"It's not that I'm too strong—it's that he's too weak."
Ethan Hayes stared calmly at the battered, half-destroyed form of Zenon.
Once, he had thought the Zero Domain was the peak of all magic. But now, he understood—Zero was not the end. It was only the beginning.
One mountain hides another; one flower contains a world.
Between each layer of the Nine Great Forces, the gulf was far greater than the difference between the Ninth Domain and the Zero Domain.
A mage who bore even a single layer of the Great Force could utterly crush a typical Zero Domain magician.
Zenon was strong, yes—but when stripped bare, his own strength might not even reach the Zero Domain. What he wielded was nothing more than the borrowed boost of devil power.
And devil power was far from invincible.
For him, the Second Layer of the Great Force was already his ceiling.
"Devil Power—eighty-one percent!"
Zenon's face twisted with madness as he burned his life away. Thick, tar-like black mist surged from his body, spreading like a tide.
As a devil host, he knew well: he could only safely draw out so much. Sixty percent was his true limit. Beyond that—
Whoosh—!
The black fog billowed, devouring the battlefield. The ground withered into dust beneath it.
Seeing this, Klaus and the others instinctively retreated, their hearts hammering. Ethan and Yuno, however, soared upward into the skies, gazes locked on the swirling abyss below.
"This aura…"
Wherever the fog passed, life perished—reduced to powder. Even Ethan's eyes hardened.
Yuno felt his body tremble. That same suffocating dread… he had only felt it once before. In the Shadow Palace.
"A devil… Zenon's throwing everything away. He's giving up his body, letting the true devil emerge!"
Ethan wasn't afraid. Even against Dante or the Dark Triad, he had confidence to fight or retreat.
But this was different.
Devils were not of this world. Their strength was something ordinary mortals could not match.
The Word-Soul Devil was proof enough.
"Yuno," Ethan said grimly, summoning the blood-red Imperial Sword in one hand and a strange, crystalline golden brick in the other. "Take Klaus and the others and fall back. When this thing comes out, I won't be able to protect you."
Yuno shook his head sharply. "No. Not against a devil. Even if you killed the Word-Soul Devil before—that was a miracle. You can't rely on miracles twice!"
Ethan gave a faint, wry smile. "…Fine. Then you'll support me. But listen well—if things turn bad, you run. No hesitation."
Rumble…!
The skies turned black. Lightning cracked across thunderclouds as the black vortex below twisted faster and faster, like a gateway to hell.
And then it came.
A colossal shadow burst upward, tearing through the storm.
The devil's body was cloaked in darkness, its face twisted, its aura choking. It wasn't identical to the Word-Soul Devil, but it radiated the same malevolent essence—the unmistakable stench of the underworld.
"Kehehehe…" the devil cackled, voice slithering like venom. "So quickly I've arrived. Though really—what a pathetic host. Such a waste of a vessel…"
Its gaze fell on Ethan and Yuno.
Memories were shared between host and devil; naturally, it knew who had driven Zenon to desperation.
"Boy," it said, voice low and enticing, "you've got potential. Do you crave power? With me, you could become stronger. All you need to do is—"
"Sorry," Ethan cut him off with a sneer. "I'm not interested in devils. Keep your poison."
Devil contracts were like narcotics—granting temporary highs at the price of eternal ruin. He wasn't Asta. He didn't need a devil.
"…Pity," the devil mused, its eyes narrowing. "I thought to spare your life. But if that's your answer…"
"Then maybe I should say thank you?" Ethan quipped, and without warning, hurled the glowing brick in his hand.
Fwoooosh—!
The "brick" expanded midair, swelling into a golden mountain that plummeted down on the devil like the wrath of the heavens.
The devil's eyes widened. "A Heavenly Relic…!? You actually have a relic?!"
Ethan froze for a heartbeat. The devil knew of this?
This treasure—the so-called brick—was no ordinary artifact. He had only obtained it by sacrificing his grimoire in exchange for a third, hidden option.
Ordinarily, there were only two paths: discard your grimoire, or reshape it.
But his choice… hadn't been recorded by the laws of this world.
And yet this devil recognized it.
Just as I thought, Ethan realized. These devils know more about the truth of this world than anyone else…
He remembered the Word-Soul Devil's strange recognition of his golden blood and the Imperial Sword. It had known more than it should have.
He almost wished he could drag it back from hell just to interrogate it.
But now… this devil might serve the same purpose.
BOOM!
The golden relic slammed down. The impact split the earth, shattered the sky, and shook the mountains.
The devil staggered beneath it, clawed hands rising to catch the crushing weight. Its eyes narrowed, struggling.
"…Upper Force… and a Heavenly Relic… I miscalculated."
It snarled, muscles straining. "To think I'd encounter a human like you!"
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