— — — — — —
The moment the massive projection of the Snow Wolf was hurled like a spear, Yukina muttered in a low, steady voice: "Perish."
The space around them suddenly trembled violently!
Wherever the Snowdrift Wolf's phantom passed, the very fabric of space shattered with a loud crack, revealing pitch-black voids in its path.
Sensing the danger on instinct, the twin-headed serpent tried to twist its body to dodge the incoming phantom spear—but…
An overwhelming crushing force pinned its massive body in place!
Dimitrie Vatler looked up. "Space… it's been locked down…"
A glint of shock flickered in his eyes.
Someone like her actually used that kind of technique?
He was stunned.
Are young humans this terrifying now? Or was he just getting old?
Or maybe the talent pool over here was just too insane?
Dammit! Why hadn't the Warlord's Empire produced anyone like this?
As Dimitrie Vatler questioned whether his homeland was cursed or just plain unlucky—
The giant phantom of the Snowdrift Wolf mercilessly tore through the twin-headed serpent's massive body!!
Crack—
Spiderweb-like fractures spread across the monster's body.
BOOM!
The twin-headed serpent shattered on the spot, breaking down into a glow of purple and yellow particles before fading into the air.
"Hah… hah…"
Yukina panted heavily, collapsing onto the ground as her Devilization faded.
That last attack had completely drained her.
Now, she couldn't muster even an ounce of strength.
Vatler stood there in silence.
The connection was gone again.
It was obvious—Those two familiar beasts were also completely destroyed.
Just one visit to Japan, and in such a short time, he'd already lost three of his rarest familiars back-to-back.
Thinking about it made Vatler's face darken.
He came here expecting a relaxing, maybe even enjoyable trip, but now… It was just getting frustrating.
Of course—Being pushed to this extent, in a way, it was fun.
But still, Vatler had no intention of accepting this outcome and slinking back to the Warlord's Empire in defeat.
HSSSSSSSSS~~~~~~~~~
A wave of hissing erupted from behind him.
Countless glowing green eyes opened in the darkness!
Yukina, who had been keeping a close eye on Vatler, froze.
One… two… three… ten… !!!
She couldn't even count them all! A cold sweat slid down her forehead.
Vatler curled his fingers toward her, a twisted smile on his face.
"Go on, my dear pets… devour her for me~"
Fwoooosh—
As soon as the words left his mouth, an endless wave of snakes poured out from a rift in space!
The night sky was swallowed by the sea of serpents. Even the moon vanished behind them.
Yukina pushed herself up with trembling arms, trying to stand. But her body, weak and spent, swayed unsteadily—she had no strength left to run.
And even if she could...
She looked up at the countless snakes filling the sky.
Where would she even run to?
She was just a mid-class Devil. Fighting someone like him… yeah, it was way out of her league.
She bit her lip, full of frustration.
If only.
If only she'd met Lynn earlier.
If only she'd joined his Familia sooner.
If only she'd gotten the Blessing System in time.
Maybe things would've turned out differently today?
Her mind wandered.
If she just had a bit more time, with the Blessing System's help, she could have become a high-class Devil already.
"Yukina!"
Endou instinctively moved to help her and activated a barrier.
---
Meanwhile, back in the conference room…
"Hiina!"
Startled by the sudden development, Shirona called out the real name of Koyomi Shizuka without thinking.
"Understood."
Koyomi responded calmly and unleashed her ability, Paper Noise.
(A/N: Paper Noise allows her to strike her target at any moment in time. She doesn't slow down or speed up time—instead, she creates time that shouldn't exist. On top of that, she can read her opponents' minds to a certain extent. Combined with Paper Noise, this ability places her among the most powerful individuals in the STB world.) {From Wiki}
But just before Koyomi can make her move—
At the heart of the battlefield
The Snowdrift Wolf beneath Yukina trembled slightly, then stood upright on its own.
Yukina blinked in confusion.
Wait… she didn't do anything to it, did she?
What's going on?
Just as her mind filled with doubt, a voice echoed in her ears—familiar, yet distant.
"You've just joined the Familia and already mastered Devilization."
"Not bad at all."
Hearing that voice, Yukina's eyes flew wide open.
"L-Lord Lynn?!"
The next moment—The Devil's Piece on her back lit up.
Then, Lynn's phantom form slowly began to materialize.
"Huh?"
Yukina was clearly caught off guard.
The Snowdrift Wolf, on the other hand, practically lit up with joy, circling Lynn's phantom excitedly.
Then dove straight into Lynn's outstretched hand like a puppy begging to be cuddled.
Watching that, Yukina's mouth twitched.
This useless mutt.
Why was it always so aloof and cold with her?
Not once had it shown her this kind of energy or affection.
She was its master now, wasn't she?
Lynn gently closed his hand around the Snowdrift Wof, then pointed the spear tip toward the sea of snakes. His voice was calm:
"Your potential's decent, but…"
"This is how you really use the Snowdrift Wolf."
As soon as he finished speaking—Bzzz!
A flash of cold light flickered at the spear's tip. A silver arc spread outward from Lynn's position like a shockwave!
Zeng—
A crisp, ringing tone echoed in everyone's ears.
Wherever the arc passed, the sea of snakes vanished—just like that.
No pain. No screams.
They just silently disappeared from existence.
And not just the snakes.
Endou's barrier and Koyomi's prepped Paper Noise were both rendered completely ineffective in an instant.
For a moment, it was as if the whole world had gone still.
"What… is this?"
Yukina stared blankly at Lynn.
Her thoughts drifted to the ability he'd demonstrated earlier through the Snowdrift Wolf: Return the world to Zero.
Back then, he'd only used it casually with Mahiru's light blast, so Yukina hadn't paid it much attention.
But now she understood just how terrifying it really was.
That seemingly endless sea of snakes— Erased with a single touch.
Yukina's expression turned dazed.
Compared to her earlier flashy moves like "Divine Core Vibration" and "Core Resonance: Critical Breakthrough," not to mention her full-blown Devilization.
Lynn's Return to Zero felt simple. Unimpressive, even.
But it was stronger than any over-the-top power she had ever seen.
It's just... she couldn't use it.
She was supposed to be the Snowdrift Wolf's master, yet she couldn't even tap into its core ability.
That thought frustrated her to no end.
— — —
Meanwhile—
Endou and Koyomi were also frozen in shock.
Especially Koyomi. She'd already activated Paper Noise, and yet.
It failed.
Just like that.
Not just her unique ability either. The entire battlefield had gone eerily... muted?
"What the hell happened?"
Her usually blank expression began to crack.
Since gaining the ability Paper Noise, this was the first time it had ever failed her.
Shirona's eyes shimmered, fixed tightly on the figure behind Yukina. She spoke softly:
"Yukina's new master has arrived."
Koyomi turned to look instinctively and saw him.
Black hair, red eyes.
That face, they'd studied it plenty over the past few days. So they recognized him instantly.
The conference room went completely silent.
Shirona finally stood up and took the lead.
"Let's go. Time to greet that terrifying Devil King."
With those words, she began walking toward Lynn.
Koyomi didn't say a word.
She simply followed.
Dimitrie Vatler and his kind might be annoying, but they were manageable.
This guy, though?
Even if he was just a phantom— He was someone they definitely couldn't ignore.
.
.
.