Avoiding all of the demonic energy was impossible. Van quickly assessed what he could and couldn’t dodge, positioning himself and using the broad side of his greatsword to deflect the demonic energy. The one fortunate thing was that Elina’s range of attack also meant that Russo couldn’t step in. If he focused solely on defense, he wouldn’t be defeated.

That was the thought, but.

“Damn it……!”

A piece of demonic energy pierced through his left shoulder, slipping through the gap.

“Hah? What are you doing, Van? I told you to stop building that stupid muscle! Just because it has a wide surface area doesn’t mean you have to take hits that you could avoid!”

The fairy’s annoying voice echoed from a distance, but Van ignored it. Gripping the wound on his shoulder, he tried to steady his breath. Being struck by only one of the countless demonic energy bullets didn’t feel like much of a relief.

‘It’s hot……’

The heat from the wound, where the demonic energy had pierced him, spread like molten lava. It wasn’t just from the injury itself. Something like a ball of fire was swirling within the wound, and Van could guess what it was.

“Hurry up, Lumen! Kill her before that damn flower blooms on my arm!”

Lumen immediately resumed his fight with Elina, but it seemed like ending the battle quickly wouldn’t be easy. With just a single hit, the destructive power of her attack was immense. Even Lumen would find it tough to handle.

Van clicked his tongue briefly and gripped the hilt of his greatsword tightly. Russo, who had been watching him, gestured toward Van’s shoulder with his chin.

“If you lose one arm, you won’t be able to wield that heavy greatsword properly. Your flight time is running out too. If you retreat and get back to the ground, I’ll spare your life.”

“Get lost. I’m not desperate enough to beg for my life from a demon like you.”

“Not being able to abandon your pride in the face of death is a characteristic of the weak.”

“Hah, now I’m being analyzed by a demon. Stop worrying about me and curse your short lifespan instead.”

If Lumen couldn’t deal with Elina quickly, at least before the flower fully bloomed on his arm, he had to kill the enemy in front of him.

‘This guy…… his combat ability is strong, but his physical durability is impressive too. To deal with him in time, it will take a lot of force. ……What should I bet on?’

Van had tried using various body parts as collateral to enter his awakened state. The closer the power was to the vital parts of his body, and the more parts he risked, the stronger the power became. But it also required a large amount of blood, and using [Scarlet Blood Devil] in one-on-one battles carried significant risk. If he couldn’t replenish the blood quickly, he risked dying from blood loss.

‘One arm should be manageable…… but if the flower blooms in my left arm…… Damn, my legs? Legs seem to be the safest option. My organs are too dangerous. Garuel still hasn’t returned, and Sir Modeleine’s mana is limited……’

Van’s face twisted as he desperately tried to think, and a sharp groan slipped out of his mouth. His left shoulder twisted grotesquely. And then, in the next moment.

“Grrr……!”

Roots like needles burrowed into his veins, and the skin of his shoulder tore apart. Several vines intertwined and swelled in size. At the end of the vines was a massive bud, twitching and pulsing as it bloomed, rooted in Van’s arm.

As Van staggered from the excruciating pain, Russo seized the moment to rush toward him.

“Really getting on my nerves. You’re not doing anything right!”

Lydon, having adjusted his mana, moved Van’s body away. Despite being moved by the cold wind, Van couldn’t focus. He now understood why Ector had fallen to his knees, writhing in agony.

Grinding his teeth, Van struggled to push through the pain. The flow of blood towards the flower on his arm was unmistakable. The speed at which his blood was being drained was chillingly fast.

‘Being drained of my blood…… it’s even more revolting than I expected.’

Suddenly, memories of past battles flashed in his mind.

“Van! I’ll move you, so just roll over and get healed below!”

Lydon’s shout reached Van, who was gasping for breath. He quickly responded, his voice desperate.

“Stop! I don’t need that!”

“What are you talking about? Do you not see the flower on your left arm getting bigger? The flower and you…… that’s disgusting!”

“Shut up and just keep your distance from that demon.”

“Ugh, I’m going to have to rip out your tongue and disinfect it one of these days. Otherwise, my ears will rot off.”

Lydon, though puzzled, complied with Van’s request without hesitation. Russo remained on guard but did not immediately launch an attack, thinking that with Elina’s flower in bloom, Van wouldn’t last much longer.

However, Van’s thoughts were different.

‘The energy is concentrating in my left arm, following the flow of blood. As long as I don’t remove the flower, neither my energy nor blood will disappear. In other words……’

The destructive power that was supposed to be spread throughout his body was now contained in his left arm.

‘Being hit on the arm turned out to be fortunate.’

There was no need to pull from his dwindling strength anymore. Despite the disgusting pain, Van gritted his teeth and straightened his body.

“Your death is approaching with every second, human. Withdraw.”

“That’s something we’ll only know after trying.” 

A red aura began to bloom across his body, quickly shifting direction and concentrating on his left arm. The energy swirled in a massive flow, following the pull of the flower. Van savored the new sensation briefly, but there was no time to dwell on it.

With bloodshot eyes flashing, he planted his feet firmly on the ground.

“Move, Lumen! You’re in the way!”

The powerful shout caused Lumen to stop in his tracks as he avoided an attack. His gaze fell on Van’s left arm, now surrounded by an ever-expanding aura. Van’s left arm, now the center of his energy, was swelling with power. Realizing what was happening, he quickly moved out of the way.

“What……?”

Before Lumen could respond, Elina, who had been aiming her demonic energy at him, suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

“Wait…… Russo?”

“Run, Elina.”

“What……?” she stammered, confused.

Instead of facing Van, Russo had flown over to protect Elina, his arms wrapped around her. In her dazed state, Elina looked over his shoulder, her eyes widening in shock. A red blade of energy, wide and blinding, was cutting through the air toward them.

The sheer scale of the blade, which seemed to be drawn from the horizon itself, was impossible to believe. It was so massive that even if they tried to flee, there was no way they could avoid it.

Russo, while still holding Elina, repeated his command to run. Yet, he refused to release her from his grasp.

A red shadow quickly covered her pale face, and Elina, realizing too late, understood that her efforts to protect Russo had ultimately doomed them both. Without thinking, she shut her eyes and buried her face in Russo’s shoulder.

“…….”

The withered petals from Van’s arm fell like ash, drifting softly in the breeze. He was pulled toward the cold air and landed gracefully on the stairs, his focus unwavering.

“Well done.”

Van chuckled lightly at Lumen’s compliment, briefly glancing at the sky where their enemies had been moments before. With a smirk, he turned his attention elsewhere.

“Yeah, I know.”

* * *

[Let me know when you’re ready. Just know that we can’t waste too much time.]

In the ruin with the ceiling blown open, Cadel stared at the wall in front of him with a grim expression. It was the same as always. He could visually narrow down the two walls, but their heights were the same.

He felt like he wanted to bring a tape measure to prove that the two walls were exactly the same height. Why was it that every place he went had walls like this? How was it that Garuel could so easily pick the right option? He was frustrated and bewildered, but he swallowed all his complaints.

“If I don’t succeed this time, it’s over…… It’s all over.”

All the effort up until now would be in vain. Buried in that despairing thought, he had even committed the mistake of revealing his true identity to Garuel. Even so, he didn’t feel any sense of relief.

Cadel wanted to tell Garuel more details after killing the Demon King’s siblings. He wanted to honor Garuel’s request not to keep secrets.

It was just a wall. Just distinguishing the height. Cadel, staring intently at the wall, closed his eyes in irritation. He dragged his fingertips over his eyelids as if to scratch them, and bit down hard on his lips.

“Focus.”

The tingling sensation from scratching his skin spread. Taking a deep breath, Cadel opened his eyes wide again.

“Think. Getting angry won’t solve anything.”

The heights appeared the same, but in the end, that was what separated failure from success. If the heights were different, there had to be a way to find it out. As he glared at the wall with a deadly gaze, a flash of realization crossed his eyes.

“That’s it!”

Quickly gathering mana, he summoned flames over the two walls. The flames wrapped around the walls like a shell, covering every inch. As he clenched his fist, he examined the two walls carefully.

“……It’s different. The amount of mana surrounding the walls is different!”

If he couldn’t tell with his eyes, he could feel it with his energy. The difference in the mana surrounding the two walls was very subtle, but with Cadel’s level, he could easily discern the difference.

With a face full of certainty, he looked at the right wall, gripped the pendant, and shouted.

“I found it, Kunra! Give me the signal!”