"Esdeath is here?"
Najenda was startled and about to say something, but just then, several ice chunks shot into view, shattering against the palace pillars.
Those ice chunks were none other than frozen guards.
"So, you must be Ayato?"
A woman with waist-length hair and a slender figure entered the palace with three others.
Her expression was stern, and her ice-blue eyes flickered with an unreadable light.
"I heard you're the one who killed General Budo."
As she spoke, Esdeath became intensely excited, an unnatural flush appearing on her face.
Surely a strong man like this could give her a satisfying fight.
"Long time no see, Esdeath."
Najenda greeted her proactively.
"Yes, it has been a long time."
Esdeath nodded and said calmly, "It seems you've found a good master this time."
Hearing this, Najenda didn't refute it, just smiled and said, "I'm happy to be on the same side as you again."
"We can talk about that later. I have a fight to finish first."
Esdeath turned her head, her nearly perfect face now openly displaying her battle lust.
'She wants to fight right away? She really is a battle maniac.'
Looking at Esdeath, Ayato said, "Fighting is fine, but there are conditions."
Esdeath's eyes narrowed. "What conditions?"
Ayato took a few steps forward. "Become a Devil. From then on, your life belongs only to me. Serve me for life."
'A Devil?'
'Serve?'
Esdeath looked bewildered, not quite understanding.
'What Devil?'
'But if it was about serving...'
She looked at Ayato.
Well... he fit her aesthetic.
And with the strength to kill Budo... he was her ideal type.
"The strong dominating the weak... that's only natural."
Thinking this, the corner of Esdeath's mouth curled up. "Conversely, if you lose, you belong to me too."
'She sure has a good taste.'
Feeling Esdeath's aggressive gaze, Ayato smiled. "It's a deal."
Bang!
The instant Ayato's words fell, Esdeath crushed the ground beneath her feet.
In an instant, the two figures were face to face.
"As expected of you."
Ayato's face showed admiration.
Esdeath's strength was definitely above Budo's.
"You're this relaxed fighting me?"
"If you're not careful, you might die."
A flash of brutality appeared in Esdeath's eyes.
Even if he was her ideal type...
When it came to fighting, she was serious.
Clang!
Her saber slid from its sheath, drawing a cold, gleaming arc through the air, aimed at Ayato's neck.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed as fist and blade collided.
Visible ripples spread outward in all directions.
The Three Beasts in the distance had their expression changed, feeling their eardrums ring and their minds go blank.
Crack!
The saber snapped. Caught off guard, Esdeath was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing into the ground in the distance and creating a three-meter-long crater.
"How is this possible?"
The Three Beasts, covering their ears, stared dumbfounded at the scene.
After just one exchange, Esdeath's saber was broken, and she was sent flying.
In their memory, Esdeath-sama had never been so humiliated.
'Was this person even human?'
'Was he perhaps a Super Danger Beast in human clothing?'
"So strong. You're really so strong."
Esdeath said excitedly, casually tossing away the broken saber in her hand.
How many years had it been since she last felt this sensation of being overwhelmed by power?
Silently...
The ground around Esdeath was covered in thick ice.
Even the temperature of the entire palace began to drop drastically.
Although it was the height of summer, it felt like being in an ice cavern.
"All of you, step back."
Ayato instructed Akame and the others without looking back.
Hearing this, they immediately nodded and quickly moved away.
Seeing this,
The Three Beasts also acted quickly.
They knew exactly what it would look like when Esdeath went all out.
[Origin +10]
"So this is Demon's Extract?"
Feeling this cold air, Ayato smiled. "Come on, let me see what you've got."
"Don't worry, you'll see."
Esdeath gave a cool, beautiful smile.
The next instant,
Ayato and Esdeath moved simultaneously.
Their figures collided directly.
The entire hall seemed to become a frozen wasteland. With a casual wave of Esdeath's hand, countless ice spikes rained down on Ayato.
But these...
Were utterly ineffective against him.
He didn't even bother defending, strolling as leisurely as if on a casual walk, letting them hit him.
Ice spikes that could pierce steel couldn't even penetrate his clothes.
'What kind of Imperial Arm gives you this level of defense?'
Esdeath frowned, her thoughts racing. 'If that's the case...'
Boom!
Najenda and the others, who had already left the palace, felt the sky grow dim.
They looked up instinctively, their pupils contracting sharply.
They saw a massive block of ice, the size of a small mountain, falling like a meteor.
Crack! Crack!
The palace crumbled as the ice seemed about to crush everything.
Thump!
A heavy, dull sound.
Esdeath's gaze sharpened.
Her killing move, capable of obliterating giant Danger Beast, had been caught one-handed by Ayato.
His body stood firm, without the slightest tremor.
As if this massive hailstone weighed nothing in his hands.
"What about your Mahapadma? Use it."
Ayato's fingers tightened, and countless cracks appeared in the iceberg before it exploded violently.
He knew that to win over someone like Esdeath, he had to let her use all her abilities and thoroughly dominate her.
As for so-called time freeze... he wasn't afraid.
Even Incursio, after evolving, could overcome its effects.
And he was far beyond that level.
"What are you talking about?"
Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a move like that. Where did you hear about it?"
"Hmm?"
Ayato was taken aback, then understood.
'Right. At this point in time, she probably hadn't developed that technique yet.'