Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion-Chapter 286 - 285: Heaven Devouring knight

"Haa… haa… haa…"

Heavy breaths echoed through the air as Caius bled from his abdomen.

A gaping hole slowly closed, flesh knitting itself back together.

Not far away, Darius stood watching — his once-excited face dimmed with disappointment.

"At this rate, the battle will end soon," Darius said coldly. "Even with everything you've got, you're still weak."

From the start to this moment, Darius had dominated — every attack aimed precisely at Caius's weak points. His speed, strength, and stamina all far outclassed his brother's.

"N…not… yet…" Caius struggled to rise, voice heavy with exhaustion.

All around them, deep craters scarred the planet's surface. Though the soil here was strong enough to withstand attacks from Universal Realm beings, countless pits had already been carved into it.

Both Caius and Darius clearly possessed the power of that realm.

"I wanted to play more," Darius sighed. "Too bad you couldn't even be a proper warm-up."

Caius clenched his fists as his wounds healed completely.

"I think… I've got the hang of it," he muttered, more to himself than to Darius.

"What do you mean?" Darius raised a brow, surprised. Caius only laughed softly.

"How to control my new body," he replied, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

Before Darius could respond —

BOOM!

A massive crater exploded beneath Caius's feet as he moved — his speed doubling, tripling in an instant.

Like a beast of velocity, he broke through the first layer of space and punched directly at Darius.

But instead of fear, Darius's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Yes… come on! Show me more!" he thought, catching Caius's punch head-on.

BOOM!! SWIIIIISH—!!

A deafening explosion echoed, and a shockwave spread across the massive planet — one thousands of times larger than the Sun itself.

As the dust settled, back at the Federation, countless eyes stared at the battlefield in awe.

"He… he tanked it?" someone whispered.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The number-one genius of the Federation had lived up to his name once again — easily overwhelming his elder brother.

Even the older generation admitted Darius's power was terrifying.

BOOM! BOOM!

But Caius didn't stop. His attacks grew fiercer, faster — space itself rippling and cracking.

Each blow carried the might to damage a universe, their speed far beyond the speed of light.

"Isn't this just a futile struggle?" a young genius scoffed.

Even with this surge in power, Caius was still being pushed back.

But then —

"No… wait," an elderly voice interrupted. "He's actually matching Darius now!"

The crowd turned their gaze skyward.

It was true — moments ago Darius had been easily dominating, but now every strike met an equal counter. Their punches and kicks clashed evenly, creating waves that shredded the heavens.

BOOM! DOOM! PUSHHH!

The two finally separated. Darius smirked.

"He's gotten stronger," he thought, just as Caius charged again.

POW! POW! POW!

Their fists met again and again — pure, unfiltered combat. Flesh to flesh. No tricks. No distance.

If this battle had taken place anywhere near the Federation, entire universes would've already been reduced to ash.

"Wait… Prince Darius is being pushed back?!" someone shouted in disbelief.

Gasps filled the crowd.

"Look closely!" another voice cried. "Prince Caius keeps getting stronger — and Darius's punches are getting weaker!"

It was true. Darius himself noticed it — sweat dripped from his brow as he stepped back, breathing heavily.

"Haa… haa… haa…"

"When… was the last time I felt this tired?" he muttered.

"Are you… draining my strength?" Darius asked, piecing it together.

Caius smirked slightly, feeling the immense power surging through his veins.

"Correct. I just realized this new form allows me to absorb your energy to make myself stronger."

The crowd gasped — even the Federation's high-ranking officials were shaken.

"W-what?!"

"That's insane!"

"How can such an ability even exist?!"

But Caius didn't mention the dangerous condition of that power — he had to withstand the enemy's attacks first.

"This Dreadborne Organization…" someone whispered. "What are they, really?"

Murmurs spread through the Federation.

Fear grew. The Wild Shade Group had been terrifying enough, but this new organization — Dreadborne — was far beyond them.

Spies sent to investigate had vanished without explanation, returning broken or refusing to speak.

Even now, the Federation dared not act recklessly.

Then —

"Hahahahahaha!"

Instead of despair, Darius laughed wildly.

"This is good!" he shouted.

Caius froze, confused. "What?"

"Remember what I said earlier? This is perfect. Now, I can finally release myself," Darius said, eyes glowing faintly purple.

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

BADUM!

Caius clutched his chest, his instincts screaming danger.

"Release," Darius whispered.

CLANK!

A chain-breaking sound reverberated throughout the Federation — ancient, metallic, heavy.

"What's going on?"

"Wait — his true strength… was sealed?!"

"W-what kind of monster…?"

Monster indeed. Even while restrained, Darius was already unmatched.

Now that his true power was free… the universe trembled.

The sky darkened as Caius looked on in shock. Darius's body shifted — armor of violent energy wrapped around him, his aura turning predatory.

Within seconds, he transformed into a purple knight with two long swords strapped to his back.

He wasn't bulky — his frame was lean, the armor clinging to him like a second skin.

"This is…" Caius muttered in disbelief.

"No way… the Heaven-Devouring Knight Bloodline," an elder whispered, eyes widening.

The other powerhouses exchanged looks — and intentionally spoke loud enough for the public to hear.

For those who understood, their expressions turned pale.

"Sir, what… what is that bloodline?" someone from the crowd asked, trembling.

"It's a terrifying physique," one of the old powerhouses replied grimly.

"Every bearer of that bloodline was too strong for their generation — too strong for their worlds. Legends say that at its peak, the Heaven-Devouring Knight could consume entire worlds."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"S-so… General Darius… could one day fight the entire multiverse?" someone whispered.

And silence fell — cold, suffocating silence — as the realization set in.

Back at the battlefield…

"Caius… show me the true extent of your potential — of your strength. Make me go all out," Darius said, his voice echoing like a divine proclamation.

Caius's eyes shimmered as he took a step back. To him, Darius stood like an immovable mountain — pure power and strength embodied.

But the greater the pressure, the more excited Caius became.

He couldn't help but grin as his blood boiled, heat radiating from his body and turning into vapor that vanished into the air.

"As you wish," Caius said, crouching as his legs dug deep into the ground.

His body trembled with power as his aura flared violently.

BOOM!

***************************************************