Chapter 523: Vergil vs Neberius (Part. I)
Vergil rose slowly from the hole his body had made in the stone floor. Dust and shrapnel fell from his shoulders, but his eyes… his eyes burned blue, almost savage, like two blades of ice glinting in the darkness.
His laughter broke the silence. First low, then high, until it became a booming cackle that echoed throughout the prison.
“Hahahahaha!” Vergil wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. “That… THAT is exactly what I wanted.”
Naberius watched, motionless, the flaming crown casting golden reflections across her flawless face. Her smile was soft, as if she were facing an inevitable spectacle.
Vergil, however, raised his still-stained sword and pointed it directly at her.
“Listen carefully, Naberius…” His voice deepened, firm, vibrating with power. “Don’t involve them in this. Don’t touch any of those women.” This fight… is between you and me.
The words weren’t a plea. They were an order.
Behind him, Roxanne opened her mouth to protest, but couldn’t. The intensity of Vergil’s gaze, mixed with the strength of his aura, simply silenced her. Even Katharina, always hungry for battle, swallowed hard and narrowed her eyes in understanding.
Naberius smiled. A slow smile, full of dangerous grace.
“Hmm… arrogant and protective. Like your grandfather… but different.” She lifted her chin, and her crimson eyes flashed. “Very well, son of the White Primordial. I accept. Just you and me.”
The air burned around them.
In an instant, Vergil vanished from the spot. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he pushed forward, so fast he left only a blue trail. In less than a blink, he was standing before Naberius, sword in hand, aiming directly at her face.
“DIE!”
The blade sliced through the air violently, as if it could split the world in two.
But Naberius was no ordinary enemy. She tilted her head slightly, the blow missing her golden skin by millimeters. A whirlwind of wind exploded behind her from the mere movement of the blade.
Her eyes shone with amusement.
“Fast…” she murmured, her voice warm and calm. “But predictable.”
Vergil was no longer in the same place. He twisted in the air, spinning brutally, the blade humming like thunder. The second cut came even faster, aiming for her neck.
Naberius moved like a dance. Her scarlet hair swirled in flames, and she dodged again, sliding to the side as if space had opened up for her.
The sword’s impact with nothingness sent a wave of energy flying, pushing the remaining meters back. Titania screamed as she was thrown at Zuri, who held her tightly, her teeth clenched.
Vergil landed hard, cracking the stone floor. He looked up, his blue eyes panting, but his smile widening.
“You can dodge all you want… but I’ll hit you.”
Naberius stared at him, and behind the sensuality was a fierce glow.
“Show me, then, if the blood of the gods still runs in your veins… or if you’re just another maddened mortal.”
She raised her hand, and a golden flame burst from her palm, alive, roaring like a miniature sun.
Vergil laughed louder, gripping his sword.
And the fight truly began.
The entire hall was engulfed in the golden light radiating from Naberius’s palm. The heat grew in seconds, causing the iron walls and bone pillars to expand and creak as if they were about to collapse.
Vergil charged into the blast of energy like a predator in the midst of a fire. His katana glowed blue, cutting through the very pressure trying to crush him.
Naberius raised his hand high—the solar sphere expanded like a miniature star—and slammed it down.
The impact was like the clash of two worlds.
Vergil pierced the flash, his blade splitting the golden sun into two halves that shattered in furious flames. The fiery shards struck the walls, melting the stone, turning the platform into a volcanic field.
“IMPOSSIBLE!” Rize screamed, shielding her face from the searing heat.
But Vergil didn’t stop. He lunged at Naberius, his blue eyes boring into hers like blades.
The blow came diagonally, too fast to see. Naberius raised his arm, and his skin shimmered as if made of living gold. The blade scraped divine flesh—but didn’t cut. It just sparked.
Vergil’s eyes widened in excitement.
“Heh… so that’s what I need to overcome.”
Naberius smiled. But this time, his smile was feral.
“Closer, boy. But not close enough.”
She spun, and her incandescent hair spread like a stream of fire, striking Vergil like flaming whips. The impact slammed him into one of the columns, which crumbled into fragments of bone and iron.
The ground shook.
Vergil emerged from the dust, laughing, blood trickling down his forehead.
“Hahahahaha! THAT’S IT! THAT’S RIGHT!” He raised his katana, the blue aura rising in waves that tore through the air. “You have no idea how much I’ve waited for a fight like this!”
He charged again. Each step cracked the ground, each swing of his sword created energy slashes that expanded into blades of blue wind, forcing Naberius to dance between them.
She dodged gracefully, as if in a divine choreography. Her feet barely touched the ground, her white and gold tunic swirled, and her aura ignited every space she passed.
But Vergil was persistent. His attacks were relentless, like a storm of steel.
Katharina watched, her eyes shining with ecstasy.
“He’s really trying to cut a moving sun…” she murmured, almost laughing.
“He’s going to die!” Titania screamed desperately, clutching Zuri’s hand.
Naberius dodged another blow and suddenly grabbed Vergil’s arm. Her touch burned like a hot iron.
With a single movement, she hurled him against the prison ceiling. Vergil passed through the stone, vanishing for an instant.
Silence fell.
Naberius sighed, adjusting the crown on his head.
“You’re insane…” she murmured, almost amused.
But then, the ceiling exploded.
Vergil fell back, an intense blue aura enveloping his body. His katana shimmered with power. He dove like a meteor, aiming straight for her heart.
Naberius raised both hands. Two golden flames erupted, like twin suns.
The clash of the three powers transformed the entire hall into a sea of light.
The walls shattered, the floor sank, and the explosion made the entire world vibrate as if it were about to collapse.
In the glare, all that could be heard was Vergil’s laughter and Naberius’s hoarse voice:
“Show me, descendant… if you are truly worthy of my name!”