While Tiamat and Ravel were speaking, the battle between the sisters, Ram and Rem, reached its fiercest peak.
Boom!
Rem, who had been buried under rubble, burst straight out from the ground, soaring into the sky like a sharp arrow. She swung her morning star, the spiked iron ball whistling through the air as it smashed toward Ram. It collided violently with the swirling gale surrounding Ram, turning the impact into a surging windstorm that swept across the field.
Ram had been continuously strengthening the winds encircling her, as if donning an armor of wind. Time and again, she deflected Rem's morning star. With every lift and wave of her slender hands, she unleashed razor-sharp hurricanes at the airborne Rem. The gusts tore at Rem's clothes, sending countless fabric fragments flying.
However, in her Oni form, Rem's physical durability was incomparable to her normal state. The hurricanes that could slice through solid ground only managed to shred her clothing; her fair, delicate skin remained perfectly intact, without a single scratch. She forced her way through the gale toward Ram, her morning star descending repeatedly, striking until the wind armor on Ram's body began to falter.
In response, Ram remained extremely calm, continuing to manipulate the wind. While locked in a melee with Rem, she incessantly released wind magic to attack her like a bone-shaving knife, slowly draining Rem's strength in an attempt to bring her back to her senses.
This was her long-standing method for stopping Rem whenever she lost control.
The Oni race's transformation was indeed powerful, but it placed a heavy burden on the body. Extreme explosive power was exchanged for extreme physical and mental exhaustion. An enhancement like Rem's, which boosted her across two entire tiers, naturally came with even more violent consumption and strain. As long as one could withstand Rem's attacks, she would eventually collapse from exhaustion, causing her to exit the Oni state and regain her sanity.
Thus, for ten years, Ram had always helped the out-of-control Rem this way. Even now, she chose the same path.
Had Tiamat stepped in, it would have been a different story.
That strongest Dragon King was suspected of possessing Super Devil-class strength. Facing Rem, who had barely reached the Ultimate-class Devil level after her transformation, Tiamat could have simply crushed her with sheer power without needing to painstakingly wear her down.
Over the past ten years, every time Rem lost control, Tiamat would simply rush forward and knock her out with a single punch. It was simple, crude, and effortless.
Ram, naturally, could not compare to Tiamat. Since Tiamat wasn't intervening, she could only slowly grind Rem down.
"Their strength is actually quite impressive, those two sisters."
As Tiamat and Ravel watched the battle intently, a voice rang out behind them, making them start slightly. Only then did the two of them remember there was another person present.
"Lord Leon!"
Ravel turned around quickly, calling out to Leon as he slowly walked over.
Tiamat also looked toward Leon and immediately noticed something different about him.
"You—"
She looked at the comfortably approaching Leon with surprise, wanting to say something but hesitating.
"What? Don't recognize me?"
Leon arrived at their side with a smile on his face. He seemed to be in an excellent mood, and outwardly, nothing seemed out of place.
But as a Dragon King, how sharp were Tiamat's senses? She noticed things others couldn't almost instantly.
"Your physical body seems to have undergone a massive change. The scent you radiate and the feeling you give off are completely different from before."
Tiamat scrutinized Leon, her astonishment growing the more she looked. She found that Leon possessed a natural, seamless aura, as if he had undergone a biological evolution; even his sheer presence had become much stronger.
His face appeared unchanged, but a closer look revealed more refined features and eyes much brighter than before. Even just standing there casually, he had a unique temperament. His limbs were more powerful, and his proportions trended toward perfection.
These were things the previous Leon lacked.
If the old Leon gave Tiamat the impression of a "freeman," the current Leon felt like a "transcendent."
Her intuition told her that a change had occurred within Leon—not just an increase in power, but a deeper, more fundamental transformation.
Leon did not deny it.
"A significant change indeed," Leon remarked with feeling. "This was quite a harvest."
In truth, it was a massive harvest. He had taken in two retainers with high potential simultaneously. Under the immense feedback, his gains were bound to be enormous.
Two high-potential retainers had not only pushed Leon's demonic power past the Eight-Winged level to officially reach the Ten-Winged level, but his wings had increased in number as well. He was now a true Ten-Winged Devil, second only to the highest rank of twelve wings. Among devils, he had nearly reached the summit.
Current Leon, even without using the power of "Zenith Tempest," was no weaker in his base state than the previous Luffy Trix who had consumed "Ouroboros." If he were to face that Old Maou Faction fanatic again, he could likely defeat him without even using a Sacred Gear. The growth in his foundation was immense.
"Zenith Tempest" had also received two upgrades. Combined with the time he took in Ravel, this second-strongest Sacred Gear in the world had been enhanced three times. It might already be no weaker than the "True Longinus," hailed as the strongest Longinus.
Of course, this wasn't the gain that surprised Leon the most.
The most shocking reward was "Race (Perfect)."
Under the feedback of "Race (Perfect)," Leon was stunned to find that not only had his physical body been reconstructed, but his very existence as a demonic lifeform had become truly perfect.
What did this mean?
Quite simply, he had become an unprecedented Perfect Devil, no longer possessing the weaknesses inherent to the race.
Whether it was the Light Power used by Angels, Fallen Angels, and Church exorcists, or holy weapons like Holy Swords, Holy Spears, and Holy Crucifixes—even the rituals and tools specifically designed to counter devils—none of them would work on Leon anymore. They were no longer his weaknesses.
Simultaneously, his devil bloodline had evolved. He was no longer a pure-blooded devil with only half the heritage; he was a Perfect Devil who could stand above even the bloodlines of the Maous. His potential and latent abilities were vastly improved. He was no longer the mediocre talent held back by his half-human side.
Thanks to this, Leon's physical strength had increased. Although it wasn't nearly as high as his demonic power—and certainly couldn't match Rem, who was currently bombarding the field with her morning star—it was not inferior to powerful races that took pride in their physical abilities. His flexibility and neural reactions had improved significantly; he had truly shed his old self.
With his current physical potential, Leon could even consider a close-combat path. At the very least, training his body wouldn't be a waste of time, as his rate of improvement would be incredibly fast. Even his self-healing and recovery abilities had been boosted. His vitality was immense, and his lifespan now far exceeded that of ordinary devils.
Leon felt as if his entire being had been reborn, as if he suddenly possessed a body capable of anything. A warmth flowed through his limbs, bringing an indescribable comfort.
With this body, if I encounter Cao Cao's Holy Spear again, the situation will be completely different, won't it? Leon thought happily.
Coupled with his massive jump in strength, he now had the confidence to face Cao Cao directly, force him to use his full power, and emerge victorious.
"I really didn't expect that taking in these two sisters would yield such feedback."
Leon's eyes were full of surprise as he looked at Ram and Rem, and he was greatly satisfied with the strength they were currently displaying.
Ultimate-class Devil strength was the highest tier among his retainers. Perhaps only Yukino Yukinoshita could barely rival them. And this was even before the characteristics of the "Pawn" were activated.
One must remember that for a "Pawn" to display its characteristics, it required the "King's" recognition. Only when the "King" deemed the current battlefield as hostile territory could the "Pawn" activate its trait. At that point, Ram and Rem could undergo "Promotion," turning into "Queen" pieces and gaining the traits of all other devil pieces, boosting their attack, defense, speed, and demonic power across the board.
Currently, Leon had not yet designated the field as hostile. Therefore, the power Ram and Rem were exerting had not yet been enhanced by Promotion. Once promoted, their strength would rise once more.
Thinking of this, Leon's mood improved further.
However—
"It's time to end this farce."
Seeing the battle between Ram and Rem grow increasingly violent, nearly reaching their position, Leon spoke.
"Fine." Tiamat had seen enough of Ram's recovery and understood Rem's berserk state. She no longer stopped him, nodding as she said, "Those two are already your retainers. You take care of them yourself."
Now, the object Tiamat wanted to observe had shifted from the sisters to Leon. She really wanted to know just how large the change in him truly was.
"Then I—"
Seeing that Tiamat was no longer interfering, Ravel wanted to help her master. Although her strength was far below the current Ram and Rem, her immortality gave her enough confidence to intervene. At the very least, she could distract them and relieve some pressure for her master.
Unfortunately, Ravel was stopped again.
"I'll do it myself."
Leon patted Ravel's shoulder and stepped toward Ram and Rem.
Whish!
As ten pitch-black bat wings unfurled behind him, Leon took flight.
"Ten wings—"
Watching him, Ravel could not hide her excitement.
"It really is ten wings," Tiamat mused.
Ten wings. Whether among Devils, Angels, or Fallen Angels, this was the mark of an indisputable high-ranking being. Among Devils, they were absolute top-tier, second only to the Maous. Among Angels, they were the highest rank below the Seraphim, absolute existences in the hearts of believers. Among Fallen Angels, they were Cadre-level figures, surpassed only by the Governor-General or the Vice-Governor.
In an era where the new generation of devils generally had ranks that hadn't caught up to their strength, Leon—a devil who was barely an adult—was already a Ten-Winged Devil. This would surely cause massive waves throughout the Underworld.
Of course, what truly moved people was Leon's next action.
Boom!
When Leon flapped his ten wings and charged toward Ram and Rem, the air seemed to explode, creating a ring of shockwaves. In that instant, Leon's speed was so fast that only Tiamat could track him. Like a rocket, he shattered the sound barrier.
The staggering speed sent the atmosphere into chaos, allowing Leon to instantly burst between Ram and Rem, appearing right before them.
"What—!?"
Ram was startled. Her reflexive release of wind power stalled in her hands.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Rem, on the other hand, had no concept of stopping in her berserk state. Letting out an angry scream, she swung her morning star. The spiked iron ball carried the weight of ten thousand tons as it whistled toward Leon. Judging by the momentum alone, there was no doubt it possessed enough destructive power to level a small mountain.
Facing such an attack, Leon's response was extremely simple. He reached out his hand toward the whistling iron ball.
Hum—
It was the hum of demonic power. On Leon's outstretched hand, purple demonic energy rose like mist. In this manner, with a single hand, Leon caught the incoming iron ball.
There was no thunderous roar. No terrible impact.
Under everyone's gaze, the iron ball that smashed into Leon's palm seemed to encounter terrifying heat. Like molten iron being dissolved, it was decomposed on the spot by the mist-like purple demonic power.
Seeing this, even the frenzied Rem couldn't help but widen her eyes, a look of shock appearing on her face. During her momentary stupor, Leon's wings flapped again. His body blurred like an afterimage, appearing instantly before her. His hand, shrouded in purple demonic energy, shifted from a palm into a finger, which he tapped against Rem's forehead.
Thump!
In the next moment, the demonic energy at his fingertip turned into an impact, striking Rem's brow.
"Ugh—"
Rem felt as if her head had been struck by a heavy blow; her consciousness blurred instantly. Before she lost consciousness completely, the last thing Rem saw was Leon catching her as she fell toward the ground.
That embrace felt... warm.