Chapter 728: Chapter 729: Aggression Xander was bleeding from head to toe, his armor dented in several places and frozen partially. Steam hissed from the cracks in his armor, the mingled scent of blood and frost heavy in the air. The battlefield trembled beneath the clash of distant spells, the sky above flashing with lightning and shards of magical fire. Yet Xander stood there, firm, his breath ragged but his eyes fierce with hatred. "You took everything from me." Amon glanced at him, unmoved. His body radiated an eerie chill, the mist around him glimmering faintly with blue frost. "I don’t even know who you are." He waved his hand lazily and ice spears materialized in the air, sharp as razors, before shooting toward Xander. The spears cracked the ground where they struck, sending freezing winds spiraling outward. Xander raised his shield, blocking the first barrage as the impact shook his arm violently. Cold air spread in all directions as Xander covered the others, the shockwave forming a dome of mist and frost around them. Abellona was burnt out, her wings of destruction flickering weakly. The radiant feathers that once incinerated entire lines of enemies now dimmed to dull crimson. She had given everything, yet Amon still stood. His body was broken multiple times, his arms destroyed and his flesh shattered, but each time he simply absorbed the remains of the fallen, reconstructing himself from their corpses. ’We need to kill him with a single move or do enough damage that he can’t regenerate.’ The problem was how. Just as that thought crossed her mind, a blinding beam of light shot toward Amon, followed by golden flares bursting through the air like falling stars. The brightness painted the battlefield in gold, the scorched ground gleaming beneath the radiance. Balls of pure light struck him faster than he could react, throwing him backward several paces, his hidden armor cracking under the heat. Evangeline streaked toward him, her movements a golden blur, streaks of light trailing behind her. Amon unleashed a wave of frost in retaliation, the ground erupting with jagged ice spikes that spread across the area like a blooming flower of death. The entire radius froze solid, but Evangeline pressed through, her light melting the frost as it touched her. Amon—or rather, Damon—was growing irritated. He hadn’t killed them yet because every survivor of the Amon subjugation force was someone close to him, people he didn’t want dead. With the sole exception of Velora Nyxfall. Damon didn’t care if Velora lived or died. However, killing him outright would raise suspicions, so he restrained himself. Evangeline had reached the third class. Damon had doubted it before, but now her power left no room for denial. Her aura burned bright and powerful, radiant and beautiful. She moved faster than before, her presence overwhelming. Damon could sense her light, but not fast enough to fully dodge it. She was aggressive, her joining the fight shifting the tide. Her glow extended to Xander, whose body, though injured, seemed to endure far more than any human should. His first-class skill turned him into a living bulwark, hard to permanently destroy. Her second-class skill, Dawn Bringer, wasn’t known for offense but for its miraculous healing. The healing skill she had purchased for the class amplified its potency. As soon as her light touched them, their wounds sealed, bruises vanished, and shattered bones knitted together. ’Suppose this is why it’s always better to kill the healer first.’ But that wasn’t what made her dangerous. Damon’s danger sense screamed at him, she could do far worse than heal. Evangeline raised her sword, and radiant light exploded across the ground where Amon stood moments before. Leona lifted her hand, summoning a bolt of lightning that streaked through the air and struck him squarely. The thunderclap deafened those nearby as Amon gritted his teeth, smoke curling from his body as he fell to one knee. His muscles trembled from the shock, yet he stood again, his fury palpable. Good thing she was in the second class or that could have killed him. Then Evangeline’s aura intensified. Her sword gleamed brighter than the sun as she invoked her third-class skill. The radiance surged, engulfing her entirely in golden light before she swung, unleashing a blinding arc of light that roared across the battlefield. Damon’s heart constricted. His instincts screamed. Every nerve in his body burned as his danger sense erupted. "What... the hell was that..." The light engulfed him. His entire form convulsed as searing pain tore through him, the radiance burning not just his body but his very soul. His true body, hidden deep within the forest, screamed in agony as his freshly healed soul took immense damage. But that was not the end. His mind twisted, his memories shattered, and suddenly his consciousness was dragged into visions of his past sins. He saw himself in a forest, standing over the corpse of Carmen Vale, the day he murdered him. The memory struck like a hammer. Shame, guilt, and self-hatred surged within him. He looked down and saw a sword buried in his chest, blood dripping from the wound. When he raised his gaze, he saw a pink-haired girl before him, her eyes wet with tears as her sword pierced deeper. His eyes widened, then the illusion faded. It was Evangeline before him, her golden blade lodged in his chest. The pain, the shame, the vision, it was all part of her power. He gripped her blade with his hands, trembling. "What... skill was that..." The light burned through his chest, smoke rising from the wound as Evangeline’s golden eyes glared at him. "It’s my third-class skill, Retribution. It punishes all who are guilty. As they burn, they see their own crimes." Damon staggered back, laughing darkly through the pain. "Well played..." Then his faceless form began to distort. He grabbed her neck, his silhouette expanding and twisting grotesquely as overwhelming power erupted from within him. [Ravenous] He transformed into living shadow, roaring like a beast as his voice shattered the air. The ground quaked beneath his presence. ’Did she really think I’d let her come between me and my money?’ It had been a collective effort to weaken him, but Damon had no intention of falling. Killing Amon was worth twenty billion zeni, and no ideal or blood tie would make him surrender that prize. He grabbed Evangeline and slammed her head into the ground, the earth cracking under the force. Then he swung her by the legs, smashing her into the dirt left and right like a rag doll. Blood splattered across the frozen ground as her body went limp. He lifted her by the head, her body dangling, barely conscious. His voice softened, almost regretful. Honestly, it was nothing personal. Evangeline was his cousin, and he loved her dearly. But the money for Amon’s head was too great. She didn’t need that kind of burden anyway. ’It hurts me more than it hurts her.’ He squeezed her throat with one hand as she struggled, her face turning purple, blood dripping from her lips. Her light flickered weakly in her hand. Xander and Leona charged forward, their faces twisted in desperation, but Damon used Evangeline’s body as a weapon, swinging her like a blade to knock them away. Both were sent tumbling through the debris. Despair filled their eyes. For all intents and purposes, it looked like Evangeline would die by Amon’s hands. The world seemed to stop. The sky above burst open with countless stars as the priestess in the distance performed a ritual. The battlefield fell silent, warriors pausing mid-strike, their gazes drawn upward in awe and dread. Evangeline’s light faded. Leona and Xander stood helpless, unable to move, while Abellona and Velora were helpless to do anything. Damon formed a spear of ice, its edge glimmering coldly as he aimed it at Evangeline’s throat. Just as he was about to strike, the thunderous roar of a Wendigo echoed across the field, shaking the heavens. From the far edge, Damon’s true body appeared his real self. In one swift motion, he teleported in front of the monstrous Amon and swung his sword, severing his arm cleanly. He caught Evangeline before she fell, holding her gently. His expression was grim, quiet rage simmering behind his eyes. Carrying her to Leona and laid her down softly, brushing the dirt and blood from her face. Her eyes fluttered open weakly. "Da... Damon..." He smiled faintly, voice low. "Eva... I’m here." Placing his forehead against hers, he squeezed her hand. Feeding her a high-level potion, he watched the glow return to her skin as her wounds mended slowly. Then he rose, turning to face Amon. "Leona, take care of her." His gaze hardened. "I’ll take care of this." Amon grinned, his shadow writhing behind him. "Hahahaha... Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary." Damon narrowed his eyes. Faceless was making his clone a bit more aggressive than he intended. ’I should end things now.’