Beneath the frosty sky where even moonlight had frozen.
Goooooo!
A star of wrath rose above Wrath's blue eyes.
"Your personality is still unbecoming of the Monarch of Wrath."
Greed curled his lips as he pulled back the finger he had been pressing against Wrath's.
"Don't try to measure me, you mere merchant."
Wrath shook his head as he stroked his index finger. The dignity of a demon king leaked out from within his human skin.
"I am always myself, nothing more, nothing less."
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
Greed stepped back with a playful smile. He hadn't lost his composure despite seeing Wrath's true form.
"I told you. That's Wrath."
Gluttony frowned, asking why they were making things even hungrier.
"Sometimes I envy your cluelessness."
Greed tapped Gluttony's head with a faint smile. He slowly rolled his eyes, scanning Wrath's entire body.
"Cur, you must have said it yourself. If you claim to be the king, you'll pay the price." (E/N: I have no idea what it references)
Wrath raised his chin as he met Greed's snake-like gaze.
"That price, would your neck suffice?"
"By all means, if you can. However..."
Greed tilted his head teasingly.
"You seem to have gotten weaker?"
Greed's eyes glowed bright yellow, as if recognizing Raon's true identity.
"You lowly swindler."
Wrath's blue eyes turned a haughty color. Looking down on a demon king of the same rank came as naturally as breathing. It was a fitting posture for the Monarch of Wrath.
"Have you already forgotten how you fled with your tail between your legs?"
"Lust interfered back then. I decline two-on-one fights."
Greed smiled as he drew a small triangle with his index finger. He still didn't show any sign of intimidation.
"Even before that, you only had one arm left."
Wrath sneered as he looked at Greed's right arm.
"Well, let's forget about the past. What's important to this lowly merchant is not the past, but the present and future. But you know..."
Greed laughed as he held the back of his head with interlocked fingers like a carefree person.
"This merchant's eyes are telling me. That you've gotten weaker."
"Indeed. You and I are not on such friendly terms to be chatting like this."
As Wrath snapped his fingers, the unconscious Light Wind division and priests rose and gathered beneath the frosty World Tree.
"If you think I've gotten weaker, then come at me. I'll let you feel it with your body."
"That's where it starts."
Greed lightly turned his neck as he unclasped his fingers. The golden rings between his fingers emitted a dazzling light.
"The Monarch of Wrath giving me the first move, that's unheard of in the Devildom."
"There's no need to flap your gums any longer."
Wrath turned his chin sideways. Clear anger burned in the blue demon king's eyes.
"I'll snap that neck of yours right now."
"Your head might fall first."
A golden radiance surged from beneath Greed's feet. A light of desire, as if gathering all the gold in the world, wrapped around his entire body like a cloak.
Goooooo!
A clear halo of light settled on Wrath's shoulders as he faced the Monarch of Greed. The sky full of starlight and moonlight seemed to bow to the demon king of wrath.
The space was torn apart by the confrontation of kings standing at the highest point in the Devildom, and the skin of the earth was peeled off to a stark white.
Dark demonic energy burned like a wildfire as if the entire kingdom had turned into the Devildom.
Wrath and Greed smiled sharply at each other from within the black hellscape.
Kuung!
The moment a creaking iron frame from the spire fell to the ground, the blue demon king and the golden demon king clashed.
* * *
Kwaaaang!
Wrath's fist and Greed's grip collide. As golden and frosty demonic energy clash, the space between the two demon kings crumpled like a paper crushed in one's hand.
Despite the terrifying collision, Wrath and Greed didn't step back, reaching for each other's hearts. Golden radiance and blue frost collided countless times.
The earth was gouged out pitch-black, and the air shattered with cracks like broken glass.
'Ha....'
Raon stuck out his tongue as he experienced the battle through Wrath's eyes.
'I can't even see it properly.'
Greed approaches, reaches out his hand, and vanishes like a phantom. It was too fast to even recognize as an attack.
Wrath's view also changes countless times. Right sky, left pit, building ahead. The view shifts so quickly it's dizzying.
The battle between the two demon kings was so hard to follow even with his Grandmaster eyes that it seemed like endless blue and yellow lightning strikes.
'It's not just the speed...'
The power was mind-blowing too.
Every time Wrath and Greed moved, powerful explosions erupted throughout the kingdom. The shockwaves overlapped, seeming to erase space itself.
The battle was hard to make out, but strangely, the movements of the two demon kings were becoming gradually familiar.
He could see which direction Greed's sharp flashes were falling, and Wrath erasing the golden radiance with his Snow Flower Demon Field.
No, it was more than just seeing. I felt a vivid sensation as if I had entered Wrath's body and was moving it myself.
'Is it because I hastily opened the Sword Domain?'
It seemed to be a side effect of Wrath entering before my soul left the body.
However, for me right now, this state was not a side effect, but nothing short of a serendipitous encounter.
'Because I can directly experience the battle between Wrath and Greed.'
Even if the fight between the two demon kings was in a realm far beyond my comprehension, maintaining this sensation would be a great help for my future growth.
Without blinking once, I captured every minor collision with my eyes and skin.
Hwuuuung!
A light containing the heat of hell extends from the tip of Greed's fingers. With just overwhelming power and speed, without any unnecessary movements, he completed transcendent martial arts.
Chiiiiing!
Wrath flicked his chin with a leisurely gaze, as if enjoying a snack. A transparent wall of frost rose over the space his gaze touched.
Kuwaaaang!
The frost wall that met Greed's light shattered, drawing cracks like a spider web.
The frost shards, in their sharply split form, rushed at Greed.
"You're using a technique I haven't seen before."
Greed muttered briefly before diving into Wrath's left side. The golden fist technique approached before his words ended. It was transcendent speed and judgment.
Jeoeeeeong!
As if anticipating Greed's surprise attack, Wrath deflected the golden fist technique with the back of his hand and struck down with his right fist.
The Monarch of Wrath and the Monarch of Greed endlessly clashed fists and hands at an extremely close range where they could feel each other's breath.
From the shocking collision of demonic energy caused by the two demon kings, half of the kingdom melted down, and half froze.
Raon observed the competition between Greed and Wrath, not even sparing time to breathe. He couldn't interpret everything, but he gradually became familiar with how they moved.
'In terms of pure speed, Greed is superior.'
Befitting a demon king with a sharp yet light aura, Greed possessed terrifying speed. Judging by his movements alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him light itself, so even Wrath couldn't keep up.
'Of course, it's not just a matter of speed, but...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Wrath deflecting the impact of the collision while standing in place.
'He's at a disadvantage because he can't leave this spot.'
Wrath didn't move from his initial position to protect the Light Wind division under the frosty World Tree.
To think he wouldn't back down from his words to protect his subordinates even at the cost of his life while fighting a demon king of the same rank, he was truly an absurd demon king.
Kwajik!
Raon turned his head to the right at the sound of something breaking. Gluttony was satisfyingly smiling as she chewed and swallowed a rock enveloped in Wrath and Greed's demonic energy with her white mouth.
'...Is there really no sane one among the demon kings?'
To think of filling his stomach during this urgent battle, it seemed the title of Monarch of Gluttony wasn't given for nothing.
'Phew....'
Raon shook his head to regain his focus, then turned his attention back to the battle between Wrath and Greed.
"Shall we try something we haven't done in a while?"
Greed stretched his hand towards the sky with a joyful smile.
"One million."
The moment his voice echoed through space, the frost-filled sky was torn apart by golden radiance.
Kwaaaaa!
Golden streaks of light poured down, filling the sky. Each flash was imbued with extreme speed and sharpness.
"Silver Aurora."
Wrath raised his hand as if to catch Greed's radiance falling like shooting stars.
The frost mist that extended from his grip solidified into the shape of an umbrella, swallowing all the falling flashes.
Raon swallowed dryly as he watched Wrath's frost blocking Greed's offensive.
'Silver Aurora....'
Wrath's technique was the Silver Aurora that I could also use. However, its form, power, and solidity were incomparable to mine.
Having gained the experience of using the Silver Aurora with his body, I had an idea of how to develop it. Every breath, every movement of the fingers was an opportunity to learn.
Chiiiiing!
The frost blade that extended from Wrath's elbow collided with the light shot from Greed's fist, bursting into a powerful shockwave.
All the surrounding debris was swept away, leaving only dark earthen ground.
Hwuuuung!
When the dust and light settled, Wrath furrowed his brow, and Greed drew a faint smile.
"My prediction was right."
Greed nodded calmly as he dusted off his hands.
"You've gotten weaker."
'Huh....'
Raon let out a sigh as he heard Greed's words. To say this current state was weaker, it was absurd.
"That's dog talk."
Wrath turned his chin sideways as if mocking Greed.
"Stop flapping your gums and let's finish this."
"Even if you're fighting while protecting those humans behind you, in the past you would have landed at least one punch on me. Indeed..."
A strange distortion occurred over Greed's pupils.
"My eyes weren't wrong."
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Greed's eyes. It seemed that something special was reflected in that demon king's eyes.
"Let me tell you something interesting..."
As Greed snapped his fingers, a giant scale appeared behind him.
The perfectly balanced scale emitted a deep golden light, as if made of platinum.
"While you were wasting time in the human world, I was accumulating more desire."
"Nonsense..."
Wrath waved his hand as if telling him to stop talking nonsense.
"Nonsense, you say..."
Greed spread out four fingers, then folded three.
"Would it still be nonsense if I told you a quarter of all the gold coins in the human world are in my hands?"
"...What?"
Even Wrath opened his eyes wide, as if he hadn't expected Greed to have amassed that much gold.
'A quarter?'
Raon also opened his mouth in surprise.
'Insane....'
From what Raon had heard from Wrath, the source of Greed's power was money.
He said Greed grew stronger the more money and desire he acquired, and a quarter of the continent's gold coins was an unimaginable amount.
"It's a power you can't handle in your weakened state."
Greed drew a deep smile as if he had already won.
"Weakened, you say... Well, in a sense, that might be true."
Wrath nodded as he placed a hand on his chest. He seemed to be talking about the strength of his physical body and demonic energy.
"So you finally admit it."
Greed curled up the corners of his mouth as if he had expected this.
"As I thought, the human world doesn't suit you. The anger you gained here isn't even a speck of dust compared to the emotions you once possessed. Of course, it's too late to regret it now."
"No."
Wrath shook his head as he met Greed's gleaming golden eyes.
"I do not regret coming to this world. I've seen much and felt much. And there's one thing you're mistaken about."
"What do you..."
"I am a king who rose from the deepest part of the Devildom to the highest. Do you really think I gained nothing from coming to this land?"
Wrath's voice resonated with nobility. It carried a dignity that could suppress even Greed's aura.
"Hmm..."
Greed furrowed his brow as if sensing a change in Wrath's demeanor.
"What exactly did you see?"
"The back of a young swordsman."
"The back of a young swordsman?"
He chuckled as he threw his head back.
"I thought you were saying something worthwhile, but it wasn't even worth listening to. What a waste of time."
Greed sneered at Wrath as he snapped his fingers.
"100 million gold."
The moment his sharp voice reached the scale, the air split open and countless gold coins poured out.
Kwaaaaaaaa!
As an uncountable number of gold coins poured onto the right side of the scale, its balance tilted dramatically.
Goooooo!
Greed's already enormous aura amplified as the gold coins filled the scale, eventually expanding grandly enough to overturn the entire continent.
A brilliant light flashed from the scale filled with 100 million gold coins, so dazzling it was hard to keep one's eyes open. It seemed that light alone could destroy this kingdom.
"..."
An immense energy rippled, making even Wrath's shoulders tremble. It seemed that the more money poured into that scale, the stronger Greed became.
"It's extravagant, but I suppose this much investment is necessary for an old foe."
Greed raised his finger. The scale disappeared and the demonic energy accumulated from the money gathered above his finger.
Despite being extremely compressed, the sphere, large enough to cover half of this kingdom, spewed out intense golden light.
Kyaaaang!
The veil of holy power that had been concealing the demon kings' energy shattered, and the uncontrolled demonic energy spread in all directions.
"To continue what I was saying earlier..."
Wrath calmly accepted Greed's sardonic smile as he raised his gaze.
"It was the back of a young, unyielding swordsman."
"Give up, Wrath. There is nothing you can do at this point."
Greed shook his head as if to say nothing Wrath brought would matter.
The moment he lowered his finger, golden demonic energy that seemed capable of crushing this continent descended towards Wrath's head.
It was so enormous that it seemed impossible to dodge or block.
"From dawn to dusk, endless swings continued. Though time changed, the swordsman remained unchanged. The small back grew larger, and the blurry sword path gradually took shape. I truly learned a lot."
A faint smile, as if recalling someone, appeared on Wrath's lips.
"Having watched an unyielding swordsman, how could I fall?"
Wrath brought his hands together. Between his fingers forming a triangle, a blue hexagram emerged.
"Are you watching, Raon Zieghart? This is a flower learned from you, for you."
'What?'
Before Raon could react, Wrath continued speaking.
"Demonic Incarnation: Snow Flower."
That low resonance twisted the balance of the world. Everything touched by the blue gaze froze stark white.
Even the demonic energy Greed had shot and Greed himself were trapped in transparent ice, blooming blue flowers.
Kwaaaaaaaa!
Following that was a colorless slash. An endless sword dance seemed to toy with the frozen world.
Greed and his demonic energy were sliced thinner than hair, and the kingdom's buildings were split so finely that no trace remained.
It was as if the frost hell and blade hell, considered the worst among hells, had manifested simultaneously.
Hwuuuung!
The moment the dance of blades ceased, all that existed before their eyes were the petals of frost flowers.