"Those people are...?"
Asta and Yuno stared in amazement. There was something oddly familiar about the new arrivals, and they couldn't help asking aloud.
Rhya answered, "That's our elven king, Licht. And your human prince—oh right, you call him the First Wizard King!"
"The First Wizard King?!!"
Asta and Yuno were instantly fired up. After all, the legend of the First Wizard King was what had inspired them to pursue that very same title.
Asta's eyes sparkled. "So that's the First Wizard King?! He looks exactly like the statue in Hage Village! But… who's that girl? Her aura feels really familiar."
Although Lumiere, the First Wizard King, also wanted to speak to these modern Magic Knights, defeating the devil was the current priority.
"Five hundred years have passed… devil."
Zagred's wounds quickly healed. The severed arm and wing regenerated completely, as if they had never been torn away.
Staring at the two figures before him, Zagred hissed, "Congratulations on your reunion! You parted so tragically back then. This time, I'll end you both—forever!"
The underworld had long been feared as a forbidden place, and devils even more so—a terror spoken of in hushed tones.
Devils had a hierarchy. The deeper into the seven layers of the underworld, the stronger the devils became. Even low-tier devils from the upper levels far outclassed human high-level Magic Knights.
Zagred was a high-tier devil—a being far above Magic Knight Captains. But right now, he lacked a grimoire and couldn't access his full strength.
And his opponents? Licht, the elven king and a magical genius beloved by mana, and Lumiere, the First Wizard King—his equal in every sense.
The two launched forward simultaneously. Lumiere displayed the overwhelming speed of a Light Magic user, closing the distance in an instant.
A sword of light shot out—though both he and Patry used Light Magic, Lumiere's sword was far more refined and concentrated.
Zagred's Word Soul Magic activated through speech, but Lumiere's speed outpaced even words. Zagred had no choice but to dodge.
Charles, with his honed visual reflexes, could just barely follow Lumiere's movement.
But Licht, even without a grimoire, kept pace with Lumiere and joined the assault.
Appearing behind Zagred, Licht intercepted Lumiere's sword with the Demon-Dweller Sword. The sword absorbed the light magic, then Licht swung it—releasing a wave of light straight at the devil.
Zagred dodged again, only for Lumiere to strike from another angle, blasting him backward with another light beam.
And just where he was launched—Licht was already there, landing another fierce blow and sending him flying again.
"Incredible!"
Even Asta and Yuno, no strangers to battle, were left speechless. Licht and Lumiere's teamwork was flawless. Zagred couldn't even cast a single spell.
However…
Zagred didn't need to use a healing spell. His body rapidly repaired itself. Even his mana didn't seem diminished in the slightest.
Charles said gravely, "Asta, your Anti-Magic is the most effective weapon against him. It's time for you to join the fight!"
"Right!" Asta answered and began gathering Anti-Magic around his Demon-Slayer Sword. But the energy overflowed uncontrollably into the air.
Asta couldn't control it. The Anti-Magic pulled him forward—toward the devil.
As Zagred stared in surprise, Asta became a black meteor and severed one of his arms.
The pull dragged Asta in an arc, turning him back toward Zagred for another strike.
This time, Zagred wasn't caught off guard. As Asta came flying at him again, he cast:
"Storm of Blades!"
"Sword Magic: Dawn Severance!"
"Light Magic: Guardian Sword!"
"Copied Magic: Silent Slash!"
"Light Magic: Whip of Judgment!"
"Wind Magic: Gale Fang!"
Five attacks fired simultaneously, obliterating the swords aimed at Asta.
Charles blocked Asta's trajectory, preventing his unstable Anti-Magic from hurting allies.
"Listen, Asta! To defeat the devil, we need your power. We'll force him to expose his heart—that's his core. Only your Anti-Magic blade can destroy it."
"But he won't give us much time. You have to be ready before that moment slips away!"
Without waiting for a reply, Charles hurled Asta away to a safe distance and turned back to face Zagred.
"Until then, let's give it everything we've got. This might be the final battle—no holding back."
"Dragon Blood Mode—Activate!"
Crimson dragon-scale patterns appeared on Charles's face, his pupils becoming slitted. The air twisted from the heat pouring off him, but Charles wasn't done.
"Fahl!"
At his call, a massive fire dragon spread its wings behind him.
"Spirit Assimilation!"
Spirit Assimilation allowed a mage to fuse completely with an elemental spirit and wield primal elemental power. Charles had long mastered this with Fahl.
The fire dragon roared and merged into his body. Charles's mana exploded tenfold. His entire body radiated fiery red power. Two flaming dragon horns sprouted from his forehead. The dragon-scale scarf around his neck extended, trailing behind him like a comet's tail.
This was Charles's unique Spirit Assimilation form:
"Blazing Flame Dragon King!"
"And now… Mana Zone!"
In that moment, Charles's mana surpassed even Zagred's. In the devil's astonished gaze, Charles drove his fist into his chest, blasting a massive hole through him!
"Begone!"
Zagred tried to force Charles back with a repelling spell. But within Charles's Mana Zone, his magic was greatly weakened.
Right now, Charles's power was already closing in on Zagred's. The spell barely worked.
Charles bared his fangs in a wicked grin.
Zagred's body froze—he couldn't move. A completely unfamiliar feeling clawed at the edges of his consciousness.
They separated. Charles lifted his hand, revealing the arm he had just ripped off Zagred.
He ignited it with roaring flames and burned it to ash.
Unfortunately, Charles hadn't reached the Sacred Realm level of Spirit Assimilation—Zagred would recover.
Still...
"What… what is this feeling?" Zagred muttered, staring in disbelief at his trembling hands.
Charles answered coldly, "So devils can feel this too. It's new to you, isn't it? This emotion you've never known, because to you, humans are just toys and pawns."
He pointed at the quivering devil.
"Let me spell it out for you. That feeling… is fear."
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