—–

To Beelzebub, his battle against Anna and the other Hunters had occurred only a few weeks ago. Anna’s departure to this other world had been a mere couple of hours earlier.

Yet for Anna, months had passed since she left. Inside the Inner Realm of her masters and adoptive parents, she had trained relentlessly, stretching time several times over through intense cultivation.

Through that grueling, never-ending regimen, pushing far beyond her limits, fighting for her life more than once, she had absorbed the philosophies of both demons, experienced multiple awakenings and enlightenments…

Anna had become an entirely different being!

And above all…

“What is that strange mechanical armor she’s wearing?! Is it a living entity by itself?! And there are two other cosmic presences inside her—no, wait—her own presence is cosmic too?! D-Don’t tell me!”

Beelzebub could scarcely believe it. Anna had already surpassed every expectation he had ever held, stepping into a realm he himself had not yet reached!

All because he had been dethroned. All because he had been cast down! Becoming a Death Apostle placed him in a liminal state between Mortal and Constellation, an undefined existence that endlessly pursued power across the worlds he tormented.

Naturally, the Demon, whose plans to grow stronger and secure a powerful vessel had been ruined not once, but twice, by Anna and her allies, felt a fury that burned to his very core.

His frustration reached its breaking point. His shredded body rapidly regenerated—flesh, exoskeleton, blood vessels, organs, reforming in mere seconds.

“{Demonic Rebirth}!”

FLAAASH!

“Hm?”

Anna glanced over as Beelzebub fully recovered once more. She noticed the near-endless torrent of demonic energy pouring from him.

“You thought that would be enough?!” Beelzebub roared in rage. “I’ve grown stronger too, you damn brat! I am not the same as before! With the power of Lucifer and Mammon inside me, I have become their ultimate Demonic Avatar!”

“He seems slightly stronger than before…” Anna calmly analyzed his Aura, barely listening to his words. “That regeneration technique probably lets him grow a little stronger each time he takes damage, huh? And he relies heavily on demonic energy.”

As she thought this, she quickly turned her attention to the Demon King, Nemesis, who lay in ruins, his body heavily damaged and greatly weakened by Beelzebub. Even if beheaded, he would not die, but she knew he would soon become weak enough for Beelzebub to absorb him.

Normal healing would only harm him further; holy techniques were toxic to demons. So she placed her hand on his body and conjured several runes, weaving them together with her own methods.

Her Cursed Seals activated, rapidly gathering Demonic Ki into her palm. She infused it into the Demon King, creating a technique tailored to heal demons.

“{Demonic Rebirth}”

FLASH!

“Wha…?!”

Beelzebub’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Anna replicate his own technique, channeling it into Nemesis and instantly healing every wound!

At the same time, the Demon King’s body appeared more robust and powerful. Though the technique cost Anna a significant amount of Ki and Demonic Energy, she now possessed vast reserves after her growth.

“You copied my technique after seeing it only once?!” Beelzebub asked, voice trembling with incredulity. “Impossible! It is an innate Ability that Demons—”

“Innate Ability? Any ability or supernatural power is quantified by a certain amount of energy and technique. Even if it originates within the body or manifests externally, as long as someone understands how it works and possesses the necessary resources to replicate it, it becomes completely possible, even if you weren’t born with it or granted it.”

Anna spoke with the calm wisdom of a venerable. Beelzebub felt suddenly small, as though he were the child and she the elder.

“What kind of bullshit is that?! There’s simply no way that’s possible!”

Beelzebub charged toward her, his enhanced, regenerated body brimming with newfound strength. He swung his sharp, blade-like claws in a furious arc.

“You’re merely bluffing!”

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

A barrage of slicing waves, black and dark red energy, rushed toward Anna.

Her eyes shone like twin stars. Her Aura erupted outward. Her mechanical suit and her familiar, Fang Shuan, merged their powers with hers. His massive mechanical form compressed tightly around her, forming compact full-body armor that concentrated every ounce of strength.

“{Brilliant Nova}!”

FLAAASH!

Beelzebub felt his entire body burn beneath the blinding light! His attacks were nullified before they could even reach her, dissipating harmlessly into nothing.

Worse still, the radiant force pushed him back with the strength of a devastating shockwave.

Anna shone so brightly she resembled a small star!

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“W-What in the world is this?! Ugh…!”

Beelzebub’s suffering only intensified. Suddenly his parameters began to drop, physical strength, magical power, magical conductivity, speed, all steadily reduced.

As the unending light poured from Anna’s body, she pointed her mechanical hands toward him.

“Know your place.”

“Huh?!”

Beelzebub gasped in disbelief as dozens of brilliant golden laser beams erupted from her fingertips, another fundamental ability of her Physique. He screamed in agony as small holes burned across his flesh and blood, reducing them to ash. Anna continued firing rapidly, not even bothering to employ her sword techniques against such an insignificant foe.

“S-STOP…! STOP! STOOOP!”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Beelzebub’s screams grew more desperate. His body crumbled under the relentless assault as Anna refused to relent!

His despair reached its peak. In agony and hopelessness, he unleashed the full power of his soul.

“{D-Demonic Domain Expansion}: {Accursed Battlefield of Death}!!!”

FLAAASH!

Anna glanced around as her light was suddenly suppressed. The world shifted, she now floated above a vast battlefield littered with hundreds of thousands of corpses.

These corpses belonged to demons of every shape and size: humanoid with purple or red skin, insectoid, beast-like, reptilian, and more.

Across the dark battlefield hung only the stench of death, decomposition, blood, and organs. No soul remained.

All were dead. Everything was lost.

Broken armor of ancient warriors lay scattered. Bloodstained banners of long-fallen demon nations fluttered in the wind. The sky was dark and heavy with clouds. The air carried a biting chill.

“…”

Anna felt her power being suppressed. This was a realm designed to nullify light and celestial energy.

“Interesting trick. Though you are very weak, you are quite capable with your techniques and magic, Beelzebub. You have my praise. Your tenacity is impressive.”

“{Demonic Rebirth}!”

Beelzebub’s wounds closed once more. Anna did not interfere. He felt slightly stronger again. The pain he had endured was finally paying off.

“I admit you’re strong! But if you rely only on celestial power to defeat demons, then you will meet your end here!”

He took flight, claws extended as dark essence spread outward.

RUMBLE!

To Anna’s intrigued gaze, thousands of Undead Demons rose from the corpses, reanimated into Beelzebub’s servants.

“I see. So your Domain grants you an endless army of the dead?”

“Hah! That’s right… Something you could never do on your own, pathetic child.”

“Interesting! This is giving me a lot of new ideas… Thank you.”

“Huh?! Still acting so arrogant in this situation?! KILL HER!”

Beelzebub kept his distance, commanding his Undead to attack instead.

It did not matter that she floated in the sky. The Undead surged toward her rapidly.

Some used decaying wings; others rose on ghostly souls like specters.

“Kill! Graaaggh!”

“Massacre! Gryaaahh!”

“All must face their end! Uuaaargh!”

The Demonic Undead whispered in guttural tongues as they closed in! With her light suppressed, it seemed she was helpless.

And yet…

“Let’s become friends, shall we?”

Anna winked. A wave of soft pink light washed over thousands of Undead at once.

“H-Huh?”

Beelzebub’s insect-like eyes stared in utter confusion.

It worked.

The Undead halted completely!

They turned toward Anna and then…

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Adorable heart-shaped pink auras bloomed from their bodies. Tiny ethereal hearts appeared and vanished with cute popping sounds.

“W-What the…?!”

Beelzebub stood dumbfounded.

“Surprised? This is the power of Love, Beelzebub!”

“T-THE WHAT?!”

“Didn’t you know? I am the Venerable of Love in this world! I can manipulate and even create love within others. Of course, normally it wouldn’t affect so many at once, but…”

Anna possessed several extraordinary Skills related to the undead and their control: Thanatos’ Stigma granted her immense affinity with all Undead; her Specialization further amplified these powers; and finally, the privilege [Death’s Little Sister].

When combined with her recent awakening of the power of [Love], the result was something utterly absurd and perfectly suited to this moment.

“J-JUST KILL HER ALREADY!”

Beelzebub poured more demonic power into his Domain. Thousands more Undead surged toward Anna.

And yet!

“Will you guys become my friends~?”

Her gentle words acted like a deadly spell. Thousands of Undead froze instantly. Their eyes transformed into large, pink-colored hearts.

“Yeessss!”

“Graaahhh!”

“Friend!”

“Anna… cute!”

They raised their arms and cheered for her, making strangely endearing noises…

“A-Ah…”

Beelzebub, a demon who had lived with a grim, serious, and brutally realistic worldview, was left utterly speechless.

A power existed beyond anything he had ever believed possible.

“T-This is…!”

Beelzebub stepped back as the Undead he had raised turned their gaze toward him.

“Wait a second… I created you! You’re literally part of my damn Domain!”

“Kill him.”

Anna gave the command. All the Undead formed a massive wave of pure death, rushing toward Beelzebub and coalescing into a gigantic fist!

“{Undead Manipulation Arts}: {Undeath Swarm Fist}”

Anna channeled her Ki into every Undead, merging them into enormous masses of death that she wielded as weapons.

Beelzebub could not defend. Punches rained down from every direction!

BAAAM!

“D-DAMMIT!”

BAAAM!

“STOP THIS, YOU DAMN…!”

BAAAM!

“YOU’RE ALL MY CREATIONS! WHY ARE YOU NOT—AGH!”

BAAAM!

“AAAAGGGGHH! SCREW THIS!”

His body was already battered beyond recognition. In desperation, he grasped the spatial structure of his Domain and shattered it.

Crack, crack…!

CRAAASH!

As the Domain collapsed, Anna reached him in an instant, turning into pure lightning and appearing directly before him.

The Undead had vanished with the Domain, but it did not matter. She could fight perfectly well on her own.

“{Starlight}!”

Anna’s {Brilliant Nova} form returned. With it, she unleashed {Starlight}, another ability drawn from her Physique.

Starlight was simple: it allowed her to conjure and manipulate starlight that dealt devastating damage.

Combined with Brilliant Nova’s radiance, Anna unleashed blinding laser beams that riddled Beelzebub with holes once more.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The demon groaned in frustration and agony. He swung his claws wildly as his Aura erupted outward, manifesting as a monstrous insectoid giant that attacked her with full force.

“{Demonic Aura Manifestation}: {Twelve-Armed Insect War God}!”

Anna stood motionless as the attacks struck. Explosions of black flames and corrosive energy engulfed her completely.

And yet…

“U-Unscathed?!”

Beelzebub stared in even greater shock. Anna remained completely unharmed, not even Fang Shuan’s mechanical armor form had taken damage.

“As I told you before, Beelzebub… Know your place.”

Anna’s eyes blazed brightly. An immense pressure descended upon Beelzebub, instantly suppressing his demonic aura and forcing it to dissipate!

RUMBLE!

His magic grew sluggish and weak. He felt his internal body beginning to fracture and explode.

“H-HOW…?! HOW IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US… SO BIG?!”

Beelzebub was overwhelmed with grief, awe, frustration, and pain. He clawed desperately toward Anna, trying to reach her with everything he had left.

“I have not even shown you a tenth of what I can do now. You are simply outclassed.”

The once-threatening menace had been reduced to nothing more than a bug before her, even though he quite literally was one.

“Hey, guys, come out.”

Anna opened the Purgatory Portal behind her. Several Demons emerged one after another. She had not summoned them earlier, she had not needed their help, but now they would prove useful.

“You’re…!”

As Beelzebub struggled beneath Anna’s overwhelming pressure, his gaze fell upon the figures stepping forth.

They were all those he had once betrayed.

The Death Apostles.

—–

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep