Debuff Master-Chapter 1050

Chapter 1050
“I’ve heard quite a lot about you,” Nigellus said.
The angel sounded as if he was already familiar with Siegfried.
Then again, most of the angels were aware of Siegfried's identity after his recent stunts. His name had spread so far and wide that even the Celestial Realm was abuzz with stories about him.
Some even said that if the Archangels succeeded in descending to the Middle Realm, the very first human they would hunt down and kill would be none other than Siegfried.
It was all because Siegfried had interfered too many times with the Celestial Realm’s attempts to descend into the Middle Realm.
“If I recall correctly, you were called Siegfried,” Nigellus said nonchalantly.
“Sorry to say, but it’s Siegfried von Proa. I’m royalty, you know?” Siegfried corrected him.
“As if human titles mean anything to me. That sort of thing holds no value whatsoever.”
“I’m not sure about that. I bet you wouldn’t like it if a
mere human
called an Archangel just a regular angel, would you?”
“What did you say?”
“What if I called you a low-ranking angel? I bet you’d be thrilled, wouldn't you?”
“You’ve got a sharp tongue,” Nigellus growled, his eyes flashing in irritation.
However, Siegfried had not said anything wrong, so there was not much to argue with.
“
Haha!
A half-baked demon lord mouthing off like that...” Nigellus muttered, shaking his head. Then, he glared and shouted, “How dare you!”
And with that, he made his move.
Shwaaaak!
A surge of powerful divine energy erupted from Nigellus, sweeping toward Siegfried like a tidal wave.
“
Arghh!”
Siegfried felt as if a violent vortex was ripping through him, as if he was being shredded from the inside out.
His stance buckled, leaving him wide open.
Chwaaak!
Nigellus did not miss the opening and sliced Siegfried’s shoulder.
“...!”
Upon sensing that he was hit, Siegfried instinctively leapt backward to avoid the follow-up strike.
Plop...!
Blood began streaming from his shoulder.
It was not a fatal blow, but it definitely dealt some damage.
‘
Damn, he’s insanely fast,’
Siegfried gritted his teeth.
That one exchange alone was enough for him to realize that Nigellus’ Attack Power and Movement Speed were beyond anything he had anticipated.
This was what an angel of the highest rank was capable of doing. They were beings with combat prowess on par with or perhaps even beyond a Grandmaster. In other words, Nigellus’ strength was on a completely different level.
‘
This is bad...
Siegfried thought, trying to find a way to escape.
Why?
It was all because winning a one-on-one fight was practically impossible in his current state. That single clash had made the difference in power painfully clear to him.
In moments like this, the smarter move was to run, gather some soul energy, and then use Demon Lord’s Descent to finish off the enemy.
‘
Time to bail.’
With that thought, Siegfried spread his wings and attempted to flee from Nigellus, but...
Shwoooosh!
A powerful gust of wind howled around him, dragging him back.
“W-What?”
Siegfried tried to resist, but it was useless.
“
Arghh!”
The wind was unbelievably strong. It was like a giant vacuum cleaner sucking him in with full force. Siegfried found himself completely suppressed without being able to escape. The winds whipped in from all directions, locking down his movements.
“Trying to flee like a little rat, eh?” Nigellus sneered. Then, he soared into the air, as if surfing along the currents of wind as he closed in on Siegfried.
The angel looked like a surfer riding a perfect wave.
‘
I have to dodge!’
Siegfried attempted to evade the incoming blow and attempted to counterattack.
However, it was impossible.
Whoosh!
Another gust of wind blew from the very direction Siegfried was about to dodge toward, locking him down once again.
Puuuk!
Nigellus’ sword pierced Siegfried’s side.
“
Gahhh!”
For the first time in ages, a scream rang out from Siegfried’s lips as pain spread throughout him.
“What a pitiful half-breed demon lord,” Nigellus sneered. Then, he said in a voice dripping with mockery, “You’re nothing more than a rat trapped in a cage.”
“
Argh...
Damn it...”
“Die.”
With that, Nigellus yanked his blade free from Siegfried’s side and struck once again.
‘
I can’t block it,'
Siegfried thought as Nigellus’ sword came speeding straight for him.
Flash!
A burst of blinding white light exploded outward, and a wave of chilling frost engulfed Nigellus in an instant.
Siegfried had used Absolute Zero.
***
Siegfried had no other choice but to use Absolute Zero to stop Nigellus.
Why?
It was all because if he hadn't used it, he would have been unable to dodge the oncoming attack.
‘
Now!’
Nigellus staggered from the frost for a brief, split second, but Siegfried easily took advantage of that, swinging his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp struck Nigellus’ face three times in rapid succession.
Ding!
Then, the Mark of Death appeared above Nigellus’ head.
Whoosh!
As soon as the Mark of Death appeared, Siegfried immediately struck for the fourth blow.
Boom!
The Mark of Death detonated with a thunderous explosion.
‘
It’s not enough!’
Seizing the momentum, Siegfried transformed his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp into a dagger and stabbed it deep into Nigellus’ abdomen.
What came next?
Wooong!
He channeled Wave of Annihilation into the dagger, sending it surging straight into Nigellus’ body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kaboom!
Devastating explosions erupted in rapid succession inside Nigellus’ body, unleashing a storm of violent energy that ripped through the area.
“
Arghhh! Ghaaakh!”
Siegfried screamed in agony after getting blasted far away by the sheer force of the detonation.
The explosion was indeed destructive.
‘
Did I get him...?’
Siegfried wondered, pushing himself up to his feet.
The angel had just taken a direct combo of Skull Breaker and Wave of Annihilation was even detonated inside him. In other words, it was a brutal combo with immense burst damage.
Siegfried had a feeling that the angel was still alive, but he was certain that the angel had to have sustained severe injuries from the combo.
However...
Nigellus slowly rose.
“N-No way!” Siegfried cried out in sheer shock.
Why?
It was all because Nigellus had sustained barely any damage.
[Nigellus]
[HP: ■■■■■■■■□□]
Even after withstanding the triple-combo of Absolute Zero, Skull Breaker, and Wave of Annihilation, the angel was already back on his feet and had lost only around twenty percent of his total HP.
In other words, it could be said that he was completely unscathed from the destructive combo.
“You filthy insect dares to...” Nigellus growled under his breath.
He had emerged "unscathed" from the triple-combo, but he was clearly furious. Rather than killing or incapacitating the angel, all Siegfried’s combo did was piss the angel off even more.
“Wind, heed my call,” Nigellus commanded, sounding furious.
Fwooooosh!
A wind unlike anything before manifested. It was so overwhelming that it would make a mere typhoon look like a gentle cool breeze. The wind swept in from every direction and crushed down on Siegfried.
Wooong!
Siegfried quickly tried to counter it using Waves of Oppression, but it did not work.
The power Nigellus wielded was not some skill. It was a unique ability, so it was judged to be a passive skill, which meant that Siegfried couldn’t interrupt or suppress the winds.
But that was not even the worst part...
[Alert: The wind is pressing down on you!]
[Alert: The gravity around you is intensifying!]
Nigellus was squeezing Siegfried down with the winds he had summoned, crushing Siegfried from all directions.
“
AAAAAGHHH!”
Siegfried screamed in sheer agony.
His fleshly body was reinforced by Deus’ remodification, but the winds summoned by the angel were simply far too much for him to bear.
***
At the same time, the Allied Forces stationed in the Pallas Fortress were quite busy.
“Our forces have engaged the enemy in Ador! The battle has begun!”
“Fleet is on standby with main guns deployed! Withdrawal is scheduled in approximately ten hours!”
“We have received word that General Draculis has seized the enemy stronghold!”
“His Majesty Leonid has claimed victory on the battlefield!”
Every that poured in brought nothing but good news for the Allied Forces.
With the exception of the main operation, every other operation had ended in a resounding success.
“Keep monitoring the situation in Ador! Have the Iron Fleet hold position nearby and escort our troops during extraction!”
While stationed at the command center, Hanser continued to relay commands to the battles unfolding across various fronts with impressive skill.
It was then...
“Captain Hansen! Urgent , sir!”
“What is it?”
“A from the Guardians says that there is a large-scale massacre being carried out by the Holy Alliance in the city of Angela, in the Eastern Region of the Marchioni Empire!”
“What?!”
“They say the situation is extremely critical. Based on the from the Guardians, the situation is as severe as the situation in Ador! Catastrophe is imminent if we do not act immediately!”
“Hold on,” Hansen said before falling silent and lost in thought after hearing the .
‘
The Guardians? As serious as Ador?’
Hansen did not know much about the Guardians, but he was sure of one thing. If the situation were being compared to that of Ador's, then it would only mean that a Celestial Gate was about to open in Angela as well.
It turned out that the Holy Alliance wasn't just trying to open the gates within the borders of their member nations. They were activating gates even inside the Marchioni Empire’s territory by using the empire’s people as sacrifices.
‘
But we can’t send any troops to Angela right now...’
Hansen examined the map and status boards, analyzing the deployment of their forces across the battlefield.
Sending troops to Angela at this stage was out of the question, and there was simply nothing they could do about it.
“ this matter to His Imperial Majesty at once,” Hansen ordered.
“Yes, sir!”
“This isn’t a matter I have the authority to decide. Once His Imperial Majesty gives his orders, we will act accordingly.”
“As you command, sir!”
“For now, stay focused on the current battles and ongoing operations.”
Rather than overstep his bounds, Hansen chose to concentrate on what was within his control. He did not have the authority to make a decision, so trying to chase two rabbits at the same time would only leave them with none.
Thus, he decided it was better to secure the one they already had in their hands.
***
Baaaam!
The pressure crushing down on Siegfried grew stronger with every passing second.
“
Ghhhrkk!”
He gritted his teeth and pushed through with all his might, but it was not enough. He felt like he was stuck between the palms of a giant and was being crushed like an insect.
Dodging and moving were impossible.
He was completely and utterly restrained.
Thud, thud, thud...
Nigellus began walking toward him slowly and leisurely, as there was not even a hint of urgency in his steps.
Why?
It was all because he knew Siegfried couldn’t move.
“You fool. How long did you think you could run wild, you half-baked demon lord?” Nigellus sneered. Then, he raised his blade and pointed it at Siegfried.
“
Argh...”
“Did you truly believe that you could continue relying on soul energy to maintain your transformation? That you could bypass the limits of your kind and keep running around unchecked?”
To Siegfried’s shock, Nigellus seemed to know quite a lot about his skill, Demon Lord’s Descent. It was not clear whether the information was leaked or if the angel deduced it by analyzing Siegfried’s patterns, but it seemed that the angel was quite knowledgeable about it.
“You may have rampaged to your heart’s content until now, but I will not allow it any longer, half-baked demon lord,” Nigellus said. Then, he growled, “Now, it is time for you to pay the price, foolish, pitiful creature.”
Whoosh!
Nigellus swung his blade at Siegfried.
‘
Ah...’
Siegfried stared at the oncoming sword and realized that this was how he was going to die.
There was nothing he could do, as the winds were restraining him. He couldn’t dodge and block the oncoming attack. He was completely and utterly helpless, and death seemed inevitable as well.