FACING IT HEAD ON (2)

Wyn paused, looking at Marshall with a raised brow. Then he caught onto the heavy demonic presence surrounding the area.

It seemed that his spiritual flow not yet fully restored itself, hindering his perceptiveness. His hand reflexively reached for Cheimon only to remember that his sword had been confiscated.

The air around them turned thick and oppressive. As they scanned the woods, Wyn's eyes set on a dark silhouette standing deep within the forest. The amount of alarm he felt simply from glimpsing the figure was unthinkable.

"The Stygian Overlord," Marshall whispered, lightly tugging at Wyn's sleeve to pull him behind himself.

The snow deity looked at the disciple with apprehension. There were not many moments when the Wyn wanted to curse, but encountering the Stygian Overlord without his sword was one of them. As much as he hated to admit, he was at a loss of what to do.

"Marshall," he started in warning, but the other's gaze did not shift from the shadowy figure.

A small chuckle escaped the disciple's lips as he spoke, "It's fine. I'm prepared. I had two weeks to practice."

Marshall's casual attitude surprised Wyn, but before he could think too deeply about it, a jovial voice rung out.

"Isn't it rude to stare without saying hello?" the Stygian Overlord leisurely moved towards them. "I thought you wanted to see me, considering you keep giving me reasons to seek you out. So where's my greeting?"

The birds all around them sensed the approaching trouble and scattered. But Marshall remained steadfast, clasping his hands behind his back with a straight posture.

"I see you've been converting my people to serve you," the Stygian Overlord stated with a dissatisfied smirk. "Aren't you too brazen? Trying to overthrow me with your meager power?"

"What, are you afraid I might succeed?" Marshall provoked the demonic man. Despite his arrogant front, Wyn could sense an underlying seriousness in his demeanor.

"Overthrow me?" The Overlord chuckled heartily. "How exactly do you plan to achieve that? Could it be that you think you'll be able to beat me?"

He moved closer with relaxed steps, the abyss-like gaze never leaving the disciple. "You can try," he hummed menacingly. "Should we find a cave for some privacy? That is, unless you don't mind someone witnessing the future sovereign smeared across the ground."

Wyn felt the oppressive energy from the Stygian Overlord weighing down on them, each step bringing a waft of black smoke.

The snow deity's jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists. He had seen Marshall's growth, his newfound control over demonic energy, but facing the Stygian Overlord was a different matter altogether.

Marshall, however, remained unfazed. "No need. I don't plan on losing today," he responded, his tone flippant.

"Let's see how long you hold out." With a wave of the demonic man's hand, an overwhelming wave of dark energy surged toward them, intending to grind them to bits.

The disciple slammed his foot on the ground, erupting a shield of spiritual energy. Wyn's muscles tensed as the wave of dark energy collided with Marshall's shield.

The shockwaves rattled the surrounding trees like an earthquake. It was undoubtedly going to draw the attention of the officials. Someone was going to come to check the reason for the vibrations soon.

Wyn's eyes narrowed as he watched the dark fumes swirling around the golden energy, creating a stark contrast.

As he wondered how Marshall had managed to improve his spiritual flow, he noticed demonic energy swirling inside the shield—it was not made of pure spiritual energy, but a fusion of forces. In fact, most of it was demonic energy, the golden tones blinking faintly.

The Overlord paused, his gaze narrowing with the same realization, "Merging sinister with divine? That's a dangerous game you're playing, boy. You sure you can control it?"

Marshall did not waver, keeping an intense level of focus.

Wyn could sense the strain on their side of the shield, but there was not much he could do to help at the moment. While the disciple was holding on the shield, the snow deity focused on restoring his spiritual flow, steadying his breathing to shorten recovery time.

"Try harder," the Overlord's voice dripped with malice as he extended his hand, materializing a massive sphere of dark energy. It crackled with sinister echoes, the air around it distorting from its intensity.

Wyn prepared himself, drawing as much of his own spiritual energy as he had, waiting for the right moment to provide reinforcement.

The moment the Stygian Overlord hurled the sphere at them, Wyn extended his hands to boost the shield. Pale blue tones mixed in, spreading over the glowing surface like frost flowers.

As the sphere slammed into the shield, a deafening ringing echoed through the air. For a moment, everything was engulfed in black smoke. Wyn felt them being pushed back by the force of the blast, their feet sliding across the ground.

When the sinister energy faded, the shield was flickering weakly but still intact. Wyn slowly exhaled, feeling his shoulders ease slightly.

The disciple's breathing was heavy, sweat glistening on his brow, but half of a grin was displayed on his face. "Look at us, we're pretty cool," he chuckled under his breath, the sound only audible for him and Wyn.

"Two against one, yet all you can do is defend. Pitiful," the Overlord mocked.

Marshall's eyes gleamed with a strange excitement. Wyn had to blink twice to make sure he had seen it right. Who on earth could have fun in the face of the strongest of all demons?

"Who said I only had defenses?" Marshall raised his hand, and the dark fumes around his shield condensed into an arrow.

Within the dark arrow, a golden core of spiritual energy gleamed brightly. With a flick of his fingers, he hurled it at the demonic man.

The arrow cut through the air with blinding speed. The Overlord dodged, but it still grazed his left arm with a sizzling sound.

The Stygian Overlord raised his brow, the upbeat attitude waning as a cruel glare replaced the artificial joy. The successful attack had angered him.

Meanwhile, Wyn found himself gaping at the escalating battle. How on earth had Marshall managed to improve to this level in such a short period of time? Not only had he 'shot' an arrow a good distance without a bow, he had managed to mix it with demonic energy. 

For a split moment, the snow deity considered establishing a cult to support Marshall. Him becoming the next greatest sovereign did not seem like a far fetch, seeing as he was standing his ground against the Stygian Overlord. 

"Step away from that petty shield and face me directly," the demonic man pressed, coming closer.