Back in the Cardinal World, time flowed steadily, unbothered by the coming storm. Nations prospered, borders shifted, alliances formed and crumbled. But in the shadows and the skies, those who ruled from the heights above still moved the game pieces quietly.
Among them, two names stood tall.
Guy Crimson — the once feared, now revered Demon Lord of the Ice Continent, had transcended the limits of demonhood. No longer bound by the title of Demon Lord alone, he was now a Transcendent Demon, an existence standing on the edge of divinity, wielding powers even the stars would bow before.
And then, there was Rudra Nam Ul Nasca, the former tyrant emperor of the Eastern Empire. Forgiven by Veldora after their bitter past, Rudra had taken up his role again—this time with a clearer heart, ruling justly beside Velgrynd, the Dragon of Scorching Flames. He had mellowed… just a little. But some habits never truly faded.
Like his long-standing rivalry with Guy.
The two used to entertain themselves by manipulating the world's strongest nations, turning the battlefield into their personal chessboard. They'd play with kingdoms like pawns, provoke Demon Lords, test heroes, and pull strings only they could see. But things had changed.
Veldora had become King of the Storm Kingdom, a force so overwhelming that even Rudra and Guy had to adjust their views. And perhaps more shocking—Noir, Blanc, Jaune, and Violet, the most feared of the Primordial Demons, now served under Veldora's banner have also become Transcendent demons.
Even Guy, as powerful as he was, had found himself keeping an eye on that stormy king.
But today wasn't about politics or war. It was about tradition. About rivalry. About two overpowered maniacs having fun.
The skies above the Ice Continent stirred, rippling with heat as a flaming streak shot through the frozen heavens.
It was Velgrynd, wings of blazing light spread wide, descending like a comet. Rudra stood atop her back, arms crossed, wind sweeping through his golden hair, grinning like a schoolboy about to start a fight behind the gym.
They landed with thunderous grace outside the obsidian gates of Pandemonium Fortress, Guy's grand icy palace. Tall black pillars adorned with frozen runes stretched toward the sky like claws. The air was deathly cold—colder than anything natural, colder than death. But neither Rudra nor Velgrynd flinched.
Two elegant figures awaited them by the steps.
Rain, stoic as ever, her long hair flowing like frozen silk, gave a shallow bow.
Beside her stood Misery, her expression gentle but unreadable, like an eternal snowfall.
"Welcome, Lord Rudra, Lady Velgrynd," Misery greeted. "His Majesty is expecting you."
"He better be," Rudra smirked, hopping off Velgrynd's back. "I came all the way here just to punch his smug face."
Rain blinked. "Very well… Please follow us."
Inside, the throne room shimmered with refracted light, the floor a mirror of unmelting ice. Tall crystal pillars reflected Guy's divine aura. And there he sat—legs crossed, chin resting lazily on his knuckles, dressed in flowing black robes lined with silver threads, atop a throne made of crystallized frost and blue flame.
Guy Crimson.
The Crimson King.
The Demon lord.
Now a being so powerful that even the concept of fear bowed before him.
As Rudra and Velgrynd entered, Guy gave a small, amused smirk.
"Well, well. Look what the dragon dragged in."
Rudra laughed. "You better have stretched, old man. I've got a new technique I've been saving just for you."
"Oh?" Guy leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming. "Did you develop that after Veldora knocked your ego into next week?"
Rudra scoffed. "Tch. At least I learn from my beatings. You? You'd probably still insult a True Dragon to his face."
"I have," Guy said with a smirk. "And I'm still alive."
Velgrynd rolled her eyes. "Only because Veldora lets you. But fine, boys. Let's see which one of you looks better being tossed into a glacier."
Misery and Rain moved to the side as the three stepped out into the Battlefield of Mirrors, a private frozen arena behind the palace, sealed off from the world. The sky above was constantly night, but shimmering with auroras. The air itself seemed to freeze time.
Rudra cracked his neck. "So… are we fighting, or are you just scared?"
Guy chuckled. "Scared? No. But I'll say this—since the last time we fought, I've surpassed every limit you ever imagined. Right now, you wouldn't last a minute against me."
Velgrynd raised an eyebrow. "Big talk, Ice King."
Rudra blinked. "Wait, are you serious? You think you're that far ahead of me?"
"I know I am," Guy replied, his tone flat and absolute. "I've walked beyond the edge of existence. I've touched truths that would drive lesser minds mad. My power now isn't just magic or skill—it's will made real."
Rudra's smirk deepened. "Then let me be the one to snap you back to reality."
Guy nodded. "Then let me remind you who taught you how to fight."
With that, the temperature dropped even lower. The ground cracked, the ice screamed, and Guy rose from the ground, his crimson eyes glowing with cosmic light. A dark aura of Transcendence shimmered around him like a cloak of dying stars.
Rudra, not to be outdone, drew his blade—a sword forged from the remnants of a fallen angel's core and infused with law-bending sorcery.
Velgrynd floated up into the air, arms crossed, her flames coiled behind her like wings.
Rain and Misery stood silently to the side, curious yet calm. They'd seen Guy fight before—but this would be different.
This would be a clash of Transcendents.
A duel of egos, pride, and ancient friendship.
Not to the death—but certainly to humiliation.
Rudra took the first step.
"Let's see how long you last before begging for mercy."
Guy cracked his knuckles.
"You'll be frozen before your next insult."
And with that, the frozen silence shattered—
And the world watched as fire and frost collided in a battle written in legend.
Immediately, both Guy and Rudra vanished.
The icy wind howled across the Ice Continent's training field, but no one could see the two figures. To the naked eye, it was as if they had vanished from existence—but in truth, they were moving so fast that even time seemed unsure whether to keep up.
CLANG!
The first blow echoed—a flash of silver light as Rudra's god-grade sword sliced through the air, aiming directly for Guy's side. Rudra's movements were precise, honed by centuries of combat. Each strike was a blur, each step calculated. His eyes were sharp, focused, reading Guy's every shift.
Rudra wasn't just fighting. He was dancing with death.
He had always been an artist with the blade—fluid, elegant, impossible to predict. With Velgrynd watching from the sidelines, his pride wouldn't let him hold back.
"Come on, Guy!" Rudra shouted mid-slash, "You're not gonna just dodge forever, are you?"
But Guy didn't answer. He moved through the attacks like smoke through fingers—untouchable, unreadable. His crimson coat flowed with every twist of his body, almost teasing Rudra with its grace. His red eyes locked onto Rudra's with a calm boredom, like a god watching a child throw punches.
"Still the same flashy footwork," Guy said with a smirk, sidestepping a piercing thrust. "You really haven't changed."
"And you talk too much!" Rudra growled, unleashing a flurry of slashes.
Sparks lit the air. Frost broke beneath their feet. Velgrynd, arms crossed, stood a few meters away, her flame-dragon aura flaring slightly in anticipation.
"Hmm... he's faster than before," she admitted quietly. "But it won't matter."
Rain, standing beside her with her usual icy expression, nodded. "Lord Guy's not even trying."
Misery added, a little amused, "Lord Guy hasn't even drawn a weapon. He's using footwork alone. He must be enjoying himself."
The battle continued.
Rudra leapt into the air, twisted mid-flip, and brought his blade down with a fiery streak of divine energy.
Guy raised one finger. One.
A shimmer of scarlet aura flickered—and the sword stopped mid-air, as if it had hit a wall of unseen force.
"Wha—!?" Rudra's eyes widened.
Guy grinned. "I told you, Rudra. I'm far above you now."
Rudra growled, backflipping away. "Tch… say that after you beat me!"
"Very well," Guy said casually, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder. "You wished it, so shall it be."
He didn't move.
He didn't lift a hand or charge forward.
He just… released it.
His aura.
The moment it emerged, the entire Ice Continent seemed to groan.
The skies above dimmed like a sun hidden by a storm. Shadows lengthened. The temperature dropped further—not to cold, but to something… unnatural. Suffocating. A pressure so heavy, it seemed to crush reality itself.
Velgrynd stiffened. Her flames flickered nervously. "What… is that…"
Even she, a true dragon, found herself swallowing. "This… isn't just power. It's—something more."
Rain and Misery both took a step back instinctively. Even after serving Guy for centuries, they had never felt this side of him. Not like this.
The aura wasn't wild. It wasn't screaming or raging. It was quiet. Silent like a deep ocean trench. Dark like the void between stars.
Majestic… and demonic.
It towered above Rudra's senses like an ancient cathedral of death. It pressed on his chest, his limbs, his very thoughts.
Rudra fell to one knee.
His sword slipped from his hand and clanged against the ice. He couldn't move.
"What… is this…?" he gasped.
He tried to lift his head, but his muscles wouldn't listen. His soul itself was trembling.
"Guy… since when…" Rudra whispered, barely able to breathe.
The aura felt like a thousand demon kings screaming his name. Like a battlefield full of warriors all staring down on him, and none of them with mercy in their eyes. The weight of countless victories, endless bloodshed, and power that had transcended logic bore down on him like an elephant stepping on a gnat.
It wasn't just energy.
It was domination.
Guy walked toward him. Slowly. Casually. Like a king taking a stroll through his garden. His boots clicked on the frost-laced ground.
He didn't speak.
He didn't have to.
Rudra's mind screamed for him to stand up, to attack, to do something—but his body refused.
Velgrynd clenched her fists. "He's crushing Rudra with aura alone… how far has he gone…?"
Guy stood over Rudra.
"Are you starting to understand now?" he asked, his voice low but echoing like thunder.
Rudra gritted his teeth. "You... weren't bluffing…"
"No," Guy said simply.
And then, without theatrics, without explosions or flashy magic—he raised his hand and brought it down.
Chop.
A swift, precise blow to Rudra's neck. A clean hit—not meant to kill. Just enough to knock him out.
Rudra collapsed into the snow, unconscious.
Silence.
Velgrynd blinked in disbelief. "Just like that…?"
Rain stepped forward, smiling faintly. "It was never a fair match."
Misery added with a small bow, "Our Lord has become something else. Something beyond."
Guy looked down at Rudra's unconscious body, then turned to Velgrynd.
Velgrynd "You… you weren't bluffing," she said, looking at Guy.
Guy's smirk returned, cold and regal.
"I never bluff," he replied, walking back toward the throne with his hands in his pockets.
Rain approached, brushing her hair back.
"Would you like us to prepare refreshments?" she asked politely.
Velgrynd just stared down at Rudra's unconscious body, then looked back at Guy.
"…He's going to be insufferable when he wakes up."
Guy chuckled, eyes glowing faintly.
"I hope so," he said. "It means he's still got fight in him."
And as the icy wind swirled through the courtyard, the echoes of forgotten battles and old friendships whispered like ghosts on the breeze.