Diablo's demonic presence was overwhelming. He flicked his wrist, sending waves of black fire towards Zephyron. The Hell Flare scorched the ground as they raced toward him, but Zephyron countered swiftly, raising his hand to summon an ice wall. The Hell Flare and ice clashed violently, causing a storm of steam to blanket the battlefield.
Zephyron wasted no time. With a gesture, he summoned multiple pillars of earth from the ground, shooting them toward Diablo. He wanted to crush Diablo but Diablo dodged with ease, his form a blur, and retaliated by conjuring massive attack of black thunder, sharp and violent like a thousand blades.
Zephyron counter it with multiple elemental magic and even some of it hit diablo.
"Elemental manipulation… your mastery is impressive," Diablo remarked, his voice calm but edged with lethal intent. "But you're still no match for me."
Zephyron's cold gaze narrowed. "Don't underestimate me, demon."
The ground beneath them shook as Zephyron unleashed his full might of elemental magic. He combined earth and fire magic, causing molten lava to erupt from below, swallowing the terrain in a sea of red-hot destruction. But Diablo merely smiled, hovering above the chaos.
"You'll have to do better than that."
Diablo raised both hands, summoning a torrent of demonic energy that surged through the air like a tidal wave. The sheer power of it shattered the lava attack, dispersing it as though it were nothing more than a fleeting ember. Then he launched his own offensive, firing a barrage of dark spears from the sky.
Zephyron quickly erected a multiple barrier and counter attack with spears of wind and lightning, deflecting the attack Diablo's move with high speed in the sky.
"I should be keeping up," Zephyron thought, gritting his teeth as he felt the pressure when they both clash multiple time in the sky. As diablo was using his god tier weapon Scissors and zephyron was using a legend tier weapon to counter it. The difference in power was clearly seen as zephyron have multiple scratch marks on his body.
Internally, he communicated with Nova.
"What's going on? Why do I feel like my magic and reaction Speed is slower than usual?"
[Notice: I've reduced your full power output by 3% to conserve energy for a prolonged battle. Diablo is not an opponent to underestimate.]
Zephyron scowled. "Adjust it. I need more power if I'm going to survive."
[Adjustments made.]
Zephyron's aura flared as his power surged, and he struck back with a vengeance. His hands moved swiftly, conjuring a storm of elemental magic—fireballs the size of boulders, bolts of lightning, and torrents of water crashed toward Diablo in a relentless assault.
For a moment, it seemed like Diablo was on the backfoot, dodging and deflecting Zephyron's attacks. The sky turned into a kaleidoscope of destruction as elemental magic clashed with Diablo's dark demonic power.
Diablo know that he is facing a very strong Elemental if even one of this attack hit him than his body created by his beloved master will get damaged.
But then Diablo raised his hand, and everything stopped.
In an instant, a wave of suffocating pressure fell over the battlefield. The sky dimmed, and the magic around them seemed to flicker and wane.
"This… isn't good," Zephyron thought, his heart racing. He knew what this was. Diablo had activated his skill "Despair Time".
The landscape trembled as Diablo's "Temptation World" materialized around them, trapping Zephyron and him inside a reality that bent to Diablo's will. The ground beneath their feet became warped, and the air thickened with magicules so dense it became hard to breathe.
Zephyron felt the crushing weight of the ability, knowing that Diablo had absolute control within this world. "If he uses it fully, no one—not even Rimuru—can stop him," Zephyron thought grimly. "But he won't… not with Rimuru's subordinates here. Diablo's too loyal to risk revealing his true strength. For now."
Diablo's eyes gleamed, fully aware of Zephyron's thoughts. "I won't use the full extent of "Despair Time" just yet. You're not important enough for that."
Zephyron's frustration surged, but he knew Diablo was right. If Diablo activated the true power of this ability, it would be over. Not even Zephyron could resist, and there were only a handful of beings in existence who could.
Zephyron's eyes darkened as he forced a grin. "I've been holding back, too."
He channeled large amount of magicules he had, the air around him shimmering with raw energy. His metalic wings extended, and the battlefield exploded as he unleashed a massive torrent of nuclear magic.
[Nuclear magic : Gravity Collapse]
The very air seemed to melt as the force of his attack tore through the surroundings.
Diablo smirked, unfazed. He extended his hand and casually swiped through the air, and just like that, Zephyron's newly learned most powerful attack disintegrated as if it had never existed.
"You fool," Diablo said, his voice calm yet menacing. "I might not be using Temptation World at its full power but stilleverything bends to my will. I am just toying with you till you run out of magicule"
Zephyron's heart sank as he realized the difference in their abilities. His race is stronger than diablo, but Diablo was a god in this domain. And yet, despite the overwhelming odds, Zephyron did not give up. He couldn't afford to lose, not with his survival on the line.
Both fighters charged forward, their attacks meeting with such force that the shockwaves leveled the surrounding mountains. Fire, water, and demonic energy swirled in a chaotic storm as the battle raged on. Every strike, every counter, shook the earth beneath them. Zephyron's attacks grew fiercer, but Diablo met them with equal, if not greater, strength.
Each time Zephyron managed to land a hit, Diablo would shrug it off, his body regenerating instantly. The battle was wearing on Zephyron, but Diablo remained as calm as ever, as if toying with his prey.
"You've done well to last this long," Diablo said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But your time is running out."
With a final wave of his hand, Diablo summoned a vortex of black flames that consumed everything in its path. Zephyron barely managed to evade the attack, but he knew he couldn't hold out much longer.
As the flames died down, Zephyron hovered in the air, panting heavily. He glanced at the ground where Benimaru and the others watched in awe and horror.
"They… they've seen too much," Zephyron thought, knowing that Diablo was intentionally dragging the battle out, showing his strength. "This is a problem."
But before Zephyron could act, Diablo's eyes glowed with a deadly intent. "It's time to end this."
Zephyron's heart raced, knowing that Diablo had only been playing with him. But he couldn't fall here—not yet.
The battlefield was silent for a moment, the tension palpable as both warriors prepared for their final clash.
"I am not going down." Zephyron Roared
[Notice Unique skill Master Analyst is undergoing evolution]