The air cracked apart, space collapsing like dry earth splitting inch by inch.
An unseen force poured down, and in an instant, Ethan's legs bent under the crushing weight.
"...Gravity Magic?"
Feeling the invisible pressure pressing down, Ethan muttered inwardly.
This was the first time he'd encountered such an attribute. Out of the two hundred-plus spells he'd mastered, not one was of this kind.
Obscure though it was, the power was very real.
"Hah!"
With a sharp shout, his aura burst outward.
A green radiance enveloped him, forcing his buckling knees back upright, step by step.
"Not bad... looks like you're no small fry."
Dante smirked as he surged forward. The black demonic energy surrounding him condensed into a massive glaive, its edge gleaming ominously in his grasp.
As a devil host, there were few forces in the world that could truly harm him. Most magic, no matter how destructive, could barely scratch his body.
There was only one exception—
Domain Magic.
The power of the underworld.
The only force capable of threatening a devil... and thus the greatest threat to those who bore their power.
For more than a decade, the Dark Triad had hunted down every Domain mage they could find, determined to erase them from existence.
And now—one had stepped into his throne room willingly.
SLASH!
SWISH!
WHOOSH!
The glaive whirled through the air like a storm, Dante closing the distance in a blur, striking for Ethan's neck without hesitation. His movements were merciless, sharp as lightning and relentless as a gale.
"Tree Magic—Wooden Rampart!"
With a thought, Ethan raised his hand. A row of massive wooden beams arched into a defensive dome around him.
The glaive slammed into it with a ringing clang, sparks scattering like colliding steel.
At the same time, vines erupted from the ground, coiling and striking toward Dante in a writhing swarm.
"Tch!"
Dante scoffed, spinning his glaive. With sweeping arcs, he shredded the vines to ribbons, each strike leaving a black afterimage across the air.
"Tree magic...?" Dante narrowed his eyes. "Could it be—you're the captain of the Golden Dawn from the Clover Kingdom?"
He paused briefly, then frowned. "No... that doesn't add up. Your power is greater than his. And besides..."
Dante didn't finish his thought. He knew Zenon was already moving against the Clover Kingdom. If this man was truly the captain of the Golden Dawn, there was no way he could appear here without the Triad knowing.
Ethan chuckled. "Heh. Who knows? Maybe I'm his long-lost twin brother. But really... you've got time to be thinking about that? Shouldn't you focus on me?"
Tree Magic—World Tree Descent!
Ethan pressed his palm to the ground. Magic surged out like a tidal wave.
The palace shook violently, tremors rattling the entire Spade capital. Even citizens far from the palace walls could feel the earth shuddering beneath their feet.
"W-what's happening? An earthquake?!"
"Look—the palace!"
In the moonlit night, countless colossal trees burst through the palace foundations, towering skyward.
The entire royal castle was lifted from the ground, impaled like meat on skewers, dangling across the branches of the giant trees.
At the very top, two figures clashed—silhouettes stark against the moonlight.
"That's... Lord Dante!"
"And the other... is that the intruder? Who dares—"
The civilians and soldiers alike stared in disbelief. Moments ago, the palace had stood as an untouchable fortress. Now it was a battlefield in the sky.
Panic spread. Soldiers scrambled into formation, squads rushing toward the palace to reinforce it.
Among the people below, chaos stirred.
"Don't be afraid," a young woman soothed, stroking her sister's hair gently. "I'm here. And Lord Madara is too..."
"But sis... are we at war? I'm scared..." The younger girl, Pasha, buried her face in Lucia's arms, trembling like a frightened rabbit.
Lucia's lips parted slightly as her eyes widened, staring at the palace skewered high above on wooden titans. For a moment, even she was shaken.
But then her gaze hardened.
Others could panic—she could not.
If Lord Madara had entrusted her with managing their business empire, then it was her duty to hold everything together.
Reaching into her cloak, she pulled out a flat, rune-carved tablet—a magic communicator, gifted to her by Ethan.
Its etched numbers, from 1 to 20, glowed faintly.
"This is Lucia. You've all seen what's happening outside. Don't panic. Lock down your shops, activate your defense wards. Shops 1, 3, and 15—you're closest to the palace, evacuate your customers immediately. Everyone else, hold your ground. Keep order..."
Her voice was steady, crisp. Command after command flowed naturally from her lips.
If Ethan were here, he would surely be impressed at how right he'd been in trusting her.
But Ethan had no such luxury now.
Dante was far stronger than he had expected.
"Devil Power—40%!"
Darkness exploded around Dante, demonic energy cloaking him until he seemed less a man and more a living devil. His aura thickened, warping the very air, his black wings unfurling wide.
Devil hosts measured their strength not in spells or ranks—but by how much of their devil's power they could unleash.
Asta could barely sustain 30%—and even that gave him the strength to rival Third-Stage mages.
But 40%...
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He remembered. In the original timeline, Yuno had been crushed by Zenon, who had only released 50% of his power.
And that was Yuno—with Spirit Dive, the Wind Spirit, and Stage Zero mastery.
Even then, he had nearly died.
"If not for Vangeance saving him with Tree Magic... the story would've ended with just Asta."
Ethan exhaled slowly, his expression firm.
This was no time to hold back.
"Show me then... how much of your devil's power you can really use!"
Heaven and Earth Technique—First Pressure Seal!
Pressing his palms together, Ethan unleashed his Domain.
A force unlike gravity magic descended from the heavens, crushing the palace itself.
Dante, who had been lunging forward, suddenly plummeted mid-air, slammed into the ground as though a mountain had fallen on his shoulders.
Pinned.
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