Unlike what everyone present thought as they watched the battle and heard Asmodeus’ furious roars, the Demon King wasn’t actually consumed by anger.
Instead, he was excited. Like most Demon Kings, Asmodeus harbored a burning desire deep within his heart. And by fighting a powerful opponent, that desire only grew stronger.
At first, he had merely intended to kill Clyde quickly, to teach a lesson to the human who had dared to reject his offer long ago—and now even had the audacity to steal his artifact. But instead, he found himself in a battle that filled his chest with exhilaration.
The fact that Clyde wielded Angelic power only fueled Asmodeus’ enthusiasm, like pouring oil onto an already blazing fire.
There were almost no opportunities for him to fight an Angel—their natural nemesis—because of the ceasefire agreement established after countless devastating wars.
But now, facing someone with Angelic power as his enemy, Asmodeus couldn’t help but feel thrilled.
And at the same time, it only made him even more determined to destroy Clyde.
"Before we continue, tell me—how did you obtain that Angelic power? Who did you make a pact with?" Asmodeus asked before they clashed again.
"I have no intention of answering you," Clyde replied, his tone calm—almost arrogant to Asmodeus’ ears.
Asmodeus’ grin widened, and he let out a humorless laugh.
"HAHAHA! Just as I thought. You really are a lowly human who needs to be taught a lesson. Then, I promise you—I’ll make you die slowly, tear your limbs apart one by one, get the answers from you, and only then will I finally kill you."
Clyde smirked. His next words were laced with mockery.
"I didn’t know you’d go through so much trouble just for me. I’m flattered."
Asmodeus didn’t bother replying. He dashed toward Clyde, leaving a trail of red fire in his wake.
Clyde was already prepared. His Elderglass sword swung in a swift arc, colliding with Asmodeus’ clawed hand.
Another shockwave burst out from the impact, just like before. But this time, the intensity had grown even greater.
Clyde quickly realized that Asmodeus was no longer fighting recklessly. He was now paying attention to his attacks, making them precise and calculated.
This shift in strategy made things more difficult for Clyde. The fight had become even more challenging than before. Now, Asmodeus’ strikes weren’t just powerful—they were precise.
Elderglass swung at high speed, deflecting and countering every attack. Meanwhile, Asmodeus’ claws continued their relentless assault.
Throughout the exchange, Asmodeus maintained his wide grin, which irritated Clyde.
Determined, Clyde pushed harder, channeling more of his Angelic power into Elderglass and his entire body.
A brilliant light erupted from him, momentarily blinding Asmodeus due to its sudden intensity.
Clyde seized the opportunity and delivered a powerful punch with his free hand—aiming directly at Asmodeus’ chest, where his sword had already left a deep wound on his black armor.
The punch, wrapped in Angelic energy, struck the exposed area of the Demon King’s chest, piercing through the broken armor.
Asmodeus was sent flying backward, skidding hundreds of meters across the floating landmasses before finally coming to a stop.
Then, he spat out blood.
Despite his current situation, Asmodeus continued grinning wildly.
The blood he had just spat out was clearly a bad sign for him. Yet, he didn’t seem to acknowledge it as such.
Once again, it was because he was a Demon King—one who relished this battle.
He stood up and spat out the remaining blood from his mouth. Then, suddenly, he did something unexpected.
With a rough motion, he tore off his black armor and let it drop to the ground with a loud thud, its weight evident from the impact. The earth around the fallen armor sizzled and turned black, charred from the sheer heat it emitted.
Now, he wore only his trousers and the metal plating around them. His chest was bare, revealing a muscular body with dark crimson skin.
Clenching his fists and resetting his stance, Asmodeus channeled even more magic power into his body.
A hellfire aura erupted from him, consuming everything around him in mere seconds.
And at that moment, he saw Clyde already closing in with incredible speed.
Clyde wasn’t going to waste any time—he knew Asmodeus wouldn’t die from that last attack alone.
Once again, Elderglass clashed against claws, and another fierce battle erupted.
Amidst the flurry of attacks, Clyde spoke.
"Tell me, Asmodeus. What exactly is the artifact you hid in that world you burned with your own fire?"
A clawed strike came straight for Clyde’s head. He managed to parry it with his sword, but he could feel just how close he had been to a fatal wound.
Asmodeus was getting faster.
"Why do you want to know? What did you see there?" Asmodeus shot back, his attacks never slowing. "And how do you even know about my artifact?"
Asmodeus was beginning to grow suspicious of his informant. He had known this would happen sooner or later. But it didn’t matter.
Clyde wanted to know about the artifact—the medallion—because it was directly connected to the entity. The medallion even allowed him to lessen the crushing pressure the entity exerted on him, making it more bearable. That alone meant it had to be something significant.
"Just answer my question!" Clyde demanded, swinging his sword. But he didn’t stop there—an arc of radiant energy shot out from his blade.
The crescent-shaped energy blast pushed Asmodeus back as he blocked it.
"Can you use its power?" Asmodeus asked, his tone carrying genuine curiosity.
"Ah," Asmodeus said. "So you’ve already felt that touch of madness."
Clyde frowned. From the way Asmodeus spoke of madness, it seemed he knew something about the entity.
He decided to stay silent and wait for the Demon King to continue.
"That thing — the medallion — is a fragment of energy I took from something that wandered into my domain," Asmodeus admitted. "And that... thing was not from any realm that exists."
"But I knew its power. I wanted it. So I killed it, took its heart, and forged that medallion."