"Why had this happened?" Confusion clouded the Dead Soul Demon King's face.
A bug's cry rang out behind it:
"Although my strength has been sealed, my hunting skills are beyond anything you could ever imagine."
"—That is why."
The words faded.
The Dead Soul Demon King shuddered. The ferocity in its eyes gradually vanished.
Its head slowly drooped. It was dead.
Behind it came the heavy sound of flesh being cut.
"You're pretty strong... You can help me end this deathmatch faster."
The Eternal Thought-Seizer crawled through the gaping hole torn open in the Dead Soul Demon King's back and burrowed into its body.
One breath.
Two breaths.
The Dead Soul Demon King stirred.
It lifted its head again and rolled its shoulders.
A monstrous blaze of dark energy poured from its body, whipping up a small hurricane.
—It was even stronger than when it was alive.
The Dead Soul Demon King looked pleased.
It turned into a blur and shot toward the summit of Ice Snow Peak at incredible speed.
A moment later.
At the summit, in the Temple of the Ancient Gods.
The Dead Soul Demon King stood before an ice cave, looking down at the water below.
—This enormous ice cave led straight into the heart of the mountain.
The pool's water was a clear, icy blue, but the cave was so deep that it was impossible to see what lay at the bottom.
Looking down into it felt like standing atop a sheer cliff thousands of feet high.
"Did it hide underwater?"
The Dead Soul Demon King asked, baffled.
There was no sign of the Yellow Springs Ghost King anywhere in the temple, and nowhere to hide.
After a moment's hesitation, the Dead Soul Demon King prepared to leap into the water.
Then it suddenly froze.