Chapter 65: Overkill

-----

[The [Weighing of Hearts Ceremony] has finished.]

[Eighth Ancient Apostle of Death: Bael, King of Wickedness] has been judged by his terrible sins.]

[The difference in power between both users is incredibly high.]

[Due to the difference in power exceeding 50%, proper compensation and debuff will be applied to both parties, respectively.]

Bael was judged for his sins compared to Anna's heart, and immediately, he felt the temporary loss of his powers and authority as a demon, who was still manifesting, all at once!

[Player Anna's Total Power has increased by +700% for the duration of this battle.]

[The target's Total Power has been lowered by -70% for the duration of this battle.]

[As compensation, a {Guardian of the Balance} has been summoned.]

[Cooldown until next Skill Usage: 12 Hours]

RUMBLE!

[The {Guardian of the Balance}: {Demonic Stone Golem of Crushing Judgement} has been summoned!]

To make things even worse for him, the Guardian of the Balance manifested themselves; with overwhelming power and the authority of a minor death god, they were entities capable of fighting almost anything.

"This is bullshit." Bael muttered.

He had a rather similar reaction to Leviathan.

Kevin, Baihe, and Annabelle, who were still paralyzed by Bael's effects, glanced in shock at the situation and turned around on their heads in just a few seconds. And just as Bael was weakened, his skills and powers were instantly weakened, and the trio was able to free themselves from the paralysis.

"What in the world is going on?!" Kevin asked; this was the first time he had ever seen this power. "Is she overpowering that Apostle all by herself? Is this even possible?"

"T-That's… Hahh…" Baihe gasped for air. "That's Anna's trump card! Anubis' Judgement! As long as her foe holds more sins than her, she can overpower them. That's how she was able to defeat Leviathan's embodiment, even against all odds."

"That power…" Annabelle's face was rather shocked. "It is amazing... A power that can even surpass my big brother's strength! Anna, you're so cool!"

Bael dropped his Demonic Sword, Gram, onto the floor as he glanced at Anna with a face filled with disbelief! No matter how much he tried to use his powerful authority, it was so weakened now that it had absolutely no effect. Even as strong as he was, he could not defy the authority of Constellations. This was one of the greatest weaknesses of the Apostles and Archdemons.

"N-No… This can't be happening. I am Bael, the King of Wickedness! To be overpowered by a mere child! How come Anubis chose you as his incarnation?! It doesn't make any sense! He would only choose evil-aligned ones, yet you exude pure goodness!" He cried in anger. "Y-You…! What sort of trick is this?! Beelzebub! You've lied to me!"

Bael started hitting the ground furiously, slowly trying to stand back up. The demonic energy coming from the Demonite started gathering into his own body.

"I-I won't back down... COME!" He cried, even while being completely weakened. "I'll show you the difference between a mere human and—"

BAAAM!

"GUH…?!"

Bael was hit by a gigantic fist made of pure Sunlight coming from Anna's body, and her new charm was gifted to her by the very angels that invaded and destroyed Bael's world. It felt wrong to her deep down, but it wasn't as if she could do anything now! Bael was a purely malicious being; there was no time for talking things out.

Deep down, she knew he wouldn't understand and would double down on his own hatred. There were certain people and certain beings out there who, no matter how much you talked with them, would never change their minds. And Anna would rather not bother with them than waste time trying to convince them like other novel protagonists would try to do.

Bael's red eyes glanced at Anna with utter horror as her entire body was constantly overflowing with Holy Power. She summoned the special ability within the charm, engulfing her in a small fraction of the sunlight that comes within the Realm of Heaven! Combined with her own Sunlight Skill, her compatible Ki and Elemental Mana, and her amazingly strong physique, a wonderful synergy was created!

[The Power of the [Holy Sunlight Charm (B+ Rank)] has taken effect!]

[For a few minutes, you're capable of summoning a fraction of the Sunlight that shines upon the skies of the Realm of Heaven!]

[The [Divine Sunlight of Heaven] has automatically merged with your other compatible Abilities and Skills, and has reacted with your Unique, compatible Physique!]

[All your Stats have increased even further by +100%, and your Damage against Demons and Undead-type foes has increased by a further +200%!]

"Now, this is what I would call overkill." Anna thought to herself.

"GRAAAHH!"

Bael roared, quickly standing back up. His entire body started mutating and growing larger, as if trying to resist the powerful debuffs inflicted upon him.

However, the giant golem that had been summoned unleashed a barrage of fist attacks, constantly crushing and flattening the phantasmal body of Bael, splattering it into pieces everywhere.

"Uuuggh… AAAGGH!" Bael cried, channeling more and more Demonic Power. "{True Demonic Authority Summon}! {Sacrificial Empowerment}!"

[The [Eighth Ancient Apostle of Death: Bael, King of Wickedness] has transformed into his {True Demon Form} temporarily! All of his stats have risen by +300%!]

[Due to sacrificing his own life and soul, his Stats are further increasing with each second!]

His entire body transformed into pure Demonic Flames, taking the form of a gigantic centaur with a large black crown. His sword that was on the floor flew to his hands in a mere second as he charged against the golem, unleashing a series of slicing attacks!

The gigantic golem was beginning to be pushed away. It was weak and stupid as well, so Bael abused this to unleash several blows into its legs, making it slowly crumble apart, only for the golem to regrow anew and attack back with more punches.

"GRRHH…! Even with this form, I cannot…! {Demonic Blade Burst}!!!"

Gram unleashed an utterly terrifying explosion of demonic power against the golem, blowing the Guardian of the Balance into pieces. But even then, it slowly started to regenerate.

"Heh… I was still able to-"

"Oh no, you won't!"

Anna swiftly reached up to him, her two daggers unleashing a barrage of powerful, all-encompassing explosive slashes of heavenly sunlight energy, blowing away two of his four arms! Bael quickly raised Gram once more, charging all the power he could into it! His entire body overflowed with a power that Anna by herself could never fight! Yet, with this unfair disadvantage put into his manifestation, it became a possibility.

Anna's fists made out of her aura and her daggers imbued with her temporary divine power clashed against Bael's powerful demonic sword techniques; explosions of light and demonic energy spread across the entire cave, destroying everything!

Bael was incredibly stubborn, and unlike Leviathan's embodiment, he wasn't exactly in his physical form but was an entity purely fueled through the soul and demonic power of his true body outside of Earth; therefore, even while being weakened so much, he had an incredible self-regeneration ability.

But even then, Anna's attacks were much more intense, and each time her Heavenly Sunlight Energy pierced through his body, it became much harder to regenerate and bring more of his manifestation.

"I won't let you step out of this place, Bael!" Anna roared.

Her powers combined around her as dozens of blades made out of sunlight appeared around her body, being fired constantly against Bael's body, piercing and weakening him.

"No! My power…!" Bael noticed that each blade made of light didn't disappear once it hit his body.

Like stakes, they pierced his very soul and constantly imbued more and more light into the darkness that embodied him, weakening more and more...

His end was near.

"N-No…! STOP! I CAN'T… I WON'T… FALL… LIKE THIS!"

Bael, frustrated that his efforts were being instantly stomped by a single girl, grew madder. Raising his Demonic Blade and imbuing all the power he held in this manifestation; he unleashed his strongest attack!

"{Chaotic Wicked Inferno}!"

An enormous shockwave of Demonic Flames was unleashed from Gram, the Demonic Blade Bael held. It spread everywhere, attempting to engulf everything and everyone with it. Any living being caught within these flames ended up being turned to ashes!

However, two enormous hands made of stone grabbed Bael's arms and pushed them down, while his Demonic Blade started spreading its flames everywhere at once, without a direction.

"Ungh?! This damn golem again?!" Bael groaned. "G-Get away! Get away- Ah!"

Bael couldn't even scream anymore as he saw Anna descend from above, her two daggers unified as a single blade made of light that pierced his chest, light consuming him completely. The powerful light engulfed his entire being, finally exorcising his entire manifestation and presence as his very being disappeared from Earth!

BOOOM!

"This can't be!" Bael was unable to even process what happened, and he was already gone.

The light generated a powerful explosion that spread into the ceiling, piercing it and leaving a gigantic hole leading down to the underground's depths. All Demonite in the vicinity was swiftly cleansed and purified as it dissipated into ashes.

A silver-eyed man glanced into the distance, furrowing his eyebrows. The presence of Bael's manifestation dissipated in a single second.

"What? Bael's gone? Did some powerful Hunter catch him? I guess we are not as free to do as we please anymore." He sighed.

"Hmmm… Bael was one of the weakest of us." The manifesting Apostle said this at his side. "Yet, even A Rank Hunters in your world shouldn't be able to defeat his Manifestation without great casualties… This is odd; there shouldn't be that many strong humans here."

"Well, that's how it is." Laughed the silver-eyed man. "It doesn't really matter anyway, right? He worked well as a decoy, just like you said. With him out of the picture too, we can take away all his efforts for ourselves.

A smile surged on his lips as the shadowy, demonic figure of the apostle manifesting behind him raised its bug-like claws, and large quantities of Demonic Energy flew into his core, further hastening his Complete Manifestation.

"Indeed."

The two glanced into the skies with their sharp eyes, which slowly started to darken. Demonic and dark energies began to reach the ceiling of this world, distorting space itself. Something within the clouds began to materialize.

"Your sacrifice will not be wasted, Bael, my dear friend."

All across the city of Stronghold, the citizens glanced into the darkened skies, shocked by what was materializing within. Something nobody had ever seen, even in this wild, post-apocalyptic world.

"I-Is that…?"

"A floating... building?"

"It looks like a black castle."

Black lightning started to fall from the skies, accompanied by the castle, and countless portals slowly started to open up, bringing forth otherworldly beings unlike any monster people had ever seen before.

"Yes… This is it! That is IT!" Laughed the silver-eyed man. "This is your home, right, Beelzebub?"

"Indeed… My dear companion." Laughed the Apostle of Death, raising his insectoid claws into the skies as he laughed evilly. "Finally! It is here! This world's civilization... shall perish by the hand of us Demons!"

"Yep, and once everything is destroyed..." The man laughed. "Those that survived will be the strongest out there, the most fitting for survival, while the weaklings shall all be purged."

Meanwhile, within the Ruined City, Henrietta glanced into the skies, her face filled with disbelief.

"What… is that?!" She asked. "Just what is going on?"

And at the same time, Anna and her friends saw the same visage, and their hearts were filled with fear.

"H-How? But Bael was defeated." Baihe said. "How is this happening?"

"We were unable to stop this." Kevin sighed.

Anna finally realized what was truly happening.

"No, it wasn't that we couldn't stop it." Anna sighed. "We were too late anyway, since the very beginning."

Several mysterious figures gathered around the silver-eyed young man as they glanced into the skies.

"My friends, the Dawn of a New World is finally upon us." He said, his allies laughing.

However, Scarlet was the only one who doubted if this was really what her leader had promised her.

-----