, this terrifying ability also had an unavoidable side effect.

“The connection is mutual!”

“You can treat those captivated by you as puppets, but if you are captivated by someone, even if they don’t have the same ability, they can still control your mind, making you unable to resist!”

“That’s why you disdain everyone, not just because you’re not interested in them, but also because once you have a deep impression of them, you can’t resist their requests!”

“Master Hermis saw through this long ago, which is why he devised this centuries-long plan, having us send people into Succubus City, to be captivated by your beauty and become your followers!”

“This way, your Unique Skill would connect with them, turning them into your servants, while we planted a slowly fermenting curse within them, using this connection to gradually erode you!”

Just as Shafney could bypass others’ defenses with her Unique Skill, this curse also affected her through the connection.

This influence was initially weak, but after centuries of accumulation, and triggered by the self-destruction of those cursed individuals, it would erupt all at once.

“This is your Unique Skill – [Ripple Heart Demon]!”

Parion, enveloped in a violent bloody wind, appeared before Shafney.

“Your Demon Lord’s body now belongs to our Original Demon!” he declared triumphantly.

He didn’t notice a figure flying towards the blood-red sun in the sky.

“Is that your true form?” The Hero looked up at the crimson sun, a cold glint in his eyes.

“Found you!” With this declaration, the Hero soared into the sky.

His Holy Sword, its golden light intensifying, slashed through the crimson sky.

“Slash!” The golden sword light cleanly severed the crimson sun.

“Aaaaaaaaaaah…!”

Parion, who was about to engulf Shafney, screamed, his body seemingly melting away.