THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 752: Frey vs Amon (1)

Amon and Frey Starlight faced off against one another.

Darkness crept across the demon's face while his gaze scanned his fresh challenger with precision.

"Hmmm... the vessel, not the original?" Amon sneered, a twisted half-grin twisting his mouth.

His mask was gone now, revealing every emotion and detail of his features completely.

Close by, Gehrman sprawled on the earth, completely exhausted... his vessel offering no further support.

Though Gehrman grasped vast knowledge of what lay ahead and its secret routes, not even he had foreseen Frey stepping in at this point. Frey Starlight remained an unpredictable twist—one beyond the reach of destiny or prophecy.

And then it struck Gehrman.

The purple fires blazing wildly around Frey Starlight's form.

"...That is the power of souls?"

True astonishment flashed over Gehrman's features.

"For him to wield this power... it means he's already hit the sixth stage of Shadow Adaptation. This fast..."

The Engineer understood Shadow Adaptation deeply... each level, each toll it demanded. That's exactly why he'd thought Frey would face the greatest trial at the sixth stage. Activating it ought to scar his psyche and stability badly.

But the truth had shattered those predictions.

Frey had triggered the power right away—without a second's pause.

"Using Soul Incineration means crushing the very souls of those you once battled to safeguard..."

"Frey... what on earth happened to you?"

In reality, Gehrman had been molding this iteration of Frey bit by bit... building pressure slowly, steering him toward resembling Nameless more closely.

One step at a time. No rush. No errors—starting from the day Frey had reincarnated.

Yet this marked the initial occasion Frey had truly surprised him.

The instant Gehrman caught sight of Frey Starlight's eyes, he sensed the shift.

These weren't the eyes belonging to that familiar youth.

"This unforeseen factor... but it could turn to our advantage."

The Engineer pushed himself up gradually, sending his message straight into Frey's mind.

"I didn't anticipate your entry—but now that you're here, you might be our strongest hope."

"That demon holds overwhelming might. Victory over him eludes you... but that's not required."

Gehrman's tone rang with total confidence.

"Simply delay him. For the longest stretch you can manage. With all your strength, that's within reach."

His words arrived solely for Frey—inaudible to the rest.

Frey glanced his way for a second, locking eyes with that empty stare... then turned back to Amon steadily, remaining silent.

At the same time, the demon drew nearer, advancing one deliberate step after another.

"Just moments ago... you two exchanged hidden words, right?"

Amon issued a empty laugh, clasping his hands behind him.

"Old habits die hard, Saint. Still plotting your schemes at this hour?"

He let out a sigh while pressing forward.

"If Nameless stood here in person, perhaps you'd stand a shot... but this vessel alters zilch."

Amon spoke true.

The divide separating him from Frey loomed vast... even should Frey deploy every fearsome ability to narrow it.

Not to mention Amon's full potential stayed shrouded. He hadn't unleashed his world-shattering power yet...

The force rumored to reverse any fight against any foe.

That very thing weighed heaviest on Gehrman.

He remained ignorant of its nature.

Luckily, Amon appeared reluctant to invoke it without specific triggers—or unless driven near collapse.

Even so...

Gehrman couldn't shake the doubt.

Could Frey Starlight really withstand this ordeal?

Not even he and Abraham had managed to contain Amon for extended periods.

Mentioning Abraham...

He lay shattered from the prior crushing blow, yet upon spotting Frey join the fray, he compelled his body upright.

"No... Frey... don't clash with him..."

Abraham ground his teeth, fighting to muster his scant reserves of power.

"That beast isn't a foe you can challenge!"

He strained to approach his son... but all efforts proved pointless.

Then, in his bid to rise, Abraham halted abruptly.

He crumpled once more, seizing his chest as a horrifying feeling flooded through.

Something thick. Corrupt. Poisonous.

Something brushing against his heart.

A torrent of malice rushed within, icing his veins.

"What the hell... was that?!" Abraham wheezed, his eyes bulging as he clutched his chest.

For an instant, the entire battlefield faded from view.

It seemed like death had extended its grasp... attempting to pull him under.

But Abraham pushed back.

Upon looking over his shoulder, nothing appeared.

Still—he sensed it vividly.

As though death whispered his name.

All this played out beneath Gehrman’s observant stare.

A flicker altered in his eyes the second he noted Abraham’s response... like a sudden insight dawned.

"...Time's running short," Gehrman rasped lowly, shifting his focus back to Frey.

"Hang in there just a bit more, Frey. Persist."

The man with blue eyes entrusted his trust to Frey.

Frey offered no reply.

"..."

For a fleeting instant, quiet descended.

Only Amon’s footfalls resounded as he closed in on Frey.

The hush endured just seconds.

Then... the scene transformed in a flash.

Frey disappeared entirely...

And materialized right before the demon.

"Instant teleportation?" Amon observed as his rival lunged from thin air.

Frey’s blade sliced sideways, targeting his throat while a massive aura burst forth along the edge.

The demon parried the blow using his naked fist.

The impact unleashed a booming blast of ruinous energy, cracking the terrain behind Amon.

"Remarkable... to unleash such might without touching SSS-rank," Amon’s grin broadened.

"Fitting for a form designed to bear Nameless’s powers—the sole match for the mighty Demon King."

Amon kept firing off comments in rapid succession.

Frey stayed mute.

He hammered away without mercy, delivering blow upon blow while infusing even greater violet fire into each hit.

Amon’s hand blurred in swift motion, repelling every assault... until it halted abruptly.

An odd ache pierced through him.

Blood sprayed across the dirt.

"...This is—"

Amon stiffened briefly, then grasped the truth at once.

"Black Hole Aura."

Frey had switched to Black Hole Aura over standard aura... abruptly, and in huge volumes.

A tremor coursed through the Rank-11 demon’s frame.

"You wield truly perilous powers, Vessel of Nameless..."

Amon pulled back, creating space... but Frey pursued without delay.

The assaults came with savage speed and crushing weight, forcing Amon to drop any casual stance.

From afar, Gehrman observed closely, strain showing plainly on his face.

"Soul Incineration bestows insane raw force, which he funnels via Black Hole Aura—a deadly tool on its own..."

Through the might of souls, Frey could boost his power to insane heights... inherently heightening Black Hole Aura’s devastation too.

"He’s employing Nameless’s aura-circulation technique to reclaim his energy, slashing aura use to the bare minimum."

Nameless’s aura circulation let Frey reclaim a large share of spent aura per strike... a method he’d honed sharper after facing Zibar and Abraham earlier.

"And that’s merely the start. He holds Dark Ascension too, which briefly elevates his physical prowess to SSS-rank levels... merged with the boosted might from his burning arms..."

"...What a total mess."

Despite Gehrman’s vast knowledge and sharp mind, he could no longer precisely measure Frey Starlight’s present might.

Layering so many world-breaking powers ought to prove impossible.

However—being Nameless’s ultimate vessel—he bore the strain.

"I’ve never witnessed anyone handle this array of world-breaking abilities simultaneously except the King and my elder brother," Amon grumbled ominously as Frey ramped up the assault.

What disturbed him deepest was the undeniable wound Frey had inflicted.

Black Hole Aura, empowered by soul strength, posed lethal threat... and far more chilling was their seamless blend.

"This fool... fusing two elite abilities like it’s effortless..."

The injuries Amon suffered weren’t trivial.

And regarding sheer attack force...

Frey Starlight now outstripped both Abraham and Gehrman.

"Time to wrap this up fast. I won’t tolerate more of your drivel, Vessel of Nameless."