Vera didn't flinch at Azazel's threat. Instead, she smiled—a cold, holy smile.
"I expected you'd come," she said, drawing two daggers that gleamed with divine runes. "You've grown careless, Demon King. Letting a little human girl wear your mark?"
Azazel stepped between Vera and Yui, his voice like thunder wrapped in silk. "You speak of things beyond your comprehension."
Yui could barely move—his aura was so thick now, like standing inside a thunderstorm.
> [Passive Detection: Aura Suppression Active]
Warning: You are in range of Class-SS aura. Movement slowed. Breathing affected.
Vera moved first—blades flashing, cutting arcs of holy energy.
Azazel caught one blade with his bare hand.
The metal sizzled against his skin.
He didn't flinch.
"You're out of your depth," he growled.
Then, with one motion, he threw Vera backward with bone-cracking force. She hit a stone pillar—and shattered it.
Yui's system pinged wildly.
> [Combat Observation: +25 XP]
Demon Power Reading: 95%
Azazel is no longer holding back.
Vera coughed, blood trailing from her lips—but her eyes glowed with sacred light.
She stabbed one dagger into the ground.
A ring of white fire erupted—encircling Azazel.
"Sanctus Tempestus!" she shouted.
The holy circle exploded upward like a divine blade. Light screamed.
Yui shielded her face.
When the fire cleared…
Azazel stood untouched, wings of black flame stretching from his back.
"You dare burn me?" he whispered. "Then let me return the favor."
His eyes ignited.
He raised his hand.
"Demonfire — True Form."
The entire garden turned red.
Black flames erupted in every direction—devouring Vera's holy shield. The air twisted with heat and shadows. Yui's system warned:
> [Catastrophic Threat Detected]
Auto-barrier activated: Soul-Bound Shield]
You are protected for 10 seconds. Seek shelter immediately.
Yui collapsed behind a stone altar just as the blast wave struck.
When it ended, only silence remained.
The garden was scorched. The stone glowed red-hot. Vera lay on the ground—alive, barely—but her weapons shattered.
Azazel stood over her, calm, godlike, terrifying.
"You're lucky she was here," he said softly. "Or you would be dust."
He turned to Yui.
"She's yours. Decide her fate."
---