Nero swung her sword through the air a few times, getting a feel for it.
"Hm. Pretty smooth."
Satisfied, she smirked and mused, "So, should I give you a new name now?"
Echidna stayed silent.
Nero nodded, pleased with its compliance. "Kidding. You'll stick with Echidna… let's say, Serpent-Blade Echidna. Sounds badass, right?"
She let go, and the demonic weapon dissolved into a glowing orb, zipping back into her chest. Gear like Echidna could compress into a magic-like state, letting demons—or half-demons like her—store it inside.
Super convenient.
Instead of leaving, Nero turned toward the ruins of the shattered Hell Gate. She hadn't forgotten: to power that gate, the Order had embedded three demonic artifacts, brought as a "gift" by Trish.
Talk about a show-off move biting you in the ass. The massive monument had crumbled, its debris burying the gate's foundation. Nero dug through the rubble for ages, but no sign of the artifacts.
Getting annoyed, she yanked out Yamato again, plunging it into the center of the wreckage. Channeling her full power, Yamato's "space-slicing" ability roared to life, reducing everything within a two-meter radius to fine, sand-like dust. The black grit sifted away, revealing a metallic gleam.
"Shocksteel Gauntlets, Gilgamesh, huh?"
Nero, back in her human form, recognized the artifact. Unlike Echidna, this one was forged from demon-world metal, a battle armor designed to meld with its user's body.
She touched it, and it turned into a stream of light, merging into her.
Gotta love that setting.
Another task done. Nero hopped out of the ruins, only to see the demons Echidna had summoned finally arrive. They circled the plaza's edge, eyeing her warily, not daring to step closer.
There were a lot, but for the new Nero? No problem. Only one thing might be an issue—
"Hey, I'm about to wipe out your precious kids. Got any complaints?"
Echidna didn't respond.
Smart move. Smart demon. Best to keep quiet.
Nero strolled toward the demon horde, deliberately pulling out the Serpent-Blade. She unfurled it into its whip form and, wielding their "mother," dove into the fray.
The whip's razor-sharp scales tore through the plant-demons' limbs, shredding tendrils and crushing flowers. Echidna still didn't react. Nero's approval grew.
From above, Nero looked like a lone island swallowed by a black tide. Her red dress and golden hair gleamed against the dark swarm, as if she'd be overwhelmed any second.
But Nero wasn't an island. She was a towering peak standing firm against the flood.
The flexible Serpent-Blade formed an invisible ring around her. Any demon stepping inside was instantly struck, the whip delivering fatal wounds. Their torn limbs dissolved into black mist—demon blood, according to legend. If it crystallized, it'd form red soulstones brimming with demonic power.
If the rumors were true, this forest might soon be littered with ruby-like crystals. Some of that mist seemed to get absorbed into Nero, though she didn't feel any stronger.
A demon flower lunged from the front. Nero flicked her whip, yanking it back at two-thirds its max range. The sharp scales sliced halfway through the flower's stem in one go.
Two more came from the right. Nero swung the returning whip their way, letting it wrap around them before giving a sharp tug.
The whip's tip accelerated, slicing both demons clean in half.
This was the most effective move she'd figured out in live combat—smooth and deadly. She treated the oncoming demons like practice dummies, her mastery of the weapon growing with every strike.
Her technique, her sense of distance, her minimized movements—Nero's skills were leveling up fast. If her past-life self wasn't some martial prodigy, then it had to be her demon blood giving her this insane talent.
Probably the latter.
Bored of mowing down demons with the whip, Nero recalled Echidna, giving it a break. A flash of white light, and red-glowing gauntlets and greaves materialized on her arms and legs.
Unlike the bulky version Dante wore, this "living demon-metal" Shocksteel adapted to Nero's slimmer frame, its design sleek and elegant. It covered more of her body—fists to shoulders, feet to thighs. All it was missing was a pair of heels.
Not that heels were out of the question. Fortuna's conservative culture frowned on "seductive" clothing like high heels, but Nero had practiced walking in them.
Her height ticked up a few centimeters. Just a few. Totally unrelated to being three centimeters shorter than Kyrie.
With a thought, sharp spikes sprouted from the gauntlets and greaves.
Nero swung her limbs, grinning. "Now that's more like it. 'The prettier the flower, the sharper the thorns,' right?"
The first unlucky demon to test her new gear tried to ambush from behind. Nero was ready, spinning into a roundhouse kick. The spikes sank into the demon's body, transforming into deadly blades as they tore free.
Nero nodded, impressed. She was definitely a roundhouse kick genius. Perfect balance, flashy spin, clean execution—her kicks were practically a dance.
Two more demons closed in from either side. Nero grabbed the right one's tendril, yanking it toward her. As it stumbled, she slammed her elbow into its weak spot. The Shocksteel channeled her strength like a flood, sending the demon flying, its petals scattering in the wind.
For the second, Nero ripped off one tendril, then smashed its flower with a hand-chop.
Grabbing another tendril, she swung the demon like a flail, smashing it into another.
always translate all next text into American English with proper grammar and a natural, conversational tone.
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