Extra’s Path To Demon King

Chapter 535: Lineage of the Strongest

As Axel saw Sophia approaching close to him at a maddening pace, he sighed. He was almost finished with the absorption anyway. So, removing his palm from the ground, he slowly stood up and dusted off his clothes.

His demonic eyes were fixated on the incoming dark beauty. In all honesty, just like how Sophia’s attention kept lingering on Osiris throughout the course of her battle, even while fighting off two mighty creatures.

A part of Axel’s attention was also constantly focused on Sophia, even though Axel was busy with the absorption of the negative emotions clouding the entire battlefield.

It was an instinctive reaction of his existence. Not something that he could control. Nor was it something being forced upon him by anything external. It was like the very act of breathing itself.

Eventually, she landed only three meters away from him. Most might not be able to decipher the look in her eyes, but Axel could easily tell that she was somewhat surprised.

Sophia stated flatly, "Why didn’t you run?"

Axel smiled beneath the mask and spoke in his demonic voice, "Is there a reason I should?"

No change in expression could be seen on Sophia’s face, nor was Sophia bothered the slightest bit by his Demonic voice, and Axel could tell that her gaze had turned slightly ferocious.

Sophia stated coldly, "So, is your ambush not ready? What are you waiting for?"

"Sorry, Miss Valkyrie, but there is no ambush. Because there is no need for an ambush. Nor do I wish to fight you at this moment," explained Axel with sincerity. However, his demonic voice and the skull mask on his face really help create a positive impression.

Sophia did not speak, only looking at him coldly.

After a moment of silence, Axel declared in a solemn tone, "On behalf of the Affiliated army, I wish to propose a temporary ceasefire of one week."

For the first time, the look on Sophia’s face changed; her expressionless look changed to visible scorn.

She did not respond; there was no need for words either. With a swift push of her feet, she disappeared from her spot and hurled her fist forward, coating it in the Saint Force and her All-Encompassing Darkness.

It happened so fast, in a fraction of a second, and none could register what was happening, but Axel had long expected this response from her; in fact, he had been prepared from the moment when Sophia’s expression changed upon his proposal of a ceasefire.

At the same time, when Sophia moved forward, Axel did the same, and a crater formed beneath his feet.

Demonic energy layered his entire figure; his fist lit up with a burst of gray flames of Despair, and a small part of the negative emotions he had absorbed from the battlefield was now being channeled as pure power onto himself.

Axel also hurled his fist forward with every single ounce of his demonic might.

When the demonic fist of Osiris met head-on against the Dark Fist of the Valkyrie.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!!!!

An explosion unlike any other rocked the entire battlefield that was already in ruins.

In fact, the sheer might of this one clash between these two parties had surpassed all the destruction that occurred before by a wide margin.

Even some small traces of the shockwave reached the camps of both armies. Every weak and strong powerhouses leaned forward in interest.

As the dust from the explosion cleared, it was revealed that both of these monstrous combatants had been pushed back.

Sophia was pushed back by 40 meters, while Axel had been pushed back by 60 meters from the point of contact.

Axel’s red demonic eyes were filled with ruthlessness, a ruthlessness not only towards his enemy but also towards himself. Nearly all the bones in his right hand had shattered. But not a hint of pain could be seen in his face.

In the very next moment, the cracked bones in his right hand began to heal and reconnect. Within five seconds, his hand was good as new.

At the same time, Sophia felt her right hand tremble; her hand was covered in bruises, and she almost felt numb there, even though she had only used about 70% of her complete might on that punch. This was not supposed to happen.

Yet the turmoil in her heart was not because of this; rather, it stemmed from something entirely different.

The moment their fists collided, she had ascertained the demon’s power level, and a profound shock traveled through her body and soul upon that discovery.

The Demon was only a late 2nd-phase existence.

While she was in the peak of the 2nd phase, realizing that the Demon before her was actually one minor stage weaker than she was, her heart trembled in disbelief, and she struggled to mask her expression.

Ever since the moment she had been summoned to the Continent of Eldarion. Never once had she encountered an entity who was on a similar stage of power as her own and possessed combat prowess that was remotely close to Sophia’s.

If she wished, she could easily kill Seekers who were 2 phases beyond her own; in fact, she could slaughter them like livestock if she wished for so.

The only one who could even barely pique her interest was Lucien Suncrest, the arrogant Golden Prince, who could fight against peak 3rd-phase seekers as a peak 2nd-phase himself. Yet, even then, the Prince was still as weak as an ant in front of her.

The countless history books in the royal Suncrest library she had read till now, all of it, when it came to the records about the true might of the Valkyries, contained a single verdict written in every single book, no matter the context.

In the same Phase and Stage on the ladder of Seekers Path, since the dawn of time, from the summoning of the very first Valkyrie to the last,

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL FROM ANY RACE ON THE FACE OF THIS CONTINENT, WHO HAS EVER MANAGED TO CONTEND AGAINST THE MIGHT OF THE VALKYRIES... ON AN EQUAL FOOTING.

The words were written with such conviction, as if it were a fundamental truth of the world itself, akin to a law that could never be broken. Like the dawn and dusk of the very Sun.

And due to Sophia’s own overwhelming strength, this fact had been ingrained like common sense to her.

Of course, her strength still remained superior when she just clashed fist to fist against Osiris just now, but the Masked Figure had displayed a power that was almost close to her own might while being a minor stage beneath her.

This shocked Sophia so much that she began to doubt her own senses, wondering whether what she had felt was true.

But no matter how much she mulled over it, only one truth lingered.

The demon was indeed a late 2nd phase seeker just as she had sensed. Nor was the demon empowering himself with any artifacts or relics. It was solely his own strength, not something external.