Ethan looked down at the bunny-girl he was carrying and decided to wake her up. Rather than wandering around blindly, it was better to let Zest—the person most likely to know the layout after Zolgear—lead the way. Although Lars was trusted, he wasn't here, and Zest definitely knew more secrets. She was Zolgear's creation; her thoughts were monitored, and she was controlled by a death curse. If Ethan were in Zolgear's position, he would trust Zest more as well. That was why Lars was sent on missions while Zest stayed to guard the home. Since ancient times, the most trusted person was usually the one left to watch the house.
A pale green healing magic flowed over the bunny-girl's sexy, hot body, mending most of the lightning burns. Then, a small orb of water splashed directly onto her tight, pretty face. Stimulated by the cold liquid, Zest woke up.
Seeing Ethan so close, she instinctively tried to take a defensive stance, only to realize she was being held.
"Who are you? Where is Lord Zolgear?" Even while being carried like a sack of potatoes, Zest tried to remain calm. Having only stayed at the castle, she hadn't been part of the plans and didn't know the Red Dragon Emperor was Ethan.
"There. That's him." Ethan turned Zest around, presenting a bloody mess of meat before her eyes.
Though unrecognizable, Zest could confirm from certain traits that the lifeless pile of flesh was Zolgear. Upon confirming his death, she found she felt very little anger or sorrow; instead, she felt a overwhelming sense of relief and liberation.
The dimensional warping of the castle was getting worse. Ethan didn't know if the records would survive once the thing fully activated. Time was tight, so he didn't have time to care about the bunny-girl's feelings. He asked directly, "Do you know where Zolgear hid his valuables?"
"Huh?" Zest was still reeling from the death of her master. She answered distractedly, "You should leave quickly. This place is about to..."
"I know it's about to turn into a monster and we're in its stomach," Ethan interrupted. "So, did Zolgear have a place for grimoires or data?"
The bunny-girl was a bit slow, but she was obedient. Understanding that she had no purpose now that Zolgear was dead, she instinctively cooperated. "Yes."
Ethan let go of her. "Lead the way."
Suddenly losing her support, Zest almost fell, but she reacted in time, landing gracefully on one hand to stabilize herself. Ethan looked at the kneeling Zest and thought she might make a good Knight. Well, when we get back, I'll invite her. For now, the priority is to loot Zolgear's estate.
The looting process went smoothly. Zolgear hadn't valued grimoires or data that much. This world was, after all, ruled by martial might; those were just side-paths he researched when his own advancement hit a wall. With Zest's help, Ethan quickly packed everything up. Having a storage space was truly convenient; otherwise, this would have been a headache.
By the time he wanted to pack up Zolgear's accumulated wealth, the castle had finally transformed completely into a massive flesh-monster. According to Zest, the wealth was still there and wouldn't be destroyed immediately, but now that the castle was a monster, she couldn't find the way.
While a bit regrettable, Ethan was satisfied. The haul from this trip far exceeded his expectations. He had successfully obtained mental control magic—even stronger than a succubus's—and the magic to turn spirit into psychokinesis. Although he might need time to master them compared to copying them through dual cultivation, with his powerful spirit and the various talents provided by the girls, he didn't think it would take much time or effort.
"This is troublesome." Zest looked at the churning purple-red meat surrounding them, her brow furrowed. "To get out, we must destroy the core of this monster. Otherwise, it will keep consuming all living things and constantly self-repair."
Ethan also frowned. He wasn't worried about being trapped. If he could handle Zolgear, why would he fear a creature like this? It was just that the fleshy environment was disgusting, especially since the walls seemed to be sprouting tentacles.
Monsters and tentacles were a classic match for devils—especially for someone like Zolgear who loved artificial life—but Ethan found it hard to stomach. He had seen "Magical Girls vs. Tentacles" before, but those were never "Pure Love" stories. In a sense, tentacles could be considered "Netorare" bastards. His stress response kicked in; he didn't want to be lazy anymore. This thing needed to be destroyed as soon as possible.
"Hold onto me."
Six pairs of distinct wings sprouted from his back, and the black tear-mark on his handsome face added a hint of seductive charm. The dark-skinned bunny-girl was stunned by the sudden explosion of Ethan's aura and hugged him in a daze. Ethan hadn't expected Zest to be so submissive; he hadn't even activated the Balance Breaker yet.
Whatever, no big deal.
Sensing the closest point to the outside, Ethan punched a hole through the monster's body. Once they left the "stomach" and reached the open air, he looked down and realized just how massive the creature was. The castle and its basement were already thirty meters tall; after turning back into a monster and consuming some energy, it had expanded significantly. The largest thing Ethan had fought before was the monster created by the "Broom-head" devil, but this one was bigger and far stronger.
Finding and destroying the core was the best way to deal with such a massive beast. But Ethan really didn't want to spend another second in that disgusting environment. He'd rather spend a bit more energy to deliver a devastating strike from the outside.
Releasing his grip on Zest's waist—pretending not to see the pink flush beneath the bunny-girl's dark skin—Ethan told her to leave first. "Teleport out. Go to the human world and wait for me at Kuoh Academy."
Zest nodded obediently. She started to leave but then paused, wondering why she was listening to him so easily. Ethan glanced at her. "What is it? Something else?"
"No... nothing."
"Then go." Against such a massive monster, Ethan planned to use a long-unused large-scale area attack magic, destroying the monster and the dimension together. He could spend effort protecting Zest, but since things could be done more easily, why bother? As for Zest running away... if she did, she did. Consider it a small test. He liked the obedient bunny-girl, even if she was a bit dim. But he wouldn't force her. In terms of talent, potential, or even strength, Zest didn't have anything Ethan particularly "needed."
[Dragon! Endless Thunder, stand at my left hand!] [My Blood Oath, Thunder Spirit! Ruler of the Heavens! ...]
After Zest left, Ethan first used Balance Breaker to boost his power ten times and silently chanted the incantation.
A blue magic circle that pierced the sky and earth covered more than half the area. The surging magical fluctuations made the low-intelligence monster instinctively uneasy. The massive body, looking like a mountain of meat, began to writhe, trying to escape the range of the circle.
Ethan checked its writhing speed and ignored it. At that speed, escaping the strike zone was impossible.
Originally, he had wanted to destroy the entire dimension, but making an attack of that scale at once was still a bit difficult for him. Destroying a country and destroying a dimension were two entirely different concepts. Of course, by "country," he meant an island nation like Japan. For a larger country like the USA, even a Super Devil King couldn't destroy it in one hit without resistance.
However, after this attack, the dimension would be mostly ruined. The powerful strike would make the space extremely unstable; it might stabilize over time, or it might collapse at any moment, creating a space storm. Until it stabilized, no one could use this space; at most, they could pop in for a look and leave quickly.
Bolts of thick lightning fell from the sky. They were mixed with thunderlight that countered dark-attribute creatures and carried an aura of infinite destruction. After merging the special abilities of both Akeno and Rias, the power had increased by an entire tier.
Ethan himself couldn't help but marvel. No wonder Rias and Akeno could fight above their level when using fusion techniques; this level of destructive power was simply unreasonable.