"Ophis' Snake!!"
Inside Shuchiin, Katerea Leviathan let out a hysterical scream.
In an instant, a terrifying aura surged violently from her body, chilling the air around her.
Crack!!
Black lightning coiled and crackled wildly around her like fierce serpents.
The air itself began to tremble, a buzzing vibration spreading throughout the space.
Katerea braced both hands against the ground, and an overwhelming surge of power burst out from her body like a dam breaking apart.
"Ughhh—!"
Her face twisted, expression ferocious and distorted.
The body that had been pinned firmly beneath Lynn's foot began to slowly lift off the ground.
Boom!!
The earth shook violently, as if being gripped and shaken by some colossal invisible hand.
Natsuki Minamiya's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Katerea, unable to hide her alarm.
What was happening?
Why had she suddenly unleashed such terrifying power?!
Natsuki instinctively grabbed hold of Lynn's clothes, her voice low and tense. "Be careful. She's using some kind of secret technique!"
Natsuki had no idea what "ophis' snake" meant.
But Lynn simply looked on with calm interest at the power welling up inside Katerea.
The power of the Snake, linked to the Infinite Dragon God?
Still…
Lynn's expression remained relaxed.
That level of power alone was not enough to change the outcome here.
"Hehehe!"
Katerea grinned, her eyes flashing violently.
"See? This is infinite power! With this, there is nothing I cannot achieve!"
She gripped the ground tightly, pushing upward with both arms, trying to stand against the crushing pressure Lynn exerted on her.
However, the moment she tried, her hands began to tremble violently.
No matter how hard she pushed, her body could not rise any higher.
She was stunned, then gritted her teeth and poured in more strength, refusing to believe it.
But the next second, an even heavier pressure descended upon her.
Bang!!
The tiny gap between her body and the ground vanished instantly.
She was slammed back down, her face pressed tightly against the cold floor, her features once again contorted under the weight.
At that moment, Lynn's calm voice echoed from above.
"How about you get up first before you talk?"
"Damn it!!"
Katerea's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
Why?!
Even after using the power of the ophis' snake, why couldn't she break free?!
Natsuki blinked in confusion.
Wasn't Katerea terrifyingly powerful just a moment ago?
So why… was she still being pinned down by Lynn so easily?
"Big Sis!"
Bedeze Abaddon, seeing Katerea's miserable state, roared in anger as his Maou-level aura erupted. He charged straight toward Lynn.
Lynn didn't even glance at him. He simply raised one hand.
Buzz—
A dazzling spear of light instantly condensed in his palm.
Boom!
Without pause, Lynn launched the spear of light in the blink of an eye.
The moment it flew toward him, Bedeze instinctively halted. A wave of dread washed over him as every instinct screamed at him.
He would die if he took it head-on!
Fully aware of his limits, Bedeze chose not to confront it directly. Instead, he dodged, shifting quickly to evade the attack.
But Lynn merely hooked his finger lightly.
The spear of light immediately curved mid-flight and accelerated toward Bedeze once again.
Feeling the intense heat closing in, Bedeze's pupils shrank.
"Damn it!!"
He roared, raising his hand and conjuring a series of green defensive magic circles to intercept the spear.
Crack—
The green shields shattered like glass the moment the spear touched them.
Bedeze's eyes widened in horror as the spear pierced through him at lightning speed.
"Gahhhhh!!"
A miserable scream echoed out.
The spear of light exploded in dazzling brilliance, swallowing Bedeze whole.
Katerea's eyes narrowed, gritting out his name.
"Bedeze…"
Her heart sank.
Though Bedeze was not as strong as she was, he was still a Maou.
Yet he was defeated in an instant.
A terrible sense of foreboding settled in her chest.
It felt like…
She was going to die here today.
After dealing with Bedeze, Lynn casually waved his hand again.
Four spears of light immediately shot down, pinning Katerea's limbs firmly to the ground.
"Ahhhhh!!"
Katerea's head jerked back, eyes rolling white, her body spasming violently.
It was as if waves of venom were coursing through her body, paralyzing her with pain.
She gasped for breath, blood trickling from between clenched teeth.
"You bastard…!"
She summoned all her strength, struggling desperately to break free from the spears restraining her.
But the result was the same.
The spears held firm. She couldn't move at all.
Powerlessness gripped her heart.
She was a descendant of Leviathan. She had inherited the power of the Snake. She was a Maou.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation?
She had thought this mission would be simple, just a bit of fun.
Instead, she had run into this monster.
Damn it!!
It was Shalba's fault!
Why hadn't he given her accurate intel on Valefor's strength?!
If she had known how dangerous Valefor was, she would never have accepted this mission!
Resentment surged in Katerea's chest.
Regret and fear slowly took root.
The ophis' snake was not invincible.
It was only now, facing Lynn, that Katerea fully understood that painful reality.
But by the time she realized it… it was far too late.
This guy…
He was stronger than Shalba.
There was no chance of resistance.
Her heart sank. She no longer had the strength to fight back.
Lynn squatted down, grabbed a handful of her hair, and tilted her head upward.
"You should know where the Old Maou Faction's base is, right?"
Katerea's eyes widened slightly.
He… was planning to take down the entire Old Maou Faction?
Her heart skipped a beat.
What a bold move.
But…
A strange flicker of emotion crossed her face.
Her expression calmed, and she replied smoothly, "I know."
"If you're going, I can lead you there."
She didn't hesitate to betray the Old Maou Faction outright.
Better to live than die here needlessly.
Besides…
Shalba had lied to her. Why should she stay loyal?
If Shalba had the strength to handle Valefor, wouldn't she be rescued by now?
Katerea's thoughts spun quickly.
Natsuki, on the side, looked at Lynn in surprise. "Are you really planning to head straight to their headquarters?"
As humanity's top magic user, Natsuki had some understanding of the power structure in the Underworld.
This time, just two Maou-level devils had attacked Tokyo.
If Lynn really went to their base…
There could be even more Maou there.
Plus, with the mysterious power Katerea had just shown—
She couldn't help but feel worried.
Lynn smiled softly, his wine-red eyes focused on Natsuki. "Are you worried about me, Natsuki-chan?"
Natsuki averted her gaze, grumbling, "I'm just afraid you'll die there and I'll be the one stuck cleaning up the mess."
Lynn stood up and casually ruffled her hair with one hand. "Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look."
Natsuki: "?"
What was with this head-patting nonsense?
Smack!
Natsuki slapped his arm away with her folding fan, frowning. "Don't get careless. You could still get yourself killed."
Though she spoke harshly, she didn't argue further.
She could tell from Lynn's eyes that he wouldn't back down.
Besides…
Natsuki let out a sigh, rubbing her forehead as she glanced at Katerea pinned to the ground and the other dead devils nearby.
At this point, there was no way to end things peacefully.
Even if Lynn let it go, the Old Maou Faction would never stop.
But still…
It was a bit concerning that Lynn was planning to go alone.
Yet Natsuki knew full well that if she followed, she would only slow him down.
Against Maou-level threats, her strength wouldn't be enough to make a difference.
If anything, she'd become a liability.
Tch…
The thought made her feel frustrated.
She hadn't felt this helpless in a long time.
---
On the other side, Lynn lifted Katerea effortlessly as a teleportation circle formed beneath his feet.
"Then, Natsuki-chan, have a cup of black tea ready for me when I get back."
Natsuki: "?"
Before she could respond, Lynn vanished with Katerea.
She stood silently for a while, staring at the spot where he disappeared.
Then she turned to the students of Shuchiin, still frozen in fear, confusion, and awe.
She rubbed her temples.
This was going to be a headache to explain.
But…
"Well, for now… I guess I'll go make that tea."
---
On the rooftop of the teaching building.
A girl with twin pigtails and round-framed glasses quietly stared at where Lynn had disappeared.
"…Lynn."
She softly repeated his name, committing it to memory.
"I didn't expect…"
"…that such a powerful person was hiding here at Shuchiin."
She adjusted her glasses, her gaze complicated.
A Maou, or perhaps even more than a Maou.
What was someone like that doing here in human society?
Still…
Thanks to him, Tokyo had avoided disaster.
As for how to handle him…
That would require discussion with Shirona and the others.
Regardless…
He was not someone they could afford to offend.
---
Underworld.
Katerea, pointing ahead, led the way while Lynn carried her effortlessly through the air.
It wasn't long before they arrived at a sprawling fortress complex.
At the gate, Lynn casually hoisted Katerea up like a javelin.
Preparing to throw.
Katerea: "?!"
(To be continued.).