As Diodora's wild and maniacal laughter echoed through the air, pitch-black energy erupted from his body, enveloping him entirely.
"Die!"
He thrust his hand forward, conjuring a circular magic formation in his palm.
Demonic power surged from within, forming countless magical bullets that rained down in a relentless barrage upon Kaiser.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…!"
Explosions thundered across the mountains, shaking the entire peak once more.
Like a volcanic eruption, a cloud of dust billowed into the sky, while the violent shockwaves ravaged the surrounding forest. Trees were uprooted, either sent flying into the air or toppling over in place, creating a scene of sheer devastation.
Yet, if one observed carefully, they would notice a small patch of land at the center of the bombardment, untouched amidst the chaos, as if a sanctuary had been carved out in the midst of destruction.
A wave of radiant white energy surged outward, forming a protective barrier that shielded this small space from the onslaught.
At its core stood Kaiser, gripping Gravisheath, unmoving, not even bothering to dodge. His Touki continuously surged outward, forming a protective field that blocked every single magical bullet.
Each projectile carried immense destructive force, comparable to real artillery shells, capable of blasting apart massive chunks of terrain. No ordinary flesh and blood being could possibly withstand such an assault.
Yet Kaiser did.
Not with his body, but with his sheer Touki, rendering Diodora's attack completely meaningless.
"W-What…?"
Diodora's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"How is this possible? My magic is considered exceptional even among high-class devils… How can he block it so effortlessly?!"
In response, Kaiser let out a sharp, derisive laugh.
"Exceptional among high-class devils? Are you serious?"
He finally moved—not to retaliate, but to casually stroll forward, as if taking a leisurely walk.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…!"
Diodora continued his relentless barrage, magical bullets pelting Kaiser's Touki, detonating upon impact.
His aura flared even more fiercely under the assault, yet not a single attack managed to penetrate his defense.
Step by step, Kaiser advanced.
"I haven't encountered too many high-class devils," he remarked, his tone casual, "but I've met Rias Gremory. I've seen just how powerful her magic is. I know the scale of her destructive power."
"Like you, she's a high-class devil from a pure-blooded family. You even share the distinction of having a current Maou as a blood relative."
"But she's younger than you, yet far stronger. In both quality and quantity, your magic doesn't even come close."
Kaiser was simply stating facts. There was no exaggeration, no falsehood in his words.
When it came to magical reserves, Rias far outclassed Diodora.
She possessed incredible potential—so much so that she had nearly reached full independence at a young age. While she had an unfortunate tendency to rely too much on her natural talent, that itself was proof of her genius. She was leagues above the average high-class devil.
Given her gifts, even if she didn't train diligently, she would naturally grow into an ultimate-class devil in just a few years.
And then, there was her Power of Destruction—a trait that made her a force to be reckoned with.
Compared to her, what was Diodora?
Kaiser smirked, delivering his verbal assault.
"You can't even beat a fledgling little girl, yet you have the gall to claim you're exceptional among high-class devils?"
He continued forward, ignoring the ceaseless explosions bursting against his Touki, his mocking laughter echoing.
"Your magic? Compared to Rias Gremory's, which carries the very essence of destruction, it's like a gentle breeze—at best, it gives me a bit of cool air."
"If this is enough to threaten me, then how would I even survive in this world?"
"And yet, with this pathetic level of power, you had the nerve to spout big words about making me remember this day with my soul?"
"How do you even have the face to say something so ridiculous? Idiot!"
Kaiser's relentless mockery was like an invisible assault, each word striking directly at Diodora's ego.
"D-DIE! DIE! DIE!!!"
Driven into a frenzy, Diodora screamed, unleashing even more magical bullets in blind rage.
A violent detonation erupted, consuming the entire mountain peak in an earth-shattering explosion.
The summit shattered, fragments breaking apart as a tidal wave of debris surged downward, an avalanche of rubble crashing toward the ground like an impending cataclysm.
"BOOM!"
At that moment, a violet light descended from the sky, slamming into the mountain, amplifying the devastation.
"RUMBLE…!"
An immense gravitational force spread across the entire area, crushing everything on the mountain—boulders, trees, even the very land itself—downward under an inescapable weight.
"GAAAH…!"
Diodora, still inside the crumbling mountain, had conjured a defensive magic barrier, but the sudden, overwhelming pressure slammed him into the ground, leaving him sprawled out, battered and helpless.
"Hundred Burial Cascade!"
Before he could even react, an erratic surge of magical energy—like a rushing aurora—crashed into him, sending him into a spiral of pure agony.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH—!"
Diodora let out a bloodcurdling scream, feeling as if his entire body was being crushed beneath an unbearable gravitational force. Every fiber of his flesh, every bone in his body creaked and groaned under the pressure—some even shattered, causing him to spurt blood as he was violently flung through the air. His crimson lifeblood splattered across the sky and the ground below.
Boom!
Just before he could crash into the earth, a figure bathed in white light streaked through the air at an astonishing speed. The sheer force of its movement sent boulders and debris scattering, and in the next instant, a fist came crashing down upon his face.
"Gah—!"
Diodora coughed up a mouthful of blood as the devastating punch sent him flying once more.
However, before he could be completely flung away, that glowing figure reached out, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him right in front of its face.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
One blow after another landed mercilessly.
A series of punches, brimming with Touki, rained down upon Diodora's once-handsome face, tearing apart his skin and leaving it a bloody, mangled mess.
This was judgment without mercy.
This was cold, ruthless punishment.
Kaiser's expression remained utterly emotionless as he unleashed hell upon Diodora, showing no signs of stopping. Each strike not only inflicted physical pain but pierced straight into Diodora's heart, filling it with terror.
"Somebody—h-help me!"
Unable to withstand Kaiser's unrelenting beating, Diodora abandoned all pride and screamed for aid.
Zing!
The next moment, numerous magic circles materialized in the air around them, glowing ominously. From within, figures rushed forth.
"...?"
Kaiser instinctively halted his assault, narrowing his gaze as he looked at the figures charging toward him. His brows furrowed deeply.
They were women.
All of them stunningly beautiful yet eerily identical in their lifelessness.
Each bore a unique face, yet all radiated the same sense of purity. There was an unmistakable familiarity to them, something reminiscent of Asia Argento.
They did not feel like devils.
Rather, they felt like former nuns—former members of the Church.
However, despite their beauty and purity, their eyes were empty, devoid of light or soul. Their expressions were blank, their faces lifeless, as if their hearts had already died, leaving only empty husks behind—mere puppets performing the will of another.
"..."
Kaiser fell into silence.
His gaze upon Diodora turned colder—so cold, in fact, that murderous intent began to seep from his being, just like before.
Boom!
Without a word, Kaiser delivered a crushing punch to Diodora's abdomen.
A sickening splurt of blood erupted from Diodora's mouth—this time, mixed with fragments of his ruptured internal organs.
This time, Kaiser did not bother grabbing him.
Diodora's body was launched like a human cannonball, smashing violently into the remains of the shattered mountain.
"Gravisheath."
Coldly, Kaiser called forth his weapon.
From a great distance, the scythe came hurtling through the air, landing precisely in his grip.
Meanwhile, the women who had emerged from the magic circles encircled him, moving in unison, preparing to attack.
BOOM!
Before they could make a move, Gravisheath pulsed with violet light, unleashing another wave of immense gravity upon them.
"—?!"
In an instant, the women collapsed under the weight of the force, their bodies pressed against the ground, utterly immobilized.
"Watch over them."
Kaiser ordered, his tone as frigid as ice.
As he drove Gravisheath into the earth, its Urm-Manadyte core pulsed ominously, as if responding to his command.
Releasing his grip on the weapon, Kaiser's Touki surged once more.
In the next instant, his figure vanished—streaking through the air like a beam of light, arriving at the base of the ruined mountain in a mere blink.
"Stay back! Stay away from me, you lowly human!"
From within a deep crater, Diodora's frantic shrieks rang out.
Simultaneously, countless magical bullets shot forth, pelting Kaiser head-on.
This time, the barrage was far greater in scale and power than before. The projectiles had clearly been charged over time, increasing their destructive force exponentially.
As they struck him, the radiant white aura surrounding Kaiser wavered, trembled, and thinned, a portion of it shaving away under the impact.
And yet—
Kaiser's expression never changed.
He remained unmoved, enduring the attacks without hesitation, pressing forward.
Step.
Step.
He walked into the crater, his presence looming over Diodora.
"D-Don't! Don't come any closer!"
Diodora's body was in ruins—his face bruised and swollen beyond recognition, his entire form drenched in blood.
Yet even as he trembled in terror, he desperately threw up his hands, forming more magic circles, unleashing wave after wave of magical bullets.
For the first time, his once arrogant, mocking gaze was filled not with scorn—but with pure, unfiltered fear.
"I said stay away from me!"
His voice cracked as he screamed, as if trying to ward off the nightmare that was closing in on him.
At that moment—
Shing!
A streak of light cut through space.
A flash of silver tore across the battlefield, moving at impossible speed—
And pierced straight through Diodora's body.
From his back, the glowing tip of a spear emerged.
"—"
Diodora froze.
His magic faltered. His body stiffened.
Before him, Kaiser stood still, his face blank, his eyes colder than absolute zero.
His hand gripped the shaft of a lance, its blade embedded deep in Diodora's chest.
And with one final, piercing gaze, he twisted the weapon.