My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

You are a monster, Damon Grey, one that needs to be put down. What was it you used to say? Some men help the world by leaving it.”

Xander distorted the gravity in the air and teleported toward him, slamming his fist into Damon’s body.

Damon gritted his teeth and endured the blow, but at the same time, he drove his own fist upward into Xander, sending him slightly into the air.

It felt as though he had just punched an immovable mountain. Xander’s head barely turned before he retaliated, forcing Damon to defend himself again.

”You must have thought I wouldn’t be able to kill you when you signed that contract with me, didn’t you?” Xander asked coldly as he lifted his spear and thrust it toward Damon’s chest.

Damon blocked the tip with his sword, but the force behind the attack pushed him backward.

”You really like the sound of your own voice, Xander. Your brother was far quieter than you.”

Xander gritted his teeth.

Damon wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

”You should be grateful to me. I gave you a chance because you’re weak. Do you remember? You came begging me to help you get revenge, and where has that brought us?”

He laughed, though the sound was rough and strained.

”You know, you say I was arrogant. Maybe I was. But you were heartless. I just never imagined you would agree to give up your own son for something so shallow.”

”Shut up,” Xander whispered.

”I’m glad he didn’t have to grow up around someone like you, someone so weak that you need a handicap just to stand a chance. So what if you manage to kill me now? What does that prove? That you’re weak, just like your drunken brother?”

Damon’s words were vicious. He felt no guilt toward Xander, nor did he see any reason to hold back. Xander’s brother had killed his parents, and a grudge like that had to be paid in blood. Whatever Xander thought of his own brother, Damon had no intention of pretending that the past could be erased simply because Xander wanted revenge.

Xander’s expression grew colder.

He thrust his spear forward, creating a black hole at its tip, and pressed it toward Damon.

However, black flames came roaring outward, hotter than ever, forcing Xander to halt his attack.

Damon sneered.

”You really do talk too much. You gave me just enough time to summon him.”

Runes flashed around Damon as he raised his hand.

”I summon the Dark Spirit, Rashi Ignath.”

The flames roared to life, both hot and cold, and from within them, the dark spirit Ignath emerged, igniting the world around them in a sea of flames. The air distorted under its presence, and the ground blackened as its fire spread across the battlefield.

Damon stretched his arms as Rashi Ignath came charging toward him, ready to rebel against its summoner.

”I may be forced to fight Xander on a level weaker than my actual power, but that doesn’t apply to you.”

He raised his hand toward the spirit.

[Dominate]

The spirit, whose flames had turned the world black, froze in place.

Its body trembled as Damon’s power seized control of it, forcing the creature to submit to its summoner.

Damon’s expression remained calm as he issued another command.

”Rashi Ignath, attack both of us indiscriminately. See us both as enemies.”

Xander stared at him, unable to understand why Damon would give such an order. Then Damon released the spirit from his control.

Xander’s eyes narrowed.

”You...”

Damon smiled as he removed his helm, revealing his bloodied face.

”The rules say I have to give you a fair chance, but that only applies to me and anything allied with me. While I summoned Ignath, I don’t control him, and he isn’t my ally.”

Xander’s expression twisted with disgust.

”You have a higher resistance to the Ashborn Flames than I do,” he said, piecing together Damon’s plan. ”You hope Ignath’s attacks will damage me. So instead of a one-sided battle, you want to turn this into a three-way fight. And since the same rules don’t apply to Ignath, he won’t stand a chance against me if he attacks. My power will be higher than his.”

Damon shrugged.

Xander shook his head, his eyes cold.

”Why would you think that matters? I will still crush you all. All I have to do is crush him first.”

His form began to grow, expanding until his armor became a towering shell around a gigantic body. Within seconds, a giant clad in armor stood before them, his spear growing alongside him as his immense shadow swallowed the ground.

Ignath’s form seemed to shudder as he looked between Damon and Xander, trying to decide which of them would be easier to attack. After a moment’s thought, he turned to flee. Fighting someone else on the battlefield seemed like a much better idea than getting caught between the two monsters before him.

”Dominate.”

Damon’s voice echoed across the battlefield.

”You are forbidden from leaving this place.”

The restriction settled over Ignath, trapping him within the designated area.

The spirit roared in fury and charged toward Damon, blasting a sea of flames at him. Yet Damon did not even move. The flames passed over him without causing any harm, leaving him completely unharmed.

Ignath realized too late that Damon was immune to his attacks.

Before he could react, Xander’s enormous foot came down and stomped him into the earth.

The impact sent flames scattering across the battlefield.

At this point, millions of people were dead, and those who remained were either lucky or strong enough to survive the nightmare unfolding around them.

Ignath’s form gathered itself back together, his body reforming from the scattered flames around Xander’s massive foot. Damon seized the opportunity and attacked as well, going straight for Xander’s face.

A gigantic hand made of shadows and black flames formed in the air and slammed into Xander’s enormous body.

The impact shook the battlefield.

Then Damon had an epiphany.

He could feel the flames and shadows responding to his will, spreading around him as though they were extensions of his own body. Instead of merely controlling them, he reached deeper, drawing upon their power and allowing them to gather around him.

The flames surged.

The shadows rose.

They wrapped around his body, growing larger and larger until a giant formed from black flames and shadows stood in his place, equal in size to Xander.

Two giants now stood upon the battlefield.

And they began to fight.