Azazel raised his hand and just like that, a unique flame burst from it.
Unable to react in time, Edmond could only shield his eyes from the blinding light.
Null, however, saw the event happening in slow motion.
The unique flame was eerily similar to the Flame of Retribution only it burned with more intensity and carried the feeling of cruelty.
Just this alone put the Devil at a level of Transcendence and Null wondered how exactly those without a Universal Rule could still exhibit a power rivalling them.
'It must just be something akin to natural talent and honed ability.'
For example, a person born tall being able to reach a cupboard and a short person using a stool to reach the same cupboard.
Just because someone was not born with supernatural abilities did not mean that they had no access to them.
The Universal Rules fit that niche perfectly.
As long as one had the unyielding belief in a certain aspect of the universe, then they could very well rule over it given the right impetus.
'If Mr. Zolial's flames reflect the duality of Heaven and Hell and the Flames of Retribution reflect the harmony between the two, then these flames reflect only one thing: Ruthlessness.'
The reckless abandon to destroy all that stood in its wake made up the fabric of reality the flames sought to encompass.
As the flames darted towards Edmond, Null hesitated to help him not knowing if he was capable of resisting their might.
That brief moment of hesitation was all they needed to reach Edmond's face and start to envelope his entire figure.
"Shit! Mr. Zolial!"
Null sought to assist his former teacher in resisting the dastardly flames with a quick motion but was halted in his steps by the wave of his arm.
He had not let out even a peep despite being wholly consumed by the ruthless flames and his skin did not seem burnt in the slightest.
"So, this is all you have to offer in the face of your own execution? I'm ashamed to admit I expected more from you."
The flames flowed obediently towards Edmond's palm as he gave birth to the Flame of Retribution in his other.
"I can feel that your flame seeks to only render what it touches to ash and bone," Edmond chuckled to himself, "Why do you only wish to witness the remains of your opponent when you could do so much more?"
Seeing what he could consider to be a young imp laughing amidst the burning flames he thought would incinerate him bemused the Devil immensely.
'Just what did I let live in my realm unfettered?'
Only now did Azazel consider Edmond to be a threat to him albeit a minute degree.
He still saw him reaching the end of this encounter alive and well.
Alas, Edmond came here for one reason and one reason only.
He allowed the two flames to touch, and the result made both Azazel and Null shudder.
The ruthless flames could do nothing before the Flames of Retribution as they immediately pounced on the other like a ravenous beast.
The ruthless flames were like a powerless sheep before a fiendish wolf as they were effortlessly torn apart and devoured.
The ruthless flames ceased to exist moments after as they fueled the Flames of Retribution like it was a natural occurrence.
'I didn't think it would be this one sided at all,' Null was a mere spectator alongside Ego in a discussion about the fight— if it could even be called one.
'Well, seeing as that was all the Devil could force out the chains must be restricting him more than just physically.'
'Yeah, no kidding. I'm getting more and more concerned about what we're going to see in the Angelic Realm.'
'The Creator has just said something eerie,' Ego said uncomfortably, 'He said, "The universe is so full of saints and sinners that it takes a keen eye to discern between the marauders and schemers." I don't like the thought of that."
Null knew that he was just a naive as Ego when it came to the cruelties of life.
If not for the loss of the only one he came to feel for, he would have been free from any negative feelings or transgressions.
He had compartmentalized his acts on Planet Barter because he truly had no conception of the event due to Void's takeover.
He was being piloted by him while being in a dreamlike state which detached him from the emotional turmoil that he would have been subjected to otherwise.
It still ate at him deep down, but it was a manageable feeling that settled in the depths of his personality.
Edmond on the other hand had been subjected to much more harsh acts and negative emotions as the black sheep of his family.
The things he stood for had already been cemented early on in his life and taking the life of another was just another unfortunate circumstance that stemmed from what he considered to be a fact of life.
Being pushed too far opened the door to unwanted and irreconcilable realities.
"Despite what you have done to deserve your shackles, I am here to free you," Edmond shouted.
His eyes pulsated and the etchings on his skin seemed to undulate with each deep breath.
Edmond knew that he was being served Azazel on a silver platter kudos to the mysterious figure of the Angelic Realm, yet he found it to be a tad nostalgic.
"Rejoice! My flames do not care for what is righteous and what is sinful as they will sanctify that which it is given regardless of its purity."
The Devil felt a tinge of fear after hearing the blasphemous words of the feeble imp before him.
He constantly reminded him of the one above that he sought to destroy and was left feeling the same feelings that the now unreachable figure birthed within him.
"No! I won't let you! I can't!"
Try as he might, Azazel was stuck to the throne like a fly on a glue trap.
He would have attempted to fling more tongues of flames at him if he knew that they were not only useless against Edmond but even served as a fuel for his own flames.
The more he struggled, the more the chains that bound him glowed with red symbols that seemed to further sap his strength from him.
Edmond only stepped closer, a small grin forming on his otherwise solemn face.
Azazel saw this toothy grin as that of a bony grim reaper that aimed for his very soul.
'His weird flames might only show their worth against my own and not against my very flesh. Yes, that must be the case! I can't fall here without even escaping these wretched chains.'
As if he could read the Devil's mind, Edmond spoke once more, "Those wretched chains must deprive you of your very will to go on, but do not worry. Once I rid you from this plane, you will be free at last!"
Azazel wanted nothing but to be free from the chains, but not at the cost of his life, "Y-you! If it were not for these chains...,"
"Were it not for these chains, you would still find yourself under the control of another nonetheless. You fear that most, do you not? Cease your rambling and give your strength to me."
The Flames of Retribution were finally close enough to touch the bottom of the sanguine throne.
"You might best me with your fiendish methods, but you will find yourself at a loss when it comes to your lover! I know it just as you know she is there! He will-," before he could finish his cryptic message, Edmond ignited the throne.
The flames quickly leapt from the bottom and razed to the top with Azazel on it.
The only things that were not burning were the chains that previously glowed a dim crimson.
AURGHH!
Under the effects of the flame, Azazel screamed in pain as his once pristine skin was being consumed ceaselessly.
"YOU... WILL... WEEP!!!"
The painstaking words were the only thing left of him as the Devil was no more.
Not that Edmond could even begin to process his words as the untapped energy inside Azazel was transferred to him with no delay.
A being that had lived for eons would no doubt hold a tremendous amount of power within them and it was finally time for Edmond to experience the weight of it.
Null witnessed as the Flames of Retribution erupted from every pore on Edmonds body which was growing in muscle mass from within.
If before he had a lean figure, Edmond now looked like a seasoned bodybuilder.
His demonic horns grew more defined and shone with a malevolence that even Azazel had not possessed.
Soon, the Flames of Retribution died out and were replaced by the holy and purgatory flames.
"Hahaha! Finally! I can feel the wall before me about to shatter and the ceiling above me ever so close!"
He then eyed his surroundings and saw Null standing there with a goofy smile plastered on his face.
Then, he turned to the imposing chains and grabbed each before pulling them down.
The chains seemed to be alive as they sucked in the ambient power of the flames he let out.
On one side, the chains brightened up and had a honey white gleam to them, the markings turning a darker shade of yellow.
On the other side, the chains dimmed a baleful crimson which matched the even darker shade the symbols on the chains emitted.
Taking a liking to the chains, it seemed they were entirely under his control now that he had fed them his energy.
With one final action, he concluded his experiments with the chains.
Very suddenly, he grabbed the ends of the chains and forced them together!
The chains then ceased their glowing and took on an ordinary stainless steel look.
It even seemed like the symbols on the chains had disappeared, but they were merely hiding in wait for a suitable prey.
"In the end, you either fight what you are running from, or you become it. I, Edmond Zolial, am the new Devil, Ruler of the Demonic Realm."