The broken ruins of Diablo's domain stretched endlessly in every direction, the crumbling stone and scattered debris giving the perfect battlefield for what was about to come. Haru's eyes glowed with determination, the maroon sclera and golden pupils reflecting the faint light of the shattered skies above.
Diablo stood casually a few meters away, black claw and silver gauntlet gleaming. He tilted his head slightly, smiling, as if observing a small child about to take their first steps.
Haru swallows and says "I`m ready, don`t hold back."
He had steeled his resolve. He would learn everything he can from Diablo. The thought of a Primordial training a random demon like himself. He would not waste this chance.
"Don`t hold back?" Diablo asked, his voice smooth, almost playful. "Well, you are going to have to make me use my full strength yourself."
Haru clenched his fists. "You know Noir, if you don`t take this seriously, you really will lose!"
Diablo smiles and says ''Interesting'.''
With that, Haru launched forward. Using Gravity Magic he bent the very air around him to increase his speed. He struck at Diablo with a barrage of punches, claw strikes from his right hand which he formed with Material Creation.
Diablo moved back dodging every punch and claw strike with effortless grace.
Haru seeing Diablo dodge every one of his attacks decides to attack with a downward kick infused with a large gravitational force.
Diablo simply sidesteps and Haru`s kick hit the ground, forming a massive crater.
"You're fast," Diablo said, twirling lightly on his toes, "but trying to outpace me is a big mistake. With such predictable moves as well. Try again."
Haru's mind raced. Thought acceleration. Parallel thinking. All of it. I can't be caught off guard! He activated every trick he had. Gravity pushes and pulls, fire magic, dark magic. At some point Haru stopped using his hands and pulled out his sword and executed rapid sword slashes, feints designed to confuse even the fastest opponents.
Diablo ignored every attack. He danced around Haru effortlessly, teleporting from spot to spot, his movements precise and fluid, almost taunting. Each time Haru thought he had an opening, Diablo was already somewhere else, smirking.
And Haru`s defence barriers were practically useless. Everytime he created a barrier to defend from Diablo`s soul crushing beatdowns, Diablo would simply swipe his hand and dispel it instantly.
"Your barriers…" Diablo mused casually. "Interesting. Very well made… but still it is still useless against me. A mere magic barrier cannot stop anyone from Archdemon level. What you need is a Multi-Layered Barrier."
Haru's eyes widened. Diablo had predicted every single one of his attacks. He was really out of his depth. Could he even land a blow he thought.
"Ah," Diablo said playfully, "You do know you are not the only being with thought acceleration right. Trying to read me using just that is pointless. You have to get more creative."
Haru gritted his teeth and launched again and tried to close the gap then with threw a sword slash with a crushing gravity crush, surrounding Diablo with immense pressure. Diablo just floated lightly, smiling, and placed his hand forward. Haru's magicwaves were shattered as if they were fragile glass.
"Your magic is not strong enough to do anything to me right now," Diablo said lightly, as if apologizing for crushing him. "Don't take it personally.… There is just that much of a gap between us."
Haru gritted his teeth and switched tactics. He decided to drop the magic and go with straight speed and sword strikes, his thought acceleration firing on all cylinders, planning a dozen parallel attack patterns in milliseconds.
Diablo laughed, lightly and amused. "You gave up on using your hands fairly quickly."
With barely any effort, Diablo teleported behind Haru, wrapping his claw around Haru's throat and lifting him into the air. Haru gasped, trying to counter with a flying sword slash, but Diablo's hand crushed it like a toy.
Haru said "Sorry, but it will take much more time to get used to fighting without a sword"
"Its fine. You're using everything you have," Diablo said softly, tilting his head, "It's… cute."
Cute he says! Haru was baffled. He had been putting in a 100% and Diablo casually called it cute.
Haru, angered by this statement struggled, straining every ounce of strength, his body screaming, trying to land even the slightest blow. He attacked with all his might. Every sword slash, every gravitational attack, every magic projectile, it was either absorbed, avoided, or redirected effortlessly.
Yes he had started using magic again. Both magic and close quarters was pointless anyway.
I… can't… touch him… Haru thought, panic starting to rise.
"Stop struggling for a second," Diablo said, gently letting Haru drop a meter to the ground after brutally beating him down. "Look at what you're capable of… and then look at me."
Haru coughed, struggling to breathe, his energy nearly depleted. He had expanded a lot of magicules, plus pain resistance was none existent against Dialo. He felt every blow. He tried to summon another gravitational push, only for Diablo to casually step aside, sidestepping every ounce of power Haru had built up.
"This is no good" Diablo said, landing gracefully. "At this point you will not be able to land a single blow. And I`m purposely holding back as well." Diablo then extended a hand, and before Haru could react, Haru's body was pinned against the ground with invisible force, suffocating him.
Diablo then said "Noir Flame" and a high tier black flame engulfed Haru.
Haru screamed in pain as he was burnt and mangled. He felt his spirit burning away bit by bit.
Haru gasped, vision blurring, on the verge of unconsciousness.
Diablo's expression softened. He then knelt down and placed a hand on Haru's chest. "There." In an instant, Haru's injuries healed, his energy fully restored.
Haru coughed again, staring up in disbelief. "Y-You… healed me?"
Diablo smiled widely, tilting his head. "Of course. Remember what I said, I will keep healing you over and over again. You're not done yet right? Come on let's go again."
Haru internally complained. This guy was craazy. He`s mind screamed at him to run, to hide. Since when was Diablo a sadist. Was that not Ultima`s thing. But with trembling hands, Haru prepared once more, gravity bending violently around him, sword ready, barriers at maximum output.
Diablo clapped his hands together softly and smiled. "Good. That's the spirit. Before we continue tho, I will teach you something to make close quarters combat a lot easier for you."
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