----- Mammon flew through the skies of the Spirit Domain, leaving the party behind, confident that Kireina and Frank could handle any threat that might appear. He moved toward a location where he sensed a dense concentration of rich Spiritual Energy. "The core of this pocket dimension should be close! If I can dismantle it, extract it, or even refine it, we could get a pretty good treasure. Or maybe, if I refine it with Kireina, this entire place could become ours." Mammon, at the end of the day, was still an Archdemon of Greed. So when an opportunity like this presented itself, he immediately went for it. Flying with his demon wings, he dodged sharp crystals protruding from the ceiling and ground, heading toward a large cave where he could hear the beating of a giant heart. "Is it over there?" He narrowed his eyes, peering into the bright cave illuminated by hundreds of colorful spirit crystals. There, he detected a strong concentration of spirit energy. As he moved closer, he spotted it far ahead, a massive cluster of colorful crystals, though still indistinct. His Demon Eyes were powerful, yes, but the Domain's disruptive atmosphere, saturated with Spirit Energy, made it difficult even for him to see clearly across such a distance. "Yeah, it must be!" As he rushed forward, the ground, ceiling, and walls around him trembled. Giant claws made of spirit crystals surged from every direction, attacking him. Mammon swiftly evaded the strikes, flying back toward where he came from. He noticed dozens of Spirit Beasts forming from the cave's ceiling, floor, and walls—each made of the same spirit crystals. Whatever the "core" of this Spirit Domain was, it appeared to be sentient, deploying Spirit Beasts to defend itself. "Hoh, I guess I'm not getting through easily~! Good thing I'm super strong! Face the might of the Archdemon of Wrath, you lowly creatures!" Mammon grinned wickedly, revealing his sharp teeth. The beasts charged at him, swinging claws and firing beams of highly concentrated spiritual energy—capable of crystallizing or vaporizing most entities. "When I merged with my parallel self in this world, my powers as a Cosmic Ego and my second body changed quite a lot… becoming even more interesting." He remained still as the attacks landed, explosions engulfing his body while titanic claws tore into him. CLAAASH! But instead of taking damage, it was the beasts who suffered. "GAAAO?!" They screamed in agony as their claws and arms shattered into countless fragments—like they had struck something far too hard to pierce. And that was exactly the case. Mammon's body had become entirely metallic, covered in sharp armor resembling blades, swords, and axes. His hands bore long, knife-like nails, and his wings had grown enormous and metallic. His entire form glowed with black, dark blue, and purple metal. "Fufufu, I used to have the power to turn into a Demonic Weapon, but now? I can become a Living Metal Demon!" As Mammon laughed, the Spirit Beasts regenerated and attacked again. But their claws shattered into shards, and their beams had no effect. "This body I've received isn't bad at all… The skills and powers I had before are still intact, but now they've become part of my soul. This external body is completely new—capable of merging with my soul's powers and growing on its own. It's incredible." Mammon marveled at the fusion with his parallel self and the immense power it granted them both—his parallel self gaining a stronger soul, and Mammon acquiring a unique body to cultivate. He glanced at the beasts, smiling mischievously. "Well, time to wrap this up. I've got a treasure to claim. It's getting noisy out there… I wonder if they're struggling. Nah, I shouldn't worry… Well, maybe just a little." He didn't worry about Kireina or Frank, nor Frank's friends. Though he had feelings for Kireina, he knew she was a monster of a woman—literally. She had died once and simply returned to life. Mammon didn't care much for Frank or his companions either… But the one he found himself worrying about—much to his own annoyance as the Archdemon of Greed—was Harumi. She was his dear sister. Even though their relationship wasn't perfect, the Mammon of this world, with whom he had merged, carried deep feelings for her. "I shouldn't have left in such a hurry… Well, I did leave her a little help at least." Mammon looked ahead and began to overflow with Demonic Power, blazing with crimson and black flames. The power of greed surged—but another force emerged as well. Blood Energy. Mammon wasn't just a human with a Devil Bloodline. He was also a Dhampir, having fed on the blood of Harumi's mother long ago to be adopted as her first son. His eyes glowed bright red as his claws ignited with demonic fire and blood energy oozed from his body. "Blood Metal Demon Style." "First Form." "Infernal Claws!" SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! In an instant, Mammon tore through all the creatures before him. His claws dug deep into their crystal bodies, shattering them into countless fragments. "Weaklings…" He stepped forward, only for the fragments of the Spirit Beasts to converge around a floating core that remained. "Huh?" "GRAAAARRR!" A massive fist slammed into Mammon, striking with explosive force and shattering the ground beneath him. Though unscathed, he was driven deep into the earth. "Tch! So annoying!" He quickly rose, only to see dozens of giant spirit crystal arms rushing at him, punching from every direction. "Wha…?!" BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! BAAM! "Tsk!" Mammon grabbed one of the arms and tore it off the giant chimera, then used it to strike the creature, shattering the limb and half its body. CRAAASH! The massive beast collapsed, shaking the ground violently. At the same time, Mammon leapt into the air and dove down, using his metallic body to pierce deep into the creature. BOOOM! An explosion of demonic flames and blood energy erupted on impact. Mammon began tearing the creature apart from the inside. Finally, he reached the core—and found someone inside. "What's this?" The figure resembled a human, but Mammon quickly noticed their pointed ears and pale skin. "Wait… isn't this a Vampire?!" -----