"This isn't good… That red-scaled demon's resistance—both magical and physical—is completely absurd.
The gap between us is just too big. If this keeps up, the moment our mana and stamina run dry… we're finished!"
Gagaran's warhammer and Brian's blade slammed into the Wrath General's body in tandem—only to produce a harsh, metallic clang.
Sparks exploded outward with each impact, scattering like fireworks… yet neither strike managed to leave so much as a scratch on those hardened scales.
And the truth was, even though the Wrath General was fighting seven opponents alone, he was still holding back.
But no matter how much he restrained himself, there was one thing he couldn't lower—his innate resistances.
As a high-tier demon, he already possessed extreme resistance to magic. And among the seven facing him, the strongest—Evileye—just so happened to be a spellcaster.
As for the remaining six, while they were undoubtedly top-tier fighters within the human realm—individuals who had stepped into the domain of heroes—the Wrath General still possessed abilities that nullified or heavily mitigated lower-tier damage.
Out of everyone present, the only ones capable of actually injuring him were Lakyus, wielding her cursed blade, and Gazef, armed with one of the kingdom's treasured relics.
The others quickly realized this as the fight dragged on, and shifted tactics—focusing on protecting Lakyus and Gazef, allowing them to take the offensive.
Meanwhile, Evileye, having recognized that her magic was ineffective, poured all of her mana into enhancing the two frontline fighters.
Individually, both Lakyus and Gazef were around level 35. But under Evileye's multiple buffs, their power surged—approaching level 45. With the added advantage of their weapons, they could even unleash strength nearing level 50.
Within the scope of humanity, calling them the strongest was no exaggeration.
And yet—even so…
Though the Wrath General held back his techniques, his sheer durability and constitution remained overwhelming. Even when Lakyus and Gazef managed to land blows, he barely reacted. His monstrous regenerative ability restored his HP almost instantly, often before the next strike even landed.
More importantly, the Wrath General understood something crucial—
This entire battle was a performance orchestrated by Demiurge and the two Supreme Beings.
If his acting was too sloppy, he might ruin everything.
So he was, in a sense… fighting with great "difficulty."
After all, as a high-ranking demon, relying solely on fists and brute force would be suspicious.
Demons were supposed to use magic.
But if he used magic carelessly… he might accidentally kill all the humans.
Which meant he had to carefully balance everything—holding back just enough to seem threatening, but not enough to actually wipe them out.
In its own way, this was a far more exhausting fight than a real battle.
"Seventh-Tier Magic—Maximize Magic: Flames of Wrath!"
With a thunderous roar, the Wrath General stomped the ground, shattering it beneath his foot. The earth caved inward as blazing orange flames erupted upward, surging forward like a tidal wave toward Blue Rose and Brian's group.
"Sixth-Tier Magic—Maximize Magic: Crystal Wall!"
As the inferno roared toward them, Evileye thrust out her hand, erecting a crystalline barrier that surged up from the ground.
But whether in terms of raw mana or spell tier, Evileye was no match for the Wrath General.
The crystal wall held—briefly.
Then, under the overwhelming force of the flames, it shattered.
A violent shockwave blasted outward, sending everyone flying.
Only Evileye, positioned safely in the rear, avoided major injury. The others, however, struggled to their feet moments later—burns of varying severity covering their bodies.
Worse still…
Gagaran and the ninja Tia, who had been at the very front, were killed outright in the blast.
The moment Lakyus saw her comrades fall, she immediately pulled out several red potions and tossed them to Brian and Gazef.
"Buy me some time!" she shouted urgently. "I'll use divine magic—Resurrection—to bring them back!"
Fighting seven against one had already been this difficult.
If they lost Gagaran and Tia's support, they would have no chance at all.
Although Resurrection would cost the revived some of their lifespan—and leave them weakened afterward—that drawback could be mitigated with the rare potions they had obtained from the ruins of the Thirteen Heroes.
Brian and Gazef didn't hesitate for even a second.
Catching the potions mid-air, they yanked off the caps and downed them in one gulp.
A soft green light enveloped their bodies.
In an instant, their burns vanished completely.
"So these are the lost potions Blue Rose recovered from the Thirteen Heroes' ruins… The healing effect is incredible," Gazef muttered in awe.
"If we've got enough of these… we might actually be able to bring this demon down."
Renewed determination surged through both men as they tightened their grips on their weapons, staring down the towering demon before them.
The potions' effect rivaled mid-tier healing magic—instantaneous, no less.
For frontline warriors like them, it was nothing short of a miracle.
As long as they weren't killed outright, they could keep fighting.
Sure, the potions were probably ridiculously expensive—
But Brian couldn't care less.
After encountering Ren Kuroda, he had come to understand something:
If humans wanted to surpass their limits, they had to walk the razor's edge between life and death.
Opportunities like this—facing a truly powerful opponent—didn't come often.
And now…
He had grown.
Even standing before a monster like this, he could charge forward without hesitation—buying precious time for Blue Rose.
"You ignorant fools," the Wrath General sneered. "If you had stayed where you were, you might have clung to life a little longer. Instead, you rush toward your own deaths!"
Raising a hand, he began casting a powerful spell—one meant to annihilate them completely, leaving not even corpses behind.
After all, without bodies… there would be nothing left to resurrect.
But just as the spell reached its peak—
He paused.
Those potions…
They were unmistakably from YGGDRASIL.
Which meant—
These humans might be connected to the Supreme Beings' plans.
The spell abruptly dissipated.
Instead, the Wrath General simply swung his arm, as though swatting flies—sending Brian and Gazef hurtling through the air with a single blow.
"Tch… Just how strong is this demon…?" Brian gritted his teeth as he picked himself up again.
"It's hard to believe a monster like this is just a subordinate…"
"If that's the case… then how strong are that demon 'Adabaoth'… and Shalltear Bloodfallen… really?"
...
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