Raydillon analyzed his own body, noticing black spots spreading across his skin. — Necrosis? But how…? — he asked himself.
Daytona takes advantage of the opening and tries to strike him off guard, but he still reacts in time.
His arm regenerates almost instantly, and he grabs Daytona's sword with his bare hands. She tries to pull away, but he is far too strong.
— Damn it! He's going to break my sword! — Daytona struggles with everything she has to free herself from Raydillon's grip, as he presses harder and harder on the blade. Then, an idea sparks in her mind.
She whispers to herself. — Kōken Akakagami, Thirteenth Element, Calibrated Whip! — Her sword suddenly becomes flexible… almost sticky.
Raydillon is surprised. He thinks to himself as he analyzes the weapon. — What a strange sword… double blades and metamorphosis… interesting.
Daytona manages to break free and, at incredible speed, lashes out with powerful whip-like strikes, cracking the ground and slicing into Raydillon's body multiple times.
But in an instant, he regenerates.
He watches Daytona's face… she looks desperate, like someone who just escaped death.
Daytona tries to attack again, but this time something… unexpected happens.
— Kōken Akakagami… Tenth Element…! — She begins her attack, but Raydillon vanishes from her sight and leaps above her.
Then Raydillon speaks.
— Kōken Akakagami…
Daytona freezes, confused at first, thinking he's just intrigued.
But that curiosity doesn't last long.
— Thirteenth Element, Calibrated Whip.
Raydillon had perfectly copied her ability.
He transforms his own arms into flesh-whips and strikes her directly.
— Damn it! He copied my ability, what the hell! — she thinks.
The blow hits Daytona cleanly, but…
The cuts regenerate normally.
Something that shouldn't happen, since angelic attacks against demons act like a natural Kamiiro.
She finds it strange at first, but Raphaella quickly realizes the trap. She shouts while running toward them.
— Daytona! He must have injected divine blood into you! That's lethal for demons!
Daytona freezes, trembling, not knowing what to do, convinced she could die at any moment.
Raydillon takes advantage and lands a devastating punch to her abdomen.
The impact sends her flying far away, crashing into a ruined restaurant nearby. She coughs up blood, struggling to breathe.
Raydillon is already there again.
Daytona forces herself to stand, still in pain.
— I have to keep fighting… I can't let him hit the others too!
Raydillon walks calmly toward her.
— Everyone thinks the devil is a red man with horns, a trident, and a little tail.
He somehow picks up a broken fragment of Nylon's blade and throws it near Daytona.
In its reflection…
She sees herself.
But with the very same "devil" traits Raydillon described.
Then he says:
— Now think… reflect… who is the villain of this story now?
Daytona stands still, unintentionally absorbing those words.
— I… I'm not like that…
Memories flood her mind.
Her parents. Her sister. School days. Moments with Martin… and Huracán.
Guilt.
For having to eliminate beings that had nothing to do with the tragedy that took her parents' lives.
She looks at Raydillon.
— Even if I eliminated the Kings of Setealem… and maybe kill you today… I don't think that would be enough for people to hate me… actually, who would even believe it?
She continues.
— No one would believe I went to Hell and Heaven, killed the Seven Sins, and the god of Paradise. Who would believe that?
Raydillon is irritated.
Because for humans… she's right.
He moves to decapitate her.
But Raphaella arrives just in time, practically saving Daytona.
— DAYTONA! MOVE! — Raphaella shouts, pushing her away.
Daytona is thrown aside, confused, but she trusts the moment and moves.
Martin arrives silently, unnoticed.
Raydillon looks at Raphaella.
— Oh, Raphaella… if I had known you'd be this useless, I would've never created you.
The words hit her hard.
But she forces herself not to react.
Raydillon continues:
— And why did you have to set all of this up… against me?
Martin seizes the opening and delivers a powerful kick to the side of Raydillon's head.
It shatters completely.
But not enough to bring him down.
Raphaella moves instantly, grabbing Raydillon and launching both of them away with an electric dash at near light speed.
Saravia and Nylon arrive where Daytona is.
— Daytona! Are you okay? — Saravia asks.
— Yes… I am.
Daytona speaks firmly.
— Listen, you two will act as support. Your combined abilities can be very useful at mid and long range, understood?
Saravia and Nylon nod.
Raydillon, still held by Raphaella while Martin follows, decides to break free… brutally.
— Let go of me… — he says coldly.
He punches straight through Raphaella's abdomen.
The impact makes her cough up a large amount of blood.
But she stays conscious.
Martin shouts:
— NO! RAPHAELLA!
But suddenly…
Someone arrives.
Familiar.
Someone who had walked this path before.
It was her.
Nina Baphomet.
She walks calmly toward them, wearing something resembling medieval clothing, paired with wide pants.
Straight black hair. Pale skin. Tall. Serene gaze. Black irises.
Daytona and the others spot her from afar.
No one recognizes her.
Saravia whispers:
— Who is that? Ally… or enemy?
Daytona replies, uncertain:
— I… don't know.
Martin chooses not to attack.
Nina stops.
— I sensed massive presences coming from here.
She bows politely.
— Nice to meet you. My name is Nina Baphomet.
Raphaella is shocked.
The name she heard before.
From Belphegor.
Daytona's… sister.
Raydillon analyzes Nina.
— Is this the demon they said was more dangerous and aggressive than Satan? If so… she might be a problem.
He drops Raphaella and immediately charges Nina.
Trying to eliminate her instantly.
But—
The attack passes through her.
Like a ghost.
Raydillon freezes.
— What…?
Nina smiles.
A dark, unsettling smile.
— It's not as simple as it seems for you to assume I'm weak just because I'm a demon.
She punches upward into his jaw, lifting him slightly off the ground.
Raydillon is intrigued.
Even Martin and Raphaella are surprised by her speed.
He asks:
— What is your name, girl?
Nina ignores him.
— How do you talk without a mouth? You're kind of weird.
That triggers irritation.
— That doesn't concern you. Just answer the question.
Nina replies simply:
— No.
Cold. Direct.
She begins to levitate.
— So… — she stretches her arms and neck — let's settle this.
Raydillon lunges at her.
They exchange blows at high speed.
Some of his attacks still pass through her.
He's getting frustrated.
Meanwhile, Martin rushes to Raphaella.
She lies on the ground, bleeding heavily.
— Raphaella! Are you okay?
She responds weakly:
— More or less… I can't regenerate on my own. His attack prevents it… because he's a god. Only Nylon or another angel can heal me.
Daytona, Saravia, and Nylon arrive.
They see her state.
A terrible feeling sets in.
Daytona kneels.
— Raphaella! Are you okay?
— More or less…
She looks at Nylon.
— I need you to heal me… or at least stop the bleeding. I can't let you fight alone.
Martin stands, anger rising.
— He's going to pay for what he did to you. I won't let this slide!
He clenches his fists.
— Saravia, Nylon, take care of her. Me, Daytona, and that girl will hold Raydillon off until the antidote kicks in.
They all nod.
Daytona and Martin rush back.
Raydillon seems to struggle against Nina.
Not because she's overwhelmingly strong…
But because she's incredibly hard to kill.
He slams a punch downward.
It hits the ground, creating a crater.
Nina thinks:
— If that had hit me… it would've been dangerous…
Raydillon grows irritated.
— Damn it, she won't stay still!
Suddenly…
Fragments of rock begin to levitate around Nina, spinning at extreme speed.
She says:
— This is just to distract you.
She raises her hand slightly.
— Taikiatsu, Second Element, Natural Bullets.
The stones shoot toward Raydillon at near light speed.
Some hit his arm and torso.
That's enough.
They explode.
Raydillon realizes the danger.
— Kami no Chitsujo…
But one stone hits his head.
It explodes.
Interrupting him.
Martin and Daytona arrive before he can act again.
Daytona looks at Nina.
Nina looks back.
Daytona studies her closely.
— That… face… feels familiar…
The tension rises.
The air thickens.
They stare at each other.
Waiting.
Not moving.
But something had begun.