"Damn it! The situation's changed! I have to call for backup!"
Seeing things take a bad turn and realizing that, in this split-off parallel world, there was suddenly someone even stronger than Maou Lucifer, Shalba instantly lost his nerve.
In the original storyline, Shalba had always been like this: the moment things looked bad, he ran. That was how he managed to live all the way to the later arcs.
However...
Just as Shalba was about to use the ExE World's teleportation formation, an invisible afterimage swept in with a cutting gale.
"[Owari no Hikaken · Tsui-ei · Final Secret Sword: Shadow-Chasing]!"
"Fwoosh~"
The gale whistled past Shalba's body.
Both of Shalba's arms were severed in an instant. Only after the fact of his arms being cut off had already been established did the storm formed by his movement finally catch up and blow over him.
"W-what... what is this!?"
Shalba's face twisted in shock. He hastily tried to channel the [Raiden Kokusei no Tate · Lightning Restraint Shield] to heal himself.
However...
"Fwoosh!~"
Another cutting gale.
This time, Shalba lost both his legs.
"Stay away from me!!!"
Having lost both arms and legs in rapid succession, Shalba finally broke down. He roared hoarsely, venting all of his demonic power in an attempt to force Sai Akuto back.
And then...
"Fwoosh~"
Yet another invisible blur, too fast for even light to catch, flashed by.
"AAAAAA 'zero nine three' AAAAA!!!~"
Shalba's screams of agony echoed across the entire parallel world.
When everyone looked over at him again, he had only his upper body left, and Akuto was casually holding that upper half in his hand.
...…
The technique Akuto had used just now was called [Owari no Hikaken · Tsui-ei · Final Secret Sword: Shadow-Chasing].
This move was the ultimate technique that could only be developed after truly perfecting the "True Secret Sword Style (Water)."
[Final Secret Sword: Shadow-Chasing] was a strike born from the sword itself, reaching a realm beyond the limit, a divine-speed blow that even one's own shadow could not catch.
Through simultaneous training of "Multi-Heart Insight," Akuto had finally managed to work out this ultimate technique.
...…
With Shalba's remaining upper body in hand, Akuto simultaneously employed the most brutal soul-searching and purification methods.
"Uwaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!~"
As his memories were read, his soul scrubbed clean, and the power he had obtained purified, Shalba let out the most agonized screams of his life.
While purifying the "Evolution Core" inside Shalba, a system notification sounded in Akuto's mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the Host for completing the storyline quest: World Core Shard Collection.]
[Quest Rank: Gold.]
[Collection Target: Shalba Beelzebub.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining one enhancement of corresponding rank.]
[Ding!]
[Succubus Bloodline (Purple) has advanced to Succubus Bloodline (Gold)!]
[Succubus Bloodline (Gold): After advancement, the succubus bloodline now has a clearly noticeable effect on main-god-class and higher beings, and even above main-god level it can still exert some influence.]
"Hm?"
"Tsk... if I want to get the 'full support of the entire Gremory household,' should I apologize to Venelana first?"
The reason Venelana had wavered was because she felt it wasn't good for Rias to keep being unable to have children. Since Akuto needed females to enhance his bloodline power, rather than letting him go find outsiders, she would rather personally step in.
But once she learned Akuto had this kind of capability, Venelana would definitely...
"Yeah, I've decided. Best not to tell Venelana for now~"
Without even needing to think, Akuto decided not to tell Venelana.
...…
Akuto was not some sadist. After reading Shalba's memories and purifying the Evolution Core, he simply tossed him into his own small world.
The reason he did not kill Shalba here and now was because Shalba had yet to serve his greatest purpose.
For Akuto, the Khaos Brigade's "Old Maou Faction" and "Witch's Night" were tools to establish his authority.
The leaders of the Old Maou Faction would be subjected to judgment in the Underworld, thereby highlighting the supreme authority of the "DxD Agency."
...…
Right at this moment, once the Shalba at Akuto's location was dealt with, every Shalba in all the parallel worldlines simultaneously lost their limbs, then vanished from where they stood together.
It was only seven parallel worldlines. Akuto had already sealed off all possibilities in these seven worldlines before entering the one where Maou Alice was located, achieving the effect that by defeating a single enemy, he could defeat every version of that enemy.
"Next, it's your turn."
After clearing Shalba, Akuto cast his gaze upon the Old Maou Faction that was gradually encircling him from all sides.
At this point, Akuto's [Leviathan no Mizu · Water of Leviathan] had slowly wrapped around the Old Maou army from the outside.
Maou Alice was the first to realize that, even while dealing with Shalba, Akuto had used the Water of Leviathan to encircle the surroundings.
She understood his tactic instantly and, without a word, began quietly filling in the gaps from the opposite side.
Now, the devils of the Old Maou Faction were completely surrounded by Akuto's Water of Leviathan and Maou Alice's [Hokai Tenmu · Heaven-Devouring Mists of Destruction].
Their strength was nothing to scoff at. The lower limit of the Old Maou bloodline was very high, enough to ensure that the vast majority of pure-blood Old Maou devils would reach Ultimate-class upon reaching adulthood. With some effort, becoming Maou-class was not out of the question either.
However, when faced with two terrifying existences like Akuto and Maou Alice, whose strength had reached the very peak of main-god level, they found that their so-called "true Maou bloodline" was nothing but pure psychological damage in comparison.
...…
"This is... [Shokuten no Umi · Sea that Devours the Heavens]? Why do I feel like it's somewhat different from before?"
Caterea frowned so hard her brows almost knotted together.
If, before, Akuto had merely perfected the "Sea that Devours the Heavens" that the first Leviathan had failed to complete, then now, Akuto had added yet another layer of incomprehensible changes to the Sea that Devours the Heavens.
That, however, was not unexpected.
The original strength of Caterea and the other Old Maou had mostly been between high-rank Maou and peak Maou. After using the Evolution Core, they could reach high-rank Super Maou or even peak Super Maou.
Then, on that foundation, using Ophis's Snake, they had only just barely attained King-class combat power.
While their upper limit of raw strength had been raised, when it came to real skill and vision, most of them had not even fully digested the techniques and abilities of the Super Maou level.
In that regard, Akuto had been the same.
Previously, when his strength was still at the High-class Devil stage, although he could explosively reach Maou-class combat power, his techniques and his grasp of his own abilities still had obvious shortcomings.
It was only because Akuto naturally had talent in researching techniques and moves, and because the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet could greatly enhance his base attributes, that he was able to minimize these shortcomings.
That flaw in Akuto's foundation had only truly been made up for after he received the "Knowledge Library of the God of the Bible" and "initially fused with the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet."
...…
Caterea's perception was not wrong.
Akuto's Sea that Devours the Heavens and the rest of his toolkit were more than adequate within the main-god-class range, and reality fully proved as much.
The problem was that, for Akuto, Sea that Devours the Heavens was a technique he could keep using at least until he reached Sub-Dragon-God class.
Of course, Akuto estimated that, by the time he actually advanced to Sub-Dragon-God class, he would already have devised further evolved versions of Sea that Devours the Heavens and other such ultimate techniques.
...…
"It's over..."
Facing Akuto, Caterea felt a despair unlike anything she had ever known.
She had already tried. Not only could she not contact the outside world, she could not even activate the teleportation spell she had prepared in advance for escape.
Under the anchor of the Holy Spear, the Maou of the Old Maou Faction had truly become turtles in a jar.
Caterea understood this with painful clarity.
She understood her own weakness, understood Akuto's strength.
Even having given everything she had, she was still powerless to halt Akuto's advance.
What was even more terrifying was that Caterea could not see where Akuto's upper limit lay at all.
Every so often, Akuto would grow stronger.
In the past, she could still look down on him, still think about using him as a breeding tool.
But now, after Akuto had shown too many miracles one after another, Caterea was completely crushed.
...…
After extreme despair came what people called submission.
Even if Caterea did not want to admit it, deep down she had indeed developed a desire to submit to Sai Akuto.
Of course, the most important reason for that was simple: Akuto was a Leviathan.
If Akuto's bloodline had not been Leviathan, then even when faced with an unbeatable enemy, Caterea would definitely have chosen to fight to the death and drag the other party down with her.
But if it was a pure-blood Leviathan, that was another matter entirely.
At this moment, from the depths of her heart, Caterea acknowledged Akuto's status as the pure-blood Leviathan.
The reason the Leviathan line of the Old Maou Faction had been considered "orthodox" was because they were the descendants of the first Leviathan.
And the reason the first Leviathan had been the most orthodox was because she had been one of the strongest devils of her era and had ruled the devils for an exceedingly long time.
Now, Akuto had displayed strength before Caterea that surpassed even Maou Lucifer.
Thus, after much deliberation, Caterea made a shocking move.
...…
Caterea tossed aside the staff in her hand, the one set with a massive purple gem. She dropped to both knees and, just like Yuuto Kiba's mother had once done, pressed her forehead to her hands laid on the ground in front of her, her posture one of complete submission and obedience.
To this, Akuto's evaluation was...
If, when doing this pose, she stripped off all her clothes and folded them neatly to the side, then placed her staff next to them, creating that classic composition... xxx would probably like it even more.
(End of Chapter)
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