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"BOOOOM!"
Another deafening explosion echoed through the air.
While the sound was immense, the danger even greater, the leaders of the Three Factions remained unfazed.
They had grown accustomed to it.
After Mika eliminated Katerea, he had returned to his duel with Ophis, their battle escalating to a level far beyond their earlier clash.
The barrier surrounding Kuoh Town, pushed to its absolute limits, was now covered in cracks, its imminent collapse a very real possibility.
Sirzechs and Michael, their focus entirely on reinforcing the barrier, couldn't afford to be distracted.
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"Hah...hah..." Mika landed softly, his breath coming in ragged gasps, a wry smile on his face as he looked at Ophis, who stood across from him.
He had initiated this battle, and Ophis had accepted. This had initially filled him with a surge of excitement, a thrill he hadn't experienced in a long time.
However, the outcome was disappointing.
The gap between them was too vast.
Even at his full power, with his Draconic traits enhanced to their fullest extent, he couldn't inflict any significant damage on her.
While he had anticipated such a possibility, the reality of it was still difficult to accept.
"I need… more power."
The desire for strength, which had been simmering beneath the surface, now burned with a renewed intensity.
His current abilities, while formidable, had reached their limits. His recent growth had been focused on refining his techniques, not on enhancing his fundamental power.
He had a plan, a path to Godhood, a journey he had been content to undertake at a steady, measured pace.
He had followed the flow of events, waiting for the right moment, and his patience had been rewarded; everything had proceeded as he had planned.
But now, after his duel with Ophis, he felt a sudden urgency.
He wanted to ascend, to reach the realm of the Gods, to surpass Ophis, to become the strongest.
"One final blow…" He pushed aside his chaotic thoughts. This wasn't the time for introspection.
He would end this now, then sort through his emotions later.
Flames erupted around him.
He raised his sword, his Cosmo transforming into a torrent of fire, gathering and compressing at its tip.
His strongest weapon, he knew, was his bow and arrow, his ability to charge his attacks, to unleash a single, devastating blow.
With his Heaven's Feel ritual granting him infinite magic power, he was practically a perpetual motion machine, his energy reserves limitless.
And with his exceptional control over Cosmo, he could theoretically charge his attacks indefinitely, unleashing a world-shattering force.
However, such a technique required a significant amount of time, time he wouldn't have in a normal battle. But this wasn't a normal battle.
Ophis, for some reason, hadn't been attacking him directly. She had been observing him, waiting for him to make his move.
This gave him the opportunity he needed.
As he gathered his power, his body was engulfed in flames, the fire sword in his hand growing larger and larger, until it pierced through the sky, a pillar of fire extending into the very cosmos.
The barrier surrounding Kuoh Town shattered.
The Gods and Devils of this world, who had been observing the battle from a distance, were stunned.
"He can't be allowed to continue." Ophis, who had been watching Mika's power grow, finally decided to act.
She stepped forward, and a magic circle, unlike any seen in this world, materialized at her feet.
It was Mika's teleportation spell.
He had anticipated this, preparing for it before he even began his attack.
As Ophis's power flowed into the magic circle, they vanished, teleported to another battlefield:
The vast emptiness of space.
Mika had chosen this location to avoid any further damage to the human world.
Seeing them disappear, Sirzechs and Michael breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The pressure from their battle had been immense.
As they often said, destruction was far easier than creation. And protecting, they had discovered, was far more difficult than fighting.
Sirzechs, whose power was comparable to Mika's, would have been defeated long ago if he had faced Ophis.
He was grateful for Mika's intervention.
But his relief was short-lived.
In the distant cosmos, a shockwave of destructive energy, the aftermath of Mika and Ophis's final clash, hurtled towards Earth.
Even from such a vast distance, the power was immense.
Fortunately, the other Gods, who had been watching, intervened, their combined power creating a barrier that deflected the attack.
The Earth was safe.
"That was a close call," Sirzechs and Michael murmured, a shared sense of awe and apprehension in their voices.
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"Heavenly Fire: Calamity Annihilation!"
The ultimate expression of Mika's power erupted, a wave of destructive energy that obliterated everything in its path, cleansing the battlefield in a torrent of fire and light.
Mika, exhausted, was thrown back by the force of the explosion, his body momentarily losing its momentum.
He allowed himself to drift, landing softly on a nearby asteroid, his gaze fixed on the distant, silent cosmos.
He had been defeated.
In their final exchange, Ophis had unleashed her full power, a single punch that had shattered his Calamity Annihilation, his ultimate technique.
He had finally witnessed her true strength.
However, he hadn't been entirely without success.
Ophis, too, had been injured.
After their earlier clashes, she had always reappeared instantly, her expression unreadable, waiting for his next attack.
But not this time.
She was gone, her presence vanished from his enhanced senses.
He knew she was still alive, but her injuries were clearly severe.
He lay there for a long time, watching the stars, until, finally, she reappeared.
She stood on a nearby asteroid, her clothes tattered, her usual serene composure replaced by a weary exhaustion. Though her wounds had healed, her aura was significantly diminished.
"I surrender," Mika said, raising his hands. He had anticipated this outcome. While there had been no miracles, he was still satisfied.
"Then, can you answer my questions now?" Ophis asked, her voice still calm, but with a hint of…excitement.
"Of course." Mika smiled. "But I have a better idea. You wanted to meet my companions, didn't you? Let me introduce you."
He had been planning this all along, to introduce Ophis to Yahweh.
After all, Ophis wasn't looking for a traveler between worlds, but a powerful being capable of traversing dimensions.
She needed an ally, someone to help her defeat Great Red and reclaim her home.
And who better to help her than Yahweh?
"Yes, I'd like that," Ophis replied, her voice filled with a quiet anticipation.
"Then let's go. But first, we need to return to Kuoh Academy. We need a guide."
They departed, leaving the silent cosmos behind.
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Back at Kuoh Academy, peace had been restored.
After Mika and Ophis left, Bikou, a member of the Khaos Brigade, had appeared, rescuing Vali before Sirzechs and the other Satans could intervene.
With Vali rescued, the remaining Khaos Brigade members eliminated, and Katerea defeated, the Three Factions meeting had resumed.
They had quickly reached an agreement, their shared enemy, the Khaos Brigade, uniting them.
They had all witnessed Ophis's power. Facing such a threat, they had no choice but to work together.
After the meeting, Michael and Azazel had quickly departed, eager to inform their respective factions of the new alliance.
They had a lot to prepare for.
Michael, however, had another reason for his hasty departure. He had received Mika's summons.
He had found a plausible excuse to leave Kuoh Academy and had met Mika at a designated location, where he had also encountered Ophis.
"Greetings, Ophis," Michael had said, his voice filled with a respectful awe. He then turned to Mika. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. Ophis wishes to…visit Yahweh," Mika had replied, his casual tone belying the significance of his words.
Michael's blood pressure had skyrocketed.
Taking Ophis to Heaven…it was like bringing a live bomb into his home.
But he couldn't refuse Mika's request.
Besides, he could always leave the negotiations to Yahweh. After all, she was now the highest authority in Heaven.
"I understand. Then please, follow me."
Michael, with a resigned sigh, led Mika and Ophis towards Heaven.
They reached the gates, and after a brief message to Yahweh, Michael led them inside.
Heaven was just as humans had imagined: a peaceful, serene realm, filled with a holy light.
Mika, taking in the scenery, was impressed.
But he didn't have much time to admire the view.
He sensed Yahweh's presence approaching.
"Ophis, the one you've been looking for has arrived." Mika, having already informed Yahweh of the situation through their telepathic link, watched as she materialized before them, her expression calm and composed. She was prepared.
"Greetings, Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God. I am Yahweh."
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