This was a concerning development. I had no idea what that ritual did and there was no time to truly study the runes. But I could feel Ashmedai's aura getting stronger. Was he trying to ascend? Was he using Abaddon's ritual? Did his cult steal enough information from Beira to accomplish that?

Ashmedai was not known for being smart, or good with magic. But perhaps he had help. Not that this mattered right now.

"GIMME BACK MY BLOOD YOU PRICK!" Shani shouted while chasing after a blob that floated towards the ritual.

"This is the true way of demons. The weak shall feed the strong." Ashmedai said, while watching his own forces die.

Should I just throw everything at Ashmedai now? Should I try to kill him quickly? Or…

I looked at the massive circle. All the energy contained within glowed brightly. I raised my hand, pointing at it.

"Devour Magic."

There was no need to say the name of a spell. But it felt right. It felt like more than a spell, a command. My magic answered. The familiar black smoke appeared at the edge of the circle, then it rapidly spread. Like a hungry beast the spell devoured the magic.

Disrupting a ritual could have grave consequences, like an explosion of the stored energy. But I was not really disrupting the runes, I was eating their fuel. Well, my spell was.

"What… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Ashmedai shouted, then he charged me.

I dodged his strike but I was distracted. His glaive grazed my cheek and I felt blood dripping from a small cut. But I could not give him my full attention. Devour magic, I could feel its hunger, its greed and I tried to contain it. It wanted to eat it all, the ritual, the demons, everything.

In my efforts to contain my spell a second spell slot was used, then a third. The entire ritual circle was now covered in black smoke. My allies left the ground and took to the skies. While I still had enough control to spare them from my magic I appreciated their caution.

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As the entire ritual was being consumed Ashmedai stopped attacking, then he screamed. Devour magic had spread through the ritual into him.

"Is he dying?" Lucy asked, while floating next to me.

"I am not sure. Maybe this was a bad idea." I replied.

Ashmedai's skin turned black, his blood armour was replaced by a cloud of smoke. His eyes became a black void.

"I hunger…"

"Ok, this is bad." I admitted. "Stand back! This is my magic, I will subdue it!"

I charged the changed demon lord with my sword. He made no move to defend himself as I pierced his heart. The black smoke spread from his body to mine.

The world disappeared and I saw myself standing in a black void, illuminated by a shining ball in front of me. It was like a golden star, radiating warmth.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The void around me said.

"This… This is my soul." I realised.

"Yes… So strong, so bright, yet so fragile. All the magic you have consumed, it cannot hold it. Not even an archfey can contain this much power."

"Who are you? What are you?" I asked.

"I am magic. I am the power you devoured, the power that had no place to go. The power your soul could not contain."

"Then why are you hungry? Why keep eating if there is no place for this magic?" I asked.

"To create a new star, a better star, a brighter one…" The void replied.

My eyes widened as I started to understand. I had grown stronger during my time in this world. I had evolved. My soul had too much magic for an elf, so I became an archfey. But I kept feeding my soul with devour magic, it kept growing. Now my magic needed a new solution. A new evolution. The magic was stuck here until I had enough for the final threshold. Divinity.

Hell no. I had no intention of becoming some sort of goddess. I liked the world I was in. I had plans, a home, a girlfriend,... Ascending further was not something I was willing to do. I needed a different solution.

I looked around, looking for something. And I found it. A thread, a link, a connection. My warlock, my love, Lucy. I had given her a part of my soul. Together we had built a network of maid knights. All of us were linked.

The void, the excess magic I was talking to, it was not really sapient. I was talking to mana, mana with a purpose it tried to fulfil. I was talking to a construct formed by my subconscious. A spell, trying to fulfil its purpose.

"I have a new purpose for you, a new home." I told the magic. I focused on the link I shared with my people. I nudged the magic towards it.

"A new home…" The void replied but it did not move. I needed more.

I had learned a lot about rituals during my time in this world. My finger started glowing purple and I drew illusionary runes in the void. Who said you could not perform a ritual in your own soul? Or soulspace? Or whatever this was.

I knew how to create a warlock. It involved sharing a part of your soul. This time it was a bit different. I just wanted to share the excess power around my soul. I did not want to give it to a warlock, just a bond. Modifications were necessary.

I had no idea how long it took me but in the end I was finished. A purple circle glowed brightly in front of me. I touched it and used all of my remaining tier 9 spell slots to activate it. Suddenly the void around me was sucked into the bond. The excess magic was gone and my soul continued to shine brightly. I smiled and closed my eyes, as I was returning to the real world. I hoped my friends would enjoy their snack.

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