Chapter 228: Even the Demon King Is Nothing Special
"My, my, what a terrifying existence has appeared~"
"It's dreadful. I can feel my blood stirring."
The remaining spectators—Yukime, Elisabeth, and a few others—gazed up at the monstrous creature.
Though Yukime's tone remained lighthearted, the smile on her face had frozen solid.
Just as Elisabeth had described, Yukime could also feel her blood accelerating as if about to burst from her body, while her magical power was losing control to varying degrees.
It was as if she had encountered a natural predator—her power was being suppressed in every aspect.
"I wonder how much of my power I can still muster now..."
Yukime raised her iron fan and gently waved it forward.
In an instant, the numerous magical beasts diving from the sky transformed into a bloody rain.
Splat!
Nearby, Natsu and Kana opened vermilion oil-paper umbrellas, blocking all of it.
"Hmm~ roughly about sixty percent of my power."
This was actually an overstatement—in reality, it was far less than sixty percent.
What exactly is the origin of this colossal creature?
The next second, the blood rain falling like a torrential downpour suddenly froze, suspended in mid-air.
Then it transformed into countless long needles shooting toward the sky.
Magical beasts pierced by the blood needles instantly disintegrated and fell from the sky.
"Thirty percent."
Elisabeth lowered her delicate hand that had been raised toward the sky and sighed softly.
She was suppressed even more severely than Yukime, perhaps because her bloodline was closer to Diablos.
But her remark was completely interpreted by Yukime as boastful.
You call this level thirty percent?!
Could it be that your full power surpasses my nine-tailed form enhanced by Master's potion?!
Yukime felt deeply dissatisfied inwardly.
At that moment, a bolt of lightning split the gloomy sky.
Pure white and deep purple flashes erupted from the ground.
The residual waves of magical power instantly filled the entire arena.
The two beams of light shot straight into the heavens, targeting Diablos standing proudly in the sky above!
Boom
The two beams immediately dispersed. The purple light transformed into a meteor crashing back to earth, flung nearly a hundred kilometers away.
Meanwhile, Mahiro, as the white beam, firmly resisted Diablos's palm.
The air exploded with ripples spreading rapidly like water waves, creating a vacuum zone.
The enormous palm pressing against his fist felt like being crushed by a mountain!
Simultaneously, an impact pierced through his body.
Releasing unreasonable power through unreasonable magical energy.
And what it had just done was simple—merely a casual wave of its hand had caused such damage.
How did the cult members from back then manage to sever the arm of such an absurdly powerful monstrosity?!
Indeed, through analysis with his Copy Eyes and Eye of the Spirit, Mahiro clearly understood that the colossal demon king before him was the owner of the arm he had witnessed in the Sanctuary.
The origin of everything in this world, the primordial demon king, father of the Three Heroes and the Witch of Calamity—
Diablos!
And now, through the gaps between the thick, sharp claws, Mahiro sensed a disturbingly human-like cruel smile emanating from Diablos.
"Don't get too cocky, you bastard!!!"
Under the influence of Tyrant's genes, Mahiro had already grown accustomed to this power, immediately pushing upward with tremendous force.
His comparatively small arms erupted with terrifying strength, actually forcing the Demon King's palm back by nearly two meters.
Even Diablos seemed surprised by this.
Then, a flash of white light.
Mahiro swung the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword, its holy blade silently slicing across Diablos's palm.
"Cold Steel Queen, Demon King Killing Sacred Sword—"
"—Become a blade of steel here and now, and help me slay all enemies!"
[As you wish.]
Diablos's palm was instantly cut with an almost penetrating wound, splattering massive amounts of scorching blood like an inverted river of blood.
Every drop of blood contained what could be described as terrifying magical power.
"It's not over yet!"
The moment the blood droplets were about to hit the ground, they immediately changed direction, transforming into countless long swords that flew back and pierced through its body.
This was a technique learned from Queen Elisabeth.
And after absorbing Queen Elisabeth's blood, his control and understanding of blood had become even more refined.
Unfortunately, these crimson flying swords were simply too small for the massive Diablos.
They were like long needles piercing its body, and he even lost control of them instantly.
The resulting shockwave instantly dyed the entire royal capital!
Diablos let out a painful roar, a heaven-shaking bellow that echoed through the skies.
Mahiro swung his long sword, flicking off the blood staining it while simultaneously collecting it.
The final objective had been completed.
But he needed more.
Diablos's blood was completely different from ordinary objects—it wasn't something he could create using alchemy.
Though he didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that there was too great a level difference between him and Diablos.
Just as God cannot create a stone too heavy for Himself to lift,
He similarly couldn't replicate blood containing such enormous magical power.
A single drop contained magical energy equivalent to tens of thousands of Princess Irises...
"—Such a massive magical beast is truly rare."
Just then, Cid in his black long coat had returned to the sky, floating beside him.
"Didn't expect you to still be alive."
Mahiro sneered with a subtle tone: "Surprised you didn't get slapped to death."
"Hmph, such an attack would need another hundred years of training to kill me!"
There was some bravado in these words.
That sudden, unexpected slap had indeed inflicted considerable injury on Cid.
His bones were fine, but his internal organs had suffered varying degrees of shock.
This was why it had taken Cid so long to recover from his spectacular landing and return here.
He truly hadn't expected to receive such damage.
So—
"My fated rival, this time let us join forces to deal with this monster together." Cid proposed thus.
"...I thought you'd fight me first, then challenge this big guy alone."
"Hmph, I'm not that foolish."
Cid understood clearly.
This monster that had appeared was different from all previous ones—it was a genuine kaiju!
Dealing with it alone would likely be beyond his capabilities.
This was their shared understanding.
Therefore, the moment they felt the earth-shaking, overwhelmingly powerful magic energy, they had tacitly ceased their conflict and stopped fighting each other.
Together they turned their focus toward Diablos, who was nearly tearing apart the interworld portal!
However, just as the two were having their brief and friendly exchange, the wounds on Diablos's claws had already completely healed.
This absurd regenerative ability reminded Mahiro of the Level 5 Zodiacs...
No, it should be said to be several times stronger than that!
Not only that, but Diablos also opened its bloody maw toward them.
A nearly materialized torrent of magic energy gathered in its mouth, and like Godzilla's atomic breath, it instantly spewed forth.
BOOM—
The divine punishment-like attack arrived in an instant—the sheer force of the magic hurricane alone was enough to destroy everything!
—"Linked Barrier Formation"—
Countless magical light shields continuously erupted forth, blocking the cannon-like magic impact. The ink-black torrent of magic energy poured down, transforming into dark lightning that flashed across the surroundings.
Even Cid had no choice but to deploy his slime shield, attempting to withstand the attack.
Because they understood clearly—if this attack were to strike the ground, it would be an unprecedented catastrophe.
The entire Midgar royal capital would likely be reduced to scorched earth in an instant!
Meanwhile, the monster horde hovering in the sky also began to move.
They flew to various locations across Midgar's royal capital, diving down from the sky, and like hawks snatching prey, they plucked humans one after another from the streets or hiding places within buildings.
Holding them like french fries in their hands, they slowly ate them, devouring them completely.
Among them was Rose's mother, Queen Reina of the Oriana Kingdom.
"Ah—!!! Let me go! Do you know who I am?!!!"
Queen Reina frantically beat against the grotesque arms gripping her shoulders.
But how would the monsters pay any attention to her screams? Instead, they seemed quite pleased as they lifted her out of the mansion, flying through the sky toward the arena.
"Perv! Save me!!!"
Reina continued screaming hysterically mid-air.
Performing the very essence of foolishness to perfection.
Until she saw, among the arena ruins, a head lying abandoned in the corner.
The terror of his final moments forever frozen on his face.
It was precisely Perv's head!
"H-how... P-Perv..."
Queen Reina was terrified out of her wits.
So shocked she couldn't speak for the longest time.
She didn't even notice that more and more monsters were gathering around her.
The monsters grabbed her limbs.
RIP! With a tearing sound, they shredded her long dress to pieces. Only when her body was exposed to the air and she felt the chill did she finally react.
"No, stop! Ah—!!!"
RIP—
This time, it wasn't garments being torn, but Queen Reina herself being ripped to shreds.
Torn apart and devoured.
Scenes like this were playing out in every corner of the royal capital.
Humans were merely food in the eyes of the magical beasts.
Lambs waiting for slaughter.
Until dark blades sliced through the air, cutting them down.
"Everyone, it's our turn now! Move out, Seven Shadows! Assist Mahiro in eliminating the magical beasts, provide advantageous attack angles, and don't let him get distracted here!"
Alpha raised the golden Holy Sword in her hand, its radiating light instantly annihilating swathes of magical beasts.
"Yes!!!"
The numbered ones sprang into action again.
Their targets were no longer the cult members, but the invading army of magical beasts!
Even the Seven Shadows were almost fully mobilized.
The duo who rushed over—
Beta formed a dark longbow in her hands, loading it with arrows of light that fell like rain, wiping out wave after wave of magical beasts.
Meanwhile, Epsilon swung her scythe, coordinating with Beta like a grim reaper harvesting lives.
Despite being the ones who usually argued the most, they had now become the perfect partners.
"Boss, Delta's here to help too!"
"Stupid dog, don't get in our master's way!"
The two beast-kin, Delta and Zeta, utilized the latest technology developed by Eta, using slimes to cast flight magic and take to the skies.
Zeta's rings swept through the magical beast army blocking their path, plunging directly into the fray.
Whenever she was about to be attacked from behind, the enemy's strikes would inexplicably pass through Zeta's body—an ability of the vampire clan's mist form.
Who would have thought she'd mastered this technique?
She could even manipulate blood with equal proficiency, using it to turn the magical beasts into fireworks, creating brilliant bursts of flame.
As for Delta, being the straightforward brawler she was, her approach was much simpler.
Her weapons were her sharp claws, relying purely on instinct to fight. Using her body's regenerative abilities, she traded blows with the magical beasts, injury for injury.
Got hit?
No problem, just tear the enemy's head off later!
That straightforward.
Even Eta, the researcher, joined the battle. Though she looked half-asleep, she materialized dozens of weapons around her for remote control, slaughtering any enemy that approached!
Her killing speed had already surpassed that of the newly joined Omega—Beatrix.
Seeing how powerful they had all become, Beatrix felt reassured but also a twinge of defeat.
Had her juniors all grown this strong?
Even that elf called Ma...
"Witness my ultimate technique, my all-out state!!!"
No sooner had she spoken than Gamma channeled an impossibly massive amount of magical power—rivaling even Alpha who had inherited Olivier's legacy—into her blade.
And then—
"Everyone watch this... eek!"
She tripped.
She managed to trip on the only flat patch of ground, her right foot catching her left.
She fell spectacularly face-first on the ground.
The blade infused with enormous magical power was flung from her grasp, soaring straight into the air.
BOOM—
The magical explosion instantly obliterated hundreds of demon beasts.
Despite such impressive results, the method used was truly unsettling.
Better to pretend I didn't see it...
Beatrix decisively turned her head away and continued dealing with the demon beasts before her.
Brilliant sword flashes flickered one after another as countless chunks of flesh fell from the sky.
But the most powerful was undoubtedly Alpha—each swing of her Holy Sword was enough to annihilate thousands of demon beasts.
Combined with Elisabeth and Yukime's coordination, it was practically a crushing defeat for the demon beast army!
However, all their efforts were merely a drop in the bucket.
These demon beasts seemed endless, continuously pouring out from the Black Rose's portal, impossible to completely eliminate.
While solemnly watching the demon beast army within the portal, Alpha also worriedly glanced at Mahiro who was blocking Diablos's attacks mid-air.
To be honest, she really wanted to go help Mahiro right now, to fight side by side with him.
With her strength, she was qualified to participate in that scale of battle.
But she restrained herself.
Because she couldn't do that.
While Mahiro was fighting, she had to serve as the central pillar of Shadow Garden, commanding their battle, and must not leave her position no matter what.
"Please, you must defeat Diablos, my beloved master."
This was the first time Alpha had addressed Mahiro as master.
And her prayer seemed to reach the heavens above, as the stalemate suddenly shifted at this moment -
[Mahiro, use me to block the enemy's attack.]
"Are you serious?"
Hearing Est's voice, Mahiro momentarily froze.
[Yes, I can absorb its attack, then you find the right opportunity to counterattack.]
This wasn't Est being reckless, but rather her original intended usage.
Unlike other sword spirits, she possessed unique curse-breaking abilities, though essentially it was about devouring energy entities.
Previously, her former master, Saint Areishia Idriss, had used her to kill too many spirits, devouring their resentment and hatred.
This eventually backfired, transforming her into a magic ore.
Though she hadn't wanted to reveal this ability to her current master Mahiro.
But currently, she felt this was the best solution.
However—
"No need to say more. I'm well aware of your curses and backlash. Such things are no problem for me."
Through the sword hilt, Mahiro could sense Est's concern.
In fact, if Est hadn't reminded him, he would have forgotten that the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword possessed such capability.
So immediately after, he voluntarily withdrew his magical protection, raising the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword to meet the descending light the moment it arrived.
Zzzzt
The powerful magical torrent collided with the slender blade, sparking magical flames.
The descending light cannon was visibly being devoured into the blade at an observable speed.
Simultaneously, Mahiro felt a peculiar energy flowing into his body.
Like the wails of vengeful spirits.
So this is what they call a curse?
"Well done, my sworn enemy."
"Enough nonsense! Rather than wasting time on such meaningless drivel, you should focus on the task at hand!"
"Hmph, I know what must be done."
Under his reprimand, the moment Cid withdrew his shield, he immediately transformed it into a longsword and swung it toward Diablos.
Whoosh—
Too shallow!
His strike failed to inflict significant damage, merely leaving a bone-deep gash on Diablos's back that healed almost instantly.
He hadn't even managed to sever its arm!
This action only enraged Diablos further, provoking another roar as it abandoned its energy beam attack and violently swung its dragon tail.
Clang—
Intense sparks flew as hard scales grated against the black sword.
"This sky has long been under my dominion—brand this into your flesh: Dark Birdcage."
Imitating the technique Mahiro had used earlier, Cid deployed fine magical threads across the dim sky, then channeled a surge of magic power into them.
The next moment.
The Demon King's howl echoed through the area.
Countless magical threads mercilessly sliced through its body.
The massive dragon tail was brutally severed.
Torrents of gushing blood fell like rain.
The severed limb crashed heavily to the ground, causing an earth-shaking impact.
This was the limit of what Cid could achieve—the opponent's magic power was terrifyingly immense, unlike anything he had ever encountered.
No matter how much magic he concentrated, these threads likely couldn't seriously damage its colossal frame.
Cid quickly reached this conclusion.
Instead, the enraged Diablos raised its sharp claws and swung them down toward Cid.
"Hmph, is this all the tricks you have?!"
Cid clenched his fist and met the descending claws head-on.
Boom—
A world-shaking impact.
Cid was sent flying a hundred meters away, while Diablos's massive body staggered from the recoil, briefly immobilized.
"The rest is up to you, my fated rival!!"
"You really do talk too much."
Mahiro suddenly appeared behind Diablos, raising the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword high.
The originally pure white blade now swirled with dreadfully thick purple-black magic intertwined with sacred white energy, resembling twisted ropes.
Then, he brought it down fiercely.
"Now, fall!!!"
Whoosh—
The absorbed magic power burst forth like a floodgate releasing, pouring out in an instant.
A spiraling torrent of black and white magic devoured half of Diablos's body.
The overflowing energy violently assailed the "Black Rose" portal above.
Crack—
In that moment, the portal known as "Black Rose" emitted a sound like shattering glass.
Then, it exploded into fragments.
Showering down as countless shards and pulverized demon beast remains.
The remaining magic didn't dissipate but shot straight into the sky!
Vast sections of the sky were dyed in interwoven shades of black and white, momentarily illuminating the land!
Then it transformed into thousands of light ribbons sweeping across the earth.
Eradicating the demon beasts feeding in every corner of the royal capital.
Shadow Garden members who were injured by magical beasts and killed while surrounded by them have thus been resurrected.
The edge of the palm governs life and death, a single thought determines survival or demise.
These words could not be more fitting to describe the situation.
By the time the light faded, half of Diablos' body had already vanished, with the exposed heart beating powerfully.
With each pulsation, Diablos' flesh recovered bit by bit.
Shattered bones reconstructed themselves, while lost chunks of flesh rapidly regenerated.
"Trying to revive? What wishful thinking."
Without the slightest hesitation, Mahiro immediately thrust the Demon King Killing Sacred Sword into the about-to-close chest cavity. The sharp blade completely pierced through Diablos' heart.
"ROAR——!!!!"
Diablos let out an unprecedented roar.
That roar was filled with anguish—his final struggle before death.
It was already, completely over.