Yen stepped forward with a confident smile.
The moment his foot touched the ground, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on him.
It felt like a silent warning.
"What... is this?" he thought.
"This pressure... I can't move... Who's behind this?"
A chilling sensation crawled down his spine.
Someone...
No.
Something was staring directly at him.
Slowly, Yen raised his eyes toward the sky.
The moment he looked up, his expression froze.
High above them, suspended in the center of the darkness, was a gigantic living eye.
It stared at both him and Yeld without blinking.
Yen couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What... is that?"
"Something is blocking my skill..."
Then...
Laughter echoed from the eye itself.
"What happened, Yeld?"
"Can't save yourself anymore?"
"Do you need my help?"
Yeld remained silent, his eyes fixed on the enormous eye above.
Suddenly...
Cracks began spreading across its surface.
Tiny fractures slowly expanded, crawling across the darkness.
Yen stared at them in disbelief.
"Cracks...?"
"How is that even possible?"
The next instant—
Crash!
The darkness shattered like fragile glass.
Countless black fragments scattered through the air before fading away.
Yen could only watch in stunned silence as his entire ability collapsed before his eyes.
Then his gaze shifted.
Floating calmly in the air...
Yonk looked down at him with a faint smile.
Yen eyes widened.
"W-What did you do...?"
Before the words had fully left his mouth—
Yonk disappeared.
Yen's pupils shrank.
His eyes desperately searched the battlefield—
Nowhere.
Then...
His instincts screamed.
A terrifying presence appeared directly behind him.
Without thinking, Yen twisted his body and leaped away.
Almost simultaneously—
Yonk hand sliced through the air.
It was the exact same attack he had used against King Rose.
A slash aimed from Yen's shoulder straight to his waist.
Still airborne, Yen swung his sword just in time.
Clang!
The blade barely intercepted the attack, forcing Yen backward as the impact rattled his entire body.
Yonk smiled wider.
"Oh..."
"Your instincts are pretty good."
"Looks like you'll be able to entertain me."
He casually landed beside Yeld.
Steam rose from Yeld body as the wounds covering him rapidly regenerated.
The two demons quietly turned their eyes toward Yen.
Yen tightened his grip around his sword.
Just moments ago...
He had been fighting one demon.
Now...
He had to face two High-Rank Demons at the same time.
Elsewhere...
Yirina's devastating attack blasted Kondo straight through the wall.
His body crashed outside before skidding violently across the ground, finally coming to a stop face-down.
His entire body felt numb.
His senses barely worked anymore.
Kondo coughed violently, spitting blood onto the ground.
"What... was that attack?"
"I couldn't even see it..."
"For a second... it felt like all my organs had simply stopped working."
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.
His body trembled as he forced his arms beneath him.
Every muscle screamed in pain.
Planting his sword into the ground, he used it as support, struggling to rise.
"Get up..."
"You have to..."
"This isn't over yet."
Kondo had almost managed to stand when Yirina stepped through the hole he had been blasted out of.
"So..." she said calmly.
"You still have some strength left?"
Kondo looked at her as she slowly approached.
He was using every ounce of strength just to stay on his feet.
Without warning, Yirina grabbed him by the hair and yanked him upright.
A few strands tore free from his scalp.
Kondo winced, breathing heavily.
Yirina simply stared at him.
To her...
He was nothing more than an ordinary human.
Weak.
Pathetic.
Powerless.
Someone who couldn't even protect himself.
Yet behind her cold gaze...
A trace of anger lingered.
As Kondo struggled to catch his breath, Yirina carefully tucked the strands of his hair away.
Confused, Kondo looked at her.
"What... are you going to do with my hair?"
"It doesn't concern you," Yirina replied expressionlessly.
"Just focus on fighting me."
She swung her sword.
Kondo barely managed to block it.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
A moment later, Yirina drove a kick into his stomach, sending him flying across the ground.
Pain shot through his entire body as he crashed down.
Yirina walked toward him without the slightest hurry.
"I really like you," she admitted.
"For someone your age..."
"You've fought surprisingly well against me."
Stopping in front of him, she crouched down and lifted his head by his hair.
"I don't have any personal grudge against you."
"But you're his son."
She smiled faintly.
"I wonder..."
"...how he'll feel if I ruin that handsome little face of yours right in front of him."
She pulled him back onto his feet by the hair before looking him straight in the eyes.
"You're probably wondering why I suddenly started fighting seriously."
"I'll tell you."
"The moment you dodged my very first attack..."
"...I realized I had to stop treating this like a game."
Yirina released him and planted her sword into the ground.
"And another thing..."
"How were you able to see that Kurai?"
"If you're really Lawine's son..."
"...it shouldn't be possible."
"You're not a demon."
"And neither is she."
"If you're one of them..."
"...then letting you live would only create problems."
"Because that would make you my enemy."
Kondo slowly forced himself back onto his feet.
Breathing heavily, he met her gaze.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't even know what a Kurai is."
"But I do know one thing."
"I'm going to defeat you."
A smirk spread across Yirina's face.
She stretched out one hand.
A new sword materialized in her grasp.
This one's guard resembled the wings of a butterfly.
Without hesitation, she struck.
Kondo raised his sword to block.
Clang!
The impact forced him backward.
Before he could regain his balance, Yirina followed with another ordinary slash.
Kondo tried to defend again—
But the sheer force knocked his blade aside.
He was thrown backward once more, crashing onto the ground.
Panting, Kondo dropped to one knee.
Yirina watched him with an amused smile.
Then...
She slowly pointed a finger at him.
Kondo stared back.
"No..."
"I can't lose like this."
"I have to stand."
"I need more strength..."
"I have to keep fighting."
"I can't let everything end here."
Suddenly...
A strange warmth spread through his body.
His eyes widened.
He looked down at his sword.
The hilt was emitting a faint glow.
Kondo couldn't understand what was happening.
"Where did this energy come from...?"
"And why is my sword glowing?"
Before he could think any further—
His instincts screamed.
Yirina fired a beam of light from her fingertip.
Kondo instantly sprang to his feet and dodged it.
"This isn't the time to think!"
A hint of surprise flashed across Yirina's face.
She hadn't expected him to get back up so easily.
Kondo lowered his stance and pointed his sword toward her.
Another laser shot toward him.
Instead of retreating—
He charged straight at her.
Yirina continuously fired beam after beam.
Kondo weaved through every single one, closing the distance between them.
The moment he reached her...
He swung his sword.
Yirina calmly intercepted it with her own.
BOOM!
A powerful shockwave exploded from the collision.
Their swords clashed again...
And again...
And again.
With every exchange, Kondo realized something.
Yirina was gradually increasing the strength behind each strike.
"Was all my training... still not enough?"
"I can't even fight her properly..."
Every clash pushed him closer to his limit.
Every strike became harder to withstand.
Meanwhile...
On another part of the battlefield, Sam desperately dodged Dolt's countless tentacles.