Under the effects of the pure holy flames, Edmond's head grew back with a permanent yellow hue in his eyes.
The flames did not subside even after his head regenerated causing him to appear more intimidating than before.
"Hahaha! I finally feel free!"
Ego had told Null about the parasitic consciousness that they now confirmed to be that of the Devil, the ruler presiding over the Demonic Realm.
"I'm not sure how hard it's been for you, but rest assured we will help you in the fight against the Devil and force our way into the Angelic Realm to find Ms. Florie."
With the flames still engulfing his countenance, Edmond smiled widely, "I'm not sure how it's been for you either, but it seems you've grown despite your current stature."
Null took the jab lightly.
After all, it did seem odd for a bunch of children to run around with special abilities and characteristics causing mayhem wherever they went.
The only mature one of the group was Barter's Ruler as Theef was technically still a teenager.
'I wonder if I can grow to match my actual age,' Null thought about the state of his body as back when he first visited Planet Barter his body grew to what it was now overnight.
Seemingly aware of his thought, the Creator chuckled to himself and informed Ego of the discrepancy.
'He says that as a special organism, you were always able to change your physical form as you pleased,' Ego relayed the information, 'The only reason you haven't is because you're still operating based on the fact that you were once human.'
'Really?! I figured that nonsense was mostly to fool around with me,' Null was surprised to learn more from the stingy Creator.
He immediately wanted to test it out as he had an uncanny level of control over his body.
Sure enough, after a moment of 'speaking' to his body, he enlarged his body to reach the same physique he had before the change in his species.
Dumbfounded by the sudden change after having just talked to him about his size, Edmond laughed once more, "This kid... just what are you?"
'A fucking banana I guess,' Null responded in his head.
"That's not fair," Klein sulked, too jealous by the change while he was now the only shorty in the crew.
"Don't worry 'bout it man, I'm still stuck on that one chick pointing me out," Z'oelo comforted.
Klein looked at him with all his musculature and height and squinted in scorn.
After the brief relaxed atmosphere, Null divulged the reason behind the damage to Edmond's body.
"So it was really him!"
"What reason did he have to bide his time in Mr. Zolial's head?"
"Don't tell me he has a connection between every demon down here."
At the last revelation by Theef, the crew were immensely worried.
"It's safe to assume as much," Null solemnly said, "He might even be able to learn about the past lives of the natives here."
"It's safe to assume he can subtly influence those he takes an interest in and feed on them once they reach a suitable level."
He then turned to Edmond and asked, "How was it for you Mr. Zolial?"
It was a sensitive topic, but Edmond knew it was helpful to give as much information about his experience to ensure the safety of the crew.
"It was like a comforting presence was with me when I first, heard it," he clenched his jaw, "I felt perplexed at times, but eventually it was the only thing I had to listen to aside from the growing silence."
His jaw loosened, "To think the Devil was plaguing my mind, reading my thoughts and using them against me."
His eyes lost their luster as he spoke, but the flames burned brighter— seemingly as if to fluctuate based on his emotions.
"But knowing this, I want revenge for his attempt at my fucked-up life," the light in his eyes was piercing and the flames flickered, showing two long horns and two smaller horns that were blood red with dark etchings in them running down his face and connecting to those on his whole body.
Now that they had seen his face, the crew realized they were too worried about his wellbeing to notice the changes in Edmond's entire figure.
Even though he was on the lean side, dense muscles could be seen bulging in areas of his body— namely his biceps, chest, and quads— making him seem like he hit the gym regularly.
His veins seemed to hold lava in them as they bulged all throughout his body.
Needless to say, demons had no sense of shame and went their lives without clothing of any sort due to the lack of natural resources at their disposal, so Edmond's privates were unabashedly bare for the world— namely Null and the crew— to see.
They did not mind though since Null was a nudist and they were all guys.
Even Muni had seen Z'oelo naked thanks to their connection, so she grew desensitized over the length of their new lives.
After growing in size, Null was barely fitting in his underwear, and the Rainbow Mane blanket was more of a shoulder length cloak.
The more they observed Edmond's body, the more they felt the underlying pressure of an unseen presence.
'He's easily stronger than the two babes of the crew, but I doubt he could handle me or Goldie given our Transcendent abilities, but who knows what powers he has in store,' Theef assessed.
They had only witnessed the purgatory flames from afar, so they had yet to understand the dangers that it possessed when burning its target.
How could they know that the ruthless nature of the flames burnt even the soul of those unfortunate enough to feel even an ember of the flames.
Even Edmond was unaware of the purgatory flames' attributes.
He only felt what his body was capable of and controlled it to the best of his instincts.
Maybe only the Devil knew the true nature of the flames as he had always incited Edmond to use them to obtain the demonic essence they broke down each demon into when burnt by them.
"If he wants to consume you to strengthen himself, it's only natural you should return the favor," Null was down to see the one who almost killed one of his own suffer a fate worse than death.
Even Barter's Ruler got in on the moment as he saw something special in Edmond, "What goes around comes around my friend. I feel as if that statement is what you embody fully and with that, maybe a Universal Rule would speak to you."
They had touched around the topic of Universal Rules as Null was giving the recount of his journey so far, but Barter's Ruler and Theef elucidated further as to how one would foster a connection to one based on their life experiences.
Edmond saw his past life, his worst moments and his best and thought to his current situation of being a demon searching for his lost angel.
"There's nothing more to say than I crave a balance I don't deserve," Edmond said after soul searching.
Edmond was enthralled by the current circumstance as he knew he was getting somewhere close to a breakthrough, "You've been dealt a shitty hand, yet you bet on it anyways. A fool can dream, but you seek hope in the darkness of reality."
"How can I not," Edmond Zolial was deep in the moment as well, feeling a connection to the man of gold in front of him, "Luck doesn't suit me and fate is a cruel mistress. I can only look towards the light at the end of the tunnel."
Seeing the fire that flared from the neck up dying out, Barter's Ruler felt that something was amiss and racked his brain as to what would come next.
Luckily, he was not alone.
"The ones who tread in the darkness are the only ones who can appreciate the light of others," Theef wanted in on the sensation, so he added his perspective on the matter, "Others seek to devour the light only to be consumed by darkness in the end. What do you seek from the light?"
Edmond's fire was all but put out, "I only seek to be freed from the shackles of the dark."
Barter's Ruler took over once more, "But the light will only deepen the shadows you seek to be rid of. Sometimes the things that tie us down are what defines us. What is it that eats at you so deeply?"
"I am afraid that I would settle for the darkness as it is all I know."
"Now that can't be right," Barter's Ruler shook his head, "You've already stepped foot inside the light. You just can't tell because you're trapped under the shroud of another— a false king whom you already mentioned you would dethrone"
Edmond knew what he meant and seemed to wake up from a brief slumber.
The holy flames burned around his head with a fervor unlike before, "I am basking in the light! I was just blind before you opened my eyes!"
Like the final nail in the coffin, Barter's Ruler spoke, "A true ruler falls under his own control! What drives you to allow the warmth of the light kiss your skin?!"
"I am harmonious! The darkness that I come from births the purest light!"
Now, his body burned with a coal black purgatory flame that merged with the pure holy flame at his head and fueled its brightness.
His eyes that pierced through the rocky ceiling now focused on the ruler in front of him.
He sought to understand the new power he felt growing alongside him in the moment but knew that it had something to do with the Universal Rules they were previously speaking of.
"Enlighten me. What sort of person can uplift another to such a degree?"
It was Barter's Ruler's turn to radiate a golden aura that surged towards the coin on his forehead.
Behind his eyes was a golden sheen that grew the more he saw the change in Edmond.
"My Greed is something that can influence others to show their worth. I've done nothing but unlock the seals placed on you that hide the brilliance hidden beneath your skin, deep within your soul."
"Tell me. For what reason does your Greed invigorate my Harmony? What do you get out of it?"
Barter's Ruler smirked and eyed Null, "My Ruler's Greed deems those worthy of walking alongside me uplifted to new heights. Those unworthy are only able to grovel under the weight of my Greed."
"How harmonious!"
The flames surrounding Edmond were being purified to the level of the holy flames despite still being dark in color.
The flames rapidly consolidated into a single burning solid flame.
'Transcendent just like that!'
Even Theef was jealous, but he knew that this only meant he had another to mooch off of with another treasure to taste.