Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 28Book 4: : All-out

It looked like William was struggling to maintain monstrous regeneration after his limbs had been severed half a dozen times. He regenerated slower and his overwhelming power transformed into an ordeal to circumvent.

Surely, to William, it looked like David gained a sudden burst of power that changed the tides of the battle altogether. Little did he know that David was sacrificing his growth to alter the Weave. That was mentally draining, and it tore on his soul as well. Unfortunately, it was not permanent either.

David had to sacrifice a considerable portion of his accumulated Might – or drain the stream of power flowing into the Divine Seed – to empower his actions. Every single action required a burst of Might to be temporarily stronger and faster than William. However, it worked. He hit harder and his attacks pierced the fragment of Fortress’ Arcana whenever William activated his stolen power.

But as advantageous as his attacks were – draining William’s power and lifeforce rapidly as they fight ensued – the abomination did not remain idle. William changed the tune of his fighting style. He no longer bothered using his Arcanas to teleport around the market square or to attack him with aether beams. Instead, he used his other stolen power. Or so it looked like when William grew rapidly.

A cacophony of cracks and wet snaps rang through the vicinity as William’s body expanded. His muscles bulged and his scales shattered as his figure reached a height of more than three meters. He towered before David, his muscles bulging, his scales regrowing rapidly. His neck elongated even more than before, and massive spikes, dripping with venom, jut from his spine.

William’s severed limbs regrew with resounding cracks. They snapped back into place and recovered instantaneously. A moment later, William was upon David, his eyes gleaming with malice.

If it had been at the beginning of the battle, David would have retreated to stall more time. But now that the Sanctuary had been devoured and the others had been moved to a safer location, stalling more time was optional. And he opted against it.

Words of Power escaped David’s lips like a guttural roar. The words echoed through the surroundings and rang through their ears. The ground underfoot was shaking, but William didn’t seem to notice anything. The abomination’s eyes were fully locked onto David, obsession and endless thirst for blood filling every inch of his bulging serpentine eyes.

The pitch-black lines of his Source unraveled. They dispelled Pillar of Life’s Intent and flooded David’s mind space with the power of Dominion.

The Domain of Vitae had already been active before, but it hadn’t received David’s full attention just yet. Until now that is.

He reached for all the Vitae his Intent had accumulated from the consumption of the Sworn Giants and the entirety of the Dwarven Sanctuary, and unleashed it all.

Vitae Nihilum burst from the ground, synergized with [Herald’s Blessing], activated by none other than Electra, and a burst of Might. Since the Intent of Dominion had been acknowledged by the System, David didn’t even think about holding back. He grasped the stream of power flowing out of the Weave and redirected it toward Dominion of Vitae.

The river of Might flowing into the Corrupted Divine Heart would inevitably dry up for…quite some time, but it was power that he needed the most right now.

William looked confident in his victory as his massive claws pierced through David’s chest, ripping his rib cage apart as he twisted his claw inside David, but the pain of a physical wound was nothing compared to the satisfaction of looking William straight in the eyes as eternal darkness consumed them both.

Vitae Nihilum burst from the ground in a massive pillar that encompassed the entire market square, or what had once been the market square. It shrouded everything for a moment and shrank suddenly as the power of the End focused on the only desirable target.

William.

Vitae Nihilum poured into the abomination. It seeped into the amalgamation of stolen Might and Arcanas, and spread swiftly through William. It flooded William, and it consumed him.

Monstrous regeneration worked wondered, regenerating William as Vitae Nihilum consumed the first scales, bits and pieces of flesh, and raw power. However, now matter how powerful monstrous regeneration had been when the fight started, it was no longer at its peak. The Arcana was strained, and William was no longer overflowing with lifeforce either.

The Obsidian Blade was still in his chest, constantly draining William’s lifeforce, whereas Cycle’s Embrace did the same as David cast [Transcendent Restoration] on his chest. William’s claws were still in David, tearing the wounds apart whenever [Transcendent Restoration] attempted to heal him. It was destructive, yet David’s Arcana registered the attempts at healing such a severe wound and sapped more lifeforce from William, providing [Mender’s Lattice] with even more power to heal.

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The Corrupted Divine Heart pulsated vibrantly. It was no longer injured, and it squirmed with more strength than before as the consumption ensued. With every piece of flesh, every scale, and every bit of power Vitae Nihilum consumed, more was created. And as more Vitae Nihilum circulated through the abomination, William failed to resist it.

Then again, he never truly received a proper chance at blocking the End’s power as the Weave restricted him. Using the vast majority of his accumulated Might to further strengthen Vitae Nihilum had been more than worth it. The result was impeccable, especially the look in William’s eyes.

Yet, as strength left William’s body, David couldn’t help but pity his old friend.

He removed the claws from his chest and stared at his friend as his legs caved in.

The Divine Seed stirred as Vitae reached the core-like amalgamation. It resembled a Divine Seed, yet it was clearly not the same.

“The Divinity Fragment.” David sighed, but he did not restrain Vitae Nihilum as it reached for the power that had tainted William.

Cradling the Divine Fragment and the thing it created, William suddenly convulsed. Dark green mist oozed from his wide-open mouth. Words of Power rolled from his split tongue, yet William’s voice was venomous and… different. ℞𝘢ΝƟꞖĚŚ

“I was certain he would live longer,” William said, yet it wasn’t his old friend. The abomination was rippling, bulging, and William was writhing, but his voice was stable and clear—devoid of emotion, as if the abomination’s condition didn’t bother him. “He should have grown stronger. Then I could have descended to retrieve what’s mine—with interest, of course.”

David’s eyes narrowed slightly. That wasn’t William. The voice was different. It belonged to someone he’d never met. However, David didn’t have to guess to tell who was at fault. He knew the answer right away.

“Zephyr.”

“Yours truly.” The voice responded, and a trace of annoyance seeped into his tone. “You shouldn’t have been alive, Healer. Nor should you have been able to defeat Electra. She was always a failure, but I did not expect her to steep this low. To become a human’s pet… what a disgrace.”

Electra flinched and pulled back. Their connection faltered momentarily, and she retreated into the Beast Core, although that did little to silence the Poisonous Beast God’s voice.

“But do not worry, human. Since you keep taking my things, I will return the favor in kind. I have no idea how you created a power stronger than the Authority of Absolute Venom, but I will make it mine. You will become my stepping stone to—...”

“Are you done now?” David snapped in irritation. “I couldn’t care less about your plans, Zephyr. If you’re angry at me, come at me with all you’ve got. Even if you’re not angry, I am. You corrupted my friend and turned him into an abomination. Do you think I’ll forgive you for that, or anything really? Electra is a loyal companion, yet all you could think of were ways to abuse her and to force more power upon her. You chained your own child and treated them like pawns in your game. Zephyr, you treat everyone like pieces in that sick game of yours, and that will be the reason for your demise. You will fall hard, and nobody will be there to help you. I don’t know when it will happen, but I know you will die alone as the devious, deceitful, and conceited snake you are.”

Anger filled David’s very being as Vitae Nihilum spread through William. The Poisonous Beast God didn’t respond right away, but it was only a matter of time before the haughty Beast God would hiss at him, curse the next hundred generations of his bloodline, and spew more of his usual bullshit. He stared at the abomination in anger but faltered momentarily as the Words of Power ceased and…the abomination receded.

William’s transformation partially reverted, revealing part of his face. Yet, as much as David would have loved to see the friend he had gotten close to before the integration, he could only see the husk of the man he knew.

His lips pressed tightly together and his arms trembled as the old William resurfaced in his mind. He remembered the years they had spent together, playing games far away from the expectations of their families. But it was not like those old memories were still important. Their families were still dead, just like their old selves.

“D-David…” William’s lips parted, but it wasn’t Zephyr speaking.

“William?” His heart skipped a beat.

“I regained control…” William said weakly, his voice strained beyond control. “It won’t last long.”

He looked straight at David through milky-white eyes glinting with determination, smiling grimly. “Kill me.”

“Kill me,” William said, and David could see the internal fight clearly. His expression was strained and his body stiff, yet the abomination writhed and moved, trying to escape Vitae Nihilum’s grasp.

I have to kill him, David thought. He had to step forward to end his friend’s suffering, yet his legs didn’t want to obey him.

“Now!” William groaned as the last remnants of strength left his body, yet David didn’t move.

Electra, on the other hand, was not as hesitant. She emerged from David’s chest in a burst of power and crashed into William with a defiant roar.

A blinding light of crimson was all he saw, and the resounding crunch of splintered bone mingled with a final, comforting whisper—“Thank you”—as the terror of Champions and Sanctuaries alike met his end.

[Fractured Demi-God (William Arte) has been defeated.]