Chapter 725: Chapter 726: Doesn’t Ring A Bell Xander gritted his teeth, evading an attack from the demon in front of him. The blow carved a deep furrow in the ground where he had stood a second ago, dust and black energy rising in choking clouds. His lungs burned, his armor hummed with strain, but his eyes never once left Amon in the distance. The dark figure clashing with Leona and Abellona amidst the storm of blood and steel. Most of the party was already dead. The battlefield was littered with broken armor, spent mana stones, magic scrolls, broken artifacts and corpses of both demon and man alike. Only a handful remained fighting Amon. The wounded dark elf Velora, Abellona fighting desperately, and Leona holding the line with sparks of lightning dancing around her exhausted frame. Blood trickling down her forehead, though she was relatively fine, as if Amon didn’t bother to focus on her. "Where the hell is Damon." Xander threw his spear forward, the weapon whistling through the smoky air before he slammed his fist into the ground. The earth groaned in response, and a field of gravity rippled outward, bending stones and soil as it rose around him. The weight of the world pressed down, shaking the debris-laden field. He gritted his teeth harder. He didn’t have a third-class skill, even though he had managed to reach the third-class advancement. His mind burned with the bitter truth. Guess we know who a god favors... and gods do have favorites. Xander just wasn’t one of them. The demon he faced waved his hand, and the ground around him decayed, withering like rotting flesh. Cracks spread in a circular pattern beneath his feet, black mist seeping through them as the stench of death filled the air. Xander didn’t seem particularly focused on his opponent. His gaze still flicked toward Amon, and that earned a snarl. "Eyes over here, human... you dare look down on Manata Astaroth." Xander’s expression remained unchanged. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, exhaling through his nose before opening them again with a cold glare. "Hmmm. I’ve been wasting my time on you... but this is getting me nowhere." His armor expanded, metallic plates shifting and locking into place as it took its Sovereign Mantle form. Energy lines glowed across its edges like veins of molten silver. "I apologize for leaving you alive for so long. Allow me to correct that." His spear gripped tightly in both hands, he charged forward at the demonkin. Manata was undeterred. His attribute was decay, and as long as he touched something, he could break it down until it was nothing but dust. The ground beneath him dissolved as he moved, his presence spreading corruption. Xander’s spear came barreling down at him, its sharp tip gleaming in the chaos of the battlefield, illuminated by the countless chaotic blasts of magic that painted the sky. Manata didn’t back down. He met Xander’s attack head-on, his body sliding past the spear’s tip with demonic agility, trying to close the distance. But Xander was already a step ahead. He triggered the first enchantment of his Ascendant Armor. [Weightbreaker] amplifies spear strikes with gravitational force, turning every swing into a shockwave. Manata didn’t expect the shaft of the spear itself to carry power. The impact released a concussive blast that rippled outward, crushing the air and sending Manata’s body flying backward. Even though he had shifted his stance at the last moment, it was too late. He crashed into a mound of broken earth, snarling, then retaliated instantly. A burst of decay energy surged toward Xander. The demon expected him to dodge. But Xander didn’t even move. The large armor that covered him took the full brunt of the magic like an immovable wall. Manata frowned as his attribute corroded the armor’s surface, cracks spreading across the metal like spiderwebs. Xander sneered, grabbed him by the arms, and activated his armor’s second enchantment. [Black Orbit] creates a gravitational field that pulls enemies into a set radius. His intent was clear. To crush Manata until nothing remained. The pressure mounted. The air trembled as Manata’s bones creaked audibly, his form twisting under the weight. The ground split beneath their feet. "Arrghhh!" Manata roared in pain, forcing his arms wide and slamming his head forward. His horns collided with Xander’s helm, the impact ringing out like metal struck by a hammer. Xander staggered a step, and that single motion gave Manata the opening he needed. The demon slipped free, his own head bleeding from the strike. Manata’s fury exploded. He punched Xander with a savage uppercut and kicked off his chest, using the momentum to circle behind him. His movements blurred. The demon’s hands wrapped around Xander’s torso from behind just as the human unleashed another wave of crushing gravity in defense. Manata reacted instantly, spreading his wings to escape the field. He shot upward, but not fast enough. Xander increased his own weight, and though Manata’s decay pressed at his body, he smiled. The higher they soared, the heavier the tension between them grew. "I was hoping you would do that," Xander spoke coldly, his voice steady and filled with grim satisfaction. Manata’s eyes widened. Xander reached behind him, seized one of the demon’s horns, and spun his entire body in the air. The sound was sickening. His gauntlet clamped down, and with one violent twist, he ripped out one of Manata’s wings. The demon’s scream echoed through the sky. Blood streamed from his back like ribbons of red slik. The pair began to fall, tumbling violently as Xander looked down upon the chaos below. "I knew you were confident in your ability to decay anything. But my role in my party is a tank, and I’ve faced abuse far worse than you." He twisted the demon’s horns again, forcing Manata to spin midair as he redirected their descent. The wind howled in their ears, tearing at their armor and faces as the battlefield grew larger beneath them. Down below, a single faceless enemy stood untouched amidst the carnage, his presence overwhelming every survivor still clinging to life. That was Xander’s true target. Amon, the unknown ruler. The entity that had killed his brother. The object of his vengeance. He had tried to be patient, waiting for Damon to arrive so they could strike together. But patience had left him. His great enemy was here. Winning and Dominating all before him. Why would he wait any longer? Xander’s eyes burned with fury. Manata had never been his opponent, merely a stepping stone to reach Amon. Perhaps even Xander didn’t realize how dishonorable that was to use another warrior, even a demon, as a means to an end. But honor meant nothing compared to vengeance. Manata roared as they plummeted, trying to resist the wind, but Xander increased his own gravity, dragging them both down like a falling meteor. From above, Xander didn’t even wait to hit the ground. He hurled his spear downward with all his strength, aiming straight for Amon. The weapon screamed through the air, glowing with condensed gravity. Xander leapt from Manata’s body mid-fall, letting the demon crash ahead of him. Amon raised his head slightly. His hand moved almost lazily. The spear met his grip with a metallic shriek, then stopped cold. He tossed it aside while sidestepping a lightning bolt from Leona, who charged with terrifying ferocity. Manata crashed into the ground towards Amon, his body broken. The shockwave cracked the battlefield. Dust and debris rose in waves. Amon extended his arm and caught the falling demon by the throat. His boots skidded back a few meters from the impact, but he didn’t fall. His strength seemed beyond reason. Manata’s eyes flickered open, trembling with relief when he realized who was holding him. "Lord Amon..." he breathed, barely conscious, grateful to still be alive. But Amon’s gaze was cold. "It seems you are fated to die by my hand after all." Manata didn’t understand. He tried to speak, but before he could, Amon’s grip tightened. Frost crept across his neck, spreading rapidly as his eyes bulged. The sound of cracking ice followed. His throat froze solid, and in the next instant, his body shattered into countless small icicles that scattered across the ground. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦 Amon brushed his hand as if wiping away dust, indifferent to the death of one of his own. Xander landed hard, his armor digging into the earth. He rose slowly, his breath ragged, fury burning behind his eyes. "Amon... remember me! Your reckoning has come for the death of my brother, Godric Ravenscroft!" Amon turned to face him, unmoved. "Do I know you? Godric... doesn’t ring a bell." He stood tall and shadowed, the air around him heavy and cold. "I’ve killed many people’s brothers. Am I supposed to remember every nobody’s life I take? What makes yours worth remembering?" Xander’s voice trembled as he answered. "Nothing.... After today ..you will remember." His eyes shook with rage, and grief. This was the entity that had killed his brother and he didn’t even care.