Restrained

"Gotang! Talk to him!"

Bang shouted at Gotang, following the instructions of his system. His heart stopped as he saw the demon pierce his chest with blood flowing down his clothes. He immediately followed the orders of the system seeing the threat of the situation.

Gotang heard Bang and looked directly at Ligi. His life was on the line yet he was calm under pressure. The stinging pain of the scythe digging through his skin and onto his heart didn't bother him one bit.

Gotang smiled and looked fondly at Ligi.

"I know it isn't you that's doing this, Ligi. It hasn't been long, but I saw myself in you. You had the same spunk and wit as me and I know what will happen to you if you're forced to do this. Do not feel responsible for my death and live unburdened and unrestrained. I'm proud of you."

Ligi heard all of Gotang's emotion as he felt shocked and speechless. The words 'I'm proud of you' was beyond his vocabulary, never hearing it from his own father. Ligi felt the power within himself as he screamed to the top of his lungs to try and take control of his body. The words of encouragement gave him the push he needed.

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

From the demon's chest, Ligi's head came out like a newborn child. Black sludge and oil covered his face yet his expression were as clear as the day. His eyes opened and it shined with new purpose as if his vision was manifested inside his irises.

The demon's body started shedding its sludge. Its reddish-black skin started to melt and evaporate into the wind. Ligi's entire body emerged from the demon's body as he started to emit a deathly aura. The demon from before had the same aura but more intense and uncontrolled, like a wild animal. Ligi's aura was more restrained but there was still a trace of wildness in his deathly aura.

The demon's black sludge disappeared from Ligi's body yet the head remained. The mean face of the demon that had horns protruding from its temples became a headgear attached to his head, like a lion's mane. The demon's wings furled into itself and turned into a cape worn around Ligi's neck.

The reddish-black skin of the demon manifested itself as a chest plate that protected Ligi from any harm. Everyone watched Ligi's transformation and gasped at the new and improved Ligi. The terrorizing demon was gone and replaced by a man they were familiar with, a man they traveled together with on the Dreaded Valley.

'Congratulations! Ligi's Demonic Vice has been controlled. 500wp will be awarded.'

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CREW

-Ligi

•Power: Shield of Self Preservation

•Stage of Advancement: Infancy

•Quality: Wood

•Skills :

*Vent - Power put into the shield will be reflected

*Expand - The shield can grow up to 1.5x the original size

•*locked*

#Demonic Vice (restrained)

•Power: Azrael's Personification

•Stage of Advancement: First Circle

•Skills:

*Ferali Effusio (Deathly Absorption) - Pulls enemies that Ligi sees towards him in a 5-meter cone radius

+++++++++++++++

Bang got a notification in his head that confirmed that Ligi conquered his demon. It looked like Ligi even gained some powers because of it and Bang was glad that he had another layer of protection for himself.

Gotang looked at Ligi with wonder and curiosity but the main emotion he was feeling was joy. He was glad that Ligi overcame the demon. He always knew that Ligi could do it since he knew that he was a strong-willed person like him. He became even more proud of Ligi as a tear almost came out of his eyes. He stood up and patted Ligi on the shoulder as he smiled.

Ligi felt the warm hands of Gotang, the exact opposite of the woman from his dreams. She was as cold as the dead winter when she touched him. He never felt the warmth and kindness from the person he thought was his mother. Ligi forced his eyes to not tear up at the moment, wanting Gotang to see him as a strong man.

At this point, the zombies were starting to overturn Lobo and the others. Resi was busy fighting the zombies but he saw the events unfold with his very own eyes. He saw his rival, Ligi, become someone stronger than him. He felt the difference in power between them just from his aura alone.

This distraction dropped his guard and was almost bitten by the zombie but thanks to Lobo's exceptional reactions, he was able to pull Resi out of harm's way.

"Don't lose focus Resi."

Resi was unfocused and didn't understand what Lobo was saying. Ligi's unprecedented show of power was repeated in his mind, the same as the scene where Gotang put his hand on Ligi's shoulders. His moves became sloppy and he couldn't finish off the zombies in time which made them pile up. From his back, he suddenly heard Ligi speak.

"Ferali Effusio (Deathly Absorption)"

Resi turned back and saw Ligi. Ligi's head was inside the demon's jaws as Ligi wore it like a headpiece, a piece of memorabilia for the time he won against the demon. A violet ball suddenly formed in the horns of the headpiece.

Air started to converge on the violet ball as it grew in volume. The zombies skidded towards Ligi on the ground, against their will as the suction force was too great for them to resist. The zombies in front of Ligi were forcefully gathered into one group that was easy to slay.

Gotang did not waste the opportunity as he shouted to his remaining members.

"Attack!!!!"

Within a few steps, Gotang was able to draw near the zombies and sliced them up. With one slash, he was able to cleave down tens of zombies with no trouble. Lobo and the others joined in on the slaughter-fest against the zombies and cut them with their swords.

Lobo regained his skills by this point and used his skill to empower his blade with the violet liquid. More and more zombies were defeated, some were their fallen members and some were victims of the Dreaded Valley. They did not discriminate as they killed every single zombie in the vicinity, doing them a favor and releasing their souls from their trapped bodies.

Resi was panting, still unfocused on the task at hand. They were only able to defeat the zombies so easily because of Ligi. Without him, the fight would have gone on for so much longer and they would be dead tired after the fight. A sense of frustration came over him as he felt that he was being left out. He was being left behind by his rival. He was not even qualified to call him a rival.

"Saw my skill? Can you do that?"

"...."

Ligi spoke to Resi and taunted him. Ligi was uncharacteristically aggressive in stirring up Resi's emotions. Usually, Resi was the one to initiate the taunting but now Ligi started it and Resi was the silent one.

Resi ignored Ligi and put his eyesight on the horizon.

Everyone panted as zombie carcasses were scattered all around the floor. Their sweats dripped down from their bodies and mixed with the blood pooling on the ground. Their bodies were tired but their spirits were in great shape.

They all realized that without the obstacle of the zombies, they were free to grab the holy grail and finish the mission as a resounding success. Their fallen comrades' sacrifice would not be in vain once they get their hands on the holy grail. They wanted to run to their heart's content towards the holy grail but they remembered their leader's words.

They would not dare disobey the orders of the leader. Their faith in him surpasses every desire they have in their mind and without him, they would not even be able to go this far. If Gotang was able to lead them to this place, then he will be able to lead them into victory and the holy grail. They looked around themselves and knew that nobody was willing to disobey the leader. The only one who had the guts to do that was Resi.

They suddenly felt a vibration in the ground as an earthquake suddenly hit the Dreaded Valley. Everyone braced themselves as they bent low on the ground to stabilize their footing. Then, the most unbelievable thing happened. The holy grail started to sink into the ground. The thing they wanted the most and cost them a lot of their comrade's lives were disappearing right in front of their very eyes.

They could not believe it, even Gotang who was calm headed was now in shock. He was speechless at the severity of the situation yet he couldn't move. He shouldn't.

Resi was the one who reacted almost instantly. He couldn't let the holy grail get away so easily after all the hardships and sacrifices along the way. He knew that Gotang really wanted the holy grail and it served to give him more incentive to chase down the holy grail. He was too focused on the grail to hear Gotang shouting at him.

"DON'T GO NEAR IT!!!!"