Azazel Subjugation Battle (Part 1)

At that very moment, while Actor and the White Tower Lord Ostis clashed outside the city...

Inside the city, black mages launched a surprise attack, forcing the Big Daddy Family, citizens, and various other organizations to band together against those transformed into demons.

Rank 10—the King of Depravity, Azazel—had spread his corrupting aura, turning people into mindless female demons. This unprecedented crisis saw even the elite mage legions of Magus Civitas, the noble holy knights of the Seven Virtues from the Holy Kingdom, and priests wielding miracles through their steadfast faith fall to corruption and become demons.

Witnessing this was a massive shock. The sight of normal humans turning into demons was something even the residents of the crime-ridden North Continent—overflowing with infamous criminals—had never experienced.

"Shaaaaaaaak!"

"They're coming again!"

Shwaaaaaak!—Boom!—

"Kieeeek~!"

"Boss!"

Shrrrrrk—

"You pathetic lot! Don't panic! They're demons, sure, but they're nameless low-rank ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ones! Stay sharp, and with your skills, you can take them!"

"""Yes, sir!"""

"Listen up, Blood Knights! Those Azazel-worshipping scum wrecking my city—kill every last one! Drain them dry, not a drop of blood left!"

"""Yes, boss!"""

"Damn it... My city's getting trashed again! I'll make that crazy punk pay with interest!—"

Flutter!

"Big Daddy boss!"

"Hm? North Face vice boss? What is it?"

"We just took out the black mages! So now, we only need to subdue those turned into demons over there!"

"Hmph! Not bad, quick work. You heard him? Blood Knights, kill those things right—"

"Aaaah—wait! Hold on! Please don't kill them!"

"Allen, was it? What nonsense is this? Don't kill them?"

"Well... technically, they didn't choose to become demons, right? Not like me or the family kids. So... if possible, let's capture them alive..."

"You idiot. You think capturing them alive is easy? Low-rank demons or not, they've got enough strength to rip apart normal humans barehanded, plus sky-high mana! And as depravity kin, they're succubus types that seduce humans. Anyone with weak willpower sniffs their scent or locks eyes and turns into a maniac slaughtering friend and foe alike. You want us to capture those monsters?!"

"Whew~ I know it's a tall order. Never expected it anyway. So, straight to the point: We'll handle grabbing them. Just evacuate the civilians."

"... Those things were our enemies to begin with. Why save them?"

Big Daddy couldn't comprehend it. Former enemies turned demons. The Holy Kingdom, Magus Civitas—those self-righteous hypocrites from the central continent were enemies anyway. So why step up to save them?

In this North Continent, where only the strongest and slyest survived, risking your neck for naive sympathy toward enemies? It made no sense.

"...You're insane. You and your boss, all of you—completely mad!"

"We ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swore to live for the boss. If he hadn't saved us that day, we'd be dead. And... this demon transformation mess? We know that pain better than anyone in the family. If the boss were here, he'd order us to save them."

"Tch... Do what you want. Blood Knights—evacuate the civilians. Contact the other underlings too; get everyone out of the city ASAP!"

"""Yes, sir!"""

"Phew~ Thanks!—"

"Hmph! Tell him I'll collect triple the interest! Make sure that lunatic Actor knows I'll get it from him!"

"Ha... haha... uh... no installments?"

"You bastard... Your boss and vice boss, spouting the exact same crap! Tell him to pay up now!—"

Big Daddy figured a boss shaped his organization.

.........

Rumble! Crash! Crack!—

When Azazel first descended by forging a body on the surface, the shockwave turned nearby citizens into low-rank demons via his power, while those near the plaza had their souls absorbed.

Before fully activating, he sought to devour the city's human souls to stabilize his incomplete flesh—but Halphas and Amdusias blocked him, sparking the battle.

A clash between two great demons in the top 100 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ranks and a rank 10 demon lord. It was a fight beyond human imagination.

The mere maelstrom of mana swirling around them twisted the mana in living bodies, rupturing organs—no surprise there. Their killing intent alone could shatter minds.

Their battle's fallout split sky and earth, turning the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠city to rubble.

Boom! Thoom!—

"You fly like gnat, bitch! Quit buzzing around, I said!—"

Whiiiirrr!

Rumble!—

"Kyahahahaha!— Where you aiming? Man, you're so huge, it's tiring craning my neck up. Lie down already~♥ Or shrink a bit!—"

Whiiiirrr!

Splaaat!!—

"Gah!— You, you insolent brat, how dare you!!—"

Whoooosh!—

Dodging Azazel's strikes with agile flight, Halphas rocketed in for a spinning roundhouse to his jaw.

Azazel's head snapped right from the blow. The 7-meter demon lord reeled with a scream—Halphas' kick packed unbelievable force.

Furious at the audacity, Azazel swung a fist at her—but a deafening noise shook his ears, forcing him to clamp them shut.

Kiririring~♪

Tiriring!~ Tiriring!~♪

Kiririring!~♪

[He!—]

[Is~♪]

[The Painkiller~♪]

[This~♪]

[Is~♪]

[The Painkillerrrrrrrrr!!!~~~~~♪]

Twaaaang!~♪

"Aaaaaargh!!!— Shut up with that racket!!— You art-freak bastard, how dare you— my ears!—"

Crack! Woooom!—

"No more games! Incomplete flesh from soul shortage or not, I've got power to wipe this city and you sluts! I'll erase your very existence!!—"

Rumble!

!!!

"Vanish with this city!— [Doom Eternal]"

Woooom— Kabooooom!!—

A massive mana gathered and compressed in Azazel's grip. The sphere, building-sized at first, shrank to human proportions—but Halphas and Amdusias sensed its hyper-dense power from repeated compressions.

"Kyahahaha! If we can't block that, city's toast for sure? Can't have that! Boss aside, Lady Baal would never forgive me! Mana support, please!—"

Tiririiiing!~♪

Woooom! Thud!— Clank!

To counter the doom energy in Azazel's grasp, Halphas summoned her signature weapon: a 2.2-meter halberd with an axe blade the size of a person's torso.

She hefted it one-handed, taunting Azazel with a finger wag from the other.

Enraged, he hurled [Doom Eternal].

Whoosh!—

"Here it cooomes~♪ Whoop—!"

Whooooosh!—

"Haaaaah!!—"

Kaaaa-BOOM!!—

With Amdusias' mana boost, Halphas smacked the incoming spell like a batter crushing a fastball.

... ...

Ruuuuuuumbleeeeee!!!—

Craaaaaack!!—

The spell rocketed past the city, obliterating a distant mountain in a cataclysmic blast—erasing it entirely.

Azazel wielded continent-altering magic casually; Halphas and Amdusias deflected it effortlessly. This was no mortal brawl—it rivaled gods at war.

Grrr rumble!!—

"Kyahahahahahaha!~♥ Incredible?! If we'd missed, this city would've vanished like that mountain!— Kuhuhu... When else do I get a thrill like this? Hey, pervert demon? Let's keep the war going~♥"

"You... insolent bitch... Ngh! As expected, the human sacrifices were too few! Can't use full power in this incomplete body!"

"Kuhuhuhu~ Running away? That'd be such a letdown."

"Running? Hahahahaha!— You think I'd flee from lowly sluts like you?! Still no clue of your place!"

Kiririiiing!—

The mythic clash of these three absolute beings was far from over.