My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1271: Chapter 1272: The Breaker Of Bonds

Damon rammed his giant fist into Xander’s body, and black flames spread across his armor.

Xander retaliated by slamming his gigantic shield into Damon’s chest, driving him into the ground and creating heavy tremors that shook the surrounding battlefield. Their titanic forms clashed again, sending shock waves across the land as the earth beneath them cracked under the force of their attacks.

In the sky above them, two older men stood facing each other.

They had been attacking Ythar, but after a moment, they stopped and glanced toward the two titans battling below. Even from their position in the sky, the sheer scale of the fight was impossible to ignore, and neither man seemed particularly interested in getting caught in the middle of it.

”Damian, I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t think you and I need to fight just yet,” the former head of House Ravenscroft said calmly.

The man he was speaking to had golden hair and eyes like the sun. He, too, had no intention of fighting without first understanding the full truth, although his attitude toward the situation was already evident.

”I agree,” Damian replied.

”You don’t seem to believe your grandson killed one of mine,” the old man from House Ravenscroft muttered.

”No, I don’t doubt it. My grandson is quite capable of doing just that...” the Grand Duke of House Brightwater replied, his gaze fixed on the battle below.

His arms were stained with dried blood, and the fatigue showing in his movements made it clear that even he had not emerged from the chaos unscathed.

”That doesn’t change anything for you, does it? Even now that you know the boy is a demon.”

Damian fell silent for a moment, but the old man smiled as though he had already anticipated his reaction.

”Yes, I know he became a demon, but so what? I know he killed Godric Ravenscroft, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is my grandson. Reputation, honor, what good are they? Will they bring my daughter back? I gave up on those things a long time ago.”

Godwin Corbin Ravenscroft gritted his teeth before waving his walking stick through the air.

”You would defend him even after everything?”

Damian scoffed, his golden hair dancing in the wind.

”I would, but there’s more to it than that. Damon isn’t someone who would kill your grandson without a reason. I know he had one.”

”It had better be a damn good one...”

The old man from House Ravenscroft sighed, his shoulders lowering slightly as he watched the two titans continue their battle.

”Blood must be repaid with blood, but we’re both old men. If you don’t care about pride, old friend, then neither should I. I can see that you’re resolved to end this in mutual destruction, so let’s agree that neither of us should interfere. Let the young ones settle this.”

Damian glanced toward the two titans and the dark spirit attacking both of them. Damon, his own grandson, was clearly at a disadvantage. He was already heavily injured, and every exchange seemed to bring him closer to death.

”If Xander manages to win, I won’t interfere,” he replied.

That was a lie, and he knew it.

If Xander managed to kill Damon, Damian would kill him without hesitation. He would not be able to stand by and watch his grandson die, and he was certain his old friend felt the same way about his own grandson.

Their agreement was little more than a fragile understanding between two men who knew that their resolve would be tested the moment one of their descendants fell.

Meanwhile, Xander managed to grab the flames that made up Ignath’s body and trap the spirit beneath his shield. He then used his spear to create a black hole that swallowed the surrounding space and blew apart Damon’s shadow form. However, not before the giant had transformed its palm into a sword and driven it into Xander’s armor.

Blood sprayed from Xander’s body like rain.

A wave of gravity swept across the battlefield, but Xander collapsed his own gigantic form, sacrificing its size for the chance to kill Damon. Holding his spear, he thrust it toward Damon’s head as they fell toward the earth.

Damon could barely stop coughing up blood. His body was so badly damaged that he could hardly move, and his head spun as he struggled to remain conscious. He had been holding himself together through sheer willpower for so long that he could no longer tell how much longer his body would obey him.

His back struck the ground, creating a crater beneath him.

Xander stood over him, pressing his spear down toward Damon’s head with all his might, but Damon managed to grab the tip with both hands and hold it inches from his face.

He could do nothing else. Keeping the spear from crushing his skull demanded nearly every ounce of strength he had left.

For the first time in a long while, Damon could feel his mana reaching a dangerously low level. His shadow energy had already been depleted to begin with, and he had been saving his Ravenous Form for the final stretch of the battle. Now, shadows began to creep over his arms as he summoned spurts of black flames, sending them racing up the spear in an attempt to burn Xander.

”Die, die, die, die, die, die!”

Those were the only words that came from Xander’s mouth as he forced the spear downward. Tears desperately leaked from his eyes, the droplets falling onto Damon’s face as his expression twisted with grief and rage.

Damon gritted his teeth.

In his heart, he swore that he would not die, no matter what.

”Wait!”

Someone screamed from the top of the crater.

Xander did not budge, but Damon consumed the last of his shadow energy and forced his monstrous claws upward, driving them into Xander’s chest and kicking him away. The attack left a trail of blood across Xander’s armor as he stumbled backward.

Then Damon heard the voice again.

His face turned pale as he looked up.

A bright light shone from the edge of the crater, where Evangeline stood with Ric by her side. On the opposite side, he saw a bleeding Emilia and Terra, who had also managed to make their way toward them.

Damon gasped, his chest burning as he struggled to draw breath. He forced himself to stand upright, refusing to let his shoulders slump even as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

Not in front of Ric.

He had to be strong.

So he forced a smile onto his bruised face, hiding the pain as best he could. He was tired, more tired than he could remember ever being, and all he wanted was for everything to end.

Ric rushed into his arms, and Damon caught him before the boy could stumble against his injured body. Blood stained Ric’s clothes as he clung to his master, his small hands gripping Damon’s armor as though letting go would mean losing him forever.

”It’s okay, kiddo. I got you.”

Xander leaned on his spear, his arm charred black and part of his soul damaged by the flames and the strange nature of Damon’s magic attribute. He watched the two of them with bloodshot eyes before suddenly breaking into laughter.

”Haha... haha... Damon Grey, you truly have no shame. You spent all these years turning my son against me. What evil has my household done to you?”