Chapter 520: Chapter 520: The Defeat of the Demon Emperor Zerathos

The power of space was a force that only a select few could truly master.

Even other singularities couldn’t wield it at will.

It required innate talent—something not everyone possessed.

Yet just now, he had seen Malverna use it.

Even if only for a brief moment, it was undeniable proof that she could genuinely command the power of space.

’What a talented woman,’ Nolan muttered, narrowing his eyes.

He had once dismissed Malverna as merely a former ruler of the demon race, not worth taking seriously.

But now, his opinion had completely shifted—she far surpassed all his expectations.

If she continued to train, it wasn’t impossible that she could become the Eighth Singularity.

It sounded absurd, yet Nolan felt certain of it.

***

Malverna landed directly in front of the battered Demon Emperor Zerathos.

His clothes were shredded, exposing the upper half of his body—lacerated, bruised, and battered from countless blows.

As the Demon Emperor, his physical strength was legendary. Yet every one of Malverna’s devastating attacks had pierced his defenses.

"Hah... hah... hah..." Zerathos gasped, his face pale from the blood he had lost.

"Why... why... are you this strong...?" he stammered, disbelief and frustration lacing his words.

He couldn’t comprehend how it had come to this. Once, his power had been unmatched, surpassing all demon rulers before him.

Even at only eighty percent of his peak, he was far from weak.

At first, he had been confident, certain he could crush Malverna with ease.

After all, his former master had been far weaker than him at his prime.

But in reality, he was wrong. Malverna was incredibly strong—stronger than he had ever been at his peak.

And even without unleashing her full power, Zerathos knew it without a doubt.

Malverna smiled at his question and replied casually, "Maybe I’m just talented."

Demon Emperor Zerathos: "..."

He knew that was indeed one of the reasons, but making it the first one was still incredibly frustrating.

"Back then, I was poisoned by you and died at your hands. And yet, I was still on the path to reaching the peak of my power," Malverna continued indifferently. "If only I had lived longer, there’s no way you could have killed me."

Her expression radiated hatred and anger. What she said wasn’t mere boasting—it was the truth.

The demon race’s leadership system was unique. Rulers passed their memories and experiences to their successors.

As a result, the new leaders could grow exceptionally fast.

Unfortunately, at that time, Malverna hadn’t yet processed all the experiences of her predecessor and was killed by her own disciple.

Ignis didn’t realize this. He killed her but failed to inherit all that knowledge, making it impossible for him to reach his full potential.

Demon Emperor Zerathos gritted his teeth in fury as memories of the past surged through his mind.

Long ago, when he had killed Malverna with his own hands, he thought he had triumphed completely.

But he had been foolish and careless. He hadn’t considered that his former master could rise again, just as he had done.

If only he could turn back time... he would surely fix everything.

But he knew that was impossible. Time... cannot be rewound.

"Alright. Now, it’s time for you to leave this world."

Malverna raised her left hand. In an instant, a bow made of blue-black flames materialized in the air.

Then, she drew the bowstring, and an arrow forged from fire slowly took shape.

From a distance, Nolan was once again stunned.

’Damn! She even masters Hellfire? Has this woman studied every technique of mine?’ he exclaimed in fear.

Before, there was the power of space, and now she commanded the Hellfire technique. Malverna’s talent was truly extraordinary.

’The Eighth Singularity will rise for sure! I’m certain of it,’ Nolan muttered, an expression of rare anticipation flickering across his face.

The previous seven singularities hadn’t risen solely by their own power—they had been awakened by an incident centuries ago.

Now, Malverna was showing signs of becoming the Eighth Singularity, relying entirely on her own talent and strength.

It was something truly worth witnessing.

"W-Wait! Don’t kill me yet, Master!" Demon Emperor Zerathos pleaded, his voice trembling with panic and fear.

He wasn’t ready to die. His mission to rule this world remained unfinished.

Seeing that Malverna remained unmoved, Zerathos tried to persuade her again.

But she showed no interest in his words.

Whoosh!

She released the arrow, striking his forehead with precision.

Demon Emperor Zerathos froze, and the next moment, his body was engulfed by a terrifying black flame.

The snow within a kilometer radius melted instantly from the heat wave.

Malverna showed no satisfaction in killing him.

The bow in her hand vanished, and she stared at the flames, lost in thought.

’He’s dead... but why don’t I feel the sense of relief I imagined?’

She touched her left chest and felt her heart beating normally.

She had thought that killing Ignis would make her heart race and bring a wide smile to her face—but it didn’t.

"That’s because you’re no longer bound by your grudge. You have people by your side—like me—or those you protect, like Elina and Rafine."

Nolan’s words came to mind, and her eyes widened slightly.

"So that’s how it is... I understand. What he said makes perfect sense," she muttered, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

In the past, she had been alone. Though millions of troops respected her and Ignis stood by her, she had felt neither togetherness nor security.

Her life had had only one purpose: leading the demon race to glory.

But after being revived by Nolan, the hatred she had carried for thousands of years slowly faded.

She felt a sense of togetherness and security with him. The burden of ruling the demon race and the obsession with her ambition were gone.

She was truly... free.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and turned to leave.

She wanted to return to Nolan’s side immediately and report her success.

But suddenly...

Whoosh!

An extraordinary demonic power surged from behind her.

Startled, Malverna leapt forward and spun around.

Before her, the body of Demon Emperor Zerathos slowly rose into the sky.

The demonic energy surrounding him was so immense that it whipped the air into a raging storm.

Malverna narrowed her eyes warily, thinking, ’What’s going on? Is he still alive? But how... is that possible?’