Episode 583
Baal and Agares were left speechless by Zeke’s audacious declaration.
It was shocking enough that a mere human dared to utter their true names, but to challenge two archdemons at once? Unthinkable.
Riled by Zeke’s provocation, Baal and Agares rose from their seats.
“This insolent human dares to challenge us!”
“I’ll crush him in an instant!”
Rumble!
Even though they were attending the Grand Lords’ meeting in their avatar forms, which limited their powers, the sheer force of their presence shook the entire hall like a storm.
Yet, Zeke stood firm on the podium, unfazed by the overwhelming aura of the two archdemons.
From his seat of honor, Mephistopheles watched the scene unfold with keen interest.
At that moment, Asmodeus, the “Unyielding Lord of Passion,” opened his eyes, which gleamed like a predator’s. He turned to Mephistopheles and spoke in a chilling voice.
“Mephistopheles, what scheme are you plotting with this human?”
Mephistopheles shook his head, feigning innocence.
“Scheme? I have no such plans. As I told you, I merely wish to see if the successor is worthy of being acknowledged as a Grand Lord to stabilize the demon realm. That’s all.”
Asmodeus narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. He knew Mephistopheles well, having been familiar with his cunning since the days when he was known as Azazel in the celestial realm.
Just then, a tremendous noise erupted beside them.
Boom!
Baal and Agares had charged forward, obliterating the stage where Zeke stood.
In their avatar forms, the archdemons’ combat instincts were even more pronounced, and their bodies radiated fierce red and blue auras.
“You wretched human! I’ll kill you!”
“I’ll tear you apart and devour the soul of that arrogant savior within you!”
Mephistopheles chuckled and rose from his seat.
“It seems those two won’t be satisfied until they test the successor themselves. We’ll need an appropriate stage for this.”
With a snap of his fingers, the surroundings transformed.
Boom!
The meeting room vanished, replaced by a traditional demon realm arena.
Mephistopheles, Asmodeus, and the overseer of the Abyss took their seats in the stands, while Zeke, Baal, and Agares faced each other in the arena.
The change in scenery only fueled Baal and Agares’ excitement, their auras flaring even more intensely.
Crash!
A powerful storm of energy swept through the arena.
Zeke calmly drew his sword, Levatein, as he watched them.
Agares stepped forward first, eager to fight.
“I’ll crush that arrogant fool myself.”
Baal gritted his teeth and shouted.
“What are you talking about? He’s mine to kill!”
As the two archdemons bickered over who would fight first, Zeke spoke up.
“Why don’t you both come at me together? It’ll save time.”
His words only further enraged Baal and Agares, whose pride as the most combative of the lords had been challenged.
Agares exhaled a frosty breath and turned to Baal.
“Fine! I’ll let you have this one, but make sure you finish him off!”
Baal grinned wickedly and stepped forward.
Boom!
Baal, the archdemon who ruled over the ever-battling Tuatha Dé, was a formidable opponent even in his avatar form, which was on par with the highest-ranking demons.
He fixed his gaze on Zeke and assumed a fighting stance.
In an instant, Baal’s muscles swelled, and he launched a punch at Zeke.
Boom!
Unlike the chaotic energy that had been swirling around, this punch was precise and silent, aimed directly at Zeke.
Instinctively, Zeke raised Levatein and assumed a defensive stance, blocking Baal’s attack.
Crash!
The impact exploded around Zeke, neutralizing the force of Baal’s punch.
But when Zeke looked up, Baal was nowhere to be seen.
“I can’t sense him.”
In a flash, Baal’s massive red form emerged from Zeke’s blind spot.
Boom!
Another precise punch, charged with refined energy, targeted Zeke’s vital points.
Zeke swiftly twisted his body, using his wind technique to evade Baal’s strike.
Crash!
The air where Baal’s punch passed through was violently torn apart.
As Zeke retreated, he analyzed Baal’s technique.
“This isn’t demon magic.”
Surprisingly, Baal was using a martial art that was distinctly human to attack Zeke.
Realizing how to counter Baal, Zeke prepared to unleash his power. But unexpectedly, a backlash of causality surged through his body.
Crackle―
The unstable dimension had been temporarily stabilized, imposing a limit on his power.
“It seems there’s a significant restriction on using celestial powers.”
Just then, Mephistopheles’ voice echoed in Zeke’s mind.
[Stay sharp. Baal may seem brutish, but he’s serious about martial arts. You could die here if you’re not careful.]
With Mephistopheles’ warning, Zeke tightened his grip on his sword and summoned the energy of chaos.
Rumble!
As the chaotic energy, which nullified celestial powers, surged, Baal’s expression turned intrigued, and he thrust his fist forward.
“Hahaha! Just as Gusion said, you’re quite an interesting one!”
Suddenly, Baal stopped laughing, gathered his arms to his chest, and took a deep breath.
Whoooosh!
With his breath, Baal’s body expanded even more.
Rumble!
His form seemed to grow heavier and more solid, like a mass of iron.
Zeke realized this transformation wasn’t due to celestial powers and was impressed.
“To wield such power through martial arts alone.”
Mephistopheles’ earlier comment about Baal’s dedication to martial arts resonated with him.
In a blink, Baal’s figure blurred and vanished from sight.
Whoosh!
With an afterimage, Baal’s fist appeared right in front of Zeke.
Zeke used his wind technique to sidestep Baal’s punch and countered with a strike to Baal’s side.
Thud!
Though he struck accurately with his chaos-infused sword, it felt like hitting solid iron, the recoil vibrating up his arm.
“It seems chaos energy is ineffective without celestial powers.”
Baal turned and crouched low, then charged at Zeke with all his might.
Crash!
His solid body, like a mass of iron, barreled forward, a threat in itself.
Zeke dispelled the chaos energy and aimed Levatein at the oncoming Baal.
Whoooosh!
A powerful resonance emanated from his sword, and a mental image of a blade formed in his mind.
Ssssh―
A domain of mental swords expanded from where Zeke stood.
Baal, sensing the domain emanating from Zeke, halted his charge.
Whoosh!
He retreated cautiously, taking a deep breath and assuming a defensive stance.
“Heh, so you’re not just some lucky brat who stumbled in here.”
If Zeke had relied solely on the power of the arrogant savior’s soul, Baal would have torn him apart on the spot.
But seeing Zeke approach with his own martial prowess, Baal was pleased to engage in a battle of skill.
Demon battles were typically brute force clashes, so Baal, who craved diverse techniques and skills, found previous fights unsatisfying.
Baal continued his breathing, extending one fist forward while keeping the other at his waist, lowering his stance.
Agares, watching from the sidelines, shook his head in exasperation.
“Ugh, they’re really putting on a show.”
Despite his words, Agares realized Baal was genuinely engaging Zeke and watched their duel with interest.
Baal, poised and exuding an intense aura, resembled a demonic statue forged from molten iron.
As Baal slowly advanced, he encroached upon Zeke’s domain of mental swords.
Rumble!
Zeke observed Baal’s gradual encroachment, realizing the archdemon’s martial prowess was beyond imagination.
He focused all his energy on maintaining the integrity of his domain against Baal’s intrusion.
The two stood almost motionless, locked in a silent standoff.
Rumble!
Though the scene seemed uneventful, none of the onlookers expressed dissatisfaction.
They were all transcendents, capable of perceiving the fierce, invisible battle of domains unfolding before them.
Crackle!
Suddenly, where Zeke and Baal’s domains overlapped, a ripple of dimensional distortion caused a fracture.
On the surface, it seemed like an empty void, but beneath that facade, a fierce battle raged as two forces clashed, each trying to dominate the other.
In the end, the dimension couldn’t withstand the power of the two transcendent beings and was torn apart.
In an instant, Zeke and Baal surged forward.
Boom!
Crash!
At the point of rupture, Zeke’s sword collided with Baal’s fist.
Boom!
The impact widened the dimensional rift, unleashing a massive plasma storm within.
Crackle!
The entire arena was engulfed in a blinding plasma.
Watching this, Mephistopheles touched his cheek with a curious smile.
“Ah, to tear a dimension apart in battle. Truly impressive.”
Beside him, Asmodeus silently observed the arena with a predatory gaze, while the master of the abyss remained impassive, holding his ground.
Crash!
Soon, the plasma subsided, revealing Zeke and Baal in the center of the arena.
Sizzle—
Baal’s arm blocked Zeke’s sword, while Zeke’s palm stopped Baal’s fist.
They had exchanged blows.
Baal’s eyebrow twitched as he looked down at Zeke, then he leapt back.
Thud!
Baal rolled his neck, clicked his tongue, and turned to Mephistopheles.
“Damn it, I don’t like your plan, demon lord, but fine! A promise is a promise. I acknowledge it!”
Having clashed directly with Zeke’s sword, Baal surprisingly admitted that Zeke was indeed the heir of the arrogant savior.
Baal’s form vanished from the arena, reappearing among the other demon lords in the stands.
With a snap of Mephistopheles’ fingers, a throne fitting Baal’s stature materialized.
Thud!
Even as he sat, Baal couldn’t quell his excitement, his fists still clenched.
‘Any more, and this vessel I’ve worked so hard to obtain would be in tatters. Not to mention, this realm would be obliterated.’
Though it was disappointing, continuing the fight would be foolish. Instead, Baal resolved to summon Zeke to his domain one day for a proper battle.
At that moment, Agares stepped into the arena.
Thud!
Having watched the fight from below, Agares addressed Zeke.
“That was an amusing little skirmish, human.”
Known for his martial prowess like Baal, Agares grinned cruelly at Zeke, his fighting spirit ablaze.
“Unlike Baal, I have no interest in the feeble skills of a human. For demons, it’s all about power! Proving oneself through sheer strength!”
As he finished speaking, Agares began to transform.
Crash!
His body expanded, and astonishingly, three pairs of wings made of blue flames sprouted from his back. Simultaneously, his limbs elongated, and tough scales emerged on his skin.
‘Hmm?’
Zeke furrowed his brow slightly. Agares’ transformed appearance was a bizarre blend of dragon and human.
‘A dragonkin?’
Whoosh!
Agares, wreathed in blue flames, spoke to Zeke.
“Human, I don’t know what you’re plotting with the demon lord, but I’ll incinerate everything, including your pathetic shell.”