Narrator POV
He didn't even flinch. He simply brushed it off like dust. Then he fixed his gaze back on the massive figure in front of him.
—What kind of devil are you supposed to be?
The devil tilted its head slightly.
—You haven't figured it out? —it asked, almost disappointed.— I thought that little demonstration would've made it obvious. —The flames emerging from its skin crackled more intensely for a moment.— I am the Explosion Devil.
Isagi blinked.
—Huh? You think I'm stupid? —he raised an eyebrow.— There's already a Bomb Devil. How the hell does an Explosion Devil exist?
According to his memories, the girl known as Reze was tied to the concept of bombs. And bombs… exploded.
The devil let out a deep laugh.
—Ignorant human… —its yellow eyes gleamed mockingly.— Do you think bombs are the only things that cause explosions? —It stepped forward. The ground beneath its foot cracked slightly from the heat.— Gas leaks. Gas stations. Cars. Factories. Entire buildings… —it listed calmly, as if giving a lecture.— All of those can explode.
As it spoke, its dark tongue slowly dragged across its teeth. Something that looked like liquid fire dripped from it—a glowing substance that crackled when it hit the ground before fading away.
If such a thing could even exist.
Isagi was about to fire back with another jab… but stopped. Because, thinking about it… it made sense. There was a Hell Devil… and also a Fire Devil. Even if fire was associated with hell in many human beliefs, they were separate fears.
One represented the fear of eternal punishment. The other, the element itself.
Different concepts. Different fears. Different devils.
—Guess that makes sense. —Isagi finally nodded, conceding the point to the Explosion Devil.
But his hand remained resting on the hilt of his katana. Because something making sense didn't make it any less dangerous.
—Well… break time's over. Back to grinding.
A sharp smile spread across Isagi's face as he unsheathed his katana with a clean metallic sound. In his other hand, the Thousand-Mile Chain appeared, unfurling with a metallic clatter that echoed through the alley.
The Explosion Devil let out a booming laugh.
—HAHAHAHA! That's what I like to see. I hope you're not weak… most of the Devil Hunters I've killed have been boring. —Its flames flared brighter, as if its excitement fed the fire within its body.
Isagi bared his teeth in a grin.
—Alright… I think I can handle this.
He muttered as he began spinning the chain faster and faster. The metal whistled as it sliced through the air, and every time it scraped the ground, it threw off sparks and gouged semicircular marks into the pavement.
The devil stepped forward.
The ground beneath its foot exploded.
BOOM!
The detonation propelled it forward like a humanoid projectile wrapped in flames.
—(It's fast.)
Isagi reacted instantly. He hurled the chain forward with precision, aiming to catch it mid-charge. But the devil detonated the ground beneath its feet again, this time launching upward. The explosion catapulted it over the chain, dodging it by mere centimeters.
Another detonation. The air trembled.
It propelled itself downward with a manic grin twisting its face. The distance vanished in a blink. Its fist slammed into Isagi's chest. For a fraction of a second, an intense glow radiated from the point of impact—like a spark condensing.
And then—
BOOOOM!
The explosion was brutal. Isagi was launched backward violently, the impact tearing through the air around him. His body shot across the alley and crashed into a wall with a heavy crack.
Concrete fractured like a spiderweb. Chunks of wall fell to the ground as dust slowly rose. The echo of the blast still vibrated in the air.
When the dust began to clear, it revealed Isagi sitting among the rubble. Fragments of concrete fell lazily around him. The wall behind him was caved in and cracked like shattered glass.
Isagi lifted his gaze with visible annoyance.
—I felt that… a little.
He used his katana to push himself up calmly, as if he had just tripped instead of taking a direct explosion to the chest. He stabbed the blade into the ground briefly and began stretching his shoulders and neck with exaggerated calm, like he was warming up before a light workout.
—Cold days that look like they're about to rain, like today… they mess with my work grind. I don't know why, but when it rains, I get sleepy. —He rotated his left arm, then his right.— It lowers the hustle running through my veins.
The Explosion Devil watched him with a crooked smile, clearly irritated by the lack of drama.
Then Isagi's Danger Sense activated again.
Without wasting time, he yanked the katana from the ground and shifted quickly to the right. His movement was clean, more fluid than before.
The devil's fist came down where he had been standing a second earlier.
Two seconds later—
BOOM!
The impact point exploded violently, lighting up the alley with an orange flash and sending another wave of dust and debris into the air.
—Ah! You're tough… —the devil said, snapping its head toward him.— But let's see how you handle this.
It snapped its fingers.
Suddenly, Isagi's right arm ignited. Brutal heat surged from shoulder to wrist in a fraction of a second.
He looked down sharply. His eyes widened.
—What the—?
BOOM!
His right arm exploded.
The detonation was compact but devastating. Blood and fragments of flesh burst outward in a red spray that splattered across the ground. Isagi staggered sideways from the force, dropping his katana for a moment.
He fell to one knee, clutching what remained of his limb. Blood poured out like a broken faucet—thick and hot—striking the pavement. He gritted his teeth.
—Again…? —His breathing grew heavier as sweat ran down his face from the horrific pain.— That's the second time they've wrecked my right arm. What the hell do devils have against my right arm?
In front of him, the Explosion Devil smiled in delight. The scent of blood mixed with gunpowder and smoke.
But if there was one thing that defined Isagi…
Losing an arm didn't mean losing the fight.
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End of the chapter.