Within a space far more vast than any previous room, magical power flared continuously around Luffy like an aura. It transformed the surrounding atmosphere into a chaotic gale that buffeted Leon's group of three.
Faced with this sight, Leon remained composed, but Rias and Sona Sitri both took on solemn expressions. They instinctively released their own magic, causing red and blue magical auras to rise simultaneously to counteract Luffy's pressure.
The wrathful expression on Luffy's face gradually faded, replaced once more by a cold sneer.
"Did you truly believe I set up those preceding rooms to wear you down because I was wary of your strength?"
Luffy wantonly unleashed magical power at the level of an Ultimate-class Devil, his voice dripping with mockery.
"How laughable. Why should I feel dread toward a mere few Devils of the new generation?"
"The reason for setting up this labyrinth and those rooms was simply to eliminate any chance of accidents, and to test the effectiveness of these arrangements along the way."
"Those traps, those monsters, and even the magicians who followed us here were provided by entities far removed from our True Satan Faction. They only lent these to me because I promised to help them test their performance."
As these words were spoken, the magical aura around Luffy grew increasingly massive and dangerous.
Then, he uttered the following sentence:
"I never personally intended to rely on those things to kill you. Because the only ones capable of killing you are me—or rather, us, the True Satan Faction."
The moment his voice fell, the familiar glow of magic circles lit up within this room Luffy called the Overlord's Chamber, causing figure after figure to appear in succession.
They all unfurled their Devil wings—some with one pair of two wings, some with two pairs of four, and a few with three pairs of six. They released magical power corresponding to their number of wings: some at the level of Low-class Devils, others at Middle-class, and those with six wings were naturally at the High-class level.
"Attack!"
With a ruthless wave of his hand, Luffy gave the command. The Devils hovering on their wings extended their hands, transforming their magical power into projectiles that shot forth.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
In an instant, countless magic bullets rained down like actual artillery shells, blanketing the position of Leon's group in an overwhelming barrage. Consecutive, violent explosions erupted, causing explosive flames and shockwaves to merge into a searing blast that surged in all directions.
The magic bullets continued to pour into the center of the inferno without any sign of stopping. The intense explosions persisted, shaking the entire room.
Such concentrated fire was enough to incinerate any High-class Devil into ash on the spot, leaving not a single trace behind.
However, Leon's group held their ground.
Situated at the center of the explosions, they stood back-to-back in a triangular formation. They extended their hands forward in unison, releasing magic to construct defensive magic circles that blocked the magic bullets coming from every direction, sealing the explosions outside.
"Ugh—!"
Rias and Sona Sitri seemed to find the resistance difficult, to the point where muffled groans escaped their throats, but they ultimately blocked the assault and managed to endure.
"As expected of the new generation Devils valued by those False Satans. At the very least, this magical power is worth acknowledging."
Seeing this, an insidious look appeared on Luffy's face.
"A pity you are too young, and you will never have the chance to grow further."
Luffy also extended his hand, releasing magic to gather a magic bullet.
He output his Ultimate-class magical power without reservation. The magic bullet he condensed was far larger than those of the other Old Satan Faction Devils—it was half the size of his own body and evaporated the air on contact.
"Die!"
Luffy fired the projectile with a grin, sending the massive orb of magic hurtling toward Leon's group.
"Oh no!"
Rias and Sona's hearts trembled in unison.
They could not possibly block a full-powered strike from an Ultimate-class Devil.
If the three of them worked together to cast a single defensive magic circle, they might succeed. However, to defend against the attacks from all sides, they were currently forced back-to-back, with each responsible for only one direction.
In other words, Luffy's full-powered strike could only be defended by one of them.
And that person happened to be Sona Sitri, the one with the weakest magic among the three.
"Sona!" Rias cried out.
Sona Sitri did not respond. Instead, she gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resolve.
Just as she was prepared to exhaust all her magic to withstand the blow, Leon's voice rang out.
"Switch!"
Hearing that voice, Sona chose to obey almost instinctively. She rotated her position along with Leon, swapping places.
With that, the person directly facing Luffy's attack became Leon.
BOOM!!!
The massive magic bullet struck the defensive magic circle in front of Leon, triggering the loudest roar and the most violent explosion yet. The explosive flames and shockwaves swept through the entire room, buffeting the bodies of everyone from the Old Satan Faction.
Dense smoke rose before Leon, but when it cleared, he was still standing there tall and straight. The defensive magic circle before him had not only held firm but didn't even have a single crack.
"What?" The Devils of the Old Satan Faction were stunned.
"Impossible!" The grin on Luffy's face froze.
"This—"
Rias and Sona were also struck with shock. They looked at Leon, who stood there with a calm face, momentarily losing their ability to react.
But just because they didn't react didn't mean Leon would remain idle.
"Now!"
Leon instantly inverted the magic circle in front of him, switching it from defensive to offensive. As if transforming a shield into a cannon muzzle, he suddenly unleashed a volley of powerful magic bullets that blasted toward the surrounding Old Satan Faction Devils.
"Turn to ash!"
"Begone!"
Prompted by Leon's reminder, Rias and Sona finally snapped out of it and reacted. Like Leon, they inverted their magic circles, turning shields into cannons and releasing countless magic bullets that poured out in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
Great roars and explosions erupted once more, but they were no longer centered on Leon's group; they were occurring all around them.
The dazed Devils of the Old Satan Faction didn't even have time to react before being struck head-on by the incoming magic bullets. One after another, they let out screams. Under the assault of the three, they either fell as charred husks or were disintegrated into ash. Only a few High-class Devils and a handful of Middle-class Devils managed to survive.
"Damn you!"
Watching this, Luffy flew into a rage. His magic output surged frantically as he condensed another massive magic bullet and fired it at Leon.
BOOM!!!
The magic bullet struck the defensive circle Leon had once again inverted from a cannon back into a shield. The two forces clashed violently, whipping up roars and air currents.
But in the end, this magic bullet, like the previous one, failed to break Leon's defense and was steadily blocked.
"Impossible! This is impossible!"
Luffy shouted as if unable to accept reality. He then began firing magic bullets like a madman, his magic output growing stronger with each shot, causing the size of the bullets to increase until they were as large as he was.
Faced with this frantic assault, Leon maintained a calm expression. The defensive magic circle before him actually grew larger as well, steadily blocking the incoming projectiles while his magic output strengthened in tandem with Luffy's.
Luffy's magic output had long surpassed the High-class level. Leon's magic, through slow and steady increases, gradually approached the limit of the High-class level and eventually—crossed it.
A massive magical aura, like a roaring inferno, soared into the sky. At the same time, it formed a state of equal contention with Luffy's magic.
Ultimate-class!
Leon's magical output had reached this level!
"This is impossible!"
Luffy stopped his attack, his eyes widening to their limit.
Forget Luffy; even Rias and Sona Sitri were dazed after feeling Leon's genuine, Ultimate-class magical power.
"Ultimate-class..." Rias murmured under her breath.
"As expected, he has already stepped into a higher realm!" Sona's heart could not help but be thrown into turmoil.
Leon, acting as if nothing had happened, inverted the magic circle for a second time, turning the shield back into a cannon.
"Danger!"
"Run!"
The surviving Devils in the vicinity were all terrified. Without a second thought, they flapped their wings and desperately tried to flee.
"Don't you dare!"
Seeing Leon aim his "cannon" at the fleeing Devils, Luffy no longer had time for shock. He instantly unfurled four pairs of eight Devil wings and flew toward Leon.
At the sight, Leon unhesitatingly redirected the magic circle toward the incoming Luffy, releasing a charged magic bullet that poured toward him.
The magic bullets he released were not in the least inferior to those Luffy had fired earlier. The smallest were half the size of his body, while the largest were as large as he was. The sonic booms created as they pierced the air were sharp and piercing, their power visibly formidable.
However, just as Leon could block Luffy's attacks, Luffy could naturally block Leon's.
Thus, while flying, Luffy deployed a defensive magic circle and charged through the continuous, violent explosions of fire to arrive before Leon.
Whoosh!
Leon instantly unfurled his Devil wings as well and took to the air.
The wings behind him were likewise four pairs—eight wings.
This sight once again touched the souls of everyone present.