Too Late

A blinding explosion of light burst forth, sending shards of energy flying in all directions. Linfer, still pulled by Raphael's technique, took advantage of the momentum to turn around and seize Raphael's face with a clawed hand. But just before reaching him...

*[Permutation]*

With a cyan afterimage, he disappeared, leaving Celest in his place, his massive sword already swinging in a deadly arc. Linfer growled, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He swept the sword aside with a backhand, slapping it like a mere toy, then, without even glancing at Celest, delivered a punch of unimaginable violence, propelling him backward in a geyser of blood. He used this blood to form a chain, linking it to his neck, and, in a furious surge, spun Celest like a living weapon before brutally hurling him against a group of angels.

*Crash!*

Bodies exploded on impact, pieces of flesh and bone flying in all directions. But before Linfer could savor his victory, he felt the effect of the permutation again.

He found himself in the midst of his enemies, a chain binding him firmly. Luciel appeared at an astonishing speed, slashing the air with her sword, delivering a hundred blows in a second, but each strike was blocked by the organic blades emerging from Linfer's back, deflecting every attack.

Suddenly, Ezekiel appeared before him. But this only heightened Linfer's excitement. He broke the chains holding him with a simple gesture, grabbing Ezekiel's arm with terrifying force. The cracking of bones resonated in the air.

"Ugh…" Ezekiel could only groan in pain.

Linfer spun his opponent like a rag doll and used his body to block a new attack from Celest. With a cruel laugh, he tore off Ezekiel's arm before sending him flying with a kick to the chest, shattering his ribs on impact. With a swift motion, he dodged Morael's lance and, in a barbaric gesture, slapped the archangel with Ezekiel's torn-off arm. The sound of the impact echoed like thunder.

"You guys aren't taking me seriously!" Linfer chuckled, extending his clawed hand toward Morael's face, but before he could reach him, Uriel intervened and sliced off Linfer's hand.

Linfer smiled, unperturbed. "Too late."

A hand made of blood emerged from nowhere, materializing near Morael's neck. From his back, the red claws sank deep into his flesh, tearing out his spine.

"Morael!!" Luciel cried out, witnessing the death of her comrade-in-arms, unable to do anything.

In the same second, Linfer drew his lance toward him. As it reached his palm, it glowed with a deadly red light, and without hesitation, he hurled it with phenomenal force.

Tzakiel, unable to react in time, was pierced through the chest. The explosion that followed pulverized the upper half of his body, reducing him to an unrecognizable mass of flesh and broken bones, unable to regenerate.

"Damn, he's too powerful." Raphael tried to grab him.

Transforming into mist, he retreated, narrowly avoiding the explosion of golden flames.

The remaining angels watched the scene in horror. Their sacred formation was disintegrating under Linfer's raw power. They attempted to gather their strength for a new coordinated attack, but fear paralyzed them.

Linfer, with an air of disdain, slowly raised a finger toward the sky. "I had forgotten about you."

*[Blade]*

The sky seemed to collapse upon them. The blood falling from the heavens began to pulse, each drop becoming a deadly weapon. In a fraction of a second, the rain transformed into an infernal storm, each drop becoming a liquid blade.

Before they could react, every drop of rain sliced their bodies into millions of bloody pieces.

Celest struggled to protect them, sweeping the projectiles away with his sword.

*He he he*

Linfer charged at lightning speed. He was so fast that he saw their attacks in slow motion and could anticipate his opponents' movements.

He reached the first group of angels, fists clenched. Without slowing, he delivered a direct blow to one's chest. The sound of cracking bones echoed in the air as the angel was hurled backward, exploding into twenty others in the process. With a swift motion, Linfer pivoted and struck another angel in the face, his fist tearing off the opponent's jaw with brutal violence.

His claws emerged from his fingers as he plunged into the enemy mass. He slashed mercilessly, each strike tearing through flesh and armor with disconcerting ease.

Linfer grabbed one of them by the throat and hurled the body like a rag doll, striking three others who exploded on impact. Without losing a second, Linfer delivered a roundhouse kick. The shock shattered the ribs of ten more enemies, their cries of pain cut short by the bursting of their internal organs.

He never slowed down. His fists struck, his feet crushed, his claws tore. Linfer grabbed an angel by the nape, sinking his claws into its skull. He immediately followed by thrusting his blades through the throats of five other enemies attempting to surround him. Their blood splattered his face. He leaped with his wings, his blades describing a circle around him, slicing three of them in mid-air. The bodies fell in pieces into the bloody sea. He narrowly dodged a sword aimed at his throat.

"Seriously?" He raised his eyebrows, then tore out the angel's heart with a brutal gesture before biting into it like an apple.

Around him, the angels fell by the hundreds of thousands, powerless, like flies, unable to retaliate. Cries of agony echoed, a distant lament of their despair.

Linfer raised both hands to the sky, triumphant, entrails dangling around his neck like necklaces. Blood continued to splatter his face, and he opened his mouth, letting each red drop slide over his tongue with delight.

*[Spatial Seal]*

Suddenly, Linfer felt frozen, the space around him closing in like a trap. Before he could react, a blue afterimage appeared before him, and Ezekiel materialized at an impossible speed. His palm aimed at Linfer's chest.

Linfer tried to move, veins bulging as reality distorted around his arm.

Raphael, in the rear, gasped, his face pale, concentrating all his energy to keep the Devourer in check. His internal organs were crushing under the strain, every moment increasing his agony. But Linfer, with a burst of rage, finally broke the spatial chains, grabbing Ezekiel's wrist just millimeters from his chest.

Ezekiel gritted his teeth, dislocating his own wrist to finally touch Linfer's chest. Linfer raised an eyebrow, unable to understand why his opponent exerted so much effort for a simple touch.

*[Anima Extract]*

A burst of rainbow-colored energy erupted from Ezekiel's palm, hurling Linfer backward. He floated for a moment, his body frozen in mid-air. *I'm floating?* he thought briefly. Looking at the cracks in his spiritual form, he realized it wasn't him floating—it was his soul, torn from his body, rendering him unable to move his physical form.

"Now!" Ezekiel shouted.