**'Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion'**

Chapter 544: Chapter 543: Ability Vs skill

"I see now..."

Suddenly, Leta spoke and laughed, catching Keith off guard.

Keith frowned.

See what?

Just as he was confused, Leta continued.

"Although I would say having an ability gives you the edge but... do you really think that’s enough?!"

Leta roared as he moved.

This time, he was noticeably faster.

Keith instantly felt a sense of crisis.

He immediately retreated as the spot where he had been standing was blasted to smithereens.

At this moment, Leta was finally using the skill he had been holding back.

It was a technique passed down to warriors.

Before he had been captured and turned into a slave, Leta had been the son of a warrior.

His father had taught him this skill so he could protect himself.

But who would have thought his father would be killed, their noble house would abandon them, and he would be left to die before slave traders eventually captured him?

He wasn’t fighting in the arena just to survive.

He had revenge he still needed to take.

So...

He must not die.

No...

He couldn’t die.

He tightened his grip on his sword.

The skill worked by creating a vacuum that could draw an opponent toward him.

It could also be amplified through his attacks, creating an opposing force that blasted his opponent away.

Combined with his strikes, it became a terrifying technique.

Keith felt his back turn cold as he gulped.

What the actual hell...?

Having fought in this arena, he knew just how sturdy it was.

Yet Leta’s attack had effortlessly shattered the ground.

Was this the advantage of having a combat skill?

"Come here!"

"You wanted to fight like a man, right?!"

Leta shouted as he attacked once more.

Keith narrowly dodged, his body tensing.

Every dodge meant escaping a serious injury...

Or death.

Yet each attack was coming closer than the last.

Keith could clearly feel the terrifying power behind every strike.

He had no doubt.

Even the advanced battle armor he had been given wouldn’t be able to withstand those attacks.

What can I do?

Keith couldn’t help but ask himself as his mind worked at full speed, adrenaline flooding through his body.

He twisted like a serpent, narrowly avoiding another attack.

But he knew this couldn’t continue for long.

His ability placed a tremendous burden on his body.

Before, he had only used it on his hands, legs, or weapon.

Now it covered his entire body.

Even though it made him stronger...

Within a minute, the ability would disappear, and he would become weak again.

The moment that happened...

Everything would be over.

Boom!

Dodging another attack, Keith glanced at the five-meter-wide crater left behind and gritted his teeth.

That familiar feeling of weakness was beginning to creep back.

He felt just as he always had.

Like a weakling.

No matter how many times he stood back up...

No matter how hard he fought...

Or how much stronger he became...

It never seemed to be enough.

"Damn it... come on!"

Keith finally stood his ground as his back struck the arena wall.

Leta grinned.

"That’s more like it."

With a cruel smile, he attacked again.

This time, he intended to injure Keith.

He was tired of Keith constantly dodging.

Only after crippling him would he enjoy torturing him.

As he attacked, he activated the vacuum effect.

Keith suddenly felt his footing disappear as his body was dragged toward Leta.

The next instant, the attack descended.

Never again!

In Keith’s mind, Leta overlapped with the bullies from his childhood.

The incoming attack became nothing more than another fist flying toward his face.

With a furious roar, Keith charged forward instead.

Leta’s eyes widened.

Keith had actually pushed his shoulder forward and taken the attack head-on.

The instant Leta’s curved sword struck Keith’s armor, it shattered apart before driving deep into his right shoulder.

Then...

Bang!!

Keith’s left fist smashed into Leta’s head.

For a brief moment, Leta felt as though all the blood in his body had rushed backward.

Where... am I?

His vision blurred as it felt as though a giant bell had rung inside his skull.

But Keith didn’t give him time to recover.

Taking advantage of the close distance, Keith swung his scythe with his injured arm.

Goosebumps exploded across Leta’s body.

Without hesitation, he abandoned his sword and leaped backward, barely avoiding being cut in half.

"Argh!"

Keith groaned as he pulled the curved sword from his shoulder.

"ROAAARRR!!"

Like a wild beast, Keith charged once more.

"Fuck!"

Leta dodged, genuine fear filling his heart.

It wasn’t that Keith had suddenly become stronger or faster.

He was still roughly the same.

But...

Leta watched as Keith’s shoulder rapidly healed.

That was the problem.

He could regenerate.

And from everything that had happened so far, it was obvious Keith wasn’t afraid of being injured.

"No..."

"I’m still stronger."

"And I refuse to believe this doesn’t take a massive toll on him."

Leta muttered as he stared at the beast-like Keith.

He sidestepped the incoming scythe before driving a heavy punch into Keith’s chest.

Boom!!

A dull impact echoed through the arena as Keith was blasted over a dozen meters away.

Blood poured from his mouth as he crashed into the ground.

Most of his ribs had been shattered.

Even his heart had been pierced.

Leta was right.

Keith couldn’t keep this up.

If he had only had one minute before...

Then after entering this strange state, he had less than thirty seconds remaining.

Seeing this opportunity, Leta knew he had to kill Keith.

After all, even if this form had a time limit—or if the regeneration had its limits—he didn’t know when those limits would be reached.

Fighting someone who wasn’t afraid of injury was incredibly dangerous.

But at that moment...

Keith slowly stood back up.

His torn armor revealed a well-defined body, packed with lean muscle.

The female spectators couldn’t help but blush slightly, while many of the men coughed awkwardly.

None of them could believe they weren’t even as fit as a sixteen-year-old boy.

"Yes..."

"Watch as I slice you in half."

Gripping the hilt of his curved sword, Leta spoke with a smile.

Then...

His body was suddenly gripped by fear.

His blood seemed to freeze as an overwhelming sense of danger engulfed him.

Without hesitation, he activated the repelling effect of his skill, blasting Keith away.

But before Leta could breathe a sigh of relief...

Keith slammed the curved blade of his scythe into the ground and used it like an anchor, pulling his body straight toward Leta.

By then, the effect of Leta’s skill had already worn off.

Keith appeared only inches away from him.

His mouth twisted into a savage grin, making him look like a wild beast.

Leta felt every hair on his body stand on end.

"Get away!"

Leta kicked Keith, sending him flying backward.

But before he could relax...

Keith was already beside him again as leta slashed at him with his curved sword.

Shiiik!

The blade flashed through the air.

Yet Leta’s expression held no joy.

Keith had deliberately used his left forearm to block the attack.

Ignoring the wound, he grabbed Leta’s left arm.

Then—

"AAAAAGHH!!"

A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the arena as the crowd’s expressions twisted in horror.

Keith had ripped Leta’s left arm clean off.

Blood gushed from the severed shoulder as Keith casually threw the arm onto the ground.

Leta staggered backward, desperately clutching the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

But it was useless.

At that moment...

Keith slowly walked toward him.

The crimson aura surrounding him had grown even larger.

Now...

The title Devil made perfect sense.

"N-No..."

"No..."

"Don’t come any closer..."

"You... you devil!"

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