The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 74

In the end, the so-called demons became mere spectators. They howled in despair as they fled, only to be inevitably consumed by blades and flames. The black and white intertwined, creating a heavy gray storm that swept across the battlefield.

Eddie was finally free. The cold voice had vanished, granting him a momentary peace. With flames and a silver-white sword in hand, he clashed with Lloyd.

Both men were at their limits, like overworked machines on the brink of collapse.

The secret blood, derived from demons, remained uncontrollable despite centuries of effort by the Church. It lurked within the witchers, biding its time for a rebellion. Just as the Purification Bureau set numerical limits for the ancient sacred armor, secret blood had its threshold. When this threshold was exceeded, witchers began to demonize.

Each witcher was a fearsome single-soldier machine, and demonization meant losing control. The Church had implemented numerous safeguards, such as the Holy Knights who dealt with witcher-related incidents and the silver restraints around each witcher's throat.

Eddie's body was falling apart. The holy silver surged and burned through his flesh, but the awakening secret blood healed his wounds. As the silver restraints melted away, the secret blood lost its constraints, transforming Eddie completely into a demon.

A pure white demon, emanating a holy light that purified everything. But amidst this, thorns emerged, binding Eddie tightly.

Lloyd, wielding his black sword, approached. To him, there was no longer a witcher, only a pitiful man consumed by secret blood, a demon to be slaughtered.

"Attack!" Eddie growled. The nearby demons, hesitant and wary of Lloyd, were compelled to obey Eddie's command. "Kill him!"

The raging flames severed all thorns as Eddie, like a wild beast freed from its cage, charged at Lloyd. The demons, driven by Eddie's second command, joined the attack, their wails like sorrowful ghosts.

Lloyd's eyes under his helmet showed a hint of gravity. Eddie had done the impossible—controlled demons without sacrifices. Six years had passed since Lloyd thought it was over, yet now, unimaginable phenomena, like Eddie's bizarre power, emerged.

Blades clashed once more. "What have you done? How can you control demons?" Lloyd's voice echoed from his black armor, heavy and metallic.

"You want to know? I can trade answers with you," Eddie laughed wildly. As a witcher, he had always fought darkness, never using his power to command demons. Yet now, he wielded it, gaining leverage over Lloyd.

Both held secrets the other wanted to know. The holy flames roared, and the black armor groaned. Their battle surpassed human imagination, lighting up the dark night and scorching the air. Countless demons, like moths to a flame, charged forward only to perish, their ashes falling like snowflakes.

Lloyd remained silent, the warning from his silver restraint echoing in his mind. Unlike Eddie, he wouldn't easily exceed the threshold. Beyond it lay not just power, but a loosened cage. In the Gap, he had seen a monster yearning for freedom.

"Speak!" Eddie roared, his burning blade striking down fiercely. The black armor cracked, revealing not bleeding wounds but searing flames beneath.

Lloyd didn't evade. At the threshold, there was no need to dodge. His raging secret blood was his best shield. The black blade struck back, cutting through flames but meeting metallic resistance.

For the first time, Lloyd's sword halted the rampant flames, revealing Eddie's twisted face beneath. It was a suffocating sight, his features distorted with molten metal and flesh fused grotesquely.