The Novel's Professor

"Come!" Aza shouted, his hand clenching. Behind him, the tentacles rampaged, ready to strike on his command. "Rio Salem!"

Rio gave the man an expressionless stare. His eyes, callous and uncaring. He nudged his hands together, raising both to his front. From his hands, long dark red spikes protruded. The tip shining amidst the dark surroundings.

Rio straightened his back, assuming a stance. He brought both of his hand together, prepared to attack.

In that moment, he dashed in to Aza.

Swoosh—!

Aza immediately reacted. He manipulated the tentacles on his back, slamming it into the air in front of him.

Boom—!

Rio appeared like a blur, his hands raised as he swung both of the spikes to Aza—the spikes swiftly moved in an arc, cutting the tentacles to half.

Woosh—!

Aza staggered, his body retreating slightly. Suddenly, the damaged tentacles on his back regenerated. The tentacles regrew to its former state, completely undamaged and uncut.

Aza took initiative this time—he dashed in to Rio, not letting the brown haired man recover. He manipulated the corrupted magical energy inside him, applying a skill. Suddenly, he shouted.

In that instant, a deafening shout resounded through the area. The shout resembled that of a demonic melody, ear-rupturing and mystical. Aza shouted loudly, appearing like the harbinger of chaos.

"Argghhh....!!!" Rio screamed, his ears ringing as immense pain assaulted his mind. His ears bled beside his head, the blood dripping on the ground.

Woosh—!

Suddenly, before he could react, a blur appeared on his position. Aza dashed into his position... The next thing he saw was a large tentacle slamming into his body—a loud cracking sound echoed, his bones breaking apart from the impact.

Woosh—!

"Grahk...!" Rio spat out, his body flying through the air from the force. In that moment, before he could even recover, a blur once again appeared in his position.

"Ha..!" Aza shouted, manipulating the tentacles behind him. He slammed one of the tentacles to Rio's chest, making him hover above the sky. Afterwards, he slammed the other tentacles to Rio's back, pummelling Rio beneath the ground.

Crack—! Boom—!

The ground cracked as it shattered into smithereens. Rio growled, his body plummeted beneath the land. He tried to stand up, but a tentacle suddenly seized his body—preventing him from moving.

"This is all over..." Aza said, his footsteps resounding as he approached Rio. He pressed the tentacles on Rio's back, restraining the man from moving. "Sadly, you just picked the wrong fight. As I told you before, this was a meaningless fight. We could have just parted our ways and you would have lived...but,"

Rio growled, trying his best to move his body. But alas, the tentacles press was too strong—even with his demonization's immense physical strength, it couldn't bypass the tentacle.

"..Give it up. You wouldn't be able to move. My demonization is just far more superior than yours. I have devoured countless beings, upgrading my body, this power...and even my lifespan," Aza said, his head shaking. He raised one of the tentacles to the air—before he slammed it to Rio, he muttered. "It was enjoyable while it lasted. Unfortunately, destiny is just not on your side... Now, die."

Woosh—!

In that moment, the tentacle descended to the ground—however, just as it was about to touch Rio's body, it suddenly withdrew. Aza leaped to the side, withdrawing the tentacles. His face wearing a grim expression.

Swoosh—!

Suddenly, without warning, the illusionary image of void around the area bursted. Rio clenched his hand, releasing it right after. The depthless darkness blasted in the air, targeting his own body.

Aza retreated slightly. He furrowed his brows, confused. What was the man doing this time...?

The void-energy entered within Rio's body—doing... nothing. In that moment, Rio took advantage of Aza's distraction and moved from his position. His body appearing like a blur as he vanished from the ground in an instant.

"It was a feint...?!" Aza shouted in surprise. He thought that the man was using a lethal trick! Suddenly, he felt a presence loom behind his back. He turned his head behind.

Woosh—!

In that moment, Rio swung the spike on his hand in an arc while he stabbed the other spike in Aza's body—the sharpness easily penetrated through Aza's flesh, creating a large, lethal wound.

"Argh...!!!" Aza shouted in pain, blood erupting from his back. He staggered over the ground, his body falling beneath. He tried to block the spikes with his tentacles, however likewise—it was cut.

Thud—!

Above him, Rio stared at him expressionlessly. Rio withdrew his arm, raising it once more. The long dark red spike shone—the moonlight reflecting its sharpness—he plunged it below Aza.

Swoosh—!

Before the sharp spikes could touch Aza's body, the tentacles, reinforced with corrupted energy behind Aza, moved—blocking the spikes from harming his body. Aza growled, staring into Rio's eyes. "Why is that you fight?! This is all... meaningless!! Do you truly reject the salvation of mankind?!"

Rio didn't respond, staying silent. He raised his other arm, pointing it to Aza's face. In that instant, a long, dark red spike protruded from his other hand.

The rain pattered softly, dripping onto the ground. The wind whistled as the rotten, lifeless leaves drifted on the air. There was no sound heard from the land; only silence that brought eternal tranquility.

"Rio Salem..." Aza muttered, his body on the ground, unable to stand up. He stared into Rio's eyes. "Tell me..."

Rio's hand stopped. The dark red spike stopping at Aza's forehead, the sharpness of the tip making the cult leader's head bleed.

"The answer you found... did it satisfy you?" Aza asked, the tentacles slowly dropping to the ground. His eyes turned melachonlic, as if accepting his defeat.

"...Why does it matter to you?" Rio asked with a frown as he stopped his hand from advancing.

"Because..." Aza muttered, closing his eyes. The tentacles dropped to the ground. He paused for a while before continuing. He opened his eyes—shouting. "The answer I found satisfied me...!!!"

Woosh—!

In that instant, Aza manipulated the corrupted magical energy within him. Using all his corrupted magical energy, he reinforced his entire body. The energy revitalized his body—reinforcing it with immense physical strength.

He clenched his hand, slamming it to Rio.

Rio immediately tried to stab Aza's forehead. However, Aza's flesh was like steel—No. That was a severe understatement. Aza's skin was much harder than steel, stronger than metal. Even the spike's sharpness couldn't do anything to it.

Suddenly, before he could react—faster than the wind, not even a blur; a clenched fist appeared, thrusting into his stomach.

Woosh—! Bam—!

Rio gawked, his body blasting through the air from the impact.

The overwhelming strength broke his body—shattering his bones and injuring his organs within. Rio hacked, vomiting out blood on the ground. "Y—hack!...ou..—hack!"

"...Oh, Rio Salem." Aza said, the tentacles behind him helping him stand up from the ground. His footsteps echoed, approaching Rio. "I cannot afford to die by all means. Even if you think of me as a shallow man... I have my own convictions and reasons. It is within The Devourer's help that I gained an answer, likewise yourself. Without The Devourer...you, and I...would be aimless, and lost forever,"

Rio growled, his body too pained to stand up. He struggled vehemently—but alas, his body was broken beyond repair from the single punch. He could feel his organs bleed within him.

"Imagining myself as lost forever. It...terrifies me," Aza said, his body shuddering. "..Now that I am blessed with an answer myself...I thought of others. The others who were as unfortunate as me. But unlike them, they have no help. Their lives forever lost without The Devourer. They would be lost... Eternally. Humanity would be lost, forever, without direction...that future, pains me. It utterly pains me. Humans are humans because of avarice and greed, and the lack of such is equal to a monstrous tragedy. It is akin to a God losing his divinity."

"...That is why...I joined this cult, and became the archbishop under that 'man's' orders..." Aza said, the tentacles behind his body immediately withdrawing... Ah, the corrupted energy was already exhausted. Nevertheless, he continued. "My goal, our goal... is the salvation of humanity. A future where humanity would fully embrace their desires and greed. Only then will humanity will reach their full potential... It is a Utopic world, Salem. It is a future, a world...where all humans, no matter the status and strength, would chase their own desires and ideals—fulfilling themself and bringing them close to their happiness. Greed brings humans to their full potential, thus improving humanity, civilization, everything to its whole...! That cannot be disproved...! After all, we are the proof of such miracle.."

Crack—!

In that instant, the image of the surrounding void shattered. The depthless darkness vanished, as if never existing in the first place. Rio closed his eyes—the Dimensional Expansion shattered. He couldn't control it anymore.

As soon as the Dimensional Expansion disappeared, immense pain suddenly assaulted his body—Rio's eyes widened, his mouth opening as he screamed from pain—the curse was back.

"Ah.." Aza muttered, his eyes noticing something. "My [Divine Weapon] is back...but alas, I have no more corrupted magical energy within me for me to use it. That is truly a pity. But nonetheless, I wouldn't need it. My body is enough."

From afar, on the ground, Rio screamed in pain—the curse was destroying him from within. The pain was all too familiar... It was like during the Blood Ritual. It was like during the moment he woke up earlier. It tormented him, both body and mind.

He scrambled his hands, wanting to stop the pain. Suddenly, he felt something return within his body—it was the corrupted energy; it flowed once more. It spread once more... Without hesitating, he immediately manipulated the corrupted energy, reinforcing his body.

"Argh..." Rio groaned, the pain lessening as the corrupted magical energy strengthened his body. He crawled backwards, trying to recover from the pain. "...Aza"

Aza approached his body, walking towards his position. ...The corrupted energy within his body was close to exhausting. The moment the energy would vanish, he would die. Unless...he could devour someone, some being's blood and turn it into corrupted energy beforehand.

Aza raised his head, staring into Rio's eyes. "...Rio."

Using all his strength, Rio wearily stood up from the ground. He stared at his body... His body had wounds all over his flesh. His blood... still cursed, would erupt any moment and kill him thereafter. His mind, disrupted and chaotic as if no thoughts could properly articulate.

...The only thing saving both his body and mind from falling apart and crumbling was the corrupted energy he had reinforced. But the moment it would vanish, he was dead.

Rio stood up from the ground, his body staggering in pain. He raised his head, staring into Aza's eyes. "...Aza."

In that moment, both figures simultaneously realized that this was the final battle. This would determine who would win and live...likewise, who would lose and die.

The rain pattered softly on both figures, dampening the clothes they were wearing. The wind whistled as the moonlight shone; reflecting the showdown between two men both in their death throes.

At that moment, both Aza and Rio ran at each other.