Extra's Path To Demon King

As the mighty demonic roar of the Demon of Despair tore through the fabric of heaven and earth, its catastrophic pressure bore down on the dead, reanimated spirits of the Psychic entities summoned by the Dusker Duke.

For the first time in countless agonising years, these emotionless abstract battle puppets relived what it felt like to experience genuine emotions once more.

To feel again, even if it was the soul-crushing emotion named despair, caused the faces of these third-phase entities to scrunch up in visceral displeasure.

Tiny, almost unseen, glittering cracks formed across their invisible bodies... a subtle unravelling that only Axel, with his heightened demonic perception, could truly see.

The Demon’s eyes trembled with a sudden, profound realisation that dawned upon his mind, a realisation of the true, boundless power hiding behind his Sin of Despair.

The ability to invoke despair was not merely restricted to living, breathing beings; it could be inflicted upon inanimate objects, abstract constructs, techniques, processes, or virtually anything in existence.

Of course, his mastery was not nearly at such an inconceivable level yet.

However, because these Psychic Warriors of Allen Dusker resembled living beings despite being artificial constructs, it allowed his concept of Despair to reach the core of these entities far more easily, using their human-like form as a conduit for his demonic influence.

Upon arriving at this sudden realisation, Axel did not grin in malicious delight as he normally would upon finding a major point of breakthrough in the heat of a tough battle. Instead, his two distinct heartbeats began to slow down.

Their chaotic drumming and furious pumping of blood and demonic energy gradually synchronised, pulsing in a steady, unified rhythm, drumming one right after the other.

He was undergoing an epiphany, a profound demonic enlightenment regarding his sin ability.

Until now, Axel had utilised his demonic energy and his Sin of Despair primarily to fuel his offensive might, channelled through the pitch-black despair flames capable of directly burning the spirit and incinerating the Soul Sanctums of any seeker.

But a fundamental question arose within his consciousness as the rattled army of Abstract warriors turned their empty, inhumane gazes toward him, gazes that now flickered with subtle hints of lingering emotion.

They rushed toward him once more, with the formidable 5th-phase entity preparing another offensive. Yet Axel did not bother to dodge or panic. He remained utterly still, continuing to absorb the pure essence of his realisation.

The black despair flames enveloping Axel’s black relic sword began to flicker erratically. Amidst those swirling dark flames, delicate strands of pure whiteness emerged.

The pitch-black fire transformed into a chaotic, uneven symphony of white and black flames existing on equal footing, remarkably similar to the smooth, flowing white veins running across his grey demonic body.

This time, the phenomenon was vastly different. The previous black flames had been born purely of his demonic energy, attributed with despair but ultimately crafted as an instrument of spiritual destruction.

This new mixture of black and white flames, however, was not built for the final output of destruction. Rather, it was forged to express the purest, rawest form of Despair in its absolute, harrowing glory... the raw attribute of despair directly unleashed without filtering or secondary processing.

By that time, the figure leading the charge of the encroaching abstract army was a powerful 4th-phase seeker. Without a moment’s hesitation, Axel swiped his blade through the heavy air. In a sweeping crescent arc, his newly achieved dual flames shot out toward the 4th-phase entity.

Although the construct attempted to dodge well before the strike connected, preventing a point-blank impact, several stray embers of the dual flames still grazed the abstract figure. From that single point of contact, web-like black cracks immediately began spreading across its invisible body.

These cracks were strikingly visible to the naked eye, unlike the invisible psychic energy of the Duke from which these warriors had been constructed.

The affected abstract entity began to struggle madly, thrashing as its 4th-phase structure slowly but surely crumbled. As the manifestation deteriorated, Axel could clearly perceive the entity’s true human face and genuine expression.

For a brief instant, the Demon felt a shock of disbelief. In the construct’s final moments, despite the harrowing despair Axel had injected into its psychic form, and despite how twisted its face was in agonising sorrow, the face wore a serene smile.

It was as if, even while enduring the torment of Despair, feeling any emotion was a divine blessing compared to the endless, hollow void of puppeted existence.

The Demon frowned, his mind briefly struggling to comprehend the profound reasoning behind such a reaction.

Then, as the dark cracks caused by his dual-colored flames enveloped the entity completely, the figure crumbled away, wearing an expression that blended blissful relief with excruciating pain. In its final moments, the spirit seemed far more relieved than tormented.

Shaking off the lingering feeling of confusion, Axel flapped his massive, bat-like demonic wings and dashed toward the rest of the incoming abstract armada summoned by the Duke. Arching his right arm far back, he slashed forward with all his physical and demonic might.

He let out a mighty demonic battle cry that threatened to shake the very heavens and earth. Yet the sound fell slightly short of shattering the sky, as this domain remained under the absolute authority and control of the Duke of Dusker.

Nevertheless, the moment the true essence of despair carried within the dual-coloured black-and-white flames touched the approaching invisible army, it spread like wildfire.

This was no longer just the simple Attribute of Despair at work; it was the manifestation of his supreme demonic authority over the Sin of Despair itself.

The Sin of Despair was not merely targeting the near-dead spirits of the hundreds of Abstract Warriors, for those invisible constructs were ultimately nothing more than extensions of the Duke’s technique.

Instead, his Despair was striking directly at the core of the Psychic Construction ability that operated these Abstract Seekers in a roundabout fashion.

As the hundreds of 3rd-phase Abstract Figures caught fire from the dual-colored flames, black cracks of despair tore through their invisible bodies, forcing them to materialise fully in the physical realm.

Wearing the same bittersweet smiles, they crumbled into glittering spiritual dust, leaving behind not even ashes.

Despite his horrific demonic nature, Axel received only feelings of profound gratitude from the dissolving spirits, a sensation he could feel vividly due to his innate demonic ability of Emotional Sense.

With the 3rd-phase entities eliminated, the remaining 4th-phase Abstract warriors grew visibly wary.

But the Demon granted them no respite, charging forward with a furious roar that promised total annihilation. In every single move, every posture, and every blade strike, he channelled the deepest essence of despair in its purest form.

Consequently, even the formidable 4th-phase entities were swiftly dismantled by demonic hands oozing with absolute despair. Axel felt a rich spectrum of emotions radiating from their dying visages, beings far stronger than the ones before.

Axel could feel deep within his bones that he was ascending higher and higher in his comprehension of the true essence of Despair.

He had previously assumed that absorbing the collective despair of billions of humans would instantly push his understanding of this sin to its absolute pinnacle.

However, he now realised how mistaken he had been. No matter how deeply he comprehended this concept, there was always a further expanse to explore, an endless depth resembling the vast Abyss.

Interestingly, he had never experienced this infinite depth with the Sin of Obsession, over which he had held absolute, effortless mastery from the very moment he transformed into the Demon of Eternal Obsession.

Axel let out a heavy sigh within his monstrous demonic visage, finally turning his gaze toward the solitary 5th-phase Abstract existence, which had mysteriously refrained from attacking up to this point. Slowly, the entity’s mouth moved.

For the first time, an incorporeal voice echoed outward, not travelling through physical air particles, but vibrating through a spiritual medium that barged directly into Axel’s mind.

"One strike. Show me your single strongest attack," the entity communicated solemnly. "That shall decide the victor amongst us."

After a heavy pause, it added, "Because I also wish to be free, just like my comrades and subordinates whom you have liberated from the eternal slavery of the Dusker Duchy. However, that still depends on whether you are truly strong enough."

Axel was visibly shocked by the voice, having never expected these energy constructs to possess true sentience and speech.

Suspicion flickered in his mind, questioning if this was merely a deceptive trick orchestrated by the Duke of Despair, as he would not be surprised if Allen attempted such a ruse.

The elite powerhouses who achieved the milestone of stepping into the 5th phase were universally cruel, ruthless, and cunning; no 5th-phase seeker was a fool or weak in any sense.

Without dallying any further, Axel readied himself and shifted his posture.

The black relic sword in his hand vanished into thin air. Instead, he raised a single clawed hand high toward the heavens and closed his eyes. It mattered little if the Psychic warrior attempted a surprise attack, as all of Axel’s senses remained sharply open.

His energy sense expanded across a full kilometre radius despite the oppressive suppression from the Duke’s willpower dominating the domain.

Osiris inhaled deeply as the 5th-phase Abstract warrior braced himself to unleash his most lethal offence.

The Demon of Despair let out a soft exhale of demonic breath and swiped his raised hand downward.

To an outside observer, the movement appeared agonisingly slow, yet the enemy facing him could sense the incomprehensible, devastating power coiled within that single, deliberate gesture.

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