For a moment, the battlefield was consumed by an intense light that blinded everyone.

    It was so overwhelming that even the strongest among them were forced to shield their eyes.

    When the brightness faded, Asmodeus floated proudly in the air, glowing with power as the battlefield lay in ruins beneath him.

    Beneath him was a massive crater, evidence that the power he had unleashed this time was far greater than what he had used against Remu’s group.

    "Ahahahaha!" he laughed, throwing his head back as his hair swayed

    He ran a hand through his hair, showing off as if he were untouchable. His white teeth flashed in a wide grin, full of confidence and cruelty.

    "Did you see that?" he roared, speaking to no one in particular, as if the world itself were his audience. "This—this is what it means to face true power! To stand before a race that reigns supreme over all others. This is the power of us Devils!"

    He looked down at the scorched crater below, his grin widening as he surveyed the destruction.@@@@

    "A single move... A SINGLE MOVE was all it took to bring you to your knees! No, less than that—to obliterate you entirely!"

    Asmodeus kept laughing and enjoying his victory when a dark red beam shot up from the ground.

    It was so fast that he couldn’t react in time. In an instant, it struck him, piercing straight through his abdomen.

    He clutched the hole in his stomach, wincing at the pain.

    At first, he didn’t panic. Injuries like this were nothing to him—he could always heal. But then his eyes widened as he realized something was wrong.

    His regenerative powers weren’t working. The wound didn’t close, and instead, a strange, cold sensation spread from it, making his body feel heavy and weak.

    "What... What is this?" he growled, attempting to steady himself.

    Purple energy erupted from his body as he tried to suppress the damage.

    It seemed to work at first, but then the edges of the wound darkened unnaturally, spreading like ink in water.

    The corruption coursed through him, eating away at his body from the inside. He gritted his teeth, pouring more energy into resisting it, but the decay only slowed—it didn’t stop.

    At that moment, Asmodeus realized something far worse had happened. This wasn’t just a simple injury.

    A strange, dark energy was spreading from the wound, twisting and corrupting as it moved through internal organs.

    Below, Reign rose from the ground, his figure battered and bruised but steadily regenerating.

    Shards of black metallic skin grew back, covering the red patches of crimson energy as his wounds sealed themselves.

    By the time he reached the same altitude as the devil, his body was pristine once again, a stark contrast to his opponent’s deteriorating form.

    "You don’t look so good," Reign mocked, his voice dripping with contempt.

    "What happened to all that unstoppable power? Didn’t you say something about showing me the ’true peak of existence’?"

    Asmodeus growled, his fingers trembling as they pressed against his stomach.

    "This... This is nothing! I am Asmodeus! King of the Nine Hells!" His voice cracked under the strain of his own power fighting against the corruption. "You can’t defeat me!"

    "Prideful to the end," he muttered, his voice filled with both contempt and amusement.

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    The notifications chimed in, flooding Reign’s mind with details as the massive amount of EXP poured in. It was akin to the destruction of four to five cities, a proof of just how powerful devils like Asmodeus were.

    "Well, at least you’re useful to me," Reign chuckled, his voice filled with satisfaction.

    He noticed the devil had some useful mutated organs, but he would examine them later. For now, more important matters needed attention.

    Reign’s gaze turned to the approaching demon gods.

    They hovered in front of him, but none of them showed any hostility. It was a smart move, considering he could easily kill them all right then and there if he wanted to.

    Remu, taking the lead, hovered forward with a respectful nod.

    Proud as she was, she recognized that the being before them was far more powerful than any of them. There was even a chance he was close to Draven in strength.

    "Thank you for taking down one of the devil generals," she said, her tone grateful. "Asmodeus was a hard enemy to kill, and his defeat will shift the balance in our favor."

    Reign scratched his head, acting uninterested in the praise.

    "That’s a general?" he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "He’s not really that strong, to be honest."

    His words cut through the air like a blade, a clear insult not only to the devil but to the others who had fallen by his hand—including the four demons present now.

    He intentionally said those stuff to make it clear to everyone who was in charge.

    Remu, a bit frustrated by his words, cleared her throat before speaking again. Read the latest on novelhall.Co?m

    "I have to ask... What’s your name? A demon as powerful as you, yet we’ve never heard of you before. How is that possible?"

    It didn’t make sense to her that someone so strong could have remained hidden for so long. The other demon gods nodded too, intrigued by her question, all waiting for his response.

    Reign contemplated for a moment, his mind turning over the possibilities. This could be an opportunity to build a new persona for himself, especially since his appearance had changed so much.

    However, claiming to be a new demon wouldn’t explain the immense power he’d just displayed, and that could raised more question.

    Then, an idea struck him. It was simple, but clever—a story that would leave just enough mystery while fitting the narrative he wanted to create.

    He looked at Remu and the others, a cold smirk forming on his lips as he prepared to speak.

    "I am Rain, a primordial demon," he declared, his tone filled pride.