“Where did the two go?”
I lunged at the suspicious movements, but they kept their distance.
I turned to the four-winged angel in front of me. I was sure it was named Raziel.
Angels have a nasty habit of acting based on nonexistent, meaningless goodwill. Victor doesn’t seem to have that vibe, so I don’t dislike him.
“It’s a trial. Normally, you’d be sent to the trial too, but it was blocked,” Raziel said.
This is why angels are so unpleasant.
“Return them immediately. An angel’s trial is no laughing matter.”
“Oh dear, to hear such words from a demon.”
“My name is Mastema.”
“To introduce yourself like that. Are you really that close to humans?”
Ahavain’s weapon fell from the top of the Sky Tower.
After it fell, Noel and the others retrieved it, so I leave it to them.
“Should I force them to return?” Raziel asked.
“…You’d better not. It could negatively affect the two sent to the trial.”
I activated the King of Thorns.
This way, it automatically casts magic without me having to do anything, which is convenient.
“Then, I’ll just hurt them a bit without causing too much impact.”
“Well, if angels and demons meet, this is unavoidable. I haven’t moved so dramatically in years, so I have some pent-up frustration.”
As Raziel spread its wings, its power surged.
It was much stronger than I felt from Victor.
The rank of an angel is likely fundamentally different.
But I’m strong too.
Thanks to that fountain, my magical power is almost full.
Moreover, we’re in the air. Unlike on the ground, I can unleash my full power without breaking anything, so I won’t get scolded.
If I destroy Raziel, there might be some bad effect on the two under its influence.
That’s the only thing I need to be careful about.
Ahavain is a mysterious human. I still want to observe more. I want to study them more closely.
Sepia is just a bonus. Plus, they’re interesting.
My magic power brushed against Raziel’s in midair.
That allowed me to roughly grasp Raziel’s strength.
At the very least, even if I hit it with all my might, it wouldn’t be easily broken.
I spread my wings and flew toward Raziel.
With the King of Thorns assisting, I accelerated, building up speed.
I broke through the wall of air and swung my right arm back to strike.
I broke through several layers of Raziel’s barriers and hit its main body, but it was defended.
The King of Thorns launched a large spell in response.
The speed-enhanced strike was somewhat diminished by the barrier, but Raziel was still knocked back significantly.
The damage didn’t seem too great.
Now, it was Raziel’s turn to move. It leaped upward, its wings fluttering, and aimed its right foot toward me.
It intended to kick me.
I positioned my right foot to match Raziel’s.
We moved simultaneously.
Raziel descended while I ascended.
Magical power surged as our feet collided.
The air vibrated, and the sound of our clash shook the distant Sky Tower.
The kick was evenly matched. Our powers completely canceled each other out.
I rushed in close and struck Raziel. It retaliated in kind.
We exchanged blows, destroying each other’s barriers.
Each time one was destroyed, it regenerated and was then shattered again.
If our strength is equal, the deciding factor lies elsewhere.
Long-range magic was ineffective, blocked by the barriers.
A fight between angels and demons naturally turns out this way.
Since the King of Thorns assisted me, the barrier regeneration was slightly faster on my side.
Raziel noticed this but had no intention of letting me go.
“That toy! It’s troublesome!”
“It’s great, isn’t it? I found it in a human shop.”
“A demon shouldn’t blend in the human world.”
We exchanged blows while trading barbs.
Finally, my attacks started to connect with Raziel.
When I struck before the barrier could regenerate, the damage was clearly greater.
The minor damage quickly healed, similar to mine, so I kept dealing damage repeatedly.
“Hey, that hurts!”
Anger began to mix into Raziel’s voice.
As I prepared to strike again, Raziel kicked me away to create some distance and pulled out a book.
“Really. I should have done this from the start.”
The book opened and stopped on a certain page.
Then, the surrounding scenery turned gray.
“It doesn’t affect me.”
As I readied myself again, Raziel smirked while healing its injuries.
“Even if it doesn’t affect you, it’s enough if it works on the surroundings.”
As I tried to fly again, my body wouldn’t move.
It felt as if the surrounding air had solidified.
I could barely move my body with some effort, but it seemed impossible to reach my opponent.
“What is this… did you stop time?”
“Indeed. To stop a demon of your caliber, I have to focus completely.”
Even if it doesn’t affect me, having the surroundings stop becomes a burden itself.
If my opponent had lesser magical power, I could push through, but with an angel of equal rank, it turns out this way.
I couldn’t help but admire it.
There are many things one cannot understand without experiencing them.
Life in hell is a repetitive cycle, making learning difficult.
“Let’s wait like this until the trial ends.”
“If anything happens, I’ll destroy you the moment this magic falters.”
“Oh, how scary. I must ensure it doesn’t break. Don’t worry; I’m an angel. It’s a fair trial. The previous trials were cleared by humans properly.”
I didn’t miss the murmur that followed: “Though their minds broke.”
I couldn’t imagine Ahavain breaking someone’s spirit, but what about Sepia?
As the King of Thorns began analyzing the magic, I decided to wait for now.
