Chapter 022 — Haagenti (7)
Enoch recoiled in horror as an enormous amount of demonic energy began forming in Haagenti’s chest.
“Kyaak! He’s shaving away his own soul!”
Demons already could not use their full power in the human world.
An incomplete Descent placed even harsher restrictions on them.
So Haagenti made a choice.
“If this is enough to tear you insects apart….”
He would squeeze demonic energy out of his own soul as collateral.
That would make up for the power he lacked.
Of course, it would also heavily damage his true body in Hell, forcing him to disappear for quite some time afterward.
But—
“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT!!”
Haagenti ripped his hand out of his chest.
Demonic energy scattered from his body and spread in every direction.
It was an even greater wave of demonic power than when he had first descended.
RUMBLEEEEEEEE!
A violent current began flowing through the entire monastery, including the ruins.
Every object touched by the current randomly changed shape, returned to normal, then changed again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
This time, Haagenti did not even snap his fingers.
Countless giant hands—the same kind that had once slammed down on Mikael—rose from the ground.
And that was not all.
Crack. Crack.
Haagenti’s charred skin turned into fur.
Then into thick hide.
Then scales covered it.
His form changed endlessly, almost as if the entire evolution of living creatures had been compressed into a single body.
“GET OUT OF MY WAY!!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The giant hands repeatedly smashed down on the two Divine Beasts.
CRACK!
Haagenti’s transforming arm suddenly thickened until it resembled an elephant’s leg.
He drove his fingers into the ground and scooped out an enormous chunk of rock as though gouging out an eye.
Whoooosh!
BOOOOOOM!
The giant hands kept pounding down.
And Haagenti hurled boulders on top of them.
The entire area where the Divine Beasts had been standing was pulverized into dust, creating a massive cloud.
When the barrage finally stopped—
“Haa… haa….”
Haagenti panted heavily as power leaked continuously from his body.
He raised his head.
But once the dust cleared—
A barrier of white flame stood before him.
“Mikael….”
Haagenti narrowed his eyes.
“Your power has returned.”
He became wary of the aura he could feel.
But Mikael barely paid attention to him.
“…Noah. Enoch.”
Whooom!
Mikael swept his arm.
The cloud of dust scattered.
The two Divine Beasts lay on the ground.
The light around their bodies had disappeared.
The aura that had been connected to Mikael was gone as well.
They had accomplished what they wanted.
“Nyaa… M-Mikael… g-good to see you.”
“Whine… It’s been a long time.”
Seeing Mikael’s expression darken, the two Divine Beasts greeted him awkwardly.
“Long time, my ass.”
Clench.
Mikael tightly clenched his fist.
He understood what Noah and Enoch had done.
They had thrown away their lives for him.
He had entered the monastery to save them.
If they sacrificed themselves to save him instead, then the entire point had been reversed.
“Why the hell did you do something like this?”
“Hehe… nyaa… Don’t be so angry.”
Enoch tried to lighten the mood, lazily showing the kind of affection only a cat could.
Noah snorted and spoke as though it was nothing.
“Hmph. We would’ve died without you anyway. It’s better if we can at least help you like this. Woof!”
Just then—
Rustle.
Small hands created from the ground by Haagenti’s transformation ability began crawling toward them like snakes.
He had been waiting for an opening while Mikael reunited with the Divine Beasts.
But—
CRACK!
This Mikael was on an entirely different level from the one Haagenti had been fighting before.
Aura wrapped around Mikael’s arm.
With a single swing, he shattered every hand.
Then he raised his arm and stared at Haagenti.
“You fucking idiot. Can’t you read the room?”
“Stay the hell over there.”
“Libertas.”
White Flame gathered into Mikael’s palm.
It was on a completely different scale from every flame he had used until now.
The moment he finished the incantation, the flames spread freely in every direction.
…Seventy percent? No. Around sixty?
This was not merely a case of receiving some extra aura.
Compared to his prime, Mikael could now use roughly sixty to seventy percent of his former strength.
And right now, that meant only one thing.
Mikael grinned.
“You’re fucked, Haagenti.”
The scattered flames wandered through the air for a moment.
Then they all rushed toward Haagenti at once.
Babababababang!
Realizing that simple body transformation would not be enough to stop them, Haagenti stomped his foot.
RUMBLEEEE!
The earth rose in the shape of a dome around him.
It looked as though it would protect Haagenti.
But—
Fwoooosh—
Drip.
Drip.
“U-Ugh… AAAAAAAAAAGH!”
The rushing White Flames burned through the stone dome from every direction.
Molten rock rained down together with the flames, pouring over Haagenti.
This firepower was on a completely different level from before, when Mikael could not even melt stone walls.
The White Flame, almost like the flames of Hell itself, dragged Haagenti back into memories of the past.
Memories of being utterly powerless before Mikael.
“DO YOU THINK I’LL BE TRAMPLED LIKE I WAS BACK THEN?!”
Haagenti refused to simply stand there and take it like when his temple had been destroyed.
His entire body twisted hideously.
He tried to thrust his hand into his chest again.
But—
“Do I still look like an idiot to you?”
Mikael had already closed the distance.
“You’re trying the same shit twice.”
Aura formed into the shape of a sword in Mikael’s right hand.
He swung it at Haagenti.
CRUNCH!
SHAAAK!
Haagenti hurriedly transformed his arm and covered it with a turtle-like shell.
But—
“You know this already.”
Mikael smiled.
“A sword was always my main weapon.”
His blade sliced smoothly through Haagenti’s arm as if cutting tofu.
SPURT!
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Before the severed arm could even hit the ground—
Mikael’s kick smashed upward into Haagenti’s jaw.
“Kuh!”
Haagenti fell to one knee.
Mikael looked down at him.
Then he felt his aura beginning to shake.
I’m burning through it faster than I expected.
Do I have less than five minutes left?
He had to finish this within that time.
Mikael adjusted his grip on the sword and raised it, preparing to split Haagenti in two.
But—
“IMPOSSIBLE!”
Haagenti screamed.
“THERE’S NO WAY MY GRAND PLAN WILL COLLAPSE BECAUSE OF SOMEONE LIKE YOU!!”
FWOOSH!
Haagenti raised his head.
Tears were running down his face.
This time, his demonic energy began increasing without any warning at all.
“Crazy bastard.”
Mikael frowned.
“You really don’t care what happens afterward, do you?”
Power obtained suddenly always demanded a price.
Mikael had no idea how Haagenti planned to deal with the consequences.
But it was obvious he had staked everything on this.
If he’s pulling out that much demonic energy, even returning to Hell is going to screw him over.
The amount he had forced out earlier would already require a long period of recovery.
At this rate, Haagenti could even become prey for other Great Demons.
Mikael urgently swung his sword.
But—
“I’LL MAKE YOU KNEEL BEFORE ME AGAIN!”
Still unable to abandon his arrogance, Haagenti roared.
His body began merging with the ruins.
Like sinking into a swamp, Haagenti was pulled into the ground.
Mikael’s sword sliced through empty air.
RUMBLEEEEE.
Haagenti’s body disappeared completely.
Then the entire ruins began shaking and changing.
All kinds of weapons emerged.
Bladed weapons meant for close combat.
Firearms that fired automatically.
Mikael quickly moved to protect Noah and Enoch and swung his sword.
Whoosh!
CRACK!
He destroyed every weapon as soon as it appeared.
But it was not over.
“KUWAAAAAA!”
This time, instead of only a giant hand—
An entire giant made of stone rose from the ground.
Where its lower body should have been, there were no legs.
Instead, a mound of earth constantly shed fragments of stone.
