My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1302: Chapter 1302: One Chance

Matia looked at Ashcroft, feeling anger begin to rise in her heart. She knew that Damon had begun to trust Ashcroft as someone who understood him, and yet this vile demon dared to betray him. She knew she had no right to feel this way. Ashcroft had never said he was their ally. In fact, he had wanted to steal Damon’s body from the very beginning. All of that only made her angrier. She glanced down at where the energy was coming from and knew the Pillar was below them.

"And what is it that you intend to do?" she asked, already making up her mind to kill Ashcroft. The rune on her forehead shattered, and Matia was consumed by war.

A sword of ice formed in her hand, and the blue glow of her visor grew brighter.

"Simple, really. The Unknown can’t be defeated, at least not by me or the way I am now. So I intend to evolve. The old gods once ruled this world, but now they are no more, replaced by the more absolute True Gods."

"You intend to become a True God?" she asked coldly, weapons forming all around her.

Ashcroft shook his head slowly.

"It’s impossible for anyone to become a True God or a True Demon after the Unknown God. He is the last. The seal on the True Gods and True Demons... I could try being a True Dragon, but that might be impossible as well. But so be it. I’ll just take the alternative."

He tossed aside the head of Aetherus, who had turned into a little child. His golden hair was stained with blood, and his head rolled to Matia’s feet.

His face was a mask of horror. He must have been terrified when he died.

"How pathetic for a god to die in such a way. So small, afraid, and without dignity," Ashcroft said slowly, holding a small spark.

"Is that Aetherus’s Divine Spark?" she asked, already sensing the divine energy.

"Yes. He willingly gave it to me before he died. Of course, I dominated him to do so, but he didn’t complain about it."

"You think that will be enough to become a god?"

"No, not quite. Having a Divine Spark gives you the potential to become a god. You don’t become a god because of it. There’s more to it. Some gods gather faith, and some become gods because of the choices they make, the actions they take, and who they are. Some do so by defying themselves, or so I have heard from the blind old Daoist. Becoming a god is difficult."

Matia was tired of hearing his words, especially since he was weaker right now.

"Ice Dominate."

A wall of ice appeared between them and pushed Ashcroft towards the red energy. He moved his hand to the side.

"Damon’s nearly limitless reserve of mana is truly impressive. This particular feature of the Living Shadow System is more than worth the burdens. If he knew enough spells and this world allowed access to proper magic, he would be more powerful than he already is. Frozen Heavens."

He added the last part as if he were just having a conversation, and the world around her froze over. Matia was trapped in a world of ice.

She pushed against it and then broke free, watching the snowflakes disappear.

No wonder Ashcroft had made it here. He had his methods. Even if he was injured and weakened, he was still the Demon Lord of Domination.

She hadn’t even touched him, but she was already at a disadvantage. She opened her wings, and a domain of ice spread all around her. She had to kill him. Her mission here was only to kill Ashcroft.

The red power of conflict gripped her, making her forget her mission.

"The old gods are the original gods of this Omniverse, each of them representing a concept. However, when the True Gods took over, they allowed some of the old ones to exist, and they also created other types of gods. Take our world’s god, Aetherus, for example. He is a world that grew to be a god, or maybe he is both. I don’t know all the details, but I do know..."

"Form Displacement."

When he said that, Matia was teleported. No, not her. The space she was standing on was moved. But as soon as she was displaced, she swung her sword. Ashcroft moved out of the way as she left a gashing slice across his chest.

Of course, he was cautious of her. This was the Ruin Fairy, after all.

They clashed, and space collapsed. He raised his hand, pulling the floating debris towards them both and raining hell on everything beneath them.

Matia spun around with an expression of anger beneath her helm. So what if this was the Demon Lord of Domination she had grown up hearing about as a child? When she ran her blade through his neck, his head would fall like everyone else’s.

Ashcroft slammed his fist into her sword, and then he got punched in the nose. She slammed the hilt of her sword against his neck, then let it go, forming another weapon and stabbing him clean through. He slammed his elbow against the weapon, breaking the ice on the blade, and then backed away, sliding across the ground before muttering,

"Flesh Dominate. Warm Healing Light."

He used Flesh Dominate and a spell for healing. His knowledge was top-tier, if nothing else.

"I admit you are formidable. You are one of the greatest warriors I have ever faced when it comes to weapons. I dare say you might be better than Damon." He glanced at her with a smirk and said, "You are truly one of the Unknown’s finest creations."

Matia was unfazed. After all, she knew she was no longer the same girl she had once been. She had once faced the God of the Abyss, and he had asked her a question. She did not remember what the Unknown had asked her that day, but she knew that on that day, she had chosen to be at Damon’s side, to be his shadow.

So she did not deny being a creation of the Unknown. After all, he had unmade her and recreated her anew.

"Are those your final words?" she asked. He was worthy enough for her to speak to, after all. He was Ashcroft.

"No, I have a lot to say."

Their battle continued.

...

"Dammit!" Damon cursed, seeing the battle from where he was.

Everything had gone to shit, and he had no idea who was who or who was where. The plan? Screw the plan. It was ruined. The best they could do was improvise. Leona was right next to him, trying to strangle him on Ashergon’s back, and everyone else was fighting. The only ones still in position were Evangeline and Xander’s group.

"Leona, snap out of it!"

Her grip on his neck tightened.

"Dammit. One chance. I just need one thing to turn this all around."