[34] Semi-God Phase

Asmodeus squinted at the sight before him. "What are you doing?!"

"This is the end of your annoying regeneration," Kaoru whispered to himself, ignoring the panicked cries of the demon. Holy energy and physical aura, two forces that should have been impossible to combine, were now forcefully merged by Kaoru, paving the way towards a power attained by only a few mortals. He had surpassed human limits, entering the realm of a demi-god. This transformation ensured that Asmodeus would no longer rely on regeneration to survive.

Asmodeus frowned, panic creeping across his terrifying face. He launched a barrage of attacks, tentacles and dark energy surging like a storm, but the storm of holy energy radiating from Kaoru held firm, deflecting each strike effortlessly.

Kaoru, standing within an absolute defence, smirked slightly. "It's too late to try and stop me."

'Power born from within, and power bestowed by the world... In my name, Kaoru Rasputin, I declare my ascension as a god.' Kaoru thought as he concentrated fully, compressing and merging the energy until it formed a perfect shape, akin to turning coal into a diamond.

A surge of energy shot upwards, piercing through the sky of hell. Even the thick darkness that shrouded Asmodeus' domain could not hold back the radiant light now emanating from Kaoru's body. As the storm of energy subsided, Kaoru stood in his new form, clad in the holy armour of Charlemagne, glowing brightly with divine aura.

"You... What have you done?!" Asmodeus screamed, his voice now filled with a fear he had never known. He tried to attack once more, but the holy power enveloping Kaoru had formed an impenetrable shield.

Kaoru gazed at the giant demon calmly. "Why do you look so nervous, Asmodeus?" he asked mockingly. "Weren't you just boasting about your strength in hell? Go on, show me."

Asmodeus roared, his voice now full of anger and fear he could no longer hide. His once proud and powerful form now trembled before the overwhelming force Kaoru exuded. But before he could launch a counterattack, Kaoru had already leapt into the air, his body shooting upwards like a meteor piercing the dark skies of hell. In his hand, Caliburn gleamed, like a beacon of light cutting through the surrounding darkness, radiating unstoppable holy power.

"Red Eclipse," Kaoru whispered, his voice low but filled with authority, as though the universe itself held its breath in anticipation of the attack.

In an instant, Kaoru released an immense amount of concentrated Aura from his sword. Waves of energy formed a burning red circle in the air before concentrating into a single point, shaking reality itself. The ensuing explosion was no ordinary attack; it was one that tore through dimensions. Space and time seemed irrelevant as the colossal energy unleashed by Kaoru swept across the area.

Asmodeus had no time to react. The energy from Red Eclipse struck him with unimaginable force, shattering every layer of defence he had. The attack didn't just destroy his physical form; it obliterated every fragment of his being, rendering any chance of regeneration impossible. Asmodeus' grand and terrifying castle vanished in an instant, swept away by a force equivalent to that of an atomic bomb.

The sound of the explosion echoed, shaking the very foundations of hell and reverberating throughout dimensions. The red wave of energy spread, consuming everything in its path—darkness, entities, even the shadows in the corners of hell. Within seconds, Asmodeus' once majestic domain had been reduced to nothingness.

Kaoru stood amidst the destruction, his body still enveloped in the soft glow of the holy light radiating from Charlemagne's armour. In his right hand, Caliburn shone brightly, but this time with a peaceful serenity. Asmodeus had been defeated, not just physically, but with the total destruction of his essence.

Kaoru let out a calm, slightly cold sigh, his eyes scanning the ruins around him. The void left in the wake of his devastation stirred faintly, carrying dust and debris into the air. Caliburn, having absorbed the dark energy, was sheathed with a near-silent metallic click. He stood in the midst of total annihilation—the remains of Asmodeus' once-mighty power now reduced to insignificant rubble.

"Hmph... I thought it would be more challenging," he muttered, as if this destruction were a trivial matter. He brushed the dust off his shoulder, his expression unchanged, still as cold as ice.

However, amidst the devastation, something unexpected occurred. Asmodeus, the arrogant demon lord, still clung to life. Not in his grand form, but as a shadowy remnant of his former self—dying, yet unable to truly die. His once proud and powerful body was now nothing more than a skeletal husk, blackened skin stretched over bones, his breath laboured as though each gasp was a torture.

Asmodeus, the ruler of lust, was an eternal entity. He was not merely a creature that could be destroyed, for he represented the very concept of lust itself. If he were to disappear, so too would all desire and drive that fuelled the continuation of life in the world. Without lust, life would cease to evolve; there would be no passion, no attraction, and eventually, no birth. The world would fall into a frozen stasis, and all living beings would perish in emotional stagnation.

Kaoru understood this. Though he could completely destroy Asmodeus, the consequences of his actions would be too great. To obliterate Asmodeus would mean to destroy something far greater than the demon itself. He had to think wisely, carefully considering his next move.

With measured, deliberate steps, Kaoru approached the dying Asmodeus. The demon, with what little strength remained, dragged his weak and wounded body away, his claws scraping the ruined ground, leaving a trail of thick black blood.

"Still fighting, I see," Kaoru said softly, his voice low but laced with a frightening calmness. He found Asmodeus not far from where he had struck him before. The demon lord's body was now little more than a living corpse, yet his eyes still burned with hatred and bitterness that refused to be extinguished.

"Asmodeus," Kaoru spoke, his tone flat but filled with authority. "You know I could end you right now, but I won't. You are not just a creature. You are a concept. Killing you would be more than just defeating an enemy. It would destroy something far larger than yourself."

Asmodeus let out a weak chuckle, his voice raspy and fragmented. "Humans... arrogant... you... cannot erase me... I... am part... of all living things..."

Kaoru nodded slowly. "Yes, you're right. But that doesn't mean I can't make you suffer longer." He knelt down, gazing into the demon lord's eyes with a cold, merciless stare.

Kaoru smiled faintly, almost a smirk, as a magical circle slowly spun above Asmodeus' helpless body. A deep crimson light, etched with ancient runes, radiated from the circle, gradually pressing down the dark energy that still lingered within the demon lord's form.

Asmodeus, his body broken and energy nearly depleted, struggled in vain. He stared at the magical circle above him with mounting dread. "What... are you doing now?" his voice croaked, barely a whisper, but laden with genuine fear.

Kaoru gazed at him, a sinister grin tugging at his lips. "Hmm~ Of course, I'm sealing you in the embrace of... the Iron Maiden," he said with a casual tone, almost as if he were discussing the weather. "You know, the iron cage with spikes inside? Surely you're familiar with the concept?"

Asmodeus groaned, trying to break free, but his body was too weak to resist. "No... human... you can't..."

"Of course, I can," Kaoru interrupted, his voice cold and indisputable. "You are immortal, Asmodeus. But even your immortality has limits. I can't erase you without disrupting the balance of the world, but I can ensure you endure unimaginable suffering."

The magical circle began to tighten, glowing brighter with each passing second, and from its centre, a dark silhouette emerged, slowly enveloping Asmodeus' body. The Iron Maiden, a prison of darkness that would trap the demon lord in eternal torment, began to form. Its sharp spikes, gleaming with holy energy, drew closer, inch by inch, towards Asmodeus.

"No...! NO!" Asmodeus screamed, his voice now full of unbridled terror. Yet his cries were swallowed by the tightening grip of the prison.

Kaoru watched, his expression icy, untouched by the suffering he had created. "This is what you get for toying with someone's life. Quite an honour, isn't it, to be imprisoned by an invention of mortal hands? But don't worry, I'm kind enough to make sure you never truly die inside it. You will live, Asmodeus, but live in unending pain."

With a final gesture, Kaoru gave the last command, and the Iron Maiden closed with a thunderous clank. Asmodeus' body was absorbed into it, his screams fading behind the spiked metal walls that now imprisoned him.

"Enjoy your eternity," Kaoru whispered softly, tapping the Iron Maiden with his finger before turning away, leaving the ruins and the eternal prison now holding Asmodeus within.

With a single wave of his hand, the magic circle faded, and the Iron Maiden sank into the ground, vanishing without a trace, sealing Asmodeus in a depth of hell far deeper than before.