A Cursed End

"Did you know Grim..." Megiclua smiled ignoring the sword pointed at her.

"A devil's stats are determined the moment they come into being? For us *looks down at hand* there is no way to get stronger. No way to shake up the order that had been forced upon us."

*Raises Head*

"Then we discovered that we could make contracts with those unaffected by these rules."

"What?" Grim frowned not understanding where she was going with this.

"Unlike those elemental spirits that you humans seem to revere so much, a contract between a devil and a human can work both ways. While humans are granted access to our magic and immense mana reserves. We devils are able to wield their magic and break the chains of strength that once binded us."

Clenching her small fist, blood, steel and runes began slithering around her figure.

"As a devil wielding the magic of two humans despite only having a single contractor, I've surpassed all other contracted devils in existence."

Staring at him dead in the eye, the space between man and devil seemed to collapse as if they were the only two beings left in the world.

"But even with all this power." Her smile fell. "I'm not confident that my power alone can usurp Lucifero... You don't know how powerful he really is." She whispered.

"But you Grim." She raised her head. "You have the potential to surpass him. Even now as I face you with three different types of magic at my disposal, not a single shred of fear can be seen in those eyes of yours. Of all the humans I've ever seen over the years, you are the only one that I acknowledge."

"Your strength, your speed, your very entire existence itself, it marvellous! Even as a devil standing at the highest rank of supreme, I acknowledge you as my equal."

"But as you are now, you don't stand a chance against Lucifero." She shook her head.

"No, he would crush you- But! I understand you Grim! The power that you desire, the title that you wish to bear, I understand it all. And I can give it to you! I can give you everything! All you have to do is stand by my side and I'll use my [Curse-Warding] magic to transform you into a elf-devil hybrid!"

"An elf-devil hybrid?" Grim repeated. "Is that- Is that even possible?"

"It is." She nodded. "If you take my hand... If you stand by my side... I'll grant your wish... I'll make you the strongest."

"The strongest..."

Could it really be that easy... The goal that I've been trying to reach from the moment I arrived in this world... I can finally reach it.

Seeing him fall silent, a smile crept onto Megicula's face.

"With the blood of the elves flowing through your veins and the versatile nature of your [Demon Slaying] magic. If we add on my [Curse-Warding] magic to sustain the elf-devil transformation, you'll be far more powerful than you could ever imagine! You'll surpass all living beings and stand on top of this world as The Supreme One! Even Lucifero will be nothing compared to you! Just take my hand and together we'll-

"NAH." Grim cut her off.

"...Excuse me?" Megicula was taken aback.

"I said I'm good." He repeated.

"All this talk of being The Supreme One? The strongest? It sounds like bullshit if you ask me."

While speaking, both his sword and grimoire began pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Honestly speaking, while this elf-devil hybrid transformation sounds cool as fuck-

*CRACKLE!!*

"Growing stronger by using someone else's power just doesn't sit right with me."

As he spoke, the aura around him started to rise.

"So thanks for the offer, but-

*FWOOM!!*

"I'll have to reject!"

Unleashing his tamed mana, untold destructive might exploded out of his body and rippled through the area with enough force that even Megicula found it astonishing.

He was still holding back?!'

Surrounded by Storm coloured glow and revealing a smile that would have even devils freaking out, the ground beneath his feet began to crack and break apart as devestating gusts of dark wind and lightning ricocheted off his figure and tore up the entire area.

"Now Megicula, LETS END THIS!!"

[STORM CHASER]

Using his almost phantom-like speed to close the distance between him and Megicula, his sword gleamed in the air as the lightning pattern decorated along the blade hummed.

[Heaven's Fall]

Holding the sword up high and gathering thick bolts of lightning and dark wind, all the mana in the area went crazy as he slashed down.

*SLASH!!*

Listening to the air whistle and watching as the sword struck down towards her forehead, Megicula lowered her head and closed her eyes.

'A disappointing answer indeed, but not an unexpected one. I wanted you to be my knight, but I guess a slave will have to do.'

Ramping up her own mana to a level that surpassed that of even Grim's, a weapon made of blood & steel and reinforced by multiple runes from her [Curse-Warding] magic and met the descending sword head on.

*TING!!*

A loud metalic sound rung out.

"EXLOOODEEEE!!"

Not allowing a mere weapon made of an amalgamation of stolen power stop him, he released the destructive power of [Heaven's Fall] the moment the two weapons met and caused a huge explosion.

*BOOOOOM!!*

"URGHHH!!"

Not expecting the explosion, both Megicula and the blackend Vanica were thrown back by the force.

*FWOOSH!!*

Unfolding her wings and using them to slow her momentum and come to a complete stop, a wild grin emerged on her face.

"SPECTAULAR!" She praised.

If I can nuture this power, defeating Lucifero is no longer a pipe dream.

"In respect of your power, from now on, I'll battle you seriously."

Hardening her resolve, blood magic congealed around her figure before eventually popping and covering the ground in a shower of blood rain.

"Take a close look Grim. Below this tower lies the bodies of hundreds of dark disciples that have died for mine and Vanica's amusement over the years. Using my [Curse-Warding] magic and imbuing them with Vanica's and Acier Silva's power, I can raise living corpses of blood and steel."

"Now-

*Eyes glow with demonic red light*

"ARISE."

*SCREEEEEEEECH!!*

Suddenly, inhumane sounding screams echoed out as the ground shook even more violently than before while hundreds of demonic looking corpses made out of blood and steel crawled out from the ground wielding swords, axes and other types of cold weapons. Some of them even had wings made out of blood & steel and took to the skies.

"Now Grim-

*Grins*

"How will you reach me now?"

"Heh."

Faced with the 100 dead dark disciples whose bodies had been remade and strengthen by blood & steel magic and later reinforced by Megicula's own curse-warding runes. Not a hint of panic could be seen on Grim's face. In fact, he was smiling.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" His demonic laughter swept through the air as he brushed his hair back and stared at Megicula.

"One hundred enemies?!"

*Wicked Grin*

"You should of brought more."

Holding the Storm blade out in front of him in a similar way to Asta when he entered his black form, he ran to fingers along its surface.

"You survived the swordless version of this spell, I wonder if you and your little minions can handle the real deal?"

[Breath of the Storm: Second Form - Dark Tempest]

*FWOOSH!!*

With his grimoire floating by his side and using the finger that were running along the surface of the blade, Grim coated the sword in violent gusts of dark wind and lightning and extended its length by shaping said lightning and dark winds. But he wasn't done yet.

Using [Hyper Focus] to efficently control the flow of mana, he was able to pour in even more power without destabilizing the spell. By the time he was done, his sword no longer looked like a sword. It was more like he was wielding a giant cyclone with a sword hilt.

"URGHH!!"

"So strong!!"

In the presence of such powerful winds, the hairs of Nacht and the others frantically blew in the air as they did their best to not be pulled in.

'Incredible!' Nacht gasped using his shadow hands to stop himself from flying forwards.

'Fighting another supreme devil right after fighting two. This boy... He might really become the strongest.'

Wielding a large cyclone big enough to blow the roof off and destroy the entire castle, Grim wondered if Yuno's [Wind] Magic was capable of such a feat? As someone contracted with the spirit of wind, there's no way he shouldn't be capable of this right?

"This- What is this!" Gritting her teeth, Megicula's eyes narrowed as even she felt danger from that cyclone. If the previous version was able to damage her defenses, she didn't want to imagine what this version was capable of.

Panicking, she applied all kinds of defensive runes to herself as Grim held the hilt with both hands and prepared to swing at the charging army.

"Heh, batter UP!"

*SWOOOSH!!*

***

*Cough* *Cough*

"So this is the sky of the living world... How dull."

Laying on a devestated battlefield surrounded by the ruined steel armour of her hundred man horde, a limbless Megicula lay motionless and stared at the grey coloured sky above. Now that the roof had vanished, nothing was blocking her view.

To think this is how it would end... Losing not to a devil, but an elf."

*Smiles*

At least it was to someone I acknowledged.

"Hey."

Stepping over the empty pieces of armour and walking over to her, Grim now in his base form sat down next to her.

"Grim..." Unfortunately, she no longer had the strength to even turn her head.

*Sigh*

Seeing her like this, Grim felt slightly sad. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to end her. As a demon slayer, it was only natural. But Megicula... She honestly wanted to make him stronger. Even if it was for herself, her desire was genuine.

"Don't feel too bad." He said looking up at the sky just like her.

"It was just a bad match up."

A bad match up... Yeah, a devil fighting a Demon Slayer, there was only ever one outcome.

"That spell of yours... Dark tempest... It strips away magic... You even managed to enhance its output... Against such a spell, there was no way my runes would have lasted. You swept them all away."

*Cough* *Cough*

"What ridiculous magic."

Watching her cough up more black blood, Grim sat with her in silence.

"...What happened to Vanica?" She asked.

"I... She got swept up in my attack."

"I see..." She said and fell silent. "At the end of it all, the two people she wanted to rely on were her downfall. How poetic... What about those other humans?"

"They escaped before my attack landed."

"Smart." She smiled.

"...Megicula, about your body in the underworld-

"It probably dead, or will be soon. With the backlash from this failed manifestation, my main body will be weakened. The other devils will smell my weakness and attack."

"Aren't you a supreme devil though? One of the three rulers?"

"Heh." She laughed in a self depreciating tone. "One of the three rulers? The only reason I hold that title is because Astaroth left."

'Astaroth?'

"As you've already seen, I'm not a combat focused devil, I rely more on- what did you call it? Hax. With my power weakend, my hax have also weakend."

"Oh... Well shit."

"Hahaha." She laughed as her body started dissipating.

"You know, you're closer to a devil than a human... At least personality wise."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should. The weak can only be trampled upon. For us devils, its all or nothing... Grim."

"Hmm?"

"Against me and the twins... You were still holding something back weren't you? You didn't truly go all out."

"I... I gave them everything I had."

Seemingly reading between the lines, a small smile hung on her lips

Falling into silence once again, the two watched as snow begun descending from the sky.

Feeling it on her skin, a longing look settled on her face.

"I... I really wanted to see this world with my own eyes."

With barely anything left of her body, she somehow found the strength to finally look at Grim.

"...I think I'm finally starting to understand what Vanica felt when she looked at you."

*Smiles*

"How pleasant~"

And with that, her body finally crumbled and turned into wisps of mana.

"..."

Sitting still for a few minutes, Grim blankly stared up at the snow filled sky without saying a word.