THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 714: The Battle of Father and Son (1)

Capítulo 714: The Battle of Father and Son (1)

Shadows pooled and thickened beneath the feet of Frey Starlight upon the temple's shattered remains; his silhouette had taken on a foreign shape. As the Nameless mask settled firmly over his features, a total transformation occurred in the aura radiating from Frey. The smirk vanished from Zibar’s face instantly. The Upper Tenth-Rank Demon was no fool; he perceived immediately that Frey remained the one in command, rather than Nameless taking over.

Nonetheless, Zibar refrained from underestimating the threat before him. For a creature of his nature, that obsidian mask was a source of pure dread. After a tense moment of studying Frey, Zibar shifted his attention toward Abraham. The latter persisted in his state as a mindless engine of slaughter, his entire existence narrowed down to a solitary directive: Eliminate Frey Starlight.

Zibar then inspected his own condition. "This time… I am wielding my power at one hundred percent. I possess the Katarina Armor. Every contingency has been planned for. Even if Nameless manifests once more, we shall crush him in this place." He stepped forward, the Katarina Armor emitting a violent, humming resonance as its dark radiance flared around him.

In his current state, Zibar was a formidable monster. Frey found himself trapped by the demon alone, even without considering the suffocating pressure of Abraham Starlight or Gepetto watching from the shadows. The objective this time was merciless, leaving no path for retreat. They had crossed the ultimate line by desecrating his father’s remains. "Either I slay them here… or I perish in the attempt!!" To liberate Abraham, he was required to either kill Gepetto to break the technique or physically destroy Abraham’s vessel. Regardless of the path, he had to force his way through Zibar. Conflict was unavoidable.

The three combatants remained motionless for a fleeting heartbeat. That stillness shattered a second later as all three lunged at one another. Frey was forced into a defensive position, blocking simultaneous strikes from Zibar and Abraham; the resulting impact sent him skidding backward through the dirt, barely keeping his feet. Zibar pressed the advantage instantly, unleashing a blur of slashes with the Katarina Sword. Frey only managed to evade the blade by utilizing a short-range teleportation.

He reappeared at Zibar’s rear, launching a counter-strike, but Abraham intercepted him with equal speed. Parrying the blow, Abraham followed up with a brutal punch from his off-hand. The force of the hit sent Frey tumbling through the debris. He scrambled up immediately, charging back into the fray as Zibar and Abraham pursued him relentlessly. The Black Hole Aura erupted around Frey, pushing his Cultivation to its absolute limit.

Dark Ascension+, Black Hole Aura at 100% Output, and the combined essence of Balerion and the Dark Sister—this represented Frey’s current peak. Furthermore, by employing the aura circulation techniques taught by Nameless, he could now sustain the Black Hole Aura without the risk of immediate exhaustion.

"Listen well and engrave these instructions into your soul… Since you have yet to master the higher tiers of Shadow Adaptation, Black Hole strikes are your only path to triumph here," Nameless’s voice resonated within Frey’s consciousness as he traded blows with his father and the demon. "Stay wary of the Katarina Sword; evade it at all costs. While the second stage of Shadow Adaptation has begun to recognize its properties from your previous encounter, the recognition is incomplete. Wounds inflicted by that blade will heal far slower than others, a handicap that will prove fatal in a duel of this caliber."

Nameless continued to provide tactical guidance, lingering like a phantom in Frey’s mind. From the front, Abraham pressed the assault, his form radiating a blinding holy light. His movements were incredibly swift and ruinous; Frey had to burn massive amounts of Black Hole Aura just to maintain a stalemate. Suddenly, Zibar struck from the blind spot, his blade carving a jagged gash into Frey’s back. A wide grin spread across Zibar’s face as he felt his sword bite into flesh, but his triumph was short-lived. He had merely struck a lingering after-image; Frey had already vanished via teleportation.

"Your instincts are sharp… utilize them to monitor your foes so they can never catch you off-guard. Use teleportation to bypass their offenses; the manipulation of space is a lethal tool that few truly grasp." In response to Nameless’s guidance, Frey slammed his foot down, manifesting a giant sigil across the earth. "You have tasted it before, have you not? My capacity to warp space."

The voice of Nameless surged through the mask, funneling direct knowledge into Frey’s mind. With Nameless now fully synchronized with the mask, he could transmit everything Frey required without hindrance. "With this power under your control, you shall maintain the advantage regardless of your opposition. You are the sovereign of this battlefield."

From opposite flanks, Zibar and Abraham converged at blinding speeds, their weapons inches from Frey’s throat, poised for a killing blow. Both had anticipated his teleportation this time, waiting to strike the moment he reappeared. However, the expected movement never came. Instead, Frey watched as Zibar and Abraham were violently swapped, appearing in each other's coordinates by force. "What the—he traded our positions?!"

The spatial array beneath Frey’s feet pulsed with light, cementing his control. For a brief window, both Zibar and Abraham had their backs exposed to him. With instantaneous precision, Frey discharged a massive wave of Black Hole Aura, blasting both opponents away. He stood alone, his gaze fixed on them. Abraham had sustained damage, but it was superficial. The strength of the Absolute Manipulator was terrifying; at the final instant, Abraham had diverted a massive concentration of Qi to the impact point, making his body feel more like a divine shield than flesh.

As for Zibar, the Katarina Armor had neutralized the brunt of the attack. "The Katarina Armor… that pile of junk is capable of distributing kinetic force equally across its entire surface. It minimizes the impact of any single strike significantly," Nameless clarified. The mechanic was straightforward yet daunting. Frey’s hit had been devastating, but by dispersing the energy across the whole suit, the damage was mitigated. An attack that should have been 100% was reduced to a mere 5% spread across dozens of points.

"How troublesome…" Frey grumbled, eyeing the armor before looking back at Abraham. His father was already resetting for another charge. "Father… so this is the reality of facing you in combat…" Frey began to comprehend the true terror of Abraham’s strength. Without the backing of Nameless and his own rule-breaking powers, surviving against Abraham and Zibar would have been an impossibility.

Frey momentarily closed his eyes before snapping them open. "A surge of hatred fills me every time I look at you, Father… I am consumed by rage toward the demons who forced your blade against me, especially after you sacrificed your life to ensure my survival." It was a profound desecration of Abraham’s legacy and the significance of his passing. "And I am equally disgusted with myself for permitting such a travesty to occur."

Frey’s fist tightened as his aura flared with renewed intensity. "If I hadn't been so gullible… if I had possessed more awareness… more power… I would never have let my enemies manipulate me, nor what remains of your memory. Therefore, Father… allow me to rectify this blunder and seek atonement for my failure."