Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2818 - 2819: Esper

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Mammon decided to go all out, his Demonic and Blood Power surging from his body as he suddenly transformed even further, gaining a larger set of sharp, metallic armor, four metallic wings, and even a crown of glowing red steel.

His demonic horns grew longer—now he had six—and even his eyes multiplied, gaining three more: two beneath each of his normal eyes and a third vertically placed on his forehead.

Mammon activated a series of Skills at once, such as [Full Body Archdemonic Armor Creation and Materialization] and [Cosmic Demonic Abyssal Void Metal Manifestation] to enhance his armor and metallic body, along with [Supreme Archdemon Embodiment: Prince of Greed and Wrath Mammon] and [Infernal Archdemon Goddess Transformation] to evolve into a greater demonic form.

His long metallic hair turned red and purple, resembling Kireinaʼs—proof that part of her still lingered within him.

”...!”

The Esper inside the beating Spiritual Domain Core Heart seemed surprised, their eyes widening for a moment before narrowing as they extended their hand forward.

RUMBLE!

An invisible, ethereal power manifested, resembling giant hands made of psychic and spiritual energy. An Esper and a Spirit Beast bonded together, there was not a more terrifying pair.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Mammon began to advance slowly, his newly transformed body resisting the damage as best it could. He used his long claws and wings to strike back, destabilizing the fusion of psychic and spirit energy.

”Archdemon Infernal Magic.”

Dozens of magic pentagrams manifested around Mammon, along with a massive demonic magic circle behind him. All the demonic runes converged into a forbidden spell only Archdemons could conjure.

”Infernos Maximus!”

TRUUUM!

The wrath of hell manifested in that instant. A colossal wave of pure infernal fire surged toward the Esper and the Spiritual Heart, crashing into them with enough force to shatter multiple Spiritual and Psychic Barriers at once. The eternal, all-consuming flames spiraled together, condensing into dozens of laughing demonic specters.

BOOOMMM!!!

They converged into a massive explosion, disintegrating everything within a wide radius. The entire cave trembled as giant boulders fell—only to vanish—leaving behind a tremendous hole across the cavernous Spirit Domain.

”Hoh? Youʼre not going to be easy to take down like the rest, I see...”

Mammon smiled, noticing the Spirit Heart Core was intact. The Esper inside had conjured an even thicker barrier of psychic and spirit energy—so dense it resembled a physical element. The angered Esper furrowed their brows, gathering vast quantities of energy from their brain and spreading it throughout their body.

”This is the first time Iʼve fought an Esper this strong! This Cosmic World is full of surprises! Bring it on!”

CLAAASH!

As Mammon and the Esper clashed, Frank had just finished off the Yakuza Leader. Not long after, Kireina killed anotherʼs Spirit Beast, glaring at the last one—bruised and quivering in fear.

”Y-Youʼre a monster...!” the Yakuza screamed. ”M-Monster!”

”Youʼre next.”

Kireina stepped forward, her Consciousness Aura spreading outward, revealing a twisted garden of black, red, and purple roses with sharp thorns.

This was Kireinaʼs Initial Manifestation of her unique Martial Arts, now even more refined.

From the thorny vines and blooming flowers of this garden, a new pair of Demonic Armament of Demise emerged—Kireinaʼs own term, as ”Fist,” ”Claws,” or ”Boots” felt too limiting.

At this moment, her limit was only two, but with her imagination, she could modify them into a variety of forms.

Recently, she discovered she could even equip them, as if applying her knowledge of Ego and Equipment creation into her Martial Arts.

Even without using any Skill, Magic, Ability, Technique, or Equipment, the knowledge and years spent wielding such powers were practically imprinted into her Developing Martial Aura Manifestation.

”How should I call it?” she wondered aloud as she approached the trembling Yakuza.

”G-Get away from me!” the man screamed, manifesting his power all at once. His body erupted with his remaining strength as he began burning his lifeforce and soul for more power.

”WRAAAAHHH!”

He transformed into a ten-meter-tall muscular giant clad in demonic spirit crystal armor, swinging two enormous fists at Kireina—who didnʼt even look. Her two Demonic Armaments of Demise opened like palms, shielding her.

A Martial Art that could shield its wielder even while idle, it was almost alive.

This was because Kireina unconsciously poured her Chaos Essence into it, her lifeblood as a hybrid between a Chaos Spawn like her father and a Human with Darkwood Fae and Dhampir bloodlines.

Unlike her origins in Genesis, where she began as a mere caterpillar clawing her way up, in this world she had been reborn as a pedigree among pedigrees—an incredible bloodline, an incredible hybrid body, and immense potential. A true genius among geniuses.

It felt like a reward. After struggling so much, she was finally experiencing what it felt like to be born privileged and special.

Yet unlike most born that way, Kireina remembered her past life—one of struggle against fate.

So she wasnʼt arrogant. She never stopped pushing her body and talents to their limits, forging this monstrous, still-developing power.

”Heh, to think I started practicing Martial Arts and the Arcane Path like two weeks ago...”

”DONʼT IGNORE MEEEEEEE!!!”

The man screamed, smashing his fists against her, creating explosions of demonic flames and spirit energy. Kireina sighed.

With a flick of her fingers, her Demonic Fists of Demise moved, striking him with the same flick... twice.

BOOOMMM!!!

”Kuaaaaggh?!”

The man vomited blood, half his body shattering into pieces—flesh, bones, innards, and crystals splattering across the floor.

”Looks like it has its own power too... and it grows stronger the more I use it... and the more it kills,” Kireina smiled. ”Itʼs like Iʼve developed a Living Martial Art that grows with me! Isnʼt that amazing?”

”A-Ah...! K-Kuaagh...! H-How are you so strong?! You were struggling against our weakest a while ago!” the man screamed, half his body missing, yet still alive.

”You were already too weakened,” said Kireina. ”And it looks like after I achieved the Third Stage of Martial Arts—Martial Ascension—I reached a new Realm! Fufu, I wonder how strong Iʼll become once I reach the Fourth Stage... and then the Fifth! I have to keep training hard~!”

”Y-You...!” the man screamed, firing a beam of blinding spiritual light.

BOOOM!

”Tsk...” Kireina groaned, waving her hand to dissipate the smoke, spotting the man running away—stark naked. The lower half of his body had regenerated as spirit crystal legs.

”Hahaha! You look so stupid.”

Kireina laughed, closed her hand, and sent one of her Demonic Fists of Demise flying—crushing the man into pulp with a single, powerful strike.

Upon his death, she felt her Unique Martial Arts Manifestation flicker, as if it had absorbed the ”death” of the man.

Not his soul. Not his energy. But the concept of ”Death” itself—adding it to its power.

”The Demonic Armament of Demise grows through taking lives, but it isnʼt designed to steal or absorb any kind of power. I see... so thatʼs how it translated.”

Kireina had limited her powers. She no longer wanted to take power or energy from others.

She wanted to develop and cultivate her own being—refining herself in her purest form to achieve true power. A power that truly belonged to her, one that could never be taken away or lost.

If she died, she could lose her skills, her system, even her abilities.

If she lost a battle, she could lose her Ego Weapons or even her Maxima Summons—like what happened here...

But none of that could ever happen to her Martial Arts and the Manifestations born from the endless Refinement and Cultivation of her powers.

Her Consciousness, her Soul, her Spiritual Body—these were powers that would never leave her.

Now, she was detaching herself from all external things, momentarily, to attain a power that truly belonged to her.

And when she finally felt it was enough, she would re-equip the power she had left behind—and become even more explosively powerful than before.

”Now, where were we? I guess I got too distracted...” she said, gazing to her left and noticing Frank on the floor.

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