Finishing their preparations, Clyde and Asqa put on their gear. Asqa wore her white robe imbued with Angel power and carried her wand as always.
Her level had risen significantly now, and she felt much stronger than before. Meanwhile, Clyde wore a black shirt, black trousers, and a black coat without any enchantments, which he took from the wardrobe Graemory had prepared for him.
He didn’t know if Graemory had purposely given him all dark-colored clothes or if she simply didn’t bother and handed him whatever crossed her mind. Either way, Clyde liked the clothes.
He hadn’t worn the white coat he had stolen from Archangel Uriel’s storage for long. It was completely destroyed when he fought the god of the underworld Hades and Archangel Gabriel.
He had only lost the sleeves of that coat, but that was enough to weaken it, making Clyde feel he no longer needed it. So now he was about to head to one of the most dangerous places in the universes without any armor or gear with protective enchantments.
But he didn’t think it was too much of a problem. He believed he could handle it with his own power now. Hopefully.
"Are you ready?" Clyde asked Asqa.
They were now standing in front of the mansion. The sky was dark and cracking, and hundreds of floating landmasses stretched out before them. Several Demon soldiers were patrolling around the mansion at the same pace as the day before.
Asqa nodded with a calm smile and eyes shining with determination. "I’m ready."
Hearing that, Clyde stepped out of the mansion. The soldiers saluted them, and Clyde responded with a brief nod.
In the courtyard, Clyde pulled out the black metallic device and channeled his magic power into it, activating the device.
Sounds and vibrations came from it. This was the first time he used the device for teleportation. Previously, he had only used it for communication with Agatha. Plus, now he had to teleport to the headquarters where the World Master Bureau was located, so the energy felt different than usual.
The portal finally opened in front of them after about a minute of Clyde channeling his magic. The swirling energy was white and seemed brighter than usual, making Clyde and Asqa squint.
They exchanged glances and stepped into the portal. Just as they expected, the energy felt heavier compared to when they passed through the portal to Gabriel’s domain.
But one thing that greatly bothered them was the blinding white light that hurt their eyes. Suddenly, the sensation disappeared. Clyde and Asqa felt their feet touch solid ground, a sign that they had arrived.
"Get ready to battle right away," Clyde said to Asqa. Asqa responded with a nod, already gripping her wand.
As their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw a futuristic city unlike anything they had seen before.
All the buildings were either white or made of glass. Their shapes were a mix of regular skyscrapers and others that were round or oval. Overall, the architecture felt strange to them.
When Clyde and Asqa took in the strange, futuristic city before them, their moment of observation was quickly interrupted.
From one of the nearby buildings several figures approached at a brisk pace. They were soldiers dressed in pristine white coats, each holding long spears. The spears shimmered unnaturally — the blades weren’t made of ordinary metal but were instead formed from densely condensed magic particles, humming faintly with power.
At the front of the group, a man who appeared to be their leader strode confidently toward Clyde and Asqa. Unlike the others, he carried no weapon. His hands were clasped neatly behind his back, and his black hair was slicked back with meticulous care, giving him an aura of control and arrogance.
"Who the hell are you two? How did you get here?" the leader demanded, his voice sharp, his eyes cold as they scanned Clyde and Asqa.
"I want to talk to your boss," Clyde said plainly, his voice steady and unbothered.
The leader barked a harsh laugh, full of disbelief. "You must be insane. You barge in here without any permission and now you dare to say you want to meet with my leader?"
"Yes," Clyde said with a simple nod, his expression calm.
The leader was about to retort when he froze mid-breath. His eyes widened slightly, and his confident posture stiffened.
It was as if a spark of realization struck him all at once. He stared hard at Clyde’s face, piecing something together.
"Wait... you..." he muttered, his voice losing its earlier bite. "You’re the one! The anomaly!"
Clyde grinned, a sharp, fearless grin that only deepened the leader’s unease.
"You’re right," Clyde said. "Now you know."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The soldiers gripped their spears tighter, tension crackling in the air like static electricity.
Without hesitation, the leader barked an order, his voice cutting through the heavy air like a blade.
"Attack them! Use everything you’ve got! Don’t hold back!"
He knew exactly who they were dealing with. Half-measures would mean death.
At once, the soldiers surged forward. Their spears crackled, the condensed magic energy vibrating with lethal force as they thrust and slashed without mercy.
The leader, not intending to stay on the sidelines, summoned his own weapon — a pair of gloves that materialized on his hands in a flash of fire. The gloves burned with an intense living flame, wrapping his fists in blazing heat.
With a grim expression, he charged toward Clyde alongside his men.
The clash was immediate and violent. Clyde met the first assault bare-handed, showing no fear. When the first spear jabbed toward him, he caught it mid-strike with a sharp slap of his palm, redirecting the weapon harmlessly to the side.
Another spear came for him, but he weaved through the attacks with effortless fluidity, parrying the deadly blades of magic energy with nothing but his flesh.
Meanwhile, Asqa stood just behind Clyde, her wand already glowing. With a quick incantation, she raised a shimmering barrier that absorbed the incoming spear thrusts aimed her way.
She retaliated by launching bursts of fireballs, each explosion forcing the soldiers back, scattering them momentarily before they regrouped and attacked again.
Clyde shifted into motion once more. A soldier tried to skewer him with a downward stab, but Clyde sidestepped, grabbed the spear shaft, and snapped it with a casual twist of his wrist.
He moved through the chaos, dodging, blocking, and attack back with such ease it seemed almost unfair.
The leader, his fiery gloves igniting the air with each swing, finally reached Clyde. With a roar, he unleashed a blazing punch aimed straight at Clyde’s head.
Clyde ducked low under the strike, feeling the heat sear the air above him, and countered with a brutal uppercut to the leader’s stomach.
The leader staggered back, his expression tightening.