[Chapter 308: Nine Sacred Invocations: Guard!]
Valak roared, and the two-headed Dragon spewed out thick black mist, attempting to cloud Daniel's vision.
Daniel stood firm, not rushing to pursue.
He fixed his gaze on the shadow that had reverted to its original form, his brows tightening slightly.
Whoosh--!
The black mist that had been spreading in all directions suddenly reversed its flow.
Instead of diffusing outward, it furiously converged toward Valak's core, like water draining from a bathtub with the plug pulled.
It wasn't just the darkness inside the room. Through the shattered roof, the night sky outside also warped.
The night over all of Enfield Town seemed to be drawn into a monstrous funnel formed by the house.
Endless dark energy and shadow penetrated walls and houses, ignoring spatial distance, pouring relentlessly into Valak's shattered physical form.
"Sizzle..."
The cracks on Valak's body, blasted by lightning, rapidly healed before their eyes. The once-illusory shadow hardened swiftly, taking on a metallic luster reminiscent of obsidian. The two heads of the Dragon regrew, larger and more menacing than before.
The oppressive aura that Daniel had briefly suppressed not only returned but grew steadily stronger, eclipsing the golden light enveloping him.
Daniel's brows furrowed deeper. He watched the surging black energy with a solemn gaze.
"So that's your secret." Daniel whispered, "Your trump card."
He saw through it.
The rules from the movies didn't fully apply here. Merely speaking a name might interfere -- but banishing it outright? Impossible.
The true Valak depended on the darkness within a certain range.
As long as there was shadow within that area, it drew an endless power supply -- it was immortal.
To kill it, one would have to instantly dispel all the darkness across Enfield Town, or an even larger area.
Not even a Supreme Anointed of Higher Ascendant Order could perform such a world-altering feat.
"You think you can wear me down to death?" Daniel scoffed coldly.
"Hahaha..."
Valak, feeling power surge through its form, burst into wicked laughter again. The laughter shook the few remaining roof beams.
"Do you understand, mortal?" The shadowy child riding the Dragon's back looked down at Daniel with contempt. "I am the Lord of Night, the Lord of Shadows. Your lightning is strong, and your Golden Light is irritating. But so what?"
Valak's voice dripped with mockery and cruelty. "You are Mortal; your power is limited. And I thrive on the boundless abyss. You're tired, aren't you? Your light is already fading."
It extended a finger, pointing at Daniel. "Even if you kill me a thousand times, I will rise again. But you, one mistake and you're lost forever. Give up, kneel, offer your Soul, and I'll grant you a quick death."
Faced with Valak's taunts, the solemnity on Daniel's face vanished.
He unclenched his fists and retracted his thunder-struck ashwood Sanctum Blade into the System space.
The nine-feet-tall giant relaxed his tense muscles slightly.
"Immortal?" A sneer curved Daniel's lips, his eyes razor-sharp. "You're just a parasite clinging to your shadowy realm, refusing to leave. You think your darkness shields you?"
Daniel slowly raised his hands.
His ten fingers moved -- not wielding any artifact -- but forming an ancient, complex hand seal before his chest. His middle, ring, and pinky fingers intertwined tightly. His index fingertips met, thumbs touching, creating a hollow circle.
The Seal of the Unbroken Covenant.
"Guard!"
An ancient sound burst from deep within Daniel's throat.
It was soft, yet it pierced the march of time itself -- like the first bell heralding the dawn of chaos or the echo of an eternal divine decree resounding from Heaven.
Supreme and overwhelming, it descended upon the dilapidated second-floor corridor.
"Buzz--!"
At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
Dust motes, raindrops, even the swirling black mist -- all suspended midair.
Valak panicked as the dark energy feeding its body was instantly severed, sliced by an invisible, razor-sharp blade.
Its connection to the world was forcibly torn away.
"Boom!"
Simultaneously, an indescribably terrifying power poured into Daniel from nowhere.
Nine Sacred Invocations: Guard -- stability of mind and body, unshaken will, merging with the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.
This was the true power of God Summoning, surpassing the earlier Rite of Divine Empowerment.
Daniel's towering body trembled violently.
Though fortified by the fourth tier of Celestial Thunder Body Enhancement and the Seven Lamps of Dominion Rite, he felt every muscle, bone, and node groan under the unbearable strain -- like a balloon forced beyond its limits.
His body seemed on the verge of tearing apart under the immense power.
"Hmph."
Daniel grunted, harnessing the crushing pain.
His stature stopped growing, but his aura surged exponentially. The golden light shielding him solidified into armor as dense as pure gold. Violet lightning swirled around him, no longer fracturing in random arcs, but forming the clear shapes of illusory Thunder Dragons.
Five layers of power overlaid: his exorcism, Golden Aegis Rite, Rite of Divine Empowerment, Seven Lamps of Dominion Rite, and Nine Sacred Invocations: Guard.
At this moment, Daniel was awe-inspiring, sacred -- no mortal should meet his gaze. He resembled an ancient god descended to the mortal realm, looking down on ants at his feet.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
An invisible pressure radiated from Daniel with a thunderous roar.
It was an absolute dominance over life forces.
Ed, Lorraine, and the Hodgson family, hiding in the corner ward, suddenly felt their knees weaken.
This pressure wasn't physical -- it pressed directly on the soul's depths. It was the primal reverence and submission mortals feel toward a true god.
No one could stand.
Even the resolute Ed lost control of his body on the spot.
Everyone fell to their knees, heads bowed deeply, not daring to meet the golden figure's gaze.
In the entire space, only Valak hovered barely in the air.
Its two-headed Dragon trembled, and its childlike true form twisted in terror. Though its faceless face revealed no expression, the overwhelming dread was undeniable.
Daniel slowly opened his eyes.
Those violet-golden orbs locked coldly onto the demon before him.
"To make me invoke the 'Guard'." Daniel's voice soared like celestial music, exploding within Valak's soul. "You should be proud!"
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.