The explosion in the Jupi continent burned with the full might of a Low World's sun and released energies that could melt Rank 5 life forms in minutes.
Such radiation should have affected the entire continent, but a blue dome that covered a fifth of the landmass contained the blast.
Blue flames carrying the power of destruction and time persisted for more than an hour after Zatiel and Eon Six triggered the artifacts and runes.
The fire force diminished as time passed, with the core being the most destructive area and the periphery of the blue dome the one less affected.
After the flames finally vanished, there were only two figures inside the blue dome. In the center, there was the Darkness Poison Duke, with a torn white membrane covering his badly wounded body.
The white membrane was an old life-saving card he obtained as a Marquess many years ago but never needed to use.
The artifact's defensive power equaled the bottom of Rank 6, so it was not helpful against Duke Krior's light speed cannon, and his mind was too harmed to activate it when Zatiel and Eon Six ambushed him.
Although the membrane helped him, the Darkness Poison Duke's wounds were still grave. He had lost his tail, the gaping hole on his left shoulder grew more prominent, and poisonous energies contaminated his skin and muscles.
What annoyed the Devil Duke the most was the depletion of his Soul Origin and no longer having his Hollow Sun Domain enhancing his existence.
As the Darkness Poison Duke analyzed his condition, his eyes landed on the other figure inside the dome. It was a winged cocoon, enveloped by flaming branches and a red aura.
The cocoon opened a second after the explosion finished, showing two men. There were some wounds on their bodies, but none of them limited their battle power in the slightest.
Neither Zatiel nor Eon Six activated their Law Avatar to protect themselves from the blast. They used the time inside the cocoon to replenish the Soul Origin they spent in the ambush, allowing them to be at their peak in terms of energy.
Rage and hate burned in the Darkness Poison Duke's eyes as he saw the duo. They were the reason all of his plans failed, but his devil's nature allowed him to control his emotions and analyze the surroundings before doing anything.
His mighty consciousness examined everything and saw no more hidden traps, but the moment it reached the blue dome, the Devil Duke frowned.
'This dome allows people to enter but stops them from leaving and blocks all kinds of communication with the outside world. That is why they remained inside and withstood the explosion along with me. There seems to be another function related to the soul, but I can not figure it out.'
As a Rank 6 life form, the Devil Duke's mind was capable of hundreds of calculations every second. If he were at his peak, breaking the blue dome would have been easy, but now, it was impossible with the duo ready to strike him at any time.
Seeing that escape wasn't an option, the Devil Duke emptied his mind of every unnecessary thought and calmly walked forward.
Zatiel and Eon Six looked at each other and nodded before separating. The duo fused with their Law Avatars and walked to the right and left of the Devil Duke.
Their auras grew with every step they took. Lightning and thunder filled the sky while the ground beneath them broke apart and rose to the air due to the immense pressure each of them released.
The trio knew the fight would be short. Zatiel and Eon Six could not keep their Law Avatars and runes active for a long time, and the Pit Fiend's energy pool was almost empty.
The Neo-Demon used the power of his Absolute Solar Yang True Doomsday Body to compress an ocean of bluish-purple fire into a thin glowing edge around his death sword. The flames carried the power of Rebirth Force, Death Essence, and Destruction Essence.
Eon Six's Law Avatar and Inborn Bloodline Runes worked in tandem, reinforcing his skin, muscles, and bones with a special force that made him look like a metallic titan. He poured more and more red aura into his ax, along with the unique energy of his Fiend Sun Heart.
The Darkness Poison Duke saw the duo wanted to flank him, but it did not matter to him and kept walking forward.
All of a sudden, both the Neo-Demon and Supernova Race man vanished. The Pit Fiend could not follow them with his eyes, but his consciousness showed him a dark and blue flash approaching him with a fantastic speed.
There was no fear nor panic in the Darkness Poison Duke's face. His eyes displayed absolute focus, and showing an amazing reaction speed, he bent his body and dodged a dark sword coming for his neck.
Zatiel used Shooting Star End along with his superb martial skills, and yet, despite the wounds, the Pit Fiend managed to dodge the death sword in the last instant.
Before the Neo-Demon could do anything, a punch landed on his chest and sent him flying away.
'As expected of someone tempered by Baator's core laws and who can react to attacks sent at light speed.' That thought crossed Zatiel's mind as he felt his ribs cracking from the attack.
The Pit Fiend got rid of an enemy and was ready to blast away the one coming from his left when an invisible force struck his Inner Law Dimension, numbing his True Soul.
His consciousness showed him that the attack's origin came from the right eye of the man he just sent flying away. Zatiel's Rebirth Eye could not withstand the pressure of firing another Rebirth Nightmare, but it could still launch a powerful Soul Eradicator.
The Devil Duke's reaction speed diminished, making it impossible to dodge the ax and forcing him to block it. He initially thought his physical strength would overwhelm the opponent, but the moment his left claw crashed with the ax, the Pit Fiend understood he had made a mistake.
Eon Six charged every ounce of red aura and almost all his physical energy into the ax, allowing his attack to reach the level of Hollow Sun Domain Stage.
It may have been at the absolute bottom of the stage, but it was still something the Pit Fiend's wounded left arm could not withstand.
The Darkness Poison Duke felt the muscles and bones in the arm shatter, and the wound Duke Krior left on his shoulder grew larger. Despite the immense damage, the Pit Fiend responded instantly and sent Eon Six to the sky with a kick.
The Supernova Race man felt his entire body crack from the blow, but he didn't lose focus and straightened up to keep his eyes on the Devil Duke.
Although the Pit Fiend wanted to finish Eon Six, before he could go after him, the dark flaming sword attacked once again, this time hacking toward his head.
He was about to move his body out of the death sword's path when the power of Time Essence struck him, slowing him down. The Darkness Poison Duke only managed to move his head due to Eon Six interference.
Zatiel's eyes narrowed after missing his initial target, and by twisting his sword in the last second, he managed to strike the gaping wound on the left shoulder.
A smile appeared on the Neo-Demon's face as the death sword buried deep inside the Pit Fiend's body, breaking the collarbone and almost cutting off the left arm.
That was not all, since after piercing the magical defenses of the Devil Duke for the second time, the A.I. Chip finally completed the scan.
A stream of information appeared in Zatiel's mind. Thanks to his Mind Force and powerful consciousness, the Neo-Demon analyzed it while still maintaining full battle awareness.
"Target scan successful.
Name: Darkness Poison Duke
Race: Devil (Pit Fiend)
Path of Power: True Soul ( Rank 6-Peak Hollow Sun Domain Stage)
Strength: 18.7
Physique: 19.3
Speed: 14.8
Hell Aura: 16.7 (0.7)
Soul Origin: 16.9 (0.01)
Status: The power of Fire Essence, Light Essence, Time Essence, Death Essence, and Destruction Essence contaminates the target's body and soul. Exhaustion of Soul Origin.
After Hell Aura depletes, the target will suffer a violent backlash due to the diverse forces affecting him."
