How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 98: One Minute

What, you may wonder, is this domain, you ask?

Every formidable demon possesses one. Angels, too, have their own domains, but since they never appeared in the novel, the distinctions between them and demons were unknown to me.

A domain is a realm of enigmatic confines. Specifically, Selgaath's is known as the "Ethereal Nexus." Within its bounds, the very fabric of space and time blurs and melds into an intricate dance.

In these dimensions, reality itself remains in a constant state of flux, giving rise to unpredictable battlegrounds.

The Nexus pulsates with an eerie luminescence, casting an otherworldly aura upon our surroundings; It's somewhat akin to outer space but with a more arcane essence.

Within this arcane setting, battles are heavily influenced by the peculiar properties of the specific domain. In this instance, its primary ability is to hinder the activation of spells, imposing an additional one-minute timer on every incantation.

Another one was spatial distortions. They added an element of surprise and caution to the fray. Your positions might shift unexpectedly, granting both advantages and disadvantages.

The Ethereal Nexus also boasts floating boulders suspended in the air that fill out the empty space somewhat.

To outsiders, it appears as if we've vanished. You would just see an empty hallway if you walked to where the battle had just taken place.

But one can feel the mana and sense that a domain exists in a specific area.

Only the truly powerful can force their way into the domain by breaking through its protective barrier.

This domain is undeniably powerful. Thankfully, its effects are transient, lasting only thirty minutes in the domain, equivalent to a mere minute in the outside world.

Selgaath's lunging punch whistled past my face, leaving behind a searing trail of pain that grazed my cheek. In my earlier days, the room would've spun as I struggled to maintain my footing.

I have grown since then.

Swiftly countering, I launched a low kick that swept Selgaath's legs out from under him.

His legs, as sturdy as two pillars of diamond, absorbed most of the impact.

He tumbled towards the ground, but with a nimble recovery, he regathered his shattered balance. Yet, before he could fully regain his composure, I seized the opportunity to deliver a powerful punch to his ribcage.

The sensation of his ribs cracking beneath my fist mirrored the cracking of my knuckles.

That shit hurts!

"Hah!" he mockingly laughed as he sprang back to his feet like a coiled spring. His right hand was raised to protect his chin, and he unleashed three quick left jabs.

Just as I thought I had an opening, a tentacle suddenly lashed out from him.

I narrowly avoided the tentacle's grasp.

Still, he seized the moment when I was stepping into my next move, grabbing my left arm with a vice-like grip, determined to bend it to the breaking point. Simultaneously, he continued to attack my right arm in an attempt to melt it.

I sent my sword soaring into the air and kicked off the ground, using his body as leverage to execute a spinning maneuver.

With deliberate force, I dislocated my left arm, freeing myself from his grip. As my right hand caught the sword mid-air, I immediately slashed at the tentacles.

Unlike previously where the tentacles barely took any damage, this time, they severed in half.

However, I knew this victory was temporary, as the tentacle oozed black ichor and began to regenerate, wrapping itself back around Selgaath's arm.

"Is that all you've got, Selgaath?" I taunted, launching a jab towards his head, followed by a powerful blow to his stomach.

In response to my taunt, Selgaath retaliated with a left hook so fast that it caught me off guard. I stumbled slightly, and he capitalized on my momentary weakness, landing a flurry of blows that left me reeling.

"I'm just getting started," he declared with a smirk.

My vision blurred almost entirely as I continuously dodged, blocked, and weaved like a practitioner of the drunken fist style.

Every fiber in my body worked overtime as I launched a fierce counterattack, delivering precise punches, expert sword slices, and a devastating spinning kick that sent the demon staggering backward.

Advancing on Selgaath, I raised my sword high, but as the blade descended, his thick skin proved its durability, leaving only a shallow gash across his arm, which he quickly used to shield his head, my target.

"Nice one," he hissed, and his tentacles sprang back to life.

Not so fast buddy.

I narrowly avoided their venomous embrace, but one managed to graze my right forearm, leaving behind a searing, painful trail that intensified quickly.

As soon as it stopped melting my flesh, I immediately used the regeneration code to heal myself.

I had anticipated that this domain would consume a significant amount of my code usage.

I'd be fortunate to complete this stage of the fight with even a hundred usage remaining.

Behind me, the two Arthurs were still forty seconds away from completing their merge.

You may ask, still forty seconds?

It's crucial to understand that, even though many events had transpired, both Selgaath and I were moving at superhuman speeds and conversing at an accelerated pace.

Why were the two Arthurs still merging despite the domain's property rendering magic unnecessary?

The answer is simple.

The mana vein leakage meant that Moon couldn't rely on the boosts that typically enhance his skin, flesh, bones, and internal organs.

In this domain, without a steady flow of mana going through his veins, he was as vulnerable as a regular human, and one solid hit could be fatal.

Healing was his top priority.

In the original novel, the mana vein issue never occurred. In that version, Sun and Moon continued running and fighting to survive within the domain, even enduring limb loss that they didn't have the time to heal up.

Once the domain closed, they merged, healed, and resumed the battle.

As I lunged at Selgaath, my blade clashed with his arm, producing the sound of two swords meeting, though it was only one in the fray.

Sweat trickled down my face, and my aching muscles protested, but there was no room for faltering.

Selgaath continued moving with the grace of a world champion boxer, displaying hypnotic footwork as he bobbed and weaved, deflecting my attacks.

I readied myself for his counter that would come at any moment.

He grinned and said to me, "Bell, although you stand no chance, I like the way you fight. You're one of the good ones."

One of the good ones? That has to be racist.

Clenching my teeth, I steeled myself for the brutal dance that followed.

Swinging my sword diagonally, he gracefully sidestepped.

In response, I threw a punch, and he mirrored my move. The clash of our fists reverberated like thunder.

Shit... that hurts!

I refused to let it show. Ignoring the pain, I continued to exchange blows with him.

His punches landed with greater precision than mine, and for every ten punches we exchanged, three of his would find their mark while only one of mine would find its mark.

Bruises were scattered across my battered body.

The chaos was further amplified by his unpredictable tentacles that would pop out at random moments of the exchanges.

Thankfully, they were much slower than his punches and they were slightly easier to react to.

I decided to feint a sword strike, luring him in, and as he reacted, I unleashed my free hand like a missile.

My knuckles connected with his chin, disorienting him for a fleeting moment.

Not one to be on the receiving end for long, Selgaath unleashed a furious onslaught of punches, overwhelming me with his speed and power.

I had to rely on my agility to dodge, block, and counter, doing my best to stay in the fight.

Suddenly, both of his arms sprouted tentacles, snaking towards my right hand. I leaped backward, managing to evade most of them, but one managed to graze me, and my arm began dissolving in agony once again.

Shit that hurts like a buttcheek on a stick.

Restoring my lost limb, I immediately countered with two swift swings of Gon and a right hook which he dodged with ease.

Laughing in a sinister melody, Selgaath taunted, "Bell, I can see that your human body is starting to wear down. What a pity. If you had a demon body like mine, you'd never have to worry about fatigue."

I knew it was a lie. Fatigue did exist for demons; it just took far longer to affect them.

With a defiant grin through the pain, I replied, "Don't worry about me, demon. I'm quite resilient, as you should know by now."

The countdown continued with a little under twenty seconds left until the merge was complete.

Despite the growing exhaustion, our one-on-one battle persisted.

Then, suddenly, a space distortion occurred.

It felt like looking at your surroundings being warped and then unwarped. But once it unwarps, it's a whole new surrounding.

Because the two Arthurrs were holding hands as a part of their merging spell, they were transported together and their spell continued to progress without it being interrupted.

For me though, I was now standing on top of one of the floating rocks, while Selgaath perched on another several dozen meters away.

He kicked off his rock, and with very limited space to maneuver, I leaped towards the ground, but it seemed like he beat gravity to the race, reaching me before I could land.

In a very vulnerable position, I used Liona's ability to "teleport" myself out of safety.

Phew. That was close.

A presence suddenly loomed behind my back.

How!?

I spun around and used my arm to block his punch. The impact sent me flying back a few feet, but I managed to halt my flight by pressing down on the ground.

The deadly dance continued, with Selgaath unleashing a flurry of punches and parries that kept me on the edge. I countered with my own barrage, landing solid blows and a clean slice across his chest with my sword.

The scent of sweat, blood, and burning flesh hung heavily in the air, adding to the tension.

Selgaath pressed on with a never-ending motor.

I countered, parried, and dodged, desperately searching for an opening.

A well-timed punch to his gut made him stagger back briefly, but he quickly retaliated with a devastating uppercut that I narrowly managed to evade.

Following the uppercut, an elbow struck the side of my head, plunging me into survival mode.

I rolled around, trying to recover, my ears ringing and my vision blurred.

In desperation, I used Liona's ability two more times when the pressure became unbearable.

During that time, I lost my right arm three times, struggling to regain my bearings as everything doubled before me.

I could barely make out where his attacks were coming from.

My vision cleared just in time to witness Selgaath closing in, his tentacles emerging from his arms.

With calculated precision and reflexes honed through relentless combat, I deftly avoided Selgaath's powerful punches.

One of his blows struck the ground, producing a resounding thud that reverberated throughout the entire domain.

Amidst the chaotic exchange, I spotted a rare opening.

Swiftly, I unleashed a crushing low kick, targeting the demon's vulnerable knee. Selgaath's balance wavered, and he staggered forward with a wobbled leg.

I wasted no time and capitalized on his momentary vulnerability. My fists and sword connected with his exposed sides and midsection, creating a symphony of impacts.

In a remarkable stroke of luck, my blade found its mark where his eye was. Usually, he could close his extraordinarily tough eyelids to protect his eyes, but this time, my attack outpaced his reflexes by a small margin.

I thrust my sword into his eye, withdrawing it immediately as he retaliated with pure rage.

I knew his eye would heal soon, but the pain from the stab had to be agonizing.

"Sucks to be you," I taunted as I narrowly evaded his incoming fist, feeling the rush of air pass millimeters from my face.

Woah. That was close.

At that crucial moment, a welcome sight met my eyes.

Arthurr, the merged and original form of Sun and Moon, had appeared behind Selgaath.

He delivered a powerful kick to the demon's jaw, sending Selgaath stumbling and rolling for a brief moment.

"Finally," I breathed with relief, my tension easing by a tenth of a percent.

"I'm here, friend," Arthurr reassured me, his mana vein fully healed.