Loki's eyes burned like coals, every muscle coiled as he faced Leon Cromwell. 'So this is him… the one who caused Shizue so much suffering.' His hand flexed, energy crackling faintly in the air.
Leon's face was a mix of surprise and caution. 'A demon… and not just any demon. This one's radiating a terrifying aura, but why attack me without explanation?'
Leon spoke, "If I can, may I ask why I am being attacked. If I'm fighting someone to the death, I'd at least like to know why.
"You bastard," Loki spat, stepping forward with murderous intent. "It's you who popularized the incomplete summoning of otherworlders. Countless children… countless innocents suffered because of your actions. And my friend Shizue has endured years of pain because of you."
Leon's eyes widened at the name. 'Shizue… this demon knows her?' He adjusted his stance, raising his barrier defensively. "I see. So you are her friend, then? Very well. I can understand your accusation about incomplete summonings, even if I do not entirely see why a demon would care. But as for Shizue… I did her a favor. She should be thanking me, not fighting me."
Loki's lips curled into a dark smile. "A favor, you say?"
"Yes," Leon replied firmly. "I granted her the ultimate power of a Superior Spirit. If she refuses it, that is her choice. The fault does not lie with me."
Loki's eyes narrowed. 'His logic… it's infuriatingly rigid.' "Perhaps you are right," he said slowly, almost mockingly. "But no matter what you claim, I cannot forgive you. I cannot let this slide. My hands… my fists… they need to speak for justice. I need to give you a beating you will never forget."
Leon tilted his head, expression calm but eyes wary. 'So there is truly no reasoning with this one. Very well.' "I see. Then there is nothing left to discuss. If that is your desire, we shall let our battle speak for us."
'Damn it,' Leon thought, tightening his barrier. 'I came to meet Guy and… now I'm facing this monster? Who even is this?'
Loki responded "Yes. There is nothing left to talk Demon Lord Leon. Let's allow our battle do all the talking.
Velzard, observing from the back, leaned casually against the balcony railing, her smile widening. 'Should I intervene? Shouldn't I stop this? Guy would probably be angry if I did nothing…'
Her eyes flicked between the two fighters. 'No. Let them go. This… this is exactly what I came to see.'
She thought, 'Without a doubt, Loki is stronger. His aura alone is overwhelming. Leon would die if this were a true fight to the death. But Leon has an Ultimate Skill, doesn't he? If it comes down to extremes… he should win. Yet… I want to see how far Loki will push it.'
The sky above Guy's northern castle had darkened unnaturally, thick clouds roiling like boiling ink. Winds tore across the shattered terraces, carrying the scent of smoke, stone, and the metallic tang of magic. The castle itself groaned under the strain of the battle that was about to unfold.
The first movement was a blur. Leon dashed forward, blade tracing arcs of light that hummed with energy. Loki's wings carried him back, barely dodging the first strike, the tip of Leon's sword grazing his shoulder. The stone balcony cracked beneath the force.
'Fast,' Loki thought, amusement sharpening into focus. 'Hah, perfect.'
He flicked his wrist. Dismantle.
A translucent slash shot forward, invisible yet screaming through space itself. It struck the floor beneath Leon, cleaving it cleanly and sending a fissure racing toward the castle wall. Leon leapt, spinning midair as a barrier of golden light erupted in front of him, stopping the attack with a screeching clash. Sparks flew, and stone and debris rained down on the lower halls.
Leon landed with grace, pivoting on one foot as his sword traced a counterstrike, arcs of lightning coursing along its edge. Magic-infused swordsmanship. The lightning slashed at Loki, each strike capable of cleaving stone. Loki ducked low, the arcs grazing his wings, leaving streaks of singed feathers.
'Not bad,' Loki thought, rolling to his feet. 'But let's make this fun.'
He leapt toward Leon, each strike sending localized bursts of energy into the air. His hand met Leon's sword with a resounding clash, rippling through the hall. Walls trembled. Chandeliers shattered. The floor beneath them cracked into jagged lines. Loki grinned.
Leon's eyes narrowed, a flicker of amusement crossing his features. He twirled his sword expertly, summoning multiple energy blades around him, floating like deadly satellites. "So, you're a dangerous one," he said lightly.
Loki clicked his tongue. Sending Dismantle's, again, and again. Each invisible blade cut through the floating swords as though they were made of paper. He flipped backward, kicking debris toward Leon as he moved, wings flaring to stabilize midair. The air hissed with magicules, the entire throne room trembling.
'This castle… might not survive this battle,' Loki thought, smirking. 'Good. That will teach Guy.'
Leon countered with a horizontal sweep, lightning and fire coursing along the blade. Loki blocked with a metal gauntlet he had manifested, energy sparking at the contact. Both combatants danced across the ruined hall like forces of nature, footsteps cracking floors, walls splintering, and windows exploding outward under the shockwaves.
Loki's next strike came mid-air, spinning and slashing with Dismantle, slicing the massive throne and half the ceiling. Dust poured in sheets, and statues shattered into pieces. Leon barely twisted aside, slashing down with his sword to intercept. Sparks, smoke, and magic collided, lighting the hall in brief, violent bursts.
They landed back-to-back, eyes locked, neither seeming the slightest bit winded.
"You still… are not taking this fight seriously," Leon said, grinning. "You are fighting a Demon Lord here. Should you be so lax?"
Loki tilted his head, wings folding and flaring. "I could say the same for you. I happen to be a Devil Lord. But fine, let's step it up."
He slammed his foot into the floor, summoning jagged stone spires with Dismantle, slicing through pillars as they erupted toward Leon. The Demon Lord somersaulted, blades flying, dodging, and slicing midair. Dust and rubble filled the room. Each strike from either combatant reshaped the battlefield, leaving the once-grand throne room unrecognizable.
Loki's eyes darkened, a subtle shift in energy. Cleave struck again, this time connecting with Leon's barrier. The contact sent tremors across the entire castle. Windows shattered, walls collapsed, and the balcony groaned perilously under the combined force.
Leon grinned. "That's more like it." He whispered an incantation, summoning a chain of energy blades, each whipping forward like serpents. Loki's eyes twitched, almost smiling.
'Alright… time to raise the stakes.'
He raised a hand. Dismantle unleashed a volley of arcs so dense, they seemed to tear the air itself. Leon parried with a combination of sword swings and barrier magic, energy and sparks filling the hall like fireworks. The castle groaned, stones raining down, cracks widening across the floor, the ceiling sagging.
Both fighters moved like lightning incarnate, barely perceptible to the naked eye. Each strike and counter left clean scars in stone, splintered debris, and the hall echoing with thunderous clashing.
Finally, they paused mid-air, wings and sword at the ready, breathing lightly, smirks on their faces.
Loki's hand twitched. "Alright… I'm sorry, Leon. But I'm about to get serious."
From the aura around his soul, the air warped. Energy coalesced, forming a shining sword in his hand. A blade that glimmered like a fragment of the sun itself. Excalibur, a weapon of legend, manifested from his Unique Skill Prototype.
If anything Fate had taught him, it was to not underestimate Excalibur.
Leon's eyes narrowed, a faint grin spreading across his face. "Now we're getting somewhere."
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