[Urgh!]


    Amon groaned in agony. The ash-gray de piercing his chest carried enough power to end the life of any ordinary being.


    But he was a demon.


    Immutable and eternal, he could not die. Countless transcendents had attempted to kill him, and all had failed.


    Amon believed this time would be no different, even against Taesan.


    [...Huh?]


    But then he realized something.


    The ash-gray energy was slowly devouring him.


    Starting from his chest, it spread through his body, greedily consuming his flesh and power.


    [A-Aaaah!]


    A sudden wave of terror engulfed Amon, deeper and darker than anything he had ever known.


    It was the fear of death.


    [Spare me!]


    For the first time in his existence, Amon begged for his life.


    He thrashed and struggled to escape, but the ash-gray power swallowed him whole within moments.


    [S-Spare...!]


    Even his voice was consumed.


    The being known as Amon ceased to exist.


    His body, his power—everything was erased and absorbed into Taesan.


    “Hmm.”


    Taesan calmly consolidated the new power that had taken root within him. It was Amon’s domain.


    [Your Rank Ascension has activated. You have imed [Amon]. Lemegeton’s Throne has been strengthened.]


    [You have killed a demon. You have acquired the passive skill [Demon yer].]


    “So even against demons, the Rank Ascension triggers, despite the disparity in strength.”


    Whether it was due to the unique nature of demons or some other reason, Taesan had been able to im Amon’s power despite the usual restrictions of the Rank Ascension system.


    Regardless, it was a favorable oue. It meant there was more to gain from fighting demons.


    Taesan adjusted his de.


    The remaining demons stood frozen in ce, staring nkly.


    [T-This... What is this?]


    [What just happened?]


    They understood what had urred.


    Amon’s domain had been stolen.


    No—Amon himself had been erased.


    Theirpanion, who had existed since the dawn of creation and whom they believed to be eternal, had vanished without a trace, discarded like garbage.


    [W-Who are you? What are you?!]


    Shouts of confusion and fear echoed, but none dared approach Taesan. Instead, they retreated, paralyzed by an unfamiliar and overwhelming terror.


    “If you won’te to me, then I’lle to you.”


    Taesan pressed his foot to the ground.


    [You have activated Chaos Summon.]


    [You have activated eleration.]


    [You have activated Skill eleration.]


    In an instant, Taesan disappeared from their sight.


    When he reappeared, he had already passed through them.


    [H-Huh?]


    [What...?]


    Five demons copsed, their bodies severed. Even as they fell, they couldn’tprehend what had killed them.


    [S-Save... me...]


    Their domains were stolen by the Rank Ascension as they perished.


    These demons, who had once mocked and ughtered countless lives for sport, were helpless and powerless as they disappeared.


    [What is happening?!]


    The remaining demons finally snapped out of their shock, releasing their powers as they backed away.


    [Kill him! All of you, attack at once!]


    With a furious cry, the demons unleashed theirbined might.


    Boom!


    The power of over thirty demons materialized in the air, an overwhelming force capable of shatterings and leveling continents.


    Even dark magic that Taesan had used before was among their arsenal.


    But Taesan’s expression remained unchanged.


    He hadn’t used dark magic in a long time.


    The reason was simple.


    ‘It’s too weak.’


    Demonic dark magic was inadequate.


    Though the demons were undoubtedly powerful, their strength had limits. At best, they were on par with immortals. While their endless reserves made them superior to typical immortals, they could never surpass their inherent boundaries.


    Taesan, on the other hand, was far beyond such limits—surpassing even the average gods of faith.


    Given the inefficiency of mixing ash-gray energy with dark magic, he preferred advanced magic instead.


    The only exception was Baal’s dark magic. Everything else was beneath him.


    “Which is why I have no further use for any of you.”


    A crimson-skinned demon swung his massive fist, releasing a wave of molten fire.


    Taesan recognized him immediately.


    @@novelbin@@


    ‘Marcosias.’


    A demon who wielded me-like materials. The heat of his mes could melt stars.


    [Burn to ash!]


    Marcosias engulfed Taesan in his fiery substance, his face lighting up with satisfaction.


    But a momentter, ash-gray energy pierced through the mes, and Taesan emerged unscathed, his hand gripping Marcosias’s throat.


    [Gah! H-How?!]


    “You’ll need more than molten stars to prate my defenses.”


    Crack.


    With a squeeze of his hand, Taesan broke Marcosias’s neck. The ash-gray energy surged, consuming Marcosias and iming his domain.


    Boom!


    From the ground rose enormous roots, thick as walls and powerful enough to pierces.


    It was Dekarabia’s Distorted Vegetation, a form of dark magic Taesan himself had used before.


    [Be impaled and die!]


    Dekarabia’s tree-like roots surged toward Taesan.


    Without hesitation, Taesan waved his hand.


    “Bardray.”


    [Understood.]


    Bardray’s de was infused with ash-gray energy as Taesan hurled it toward the roots.


    sh!


    The de sliced through the roots like bamboo, leaving Dekarabia scrambling to summon more. But Bardray tore through every one of them without slowing down.


    Crunch.


    Bardray embedded itself into Dekarabia’s chest.


    The ash-gray energy erupted, tearing Dekarabia’s body apart.


    [Grrraaah!]


    Another demon, three times the size of a human, managed to sneak up behind Taesan, cing both hands on his head.


    [Copse!]


    It was Raum’s Emotional Maniption, an ability far beyond the scope of what Taesan had previously used.


    Raum’s power was capable of erasing a person’s identity with nothing more than emotional interference.


    “It won’t work.”


    Crack!


    Raum’s neck snapped as Taesan effortlessly countered.


    Emotional maniption, even at Raum’s level, was useless against him.


    Boom!


    The remaining demonsbined their powers, unleashing a barrage of ck lightning, shadowy threads, and storm-like arrows at Taesan.


    Taesan raised his hand calmly.


    [You have activated Baal’s ck Space Surge.]


    A darkened space swallowed their attacks, shattering and scattering them. The shockwave alone tore the demons’ bodies apart.


    [Aaaah!]


    Realizing their doom, the panicked demons began to understand the reality before them.


    They couldn’t win. Not ever.


    One demon, trembling in fear, shouted:


    [I surrender! I yield!]


    The others quickly followed suit.


    [I lost!]


    [Enough! Enough! I surrender!]


    Watching their cowardly cries, Baal could no longer contain hisughter.


    [Truly, you are the most pathetic of beings. After ughtering countless lives, you now tremble in fear of your own deaths. You are utterly... worthless.]


    With a twisted smile, Baal concluded:


    [Die. That is the only way you’ll ever be of use.]


    The demons’ cries for mercy continued, rippling like waves across the battlefield. One demon, believing himself safe after dering defeat, allowed a faint smile to cross his face.


    Crunch.


    [Urgh...!]


    Taesan’s de pierced the demon’s chest, consuming him entirely.


    [W-Why?! We already surrendered!]


    [The duel ends only when all participants on one side dere defeat. I believe I mentioned this earlier, didn’t I?]


    Baal’s voice was unhurried, almost mocking.


    It was only then that the demons realized not everyone had dered their defeat.


    [Who?! Who hasn’t done it?!]


    [Which bastard hasn’t surrendered?!]


    Desperate, the demons tried to identify the culprit. But in the chaos, with their lives on the line, identifying the holdout was an impossible task.


    Crack!


    [Gaaaaah!]


    One by one, the demons were eradicated.


    Finally realizing that fighting was their only option, they still hesitated.


    [Run!]


    Some turned and fled instead.


    Taesan let out a scoffingugh.


    “Even now, you’d rather run than fight. Truly pathetic.”


    The demons scattered, their expressions frantic as they tried to put distance between themselves and Taesan.


    But their flight was short-lived, halted by an immense wall.


    [Fight for your lives, you defective creations. This will be your final struggle.]


    Baal’s tone was calm, unbothered.


    Taesan gripped his de tightly and approached the panicked demons at a measured pace.


    [Aaaaaah!]


    Despair drove the demons to charge him in a final act of desperation.


    Taesan swung his ash-gray de.


    Boom!


    Another demon was impaled and obliterated, their domain twisted and added to Taesan’s own.


    [You have activated Chaos Copse.]


    Boom!


    The magic of chaos tore through the demons, crushing and disintegrating them.


    There was no escape. No victory.


    Overwhelming despair consumed them.


    Some demons stood frozen, drooling and wide-eyed, their minds shattered by the sheer hopelessness of the situation.


    [Baal!]


    One demon roared in fury, charging toward Baal.


    But an invisible barrier stopped him cold, barring his approach.


    [You nned this from the start! You brought us here to die!]


    Baal chuckled softly.


    The demon tried to scream further usations, but Taesan’s de pierced his back before he could finish.


    Crunch.


    One by one, the demons disappeared.


    Finally, only one demon remained.


    He was an old man, dressed impably in a tailored suit, standing quietly as if unaffected by the ughter.


    Even as Taesan eradicated his kin, the old man hadn’t moved a muscle.


    The old man spoke calmly.


    [Are you satisfied?]


    [Quite, yes.]


    Baal appeared beside him, his posture rxed.


    [Thank you, Bifrons. I wasn’t entirely sure you wouldply, even when I asked.]


    [You are my lord. Whatever youmand, I will do.]


    Bifrons smiled faintly.


    [Besides, I never cared much for my brethren.]


    Taesan now understood why the duel hadn’t ended.


    For the duel to conclude, every demon had to dere defeat.


    But Bifrons had sided with Baal from the start, deliberately refraining from dering defeat so that the demons would perish by Taesan’s hand.


    “So, this was your n all along?”


    From the moment Baal had summoned him, he had intended for the demons to be eradicated.


    [It was a rare opportunity to clean up. I couldn’t let it slip away.]


    [Then, Lord Baal.]


    Bifrons bowed slightly toward Taesan’s de.


    [May you achieve all that you desire.]


    [Thank you, Bifrons. Farewell.]


    Taesan’s de pierced Bifrons’ chest. The old man epted his death without resistance.


    His power flowed into Taesan.


    In total, Taesan had imed the domains of thirty-eight demons.


    The umted domains merged with the one Taesan already possessed, transforming into something entirely new.


    [[Dark Magic] has undergone significant changes.]


    [The basic dark magic [Marcosias’s False mes] has been removed.]


    [The basic dark magic [Dekarabia’s Distorted Vegetation] has been removed.]


    [The basic dark magic [Marbas’s ck Waves] has been removed.]


    And so it continued.


    System notifications flooded his vision, listing every change and deletion.


    The transformation wasn’t limited to the spells.


    Lemegeton’s Throne, the cornerstone of Taesan’s dark magic, began to evolve into something greater.


    [[Lemegeton’s Throne] has evolved into [A Fragment of Malice].]