Chapter 179: The Rain Pours. Kogen’s Final Form.

Chapter 179: The Rain Pours. Kogen’s Final Form.

“It’s really just a scratch,” Sasha states. “My arm is still good enough to crush you.”

“Is that so?” Kogen replies. “Let’s test it then!”

Kogen steps back and fires a barrage of laser beams from his fingers. Sasha deflects them all with rapid movements of her hand, each strike redirected with precise, violent flicks of her wrist.

“I’ve adjusted to your finger lasers,” Sasha declares.

“I’ve got something for you as well!” she shouts as she charges forward.

She slices her hand diagonally, causing a large diagonal slash of darkness to erupt from the floor itself. Kogen leaps to the side just in time to avoid it.

Kogen smirks. “You’re not the only one who can avoid attacks.”

“There’s more to my attack,” Sasha says.

“Hm?”

Sasha dashes forward with impressive speed and grabs Kogen. She slams him hard into the floor and immediately forms a dark spear in her hand, raising it with the intent to stab him.

“I prefer piercing with my hand, but my spear will stop you from moving while I torture you.”

Kogen smiles and then opens his mouth. A red beam of energy fires out without warning.

“From your mouth!?” Sasha exclaims.

The beam strikes her and blasts her off Kogen, giving him the opening he needs to rise to his feet.

Kogen begins forming powerful magic energy in his hands. The energy stretches and sharpens, taking the shape of an enormous arrow. Across from him, Sasha forms a dense Black Energy Ball. Its size is much greater than usual. Black sparks of electricity surge outward, the ball’s enormous power barely contained within.

“Will your power be able to stop this!?” Kogen shouts.

Sasha’s body trembles with sadistic anticipation as she grins. “On the contrary, I want to see you get up from this!”

Zeth’s eyes snap open in alarm, witnessing the combined power of their impending attacks. “Everyone!! Take cover!!!”

The heroes who are not fighting immediately dive for cover, fully aware of how devastating the incoming attacks will be.

“Try not to get vaporized by my attack!” Kogen shouts. “I will turn you into an Enigmus! That will be my ultimate revenge on the Dark Goddess!”

“Go ahead and try not to kill me, because I’m not holding back!!” Sasha screams.

They release their attacks at the same time. Kogen’s arrow of energy and Sasha’s dark ball collide head-on. Neither overpowers the other, leading to them both detonating within moments. The resulting explosion is catastrophic. It rips through the fortress, obliterating a huge section of the structure as debris and shockwaves tear outward in all directions. Kogen’s throne is completely vaporized.

***

The sky above is now choked with dark storm clouds. Lightning flashes violently as rain pours down into the roofless room full of debris.

Amid the destruction, both Kogen and Sasha still stand, visibly damaged. Their clothes are torn, their bodies marked with fresh wounds. The upper half of Kogen’s uniform is fully gone. All that remains of Sasha’s green tank top is the section covering her chest.

“It looks like both of us made it out of the attack without severe injuries,” Kogen says. He smirks as he continues speaking. “But what about your friends? Did you forget about them?”

Sasha’s eyes widen in realization. “Zeth! Kurt! Emily! Joe! Keith! Please tell me you’re all okay!!”

Zeth pulls himself out from beneath a pile of rubble, coughing. “…I’m fine! Is everyone else okay!?”

The others begin emerging as well, battered but alive.

“Yeah…” Kurt groans. “I think so.”

“Just… barely hanging in here,” Joe mutters.

“That was too close, honestly,” Emily says. “Keith, you should have taken us into a portal.”

“Sorry,” Keith replies. “There wasn’t time to get everyone into a portal.”

Sasha exhales in relief. “Thank goodness…”

Kogen watches her closely, smiling. “Your friends got lucky. Good for you. However, your luck will soon run out.”

Sasha glares at him, anger sharpening her expression. “You’re a fool if you think you will actually defeat me.”

“Still trying to downplay my power, eh?” Kogen asks. “Look around you! This destruction wasn’t done by one person! Our powers are literally and figuratively through the roof!” He gestures toward the raging sky. “This storm… What a wonderful setting for our battle.”

The storm’s winds wave Sasha’s hair around.

Kogen spreads his arms out wide and tilts his head back, rain pouring over him. “Rain… Such a great atmosphere for a climactic battle.”

“More like a perfect way to send you to your grave,” Sasha growls. “Enough talk! I’m going to obliterate you!”

She charges forward and throws a punch. Kogen blocks it. She spins to the side and throws another one, which is also blocked. She leaps over him and drives a kick into his back. As Kogen turns around, a Black Energy Ball slams into him and detonates on impact.

The blast knocks him into a partially standing wall. The structure collapses the moment he hits it.

“Your insides will be carved out!!” Sasha roars.

She rushes in and thrusts her right hand toward his chest. Kogen grabs her arm just in time to stop the piercing attack.

Sasha immediately strikes with her other hand, punching him hard in the gut. Kogen coughs up blood.

“Now’s my chance!” Sasha thinks.

Before she can attempt to pierce his chest again, Kogen swipes at her. She jumps back, narrowly avoiding the attack as he regains his footing.

“You have stopped me from piercing you and carving out your insides, but you won’t win like this.”

“What!?” Kogen snaps.

“Give up on your goal to capture Zeth and me. Unless you fight to kill me, you won’t beat me.”

“What you say is insane!” Kogen yells. “There is nothing I can’t accomplish! Your divine power is still undeveloped, so don’t act all high and mighty!”

“Sticking to your goal, I can assure you that you won’t leave alive,” Sasha replies coldly.

Kogen’s expression twists with fury. His hands clench tightly. “Just wait and see,” he mutters. Just a moment later, his whole body bulks up, every muscle in his body increasing in size. His skin changes, shifting from soft human skin to dark scaly demon skin everywhere except his chest and abdomen.

Sasha’s eyes widen. “No! I won’t let you get stronger!”

She launches forward, sticking two fingers forward. However, Kogen pounds her in the face to knock her back.

“You just sit back and watch as my final form finishes,” Kogen says with a monstrous tone.

Orange glow lines spread around his torso. His biceps grow slightly larger. His teeth sharpen further. His one eye glows orange with a dark red iris.

With his transformation finished, he roars up at the sky.

Sasha stares with genuine worry.

Joe once again aims the syringe at his arm, his eyes filled with terror.

“Joe, use the damn thing or don’t!” Kurt yells. “Your indecision will get us all killed!!”

Sasha overhears Kurt and turns her head to look back at Joe, noticing the syringe. Her eyes widen with intrigue.

***

While their battle continues to rage on, Goma finds a staircase leading outside the fortress after the massive explosion destroyed much of the structure. From a distance, he observes the recent developments of the fight.

Goma crouches behind scattered rubble in the distance.

He thinks, “Another divine being? It’s time to watch and see if she can take down Kogen.”

Sasha’s eyes gaze upon the syringe…

Chapter 179 END

To be Continued in Chapter 180: The Demon’s Demon