Small Town Battle

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...

Mephisto, revealing his true form, surged with momentum as the overwhelming power of darkness pressed down on Ivan.

Observing this spectacle, Ivan confirmed one thing: Mephisto was indeed in his real body, surprising Ivan. Over the years, Ivan had gathered information about demons, learning that their physical nature differs from that of humans. The human world was very toxic to demons, drastically reducing their strength even if they managed to survive. Consequently, demons often attach their souls to ordinary people, assuming the form of clones which limits their strength. Alternatively, they might directly target sought-after souls, eliminating the need for temptations to induce human depravity.

Ivan quickly noticed the gathering gloomy aura in the town of St. Van Gonzalo, converging towards Mephisto. Souls, losing the protection of the dark power, dissipated into pure energy, absorbed by Mephisto.

"So it is," Ivan realized. The entire small array had transformed, creating a hell-like environment that allowed Mephisto to briefly appear. However, this transformation came at a cost, as the pseudo-hell environment would dissipate quickly. Mephisto, without hesitation, directly converted the town's souls into energy for absorption.

After emerging from his real body, Mephisto's confidence soared. He extended his terrifying claws and aimed for Ivan.

"Gravity bomb"

Ivan, aware of the devil's varied abilities, sought to prevent Mephisto from forming a force field, generating a repulsive force to overwhelm him.

Morpheus sensed a silent power attacking and responded by releasing a strong black aura, forming a shield in front of him. Both Ivan and Mephisto were wary of each other.

The ensuing events justified Mephisto's caution. A tremendous force pushed him backward, causing him to retreat over 20 meters and leave deep marks on the town's streets.

Stabilizing himself, Mephisto barely had time to assess the situation before Ivan, having recovered from the gravity attack, maneuvered behind him like a shadow. Ivan conjured a ball of pure magic and hurled it towards Mephisto.

This time, Ivan opted for a straightforward magic shock, foregoing complex spells. The simplicity of this method allowed for swift execution without the need for magic power conversion, making it ideal for close combat.

Mephisto, one of the seven monarchs of hell with countless years of experience, recognized the threat. The town served as an advantageous battleground for him, and he sensed the impending danger from behind. Instinctively, he slapped his devilish claws backward.

"Boom!" Fists and claws collided, with Ivan gaining the upper hand. The old devil, Mephisto, unable to fully unleash his strength, was blasted by Ivan and tumbled on the ground before coming to a stop.

Pressing his advantage, Ivan swiftly pursued, his body vanished as he charged forward.

Mephisto, rising from the ground, braced himself for Ivan's renewed assault. However, this time, he did not panic. A sinister smile graced the face of the cunning devil as his body twisted, and his long tail lashed out towards Ivan.

In a hurry, Ivan halted his charge, crossing his arms to intercept the tail. He also enveloped his arms with pure magic power, forming a defensive layer akin to gloves. However, Ivan remained cautious about Mephisto's potentially bizarre methods upon physical contact. Despite Ivan's knowledge being derived from books, he understood the importance of vigilance, even if it seemed overly cautious to himself.

The subsequent attacks took Mephisto by surprise. He sensed the momentary power on Ivan's body, whose tail was twitching, suddenly vanishing as if it were being absorbed by something without making any sound.

Confused, Mephisto slowed down. Ivan seized the opportunity, grabbing Mephisto's tail and, fueled by the absorbed strength, slammed him onto the ground. The onslaught continued, reminiscent of the treatment Loki received in the future, but Ivan was no Hulk.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Mephisto felt dizzy and disoriented, thrown by Ivan. Carter Slade, watching the game nearby, was stunned by the brutality. This mysterious individual was ruthlessly abusing Mephisto, one of the seven monarchs of hell. Despite the cruelty, there was a subtle excitement in his heart. Perhaps this was a chance to use this person's power to break the contract with Mephisto and regain freedom.

"Roar!"

Mephisto, burning with rage, reached his limit. With a roar, a peculiar black-tinged fire erupted from his body, exuding an evil aura.

Startled, Ivan avoided touching the bizarre flames. Before the flames could fully engulf Mephisto, Ivan forcefully threw him with such impact that a nearby house collapsed, burying Mephisto inside.

The black flame was unmistakably from hell, and while Ivan's ability could absorb energy, demonic flames typically inflicted severe damage to the soul. Ivan, unwilling to take risks, decided not to engage with this perilous element.

Amidst the rumbling collapse, Mephisto, covered in raging flames, emerged from the ruins. His two blood-colored eyes glared at Ivan, emanating intense murderous intent. Carter, weakened by the previous battle with Ivan, couldn't transform into a skeleton knight in his humanoid state. He succumbed to the murderous aura and fainted.

Mephisto, feeling the greatest humiliation of his life, harbored an intense hatred for Ivan. With a powerful kick, he swung his claws to end Ivan.

Fearing the strange flame on Mephisto's body, Ivan avoided contact. He leaped back, evading the attacking claws. Simultaneously, his fingers connected, and he whispered "Celestial Cascade" under his breath as magic arrows shot forth.

To Ivan's surprise, Mephisto made no effort to dodge or evade this time. The magic arrows were incinerated upon touching the peculiar flame, proving ineffective. The massive devil's body moved swiftly, and two sharp claws reached for Ivan.

Observing this, Ivan was taken aback. He swiftly retreated, utilizing his body's agility to evade Mephisto's pursuit. Despite the seeming danger, Ivan managed to attack at critical moments, avoiding any real harm.

Ivan, not one to solely revel in combat without strategic thinking, swiftly turned his head, contemplating how to address the challenging situation. He soon devised a plan, recognizing that the primary issue lay in his fear of the peculiar flames. With the right weapon, he could potentially overcome this obstacle.

As Mephisto leaped high again, Ivan used gravity to repel him once more, pushing the old devil away. Seizing a moment of respite, Ivan extracted a short spear from his carry-on package, deftly shaking it to extend it into a long spear—previously taken from Nuada.

Now armed, Ivan took the initiative to counterattack, employing a combination of spear techniques learned from China, creating a flurry of spear shadows.

The battlefield heated up as spears clashed with claws, the fight intensifying.

Dazzled by Ivan's rapid spear movements, Mephisto grew increasingly irritated. Disregarding the potential burns, he gritted his teeth and attacked relentlessly. With his flame body and the devil's robust defense, Mephisto believed Ivan's spear couldn't harm him. In this seemingly lose-lose situation, the unlucky one should be Ivan.

However, Mephisto's assumptions were incorrect. Ivan's body twisted deftly, avoiding the claws, and he thrust the spear into Mephisto's heart.

Facing the vital stab, Mephisto instinctively dodged, turning it into a shoulder injury. To Mephisto's surprise, the spear touched the flame and burned, making a rustling sound with signs of melting. Yet, his self-healing ability kicked in, rapidly restoring the sharp spear, which now pierced deep into the bone.

In desperation, Mephisto grabbed the spear, pulling it out while flicking his tail toward Ivan.

Ivan, not intent on exploiting the victory, retrieved the spear and stepped back. However, a keen observer would notice a smirk on his face, realizing that the spear's tip was missing.

Forced back by Mephisto, Ivan seemed to retreat, but the demon soon realized something was amiss. The wound, originally in the shoulder, had moved to his heart. Looking up at Ivan, Mephisto saw the missing tip of the spear. He understood the craftiness at play.

"What an insidious magic weapon!" Mephisto spat out through gritted teeth.

With a smile, Ivan replied, "I won it in a previous battle. This is the first time I've used it. How does it feel? Quite an honor, isn't it?"

The spear in Ivan's hand was a magical weapon, similar to the one used by Prince Nuada in the Hellboy plot. Ivan could control it and intentionally left a piece in Mephisto's wound, directing it towards his heart.

Furious, Mephisto scoffed, "Humph! Do you think you've defeated me? You underestimate me. Now, I'll reveal my true abilities."

As Mephisto spoke, thunder and lightning crackled in the sky, accompanied by shrill screams. Under Ivan's watchful gaze, the souls in the town collapsed simultaneously, transforming into pure energy and surging into Mephisto's body.

Mephisto's momentum surged once again, and blue smoke emanated from the shoulder wound. The spear tip left in his body corroded and melted away, healed by the pure power of darkness.