The sky loomed dim and ominous, its unnatural darkness casting eerie shadows over a desolate, barren landscape.
Scattered ruins and broken stone columns dotted the cracked earth, leading to a crumbling temple in the distance, reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture.
"This place…" Rias murmured, her brow furrowed with confusion. "It doesn't feel like the tournament's designated arena."
Raising her wrist, she tried to connect with the tournament's magical communication array, but her attempts were met with silence.
There was no announcement signaling the start of the match, no briefing, nothing, only an unsettling quiet.
Badr's keen senses detected an abnormal flow of magic in the air. He turned to Rias. "This space has been compromised. Someone is tampering with it."
"What?"
Everyone immediately assumed defensive stances, their gazes shifting warily to the temple's surroundings.
Suddenly, multiple magical teleportation circles materialized in the air, glowing ominously.
"Be careful! These crests don't belong to the Astaroth family!" Akeno warned, her voice sharp. "These circles aren't linked to each other, but…"
"They're all devils!" Rias finished grimly, her expression darkening. "And if I'm not mistaken, those crests belong to the Old Maou faction of the Khaos Brigade."
"Are we under attack by terrorists?" The group braced themselves for a fight.
Badr, however, shook his head. "No, our teleportation coordinates were altered. Someone deliberately redirected us here."
This was no accident. The team had been transported to an entirely different realm, far from the tournament's designated battleground.
High above, a grotesque horde of devils emerged from the teleportation circles, their monstrous forms revealing their allegiance to the beastly lineage of the Old Maou faction.
"Pathetic imposters of the Lucifer Bloodline, Gremory filth! Your end comes today!" snarled the leading devil, charging directly at Rias.
Badr stepped forward, prepared to intercept, but his instincts screamed a warning. He turned sharply and appeared beside Asia in an instant, summoning the [King Sword] with a swift gesture.
With a decisive swing, his blade clashed against an incoming green magical attack, nullifying it mid-air.
The sudden assault revealed a figure emerging from the shadows: a dark-haired youth with cold, calculating eyes and the unmistakable wings of a devil.
"Diodora!?" Rias's voice was laced with fury. "You're conspiring with the Khaos Brigade? You wretched coward, how dare you desecrate the tournament!"
"Hmph, I'm only here to take Asia," Diodora sneered, his tone dripping with malice. "As for the rest of you… you'll die here."
His gaze shifted to Badr, filled with venom. "And you… a lowly Pawn who dares to obstruct my plans repeatedly. Today, I'll devour your very soul!"
"Bold words," Badr replied with an icy smile, positioning himself protectively in front of Asia. Koneko and Xenovia swiftly flanked him, ready for battle.
"Badr, give me Ascalon," Xenovia demanded, her eyes resolute.
With a flick of his wrist, Badr summoned the legendary dragon-slaying sword and tossed it to Xenovia. "Don't hold back."
She caught the blade with practiced ease, its holy energy radiating brightly. Meanwhile, Badr stretched his arms casually, his demeanor calm yet dangerous.
"You've made your choice, Diodora. Don't blame anyone else for the consequences."
In a blink, Badr vanished from his position, reappearing beside Diodora. His [King Sword] descended in a brilliant arc, void of any noticeable magical fluctuation, yet its sheer force caused the surrounding space to tremble and crack.
Diodora reacted quickly, erecting a robust magical barrier just in time to block the attack.
Badr paused, mildly surprised. Though he hadn't used his full power, the strike should have been overwhelming for someone of Diodora's caliber.
Meanwhile, Rias eliminated several Old Maou devils with bursts of destructive power but couldn't ignore the surge in Diodora's energy. "What's going on? His power… it's suddenly much stronger."
Even the ever-calm Badr could tell this was no ordinary strength. His perceptive senses quickly identified the foreign origin of Diodora's newfound might.
"You're relying on borrowed power, aren't you?" Badr said, his voice laced with disdain. "I wonder, does it feel satisfying to wield strength that isn't yours?"
Diodora smirked, his confidence bolstered by his mysterious enhancement. "You're perceptive, I'll give you that. Yes, this is the power of the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis. With her blessing, I've transcended your pathetic level."
The mention of Ophis sent a ripple of tension through the group.
"Hand over Asia now," Diodora demanded, his voice tinged with conceit. "Otherwise, I'll savor the slow agony of your demise. Though, to be fair, I never intended to let you leave alive."
Badr chuckled, his gaze turning cold as ice. "You've made a fatal mistake, thinking you could intimidate me."
With that, Badr activated his Promotion to [Queen], his aura surging dramatically. The transformation granted him unparalleled speed, defense, and magic amplification. His power now rivaled that of a Maou.
Diodora flinched, the overwhelming pressure forcing him to reevaluate his bravado. "Impossible… this can't be…"
"Enough talking," Badr said, his tone sharp. Channeling his magic into the [King Sword], he unleashed a devastating slash that shattered Diodora's barrier with ease.
Before Diodora could react, Badr's leg struck his face with a brutal roundhouse kick, sending him crashing into a stone pillar.
"Your self-righteous smugness is nauseating," Badr muttered, his tone dripping with contempt.
"Argh… how is this possible? I have Ophis's power… How can a Pawn defeat me!?" Diodora howled in disbelief.
Ignoring his outburst, Badr advanced methodically, deflecting Diodora's desperate magical attacks with the passive shield effect of his [King Shield].
"Pathetic," Badr scoffed, closing the distance. He struck Diodora again and again, each blow landing with calculated precision, sending the devil careening through the air like a ragdoll.
Finally, with a swift, decisive motion, Badr delivered a crushing kick to Diodora's groin.
A sickening crunch echoed through the ruined temple as Diodora's eyes widened in abject horror, his pained expression frozen in place.
"Let that be a lesson," Badr said, his voice devoid of sympathy.
...
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