Max lay on the broad back of his summoned bird as it carried him toward the distant city. His body ached, his stomach burned with hunger, and his mind felt heavy with exhaustion. His food supplies had run out a while ago.
He didn't even know how much time had passed.
There was no sunrise. No sunset. No stars to track the flow of days. If he had to guess, it had been at least a week… maybe more.
He had kept his end of the deal.
Nazra's competitors were gone,wiped out completely. Their destruction had also served Max's own purpose, feeding power into his statue. Along the way, he had fought powerful demons and experienced firsthand just how irritating magic truly was.restraints and restrictions.
All preparing him for his fight with Nazra because he has to die.
One way or another.
The bird flew straight into the massive barrier surrounding the city. The moment it crossed the threshold, it vanished in a puff of smoke. The suppression effect hit Max instantly, ripping away his chakra control.
His body plummeted.
Max twisted midair, flipped once, and crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact. Dust and debris exploded outward in a wide shockwave.
He didn't stay down for even a second.
Pushing off the ground, Max dashed forward, blurring through the streets as he headed straight for the castle. Within minutes, he stood before the massive gates.
Two demon guards stepped forward, crossing their spears to block the entrance.
Max frowned.
"Let me enter."
"I'm afraid we cannot allow that," one demon began. "Lord Nazra gave us specific orders—"
The sentence never finished.
Max's hand snapped forward.
With a single slap, the demon's head burst apart, reduced to wet pulp. Before the second guard could even scream, Max grabbed it by the face and slammed it into the ground.
Its skull popped like an overripe fruit.
Max exhaled sharply.
He had no patience left.
This needed to end.
He stepped up to the massive doors and grabbed the handles. A red glow flared across their surface. They didn't budge.
His brow furrowed.
He tried to summon his Susanoo.
Blue chakra flames flickered around his bodyt,then instantly collapsed into nothingness.
Max clenched his teeth.
The barrier was far more troublesome than he had anticipated.
Planting his feet apart, he drew back his fist and punched the door with everything he had.
The magic shattered like glass.
Cracks spread instantly across the surface.
A second punch sent the massive doors flying off their hinges, crashing into the interior of the castle with a deafening boom.
Max stepped inside.
Darkness swallowed the halls.
His Rinnegan scanned the surroundings as he moved deeper into the castle. He pushed open another door and froze.
Curtains were pulled aside, revealing a dimly lit chamber.
In the center was a massive pool.
Max felt bile rise in his throat.
The pool was filled with blood.
Entrails floated across the surface. Severed limbs drifted slowly. Human heads stared blankly upward, their expressions frozen in terror.
This was the sixth time he had seen something like this since entering this hellish realm.
And somehow…
It never became easier to look at.
At the center of the pool, Nazra lay sprawled out, submerged in gore like it was a luxurious bath.
Max's voice echoed coldly through the room.
"I've done your dirty work. Now let them go."
The demon lord stirred.
Slowly, Nazra rose from the pool, blood sliding off his body like water.
"Ah… Max. You've returned," Nazra said with a twisted smile. "I must say, you are quite efficient. I thought this would take far longer."
He stepped closer.
"I could use someone like you at my side. Imagine what we could accomplish together."
Max's eyes narrowed.
"I thought I made myself clear. I work for no one."
Nazra sighed dramatically.
"A shame. Such potential… wasted. It's unfortunate that it has to end this way."
Silence hung between them.
Then Max spoke again.
"You never intended to release them from the start, did you?"
Nazra chuckled softly.
"Of course not. Why would I give up the only bargaining chips I possess? Your reason for coming to this place was painfully obvious."
Max's chakra flared faintly around him.
"Then I know exactly what I must do."
The air grew heavy.
Killing intent flooded the chamber.
The moment the words left Max's mouth, Nazra moved.
The demon lord's left hand ignited with crimson light. Without hesitation, he thrust it forward.
A bolt of blood-red lightning tore through the air.
Max reacted instantly, twisting his body and leaping sideways. The lightning struck the ground where he had been standing a split second earlier.
BOOOOM!
The impact carved a massive crater into the stone floor, debris and shattered rock blasting outward in all directions.
Max landed lightly on his feet, eyes narrowing.
Yeah… this guy is on another level.
If I can't use ninjutsu in here, then I'll rely on taijutsu.
Or… I go all out.
There has to be a limit to how much this barrier can suppress me.
He crossed his arms.
"Gate of Opening… open."
His figure vanished.
Nazra's instincts screamed. He barely managed to raise his guard before Max's fist slammed into it.
BANG!
The shockwave cratered the ground beneath them as Nazra was launched backward, smashing through multiple castle walls like a cannonball.
Max didn't slow down.
He crossed his arms again.
"Gate of Healing, open. Gate of Life, open. Gate of Pain, open."
With a thunderous boom, he disappeared again, chasing after Nazra.
Nazra stabilized midair just in time, twisting aside as Max slammed into the spot where he had been.
BOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire structure. The remaining walls collapsed, sending tremors rippling throughout the city.
Dust and rubble rained down from the sky.
Nazra hovered above the ruins, crimson energy swirling around his body.
"Impressive," he sneered. "But I won't fall that easily."
A massive red magic circle formed in front of him.
From its center, molten lava erupted outward, shaping itself into a roaring dragon of flame and magma that surged toward Max.
Max clasped his hands together.
"Hirudora!"
He compressed the air violently between his palms and released it.
A massive white tiger made of pure compressed air exploded forward.
The two attacks collided at the center.
KABOOOOOOM!
The resulting explosion swallowed the battlefield.
The shockwave obliterated what remained of the castle, reducing it to rubble and scattering flaming debris across the city.
Normally, Max would have required the Seventh Gate to use Hirudora.
But his current base strength allowed him to perform it with only the Fourth Gate.
When the flames cleared, Max stood unscathed.
That's when he noticed it.
The crushing weakness he had felt earlier had dimmed slightly.
The castle was connected to the barrier.
His thoughts were cut off as his danger sense screamed.
Max dodged backward just as a massive bolt of red lightning ripped through the ground beneath him, tearing the street apart.
He looked up and there Nazra floated high above the city, wrapped in a blazing crimson aura.
The demon lord raised his hand and clenched his fist.
The ground trembled violently.
Gigantic clawed hands made of earth and stone erupted from the streets, ripping buildings apart and shattering paved roads as they reached for Max.
Demons screamed in terror while others fled.
Others were crushed under collapsing structures.
Max twisted and leaped between the grasping hands, flipping through the air.
One hand managed to grab him.
CRACK!
It shattered instantly as Max burst free.
He charged forward, unleashing a storm of rapid punches. Each strike ignited the air, sending flaming shockwaves that pulverized the stone arms.
Yet more kept rising.
Max stopped and crossed his arms one final time.
"Gate of Limit… open. Gate of Joy… open. Gate of Shock… open!"
A brilliant blue aura erupted from his body.
Violent wind pressure blasted outward, extinguishing the surrounding flames and tearing debris from the ground.
The air warped around him.
Max bent his knees,And vanished.
Nazra never saw him move.
One moment, he was floating in the air, watching the human struggle.
The next moment.
His chest exploded inward.
A massive hole tore straight through his torso as his body was launched backward at impossible speed.
Nazra slammed into the barrier with a deafening boom.
The barrier cracked.
Then shattered.
The moment it broke, the suppression on Max completely disappeared.
Max rose into the sky, hovering above the ruined city.
Below him, demons scrambled in panic.
Some fled through broken streets.Others knelt in terror.
Max closed his eyes.
He thought of the children.
He knew Nazra would never release them.he had already tricked him with a fake binding pact, no more,and if he let's him live here,he will keep harming more people and that he cannot allow.
He deactivated the Gates and created a shadow clone beside him.
Both raised their palms downward.
Energy began to gather.
Two blazing Ki Bombs formed in their hands.
They were released simultaneously.
The twin spheres spiraled around each other midair, merging into a single blazing mass of destruction.
A miniature sun was born.
At least fifty meters in diameter.
Nazra burst from the rubble, his body burning with rage and hatred.
"I REFUSE… TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF A HUMAN!"
He unleashed a colossal bolt of crimson lightning straight into the descending sphere.
When two forces collided the sky turned white.
Lightning arcs ripped outward from the point of impact, tearing the ground apart and vaporizing demons caught in the blast radius.
For a moment, the attacks were evenly matched.
Then the Ki Bomb began to push forward.
It expanded.
Doubling in size.
Then tripling.
Nazra screamed as the sphere swallowed his lightning.
The sun detonated.
FLASH.
The explosion erased everything.
When Max opened his eyes only a massive crater remained.
Nothing was left.Not even fragments to feed his statue.
Max exhaled slowly,he didnt even care that he had passes the chance to feed his statue, there are probably be more demons on the surface, coming here may have been a mistake because he has seen a lot of things that he cannot unsee while he was here.
He just wanted to leave this place.
Pulling out the orb Constantine had given him, Max crushed it in his hand as light enveloped his body.
And in a flash,He vanished.
End of Chapter
You can get up to 15+ chapters at Patreon.com/Darkerknight
A/N: I've finally made up my mind guys,the DC Mercenary fanfic is getting a rewrite and has already begun and is currently at chapter 1 at the moment since I started the rewrite today but I'll start posting it here when it reaches 16 chapters which should take about 2-3 weeks if I don't get a writers block. till next time!