The Black Flame erupted from Azrael's chest—not pushing outward against the Demon King's grip, but flowing through it. Using the contact as conduit. The crushing force that should have completed his conversion became pathway for something the Demon King hadn't anticipated.

Shared transformation. Collective power. Every soul who'd chosen to stand feeding into single flame that burned brighter for being multiplied rather than divided.

The Demon King felt it spreading through his essence and ...