NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1497: Blake VS Asmodeus 1
-----
Right in front of him, Blake faced his past self, Asmodeus.
The Vampire Emperor feared through the Universe, across hundreds of Galaxies, a man that had ascended from the rubble to the point of becoming a near invincible entity.
He was born in the literal trash of a backwater planet, surviving by drinking the blood of rats, and slowly growing stronger.
Since he was a month-old baby his determination for surviving was stronger than anybody else's.
He killed, he destroyed, and he also helped and saved countless people.
Worlds fell and were saved by his grace, and that of his Family of Vampires, which only grew every year.
Ultimately, not even the Ancient Vampire Families within the Universe could oppose him, and Asmodeus slaughtered anybody that opposed him, drinking their blood to grow even more powerful.
However, as he fought and grew, there was an enemy that never gave up.
Demons.
And their leader...
Lucifer.
Their invasion was ever-present, and no matter how many he killed, or how many planets he saved from them, Demons always returned, even stronger than before.
Ultimately, Asmodeus became tired of just winning the battle but not the war and moved to Hell itself to end this once and for all and claim the Universe for himself.
After all, he wouldn't let any damned demons take it away from his grasp!
He descended the seven layers of hell, fighting each Archdemon in person.
Each battle was tougher, but each battle made him stronger, his powers growing alongside his army, as he sealed all Archdemons, one by one.
Until reaching the depths, Lucifer, the King of all Demons, faced him in a battle to decide the fate of the universe.
And unfortunately, even with all the power he had cultivated, Asmodeus was unable to win.
His death dealt tremendous damage to the King of all Demons, but did not kill him.
It was at that moment that Asmodeus died.
And when Lucifer, filled with a desire for revenge, revived him in the world of Spiritias, only to torture him and make him suffer even more...
That's when Blake was born.
Both Asmodeus and Blake belonged to the same soul, and yet, Blake had already come to terms with that they were ultimately not the same person anymore.
Much had changed, his personality had evolved, progressed, his emotions had blossomed as he became a human and not a vampire.
He made real friends, he faced his own fears and his past, and embraced his new life, and the family he never had as Asmodeus.
"What is the meaning of this?" Blake asked, glancing at the Administrator of this Tower of Trials. "My past self is right in front of me... Is this an illusion? How is this possible when I am right here, Asmodeus was still me, and we were both the same soul!"
"I understand how you may be confused, but truly, I have no permission to tell you how he was brought here..." the administrator smiled, seemingly quite sadistic, in comparison to the mild-mannered 0-10. "This is your Trial, Destined One. Defeat your past self... or perish and become his vessel."
"...?!" Blake's eyes widened as he saw Asmodeus slowly floating towards him, sprouting a pair of bat-like wings made of crimson blood energy. "You're saying that if I lose, when I walk out of this trial, I won't be myself anymore?"
"Yourself? Well, what is the real you and what is not? Asmodeus right here is you, and you're Asmodeus," the administrator said. "Don't you think?"
"No..." Blake spoke. "I am not Asmodeus anymore."
"Is that so?" the Administrator wondered. "Well then, show us that your conviction is stronger than the strength you cultivated tour past life."
"..."
"..."
Once the administrator went silent, the audience also stopped cheering, and both Blake and Asmodeus looked at one another.
"Why won't you say a word? Are you only a mindless drone? An illusion?" Blake asked.
"...Speaking is a waste of time," Asmodeus said. "I am only here to kill you."
"I see..." Blake smirked. "Yes, indeed you're just like I was before."
"No, I'm much better than what you've become, pathetic," Asmodeus roared, raising his crimson spear as black and red cosmic blood energy surged.
"My previous life's techniques..." Blake said, admiring the gigantic cosmic spear. "Incredible, maybe you're truly Asmodeus... but how?"
Blake quickly remembered his conversation with 0-10, and how she said that what he faced in the previous trial was an embodiment of Records and Memories of what had once happened.
Therefore, the Asmodeus in front of him was the same, using whatever Authority the owner of these towers possesses, they materialized the Records and Memories of the Universe of who Asmodeus was, effectively creating a 100% faithful clone of his previous life.
RUMBLE!
And in a second, Blake was attacked, the space around him and in front of him warped and then blew up into fragments, as the giant spear almost pierced through his body, if it wasn't because he managed to evade, using his arms by enhancing them with both Celestial and Demonic Power.
CLAAASH!
"...!"
Asmodeus' eyes widened as he saw that power within Blake, making a face filled with disgust, and yet without speaking any word about what he thought.
Indeed, Asmodeus back then was a man of few words, he would often keep everything to himself and was more of someone that showed his intentions through actions.
"You probably believe its disgusting, right? To abandon my Vampiric Pride in exchange for more power..."
"..."
"However, this is what I choose to do the moment I realized I didn't want to lose those I cared for anymore."
"Pathetic."
"Say whatever you want. I no longer care about pride; I only care about winning. And I won't lose anymore. Never again."
"Hmph."
Asmodeus smiled lightly, his long white hair fluttering by the winds his Aura created, a tornado of crimson blood energy surged, cosmic energy fusing with it, forming crimson and black stars.
"Perish."
FLAAASH!
In that moment, hundreds of stars made of black and red energies rushed towards Blake, bombarding him from every single angle.
At the same time, Asmodeus' Aura expanded, twisting space and "darkening" it, rapidly expanding a powerful domain of pure Cosmic Blood Energy.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Blake took all blows head-on, his body overflowing with his every growing energies, as he transformed, gaining blue and silver colored draconic scales, dragon wings, horns, eyes, claws, and a tail, his body becoming more muscular and powerful.
-----