The Ancient One managed to regain control over his body with alarming speed. As his gaze settled on the Demon King, a complicated expression surfaced on his face.
If he were at his peak, he would not have feared the Demon King in the slightest. In fact, the Ancient One had been waiting for a chance to take care of the Demon King once and for all.
Unfortunately for the Ancient One, right now was the worst time for a fight. The prolonged battle against the Scarlet King and the Crimson Exarch had wounded him severely. The backlash he had suffered was immense, his Power of Negation barely functioning, and countless internal injuries were wreaking havoc within his body.
Silently, his eyes shifted toward the Eternity Gate.
Unlike Cain, he did not need to ascend the steps to perceive or interact with it. Yet even if he could engage with the gate directly, opening it would take time—time he simply did not have. In the midst of a battle where even a single second could decide the difference between life and death, hesitation was fatal.
The only viable path forward was clear: incapacitate the Demon King, then make his move.
Despite his grievous wounds, the Ancient One's remaining eye flared with cold determination. He was ready to fight with every last iota of power he possessed, even if it meant burning reality itself, as long as he could cross that gate.
The Demon King adopted a solemn expression as he met that gaze. He did not dare lower his guard merely because the Ancient One was injured. Slowly, his eyes shifted toward the two figures rising before him, lingering briefly on the Crimson Exarch.
He had given orders to the warriors of the Life Path to kill the Crimson Exarch on sight as the man was a rising star in the Freedom Path, yet it was now clear that matters were far more complicated than he had anticipated.
In the end, his gaze sharpened, and he began walking toward the Ancient One.
"You two," the Demon King said without turning his head, "focus on the four-armed cockroach."
Cain and the Crimson Exarch exchanged a sharp glance as they heard his words. Their eyes soon settled on a colossal humanoid figure with four massive arms making his way onto the battlefield.
It was none other than Paramount—the Late Alpha-Omega Overgod who had faced the Demon King alongside the draconic Zylax.
"I destroyed the body and soul of his comrade," the Demon King continued calmly, "but he managed to escape my grasp. When it comes to resilience, he is impressive."
With that, the Demon King said nothing more. His mind emptied of all distractions as he flashed forward, colliding with the Ancient One in an instant.
Cain and the Crimson Exarch felt space-time reverberate violently behind them as the two most powerful lifeforms of the Crimson World's Nine Realms clashed once more. They were exhausted, grievously wounded, and desperate for rest—but Paramount was an enemy they could not afford to ignore.
Even together, facing a Late Alpha-Omega Overgod was overwhelming, especially in their current state. Fortunately, Paramount himself was also badly injured, his life force unstable and fluctuating. That instability was their only chance.
Taking deep breaths, the auras of the duo surged as the Wings of Chaos and the Wings of Order flared brilliantly. Without hesitation, they lunged toward the massive Neo-Angel.
Paramount released a thunderous roar as he seized the sky itself with his four enormous arms, collapsing it into two massive waves of darkness. The attacks surged forward, carrying power capable of annihilating stars as they crashed toward the Scarlet King and the Crimson Exarch.
Seeing the incoming waves, faint smiles appeared on both men's faces. They extended their left hands, touching the attacks with their middle and index fingers.
Attempting to redirect the power of the Ancient One himself using the Flow would have ended in catastrophic failure. But against a Late Alpha-Omega Overgod, it was something they could manage.
Under Paramount's shocked gaze, his attacks vanished completely. Before he could even react, the raw energy was channeled directly into the sword and gun of his opponents.
A massive arc of golden light mixed with scarlet flames erupted, followed by a searing beam of golden plasma. The combined attack slammed directly into the chest of the Neo-Angel, forcing him to cough up mouthfuls of blood as his massive body was blasted backward.
The Scarlet King and the Crimson Exarch immediately capitalized on the opening, pressing their assault relentlessly.
However, Paramount was not easily defeated. He halted his retreat with brute force and resumed the fight, his monstrous presence radiating fury and endurance.
The clash between the trio was impressive, yet the truth was undeniable—their battle was still overshadowed by the confrontation between the Ancient One and the Demon King.
The leaders of the Freedom Path and the Life Path moved at shocking speeds, leaving behind only fleeting afterimages. The Demon King appeared above the Ancient One in an instant, his hand descending, summoning a massive golden palm.
The Ancient One clenched his fists, channeling his overwhelming strength into a single punch. The massive golden palm and his strike collided, making space tremble violently.
The physical might of the Ancient One was truly exceptional. He managed to block one of the golden palms—but another struck him head-on, blasting him deep into the earth.
His body carved a long path through the ground. Even so, he forced himself to regain control and dashed to the side just in time to avoid another descending golden palm.
The crippling damage and massive backlash he had suffered diminished his strength drastically. At this point, the only thing he could do was evade the relentless assault of the Demon King.
And that was no strategy at all.
The Demon King did not need to defeat him outright. He merely needed to endure until the island rejected them. Unless the Ancient One acted soon, it seemed that the grand plans and schemes he had woven over billions of years were finally approaching their end.
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