Beyond the Apocalypse

Chapter 1106: Vlad vs Demogorgon

Vlad had no idea what was happening in the Ninth Layer of Hell. No matter how powerful or capable he was, there were limits to what he could perceive or control, and the Alien Powers were true masters of schemes and hidden machinations.

For now, his focus remained on the present.

He advanced with the army of the Six Sun Alliance through the layers of the Abyss, hunting down Demon Lords and harvesting their bloodlines and souls. Fortunately for the alliance, Demon Lords differed greatly from their devil counterparts.

Unlike Devil Lords, who were cunning and inclined to hide or scheme, Demon Lords were far more prone to direct confrontation. Even as they grew stronger and their awareness deepened, their chaotic and violent nature remained unchanged. They would rush into battle at the slightest provocation, driven by rage and instinct, rarely considering the consequences.

The Abyss contained a total of 666 layers. Of course, not every layer was ruled by a Lord—if that had been the case, the power of the Abyss would have long ago eclipsed every other force in the universe. Still, Demon Lords were numerous.

After a year of endless slaughter and bloodshed, the forces of the Six Sun Alliance reached the One Hundredth Layer, destroying everything that stood in their path.

The gains were enormous.

In addition to the Demon Lord souls already secured by Brightkin, Orkin, and Merlin, they had captured four more Demon Lord souls. Alongside these, they had gathered nine Lord-Tier bloodlines.

As for the evolution of the Legends, those were simply too many to count, with nearly every single one of them having become High or Superior Legendary Demon Soul Master.

The growth in strength across the alliance was nothing short of extraordinary.

Yet as they prepared to advance even deeper, the true rulers at the heart of the Abyss could no longer remain passive.

The High Lords had begun to move.

Vlad was about to give the order to continue the advance when his eyes suddenly sharpened. He cast a meaningful glance toward the Sovereigns, indicating he would be moving alone from this point on.

The Quietus Sword materialized in his hand.

At the same time, the Eyes of Sin opened across his forehead, their dark radiance igniting as his power surged to its peak.

He could feel it—a terrifying presence rising from the depths ahead.

But what unsettled him even more was something else.

Something hidden.

Lurking in the shadows. Waiting.

Whatever it was, it showed no intention of revealing itself. It was waiting for a mistake, for a moment of distraction—waiting for him to be fully engaged in battle before making its move.

"This will be complicated."

A faint frown appeared on Vlad’s face, yet his gaze remained sharp and cold as his grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

Moments later, he stepped into the One Hundred and First Layer.

There, a colossal figure rose to meet him.

The Demon Paragon towered like a living catastrophe—an embodiment of molten fury and ancient terror. Its massive, horned silhouette was formed from stone-like flesh split by glowing fissures of living fire. Beneath a shadowed brow, a jagged grin radiated malice and predatory intelligence.

Flames coiled around its arms and shoulders as though the inferno itself obeyed its will. Thick cords of muscle strained against tattered bindings that hinted at power barely contained—like a force that could never truly be restrained.

Wherever it stood, the air itself began to burn.

The Demon Paragon turned toward the True Depravita of Wrath. Its blazing eyes ignited with pure hatred.

"Invader... prepare to be crushed under the might of Demogorgon!"

With that thunderous declaration, the Demon Paragon surged forward, moving like a tornado of living flame.

Vlad’s eyes widened slightly. He felt a terrifying pressure descend upon him—as if the Abyss itself had turned its gaze in his direction.

But the sensation did nothing to shake his resolve.

His battle intent only sharpened.

Tightening his grip around the Quietus Sword, Vlad stepped forward and plunged into the descending storm of fire, ready to meet the Demon Paragon head-on.

The moment Vlad entered Demogorgon’s reach, the world detonated.

The Demon Paragon’s fist ascended like a rising sun, its surface cracked with rivers of white-hot fire.

Vlad’s eyes widened as the power behind the blow was shocking. At the last second, he twisted space beneath his feet, folding distance and slipping sideways through a spatial distortion.

The fist struck the sky, setting the firmament of the layer on fire.

Flame did not merely spread—it expanded violently in all directions, a spherical explosion of molten force that vaporized the very sky and turned the air itself into a burning shockwave. Even dozens of kilometers away, the firmament collapsed into a sea of fire.

Vlad reappeared away from the blast zone, eyes narrowing.

"So every impact triggers an eruption. Even those that do not land on a solid surface. When it comes to raw power, he is even stronger than Baal."

Demogorgon did not give him time to analyze further.

The massive figure leaped, moving with shocking speed for its size. One hand swept through the air, tearing space with sheer force as it tried to grab him.

Vlad pushed his speed and domain over space to the limit, allowing him to dodge the claw of the Demon Paragon. Not wasting even a second, the eyes of the True Depravita of Wrath glowed as he made his power burst.

The True Depravita of Wrath raised the Quietus Sword, space compressed along the blade’s edge, and he slashed with all his strength.

The weapon struck the Demon Paragon’s arm—

—and the world flashed white.

The moment Demogorgon’s blood made contact with the air, it unleashed an explosion even greater than before. Fire and shockwaves tore outward, distorting the sky.

Vlad’s eyes widened as he felt the power of the explosion about to consume him. He was ready to use the Quantum Eye, but as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he felt his instincts reacting.

"The hidden Paragon is waiting for me to use it, so they can attack during the cooldown time." The eyes of the True Depravita of Wrath glowed as he pushed his mind and soul to the limit.

At the last second, the Quantum Eye glowed, but instead of activating its power, it only pushed Vlad’s domain over space to the limit, allowing him to tear open a spatial gate behind himself to escape the expanding inferno.

He emerged several kilometers away, his arm trembling slightly from the force.

"Even cutting the Demon Lord triggers the blast." Vlad frowned as things were getting more complicated.

Demogorgon roared, the sound shaking the entire layer. Flames coiled around its body as it charged again, each step detonating the ground beneath its feet, increasing its speed.

"I need to take the offensive. Find a way to reach him, land a decisive blow. I can not allow this fight to become a battle of attrition." Vlad’s eyes glowed as he analyzed every single move, and without hesitation, flashed forward.

"The first step is to slow him down." As that thought crossed Vlad’s mind, the Celestial Eyes glowed, manipulating and folding the fabric of space violently.

Dozens of spatial fractures appeared around the Demon Paragon—thin, invisible planes of distorted distance. As Demogorgon advanced, its movements became unstable, its steps landing too short or too far as space stretched and compressed unpredictably.

For a moment, its charge faltered, but it kept pushing forward, the Demon Paragon’s claw reaching toward the True Depravita.

Vlad’s spatial domain burst, and just as the claw was about to rip his throat, he vanished.

He reappeared directly behind the Demon Paragon, Quietus Sword descending toward the back of its neck.

The blade connected.

Another sun was born.

The explosion swallowed them both, a pillar of fire blasting upward into the sky. Vlad’s body flickered as he shifted partially into folded space, letting most of the blast pass through broken space rather than his physical form.

It was not as good as Quantum Expanse, but it diminished the damage and allowed Vlad to continue with the attack, pushing the tip of the Quietus Sword deeper.

Unfortunately, even with only a percentage of the blast reaching him, it scorched Vlad’s flesh and muscles. And the deeper the sword pierced, the more potent the blast became.

Just as the True Depravita of Wrath’s sword was about to reach the spine, the shock forced him backward.

Below, Demogorgon staggered—only for its wounds to begin closing almost instantly, molten flesh flowing like liquid stone.

Although the wound was closed, the damage was still present, and Demogorgon had felt the threat of death for a second. If the Quietus Sword had reached his spine, it could have frozen his body and mind.

The danger only made the Demon Paragon more ferocious. He turned toward Vlad as fire burst like snakes around his arm and slammed both fists together.

The impact produced a massive cross-shaped explosion that expanded outward at terrifying speed. The blast did not simply burn—it crushed, the pressure of compressed heat turning the air into a collapsing wall.

Vlad had barely regained control over his body when the blast was already in front of him. His eyes sharpened as he was forced to finally use Quantum Expanse.