Returning with Gilgamesh.
I felt like I'd just survived a multiversal trip.
Memories layered upon memories. Power upon power. A king, a god, a human, and a child all sharing one consciousness. My mind throbbed as if it had been stretched thin across realities and then snapped back into place.
…No.Focus.
Now wasn't the time to get philosophical.
I raised my gaze toward the remaining demons as they finally began to move in earnest.
The temperature in the throne room spiked violently, climbing higher and higher until the very air shimmered. Sweat formed on my skin—and then evaporated almost instantly. Breathing felt like inhaling molten metal.
"Tch…"
To counter it, I instinctively released an aura of ice around my body, drawing on Zenith Tempest. Frost spread along my skin like armor, constantly regenerating to offset the unbearable heat.
One of the massive red demons roared and charged.
It raised its claws, muscles bulging, aiming to skewer me like a piece of meat.
The instant it struck, I leapt sideways.
Its claws slammed into the ground, shattering stone and sending lava-like cracks across the floor.
The moment my feet touched the ground, I slammed my right hand down.
"—Rise."
Earth answered.
Using Zenith Tempest, I bent the ground upward, forming enormous jagged stakes that erupted beneath the demon. They pierced straight through its torso, pinning it in place.
Before it could even scream—
Golden ripples opened behind me.
Three holy swords burst from the Gate of Babylon, streaking forward like divine judgment.
They pierced the demon's skull simultaneously.
[You have slain a Middle-Class Demon.][EXP +500]
I didn't even pause.
Turning sharply, I saw the remaining demons finally begin to advance.
Three of them.
The rearmost demon inhaled deeply, its chest swelling unnaturally.
Then it unleashed a sea of fire.
A tidal wave of flame surged toward me, swallowing the space between us.
Dodging wasn't an option.
I thrust my hand forward, manipulating the air.
Compressing. Twisting. Controlling.
A dense sphere of wind formed in front of me and shot forward.
Normally, wind would feed fire.
But this wasn't normal wind.
I split the airflow precisely, redirecting the flames as they collided—forcing them apart and scattering them harmlessly against the walls.
The firestorm detonated outward instead of forward.
Taking advantage of the opening, I activated the mark of my Lightning Devil Slayer Magic.
Purple lightning crawled across my arm like living veins.
I raised my hand.
"Great Lightning Demon Storm."
The air screamed.
A vortex of lightning and thunder erupted forward, roaring like an enraged god. The storm swallowed the two advancing demons whole.
Their bodies shattered under the force.
Not burned.
Not cut.
Erased.
[You have slain a Middle-Class Demon.][You have slain a Middle-Class Demon.][EXP +500][EXP +500]
I exhaled slowly.
Too easy—
No.
Danger.
My instincts screamed.
I jumped.
A split second later, Surtur materialized behind me, his massive blade already mid-swing.
The sword released a tsunami of flame.
Even with my ice aura, the heat was overwhelming.
My skin burned.
My breath hitched.
I forced mana through my veins and created massive blocks of ice—far more than before. The heat made shaping them difficult, exhausting, but I molded them into a towering ice barrier just in time.
Flames collided with ice.
Steam exploded outward.
I didn't stop.
Raising my hand, I condensed moisture from the air, forcing it together until it became a massive, crushing wave of water.
I hurled it forward.
The wave slammed into Surtur, sweeping him off his feet and extinguishing much of the fire around him.
He crashed into the throne.
Before he could fully recover—
I inhaled deeply.
Every ounce of lightning inside me gathered.
My lungs burned.
"Wrath of the Lightning Demon."
From my mouth erupted a compressed vortex of pure thunder and lightning.
A storm given form.
It tore across the battlefield, annihilating everything in its path.
Surtur stood at the center—
But one red demon stepped forward, shielding him.
The lightning obliterated the demon completely.
Surtur himself was thrown back, his body scorched, armor cracked—but he endured.
Barely.
"…Annoying."
This was dragging on.
I decided to end it.
Golden ripples expanded behind me as I reached into the Gate of Babylon.
I drew forth a sword.
It was unmistakable.
A massive greatsword with a blade that shimmered blue like a gemstone, accented with gold. Its guard was asymmetrical—half-circular on one side, with a subtle extension on the other.
The moment I touched it—
Understanding flooded my mind.
Through Weapon Proficiency, I saw everything.
Its creation.Its forging.Its history.Its battles.
A sword that had claimed one hundred thousand lives.
A sword said to cut anything.
A sword capable of miracles.
A divine construction.
The sword of Roland.
The pride of the Twelve Paladins.
The peerless blade—
"Durandal."
The instant its name was spoken, the world changed.
Sacred energy detonated throughout the throne room, obliterating everything profane. Lava solidified. Flames recoiled. Darkness retreated.
No demon could stand before a weapon forged by God Himself.
Surtur screamed.
His skin burned just from proximity.
Roaring in fury, he charged, swinging his molten sword with killing intent.
I advanced as well.
Our blades met—
And then—
Surtur fell.
Durandal cleaved through him like a knife through butter.
Divinity crushed demonhood.
[You have slain a High-Class Demon.][EXP +1,000]
Silence followed.
I exhaled.
[Loot Available.][Collect?]
"Yes."
[Loot Acquired:]• Amulet of Surtur• Sword of Surtur
Descriptions followed.
Fire resistance.Infernal blade.
Good trophies.
[Quest Completed: Demon Hunter 2.0][Gold +100,000][EXP +500][Skill Acquired: Hellblazer]
Satisfied, I restored the terrain, letting the dungeon stabilize.
Then I walked to the exit.
I opened the door—
And froze.
Sebas stood there.
Watching me.
Calm.Composed.Unmoved.
"Did you have good training, young master?" the butler asked gently.
My heart stopped.
"W-What training?" I stammered.
Sebas's eyes glowed red.
"No need to worry, young master Gilgamesh… or should I say—reincarnated human Diogo."
My mind went blank.
Only one thought crossed it.
Shit.