"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
The black-horned man sinisterly cackled as he exchanged blows with the black-haired girl.
She also had a wide grin on her face. Her eyes seemed to blade with enjoyment.
"This is fantastic, isn't it?! A fight where I can finally enjoy myself!"
Asmodeus modified his hands to be clad in black scales. In Stage 1, he could modify his body slightly. Also like modifying his black scales, he can sharpen and extend his fingernails.
"Enjoy yourself? You're talking like you're stronger than me!"
Kuroha shouted, hitting Asmodeus with each word she said.
She overpowered him, smashing into the tunnel wall. They were at the beginning of the tunnel complex. Kuroha figured that leading him there would be the best place since their destructive blows may cause the smaller tunnels to collapse.
"That's like it!"
He shouted with a delighted grin.
"I'll have to amp up my power. And not by a single stage too..."
Asmodeus wiped his nose as he got up.
"Now, I'll show you what a true demon is like."
Dark energy began appearing around him. Wind converged. It echoed throughout the tunnel complex.
His skin became slightly darker. The horns on his temples grew in size and curved backward like a scimitar. His arms were garbed in the same scales that were on his hands.
Though from transforming his normal state to Stage 1 increased his muscle mass, when he entered Stage 3, he became skinnier and smaller. He was quite lean with a body of pure muscle. Even his height increased slightly.
His teeth became larger and two tusks protruded from his mouth, almost like a boar. Saliva leaked from his mouth, almost like he was a starved beast.
His eyes glowed lime green and his irises narrowed. He bent his body and his arms swayed. Asmodeus stuck his tongue to the side and exhaled.
"That's... demonic."
Kuroha commented.
However, the transformation was not finished.
Asmodeus, now an uncontrollable beast, groaned as he glared at Kuroha.
Two large wings sprouted from his back. They were coal black and flapped once, sending a strong gale toward Kuroha.
Asmodeus roared at Kuroha, like a vicious beast.
"You have no control of yourself. How am I supposed to enjoy this fight now?"
Kuroha asked, knowing she would not get an answer.
Though she said that, her eyes dilated suddenly and she could barely stop herself from smiling.
The anticipation seemed to get to her.
"Grryaaahhh!"
He flew toward her.
Kuroha spun on one leg and kicked his face.
"Damn, you're fast."
"RAHH!"
A kick that powerful should have been enough for, at least, a second before recovery. Despite this, Asmodeus recovered immediately.
He reached out to Kuroha and scratched her forearm. Even Kuroha was not expecting such a fast recovery time. Before she was able to give the beast a decent blow to the face, Asmodeus' fingernails elongated and sharpened. He pierced her chest, making direct contact.
The girl bared the pain, only to succumb to more strikes. To get away from Asmodeus, she grabbed his forearm, pulling him toward her, she knocked his feet off balance and flipped him.
As soon as he was thrown behind her, Kuroha removed her cloak and tracksuit. Under, she wore a thermal with a weighted vest on top.
It had several tears from Asmodeus' attacks. Luckily, it had protected Kuroha from him.
As Asmodeus flew toward her, she removed the vest and threw it at the demon to block his view.
"That's way better."
She said, running toward Asmodeus.
She was far more agile than before. As a part of her training, she wanted to get faster by weighing herself down. Kuroha thought it would give her an edge in battle.
And it did.
The girl barraged the beast with swift, yet, equally powerful punches.
"Woah!"
The demon snapped at her with his mouth; she was able to retract her arm in time. He then slapped her with his wing, sending Kuroha into one of the smaller tunnels.
She recovered, only to see Asmodeus in her face.
He scratched her cheek. The girl was able to evade a fatal attack.
"Impact."
Kuroha uppercut Asmodeus. The sound of the uppercut created a violent sound of bones grinding against each other.
As Asmodeus was suspended in the air, his eyes rolled back into his sockets before they appeared and changed colour.
They changed colour from lime green to blood red and there was a white cursor, a gun cursor, engraved on his eyes.
The Demon Eyes of Miasma.
His eyes shone slightly and a wave of dark mana washed over Kuroha. She froze in place, such was the effects of the Demon Eyes of Miasma.
(What's this?! I can't move!)
The Demon Eyes of Miasma's effects were freezing whoever came in contact with the wave of mana, more commonly known as miasma. This effect would only last 15 seconds before a 5-minute cooldown.
His eyes changed once more.
This time, they were hued with salmon pink and a green rectangle.
Demon Eyes of Hemorrhaging.
He used it on Kuroha and the girl's insides scrambled and seared.
"KYAAHHH!"
Kuroha screamed.
Her blood danced around her body and wanted to burst from her skin. She felt like she would pass out from the pain, but she held on from losing consciousness by stepping on her tail. It sent an electric shock up her spine, keeping her awake.
The downside of those Demon Eyes was how long the effects would last. Only 15 seconds due to its agonizing effects. The same for the Demon Eyes of Miasma.
The girl lowered her back and dashed toward the demon.
Even he did not expect her to be incredibly swift.
The mana she had clad around her fist sparkled purple and turned into lightning around it.
Kuroha's eyes were focused on her prey. Her whole being was focused on putting everything behind the next punch.
"Firebolt!"
With a thunderclap, the purple lightning punctured the demon's stomach and ensnared his body. Asmodeus' muscles tensed up and his body dropped as the purple glow around it faded.
Kuroha peered down at the corpse.
"Ah, crap. I don't think I was supposed to kill him..."
She said, scratching her head.
The girl then looked at her burnt fist.
"Firebolt... That's a weird name for a spell with purple lightning. Why did that name come to mind?"
She asked herself.