Chapter 363 - Your Sword is My Sword

This move was one of the Eye Devil's trump cards, a pinnacle of swordsmanship he had honed over decades without any external aid.

Dark Abyssal Annihilation did not focus on widespread destruction, but instead condensed all its power into a single point. By fusing his aura, sword light, and the energy from his Spiral-Eye Sword, it became a highly concentrated and deadly ultimate move!

Whoosh!

The Eye Domain vanished, and time returned to its normal flow. The Eye Devil's Dark Abyssal Annihilation sword had already been unleashed. The terrifying shriek of air being torn apart filled the atmosphere. The sword's blade, sharp enough to slice through refined iron with ease, shot directly toward the charging Cassius.

The tip of the sword spewed spiraling black flames, containing immense energy. Even a top-tier combat artist at the same level would likely choose to avoid this attack for now. After all, this was the Eye Devil's ultimate secret move, one reserved for life-or-death situations. Taking it head-on would undoubtedly result in injury, with a serious wound not out of the question.

The rational choice would be to dodge the strike first and then work with an ally to keep the Eye Devil at bay. Completely evading it might be impossible, but one would only suffer minor injuries from the aftermath instead of taking the full brunt of the force. This was exactly the situation the Eye Devil hoped to create.

If he could push one person back, it would give him a chance to catch his breath. If he faced only Amos for a short time, there was a real possibility of escaping. His training in sword-based Covert Martial Arts prioritized swordsmanship first and speed second. Therefore, if he found an opening, there was still hope for a breakthrough.

Normally, when two top-tier combat artists ganged up on one, the one being targeted would find it easy to get overwhelmed but hard to kill. If they were determined to flee, they could do so at a price.

However, the Eye Devil found himself in a unique predicament. One of his opponents was Amos, who wielded the special weapon, Mist Threads, capable of extreme binding and hindrance. The other was Cassius, a physically overpowering brawler. Despite his massive, muscular frame, Cassius possessed incredible speed and strength.

The Eye Devil had analyzed this during his Eye Domain's time freeze.

There was absolutely no way he could let Cassius get close; he had to maintain a medium-to-long range. But standing nearby was the Reaper Amos, master of the deadly Mist Threads. The characteristics of these two complemented each other perfectly.

If Amos could bind him in a small area with his web of threads like a cage, and then open a gap for Cassius, who was like a mad dog of muscle, to charge in, it would essentially turn into a brutal close-combat death match.

Looking at Cassius' towering frame, standing at 2.5 meters with shoulders and fists as big as tires, the Eye Devil had no doubt he would be pulverized. Even with the Spiral-Eye Sword, it would be useless.

His logic was clear.

First, he would use his most powerful single-target attack, Dark Abyssal Annihilation, to force Cassius back. Then, he would unleash a burst of vitality to escape, enduring the attacks from Amos' Mist Threads. Although this would certainly result in numerous injuries, the Eye Devil would protect his vital organs and joints. If he could just escape the park, which was covered by Amos' threads, he would have room to maneuver.

Of course, if all else failed, there was still the Fragment Secret Technique.

The Eye Devil's thoughts raced as he completed his strike and quickly shifted his center of gravity. His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted toward the park's edge like an arrow shot from a bow. His black cloak stretched out behind him in a straight line, parallel to the ground.

Clang! Boom! Boom!

Behind him, the sound of metal clashing rang out, as if two speeding trucks had collided, the high-frequency shockwaves making his eardrums throb. Then, a series of explosions followed — the result of sword light condensed to its peak, bursting open.

The shockwave sent rubble flying in all directions, causing the trees to rustle like sandpaper. Amidst the chaos, the Eye Devil caught the faint sound of threads slicing through the air. These were the dreaded metal threads!

"They're here!"

His back tensed as his grip on the Spiral-Eye Sword tightened to the point where the veins bulged, and his knuckles turned white from the strain.

"Secret Technique, Mind's Eye Reflection!"

Swish, swish, swish!

The Eye Devil twisted his joints, and the massive spiral sword in his hands began spinning rapidly. Having spent decades honing his swordsmanship, he deftly manipulated the 1.8-meter-long sword, making it seem as light as a leaf. With precise wrist movements, the weapon became an extension of his body.

The blade, the edge, the flat of the sword, the spine, and even the crossguard — all parts of the Spiral-Eye Sword were used as tools of defense. At that moment, the Eye Devil seemed to have eyes on the back of his head, knowing the exact angle and force of each incoming thread. With just a thought, the Spiral-Eye Sword would spin and slash in that direction.

His movements were as smooth as flowing water.

All around him, the massive blade whirled, sending golden-red sparks flying in the dark night.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

But there were simply too many metal threads; the entire path ahead was covered in them. Some were buried underground, others entwined around flower beds, tree trunks, or streetlights. Each time the Eye Devil passed a thread, it would twitch, snapping out like a whip to lash at him.

Amidst the hundreds of thread attacks, there were also spinning whorls of dozens, if not hundreds, of metal wires bundled together, striking like long whips. Every top-tier combat artist was a master in their own weapon specialty. Even barehanded, they were still experts in martial techniques.

Some, like Amos, could turn unconventional weapons into a deadly art form.

Despite his efforts to fend off the attacks, the Eye Devil's back was still riddled with wounds, his skin torn and flesh exposed. His cloak and clothes were reduced to tattered strips hanging loosely around his neck. Blood oozed from dozens of crisscrossing gashes.

Whoosh!

A metal wire shot through the air and struck the sword, sparking upon impact before drifting away. It sliced straight into the left shoulder of the Eye Devil, cutting off a piece of flesh with razor-sharp precision.

"Damn it!"

The Eye Devil cursed, suddenly feeling a dangerous sensation at the back of his neck, causing his hair to stand on end. He quickly rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a whipping strike that sliced through the air. Supporting himself on one hand, his body shot forward like a swallow diving in the rain.

With explosive speed, he darted toward a flower bed in a circular intersection. Now dozens of meters away from his original position, only a second had passed. His eyes were calm and composed.

Suddenly, a wave of inexplicable fear surged in his heart. Acting on instinct, he threw himself to the side just in time. Boom! A massive figure crashed down like a cannonball, obliterating the flower bed.

Several decorative trees planted there were uprooted and sent flying into the air, while dirt and debris scattered like a shower of petals.

The Eye Devil quickly turned to see a giant figure emerging from the rain of debris. Towering and imposing, the figure's broad shoulders shook off the falling rubble, which shattered into dust upon contact.

With a casual swing of a hand large as a fan, a decorative tree obstructing the view was sent flying. It spun rapidly before snapping in half.

"It's you! Impossible! From dodging the range of my Dark Abyssal Annihilation to recovering your vitality and accelerating again—it should take at least five to ten seconds! Even if your physique is far stronger than..."

The Eye Devil's voice abruptly cut off as he stared in disbelief at the white golem bathed in moonlight. The creature's front, with its armor-like muscles, had a massive gash running from its right shoulder to its left hip, slicing through its chest and abdomen.

Thick blood still dripped from the wound.

"You! You took my Dark Abyssal Annihilation head-on!"

The Eye Devil was momentarily breathless. He had never imagined that a top-tier combat artist would choose to endure such an ultimate killing move head-on. Doing so nearly guaranteed severe injury, if not outright death!

Even the Eye Devil knew that he wouldn't dare take his own strike, even with the Spiral-Eye Sword to block it. Much less using his body to withstand a weapon's direct hit.

If three of him had stood together, the Dark Abyssal Annihilation would have cut through all of them in a single stroke! But the man before him had taken the blow with his body. Though the injury looked severe, it didn't seem life-threatening.

In fact, he still had most of his fighting strength left. The wound wasn't even near the level of a critical injury! This was beyond absurd—something the Eye Devil had never witnessed before.

What level of physical toughness was this? It was as if his body was stronger than modern alloys forged with special formulas.

In truth, Cassius hadn't exactly taken the blow directly. He had used a secret technique to mitigate the impact of the sword's energy. Even the weakened Dark Abyssal Annihilation was something Cassius believed he could handle. After all, his body had reached five times the muscle density of a typical combat artist, and his enhanced bones were incredibly durable. He had just recently fought Amos at his third stage, and had survived a strike from the Mist Wind Cascade, a move known for annihilating anything it touched.

Moreover, the Eye Devil's move, in order to be unleashed instantly, had clearly been weakened. Cassius reckoned the only attack he couldn't withstand was the peak move of the Blade Demon. His Triple-Blade Style Rainbow World was the pinnacle of destructive force.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

At the last moment of the third strike, the Blade Demon had reached the combat artist's limits, making it a terrifying ultimate killing move. Had the Blade Demon not been injured, and his warblade not destroyed, Feng Liusi's Red Falcon Fist wouldn't have been able to match the Blade Demon's Triple-Blade Style Rainbow World in their peak battle.

If Cassius ever tried to block the Rainbow World with his body, he'd end up nothing more than a skeleton. But he wasn't reckless—he only endured such ultimate killing moves after careful analysis.

This situation was no different.

By enduring the Eye Devil's attack, Cassius had saved himself five or six seconds. His movement was only slightly delayed by the powerful impact, allowing him to immediately continue the chase. It was a fair trade.

Raindrops mixed with dirt fell from above.

"The Spiral-Eye Sword. So this combat treasure is in your possession. You managed to escape the pincer attack from me and Amos thanks to the sword's special abilities, didn't you? But now... you've run out of chances."

The white stone giant smirked, completely ignoring the wound on his chest, and charged ferociously at the Eye Devil.

His fists moved slightly, and even the air began to compress into semi-transparent ripples, radiating outward. The sight alone was terrifying.

It was hard to imagine the damage such speed and monstrous strength would cause if those punches landed on a person!

Clearly, no one wanted to find out—not even the Eye Devil.

He stared at Cassius, his unseen eyes memorizing every detail of the man's appearance. The Eye Devil extended one hand, touching two fingers to his brow as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice:

"I'll remember you, kid. You've made me waste a Gate Fragment. Sooner or later..."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A barrage of terrifying punches, each carrying immense power, landed in the spot where the Eye Devil had stood. Cassius seemed to teleport forward, his hulking frame blocking the moonlight. His muscular arms swung rapidly, creating dense afterimages.

It was like a black cloud looming over the area.

There would be no stalling for time with idle talk.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Eye Devil gritted his teeth, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He had activated a type of overdrawn Secret Technique to withstand Cassius's relentless assault.

The Eye Devil knew his opponent didn't fight with honor. He hadn't expected him to lack even the courtesy of restraint. Initially, the Eye Devil had hoped to leave with some dignity, in a calm and composed manner. Now, he had been forced to pay the price of using his overdrawn Secret Technique, and the situation left him enraged.

"Hum!"

The Gate Fragment in his mind activated completely. Two streams of blood-tears flowed from his eyes hidden beneath the bandages. Behind him, a shadowy outline of a church-like archway appeared, just tall enough for a person. The doors of the arch burst open, and a powerful suction force dragged the Eye Devil inside.

"One day, we'll meet again!"

His body paused briefly as he left one final threat.

Crack!

A massive hand suddenly reached out, its trajectory impossibly precise, catching the Eye Devil's hand. Like an iron clamp, it squeezed, but the body it grabbed seemed illusory, untouchable. The hand then shifted downward, grabbing the Spiral-Eye Sword instead!

"How dare you!?"

To a swordsman, a sword is like his wife—especially a famed blade, which has been with him for decades. It's like a beauty who remains dazzling for half a lifetime. This was practically an act of adultery!

"Damn it!"

The Eye Devil roared, pulling his arms back with all his might. But the sword didn't budge, as if it had fused with Cassius's hand.

In the final surge of his Secret Technique, he poured all his strength into his hands and fiercely yanked the sword toward himself.

Whoosh!

He only managed to rip off the cloth wrapping the sword's hilt.

The Eye Devil's eyes were wide with fury, and he almost coughed up blood from the frustration swelling in his chest.

As he looked up one last time, in the cold, hazy moonlight, he saw the large man examining the Spiral-Eye Sword like a child who had just gotten a new toy.

"Damn it! That's mine! My sword!"

The Eye Devil howled in rage. In the final second before his vision faded, he saw that same hulking figure lift his head and give him a faint smile.

As if to say: "Your sword is my sword."