Malachi opens his eyes abruptly.

An intense sunlight beams directly into his vision, making him wince and groan.

"Hang on, hang on…" A sweet voice says.

Malachi feels his sunglasses get placed over his face and he smiles gratefully.

"Thanks, babe… thought I was going to have to blot out the sun to get some relief there."

Sei pulls his ear sternly. "Don't even joke about that, you'll give the kids ideas."

Malachi looks out into his backyard.

It's an uncomfortably warm summer day in the south. The kind of weather that's perfect for a backyard event.

The pool, which was formerly frequented by thrashing children, is now mostly empty aside from the adults.

All four of the little ones are crowding around the grill, each with a paper plate in hand.

Askari turns his little head a full 180 degrees towards him.

"Uncle Mal, are we gonna blow up the sun today?!"

Malachi felt a bead of sweat run down his brow.

"Ah… not this time, buddy. Maybe next week."

Sei pinches his ear again.

"I-I mean we should probably leave the sun alone so everything down here can grow, you know? Everything on earth kind of needs it."

Askari looked a bit disappointed to learn that fact, but Malachi told himself that he was just sad they weren't going to play.

Sei started to walk away from her husband when suddenly he grabbed her by the wrist.

He gently pulled her into his lap, ignoring the flustered frown on her face.

"Honey, I'm busy…"

"Just sit with me for a bit." Malachi grabbed a handful of his wife's hair and brought it to his nose.

Slowly, his eyes drift open, and they are drawn to Sei's glorious form.

"That's.... quite the bathing suit." He swallows.

Sei's cheeks turn bright red as she feels his eyes race across her bikini. Her figure is gorgeous, womanly, and inviting.

"Anna seemed pretty insistent on seeing me in it... Do you like it..?"

Malachi's gaze lingers on Sei for a while.

She suppresses a shudder as he leans in, grazing his lips against her porcelain neck.

Her eyes naturally dart towards the patio door, her cheeks turning a subtle pink.

"Maybe… you can come inside and help me with-"

Sei can no longer speak, her words becoming a bloody gurgle as her throat is ripped out.

-

Dantalion closes his book with one hand before turning to the crowd of roaring demons.

The dark figures jeer and curse angrily at the downright boring climax to this highly anticipated event.

All the while, Dantalion bows and nods respectfully as if he is receiving a standing ovation at an opera house.

In the announcer's booth, Lilith hears an unnatural chattering sound.

She turns her head to the side and finds her husband chewing on his thumb anxiously.

"Come on, kid, don't screw me here… nobody feels like dealing with that nutty mother of yours..!"

Lilith starts to pat her husband on his back when suddenly she feels her skin crawl.

The demoness glances at the floor where her shadow stirs violently.

Lucifer let's out a sigh of relief as he wipes the sweat from his brow.

Back in the arena, Dantalion suddenly pauses his grandstanding.

Ane normous wall of scales surrounds him, blocking out all light in his vision.

He turns his head upward and meets the burning gaze of a horned serpent with golden fangs.

The anger wafting off the creature is so palpable, Dantalion feels as if he could grab it out of the air.

"...You should have remained inside your dream, young one. It would have been more preferable in the face of true defea-"

The serpent unhinges it's jaw and spews out a flaming acid.

Dantalion raises his book before the dangerous fluid can sully his radiant appearance.

A barrier of black magic surrounded the demon duke.

For a moment, he shakes his head at Malachi's crude attack.

However, he pauses when the serpent jams it's fangs through the barrier.

Dantalion feels a line of blood run down his cheek.

Had Malachi bitten a bit closer to the left, he would have easily impaled the duke's face.

That singular thought was more than enough to make him angry.

Dantalion's book flips to a new page.

Suddenly, he teleports out of the bubble and into the air, where it is safest.

At such an altitude, he can see just how fearsome Malachi has become.

He is a great horned cobra, as large as one hundred and fifty meters, and a body thicker than city streets.

His black scales were like noble armor, glimmering with a distinct rainbow-like luster.

"...A mighty beast indeed. Worthy of defeat by thine own hand."

Dantalion's book flipped to a third page.

Out of the book, an array of swords came flying out of the pages and filled the sky.

A tornado of living demonic weapons was formed above Dantalion's head. Despite the chaotic nature of the weapons, he controlled them effortlessly with only a movement of his finger.

"Be purged." Dantalion moved his arm in a downward arc, and the swords fell from the sky.

Looking up, Malachi saw a wave of glowing red weapons rushing right toward him.

He releases a deep, guttural hiss from the bottom of his throat.

A large black hole forms above his open mouth.

Without distinction, every sword sent his way is eaten away by the black hole, and in turn, the distortion becomes larger and larger.

Such destructive magic came with natural ramifications. The pull of gravity becomes so strong that the black hole begins to suck up dozens upon dozens of smaller demons.

Dantalion scowls at Malachi's obviously uncontrolled magic.

"...Disgraceful. You would doom all here to the jaws of the void because of your inability to act with forethought."

The black hole vanishes just as Dantalion's book turns to a new page.

The stage is suddenly empty, causing the Duke's eyes to narrow.

However, the stands of the demons are becoming more active.

All of a sudden, a sea of shadowy creatures arose from the stands with the spectators.

There were large and fearsome cats. Great, majestic birds of prey. And large, venomous serpents.

They all speak with the same voice, and the anger that drips from their voice is more chilling than ice.

"As long as I can kill you... I don't care who I have to send along with you."