In a moment of pure intensity, the demon unleashed the full magnitude of his power, transcending his own limits.
With a fierce forward motion, he shattered the light barrier, tearing through the ground and generating a pressure that distorted the very fabric of space-time, annihilating everything around him with overwhelming ferocity.
As Masaru held his defiant gaze, slowed until he stood motionless like a statue, energy began to accumulate in the palm of his one remaining arm. This event created a unique temporal dimension; before the entity's eyes, the world seemed frozen, as if time itself had been suspended. His body, still enveloped in its abyssal aura, pulsed with intense energy as he sensed the subtle tremble through his heightened perception.
A rainbow-colored tunnel circled him from head to toe, and, in an instant of hyper-focus on the astral realm, he moved with the fluidity of a master. But before his eyes, translucent barriers multiplied rapidly, like spiderwebs woven in a frenzy. The space between him and Masaru was minimal, yet the barriers cruelly separated them.
"What is this? When did he conjure this?" the demon questioned, his voice echoing with a mix of surprise and determination, gradually silenced by the spatial vacuum caused by the chaos he himself had unleashed.
And in a dizzying instant, he struck, cutting through the barriers with his right fist propelled by acceleration, shattering the first of many shields. It broke like glass, its fragments dispersing under the force of the blow, as if they had never existed. This was only the first in an endless series of strikes; his two fists launched boldly, devouring every inch of space in his relentless pursuit of the exorcist.
No! He didn't use a seal or an incantation…
While his mind raced to formulate an explanation, he arched his back, interrupting his movement abruptly, and delivered a direct blow to the center of the spiritual barrier before him.
Gradually, the effects of the temporal dimension dissipated, the palette of colors receding slowly before him, fading as he advanced. The impact tore the barrier into a myriad of pieces, its power resonating more intensely with each strike, until it halted at the final obstacle, before Masaru's eyes—now free from the temporal dimension's effects.
Exhausted after spending all his black energy on a failed strike, he panted as he faced the exorcist, feeling destabilized. The crack left by the blow was proof of the intensity of the clash, and the exorcist maintained his steady gaze, challenging the demon.
"What did you do, boy?" he demanded, releasing exhausted breaths, while his dragon essence was reabsorbed by his skin, stabilizing his black aura once more. Around them, countless craters marked the ground—witnesses to the powerful blows exchanged, reshaping the landscape and leaving a trail of intense heat.
"Me? I just… imagined it!" Masaru replied, fixing his gaze on the energy cluster coursing through his palm—a concentration never before seen by the demon. He then glanced to the side, where only his left arm remained. "It was like when I lost my arm…" he said, his eyes glowing with determination.
"Imagined? Fuck… maybe…"
Amid his deductions, the truth struck like a lightning bolt, surprising even the demon king.
"You merged with your own energy! And became a celestial being!" he staggered back three steps, his hair swept by the warm winds arising behind him. Everything was clear from the moment Masaru walked away from that attack alive. From the shields, he fused with his own energy. His astral anatomy stopped making sense in that instant. His brain, his heart, his will became extensions of his limbs, his voice—pulsing in perfect harmony.
"Is that so? Damn, then you're in trouble!" he quipped—then vanished from Masaru's sight in an instant.
I only have the dragon's energy to rely on! After this, I'll be exorcised no matter what! But that boy… he's one step ahead! Time to go!
The entity struggled to perceive spiritual energy flowing around him, coming from multiple distant points—like a turbulent river finding its course. As Gabriel emerged triumphant from a pile of debris obstructing his view, a sigh of relief escaped him, and Masaru rose majestically into the air.
His gaze overflowed with grandeur; his naked back bristled in the cutting wind that swept the battlefield. The spiritual energy from his earlier attacks coursed through him, fueling his insatiable hunger and focusing into the sphere of power pulsating in his hand. In that moment, he was an unstoppable force of nature.
More exorcists were coming… And this brat wasn't giving up anytime soon!
Facing him resolutely, he saw a translucent barrier emerge around Gabriel, as if destiny itself were solidifying against him.
The moment had arrived! I'm sorry, Masaru, but there will be no 'after this instant'! Gabriel thought, finally intervening and injecting a fresh wave of tension into the conflict.
As for the demon king—the red dragon—he found himself at the edge of the abyss, confronting either death or something far more sinister.
I will not be exorcised here!
This situation cornered him, leaving no escape and, for the first time, he felt nervous.
With his fists clenched in defiance and his eyes burning with focus, challenging the inevitable, he decided to cast his fate to the wind in that crucial moment.
After this, I'll sleep for a long time—but it's not like the world is ending!
"Expando potentiam: fac me unum cum tenebris esse!"
Directly defying the divine, the demon conjured a spell that defied the universe's laws. A spiritual-energy aura enveloped him, making him feel his very existence unravel—aware that this desperate act might result in his own exorcism.
At the exact moment the exorcist launched his attack, a massive orb of energy began rotating toward the demon, culminating in a devastating explosion.
However, it was contained by Gabriel's shields, preventing an even greater catastrophe.
One of the greatest shield-spell masters…
"Fortify!" he intoned, voice unwavering. "Fortify! Fortify! Fortify!" With each word, the barrier pulsed an even brighter white, growing stronger under the onslaught.
An epic tremor reverberated across the continent, echoing the titanic clash between supernatural powers.
So much potency…
He watched the barrier warily—powerful as it was, tiny cracks began to appear, though luckily it held.
Winds surged in ferocious intensity, sweeping clouds from the skies and unleashing powerful gusts that scourged every corner, crossing Flumen's waters with uncontrollable fury.
A primordial whirlwind that destroyed everything in its path, defying the very essence of nature.
And even he—a bastion of power—nearly stumbled backward under the storm's impact.
As his comrade fell to his knees, nearly broken by the crushing pressure of battle, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine—a premonition of imminent danger.
But… Azazel escaped—emerging from the shadow of the more experienced one, a fleeting silhouette that vanished in the blink of an eye, fleeing desperately and leaving only betrayal and frustration in the air.
"What a cowardly original demon!" Gabriel cursed, voice thick with anger and disappointment as he sensed the remaining black energy dissipate into the darkness—an acrid reminder of what had slipped through his grasp.
His eyes swept the storm of energy, witnessing the destruction and chaos held within Gabriel's spell. Slowly weakened, he released an energy never before seen in such a mundane spell.
He was so full of himself…
And in a dizzying frenzy, he crossed the city in cowardly flight, fueled by the last residue of black energy, soaring straight into the apartment with a deafening crash—shattering the window and landing violently in the kitchen.
"Shit, shit! That kid really nailed me!" he muttered, staring at the ceiling, exhaustion exuding from his voice.
The most powerful exorcist… will it be fun to play this game with such an intriguing piece on the board!?
He struggled to stand, a throbbing pain assaulting his head as his black energy detached from his being, blood streaming from his nose as he leaned against the table.
A burning fever, agony in his abdomen—the spell he cast was poisoning him with a spiritual-energy overload.
"One body, two souls… two essences… I nearly went too far!" he murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed, vision blurring.
Is this reaching my limit? What exhaustion… that brat… he's gonna take control… soon enough!
He collapsed onto the bed, blood staining the sheets, his body nearly folded in pain.
His possession had reached its end!