Sera, clad in crimson armor sculpted like a demon and radiating an overwhelming crimson aura, possessed a regal and dignified presence befitting a Demon King, commanding awe and submission from all who beheld her. If her true father were present, he might faint from sheer joy, and her attendant butler would undoubtedly weep tears of emotion. Yet, standing opposite Sera was a transcendent being emitting a pressure equal to or even greater than hers.
Gloria, manifesting her authority, embodied the quintessential image of a fallen angel. A dimly glowing halo of jet black shone above her head, and the angel wings sprouting from her back were also dyed in the same obsidian hue. As if to signify her immense presence, the wings were solemn and colossal. While the halo showed slight variations in its shape, incorporating a cross, when compared to the figures of Ridwan and Baldo, it appeared remarkably fallen-angel-like.
The only peculiar aspect, perhaps, was the countless jet-black inverted crosses orbiting around her in perfect alignment, swirling in a circular pattern. These were considerably larger than the crosses she had used before manifesting her authority, each appearing to be about the size of a person’s height. The sight of holy crosses stained black, inverted, and even featuring what looked like a single eye in their center, was, frankly, a design that suited Sera’s taste.
“…”
The black fallen angel and the crimson demon, beings historically and mythologically incompatible, confronted each other once more in this wilderness. Ever since these two began their battle, the creatures who had claimed this area as their territory had fled in terror, seeking refuge as far away as possible. Moreover, this affected area was still expanding. The nation that owned this wilderness, all of its wild animals, Sensing the danger, were beginning a mass exodus to foreign countries as if escaping a disaster. Such was the scene. The country’s leadership and the Adventurer Guild were likely in an uproar right now. Considering this was happening even before they had begun fighting at full strength, if they were to truly clash, the impact could potentially ripple across the entire continent.
(Hmm, the design is more captivating than I imagined… Wait, that’s not it! Alright, even if I try to solidify my blood with ‘Blood Manipulation Technique’ to supplement my ‘Natural Healing,’ the wounds aren’t closing at all. Are those crosses exerting some kind of healing inhibition? Or do they have a special effect against demons? How troublesome.)
(Even after manifesting my authority, this accursed blood won’t be shed. It vexes me to restrain myself, but I have no choice but to paralyze my right arm with the magic of ‘Fetters of Impiety.’ My lower left abdomen is also somewhat restricted in its movement, but I should be fine while floating.)
(Regardless, I can’t take any more of those crosses. They’re getting really huge! It feels like they could blow a hole through me, those things! And yet, that magic doesn’t affect me? Is this the Dragon King’s blessing? Even Efil would receive micro-level damage from flames… Did she, though? Anyway, no damage taken is unfair! It’s cheating!)
(In any case, I can’t afford to get any more of his blood on me. His abilities seem to involve manipulating his own blood, and then brainwashing those it adheres to. Even his abilities are disruptive to public order. No matter how much he evolves and becomes more powerful, he’s still a demon… a despicable fellow to the very end.)
Whether aware of this dire situation or not, Sera and Gloria were more concerned with their own conditions and their opponent’s abilities than the impact on their surroundings. It was only natural, for even if they had safely reached their final forms, the wounds sustained before that wouldn’t simply disappear. Therefore, calmly analyzing their own states, inferring the enemy’s abilities, and contemplating countermeasures was more meaningful for them.
“Grmph… Hmm, I wish I could borrow ‘Gluttony’ from Mel like Kelvin.”
Magic: “Fetters of Impiety.”
Sera took half of the recovery potion from Mel’s mark into her mouth, while Gloria wrapped the jet-black bandages she had conjured with magic around her blood-stained right arm and abdomen. While it looked like a temporary truce, their gazes constantly remained fixed on the enemy. They conveyed a message through their eyes: they would crush their opponent at the slightest opening.
“Phew, I hope that replenished my blood a little. Shall we head to the final round?”
“Is such confirmation really necessary now?”
“Right!”
Sera charged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Although she wasn’t using “Living in a Hurry,” her acceleration, which instantly reached its maximum speed, was truly remarkable. She could close such a distance in an instant— or so she thought.
(What!? The distance isn’t closing at all!?)
No matter how much Sera ran towards Gloria, the distance remained stubbornly the same. It wasn’t that Gloria was moving backward to match Sera’s movement; Gloria hadn’t moved an inch from her current position.
(This is…)
Observing that the surrounding scenery remained completely unchanged no matter how much she ran, Sera instantly deduced that the reason the distance wasn’t closing was because she herself wasn’t moving at all. She didn’t know if she was being teleported without her knowledge, if some kind of special barrier had been deployed in the area, or what force was at play. However, she clearly understood that remaining in this state was extremely dangerous.
“Retreating with all due haste!?”
Having retracted her previous statement, she decided to switch to analyzing the situation! With that decision, Sera attempted to retreat. However, this too was futile. Despite leaping with the intention of putting more than double the distance between them, just like her forward movement, her position remained unchanged.
“It’s useless. From me, who has exercised my authority, you can neither approach nor escape anymore.”
As Gloria pointed her left hand towards Sera, one of the black crosses orbiting around her initiated movement, aiming its tip at the same target as her left hand. Sera’s intuition and detection skills blared alarms, warning her that something incredibly dangerous was about to happen.
“Black Cross Stake Enhancement.”
Sera had no recollection of when the black cross had flown in. When she realized it, the black cross was right before her eyes, moving with tremendous momentum, literally inches from her face, at zero distance. It wasn’t just that it was too fast to see. It felt more like it had arrived via teleportation. If things continued like this, her head would undoubtedly be split open; in fact, the tip of the black cross was already touching the center of Sera’s forehead.
“Hyaaaah!”
Despite her cheek being deeply torn, Sera instinctively twisted her body and escaped the black cross’s clutches by the narrowest of margins. This extraordinary feat was accomplished by seeing it and then reacting with superhuman speed. She had used “Living in a Hurry” beforehand, extending her perceived time, which proved beneficial. Combined with Sera’s inherent keen intuition, she managed to cling to life by a thread.
Taking the opportunity while “Living in a Hurry” was still active, Sera also released counter-attacks in the form of crimson jewels. Moreover, this attack was imbued with the aura of the Innocent Blood War Princess. She gambled that this, which would manifest its “Blood Dye” effect without being blocked by the barrier and penetrating anything, could nullify Gloria’s inexplicable authority.
However, Sera’s prediction proved incorrect. The released crimson jewel inexplicably lost all its momentum at that instant and fell to the ground. The counter-attack had failed; as expected, no attack, including Sera’s, could reach Gloria.
“Tch!”
However, the fact that her attacks had not only been dodged but that she had been counter-attacked appeared to greatly surprise Gloria. Although the attack ultimately failed, psychologically, it felt like she had landed a blow.
“You continue to surprise me. To think you could dodge my authority on our first encounter. What kind of trick is this?”
“It’s not a trick at all. Perhaps it’s the power of friendship?”
“…I see. Your words are sharp, but it seems you are indeed more than just talk.”
“No, it really is the power of friendship.”
During this brief exchange, Sera secretly sprinkled the liquid from the recovery potion she had kept half remaining onto her torn cheek and her own tail. As the liquid containing Mel’s mysterious ingredients came into contact with Sera’s blood, it began to increase in volume, as if commanded.
“Reap Blazing Blood Sea.”
