Transcending Realms With My Leveling System As A Demon-Chapter 83: Zylus Elwis Vs The Top 5 (1)

Ivy Noctis swallowed hard, her fingers trembling at her side. The others felt it too, but she was the only one who didn’t step away.

"Because..." she answered, "you weren’t always like this, Zylus."

Zylus tilted his head slightly, his glowing red gaze locking onto her.

"What?" he repeated calmly, "You’ve just never got the chance to meet the real me."

The Second-Rank clenched his fists. "This isn’t just Systemic Flow. He’s matched it with something else, something scary. Just look at his arms."

Both his arms had turned into stone somehow, with pink sparks going through the cracks, connecting to a color on his katana.

Zylus grinned. He smiled. Everything in the world felt weak before him.

"Both?" Zylus chuckled, his voice low and sharp, "You guys are too weak to comprehend how powerful I’ve truly become." He looked in the sky, raising both arms wide, and he felt evil.

The air twisted around him. His systemic flow surged again, mixing violently with his Human system; a new Demon core was being evolved. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly, not from force, but from presence alone.

Ivy stepped forward despite herself being weak and only a healer.

"Zylus... you’re still you, right?"

Zylus looked at her for a moment. A long moment.

"...I am," he said, "just upgraded."

The Fourth-Rank felt sweat roll down his neck. "This isn’t a being we can restrain. Even Chris won’t be able to hold him if he resists."

Chris Tall finally spoke, his voice heavy.

"So you ended up being an anomaly," he said, "Even when I was the one to recruit you, I expected better, Zylus."

Zylus turned toward him slowly.

"Oh, hey there, Chris." He waved, in a friendly manner, "I heard you’re the new Demon King. Is this true?"

Chris nodded once, arrogantly, his eyes shut; he didn’t feel the same fear everyone else did.

"...You’re small."

The insult wasn’t loud. It wasn’t angry. It was factual.

Chris felt his Demon Authority shake.

"That title doesn’t mean what it used to, does it?" Zylus added.

[Warning...]

[Multiple High-Rank Entities Detected...]

[Threat Level: Undefined]

Zylus smiled faintly.

"Undefined," he repeated, "I like that."

The Third-Rank moved slightly. Just a step. Zylus was already in front of him. But he wasn’t pursuing Zylus just yet; he just stood there, awaiting an attack.

The pressure forced the Third-Rank to drop to one knee instantly.

"This..." the Third-Rank gasped, "...is impossible."

"Impossible?" Zylus said calmly, "Say that to your deathbed."

He turned his head back toward the group.

"You came to stop me?"

None of them answered.

"So answer me this," Zylus continued, "would you have saved me... if I was the one bleeding on the ground?"

Silence. That silence was enough for Zylus to continue with his actions.

"I thought so."

Ivy clenched her teeth. "Then what are you going to do?"

Zylus looked up at the sky.

"I’m going to keep evolving," he said, "until I can finally acknowledge myself as worthy to continue, I need..." Zylus paused, gripping his katana slightly, "revenge."

[Title Effect Activated: The Transcendent Sovereign]

[Presence Suppression Disabled]

[Dominance Field: Active]

The pressure skyrocketed. The Fourth-Rank staggered backward. The Second-Rank gritted his teeth. Chris Tall tightened his stance. Only Ivy remained standing without collapsing.

Zylus noticed.

"...Interesting," he murmured.

He turned fully toward her.

"You’re different."

She nodded weakly. "Because I know who you truly are."

Zylus stepped closer. The purple light reflected in her widened eyes.

"Then stay alive," he said softly, "because this world is going to need someone who remembers what mercy looks like."

He looked back at the others.

"But not today."

The air twisted, space folded around him as his uneasy presence grew. And Zylus Elwis vanished.

[System Update...]

[Entity: Zylus Elwis]

[Status: Untraceable]

[Realm Impact Level: Catastrophic Potential]

The arena was silent. No fans, no guards, only the top five ranked, and of course, the man who had now succeeded all, or felt like he had, Zylus Elwis.

Chris Tall slowly straightened his back, his expression didn’t change, and he remained calm, as the Demon King.

"...It might be time he disappears," Chris let out lightly, "Even though I was the one to recruit him."

Zylus cracked, in a laughing manner, of course, "You really think you can defeat me?" Zylus stepped towards him, then gazed directly at his eyes, "Think again."

And just then, Chris teleported behind Zylus, but Zylus simply stood there, awaiting an attack that Chris never hit.

"Come on," Zylus whispered, "backing away is no fun, fight me." He demanded, now taking matters into the Second-Rank, which he now appeared right beside.

Chris already distanced himself, so he was absolutely no help at this point; all the Demon King could, and will be able to do in this fight, would be protecting himself, and leaning on his own selfish desires. After all, Demons aren’t heroes, nor are they anti-heroes, they’re Demons. And Demons...

Are desperate.

Zylus, with one simple push, was able to easily blast the Second-Rank into the circular stone walls that surrounded the arena.

Bam!

"Don’t run."

Zylus caught onto the Third-Rank, holding him by the arm, then completely slamming him onto the floor below.

"Chris!" The Fourth-Rank called out. He was afraid, feared, and all he could count on was the Demon King, who couldn’t sense Zylus’s movements at all.

"Zylus!" Chris watched, trying to rush in as he finally was able to pick up on Zylus’s movements, but even though he was able to pick up on them, his body didn’t move at those speeds to catch up.

The fastest Chris had ever been accounted on was sub-light. But usually, his strength, overpowering Zylus, helped overlook his low speeds in comparison to Zylus, as he transcended anything possible.

"So, you’re the fourth?" Zylus crackled, "Well, you’re weak as well."

Slam!

"And just like that," Zylus gazed back at Chris, "You are the last one remaining, the final number one. The former first rank, but now, the Demon King."

Chris nervously sneered, "Don’t think you’ve won just yet."

Even in the face of potential war with separate realms, the Demons were fighting themselves.