Chapter 655 Holy Will Crystals (1/2)

The figure's emergence seemed to bring the world to a stop, including the battle between Darren and the human-shaped blood creature.

Still in midair, the two combatants broke apart, separated by the sheer, ominous significance of the newcomer.

Darren watched uneasily as his foe turned toward the newcomer, knelt down in submission, and went still.

No longer caring about finishing the duel, Darren flew back to join his companions, who were visibly stricken.

”He's far too powerful for us,” one of them told him. ”We're doomed!”

Brave as Darren was, he couldn't find it in himself to disagree. His heart pounded wildly as he returned to his human form.

”Maybe he just won't attack us,” one of the others said doubtfully. ”It's possible, right?”

Their impulse for nervous chatter died as the cause of their terror drew near. Unseen power crackled and radiated out from him, pressing against their very souls until they thought their hearts would burst within them.

Soon he stood a hundred feet off from the group, as fearsome and unapproachable as a god.

A dreadful moment passed as he stared them all down with a cold, emotionless gaze. Worse yet, nine black vortexes appeared behind him, roiling with titanic bursts of lightning. He was haloed by a display of world-ending power.

At last the men could stand it no longer, and one of them called out, ”Sir, have mercy! Forgive us if we have displeased you!” Immediately there was a chorus of similarly terrified pleas as all those gathered bowed down in midair, trembling.

All, that was, except for Darren, who still retained some of his earlier courage, not to mention his pride. Staying upright, he withstood the blood figure's glare and returned it. A fierce, hot wind tossed his black hair behind him.

Knowing he had been affronted, the figure gave no warnings or second chances. Only a single word escaped from his mouth, hoarse and inhuman, ”Die.”

With that, he raised a hand and dropped it toward Darren.

It was a simple, almost indifferent movement, as if to smash an insect. Yet even that motion sent a lattice of black space cracks rippling outward. The whole space shuddered as peerless power swept through it, and Darren's companions were even more paralyzed than they had been before.

Darren's level of relative calm surprised even himself as he watched the blow come down to meet him like a moon falling from its orbit. ”Is this the real Holy Will?” he murmured aloud.

No one thought to answer him. Nor did anyone have any thought of escaping.

Everyone within a hundred kilometers would be absolutely obliterated when the falling hand struck. There was no outrunning the power at this being's command. Their doom approached, agonizingly slow. Each second seemed magnified to the length of a century. Darren, at least, was resolved to not face it begging for his life.

”How dare you!” roared a booming voice.

As though rocked by the sound, the terrible blood figure fell back two steps, withdrawing his hand.

”Who is there?!” he thundered, looking around for the one who had spoken.