Edward—a talent unrecognized, a man scorned by all. The bitterness he swallowed was known only to himself.

He wasn’t without defiance. He wasn’t without rage. But powerless, he’d learned to shrink back, to yield…

So what happened when power finally filled his grasp? Edward’s choice was clear: no more silence, no more retreat. Only ruthless destruction. Vengeance.

Yet Ouyang Tao still believed this wasn’t Edward’s true heart. "Stand down. You can’t escape this time. I know you can turn your body elemental—but I also know how to stop it. I’ve already proven that."

"Heh… heh… You’re truly capable…" Edward raised his hand. Countless orbs of light shot forth, streaking toward Ouyang Tao.

This time, Ouyang Tao was ready. Ten Rapid Electricity Noisemakers flared to life, antennas amplifying. A spiderweb-like interference field crackled before him, snaring every orb. They dissolved on contact.

"The Mana Disruption Web…" Edward sneered. "Two days. You actually built a working model." *His* impossible dream—the one mocked as fantasy—made real in mere days by Ouyang Tao.

"Enough talk! Finish him!" Deya, behind Edward, charged sword-first. Edward didn’t even turn. A crimson wave from his flicked wrist slammed her back.

"Stay quiet. I’ll settle your insults… slowly." Edward’s gaze never left Ouyang Tao. "Truthfully, I never wanted to kill you—"

"No! It’s not just you, Edward! The Lucifer’s Crown twists the mind! You must be—"

"No—*this* is me! The real me!" Edward stomped forward. The ground shattered beneath his foot. Crimson light blazed from his clenched fist. A shockwave ripped through the interference field, surging straight at Ouyang Tao.

Ouyang Tao braced. Ten Rapid Electricity Thunders roared behind him, torrents of current clashing against the crimson wave. Neither yielded.

Seizing the moment, Deya lunged again. Her frost-laden blade aimed for Edward’s throat.

Edward’s right hand held Ouyang Tao’s current at bay. His left blocked Deya’s sword with the back of his hand. "You called me a daydreamer, didn’t you?"

"Aren’t you?" Deya gritted out. Her blade strained against his mana, unable to pierce his flesh. She pushed harder.

"Hmph." Edward vanished. Ouyang Tao’s lightning lost its target—slamming into Deya’s sword instead.

"Damn it!" Ouyang Tao cut the current too late.

"Aaagh—!" Deya screamed. Her sword clattered away. The jolt nearly knocked her unconscious. She collapsed, saved only by her own monstrous mana resistance.

"Now it’s just you and me."

"W-what—? Gah—!"

Distracted by Deya’s fall, Ouyang Tao never saw Edward behind him. A fiery uppercut exploded into his chest. He flew backward, crashing hard.

Outside the blazing battlefield, the sounds of combat echoed clearly. But the wall of hellfire stood impassable. A few Imperial Guards tried charging it—only to be repelled by the outer mana barrier before even touching the flames.

This wasn’t just fire. It was a spinning vortex. Weak impacts bounced off. Strong ones risked being swallowed whole, reduced to ashes instantly.

After all, this was the power of a Devil King Artifact.

"Stay back, little girl!" Monster Girl locked her arms around Ouyang Xue, who strained to charge in, magic flaring around her.

"My brother’s in there! I won’t lose him again! Never! Let me go—LET ME GO—!" Ouyang Xue thrashed like a wild thing, her desperation shaking even Monster Girl’s grip.

Dozens of Imperial Guards and Discipline Squad members stood helpless. This was the legacy of Hell’s former ruler—an absolute barrier of flame.

All except one. Silent Sword shed his coat, revealing a scarred, iron-hard torso. He braced against the vortex’s storm, stepping slowly toward the inferno. Only a body honed by relentless mana could endure this.

Arms coiled at his waist, he thrust both fists into the flames. His entire body plunged in. An invisible force erupted from him—a boulder in a raging river—grinding the vortex’s spin to a crawl.

"Annoying… Silent Sword…" Edward sensed the barrier weakening. But breaking through would take time.

He turned back to Ouyang Tao, struggling to rise. "I said—I never wanted to kill you."

"Then… why… urgh…" Ouyang Tao coughed blood. Edward’s punch had seared his chest with hellfire. Something had absorbed part of the blow, but the damage was deep.

"You’re so clever. Figure it out!" Edward flicked his wrist. Another crimson beam shot toward Ouyang Tao’s face.

*Boom.* Ouyang Tao stood unharmed, a defense unit smoking where the blast hit.

Edward wasn’t surprised. Ending Ouyang Tao’s life wasn’t the point. Making him *understand* mattered more. This was Edward’s pent-up rage given form.

And until that rage was spent—or someone stopped him—it would never end…