Parallel Memory

[On the other side]

"Then let me remind you again who I am."

-SHUSH!

Xalvar released his mana aura displaying his Viscount strength. The Rank-B Devil Contractor and other Devil Contractors trembled in fear. For them, the Devil was god themselves and they could not help but tremble when Xlavar displayed a power that they could never attain.

However, it was a different story for Zero. He brandished his sword and prepared his magic bracelet. He already got used to Rank-A pressure when fighting with Professor Mia.

Moreover, with dark Energy, he could exert the power of Rank-A. Therefore, even when Xalvar released his Rank-A mana aura, Zero was calm.

!!

Xalvar was surprised and also dissatisfied with Zero's lack of expression. He was planning to have Zero tremble and beg in front of him.

-WHOOSH!

Xalvar quickly disappeared and appeared behind Zero. It was not that Xalvar had teleported but because he was fast, it seemed like he had teleported.

-CLANK!

However, Zero blocked it with his sword. For Zero, while Xalvar was fast, it was not to the point that he could not see him. After blocking, he raised his sword and attacked Xalvar.

-CLANG! -CLANG! -CLANK!

Zero and the Devil known as Xalvar were confronting each other. Similarly, like how Lilith fought with Hiro, Xalvar also did the same. He fought with Zero using his claw.

( Who is he? )

Zero thought.

Despite being in the battle, not to mention, with a Viscount Devil, Zero was still thinking about what the Devil had said.

[ "I didn't expect you to be here." ]

( What did he mean? Did I ever meet him? )

He could not remember knowing any Devil, much less someone as powerful as the one he was fighting with. If he ever met a Devil, he would have been dead.

-CLANG! -CLANG!

However, despite not fully concentrating on the fight, Zero was able to keep up with Xalvar. It was not that Xalvar was not powerful but it looks like he was purposefully not using his full power.

[ "Dual Art: Peerless Ice Strike" ]

-CLANK!

The attack was again blocked by Xalvar.

On the other hand, Zero was using everything he got to keep up with Xalvar. Xalvar could easily block any attack even if it was Dual Art.

-CLANG! -CLANG!

However, even if Zero didn't gain any advantage, it wasn't like Xalvar was doing any damage to Zero. Zero would also easily block every attack thrown at him.

"Keke… I truly didn't expect this!"

Xalvar said.

Xalvar was talking to Zero as if he knew him to Zero's great dismay. Zero didn't know who his enemy was while it seemed that his enemy knew him well.

It would have been good if what Xalvar was saying was just to make him lose composure but Zero felt that what Xalvar was saying was true and he truly knows him.

"Who would have thought that a little kid from back then would grow to be able to contend with me. I am really jealous of your talent!"

-CLANK!

Xalvar said as he threw another punch which was blocked. Xalvar every attack was lethal and if one makes even a slight mistake, he/she might lose their life.

Zero was only able to predict and counter Xalvar's attack because he had fought with too many people. With the experience in his hand, Zero was able to at least keep his life intact.

[ "Dual Art: Dark Icy Surface" ]

Zero tried to catch Xalvar off guard and freeze him with Dark Icy Surface.

*WHOOSH!

However, Xalvar immediately reacted to Zero's skill and flew into the sky. Though the skill didn't work, since Xalvar decided to dodge, Zero knew that Xalvar was wary of him.

If his attack didn't work on Xalvar, Xalvar would not even bother to dodge it. Therefore, he assumed that Xalvar could at least be injured by him.

"Hehe... Nice Try! Now try surviving from this."

Xalvar said as he threw what seemed to be a big ball containing Dark Energy. By big, I mean that the Xalvar attack was 20-meter diameter.

The Rank-B devil Contractors and others could only stare in awe at the attack. They knew that they did not have the capabilities to survive if they got hit by that.

"Lord Xalvar!"

The Devil Contractors screamed his name in hope that Xalvar would cancel his attack but their hopes were all dashed when they saw Xalvar looking at them with a smile.

As a Devil, Xalvar viewed Devil Contractors as their slaves and something expandable. He didn't care about the devil Contractors who were below. He was rather happy to watch those ants being crushed by him.

Unlike those devil contractors, Zero was not scared. Even if the attack was powerful, he knew that he could survive, at least if he used Dark Energy. Well, he would not use that here where there are too many eyewitnesses.

[ "Dual Art: Dark Ice Embodiment" ]

Zero immediately covered himself in his Dark Ice Armor. With this skill, he could easily be injured even when Rank-B attacked him. He understood, however, that this was not enough for what was coming to him.

[ "Icy Shadow Wall" ]

There are now 30 Dark Walls in front of Zero. Many giant walls were erected to stop the Xalvar attack.

-CRACK! -BAM!

However, one wall would not even last for one second before it was destroyed by the big ball.

-CRACK! -BAM!

-CRACK! -BAM!

-CRACK! -BAM!

One after another, the once numerous walls had been reduced to zero. While some of the power of the Xalvar attack had decreased, it was still far from over. Xalvar's attack still has enough power to wipe out everyone that was present there.

[ "Dark Ice Creation" ]

Using this ability, Zero created a giant hand that was used to stop the big ball.

-CLASH!

The clash between the two skills lasted for 6 seconds before it was also destroyed by Xalvar's destructive ball.

Now, the only thing left to defend Zero was his Dark Ice Armor. Zero used his sword as his shield with a mana barrier and tried to block the attack.

-BOOM!

With a radius of 100 meters, everything in the vicinity had been turned into dust. The Devil Contractors who were present there had also been turned into dust. Only a battered Zero remained.

"Hah…Hah…"

The Dark Ice Embodiment Armor that Zero had was broken into pieces while his own body also met the impact of Xalvar's attack. His appearance was as if he had just gone through a war or something.

( That's Viscount Devil alright! )

Without the use of Dark Energy, it is practically impossible for the current me to defeat a Rank-A opponent. To be alive after fighting a Rank-A as a Rank-C - is already a miracle.

However, I am not someone who will easily give up. The Devil was strong, maybe a little out of my league, but that didn't mean that I was just going to get beaten up.

Although Zero's injuries were serious, he still stood up to fight the Devil. The injuries were so painful that some people might even go crazy but for Zero who had gone through worse, he was able to stay normal.

"I am surprised you survived my Destruction Ball skill. Not even Rank-B Devil Contractor has survived this."

Xalvar said as he descended from the sky.

He was really surprised by the fact that Zero was able to come out alive after getting hit by his favorite skill.

Following Solomon's failure to annex the Shadow Genesis guild, he investigated Zero. He was already surprised that Zero, who was just a normal boy six years ago, had managed to reach Rank-D in 6 years.

For the Devil, to advance to such a level, it would normally take 20 years. Although humans were generally faster than Devil in ranking up, this was beyond what he had expected. Now, he was able to gain the strength to defend himself from his attack.

Based on his investigation, Zero should have been Rank-C - and he was still feeling Rank-C auras from him. The fact that he survived an attack that Rank-B is not able to survive led to the conclusion that Zero's true strength was around Rank-B +.

( Just how? )

He was not able to comprehend the power that Zero had. Not only the growth of Zero's power but even the power itself was weird. He has not heard of any Art or Artifact that is able to make a Rank-C - compete with Rank-A.

( You were just an ant before! )

Xalvar began to feel angry when he started to think about the talent that Zero possessed. Regardless of Zero's forgetting him, he clearly remembered Zero, who was Rank-F trash he could easily crush to death at any time.

"However, luck will not save you for long."

Once again, using his claw, he confronted injured Zero.

-CLANK! -CLANK!

However, even when Zero was battered and looked like he was on his last leg, he still managed to block his attack.

"Hah…Hah"

Zero was heavily panting as he blocked Xalvar's attacks. This was the first time after Solomon that he was struggling this much.