19 Depravita of Wrath vs Abyssal Mantis (II)

"¡AHHHHHH!"

With that roar, Vlad launched a kick directly into the Abyssal Mantis's chest, widening the creature's wounds and propelling it backward. He then unleashed a barrage of strikes with his swords, each blow delivered with a speed and strength that began to surpass the Abyssal Mantis's ability to defend.

The Abyssal Mantis sustained more and more wounds, yet it endured and counterattacked with its scythes. Vlad, however, dodged the assault and delivered a deep cut to one of its legs, causing the abyssal demon to lose balance.

Vlad's eyes gleamed with lethal intent, readying himself for the final blow. But in a sudden burst of power, the Abyssal Mantis struck towards him with its scythe. The attack was too close for evasion, and Vlad could only block with his sword.

The strike's power was immense, sending Vlad flying nearly thirty meters away!

Blood spilled from Vlad's mouth due to internal trauma, but he clenched his teeth, regaining control of his body mid-air. Displaying instincts and battle skills that bordered on supernatural, he positioned his feet forward, angling himself towards a tree.

Upon contact with the bark, Vlad bent his knees to absorb the shock. Without a second's delay, he used the tree as a springboard, propelling himself with all the strength his legs could muster. His Force exploded with power for one final assault.

The Abyssal Demon's eyes widened in disbelief as the human missile hurtled toward it. Caught off guard and depleted of dark Force, it was powerless to respond as Vlad buried his sword deep into its chest, pinning it to the ground with overwhelming force that shook its very core.

Silence enveloped the battlefield as onlookers saw Vlad standing victorious atop the Abyssal Mantis, his blade sunk deep into the chest of the now-powerless demon sprawled on the ground.

The angels and the Gifted were shocked to see that Vlad had defeated the nightmarish creature that had almost killed Asmael. Even the abyssal demons, beasts that seemed to know only how to kill, froze as they saw their leader lying on the ground, bleeding profusely.

Vlad's breathing was heavy, signs of exhaustion etched across his face, his body marked with wounds that would have been fatal to any ordinary human. Yet his gaze remained sharp, filled with unyielding killing intent as he prepared to sever the head of the Abyssal Mantis.

"Wait!"

The unexpected plea from the Abyssal Mantis halted Vlad's execution strike. The Gifted gasped, their perceptions of these demons as mere savages challenged, while the angels and Vlad were not surprised, knowing that higher-level demons like the Abyssal Mantis possessed wisdom.

Vlad paused, sword still poised at the demon's neck, signaling for it to continue.

"Human, you are strong. Spare my life, and I will serve you."

When the Gifted heard this, they were shocked and, at the same time, envious. The Abyssal Mantis was an incredibly powerful monster, and having it as a servant would grant immense power in their eyes.

However, the angels did not respond the same way and immediately frowned.

"What are you doing? Kill it!" one of the angels shouted, but the moment Vlad's cold gaze met him, he trembled and fell silent, as did the other angels.

Vlad then turned back to the Abyssal Mantis, a flash of interest in his eyes, which the creature detected and continued speaking.

"You are powerful. With my help, you could be the first in this New Plane to establish your Kingdom and obtain massive amounts of Origin Force."

Thanks to Asmael's memories, Vlad had a perfect understanding of everything the Abyssal Mantis was saying, and the words Kingdom and Origin Force piqued his interest and greed.

"For a Champion like you to have entered a New Plane so soon, you were incredibly lucky or had some powerful help. Either way, you would be a valuable asset and make my path much easier."

The Abyssal Demon smiled as it heard those words but froze as Vlad's eyes turned blank, void of emotion.

"However, you killed my cat."

Those were the last words the Abyssal Mantis heard before the young man drove both swords into its head. Its body trembled for a second before the light in its eyes faded as it perished.

Vlad removed the sword from the Abyssal Mantis. In the next second, a massive wave of Origin Force began to fill his Soul Dimension, but he did not lose focus and turned toward the remaining horde of abyssal monsters still alive. Born to kill, they were also born to obey, and as they witnessed their leader's death and faced Vlad's terrifying gaze, terror invaded their hearts, and they began to flee in all directions.

The angels and Gifted couldn't help but feel lucky as they saw the horde of monsters retreating. As Vlad and the Abyssal Mantis fought, many of them had perished fighting the abyssal demons and were running out of energy at this point. If the fight had continued, perhaps none of them would have survived by the end.

Vlad didn't even glance at the group. As the massive amount of Origin Force coalesced into his Soul Dimension, he immediately moved toward the tree where he had left Jormungandr. He took out the small yellow cat's corpse, and a flash of resolution and determination appeared in his eyes.

"I call upon the power of Venganza, the First Depravita.

The power of the 7 Sins, I summon.

Split my soul, forever divided."

The same dark force that appeared when Vlad became a Depravita manifested again, this time surrounding the young man with a powerful and monstrous intent as if eyeing his soul, ready to devour it at the slightest sign of weakness.

Vlad showed no hesitation or fear as he focused on the small yellow cat and carried on.

"I give you my soul's gluttony.

Soul divided, forever as one.

Reborn as Gula, the Voracious!"

The darkness intensified, heralding a powerful transformation as Vlad stood unwavering, ready to face whatever came next.