GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

Niva's foray into numerous worlds has exposed it to various abilities. It has had the opportunity to pick what he fancies from the assortment of abilities of different gods from different races. Still, it had been careful not to be in the wrong place at the right time. Trying to witness the power of an entity so far beyond your level can be the death of you, literally. You might also fail to copy the ability after risking your life.

The sin of envy isn't infallible. A demon of envy cannot copy an ability that they can't wrap their head around. In other words, they can't copy an ability with a structure and composition too complicated for their minds. It is commendable that Nivo survived the risk and managed to copy the attack of a high god or the equivalent of a demon noble.

It chose the attack of the high god because demons are weak to divinity more than other attacks create by mana or sin energy. Also, the attack killed a demon noble, so it has to be strong. The attack can reach a power rating of 400. It had made two copies. One has been used to get its fortress and it was keeping the last one for a rainy day. Nivo preferred to keep the last one. As long as it doesn't release the attack, then he can store it again.

If Aeternus surrenders then all will be well. It would retain most of his strength which it is going to need dearly for the coming tough times ahead because of the weakened alliance. But if Aeternus is also a demon of envy and also has something up his sleeve, a trump card to deal with another demon of envy trump card. Then his sacrifice will be in vain and worst of all, they might actually die here.

"He is bluffing. He hasn't copied any magical ability since the fight started. He is no demon of envy. Even if he is, what are the odds that he has a trump card." The blade demoness said.

What she said is partly true. If Aeternus is really a demon of envy he would copied their abilities. In fact, he didn't produce any normal spells apart from the black flames he is wielding. How can a demon of envy not be able to cast spells?

Aeternus shrugged. He wasn't trying to convince them not to attack him so he shut up. He didn't copy their magical attacks because it wasn't worth it. He also doesn't need to tell them that every demon has a trump card. Even that disgusting worm fly that blew itself up isn't dead because of its trump card. To underestimate another demon is folly.

What he wants to do is rattle them up, and make himself seem falsely confident. Then they will use the trump card for sure. If he appears unconcerned and unbothered, it might give them doubts.

"Why don't you just give up? There's still hope as long as you're alive. There's no need for tricks. We could kill you if we want, but we need you alive. You can be sure of your safety if you surrender." The scorpion demon sighed and asked.

Aeternus ignored the good demon and bad demon act. To surrender is to place your fate in another person's hands.

He said to them. "Why don't you surrender? I'll be honest with you. Your safety is not guaranteed afterward."

Seeing as Aeternus was unyielding and showing false bravado, the demon scorpion said to the beholder. "Do it."

The beholder lit up. Its eye glowed like the sun, bright and out of place in the abyss. Demons could see the light of the attack for miles. They also understood that whoever that attack hit will perish as long as they are not demon nobles.

The attack was imminent but Aeternus stayed still and didn't dodge. He understood that he couldn't dodge and he couldn't effectively block the attack. The reason why attacks fueled with divinity hurt demons more is because of their combination with a spiritual component which changes the nature of the attack.

The attack has a spiritual and magical component. Targeting is done primarily by the spiritual aspect and power is carried by the magical aspect. The two aspects can switch functions and amplify each other. Just like spiritual attacks can't be dodged when they lock on to your soul frequency, It makes it impossible to dodge. The attack locks onto its target and will pass through dimensional walls to reach its target.

The damage is amplified because the attack does what it shouldn't be able to do. The spiritual component can damage the physical body and the magical component can also damage the soul because of their unique fusion.

Targeting and Damage aren't the only things that an attack like this does well. Blocking is also almost impossible unless the two components can be blocked at once.

All this knowledge flashed through Aeternus's mind as he considered his options. His claymore can block the magical component but not the spiritual one, while his soul can shrug off the spiritual component but his body will collapse from the magical one. The cloak of chaos energy around him is capable of blocking both components but the power rating of the attack is beyond his defense rating.

"Truly worthy of a trump card. Now it's mine." He said in admiration as his mark of sin worked in conjunction with his soul.

Since he let them load the attack he has a much better alternative. He doesn't plan to just sit there and take it. As the eye finished glowing and fired a large beam of light 1 meter in diameter at Aeternus, Aeternus began to glow too.

His glow wasn't shiny like that of the eye. It was dark and ominous, but the power of the beam he fired overwhelmed the beam that Niva fired. His dark beam was larger, it consumed Niva's beam and Niva too. The explosion also took the lives of the blade demoness and the scorpion demon of weakness.