"We… we're being watched…"
Among Quanxi's companions, the four Devils all revealed expressions of terror.
The more timid ones even lost strength in their legs, collapsing to the ground while trembling uncontrollably.
It was as if a lower lifeform had encountered its natural predator—even without seeing the entity, merely sensing its aura was enough to instill fear.
"Watched by what?" Though Aki Hayakawa couldn't sense anything, the expressions of the surrounding Devils and Devil-Hybrids were all filled with dread, making him tense up as well.
"A Primordial Devil."
The true Wind Devil, who had been transported with the group, responded in a deep voice. The power of the hurricane within it churned anxiously, reflecting its own unsettled state.
Devils are born in Hell.
And those that die in Hell reincarnate in the human world.
But not all Devils have appeared in the human world.
Among them, those born from humanity's most primal fears, Devils that have never died since their inception in Hell, are the most powerful—Primordial Devils.
They are the highest-ranked beings in Hell.
Whether it was the Domination Devil among the Four Horsemen or the Wind Devil among the Elemental Devils, their standing paled in comparison to these true overlords.
"Yamai Yuzuru, Kaguya Yamai, can you two handle this?"
Although he didn't know what a Primordial Devil was, Aki Hayakawa could already tell from the Wind Devil's tone that this was no ordinary foe.
Naturally, he looked to the strongest forces he knew, placing his hopes on them.
"Denial. A Primordial Devil is beyond the limits of Yuzuru and Kaguya's capabilities."
"Indeed, we have no means to defeat it."
If it were any other Primordial Devil, the Yamai sisters might have been able to put up a fight.
But they knew that the one arriving was the Devil of Darkness.
The concept embodied by this Primordial Devil was not just Darkness, but also the Unknown, Submission, and even Fear itself.
Even the Yamai sisters didn't fully understand the extent of this Devil's abilities.
However, one thing was clear—
The Devil of Darkness could infinitely regenerate within darkness.
And wherever it passed, darkness would follow.
In other words, as long as darkness existed, it was invincible.
Wind's power was completely ineffective against it.
Forget the Yamai sisters—even Windborne Yamai wouldn't be able to do anything against the Devil of Darkness.
"However, we can escape."
Unlike the other Devils and Devil-Hybrids, Kaguya Yamai showed no fear. Instead, a smirk appeared on her lips.
Indeed, they had no means to defeat the Devil of Darkness.
But could the Devil of Darkness catch them?
While the power of storms might not harm the Devil of Darkness, if they wished to escape—even bringing this entire group with them—the Devil of Darkness would never be able to keep up.
Before anyone could decide whether to run or to make a desperate stand, a gate suddenly opened in Hell's sky.
From within, a viscous black liquid spilled onto the ground not far from Denji and the others.
The fluid spread rapidly, as if infinitely expanding, forming a vast curtain of darkness.
Within the pitch-black veil, several astronauts severed at the waist appeared before the group.
These explorers—symbols of science and discovery—now clasped their hands together in prayer.
For when faced with the unknown and the darkness, even the most steadfast materialist could do nothing but pray to the gods.
Tap… tap… tap…
Strange footsteps echoed from the darkness.
Soon, at the end of the corpse-carpeted black abyss, a towering figure loomed faintly.
"Time to run!"
The Yamai sisters no longer hesitated, summoning a raging storm.
While it couldn't dispel the darkness, it was more than enough to lift everyone off the ground and carry them away.
However, just as they were about to flee with more than a dozen people in tow, a long-dormant system interface suddenly appeared before them.
[Random Mission Issued]
[Random Mission: Hold off the Devil of Darkness for at least ten minutes to buy time for Makima's arrival.]
Seeing the pale blue system window—visible only to them—the Yamai sisters exchanged glances.
Though they didn't speak, they could tell what the other was thinking.
Should they accept this mission?
But there was no time for careful deliberation.
Yamai Yuzuru's eyes narrowed slightly before she gave a subtle nod.
Kaguya Yamai immediately understood.
"Clarification. Kaguya will take everyone to a safe location. Yuzuru will stay behind to hold the line."
"No way!"
"If we're fighting, we fight together!"
Denji and Aki Hayakawa immediately objected.
But Kaguya gave them no chance to argue—she kicked up a gust of wind, grabbing everyone in the vortex and dashing in the opposite direction of the Devil of Darkness.
Seeing this, the Devil of Darkness hesitated before withdrawing into the shadows.
It had a contract with Santa Claus.
Santa Claus had promised to deliver the Chainsaw Devil's heart—Denji—to it in exchange for the power to defeat Makima.
Now that Denji was being taken away, the Devil of Darkness had no choice but to pursue him.
However, just as it moved to give chase, Yamai Yuzuru flicked her wrist.
Zaak!
The Storm Knight's Chains snapped out in an instant, binding the Devil of Darkness tightly.
"Clarification. Your opponent is Yuzuru." Yuzuru gripped the chains firmly. "If you want to go after them, you must first get past Yuzuru."
The Devil of Darkness raised its head slightly, as if evaluating its opponent.
Suddenly, from within the darkness, a faint frog-like croak echoed.
Yuzuru's expression tensed, and she instinctively tried to evade—but an intense chill enveloped her arms.
It was as if she had lost all sensation.
She quickly retreated, pouring spiritual energy into her arms, regaining some control.
As a Primordial Devil, the Devil of Darkness naturally possessed its own unique Authority.
The ability to sever limbs instantly—this was one of its conceptual Authorities.
Weaker beings stood no chance against this ability.
Even Makima, one of the Four Horsemen, had been affected by it in the original story—though she didn't lose her limbs, they had twisted grotesquely.
It seemed that even Spirits were not completely immune.
And clearly, the Devil of Darkness had only been testing the waters—it had yet to use its full power.
If it got serious, Yuzuru would be in deep trouble.
"No choice. Even if I want to conserve, now is not the time to be stingy."
Yuzuru took out a special card from her inventory.
"Confirm use."
In the next instant, flames erupted into the sky.
The overwhelming darkness surrounding the Devil of Darkness was forcefully dispelled, revealing its true form.
And with the retreat of the flames, the Wind Spirit Yamai Yuzuru had vanished.
In her place stood a girl with jade horns on her head, a flowing feathered robe, and a massive crimson battle axe in hand.
"I heard you can regenerate quickly?"
Itsuka Kotori lifted her giant axe, pointing it at the Devil of Darkness.
"What a coincidence—I can too."
Lifting her swan-like neck, the Spirit of Flames curled her lips into a savage smile.
"Well then, let's begin our war."