Zieg approached the two wearing a frivolous and amused expression. He had been away in secluded meditation for a week or so and Galvane had turned into hell in a hand basket. He went to where most of the destructive mana fluctuations came from, only to see the arrogant white-haired boy who he had already nicknamed Frosty in his mind, and what looked like the leader of the ones leading the assault.

Upon seeing what could only be Zieg again, Ryzel was filled with a variety of emotions. He thought Zieg to be dead. He had so many mixed feelings, and so many things he wanted to say that he couldn’t put it into words. Ryzel thought that it could only be fate. He was trembling with so many emotions, the most prevalent of all being anger. He opened his mouth several times, only to find himself closing it repeatedly. His eyes reddened, and in the end, the only thing he could give voice to was a question in a barely audible voice, “Why...?”

Cain, on the other hand, looked like it was the happiest moment of his life. He couldn’t even bother with Ryzel’s strange reaction upon seeing Hope. His ecstatic expression was plainly written all over his face, and he couldn’t help himself from laughing wildly, “Hahahaha! Perfect! I’ll be able to push myself to my limits fighting the both of you!”

“I was planning on dealing with you eventually anyway, Frosty. And who’s this?” Zieg spoke while pulling out a silver short sword, a mithril sword he received from his completed mission, and turned his head to look at Ryzel, or more accurately, to look at the wielder of his former artifact sword. He didn’t care who Ryzel was, he had already decided to take back Bloodwhistler the instant his sights landed on it.

“The Demon King Ryzel Vondark! Remember the name of the one who will defeat you, Zieg!” Ryzel growled out a response.

Ryzel looked somewhat familiar to Zieg, he could vaguely recall a demon with that name and appearance, but wasn’t able to put his finger on it. This feeling irked him, being able to almost remember a person. He wasn’t able to tell that he saw Ryzel at the competition to elect a Demon King in the past, being one of the few surviving top contenders remaining.

Zieg was preparing himself to fight the first serious battle he had since reincarnating. He still wasn’t able to completely get used to his new miniature body compared to the one he had back when he was still a demon. Nevertheless, he was able to sense that both the capabilities of the Cain and Ryzel at this moment were almost on par with the him of the past. The new Demon King wielding two artifacts, including his former artifact, and Cain who possessed a legendary artifact.

In his immortal awakening, he was able to realize a new ability that suited him perfectly. A passive Worldbreaking technique, “Wolf’s Instinct,” which heightened his sixth sense.

There were no more words needed between the three of them. After the initial introduction all three exploded into action.

Ryzel’s body overflowed with mana as he stepped off the floor, leaving cracks in the icy floor and speeded directly towards Zieg. It was like he had nothing else in his eyes. Zieg likewise headed towards Ryzel in hopes of reclaiming his sword.

Zieg’s small body swiftly moved, quickly hopping and slashing at Ryzel. Ryzel easily parried the blow, pressuring and pushing Zieg back. It looked like Zieg was at a disadvantage. It was simply a difference in weapons, the ordinary mithril sword couldn’t compare to the artifact Bloodwhistler.

(I may have been an insignificant existence to you at that time, not even worthy to be remembered, but I’ve changed and become stronger than you, I’ll prove it by defeating you here and now!) Ryzel’s thoughts continued unrestrainedly.

While they were locked in close combat, Cain rained arrows of ice upon the two of them. Ryzel was distracted in his fight with Zieg and was unable to manipulate his wires to intercept them. His back was littered with arrows of ice, leaving him with several flesh wounds. Zieg was in a much better position with his smaller body and instinct. He was able to easily dodge and deflect each arrow that rained down upon him.

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Zieg’s instinct was even able to help him avoid getting trapped within Ryzel’s invisible wires.

Even though the arrows of ice did miniscule damage to Ryzel, the damage would accumulate overtime, slowly exhausting him. Ryzel quickly became aware of this and swung a heavy horizontal cut towards Zieg who was prone in midair while dodging the arrows. Zieg turned his sword diagonally to block, placing the back of his hand behind his mithril short sword to disperse the force of the blow, but was still sent flying back.

Coincidentally the direction Zieg was sent flying towards was Cain. Zieg rotated his body in midair along with his sword, delivering a spinning slash to Cain. Aegis automatically reacted to the attack, easily deflecting the slash.

Zieg landed by Cain, agilely moving and hopping around him while sending out attacks. Each swing of Zieg’s sword was well-timed and positioned, each being either crippling or fatal blows, constantly and efficiently attacking at several of Cain’s blind spots. Despite Zieg’s attacks that came from every direction, Cain didn’t even need to see any of his attacks. His left arm wielding Aegis would automatically move, effectively blocking each and every one of Zieg’s attacks. Cain smirked arrogantly at the futility of Zieg’s actions.

Shock flitted across Zieg’s eyes before quickly disappearing. In that instant he was able to deduce what ability the artifact Aegis possessed. Zieg dodged Cain’s swing of Aegis, gaining some distance from Cain.

Cain was now caught in-between both Ryzel and Zieg.

Ryzel and Zieg briefly made eye-contact with one another, instantly reaching a semblance of unspoken understanding with the other. These unspoken words were, “Take down Cain/Frosty, then deal with each other.”

Both attacked Cain simultaneously. Their immediate synchronized teamwork was amazing. No one would believe that it was Ryzel and Zieg’s first time fighting alongside one another.

Ryzel charged mana into his arm and threw Bloodwhistler with all his might, sending it flying towards Cain at unbelievable speeds. Zieg intentionally slightly lagged behind, and repeated the same action as Ryzel, sending his mithril sword flying towards Cain as well while charging at him after the throw.

Cain was prepared to fend the both of them off. Aegis moved at even a faster speed than the swords themselves, Cain’s left arm instantly moved to the side to block Bloodwhistler that came at him from the right, then just as quickly moved again to block the mithril sword that came at him from the left.

Cain’s left arm still hung in the air to his left, the same position it was at when it had automatically blocked the mithril sword. He tried to bring his left arm equipped with Aegis down, only to discover that he was unable to. He focused mana into his eyes and what he saw was…

Thin strands of invisible wires wound around his left arm, preventing him from moving it. Ginkumo. Ryzel’s artifact.

It was in an instant. In that small timeframe, within the small gap of time when Aegis was used to block Bloodwhistler from the opposite direction, then came back to block the mithril sword, invisible threads were tied around Cain’s left arm. Zieg and Ryzel’s teamwork had effectively disabled the legendary artifact, Aegis. In the brief moment the two made eye-contact, they both came up with a course of action that took into account Cain’s reliance on Aegis and his inattention to the surroundings to seal the legendary artifact’s strongest ability.

Zieg dashed towards Cain, hopping onto Aegis held stuck in the air, using it as leverage and jumping to deliver a spin kick filled with mana towards Cain’s head.

“Shit!” Cain yelled in panic, before the full-force of the kick connected with the side of his head, giving him a concussion and directly sending him unconscious.

Zieg walked past the unconscious Cain and picked up his nearby fallen sword. Not his mithril sword, but his artifact sword. Bloodwhistler.

Watching Zieg slowly pick up Bloodwhistler, “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ryzel said and grinned in anticipation.