Debuff Master-Chapter 1099

Chapter 1099
Belial was strong.
As expected from the strongest demon of the Demon Realm, Belial not only blocked every single one of Siegfried's ferocious attacks, but he was even counterattacking while defending himself.
‘
So is this what a true demon lord is like...?’
Siegfried thought, genuinely taken aback.
He hadn't expected that Belial would be
this
strong.
Every single one of his attacks just now was channeled with Crushing Tremor, and yet Belial blocked most of it. Even the ones that managed to slip past his defenses and hit him failed to deal any significant damage to him.
It proved how tough Belial was and how exceptional his defense was.
Whoosh!
Kwachik!
Belial caught the +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp with his bare hand, smiled, and mockingly asked, “Is that all you’ve got, Siegfried von Proa?”
“...!”
Siegfried was stunned.
Belial caught the +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp channeled with Crushing Tremor with his bare hand. If he were someone else, their arm would have been blasted away.
However, Belial didn't even flinch.
“You’re certainly strong for a demon lord, I’ll give you that,” Belial said, sounding impressed. Then, he flashed a grin and added, “But it’s ten thousand years too early for you if you want to challenge me.”
“
Ugh...!
Damn it...!” Siegfried gritted his teeth and tried to pull his weapon back.
“I have a proposal for you,” Belial said nonchalantly. “Become my right hand.”
“...What?”
“If you and Metatron become my right hand and left hand, it would only be a matter of time before I rule all of the Demon Realm.”
Belial was not wrong. If both Siegfried and Metatron were to throw their weight behind Belial, then the brewing internal strife within the realm would end before it could even start.
However, Siegfried had no intention of supporting Belial.
Why?
It was all because their positions were simply far too different.
Belial was a pure-blooded demon of noble birth, so it was obvious he would soon turn his sights on the Middle Realm the moment he seized control of the entire Demon Realm.
On the other hand, Siegfried was an emperor of the Middle Realm, who happened to become a demon lord. Not only did he have no interest in conquering the Demon Realm, but he was clearly biased toward the Middle Realm.
“You have great potential, Siegfried von Proa. Become my sword and help me rule the Demon Realm. And beyond that, the Celestial Realm and the Middle Rea—”
“Nope.”
“...What?”
“How the hell is a tiger supposed to serve a mutt?”
Whoosh! Wham!
Siegfried twisted in mid-air and threw a kick that smashed into the side of Belial’s head.
“
Gurgh!”
Belial was caught off guard and blasted away by the impact.
“Quit yapping and let’s get back to it,” Siegfried said with a smirk. He rejected Belial’s offer without a moment’s hesitation and readied himself again for battle. However, a chill ran down his spine.
‘
This won’t be easy. I don’t think I can win easily against him.’
Why?
It was all because he knew that he would have died a long time ago if it hadn't been for the effects of his title, "Demon Lord Hunter."
Belial was
that
powerful. He was so strong that Siegfried couldn’t guarantee victory against him. Despite that...
‘
I’m going to win.’
Siegfried didn't let fear creep into his mind. Instead, his resolve burned even brighter. He vowed to bring down the strongest demon of the Demon Realm with his own hands.
***
The five hundred thousand troops enhanced by combat stimulants closed in on the Allied Forces in the blink of an eye.
The Allied Forces hurriedly retreated into the Last Fortress. They fortified the fortress' defenses and prepared for the inevitable siege.
Just like that, the original plan went up in smoke, thanks to the combat stimulants.
“Why now during His Imperial Majesty’s absence...” Hansen muttered under his breath, biting down hard on his lower lip as he watched the Holy Alliance troops swarming the Last Fortress in the distance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
An army of half a million marched in unison.
The sound of their boots was so deafening that the canyon itself trembled.
But that was not the end of it...
That first wave of five hundred thousand troops was the first to arrive due to their unnatural marching speed, but there were another five hundred thousand troops marching steadily from behind.
At a time like this, what they needed more than anything was a force strong enough to overcome the overwhelming numerical disadvantage they were in—a Master or higher.
However, the most powerful warrior in the Allied Forces, Siegfried, was nowhere to be found. It was painfully obvious that this battle would be an uphill one for the Allied Forces.
“Worry not, Major Hansen. Our forces will not fall. From here on, put our faith in our soldiers,” Oscar said, reassuring Hansen.
Hansen, who was clearly on edge, bit his lips and replied, “Yes, I will...”
Emboldened by Oscar’s words, he chose to watch the battle unfold.
There was nothing more he could do now that things had come to this. He had done everything he could do as the strategist, so from here on out, the outcome of the battle rested solely in the hands of the troops.
A few hours later, the main army of the Holy Alliance arrived.
“Brave warriors of the Holy Alliance! Crush those heretics!”
The Holy Alliance finally attacked, laying siege to the Last Fortress.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The thunderous roar of one million soldiers charging forward rang out like a natural calamity being unleashed, and the thick clouds of dust they kicked up only made their charge look more dreadful.
From atop the wall of the Last Fortress, Oscar bellowed, “All units! Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
The soldiers of the Allied Forces echoed her command.
‘
We will not fall here,’
Oscar thought, refusing to back down from the grim situation.
Yes, things looked grim for them. However, the Allied Forces were strong, and she believed that they would not collapse just because they were outnumbered. She had faith in the military might the Proatine Empire had built up over the years.
She believed that it wasn't a flimsy army that would crumble overnight.
Roughly five minutes later...
“Wipe out the heretics!”
“Death to the heathens!”
“Eradicate those demons!”
The one million troops of the Holy Alliance charged at the Last Fortress in unison, and a massive siege erupted. It was the largest and most decisive battle in the history of the continent, one that would be recorded as a legendary battle in the annals of history.
***
Meanwhile, Siegfried was confronted with the painful reality of his own limits while battling against Belial.
‘
I’m not dealing any damage...’
Siegfried felt like he was standing in front of a mountain—no, a towering mountain range like the Himalayas themselves. He barely dealt any damage even after hitting Belial with Skull Breaker.
And that was not all...
Baaam!
Whenever he clashed with Belial, he would suffer massive damage. Just crossing weapons left his hands numb, his skin torn, and his stance broken. The difference in power was so overwhelming that simply standing toe-to-toe was already pushing him to the edge.
What made it even more terrifying was that he had already stacked numerous debuffs on Belial.
“Die, you whelp,” Belial said, sounding uninterested.
He thrust his demonic spear toward Siegfried.
Whoosh!
‘T-This is...!’
Siegfried’s eyes widened as he saw the spear’s tip unleash a vicious vortex, one so strong that it could easily tear through even the toughest of metals.
‘
I’m dead if that hits me!’
Panicking, Siegfried quickly activated his debuffs to weaken Belial’s attack. At the same time, he transformed his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp back into a shield. It was too late to dodge, so his only choice was to defend himself.
Krwaaaang!
When Belial’s demonic spear landed on +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp...
“
Aaargh!”
Siegfried screamed. He spun wildly across the air and crashed hard into the ground soon after.
The energy of the vortex channeled by the demonic spear had exploded outward, ripping Siegfried apart like a ragdoll caught in a powerful storm.
[Siegfried von Proa]
[HP: ■■■■■■■□□□]
Thirty percent of his HP was wiped out in the blink of an eye.
But that was not even the worst part.
[Alert: Status Ailment!]
[Alert: You have been afflicted with Bleeding!]
[Alert: Your HP is gradually decreasing!]
[Alert: Warning! Warning!]
[Alert: Your character will enter into a state of shock and fall unconscious if your HP drops below a certain threshold!]
The vortex almost destroyed Siegfried’s armor set and transformed his figure into a bloody wreck.
“You will never defeat me,” Belial said with an eerie sense of calmness as he gazed down at Siegfried. Then, he added, “So just accept the difference in our power and serve me–”
It was then.
Shwaaaa!
Aura blades infused with ice attribute energy rained down like a torrential storm, swallowing Belial whole. Even while down on the ground, Siegfried activated his skill, Transcendent Torrential Flower Rain, to counterattack.
“
Argh!”
Caught in the sudden blizzard of aura blades, Belial instinctively wrapped his ten wings around himself like a cloak, shielding his body.
‘
Now’s my chance!’
Siegfried seized the opening and unleashed Transcendent Torrential Flower Rain once more.
But this time, he was not using ice attribute energy.
Fwaaaaah! Fwooosh!
Blazing aura blades appeared this time and descended like an inferno from the heavens, engulfing Belial in searing flames.
Siegfried, sensing a chance to make a move, ran forward with all of his strength and used Absolute Zero, Quick Draw, and Heaven and Earth Cleaving Blade—all in one combo.
“...You dare.”
Yet, even after taking the full brunt of Siegfried’s combo, Beliel neither faltered nor fell.
In fact, he endured all of it.
“A wretched human like you dares to defy ME?!”
At that moment—
Boom!
A blast of demonic energy erupted from Belial, surging toward Siegfried and hurling him back.
Bam!
He collapsed hard on the ground after getting overpowered by the demonic energy.
“
K-Khughh!”
“Time to meet your demise!”
Belial lunged at the fallen Siegfried with terrifying speed.
***
After that, Siegfried had no other choice but to run for his life, dodging and weaving through the maze to stay alive.
‘
Damn it! He’s strong! He’s too damn strong!’
While running away with Pesky Brat activated, he had to admit something to himself.
He was wrong—very wrong.
Belial was no prey.
The most powerful demon in the Demon Realm was on a completely different level from the demon lords Siegfried had preyed upon earlier.
Belial was a predator.
Now that Baal had passed away, Belial was the strongest being in all of the Demon Realm. This was why Siegfried couldn’t defeat him even with the Demon Lord Hunter title's buff.
Thus, all he could do now was run for his life. He stood no chance of surviving, much less winning, if he were to keep fighting against Belial. For now, he decided to make a tactical retreat.
‘
Was the gap between us really this big?’
Siegfried thought while running.
“You filthy rat! Are you really just going to run away with your tail tucked between your legs?!” Belial roared, chasing him at terrifying speed.
“
W-Whoa!”
“Stop running! You can run all you want, but only death awaits you! Just make it easier for both of us!”
Belial’s Movement Speed was so monstrously high that Siegfried would have been caught long ago if it hadn't been for "Pesky Brat" and the Embrace of Despair.
‘
There’s no way I can make it to the core like this,’
Siegfried thought.
He briefly considered ditching Belial and making a beeline for the heart of the maze, where Baal’s legacy was waiting. However, that option no longer seemed feasible.
Belial was simply too fast, so shaking him off seemed impossible.
If Siegfried were to run straight for Baal’s legacy, Belial would without a doubt steal it from his hands.
‘
Damn it... What do I do...?’
He was cornered. He couldn’t fight, couldn’t shake off Belial, and couldn’t keep running forever. To make things worse, dying now would mean handing control of the Demon Realm over to Belial, a demon dreaming of invading the Middle Realm.
Siegfried was completely stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to move forward or backward. If he could at least see that Belial took some damage from his attacks, then maybe he would give it a shot.
Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to deal any significant damage to the Demon Lord of Hatred. He still had the World of Despair and Touch of Death, but wasting those two trump cards now would mean he had no other option later.
‘
Think... I need to think. There’s gotta be a way out of this,'
Siegfried thought, racking his brain to come up with a way to bring Belial down.
It was then.
‘
Ah! I have to jump here!’
Siegfried leapt cleanly over a trap hidden in the floor.
Thanks to Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance, he was able to spot and avoid the trap easily.
Belial, however, was not so lucky. Without an ability like Inzaghi’s Clairvoyance, Belial failed to notice the trap hidden in the ground.
Shwik, shwik, shwik!
Razor-sharp metal spikes shot up from the ground, impaling Belial, skewering him like a kebab. One of the reasons the Maze of Evil was so feared was the traps scattered throughout it that were dangerous enough to injure even a demon lord.
“
Grrrgh...!”
Belial growled as he snapped the spears sticking out of him. He then yanked them out before resuming the chase.
‘
Yes! That’s it!’
Siegfried exclaimed inwardly, his eyes lighting up the moment he saw what happened.
He finally found a way out of this mess.
‘
I’ll lure him to the traps!’
Siegfried decided to use the deadly traps scattered throughout the Maze of Evil to take Belial down. If a straight-up fight against Belial was impossible, then he would lead Belial through the traps before landing the finishing blow once the moment was right.