"I can't let it end here!" Belzebub panicked internally as it strained to move, but unfortunately it couldn't — its body remained still.

It lay helpless in a slowly enlarging puddle of black, putrid blood.

Its King had made it clear: failure was not an option. It had to win regardless of the cost.

"A little backlash, that's all. I'd rather suffer than lose now!" it hissed, breaking all restraints.

Its connection to its main body raged with vast torrents of pure, devastating corruption, not forgetting to call on the full force of its ability: Decay!

Its still frame slowly levitated as a dangerous force seeped into the air.

Roy, only a few feet away, scowled in despair.

"Oh come on! Die already, you freaking unlikable bug!" he spat resentfully.

He was too weak, not sure he could engage much now… but he had no choice.

"Seriously, how did I go from a cop fighting against crime to this!" he lamented painfully as he struggled to his feet.

Meanwhile, Belzebub's aura didn't seem to be reaching a ceiling anytime soon. Fortunately, though, the mystical veil it spoke of had elapsed.

Roy sighed in relief as ethereal chains protruded from the void, snaking with purpose — this time not losing sight of their target.

The chains slowly coiled around Belzebub's frame, clinking and clanking as the world itself bore down on the humanoid fly.

Its once untamed energy stifled, its crimson lenses flickered on and off.

"Hmph… I can't lose!"

It screamed internally as mystical force directly pierced through the void — its main body acting from its cursed plane.

The chains creaked painfully to a halt as the slow tightening stopped. Belzebub held them back through sheer force.

Though the backlash for going against a world was harsh, it was resolved to bear it.

Its chain-wrapped frame gradually raised its arm toward Roy.

Roy's pupils constricted as he felt a deadly seed of energy growing denser at the tip of the creature's pointed claw.

Shivers ran down his spine. He gnashed his teeth. The attack had locked down space — dodging was useless.

He could only face this attack head-on. The foggy halo formed from the hero mage Velra's staff pulsed with brilliant intensity.

He tapped into the most dangerous ability in her arsenal: Nine Demon Purgatory Spell (SSS).

Ninth Form: Purgatory Cataclysmic Incineration!

The jagged-edged halo spun, a budding seed of crimson red blooming at its center.

Roy poured all units of Genesis Ether into this final attack. He even tapped into his Authority as Lord, pouring all concentration into recovering Ether as fast as possible.

And all recovered Ether was poured into the binding strike. He bled from his nose and eyes.

His figure slowly warped. The skill Assimilation was finally being exhausted. After all, it was a skill cast by a level 1 beast — it was a miracle it had lasted this long.

But with sheer will, Roy forced the skill to hold together. His soul strained as his eyes flickered, betraying his unwavering will.

The halo spun, the crimson force it contained at its center thrumming, palpitating with space-shuddering intensity.

On Belzebub's side, the seed of destruction blooming at the tip of its claws slowly grew.

Even the Hand wasn't having it easy. Its soul bore impressive pressure from the world, but it still strained to keep the attack in place.

Fledgling or not, Belzebub couldn't compare to an Ether plane like Arcana. At most, it could contend with the will for a few brief seconds.

And even then, it would sustain grievous soul injury. But even in the face of this reality, Belzebub didn't care — as long as it could kill Roy, all would be worth it.

Belzebub's glass wings buzzed laboriously, trying to keep it in the air, as the will of the world began to escape its entanglement, bearing down on its frame oppressively.

The two desperate foes stood at an intimidating standoff, the area falling into dreadful peace before the storm.

Sensitive Variants, though mindless, could sense the looming danger. They fled from the range. Even those miles away ran further, not wanting to take chances.

From across the field, soldiers on Roy's side retreated as well, not daring to tarry, running to take refuge within Aegis.

The weak squad leaders who couldn't move were carried by their squad members. Even Alpha wasn't left behind — he had been nearest to the clash between Roy and the Hand.

He had suffered further injuries just from bearing the terrifying shockwaves of the battle and had long lost consciousness.

The battlefield entered a state of eerie stillness.

The ever-flowing tide of Variants halted. The mindless creatures sensed the dreadful crisis, resolved to avoid death, and ceased rushing through the rift.

At the borders, the six Lords spectated with bated breath.

At this point, they had all ceased to hold sentiments of individual interests. Right now, they all prayed in their hearts that Roy could defeat the abomination.

They couldn't tell why, but they could innately sense that Roy's loss would definitely lead to disastrous consequences.

From below, hiding in the dense foliage, powerful Hunters and other Lords long attracted by the commotion laid silently spectating.

They watched, hearts filled with awe — Lords resolving to ally, Hunters resolving for subordination… well, that was if Roy survived.

Back on the battlefield, all remaining Variants were dead, soldiers sheltered under the refuge of Aegis.

The now desolate land pulsed with dread, scars of battle lacerating the misshapen terrain.

The sky went dark, ominous clouds blotting out the moon completely, as the sky rumbled in silent anticipation of what came next.

Silence reigned. Void crackled. Lightning streaked.

The atmosphere was stifling as the two attacks slowly grew, the pressure mounting.

Surprisingly, Arcana itself intervened. Roy felt a smooth torrent of Ether streaming through his pores.

It was as though the world accepted him at this moment. The tremendous burden Roy carried lightened — even if just a bit, it helped.

But on Belzebub's end, things were more dire. It was slowly losing its hold on the world.

Its soul dwindled, but its will still blazed with dauntless resolve.

The pulsing seed before the tip of its claws peaked. Void creaked under the power it held.

On Roy's end, his attack also peaked.

The two simultaneously let go…

Crackle!

Reality shuddered as the visions' calamitous compressed force burst into motion.

The halo belched a space-warping beam, treading through space at the speed of light. In a blink, the two attacks collided.

Everything bursting into an all-encompassing glare of light…

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