Chapter 1799: The Monstrous Saint
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The Giant Blazing Ants had not only Heroes but also a Saintess. This mysterious young Ant Queen, adorned with butterfly-like wings, wielded incredible powers: a nearly indestructible barrier, potent flames capable of incinerating everything, and the ability to heal and empower her siblings, keeping them relentless against foes targeting her mother’s life.
However, with two of her siblings already dead, her true power began to emerge. Shade, battling her, was the first to notice that her strength, Aura, and very Soul grew more potent with each sibling’s death. Despite her desperate efforts to keep them alive, this Saintess drew power from their demise.
It seemed their Divine Blessings returned to her, each one amplifying her strength. With the two ants that Shade and Nepheline had killed, and with Aquarina poised to slay hers, this power continued to intensify.
Shade knew he had to defeat her before the situation escalated beyond control. Whatever her strange ability was, more than half of her siblings’ divine spiritual power had become her own.
Though still mastering her abilities, she was already cunning and scheming. Yet Shade overwhelmed her, showcasing the superiority of a Hero of Shadows. He shattered her barrier while conserving energy, thanks to Vulcan, his new Spectral Spirit, the only ant in this forsaken nest with a warrior’s true heart, surpassing any loyalty toward a wicked mother.
"KRIEEEEHHH!"
As the battle raged, the Saintess continued evolving her abilities, manifesting a butterfly-shaped Spiritual Beast Aura. The butterfly surged toward Shade, unleashing a spiraling inferno of golden flames, forcing him downward with an explosive tackle.
BOOOMMM!
Engulfed in deadly golden flames that erupted everywhere, destroying the nest, the Saintess laughed, her power surging around her as her barrier attempted to regenerate.
"Hahahahaha! This is what you get for daring to think you can defy me, human hero! Now you—"
SLAAASH!
Before she could act further, her Beast Aura was cleaved into two halves by a concentrated slash attack. The ant’s eyes widened as she realized her foe was neither dead nor harmed.
Shade’s hammer had transformed into a long, sharp, black katana, which he used to slice through the inferno of golden flames, freeing himself from the fiery onslaught.
BOOOM!
The butterfly screamed as its halves erupted, exploding into massive bursts of flames. The shockwave pushed the Saintess back, spreading cracks across her barrier.
As the Beast Aura Embodiment exploded behind him, Shade advanced, leaping into the skies at lightning speed to reach the Saintess. Panicking, she hastily unleashed her Golden Flame Serpents and Formation Magic to defend herself.
But she was too slow. Shade’s katana, a fusion of Vulcan’s Spiritual Soul Weapons and his own Divine Soul Weapons, channeled Vulcan’s power as a contracted Spectral Spirit. It sliced through her weakened barrier, swiftly cleaving the final layers until...
SLAAASH!
"...Eh?"
The Saintess’ golden eyes stared in disbelief as her body was sliced into two halves. Shade’s katana effortlessly cut, cleaved, and destroyed her without mercy.
"It looks like stacking Divine Soul Weapons with Vulcan’s Spiritual Soul Weapons creates something truly monstrous. I must thank you for helping me discover a new technique."
"UUUUAAAGGGHHH!"
Still alive, the Saintess engulfed herself in golden flames, attempting to reconnect her halves with fleshy tendrils. But Shade gave her no chance. His katana, brimming with power, swung down, upward, vertically, and horizontally, unleashing devastating assassination arts, new techniques crafted on the spot to adapt to his foe, one of his greatest talents.
"{Abyssal Assassination Arts}: {Hundred-Folded Abyssal Purgatory}!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
One hundred attacks sliced her entire body. Her halves exploded into black flames, overwhelmed by the power of the Hero of Shadows and her abandoned brother.
"I won’t let you revive easily either!"
In that moment, Shade pointed his hand at her remains, unleashing a powerful magic spell. He concentrated his magic power onto a single point, then released a devastating elemental catastrophe.
"{Abyssal Shadow Void Magic}: {Void Nova}!"
TRUUUM!
Darkness and gravity merged, engulfing the Saintess’ remains in a void that compressed them into a single point before detonating with immense force.
"A A A A A R R G G G H H H !"
Her final agonizing scream echoed before her remains were utterly erased from existence.
BOOOMMM!
"..."
Shade closed his eyes, sighing in relief as his katana slowly vanished. He had spent more Mana than he preferred, but the troublesome foe was now defeated.
"Where’s Nepheline? She’s taking too long, ah, she’s around the corner."
He glanced left, spotting Nepheline rushing toward him. Shade felt slightly relieved, though uneasy. The Saintess was undoubtedly stronger than Vulcan, yet he had defeated her far more quickly.
"Vulcan, was your sister weaker than you? I was certain she had absorbed the power of two of her siblings..."
"I feel something’s off too... but she was erased. Not even a Divine Protection could bring her back now..."
"You speak too soon, my puny brother."
RUMBLE!
"Ngh?!"
"What?!"
Shade and Vulcan felt a massive shockwave strike them as the black hole Shade had created to consume her split open, golden fiery claws tearing through space itself.
Crack, crack...!
C R A A A S H !
As space shattered, the Saintess emerged, more monstrous than before, thrice as large, with bigger arms and a battle-ready body: sharp, athletic, with long arms and legs, sharp mandibles, larger eyes, longer antennae, and a slimmer abdomen.
"She’s back?!"
T R U U U M !
A shockwave of divine spiritual power and mana sent Shade crashing into the ground, slamming onto the stone floor of the cave and shattering it. The pressure intensified as he gritted his teeth in disbelief.
"What...! How?!"
Shade was stunned, wondering how she could return from total annihilation. Was her Divine Blessing that powerful?
"T-This is...?!
Vulcan quickly voiced his concern. What he feared most had come to pass. He realized a third of the ants must have died, their power elevating her divine abilities further.
Their mother never cared about them. The Saintess was her sole focus, now transformed into something akin to a divine being!
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