"How… how can this be…"
The battle inside the dimensional space didn't touch the real world, but the waves of power leaking out were impossible to ignore. Diodora's aura soared—wild, monstrous, brushing the threshold of an ultimate-class devil. The entire hall trembled. Rias, Sona, Seekvaira, even Sairaorg—all the new generation's kings—stared in disbelief.
Even at their peak, they could barely reach this level. Diodora, the so-called prodigy of House Astaroth, had always seemed a step behind. Which meant—
He'd been hiding his true strength all along.
Inside the shattered town—
"Hahahahaha! Well, Tenra Kamiyo? Does your soul tremble before my godlike power?!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Diodora had waited years for this moment, desperate to see Tenra's face twisted in shock, in despair. Even he could hardly believe how far he'd come—driven here by pure, burning hatred.
But Tenra didn't flinch. No fear. No shock. Only a mocking smile.
"Diodora, you've gotten stronger. But me—"
"I'm not the same as I was, either."
"Boosted Gear Scale Mail!"
Crimson light exploded skyward. Fury and power poured off Tenra in waves. The red gauntlet flashed into existence, spreading—armor blossoming across his body, enveloping him head to toe.
The Crimson Dragon Emperor's armor.
Diodora reeled, stunned by the power radiating from Tenra—equal to his own, maybe even greater. But his shock twisted instantly into rage.
"Die!"
A massive magic array unfolded. Tens of thousands of arrows and bolts screamed toward Tenra.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thunder shook the world. The earth itself seemed to cry out. Even the strongest devils would be pulverized by such an onslaught.
But—
A single sweep of Tenra's wings scattered the smoke and dust. He stood untouched, crimson armor gleaming, utterly unharmed.
"Impossible!"
Diodora's eyes bulged, his scream shrill and desperate.
"Nothing's impossible."
"You think you're the only one who's struggled? The trials I've survived outstrip yours a hundredfold."
"Come, Diodora. Face my wrath!"
Tenra's dragon wings snapped open. He launched himself skyward, a crimson comet.
"You monster!"
Diodora shrieked, frantically weaving thousands of layered defensive spells.
It didn't matter.
CRASH!
Tenra's fist shattered every barrier, slamming into Diodora's gut.
"Gah—!"
Blood sprayed. Diodora's scream echoed as he was sent flying.
Once, Tenra might have toyed with him, drawing out the fight. Not now. There was only one thing left to do—
Crush him.
And so, the spectacle began. A scene to haunt the Underworld's nightmares.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"AAAHHHHH—!"
In the hall, guests watched the battle projection, stunned into silence, swallowing hard.
Domination. Utter, merciless domination.
Diodora, wielding power close to the highest devil tier, was nothing before Tenra—batted around like a toy, smashed through the air again and again.
His screams filled the dimensional space.
CRASH!
Finally, Diodora crashed to the ground, bloodied and broken, barely able to stand.
"Impossible… impossible…"
He couldn't accept it. All the pain, all the effort—and still, Tenra Kamiyo crushed him.
"Diodora, don't you get it? This is the gap between us. This is reality."
Tenra appeared before him like a specter, sweeping his leg across Diodora's midsection.
Another scream. Diodora flew across the town, smashing through building after building, a trail of destruction slicing the city in half.
Tenra peeled away the rubble, hauling Diodora from the ruins. The dying devil's eyes snapped open—wild, venomous, burning with hate.
"Die!"
Diodora hurled spell after spell, fire and lightning and wind, everything he had.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The barrage lasted forever. When it finally stopped, Diodora was spent—ashen, gasping for breath.
Tenra still stood before him.
Black scorch marks marred the crimson armor, but Tenra's power washed them away in seconds. He gripped Diodora, eyes full of pity.
"Pathetic."
No more words. Tenra hurled Diodora into the sky.
Fighting someone this weak was dull. Time to finish it.
"As a reward for all your effort, Diodora, I'll let you witness the power I have now."
"Million Crimson Dragon Fists!"
Tenra rocketed upward, fists blurring—hundreds, thousands of crimson blows raining down on Diodora.
"This is for my servants!"
"This is for my fury!"
"This is for your ugliness!"
"This is for—"
"AAAHHHHH—!"
Outside, the hall was silent as death. Every eye watched Tenra's relentless assault, every ear rang with Diodora's tortured screams. Chills ran down spines.
This was the miracle child of House Phoenix—terrifying beyond belief.
At the head table, Sirzechs' eyes narrowed, flickering with unreadable light. Grayfia's lips twitched upward, quickly smoothing to her usual mask.
The battle neared its end. High above the ruined city, Tenra raised both hands. An energy sphere grew, swelling larger and larger.
"Boost! Boost!! Boost!!!"
"And this last one, Diodora—this is for daring to covet my fiancée, Rias!"
Without hesitation, Tenra hurled the massive sphere at Diodora.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
BOOM!
Blinding light filled the space. Tenra's final declaration echoed in Rias' mind, shaking her to her core. That crimson figure seemed to fly straight toward her, shattering every defense in her heart.
Maybe… just maybe… she'd fallen in love.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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