Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1721: Vesperine’s "Trump Card"
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"{Spectral Ghostly Fist Art: First Form – Phantasmal Fist}"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Nnngaaah?!"
Vesperine could not keep up. Her stance shattered, her palm strikes faltered, and her golden gloves dimmed rapidly as their internal energy drained far faster than expected.
In desperation, she seized one of her Sanguine Relics, a crimson stake, and drove it straight into her own heart.
"That’s it! You forced my hand! Demonic Heart Stake!!!"
TRUUUM!
"What?!"
Maria’s eyes widened as an immense surge of Demonic Energy erupted from Vesperine, nearly matching the raw power Arachne had once carried before the Sin of Sloth purified her.
All the Blood Soul Specters swirling in the Vampiress’ Aura ignited into demonic flames. They engulfed her body, turning her pale skin bright red. Her white hair blackened, massive crimson horns sprouted from her forehead, giant demonic wings burst from her back, and a long, barbed tail whipped behind her.
"She turned into a Demon?!"
Maria stared in shock at the transformed Vesperine. The stake remained embedded in her chest, spreading glowing crimson runes across her skin.
"Haaa... Hahaha... This is only the third time I’ve ever used this Sanguine Relic! Feel honored!"
"That’s no ordinary Demon form..."
"Exactly!" Vesperine laughed madly. "This is the power of true Demons from the deepest layer of Hell—Floor 0, a realm of absolute madness ruled by the Seven Archdemons! Surprised? My Family has ties to one of them. You could call it patronage."
"It’s definitely not Belphegor. I sense no trace of Sloth..."
RUMBLE!
Without waiting for a reply, Vesperine launched forward like a blazing comet. She struck Maria’s chest with terrifying speed, driving her back dozens of meters.
Maria braced herself, yet the demonic flames seared her body and soul alike. Combined with the relentless golden dragons, the ghostly phoenix soul, and Vesperine’s still-persistent palm strikes, the threat had just grown far deadlier.
"She still has two more Sanguine Relics..."
Maria’s eyes blazed bright gold. Chaotic energies swirled through her soul as her Dominion grew denser and more intricate.
"Infuse your own Self into your attacks..."
From the darkness, hundreds of ghostly fists erupted, surging toward Vesperine from every possible angle.
"What?!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Ngaaaahhhh!"
Vesperine’s Immortal Artifacts tumbled from her Aura. Maria swiftly stored away the Golden Dragon Spirit Scroll and the sealed box containing the ghostly phoenix, stripping away the Vampiress’ support.
She pressed forward, condensing dozens of void-tear spheres into one massive orb and driving it straight into Vesperine’s face with a devastating punch.
"Your demonic form is impressive, but so what?"
BOOOMMM!!!
"AAAAARGH!"
Vesperine screamed, plummeting into the sea of black void miasma that hungrily began to devour her.
"Damn it!"
RUMBLE!
Her Aura exploded outward. Demonic flames roared, attempting to burn away the void. She forced her own Domain to manifest inside Maria’s Dominion, bolstered by her transformation.
The space warped, creating a distorting barrier that destabilized the surrounding void and allowed her to move freely once more.
"Clever."
Maria met her with a crushing punch to the face. Her sword and axe materialized, fusing with void tears and nightmare energy into a massive black spear.
She seized the weapon and unleashed a storm of piercing strikes, targeting Vesperine’s Dantians and the embedded stake.
Vesperine countered with her Martial Soul, hammering Maria’s many hands before releasing a blast of golden Ki and infernal flames from her chest.
"HAAAA!"
RUMBLE!
Flames engulfed everything, scorching Maria’s Dominion. Yet the void rapidly devoured the fire, extinguishing it piece by piece.
Maria’s eyes glowed brighter.
"Intent, Self, Soul... Martial Arts is the expression of oneself upon the world."
Her brilliant mind processed everything mid-battle. Dozens of Nether Stars formed in her palms and hurled toward Vesperine.
The Vampiress’ armor held, reinforced by her remaining two Sanguine Relics—a bracelet and a ring—that layered additional barriers over her body.
"More shields? How predictable."
Maria smirked. Her spear pierced straight through the barriers, catching Vesperine off guard.
"You’re using Martial Intent to harm me?!"
She had noticed what Maria was doing almost instinctively.
Martial Intent—the projection of one’s sense of self into the world, a pressure that intimidated foes and sensed danger—could evolve further upon reaching Immortality.
And Maria was achieving something very similar.
"No," Maria replied calmly. "It’s a fake."
Her golden eyes flashed. Beams of pure Yang Ki erupted, searing Vesperine’s skin with sunlight-like brilliance.
At the same time, Maria summoned herself once more.
Hundreds of Marias materialized, each embodying a different emotion or stage of her three lives. They merged into dozens of void fists and hammered the Vampiress relentlessly.
Again.
And again.
And again!
"NGAAAAHHHHH!"
Vesperine roared in agony. One final surge of demonic power erupted as a gigantic crimson sword manifested, her very soul forged into its blade.
It was the same technique Jonathan had once discovered.
"To turn one’s soul into a sword, huh? I can do that too."
Maria seized her nearly shattered black spear and devoured it.
FLUOSH!
The fragments fused into her soul along with her intent.
A moment later, her own massive blazing sword descended.
"I just figured it out. This will be the second technique I teach my disciples! Hahahah!"
Maria laughed, reveling in her sudden enlightenment as her Phantasmal Soul Blade clashed against Vesperine’s.
CLAAASH!
Naturally, hers was far stronger. Maria’s soul dwarfed the Vampiress’ hundreds of times over, even though Vesperine’s entire clan specialized in soul reinforcement.
"{Spectral Ghostly Fist Art: Second Form – Sword Soul Heart}"
She gathered all her Phantasmal Ki into her chest, fused it with her soul, and forged a blade from her own "Soul Heart."
That was the essence of the technique—carrying her intent and her very sense of self within the strike!
RUMBLE!
"No, no, no! NOOOOO!"
Vesperine screamed in horror as her sword shattered. Her soul suffered devastating damage, and Maria’s blade cleaved straight down, slicing her body cleanly in two.
"AAAAAAGGGHHHH!"
BOOOMMM!!!
Both halves exploded alongside her soul. The remains plummeted into Maria’s Void Tear Ocean. Vesperine’s hands twitched one last time as she stared up at Maria amid the darkness, eyes wide with disbelief even in death.
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