Gavid possessed the Demoneye of Divine Glory. Both of his eyes operated as the Demoneye of Divine Glory. However, strangely enough, his left eye, which should have been functional as well, didn’t seem to be exerting its power.
At first, Eugene thought he was mistaken. It was rather inconceivable to him that only one of Gavid’s eyes was functioning as the Demoneye of Divine Glory.
But he wasn’t mistaken. Eugene’s gaze had never strayed from Gavid’s eyes during their exchanges.
He was now certain. Gavid’s left eye did not harbor the Demoneye of Divine Glory — it was just an ordinary eye.
Seeing Eugene’s scrutinizing look, Gavid took the initiative to explain, "The lack of it isn't a penalty. It’s not like I’m not using it to insult you. Rather, I simply had to prepare for whatever came next."
"What came next?" Eugene echoed his words.
"If, by chance," Gavid said as a bitter smile spread across his lips, "if I were to lose to you, Hamel — it's a contingency for that."
Eugene decided not to respond to Gavid’s comment.
“A demoneye can be used in various ways,” Gavid continued.
Gavid’s right eye, the Demoneye of Divine Glory, emitted a chilling light."As you know, this eye contains the power bestowed by my lord, His Majesty the Demon King of Incarceration. Whether I use both eyes or just one, that fact remains unchanged."
Eugene was well aware of this. It was the same with Ciel. Despite having only one of her eyes imbued with a demoneye, she could manage the power of darkness and immobility just fine.
However, a demoneye wasn’t something that could conveniently be plucked out and transferred to another at will. It wasn’t that easy or convenient.
A demoneye embedded itself in an entity but not in the flesh. Even if one were to gouge out an eye, the Demoneye of Divine Glory would not perish. Yet now, Gavid's left eye lacked the Demoneye of Divine Glory.
Eugene finally said, "From the sounds of it, you've passed it on to someone else. Who is it? Has someone already been designated as the next Blade of Incarceration in my absence?"
"I guess there’s no need to hide it,” Gavid said with a chuckle. "I haven't designated any successor. His Majesty the Demon King of Incarceration does not desire such arrangements."
Gavid had given a report to the Demon King of Incarceration regarding the upcoming duel after making his declaration to Eugene.
He also expressed his wish to transfer the Demoneye of Divine Glory. He thought if it were refused, then so be it — he wouldn't hold any regrets. After all, the Demoneye of Divine Glory was a gift from the Demon King to his blade.
But the Demon King of Incarceration did not refuse Gavid's request. He did not even show displeasure. Instead, he accepted Gavid’s request with a joyful laugh.
After receiving permission, Gavid then headed to Giabella City.
"The Queen of the Night Demons," Gavid whispered in response, confirming Eugene's worst fears.
Noir Giabella, the Queen of the Night Demons. Eugene flinched and lifted his head. He could see Noir reclining comfortably in midair through the now transparent wall of chains.
When he first arrived here, Eugene inevitably had to keep an eye on both Gavid and Noir. The duo were the greatest obstacles he needed to overcome before ascending Babel. Fortunately, the stage was set with Gavid today, and Eugene did not entertain the thought of defeat.
He only thought about what would come after winning the duel. If he were to kill Gavid today, the only hurdle left before climbing Babel would be Noir Giabella.
He had observed Noir carefully and felt absolutely nothing from her, which sent chills down his spine. He could not feel any power or authority emanating from Noir Giabella. Had Gavid not informed him, Eugene would have never known that Noir had inherited the Demoneye of Divine Glory.
"I was going to surprise you with that later," Noir said, giggling as she swung her legs in the air.
Her laughter was playful, but Eugene sensed a sinister undertone in her smile. Eugene came to a stark, profound realization: Noir Giabella, the Queen of Night Demons, was born a Night Demon. However, she had far transcended her race. Did that mean she was now a Demon King?
'No,' Eugene realized.
She wasn’t a Demon King. No, she was something else entirely. Eugene clicked his tongue in annoyance and looked down, glaring at Gavid.
It was too early to prepare for Noir's death. What Eugene needed to do now was to win the duel against Gavid Lindman. He needed to kill him outright.
"You really thought you'd divide the Demoneye of Divine Glory. You dukes always came up with bizarre ways to screw me over. You'll regret not having both eyes before you die today, and you’ll lament not being at full strength in your final moments,” Eugene proclaimed.
"The power difference is negligible," Gavid retorted. As if to prove his words, the light from the Demoneye of Divine Glory intensified.
Creak, creak, creak.
Although the chains were still invisible to the naked eye, the sound of metal echoed around Gavid.
"As I said, a demoneye is all about how you use it," said Gavid.
He absolutely did not regret passing one Demoneye of Divine Glory to Noir. He didn't think it weakened him at all. The numerous battles in the barren wasteland had strengthened him, and the sword that had cut Agaroth had not been harvested with a pair of the Demoneye of the Divine Glory.
So, if he were to lose today, it definitely would not be because he only carried one Demoneye of the Divine Glory. It simply meant that Gavid’s sword could not surpass Eugene’s.
Clang.
Invisible chains suddenly became visible. Chains burst from the void and coiled around Gavid's left hand while hundreds of chains raised their heads like snakes facing Eugene.
That alone altered the nature of the space. Eugene felt a tremendous force pressing on his sanctuary.
Kwaaar!
Many chains were launched at him like spears, and Levantein was once again enveloped in flames, and then space ruptured open to a soaring wall of flames. The unique ability of the Demon Spear Luentos, Spear Forest, manifested in an entirely different form.
The chains could not penetrate the wall of flames, nor did they have a need to. The power of Incarceration’s chains was straightforward and intuitive. They ensnared and confined everything they touched, be it mana, magic, divine power, or miracles, stripping control the moment they connected.
Gavid was the one pulling the chains. He yanked the chains with his left hand.
With a thunderous crash, the wall of flames dissipated. Gavid skillfully twisted his left wrist and whipped the chains around.
Eugene stood motionless at the center of the sanctuary. He felt the need to verify how much his current sanctuary could really withstand against the powers of Incarceration.
Rumbleee…!
The arena vibrated ominously. The chains Gavid swung stayed suspended in the open air, quivering violently.
Neither touched the other directly, but Eugene and Gavid felt the same thing: this was a mere contest of strength. Neither had a distinct advantage, and such a test of force alone would yield no results.
Thus, Gavid advanced. Dark power enveloped his entire body and flowed into the blade of Glory.
'He’s testing me,' Gavid realized.
Eugene was testing Gavid’s strength and his sword. Gavid’s lips twisted into a smirk.
Indeed, Eugene’s sanctuary was impressive. He had stabbed with the intent to kill, yet the tip of his sword did not reach Eugene. A radius of several meters around Eugene seemed to operate beyond the realm of ordinary laws.
Yet, Gavid moved towards the sanctuary. With each step, he tightened the chains wound around his left hand and put more strength into his steps. The dark power swirling around Glory intensified. But it did not run wild. Instead, the power around it quietly condensed into the blade.
Suddenly, Gavid's foot pushed hard against the ground. The tightly pulled chains slackened momentarily, and the force flowing through the chains shifted. All forces, except those forming the sanctuary around Eugene, propelled Gavid forward. It was not a charge or a leap but a forceful propulsion.
In an instant, all forces were directed towards Eugene.
And Eugene felt it then. Gavid was unleashing a single strike, but it did not feel like a slash from a sword.
"Huh. Gavid Lindman. You’ve come this far?" Eugene asked.
The law of the sanctuary was: The god of the sanctuary couldn’t be harmed within it. Therefore, Gavid Lindman's sword should not have reached Eugene.
That simple and absolute law should have deflected Gavid’s strike, but the law shattered in one blow. Gavid’s sword did not stop there. The demon sword, having reached the realm of god slaying, aimed at taking Eugene’s life.
Eugene swiftly changed his strategy after coming to the realization. The current form of the sanctuary could not stop the demon sword.
If that were the case…
'I’ll change the form of the sanctuary,' Eugene thought.
Flames erupted from Eugene’s back.
He activated his Signature, Prominence. The moment the dark, explosive wings of light manifested, Eugene’s aura transformed dramatically. His movement underwent a dramatic change. Explosive acceleration pushed at Eugene’s back. In an instant, Eugene and Gavid’s positions were reversed.
The demon sword was stopped in its tracks. Despite the massive force being redirected midway, there was no imbalance in Gavid’s movement. He swiftly turned around to follow Eugene’s figure.
'Ignition?'
Gavid couldn’t help but be mistaken. But no, Eugene had not reached for his chest. This wasn’t Ignition.
Prominence was the Signature Eugene Lionheart had developed with the aid of the Archwizards in Aroth. It was not merely a form of magic — it was an ability of a different caliber entirely.
It involved scattering feathers to mark coordinates for consecutive spatial leaps. It was truly a technique outrageously powerful as a support spell in combat. But for Eugene, the ultimate potential of Prominence was that it could be used as a pseudo-Core to substitute for Ignition. It was a fact Gavid was well aware of from what he had witnessed in the skies of Nahama.
"The realm of magic has been transcended indeed," Gavid muttered with a hollow laugh.
The flames were not just composed of mana. Similarly, the formulas making up Prominence were not magic. Prominence had surpassed the domain of magic and reached firmly into the territory of miracles. The dark wings themselves were a testament to Eugene's divinity.
It wasn't about creating a sanctuary in the world. Prominence itself had become Eugene's sanctuary.
This was not Agaroth's method. The God of War used his sanctuary like a weapon of war. Agaroth’s troops never tired in the battles he led. Most wounds they suffered were miraculously healed, and they were graced with divine power.
However, Agaroth’s sanctuary had shattered far too easily in the face of the Demon King of Destruction. After reflecting on Agaroth’s death, Eugene knew he could not rely solely on Agaroth’s methods. A vast sanctuary would be necessary if a full-scale war against the demons was required, but currently, Eugene needed to focus on the duel.
The time would come to kill Noir Giabella and the Demon King of Incarceration, and he would run into the same situation.
Thus, he had transformed Prominence into his sanctuary.
Crackle, crackle, crackle.
The space around Eugene trembled and fissured as he pushed the limits of his power, and the world struggled under the strain.
Gavid did not continue his exclamations. He silently raised his sword. Eugene was now completely enveloped by his sanctuary. The implications of this in combat were still beyond Gavid’s comprehension.
In that case, he had no choice but to face Eugene directly. Gavid inhaled deeply before fully unleashing his dark power and prowess. Chains coiled around his body in a tight embrace.
Fwoosh….
Eugene’s eyes shone brightly within the darkness. Divinity was sparked deep within his brilliant golden irises, and an unprecedented power was mobilized. The symbolic swords of both warriors clashed and sliced through space.
A single collision resulted in a blinding explosion of light that filled the arena. The Demon King of Incarceration immediately flicked his fingers. Despite the chains being reinforced multiple times, the arena still rumbled under immense force.
Blood spurted from both Eugene and Gavid’s arms. Both Kristina and Anise screamed simultaneously.
This duel was imposing brutally harsh conditions on Eugene as a human. He could not afford to sustain injuries. A minor wound might be manageable, but a serious one would significantly impede his ability to fight.
The sight of Eugene’s right arm proved it. Despite just one clash, his bones had twisted and pierced through the skin. Blood gushed from his muscles, which were ripped and had burst open. With the Saints present, such wounds could be healed instantly, but currently, they could not intervene in the duel.
"Ah...!" Kristnina and Anise exclaimed in surprise.
But despite their shock and concern, Eugene's arm was restored as if it had never been destroyed.
Was it supernatural regeneration by divine power? No, it wasn't that. His arm had been destroyed. It was as if the reality where his arm had been shattered had simply ceased to exist. This was a unique form of immortality, something incomprehensible even to the Saints.
"Ha-ha-ha!"
The Demon King of Incarceration alone understood the nature of Eugene’s immortality. He did not merely laugh either. He slapped his knee in admiration.
"Hamel, you,” Gavid exclaimed in shock.
He had similarly regenerated his broken arm. He did not stop marveling but asked, "Are you truly human?"
Even as he posed the question, Gavid did not stop his attacks.
Chains of Incarceration materialized from all directions and assaulted Eugene. Eugene's left hand brushed the blade of Levantein and ignited the divine power within more fiercely. The flames burned even brighter.
"No," came Eugene’s reply.
Crimson flames traced a single line within the exploding radiance. Eugene clenched his left hand into a fist after sweeping over Levantein’s blade. Suddenly, darkness absorbed all of its light.
"I am a god."
Overlapping divine forces formed a small sphere. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call the sphere a black sun after it had absorbed all the light.
Eclipse erupted.