At the same time that Lily was facing the consequences of her actions, somewhere in a completely destroyed Italy, a terrifying battle to the death occurred.
During numerous exchanges of pleasantries between a demon from the farthest reaches of hell and humans, much of the country was lost forever. It was replaced by a deep and uncharted sea that held many undiscovered secrets and mysteries.
Azazel was extremely fierce in hunting for Arthur and didn't sell his skin cheaply. He took dozens of talented hunters with him before he was able to get the man.
Unfortunately, despite his sincerest intentions and hatred, the demon couldn't kill the traitor. He had a number of cunning and strong-worm-like insects around him, which effectively hindered him.
The worst of them all was Magnus. Azazel felt like he was standing in front of an impregnable fort when the old man graced him with his presence.
Cough Cough Cough
" Lousy humans, enjoy your little victory while you can. "
Cough Cough Cough
Boom
Magnus' massive boot made friends with one of Azazel's three faces. The man's foot hit the mouth perfectly, knocking out rows of sharpened teeth.
Boom
Boom
Boom Boom...
Magnus repeated the action several times... or, more precisely, a dozen times... after twelve he stopped counting.
" Disgusting... "
Magnus' eyes were filled with disgust at the sight of the soiled leg, which was covered in the remnants of dark purple flesh and a sticky black smear resembling blood.
" Is that all you can afford, old man? "
Azazel's head turned 130 degrees, showing the world the second of three faces. The corners of the demon's mouth lifted subtly, forming an arrogant smile. It ran its long serpentine tongue over its upper lip, looking lustfully at Magnus.
The old man felt disgusted by Azazel's gesture.
" Are you going to answer me? Or do we still have to play cat and mouse? "
A significant amount of dense mana immediately gathered around Magnus' right fist.
" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH " A slow and steady laugh filled the space surrounding the men.
" For a penny of humility... Do me a favor and just shut up."
A dark purple vein pulsed ominously under the demon's skin.
" WHO ARE YOU TO ORDER ME POOR MAN! I HAVE KILLED BILLIONS LIKE YOU. YOU ARE NOT WORTH MY TIME INFERIOR CREATURE. "
Even on his deathbed, Azazel maintained an arrogant and proud attitude. His pride wouldn't allow him to bow his neck to the first better man. In his eyes, humans are miserable pests and worms.
The demon wasn't afraid of death. He had nothing to fear. It's not like it's the end of everything, especially for him.
Swish
A sudden and gusty wind broke, and fire geysers poured toward the hunter's clenched fist. Infernal fire, feared by even the toughest creatures of hell, enveloped the magnus' hand in an ethereal shell.
" I've heard that you have taken a liking to the element of time. I'm curious to see how long you can hold out. "
A series of explosions erupted. Magnus didn't play with half-measures. He bombarded Azazel's torso with a hail of devastating tissue-tearing blows.
Magnus' chaotic mana, tinged with an element of hellfire, tore into the demon's body like a battering ram, devastating it from the inside.
" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. " - Azazel laughed in the man's eyes as he tried to do him harm.
Several hours later.
Azazel, or rather what Magnus had left of him, lay on the ground unmoving, if the charred skeleton can be called remains.
Cough
The demon's half-burned mouth moved, spitting out a geyser of dark liquid.
Magnus had to admit one thing. He had never seen someone as persistent as Azazel. Until the end, he was unable to pull the arrogant smile off the demon's face. Not even the direct burning of mana in the body helped.
All the time, Azazel just smiled, laughing in his face.
" I will ask one last time what happened to Ramiel."
" HA HA HA HA... You should give your old man a break... "
"Tsk..." Annoyed, Magnus let the air out faster through his nose. He hated it when someone answered a question evasively.
" What do you mean by that? " The man let the threats go. They wouldn't have worked on the demon anyway and were actually having the opposite effect.
" Well... Well... Well... the Ramiel who lived on Earth... and the Ramiel I met are two different people... and the one he could potentially be... well... I regret that I won't be able to see it."
Azazel's right eye, or rather the rest of it, was bathed in ecstasy and satisfaction. The sight of the furious grimace on Magnus' face acted on him like a soothing medicine.
" Forgive me, old man, but I can't contain my excitement at the thought of what the kid will become. "
What did I expect from a demon. - The man thought.
Magnus didn't take Azazel's words seriously. They sounded as if the demon had lost its mind.
" If I were you, old man, I would pray that the kid doesn't survive what happened to him ... otherwise, you can blame yourselves for what awaits you ... "
A cold tone of voice filled with murderous intent suddenly struck Azazel.
" Any last words? "
Azazel shook his head disappointedly.
" I expected ... that you wouldn't be so shortsighted. "
After a moment of silence, the demon added.
" Take this as a small piece of advice for your willingness to fight, because a real fight, I wouldn't call it... In the world, there are far more powerful beings than you can imagine... and you, humans... lost in your arrogance... are nothing more but poor pawns on the chessboard. I would advise you to remember this to the end... "
" And this is said by a being who ate my shoe a few hours ago? "
Magnus' mockery was obvious and painful.
" BELIEVE ME, OLD MAN, IF I WERE NOT JUST A MEASLY FRAGMENT OF MY SOUL, YOU WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT ME. "
Azazel remained silent, no longer reacting to any taunts from the man.
" Sigh... I think it's time to say goodbye to the demon. I hope to meet you in hell. "
Smash...
~~~~~~
A week later.
Magnus sat in an office at the top of a skyscraper that was the headquarters of the Hunters Association.
It was a modest room that could easily be mistaken for the office of the average CEO in a corporation.
Magnus was fond of modesty by nature. He didn't like to flaunt too much unnecessary wealth and absurdly expensive items that had no value other than the brand logo.
The only exceptions are situations and places where he needs to showcase his power and superiority over others, like in a conference room.
There is a reason why his throne is larger than the others.
Magnus held in his hands a stack of carefully prepared reports on recent events.
The mission, codenamed Extinguish Italy, had gone surprisingly well.
Aside from the razing of one country and the loss of several talented veterans, there were no major losses.
Maybe, except for Arthur, who lost an arm and part of a leg. The demon was fiercely determined to get him.
Magnus calculated many more casualties, but the elite hunters did their assigned task very well, completely crushing the dungeons created by Azazel.
The bigger problem was public opinion. The association's reputation was tarnished in the eyes of the people. It won't be long before a wave of protest erupts... at the worst possible time when dungeon activity is doubling.
Dealing with monsters is one thing, but dealing with dissolute goons who have never dealt with them is the other side of the coin. Politicians don't understand such a thing as emergencies that cann't be predicted. For them, only results count, often paid for with human lives.
Magnus might have been concerned about potential consequences in the past, but now? He's happy to put one of his political opponents in his place. Watching a séance titled - " I'll sit back with a drink and watch the world go down " doesn't sound too bad.
" Sigh... I'm too old for this... "
Ding Ding Ding Ding
The peculiar sound of the bell snapped Magnus out of his inner musings.
With an indifferent expression on his face, he searched under a pile of paper for the intercom button. Piles of papers suddenly flew into the air, only to be met in a moment by consuming flames.
" Elizabeth, I think I said that I'm not receiving visitors today. "
Magnus was harsh with his words. He didn't even try to sound friendly. He hated disobedience, and the new secretary had significant problems at work. Her probationary period ended about half a month ago... and yet she continued to make basic mistakes.
" Chairman ... but-but it was Verdia ... she threatened me that I wouldn't live to see tomorrow if I didn't let her in ... "
The secretary's frightened voice reached Magnus' ears.
The woman had no easy task if there was indeed a Verdia waiting downstairs.
Considering the new circumstances, Magnus' tone of voice softened.
Was I being too harsh? After all, it's Verdia... if she persists, there's little to stop her...
" Tell her I'm waiting in the office ... "
" ... "
Magnus received an annoying microphone noise in response.
" Elizabeth, are you there? "
A moment later, a panicked woman's voice came from the speakers.
" I hope the chairman will not be angry ... but Verdia should already be standing at the door ... "
A heavy sigh escaped the tired old man's lips. The paperwork had exhausted him with more than a week of non-stop fighting inside the dungeon.
What else did I expect from this woman... after all, I was the one who introduced her to adult life...
" Alright ... cancel all scheduled meetings for tomorrow ... "
" But, chairman... "
" Elizabeth! I don't like to repeat myself twice. "
Magnus raised his voice. At moments like this, he envied Ramiel's unique ability to silence people without shouting.
" Excuse me, chairman... I should be finished in an hour... "
Knock Knock
" You can..."
The door opened with a bang before Magnus could finish his sentence.
A look of disgust dawned on the face of the strongest man in the world.
" I don't remember teaching you a lack of culture... "
Verdia fluffed him with her eyes. At first glance, it was obvious that he was in a bad mood.
From the partially light armor that revealed more than it should have and the familiar smell of sweat, blood, and hair stained in the dirt, one could easily guess where Verdia was returning from.
" You came here straight from the dungeon? "
Rapture
With the unpleasant sound of bending metal, Verdia sat down opposite Magnus. The man saw the deeply hidden anger in the woman's irises. As soon as their eyes met, the man saw the flames in them, hiding the anger inside.
" Well? "
Bump
A black bag suddenly appeared on Magnus' desk. His right eyebrow raised significantly.
Inferring from Verdia's intense gaze, it couldn't have been anything pleasant.
Zip
Magnus gently pushed back the zipper while looking inside. Suddenly, he was struck by the unique stench of death mixed with a hint of fear and panic.
Inside the luggage lay six precisely severed and bloodied heads. Their mouths, twisted in despair and agony, spoke for themselves. Instead, they didn't leave peacefully and painlessly.
" The people you sent with me are paid assassins ... "
Magnus smacked his lips. Unfortunately, his prediction was confirmed.
" That's why I sent you there. I knew you could handle it in case of... unforeseen inconveniences... "
Verdia was angry. She was sent literally to the lion's lair without the slightest warning. Magnus had better have a good excuse... otherwise, he might not be the strongest man on EEarth anymore...
" You knew about this! And you didn't tell me anything ?!!!?!?!?
Magnus nodded his head gently.
" Verdia, first of all, don't raise your voice... Secondly, have I ever done anything without a thorough analysis or plan? "
Blood boiled inside the woman's veins. Verdia, taking a few deep breaths in and out, calmed down slightly. She was still angry, but at least she could control herself.
" Nevertheless ... you could have warned me. "
" Thirdly, I couldn't. If you want to fool your enemies, you must first fool your allies. So I went along with you and told you to leave the people outside. Do you think you would have settled for just a few bruises and cuts? Look at you. If it had been someone else, I doubt if we would be talking now. "
" ... "
" Sigh ... Sorry, Verdia, but I had no other choice. I'm sorry to say that, but you aren't suitable for secret missions. You are, hmm... too impetuous... "
" ... "
" Besides, this only confirms my suspicions ... "
Verdia suddenly raised her eyes, looking closely at Magnus' face. The last part seemed very interesting.
" Regarding? "
Magnus hesitated for a moment. He was afraid of the reaction of his charge, or rather that he would cause unnecessary carnage.
" Did you find something strange in the dungeon? "
Verdia pulled out from the space ring a coat as perforated as Swiss cheese that belonged to Ramiel. Someone who had never seen it or had no exposure to mana could easily mistake it for a garage floor-washing rag.
" Just this... "
Magnus' hands arranged themselves in a boat, and his pupils narrowed.
" Let me guess, they tried to hide it from you? "
Magnus' finger pointed to a bag dripping with blood.
" About the time I picked it up from the ground, I felt the urge to murder directed toward me. After that, there was no time to talk. "
" And anything else? Any monsters? "
" No... it was a dead dungeon... There wasn't even a core there..."
Under Magnus' influence, Mana enclosed him and Verdia in a tight bubble. Moments later, the man created a barrier that isolated them from the outside world.
Verdia reflexively released a bit of Aura, preparing several spells in the meantime, which didn't escape the watchful Magnus.
" Don't worry ... I'm not trying to hurt you. This is a protection from prying eyes. "
" Don't be offended, but lately, I haven't trusted people ... especially if they send me on one mission with paid assassins. "
Verdia dragged out the last word sarcastically.
" Khm... Back to the topic... Doesn't the case of Ramiel's death seem suspicious to you? Suddenly, a dead dungeon, which turned out not to be dead... later, the same dungeon appears, in which Ramiel supposedly sacrificed himself to destroy it... in addition, a demon connected to it suddenly destroys the Vlachs in a fit of rage... Ah... I forgot to mention the hired assassins who were supposed to cover their tracks in case someone was snooping around. "
" You mean to tell me that he was murdered? "
" For now, these are my suspicions and a few strange coincidences. I have no hard evidence, nor have I caught anyone by the hand. The only ones who might know something are Ramiel's team, but they... well... "
Verdia bit her lower lip. She would have "questioned" Samantha long ago if not for the barrier separating her from the rest of the world.
Magnus knew very well what he was doing by casting the spell.
" Don't act rashly, Verdia. Ramiel had many enemies... this is a delicate matter... It requires finesse and patience. If you hit the table too hard, the wrong scissors may be called back. "
" ... "
" For now, be patient and take care of Lily. "
" So what? I'm supposed to sit around and pretend everything is fine while his murderers are alive and well? "
Magnus knew it would be hard, but he had no other choice. If he wants to find out the truth, he has to find trustworthy allies... and there aren't many of those.
" Sigh... Believe me, Verdia, if my suspicions are true, I will not forgive anyone who was entangled in this... "