----

The moment Apollo's body shook in response to Ouroboros' entry, Fuhrer's eyes narrowed. 'Are my eyes fooling me? I see odd energies fluctuating from Apollo's body,' Fuhrer thought silently. As Apollo's body continued to tremble, Fuhrer entertained the thought of retreating.

Based on the fluctuations Apollo's body was releasing, Fuhrer wasn't sure what the outcome would be. Not to mention, Apollo's consciousness wasn't present. Valac's strike had done him in!

Meanwhile, as Valac felt this change, he approached the crater without hesitation. However, Fuhrer appeared and stepped in his path, "Have you forgotten who we are? Also, why have you used this form? You are fighting a Lesser Demon."

"I don't have to answer to you," Valac spat before brushing past Fuhrer in an attempt to completely deal with Apollo. Unfortunately for him, he was underestimating Fuhrer far too much.

Fuhrer reached behind himself and grasp Valac's shoulder. His vice grip caused Valac to stop in place. This confused him as the increase in strength from his transformation should've catapulted him beyond a typical Greater Demon. Yet, this demon was capable of impeding his advancement. Naturally, this angered Valac.

After a short pause, he turned around. At first, he wanted to voice his displeasure, but when he realized the demon had retracted their helmet, he refrained from doing so. Staring at the cascading white hair and defined neck, Valac felt a tinge of nostalgia.

Then, it hit him. Just moments before, this demon's first question was have you forgotten who we are? Although it took some time, he muttered, "Lord Fuhrer?"

In response, Fuhrer turned towards him with an imperious gaze, "Correct, now tell me, have you forgotten who we are?"

"I have not! However, times have changed and things aren't the same," Valac answered. He then paused for a short moment before answering, "I have grown into my own power and the Monarch hasn't reappeared. So, I don't think who we were matters too much."

"Hoh? Your own power? Then why are you using what has been bestowed upon you? Furthermore, who we were will never be irrelevant you immature child. Has the passage of time done nothing for your comprehension?"

"Tch, that. That right there! Since the beginning, you all have belittled me and antagonized me for being the youngest. However, I'm not the same demon I was back then," Valac retorted before stepping eye to eye with Fuhrer.

As he experienced this, Fuhrer's eyebrow rose with intrigue, "Hmm? It seems the years have increased your courage. I guess you think you and I stand at the same level now?" Fuhrer said with a dark glint in his eyes. From his point of view, the fight between him and Apollo should be over. Hence, if he put Valac in his place now, he wouldn't be going against the strict orders left behind for him.

"I believe so. After all, Lord Fuhrer you were a Daemos. Yet, for some reason, you don't feel any stronger than a notable Greater Demon. It seems the disappearance of the Lord Monarch has done disastrous things to your strength," Valac rebutted.

A faint chuckle escaped Fuhrer's lips, "If you were any other demon, your tongue would no longer exist to utter such foolish words. Fortunately, you are one of us, so I can't kill you. However.."

'BOOM!'

A torrential tide of pressure came crashing down upon Valac that made his eyes widen. Compared to before, the pressure Fuhrer was emitting now was at least ten times greater than before. Unbeknownst to Valac, Fuhrer's true body was tapping into his Daemos Soul.

No matter what level a demon was, if they were below the level of a Daemos, they would feel pressure from this type of power.

"Speak nonsense again and I will allow you to relive your past. Do you understand me?" Fuhrer pressured. Incrementally, he continued to increase the pressure acting upon Valac until he finally produced an answer.

"I understand Lord Fuhrer! However, whoever that demon was, he must go. I won't allow him to belittle me as well. If I allow him to do so, then my reputation before my underlings will be torn to shred," Valac exclaimed.

"I will have to refuse. I can't allow you to.." All of a sudden, Fuhrer's attention was stimulated. At first, he was merely going to collect Apollo's body and have him return when he acquired more strength. But, it appeared he didn't need to do so. A strange occurrence was taking place.

"Never mind, it isn't my place. It would seem your fight hasn't concluded," Fuhrer commented before taking a step back. Valac turned his attention towards the crater that contained Apollo's battered body in light of his words.

A hand was seen sticking out as it grasped the edge of the ground. Seconds later, Apollo hoisted himself up. However, if one looked closely, they would notice a few things amiss with his body. First of all, the amethyst gem embedded in his forehead was now half silver and half amethyst.

Secondly, his eyes weren't what they usually were. If it had to be compared, it was almost identical to Ouroboros' except they were as black as the abyss with silver elliptical pupils.

Lastly, an armor of glistening midnight blue scales was starting to cover his entire body.historical

"Is he...transforming? No, that's not quite correct. That serpent! That serpent has caused something to happen. Just what is the species of that serpent?" Valac muttered before holding his hand out by his side. For some odd reason, he felt uneasy.

"U-ughh," Apollo groaned as he stretched his body. His fleeting consciousness was restored due to Ouroboros' earlier actions. When he entered the gem on Apollo's forehead, he released a strong surge of energy to rejuvenate Apollo's mind.

Afterward, he also made Apollo aware of a special ability of his race—Inner Assimilation. This ability could only be used on the individual they have bonded souls with. By utilizing all of their Inner Chaos, Ouroboros' species could merge with their master and open up a new realm of power.

Of course, this came with a drawback. It was strenuous on both sides. The fusion resulted in an immense increase in power.

When the transformation was done, the gleam of the scales faded and was replaced by a thin barrier. Moreover, it didn't seem to be intentional. The barrier seemed to be an innate ability.

"Round Two, that earlier fight doesn't count. My partner is mad at you and I won't hear the end of it unless I prevail. So, now it is your turn to experience defeat," Apollo said. Before even waiting for Valac's reply, Apollo dashed forward at a speed that made Valac raise his guard.

'Extreme boost in physical capabilities. This type of transformation should be highly ranked. It could even be on par with my own transformation's capabilities,' Valac thought right as he raised his spear to block Apollo's claw.

Although his feet sunk into the ground, Valac wasn't surprised. He had already estimated that Apollo's current strength should have escaped any limitations a Lesser Demon should be confined to.

'Judging by this weight, I want to say his raw strength has swelled to the same sensation as Lord Fuhrer's. Be that as it may, he lacks utilization; it is just brute force,' Valac thought. He then raised his foot and kicked Apollo's torso before retreating.

With a flap of his wings, he rose in the sky. But, when he looked at the previous position of Apollo, he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, he felt a faint threat. Valac looked to the side and saw a small fracture opening.

A fist appeared from inside which prompted Valac to respond in kind, "I forgot, this serpent seemed to possess void abilities. It could open spatial fractures. Luckily, you're slow," Valac voiced before grabbing Apollo's wrist and throwing him towards the ground.

Right before he landed, Apollo recovered midair and landed on his feet. In truth, he was still adjusting to this large increase in power. Simply using the power efficiently after receiving was a monumental task. It took familiarity to do so.

However, there was another thing Apollo realized in the corner of his eyes. From the moment he awakened from his unconsciousness, there was a pending notification that didn't produce any information.

But, just now, that changed. A line appeared before Apollo's eyes as he roared to the skies, deluging the area with more than one type of Sin.

?System Alert! Foreign Gula has been detected. Interacting with the traces of Gula found within your soul. Superbia and Avaritia were detected as well. Gula overload; Ira heightened. Effect: Body capacity temporarily augmented!?

This roar caused Valac to reminisce over something, a blank look appearing on his face.