The spell isn't shiny like that Niva the beholder produced. It was dark and ominous like something a god of death will produce, but the power of the beam he fired overwhelmed the beam that Niva produced and destroyed its producer too. The fallout from the clashing of the explosion also took the lives of the blade demoness and the scorpion demon of weakness. They were at the wrong place at the right time for them to become collateral damage.
Aeternus's vision was extended as he watched the beam of light warp from this location to numerous ones chasing after Niva the beholder. It seemed that the Niva that he fought was a clone of a large network but the beam was intent on killing every one of them. It struck each of these clones no matter where they were, underneath the ground or behind heavy defenses, and erased their souls. The beam was unrelenting in its efforts to fulfill its aim of eradicating its target.
"Wow, what power. I knew high-rank demons must have something good." He said in wonder as he admired the scene of destruction caused by their clash.
A gorge had been plowed that extended for about a kilometer and 50 meters deep. The gorge was created when the beam lost some power while trying to warp to other locations. If the warp had failed, the gorge will be deeper and longer. There is another crater 50 meters across and 10 meters deep created by the pillar of darkness that he had unleashed earlier. They were fighting in the crater, so the gorge started from the middle of the crater and extended into the distance. The fortress is no more. Only the abyss altar remains standing and unharmed.
"At least two of them are still alive."
Aeternus was standing at the beginning of the gorge while nodding appreciatively.
That beam that he fired was very powerful. He had copied Nivo but unlike Nivo, he was a faster caster and had a lot of energy to create the needed spell. He had warned them that he is a demon of envy but they misunderstood him. They thought he had a trump card while all he wanted was to steal theirs. Now their alliance has been totally destroyed.
"Now to collect my due."
He started his journey to their fortresses. Now that most of them are dead and since he killed them, their stuff belongs to him. He ignored the divine sense trailing after him. He didn't even flinch as the divine sense prodded him or laugh when the divine sense was corroded by the chaotic energy around him in its attempts. If the wielder of the divine sense wants to talk they will talk.
He reached the first fortress on his journey. The members of an alliance like to have their fortresses close to one another so that they can reinforce each other quickly and easily. The soldiers and the vice-commanders of this fortress were still reeling in shock because of the death of their boss. The fortress was in so much chaos that no one paid attention to him.
Even when he elongated his claymore and made it heavier as it fell on the wall of the fortress, no one paid special attention to it. A gigantic sword demolishing one of the walls of the fortress didn't register as out of place. Things got more chaotic when dark flames began to spread and burn. Demons howled and cried as they burned.
He was attacked by a high-rank demon with enough confidence in herself to face a mid-rank demon sauntering about like he owns the place. It could be the anger she was feeling or the longing she felt for his uniqueness. Either way, she died quickly but painfully. She had underestimated him, so she attacked openly and brazenly.
Her fists empowered by anger, sin energy, and mana were poised to pummel him. She thought she would encounter some resistance in her brawl. She thought wrong. He dodged her punch by elegantly sidestepping as if he had eyes at the back of his head, then he cut off her arm when his blade went through her left shoulder.
"What? How?" She shouted.
She was more confused than in pain. Then the pain hit her and her confusion became about why the flames couldn't be put out. She is ignorant of a lot of things. First, he was sauntering through the fortress because he owns it. Second, he has a divine sense, so he can see what's behind him. She was still screaming in pain when his blade covered in flames impaled her stomach.
He moved on while she screamed behind him. She was being corroded from the inside out. It didn't help that she didn't die until her head was turned to ashes so she got to experience the whole sensation. She would have been lucky if her mind broke first but a high-rank demon's mind won't break that easily in such a short amount of time.
No one disturbed him after that. He went into the castle, searched for the stash, looted it, and left the fortress. He made sure to absorb the fire he started on his way out. The fortress was left largely intact after that. It wasn't looking good with all the erosion and all but it is certainly in a better state than Danazel's fortress.
The next fortress he visited was beginning to gain order. The two high-rank demons that used to be the vice commanders decided to join hands and take control of the fortress.
"Foolish." He said as he looked at the soldiers at the wall.
The fortress had been on high alert and had chosen to resist as soon as they noticed an enemy. They warned him but when he refused to answer they started attacking. Their defeat was swift. The new army commanders wisely chose to run away when they saw the ease at which he brought down the fortress.
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