Chapter 211: Fighting Armecolith, Part 2

During Howard's training with Gravanal, his domain had gotten at least three times more effective at blocking attacks.

Every night when he went to sleep, he'd receive attacks that were so terrifying, that even a second of hesitation when receiving them would spell his downfall. However, this was also the reason why he wanted to get attacked by Armecolith's full strength.

Armecolith, in many ways, seemed to be at least 100 times weaker than Yesran, and because of this seemed like the perfect training tool for Howard. He smiled as his Emperor's Domain activated while the attacks got closer and closer to destroying his existence.

A light smile appeared on his face while his Emperor's Domain's 30 Crowns Instantly surrounded his body while the Shadow Giants arms slammed into him. 

Boom!

A large dust cloud shot over Howard while Armecolith instantly laughed louder and louder. The next moment, thousands of scythes shot at Howard's positions. Countless explosions followed that only made Armecolith all the more thrilled. He'd never imagined in a million years he'd just stand still! Was he completely out of his mind?

"You-you idiot! I-I never imagined in a million years you'd let me one shot you, hahaha! Fine, your grandfather will get a quick death! I'll behead him over your dead body! He won't even see what hit him!"

"That's a sort of strong attack," Howard's voice appeared through a cloud of dust. The world seemed to be shaking around him from the powerful force of Armecolith's attack, but Howard just seemed to be standing there smiling. "However, is that really the best you got? I-I can't train if you attack me like that."

"You-you? You are using a domain?" Armecolith watched Howard appear from the dust and instantly shuddered. "How? How perfect little brat. Haven't you ever heard that getting a domain in the S rank is suicide, hahaha! Did you know that if you use it for too long, your body will explode? Great! I have another path to victory! All I have to do is keep attacking you and you'll probably explode!"

"Hmmmm, is that so?" Howard shook his head.

Harkel had told him that most people who had domains at his power level would indeed suffer tremendous setbacks, however, that was because they didn't' understand all the principles of domains. Of course, Howard didn't really fully understand any aspects of domains fully, yet Armecolith had no idea that Howard had literally almost perfectly copied and even exceeded Harkel's domain.

Such a thing was unheard of, even in Demon King Earls time, and because of this misunderstanding Armecolith couldn't stop smiling!

'Even if he has a domain, I can tell that it will shatter quickly," Armecolith held out his hand before hundreds more shadow giants appeared around Howard. "Hmph, worse case scenario, this might take a minute longer."

Armecolith's Domain that he'd been planning on making was going to be called the Shadow Giant Domain, and because of that he had thousands of Shadow Giants he could summon. Each one amplified the others strengths by a small margin, but once he summoned all 6000 he had they could be considered as strong as a peak domain by themselves!

Just because he didn't expand his domain yet, it didn't mean he'd have any problem against Howard. Holding out his hand, more and more Shadow Gaints appeared while a few more crowns appeared floating around Howard.

He just smiled, and looked up at the towering shadowy beings in the sky.

"What are you waiting for? I'm going to attack soon if you don't attack me," Howard held out his hand before hundreds of Ghost Swords began to appear around him, and a few sets of chains spun into existence. "I'll give you three seconds before I move."

"Arrogant brat. Even if you moved, you'd have no chance of hurting me. Hmph, you and that fake domain can go to hell! Attack!"

Armecolith swung down his arm, and instantly the shadow giants slashed at Howard. They seemed to all merge into one giant being before from that being hundreds of hands manifested and slashed at Howard's location.

Boom!

For the second time, a large dust cloud shot over Howard causing Armecolith to instnatly laugh! There was no way Howard took that attack and lived! His smile couldn't help but get larger and larger.

"You know, you let your defense down when you laugh," Howard's voice appeared behind Armecolith before a powerful force surged into his back. Howard's fist suffused with Silker Ki before it attacked him dozens of times in the center of his spine. Armecolith literally could see behind his back, thanks to his many skulls in his chest, but Howard had appeared so fast that he didn't have time to react.

Boom!

Armecolith instantly shot into the distance while Howard smiled. 

"Now, I'm guessing you won't hold back anymore, right Armecolith?" Howard sighed and looked up at Waxel's Chariot Domain, and sighed. "Anyways, just watch me Grandfather. I promise, not only will I crush Armecolith, but I'll make you proud while doing it!"

###

Waxel could feel Howard through his domain as he began to wake up.

For over a hundred days, he was surrounded by his sixteen horseman and the array they formed with their bodies in order to seal his domain. However, now that Howard had started to buzz, he seemed to come to life inside of the domain.

His eyes shot open while the last few horseman around him started to break apart. This was terrible! What was that brat doing!

"You-you're my grandson. How could I expect anything less, but you coming to save me," Waxel started to tear up while he looked down at Howard. "However, do you realize how strong Armecolith is? Even with that tiny domain, he's most likely going to kill you! He still hasn't started to use his main abilities!"

Waxel could sense Howard's strength was in the S rank, and he could even sense his domain, but he wasn't impressed! Maybe Howard would make him use 100 percent of his strength, but this was Armeolith! He wouldn't be one of the strongest Night Lords if he could be defeated by a surprise attack!

"Howard, let's hope you're fast enough to escape. In five minutes, I'll come down and stall him, but at least… at least I got to see you again grandson. Your grandmother would be so proud."

###

Howard shot forward like a missile towards Armecolith as he bounced against the desert floor. He spun once in the air and then pushed down off his hands before he flipped three times and landed on his feet.

He was somewhat shocked Howard would go against his word. He was beginning to reassess him.

'He's a little bit stronger than Waxel. I best have a 70 percent chance of defeating him. However, his chances of killing me are less than one percent! I-I need to get my odds up to 100 percent, though? How can I do that?'

'Waxel, yes, Waxel! In five minutes, he'll fall down and I'll capture him, hahaha! It will be easy as pie to kill him then!'

"I'm not even started yet!" Howard activated Fire King's Sprint and almost instantly arrived in front of Armecolith, "Take this! Sundering Burial!"

"Hoh? Not bad!" Armecolith spun away from Howard's attack while hundreds of swords approached Armecolith from every side. "However, I'm in the SS rank for a reason and you're in the S rank. Do you really think I can't dodge such simple attacks?"

Swoosh!

Armecolith spun away from Howard's attacks before almost all parts of his body started to glow. Howard instantly remembered the eyes of life and death Waxel used eminating from Armecolith, however, this time it had to be a hundred times stronger.

Armecolith stepped from side to side, dodging the hundreds of swords, while Howard sighed and took a deep breath. This was exactly what he wanted a real challenge!

"What's that skill you're using?" Howard bridged the gap between Armecolith and him and instantly swung out with all his might. His Dark Ki and Silver Ki appeared on both his hands before he quickly bulleted his fists towards Armecolith. Almost a hundred attacks got exchanged in an instant, causing Armecolith to jump back in alarm.

What was he doing? Why did it seem like Howard was copying him in some way? What was that terrifying feeling?

"This-this is an understanding that will result in your death!" Armecolith swung out his fist at Howard and instantly slammed into one of his crowns. "Unlike the weak Eyes of Life and Death, this is called the body of vengeance! I-I will get stronger and stronger the longer we fight!"

"Hmmm, and you think I'll get weaker?!" Howard watched a thousand shadow fists appear around Armecolith while he jumped back and let his Shadow Giants attack. "You-you're trying so hard to run away from me? Are you afraid of me hurting you or something?"

"Hmph, you're cocky for a little brat. You know. You exceeded my expectations by lasting a few seconds, but did you know that every Night Lord has a true form? Waxel saw me use it against him, and I'm beginning to think you earned it!"

"Below you!" Howard's Dream Ki flickered before he seemed to switch places with one of the swords in his domain. He smiled and shot his fist at Armecolith while hundreds of ghost hands from his domain bashed into his back. "Hah, you think? You think I'm going to let you live! You think I didn't train for this day?"

'What the hell? How is he unscathed?' Armecolith crossed his arms and blocked Howard's attack before his body seemed to swell to five times its size. "I-I can't believe against a brat like you I'm going to use my true form, hahaha! Are you ready to die?"

"I think… I think deep in the shadows, you're afraid. Afraid of being outsmarted. I think ever since the day you got to the Furnance, that's been your greatest fear." Howard held out his hand before every part of his domain surged towards Armecolith. "However, I finally found out I have a grandfather! I don't care how evil you say you are! You're going to die, or stop getting in my way!"

Boom!

As Armecolith grew to five times his size, the entire battlefield seemed to almost instantly seemed to darken. Armecolith somewhat trembled and flew back from Howard's attack while a smile appeared on his face. Though Howard was winning, now that his ture form was activating, this would all change.

'In the SS rank, a Night Lord's true form amplifies their base strength by 3 times! This-this form is what caused your grandfather to seal himself into that damn domain, hahaha! Are you ready Howard?'

'Are you ready to see what caused your Grandfather so much fear! Yes, attack me! Attack me so I can bury you in his own blood hahaha! He's just about to come out!"

"I know a secret for you," Howard's Dream Ki caused him to appear in 20 different places at once as Armecolith smiled. "Harkel told me the secret to defeating you." Howard's fist got parried by a giant hand before he slid back.

In front of him, Armecolith had grown to 3 times his size, and his power had instantly grown. "Harkel told me, once you activate your true form, you are at least 10 times easier to kill, hahaha! I guess you're finally taking me seriously, right? Hahaha! I'm so excited! I'm so excited to destroy you! I'm so excited to see your face when I tear off your head!"

"Oh, is that silver Ki getting to you?" Armecolith laughed. "Well, why don't you stay still now and let me attack. You were barely hurting me before. Now, what are you going to do when I'm three times faster, stronger, and more robust?"

"I'm going to destroy you slowly," Howard said with a smile, "Even if it takes an entire day, you'll be the one to fall! I'm a Horned after all! And I'm fighting for someone I love while you're fighting for nothing but yourself! Hmph, I don't care how strong you get, I'll always win!"

"Well then, Shadow Domain, Activate," Armecolith sighed and held out his hand. "I-I Forgot to tell your grandfather that in the 100 days he made me wait, I created a domain, hahaha! You-you thought you could win?! Well taste this! Ten thousand Shadow's activate, and kill him!"