* * *

“Haha… really, this is an absurd technique. Resurrection? This goes beyond healing magic, doesn’t it? I heard he has Hywyl’s blood in him, but it seems his talent has surpassed even his uncle’s.”

The resurrection of the dead caused confusion among both allies and enemies. The enemy had no way of knowing how short-lived the revival was, so to them, it seemed like the entire battle up to this point had been in vain.

‘So the humans I killed are all coming back to life, and now they’ve even figured out how to deal with Cynthi?’

Arpa could not conceal his rising disbelief, but he quickly began drawing more power. Even if the dead were resurrected, it didn’t matter. His duty was clear: he had to hold the humans back as long as possible, exhausting them until the Demon King Emilia’s orders were carried out.

At that moment, a cold wind swept toward Arpa.

“Chattering thief. I’ve come to take back what you stole. It would be wise to hand it over quietly.”

Sword energy couldn’t be used. Arpa, the magician, was a monster that absorbed even the energy of swords. Lumen had to overwhelm him with pure swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat alone.

That might work against a typical enemy, but it could be a significant handicap when facing a High Demon with wings.

“Charging in without letting you drain my energy is an option, but don’t you think that should be done carefully, depending on the opponent?”

Arpa waved away the sword’s afterimages above him with a light spray of demonic energy. As Lumen reappeared, he sneered and mockingly said,

“I don’t know what you’re going to do with swordplay that doesn’t have any energy in it, and your pace is almost pathetic, but frankly, it’s a little annoying. If you keep being so uninteresting, I’m going to kill you.”

The human before him was undoubtedly a formidable opponent. With lightning speed, he exploited the enemy’s blind spots, scattering threatening sword energy endlessly. It was a malicious ability that took lives before the opponent even noticed.

Therefore, he wanted to drain as much energy as possible to weaken the power of his swordsmanship. It was a bonus to have a little more variety. However, if this human tried to sabotage him with his bare body and no sword energy, he would have no choice but to kill him as quickly as possible.

‘As soon as I show any sign of attacking elsewhere, he rushes in like a madman. It’s better to eliminate him than to try to consume him.’

It was a waste of this human’s power essence, but Arpa had already absorbed enough of it. In the end, he decided to focus on defeating Lumen rather than ignoring him.

And that was exactly what Lumen wanted.

“You, a mere human, could never understand how frustrating it is to crush the food I’ve long coveted, could you?”

“I don’t need to understand.”

Arpa couldn’t afford to let his attention wander. He had to keep Lumen from prying into other areas, forcing him into a direct confrontation.

Facing the fully attentive Arpa, Lumen slowly drew his sword. The sleek blade, which he had never revealed before in front of an enemy, now gleamed with deadly intent. Lumen aimed the shining tip of his sword straight at Arpa.

“This isn’t exactly the time for words, but……”

His posture was flawless, straight without any extraneous movement. His eyes, unwavering and shining, were not tainted by any blood or wounds. Even with his body marred, there was no sign of bloodlust, nor boiling determination, nor uncontrolled excitement in him.

“The moment I test my limits is always enjoyable.”

Like a still lake, his mind was refined to the utmost, holding his body steady without a single disturbance. No provocation or threat could shake him.

Arpa’s expression grew more and more twisted. The calm and composure emanating from Lumen were no signs of someone who had given up on everything.

It was the arrogance of someone who seemed to look down on all life here—demons and allies alike—as if they were beneath him. Lumen’s complete focus on his own strength was the greatest provocation Arpa had ever encountered.

“That enjoyment…… I’ll crush it without hesitation.”

With a wide flap of his wings, Arpa began to unleash the countless powers he had absorbed. He wanted to see that smug expression contort into fear and despair.

* * *

Rodin, who had been charging toward the resurrected humans, suddenly came to a halt. Taking a quick breath, she tilted her head with a scornful expression and spoke.

“You can’t even leave a scratch on my body. Stop being a nuisance and just leave.”

A man emerged from the gap between the resurrected humans. Rodin’s expression slightly twisted as she recognized the familiar face of the man she had grown accustomed to.

“Sorry, but it’s my job to be a nuisance to you. This time, I won’t go down easily.”

[Scarlet Blood Devil].

Van, drenched in aura, transformed into a monstrous figure like a goblin. Gripping the greatsword that radiated with fierce energy, he stood in front of Rodin, blocking her path.

‘The duration is at most 10 minutes. During that time, I’ll make sure to bind her hands and feet.’

The blood he had gathered had long since been drained by continuous battles. To face Rodin, he needed more blood, but to gather that much, he would have to confront relatively weaker enemies. Unfortunately, there was no time for that.

Van used his own body as a guarantee, entering a temporary state of awakening. Rodin, noticing that his condition was different from before, narrowed her eyes.

“……Is that so? Then I guess I’ll test it out.”

She spread her hand, and a massive shield materialized within it. With the shield raised high, Rodin charged straight at Van.

Her incredible speed and the sheer power in each of her steps made the ground tremble. If her charge hit, it would be a devastating blow that he wouldn’t be able to withstand. However, Van didn’t evade. Instead, he raised his greatsword high, carefully gauging the distance between them.

And the moment Rodin’s shield struck his chest without any obstruction.

“……!”

Van’s body exploded under the attack, and black energy filled her vision, leaving her with no time to panic.

“I never said I was going to fight alone.”  

With the annoying voice echoing from behind, a tremendous roar shook the air.

“Ugh……!”

The vibration felt at the back of her head reverberated through her entire body. Caught off guard by the unexpected strike, Rodin gritted her teeth and staggered.

“Watching the enemy go after a clone is a bit amusing. That assassin guy really is skilled, huh?” 

With a small chuckle, Van adjusted his grip on the greatsword and gestured with his chin toward Rodin. As she swiftly turned around, faint traces of demonic energy began to rise from the back of her head.

“How does it feel? Does it hurt this time?”

“……It’s just a little itchy.”

“Hmm, still have some bravado left? I’ll have to give you a proper scratch next time.”

The power behind the strike was markedly different from before. Was it connected to his altered appearance? The aura emanating from the man before her felt thicker than usual. Given the density of that energy, he should have lost control by now, yet he was strangely calm and composed.

Rodin tightened the shield’s defense, locking eyes with Van directly.

“No matter how hard you try, you can’t kill me. But since your struggles are so pathetic, I’ll let you play until your greatsword breaks.”

It was a typical taunt, but Van immediately scowled. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he growled.

“How dare you threaten my sword? If even a single crack appears on my sword, I’ll break every bone in your body and flush you down the toilet. Watch your language, you bat bastard.”

It was ridiculous that he cared more about the safety of his sword than the insult to himself, but Rodin gave up trying to understand and resumed the fight.

* * *

“Get the hell out of my way!”

With a dazzling explosion, the monsters that had been obstructing his view were blown away. The thick smoke was swept aside by a gust of wind as Cadel, irritated, glanced up at the sky. Above him, the red-haired figure was still focused on healing.

‘Monsters, demons…… they’re all desperately trying to protect that High Demon. Not only is she their core force, but there must be something more. ……Is this an additional storyline for Hell Mode?’

The power to wipe out a group of humans in an instant made that High Demon a top priority for protection among the demon forces. But for the entire demon army to throw themselves into defending her…… Cadel couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to the situation.

‘Wait, could it be that it’s actually Emilia?’

Cadel’s thoughts flickered with suspicion, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the chaotic scene. The figure in the sky seemed far too important, almost as if it were the Demon King herself making an appearance, though there was something familiar about the red-haired presence. Was it possible? Was that really Emilia?

Pushing the thought aside, Cadel focused on the task at hand. The enemies around him closed in quickly, but with a surge of wind pressure, he forced them back, making his way toward a less densely packed area.

‘If she regenerates completely, attacking her again will just bring us back to square one.’

His body ached from the exertion, his muscles groaning under the strain as he pushed through, but he couldn’t afford to stop now. Each step felt like a test of his limits, but Cadel was determined to find a breakthrough. He gritted his teeth against the pain, scanning the battlefield for any openings in the enemy’s formation.

At last, after what seemed like an eternity, he found what he hoped would be a safe spot. With no time to lose, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Dreyfe! Clear the surrounding enemies!”

“What? What’s with the sudden command?”

“Hurry up!”

Having barely finished clearing the nearby area and preparing to check on the resurrected subordinates, Dreyfe made a face of disbelief at Cadel’s unexpected demand.

“Leave the grunts to your own subordinates!”

“My subordinates are busy right now!”

Cadel, who had run up to Dreyfe, began gathering mana, signaling toward the monsters and demons that had followed him.

“Hurry up. We need to stop her regeneration if we want to bring her down any faster.”

“Like I said, you should call your subordinates to deal with this. I need to go check on mine. I don’t know what your healer did, but the condition of the ones who came back to life……”

“They’re not alive.”

Dreyfe, who had been ready to rush off, faltered at Cadel’s firm voice. Glancing at Dreyfe’s hardened expression, Cadel spoke flatly.

“All he did was temporarily bind their souls that were about to leave their bodies. Once my subordinate’s technique wears off, they’ll die for good.”

“That’s……”

“Bringing the dead back to life is impossible. You know that.”

“……Are you using the corpses of the fallen knights as shields?”

“Get a grip. What we need to do right now is prevent any more casualties from happening.”

The subordinates he thought were dead had come back to life, but it turned out they were merely puppets for a tactical purpose. Cadel couldn’t guess what Dreyfe’s feelings might be, but there was no time to consider his emotions.

Dreyfe, well aware of this, didn’t press any further. Instead, he stood guard in front of Cadel.

“I won’t let my subordinates’ deaths be in vain. Never.”

Words of comfort weren’t necessary. To repay his will, Cadel focused all his efforts into gathering mana. The technique he was preparing was the one he had failed with when Arpa had stolen his mana. This time, he would land the blow.

‘I’ve bound all the ones who might interfere. This is the opportunity.’

A small flame, condensed to its limit, flared up in his palm. With his aim set, Cadel prepared to release the flame.

But then.

‘……Did she see me?’

She, who had been focusing on her regeneration with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked down at the ground. Her gaze was fixed unmistakably on Cadel’s position. Right now, all the powerful High Demons that should be protecting her were bound. Instinctively sensing a threat, her body began to scatter quickly.

‘Is she going to attack?!’

She had stopped her regeneration and seemed intent on focusing her attacks on him. In that brief moment, two choices flashed through Cadel’s mind.

One was to immediately stop the magic and focus all his mana on his shield. The other was to strike her with the magic before her body completely scattered.

The hesitation was brief, and there was no time to spare. Cadel gave up the defense and shot the flame. At the same time, her scattered form transformed into a bundle of demonic energy and descended toward Cadel.

Even though the magic hit, there was no chance that the demonic energy strands would dissipate. Cadel created a shield a beat too late to protect his body, but he knew well that this kind of defense would hardly be enough.

‘Damn, should I have stopped the magic……?!’

There was no time to regret the wrong decision. The demonic energy, shot like light, poured down relentlessly above his head. Just as he braced for pain, Cadel squeezed his eyes shut.

A familiar chill wrapped around his body.