The air crackled with an unseen tension as Alex, Vanessa, and Alenia stood before a massive, ominous palace.

Towering spires of black stone jutted into the crimson sky, casting long shadows over the vast courtyard. This was the domain of Anos Voldigod, the Demon Lord.

Right now, they were in the demon realm, in front of the secluded castle of the demon lord/emperor.

No one visited this place without an invitation, and Alex… well, he had an invitation.

He exhaled sharply as he stared at the castle, which wasn’t the main palace, yet so ominous.

‘Fitting for the demon emperor, I guess.’

He wasn’t nervous—no, that wasn’t the right word. Cautious, maybe.

He knew this meeting was inevitable, yet the weight of it still pressed against his shoulders.

Vanessa stood at his side, arms crossed, her gaze cold and indifferent as ever.

Unlike Alex, she didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. If anything, her presence here was more of a curiosity than a concern.

Alenia, on the other hand, had her arms folded as well, but her eyes darted between Alex and the looming entrance ahead, worry etched into her expression.

“You never did explain what kind of deal you made with this guy,” Alenia finally spoke, breaking the silence. Her silver eyes filled with worry. “You just told us you had to fight him. What exactly did you promise?”

Alex sighed. “It’s… complicated.”

Vanessa gave him a side glance. “It better not be something idiotic.”

Before Alex could reply, the grand doors before them creaked open with an eerie groan. A deep, amused chuckle echoed from within.

“Well, well. You sure took your time, boy.”

A figure stepped forward, bathed in the dim, red glow of the palace interior. Anos Voldigod.

He was exactly as Alex remembered him—tall, his red-black hair flowing lazily around his sharp, chiseled features. Twin horns curved elegantly from his head, and his crimson eyes gleamed with an unsettling mix of mirth and power. He was dressed in his usual dark attire, exuding elegance and dominance.

Anos gave Vanessa a brief glance before smirking. “I see you brought company. Not like I was expecting you to come alone.”

“That’s what we agreed on,” Alex said evenly. “They’re here to watch.”

Anos chuckled, rubbing his chin. “Watch, huh? Fine by me. But let’s get one thing straight.”

His gaze darkened, amusement flickering into something sharper. “If you bore me, the deal is off.”

The deal Alex had made with Anos was simple.

He had said that he would bring the thrill of fighting—something the demon lord missed so dearly—back into Anos’s life.

Anos had just chuckled at it, thinking there was no way it would be possible, but as he recalled who Alex’s mother was, he decided to take the deal.

He just had to give up on his daughter in return; nothing big for him.

Vanessa, hearing Anos trying to intimidate Alex, let out a cold scoff. “How childish.”

Anos raised an eyebrow at her, then grinned. “Oh, Vanessa. How have you been? Why don’t we try to fight as well? I heard that you have crossed the level I haven’t reached.”

Vanessa met his gaze without flinching. “If you want to die, then I won’t stop you.”

Anos chuckled again, but there was something in his expression that showed he was keeping an eye on her.

His pride wouldn’t let him admit it, but he knew she wasn’t someone he could take lightly anymore.

Anos was known to be able to fight people levels above him—he was even given the title of level jumper during his academic years.

But right now, Anos felt that he might lose to Vanessa in a fight.

This hurt his pride a bit, especially when the woman in front of him was someone he used to pursue back then.

Turning back to Alex, he cracked his knuckles. “As much as I’d like to change the deal because of how late you’ve come, I will still restrict my level to match yours. Tell me, what level are you at right now?”

As soon as that question was brought up, another silence followed, making Anos frown in annoyance.

“What now? Just say the level so I can restrict myself.”

Vanessa stepped forward, her expression as hard as ever. “Take a mana oath.”

The atmosphere stilled at those words, and Anos, who was frowning, slowly turned to Vanessa, his expression mirroring hers.

“What kind of mana oath? And why should I do it?”

Vanessa, however, didn’t back down. “You have to swear that you won’t reveal Alex’s power level or any other information you discover during the fight to anyone.”

Anos squinted his eyes, glancing at Alex before nodding. “That’s fine. I don’t see a problem with it, but why should I be the only one making an oath? Why don’t we add a condition that your son would die if his secret weren’t worth taking an oath for?”

The air particles froze when Anos said that, as Vanessa drew her sword, placing it right in front of Anos’s throat.

“You think my son’s life is something you can play with?”

Anos, however, stared back into her eyes. “And you think, I, the demon lord, am so loose-lipped that I would spread information about a child?”

The air seemed to be getting heavy every passing second, but before it could explode, Alex stepped forward.

“I accept those conditions.”

Vanessa sharply turned to look at Alex, frowning, but Alex just smiled.

“Do you think he won’t be surprised? Or do you think he, the demon lord, would lie just because he doesn’t want to accept defeat?”

Vanessa’s frown didn’t relax, but she knew that Alex wasn’t being arrogant right now. As for the latter point, well, she could solve that. She just needed to kill Anos if he did that.

Not like it would happen since the mana oath would be in place.

Anos thought Alex was being arrogant, but he didn’t say it out loud. Who knows if he would get embarrassed for underestimating Alex?

Soon, the oaths were taken, and Anos asked again. “Tell me now, what level are you at?”

“Two-star, star-connection.”

Anos realized why his instincts told him not to mock Alex a while ago when he heard Alex’s words.

‘Star connection?? Wasn’t he in Star Formation some time ago? And how old is he anyway?’

Such questions appeared in his head as he realized that he had already lost the oath bet. Alex had surprised him already, and from the way he was looking at him, it was clear that this wasn’t all he had.

But Anos calmed down soon enough.

He didn’t want to appear shocked by just this.

“Alright, I restricted my powers,” he said, glancing at Vanessa, who nodded as she confirmed that he had suppressed his powers.

Alex exhaled and nodded, stepping forward.

He wasn’t here to lose.

He had learned from his fight with Vanessa.

He had spent the last few days training, refining his understanding of magic. This was his chance to put it to the test.

With a flick of his wrist, Anos summoned a throne of black stone and lazily sat down. “Show me what you’ve got.”

He was back to his normal attitude.

Being surprised was different from feeling fear.

Even now, Anos didn’t think that he would lose. Not to a boy who couldn’t even understand the elements—something Anos had observed when he saw Alex’s fights in the competition.

What he didn’t know was that Alex had changed a lot since then.

Alex, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate.

He activated Temporal Acceleration and Space Shift instantly, his form flickering as he closed the distance between them with inhuman speed. His sword, Verathian, gleamed as he slashed down—

CLANG!

The impact sent shockwaves through the hall, but Anos hadn’t even moved from his throne.

A casual flick of his fingers had summoned a barrier that stopped the strike cold.

“Too straightforward,” Anos remarked, unimpressed. “Try again.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed.

He leaped back, but instead of attacking outright, he wove his elements together.

Lightning crackled around his blade, and wind reinforced it. He was creating a new move.

Vanessa and Alenia watched silently.

Alenia tensed, knowing how dangerous Anos was, but Vanessa… she simply observed, unreadable.

Alex unleashed his attack. “Thundergale slash!”

A massive, twisting surge of lightning and wind roared toward Anos.

Anos smirked, but this time, he lifted a hand.

FWOOOM!

The attack was swallowed by a pulse of sheer magic, dispersed like a candle before a storm. Anos stood, stepping down from his throne at last. “Better.”

A flicker of something dark swirled around his form. His presence became suffocating, like an abyss opening beneath Alex’s feet.

“But still not enough.”

In the blink of an eye, Anos vanished—and then reappeared directly behind Alex.

BAM!

A single strike to his back sent Alex flying across the hall, crashing into the far wall with bone-rattling force.

Alenia gasped, moving as if to step forward, but Vanessa held up a hand. “Stay put.”

Alenia clenched her fists. “But—”

“He’s not done.”

True to Vanessa’s words, Alex pushed himself up, wiping the imaginary blood from his lip.

Anos laughed. “You’re still standing. Good.” He spread his arms. “Come on, then. Show me what else you’ve learned.”

Anos was surprised as Alex stood up. There were rarely any people of the same level as him out there who could contend with him using brute force.

His bloodline, which always stayed activated, gave him enough power to dominate anyone in a physical battle.

Yet, Alex seemed to be fine despite having some bones broken.

For some reason, he really felt that there was a chance Alex might stand true to his promise.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep