"Is that so?" Ethan shook his head, then said coldly, "Figures—it’s just like those lunatics... but I guess it can’t be helped... Hm?!"
Mid-sentence, Ethan suddenly froze, as if he’d sensed sothing. His expression darkened instantly. Then—BOOM!—his Sacred Realm flared to life with a thunderous roar.
At the sa ti, a grotesquely twisted and oversized demonic scythe had sohow appeared—without warning—about thirty feet behind him.
Thud!
A muffled impact echoed through the air as the scythe was violently repelled by the Sacred Realm’s power. But in the blink of an eye, the weapon vanished like a nightmare dissolving into the dark.
And then—
When it reappeared, it was already gripped in the massive clawed hand of a towering red Devil.
"Well, well... quick reflexes. No wonder they call you the Crimson Ultimate Hero," ca a mocking, almost sing-song voice, dripping with sarcasm. "You nearly got sliced, though."
The red Devil had revealed its true form.
It was none other than the 14-Tier Mythic Ace Unit—Inferno Arch Devil, Azareth.
"My Lord, watch out!"
"Damn it... it’s him...!"
Oakenmaw and Orryn’s faces twisted in shock and fury. Their eyes burned with murderous intent as they locked onto Azareth, practically shaking with the urge to tear him apart.
They hadn’t expected this—hadn’t even imagined the enemy would track them down here.
Thank the gods their Lord had reacted in ti...
No—no, even so, this was their failure.
They were his subordinates, and they’d nearly let their Lord be ambushed?
What the hell did that say about them?
To them, this wasn’t just a mistake—it was a disgrace.
Sha and rage boiled inside them, and all they wanted now was to unleash it—to kill Azareth and beg forgiveness with blood.
But deep down, they knew...
That wasn’t going to happen.
Because this guy... was strong. Really strong.
"My Lord, we’re sorry, we—"
Oakenmaw started to speak, but Ethan cut him off with a wave of his hand. His eyes locked onto Azareth, and in an instant, the enemy’s stats appeared before him:
[Azareth]
Tier: 14
Race: Inferno Arch Devil
HP: 60,000
Attack: 470
Defense: 330
...
Damage: 732–911
...
Potential Rating: S
Overall Evaluation: 14-Tier Mythic Ace Unit (81%)
Evolved: 81%
Potential: S-Rank
Damage output nearing 1,000...
What did that an?
It ant this bastard was on the sa level as Auremax. Maybe even stronger than so of the Crimson Ultimate Heroes who’d undergone their second awakening.
An Ace Unit with power rivaling a Crimson Ultimate Hero...
This guy was no ordinary enemy. He was the real deal—dangerous as hell.
"Oh? I haven’t even introduced myself yet—how rude of !" The Inferno Arch Devil let out a theatrical gasp, then grinned wide, his face twisting into sothing grotesque. "You can call Azareth. Or, if you prefer, the Descendant of God! Of course, I an the God of Devils! Hahahaha!"
His laughter was wild, manic—his expression contorted with glee.
"Descendant of God, huh?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, lifting his hand as a surge of pure, radiant energy burst forth, forming into a gleaming longsword. He smirked, eyes cold. "Funny way to say hello—swinging a scythe at . Doesn’t exactly scream ’friendly first eting,’ does it? So how about I return the favor? You know, just to keep things polite."
"Oho, look at that—an angel’s little spark," Azareth chuckled, his crimson eyes narrowing into crescent moons. "Too bad it’s so... weak."
He tilted his head, still smiling. "You’re the Lord of Erald Castle, aren’t you? Since this is our first eting, how about a little one-on-one chat to celebrate?"
"Sure," Ethan replied with a calm smile, stepping forward without hesitation.
"My Lord!" Orryn and Oakenmaw both called out, alarm flashing across their faces.
"Relax. I’ve got this," Ethan said, waving them off. He walked forward, steady and unshaken. He was the Lord of Erald Castle—what kind of leader would tuck tail and run?
Ridiculous.
Besides, the guy was just an Ace Unit.
Even if he was a 14-Tier Mythic Ace Unit—so what?
He wasn’t a Crimson Ultimate Hero born from a 14-Tier Mythic bloodline.
There was no reason to be afraid.
"Heh, co, co," Azareth said with a grin, politely sheathing his demonic scythe and gesturing like a gentleman inviting soone to tea. "Let’s have ourselves a little private conversation."
And so, the two of them moved off to a secluded spot.
"Ever thought about joining Inferno?" Azareth asked casually, as if offering a job over drinks. "I’m the descendant of a god, after all. If you joined us, trust —you’d be treated like royalty. Just like all the others who’ve betrayed their kind before you! Hahahaha!"
He dropped the offer like a bomb, clearly hoping to sway Ethan.
But Ethan just shook his head, expression calm, voice dry. "Are all Inferno Devils this unhinged, or is it just you?"
"Unhinged? No, no, no," Azareth said, wagging a clawed finger. "This is what we call refined taste. Elegance. Like a fine gentleman savoring a glass of exquisite wine. It’s not madness—it’s art. But only we know how to truly appreciate it."
He gave a dramatic sigh, as if lanting Ethan’s lack of culture.
But then—his body suddenly tensed.
Fwoosh!
A blinding beam of light, shaped like a sword, tore through the space where Azareth had just been standing. The air twisted violently, the space itself warping from the force.
But all that remained was a fading afterimage.
"Spatial teleportation, huh?" Ethan muttered, slowly lowering his sword. He shook his head with a sigh. "What a pain in the ass."
"Ohoho, wow—you really hold a grudge, huh?" Azareth cackled again, his voice dripping with mockery and madness. "I like that. I really do. Because I’m the sa way. We’re alike, you and ."
His laughter echoed, wild and unhinged, as if he were genuinely delighted by the idea.
Then, suddenly, he stopped and tilted his head, smiling at Ethan with a twisted sort of charm.
"Let’s start over, shall we?" he said, voice smooth but laced with venom. "I’m Azareth, proud Inferno Arch Devil under the great Lord Malgrath. A pleasure to et you... fellow grudge-holder."
"I think I can skip the intro," Ethan replied coolly. "I’m the Lord of Erald Castle. And yeah... ’pleasure’ is one way to put it."
Azareth’s grin widened. "How about we make a deal?"
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of deal?"
"Oh, it’s simple," Azareth said, waving a clawed hand like he was offering a casual favor. "Just a little performance. I know you’re working with Mikael and Cain. But let’s be honest—they’re not gonna last much longer. This war? It’s already ours. And I know they sent you here to stall us. That’s why I’m here, on behalf of Lord Malgrath, to offer you sothing better."
He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he began pacing slowly, theatrically, like he was on stage delivering a monologue.
"I’ll pretend to send troops to fight you. We’ll put on a good show. Then, when those self-righteous angels let their guard down, thinking you’ve got us pinned, we’ll strike them instead. All you have to do... is let us go when the ti cos. Make it look clean. That’s it. Easy, right?"
By now, Azareth had strolled right up to Ethan, his grotesque face inches away, his breath hot and foul as he smiled like a salesman closing a deal.
"In return, you’ll get land. Lots of it."
"You know us Inferno Devils—we don’t care about winning or losing. We don’t care about territory. We just love destruction. Chaos. Watching the world twist and burn. And you? You get to sit back and scoop up the spoils once we’re done. Doesn’t that sound... tempting? A hell of a bargain, if you ask ."
Ethan didn’t flinch. His voice stayed calm, steady. "But what if I don’t want to be friends with you? What if I don’t want to make a deal with monsters like you?"
Azareth chuckled, pulling back with a theatrical sigh, then sniffed the air like he was savoring the scent of a fine wine.
"Mmm... delicious," he murmured. "Can you sll it? The smoke choking the skies, the rivers of molten lava, the glorious destruction, the chaos running wild like a beast off its leash... Isn’t it beautiful?"
Then, suddenly, he turned sharply, his grin stretching wider, eyes gleaming with nace.
"Tell , Lord of Erald Castle... wouldn’t that beautiful chaos look just perfect... spread across your lands?"
...
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