Heinz slowly opened his eyes as a purple flame permeated the inside of his body and soul dimension. His physical condition was much better, with the vital organs shattered during the fight almost completely healed, but he still felt severe pain in his head.
Zatiel's Soul Eradicator was a deadly spell, and the Rebirth Incarnation did not contain itself at all. The Cultivator's soul dimension was full of cracks, but the Rebirth Force and his True Will were already fixing them.
The Cultivator looked around and saw Totto, Zitra, Juntu, and Tyrus staring at him with admiration and respect. Their bloodlines were at the same level, but Heinz displayed a battle power higher than any of them.
It was not just his Killing Essence that granted Heinz his superiority. There was also his battle awareness and ability to take every chance that presents itself on the battlefield.
The Magic Creatures were even giving him thumbs up, which made the Cultivator laugh. Heinz turned to his left and saw Zatiel pointing his palm at him, from which a torrent of purple fire and a small trail of blood was coming out.
The purple fire not only was regenerating his organs but also consuming the death force left in him and transforming it into a stream of life force.
"Your battle power could match that of a weak Rank 5 Demon at the 1st Engraving Stage, but your body is too frail. A single full-power strike from a Demon Count will be enough to injure you severely. If you are going to fight with one of them, I advise you to learn assassination skills. It will not be hard to land a killing blow with your speed and offensive power if you take them by surprise."
Heinz adopted a solemn expression as he heard those words. He knew that when it comes to battle experience, not even the highest members of the Aeternum Empire could compete with Zatiel.
"Soon, I will make personalized Animax Soul Runes that will adapt perfectly to each one of you, fixing any flaw and improving your strong points. Until then, take advantage of the countless fights you will have in Abyss and Baator to polish your battle styles."
After this short intermission, Zatiel continued speaking about their mission.
"Totto and Zitra, you two will be working in Avernus, just like Rax and Dante. However, you will establish your organization away from them and form an independent sphere of influence."
The beautiful woman with wings made of shadows and light and the plump man with bone wings nodded, expressing their understanding.
"Heinz, Tyrus, and Juntu, you three will head to the 6th Layer of Abyss, the Realm of the Million Eyes. Like the rest, you have to establish an organization, but there is a secondary mission. You will search for information about the Great Mother. Do it discreetly, or else you may be targeted by Archdemons and be forced to discard your demonic disguises."
Heinz and Juntu adopted a stern expression when they heard their mission. Tyrus frowned, and after a moment of thought, the Abomination Gorilla spoke.
"Leader, I am not very good with missions that involve a subtle approach. I think that it will be for the best if you pick someone else."
No one thought less of the Abomination Gorilla when they heard that. Overestimating your capacities was something a fool would do, and a mission given by Zatiel was bound to be very important. Tyrus did not think he could pay the price for failing even if he gave his life.
The Neo-Demon Race's Ancestor saw the sense of responsibility behind Tyrus' words, and he smiled before shaking his head.
"I can see your sense of duty, but don't worry. If information about the Great Mother were essential for my plan, I would search for it myself. I gave the three of you this mission to develop your non-combat skills and intelligence to a higher level since you are the ones who would benefit the most."
A confused expression appeared in the Cultivator and the Magic Creatures when they heard Zatiel's words, but their eyes filled with realization after a moment.
"Hey, are you callings us dumb?"
"I am super smart."
"Yeah, me too."
Although he found their reaction hilarious, Zatiel maintained a straight face before speaking again.
"I am saying that you are the most straightforward. You need to learn flexibility and the art of deception."
The trio's eyes narrowed, but they looked at each other and began to nod.
"True men are bound to be straightforward."
"Of course, we solve our problem with our fist, not words."
"You two are right, but it is never wrong to learn new things."
After seeing them calm down, Zatiel gave the trio the final piece of information about the Great Mother's mission.
"I have an idea of what you will find out, but I need to be sure before using that information. Although it is not essential, I can exchange the Great Mother's knowledge for a high price, so do your best."
The following information involved everybody, so Zatiel drew their attention before continuing.
"If you want to work in a particular mission with the other teams in Abyss and Baator, you can do it, but be sure to leave no witnesses of your cooperation. In case you are targeted by a Marquess and can't solve it yourself, you can ask for my help in Baator or that of Ezequiel in Abyss."
Heinz, Totto, Zitra, Juntu, and Tyrus could not help but show surprise on their faces. The Cultivator looked at Zatiel for a moment before speaking.
"Ezequiel already reached the Demon Marquess level!?"
Heinz had known Ezequiel since he was a young child who recently reached Rank 1. He could not hide the surprise that in less than a century, the Supreme Neo-Demon reached a level that could give him the title of powerhouse inside the Magi World.
The feeling in the others' hearts was the same. Zatiel was an ancient entity who could defy the notion of reality, and they could accept his abnormal battle power, but Ezequiel was once a normal human with a starting point lower than any of them.
"Ezequiel already perfected his battle style with the blood of countless demons and life and death battles. He can express every ounce of power of his soul, body, and energy, leaving nothing untapped. My Will is already undefeatable in the same Rank."
If before they were surprised, now they were shocked. Heinz focused on Zatiel and made the next question with a serious tone.
"Brother, are you saying that Ezequiel's battle power is greater than yours?"
Now that they are Neo-Demons and possessed Bloodline Hearts, they had a better judgment of how powerful the bloodline running through Zatiel's veins was. Someone surpassing him in the same Rank was preposterous.
"That is not what I said. Our battle power should be around the same. However, the core of my battle style and where I am better than any other life form in the universe is soul dominion. Ezequiel's unique body grants him tremendous spiritual defense, and if to that we sum his Star Breaker True Will, then most of my arsenal is useless against him. That is why I would probably lose in direct combat."
The groups' eyes shone with understanding and figured out why the Supreme Neo-Demon could defeat Neo-Demon's Ancestor despite being equal in battle power.
The cultivation, talent, and potential of two individuals could be the same. However, due to particular circumstances, one could overpower the other with ease.
"Ok, you all have your mission and the knowledge to carry them on. Let's move out."
The six Neo-Demons teleported to the World Gate and left the Neo-Demon Realm. Five would start their organizations, while one would take back what was his.
