Anos’s stomach was pierced clean through as Alex’s sword drove into him, the sheer force of their momentum carrying them both upward, cutting through the storming clouds above.

Yet, instead of a cry of pain, Anos let out a low, menacing chuckle.

His crimson blood coated Verathian’s blade, and as Alex prepared to twist the sword deeper, he felt something was off.

A sizzling sound reached his ears before he noticed the blade’s surface corroding at an alarming rate.

Crack!

The once unyielding Verathian fractured, its once-shining edge splintering into fragments as Anos grinned through the pain. “Even if my powers are restrained,” he rasped, blood seeping from his lips, “my blood remains unchanged. Anything it touches… corrodes.”

True to his words, the sword crumbled into shards, dissolving mid-air. However, just as Anos prepared to capitalize on Alex’s sudden loss of weaponry, he felt something amiss.

‘Why did it shatter instead of corroding?’ He questioned as he recalled how the sword shattered, but before he could think too deeply about it—

—Whoosh!

The shattered remains of Verathian reversed course, streaking through the air like magnetized fragments drawn back to their source.

Anos’s eyes widened in surprise as the broken sword rapidly reassembled, reforging itself in Alex’s grasp with a bright, pulsating glow.

A brand-new blade materialized, its edge sharper, its form even more refined.

“You were saying?” Alex smirked, gripping the reborn Verathian with renewed vigor.

Without hesitation, he drove his knee into the shocked demon lord’s chest, sending him plummeting back down toward the battlefield.

‘So, that weapon is strange as well…’ That was the only thought in Anos’s head as he zoomed through the air.

BOOM!

Anos crashed into the ground like a meteor, the impact sending shockwaves through the remains of the Demon Palace. The ground fractured beneath him, stone and debris erupting into the air.

WHOOSH!

Alex streaked downward, his entire body wrapped in a spiraling current of mana. As he descended, he twisted mid-air, adjusting his trajectory before vanishing in a blur—

Only to reappear behind Anos at the last moment.

CRACK!

His foot met Anos’s back with the force of a collapsing mountain, slamming him even deeper into the earth. The ground caved in, forming a crater beneath them.

But Anos was far from done.

A sinister grin spread across his face as black tendrils of demonic energy erupted from his body. The sheer force sent Alex skidding backward as Anos pushed himself to his feet, his wings unfurling once more.

“Tch.” Alex narrowed his eyes, raising Verathian as he prepared for another assault.

Anos wasted no time. He vanished in an instant, reappearing directly above Alex. His fist descended like a comet, shrouded in thick, spiraling demonic energy.

BOOM!

Alex barely managed to block, but the force of the blow sent him rocketing into the ground. Anos pursued immediately, landing beside him and launching a relentless barrage of attacks—punches, kicks, and claws swiping at incredible speeds.

BANG! BOOM! CLANG!

Each impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, destroying whatever remained of the palace’s surroundings. Their movements were almost imperceptible to any observer, a blur of clashes, sparks, and energy explosions lighting up the battlefield.

Then, with a powerful roundhouse kick, Anos sent Alex flying.

CRASH!

Alex’s body smashed through a boulder, splitting it in half before he flipped mid-air, landing on his feet. His breathing was steady, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“You almost had me there,” Alex admitted, rolling his shoulders.

“Almost isn’t enough,” Anos growled, his aura getting darker. “Let’s see how you handle this.”

RUMBLE!

The ground beneath Anos twisted and warped as his demonic energy flooded the area. The corrupted terrain pulsed, releasing thick, black, fog-like tendrils that slithered toward Alex, seeking to consume him.

But Alex wasn’t fazed.

His ten illusionary stars glowed brightly, and with a single thought, he shifted his power—

From space to death.

It was something only possible for Alex—something the demon lord couldn’t even imagine in his dreams.

The moment the transformation took place, his Death Eye ability blazed to life, its eerie glow intensifying to a level far beyond anything he had displayed before.

The power surged within him, amplified to an overwhelming 300% due to the two-star boost.

Anos barely had time to react.

The instant their gazes locked, Anos’s body went rigid.

His vision darkened. A cold, creeping sensation clawed at his consciousness as an overwhelming force dragged him into an abyss of nightmares.

He saw himself falling, his body slowly withering away. His flesh eroded and his bones turned to dust. He screamed, yet no sound came. No matter how much he resisted, death was inevitable.

But soon he realized something.

‘Illusion!’

Yes, there was no other way to prove the situation.

It was an illusion that showed him death.

Anos gritted his teeth, his immense willpower surging to break free. The illusion cracked, shattering like glass—

But it was already too late.

As his mind snapped back to reality, the first thing he saw was Alex standing above him, Verathian’s blade hovering inches from his forehead. A confident smirk played on Alex’s lips.

“Checkmate.”

Silence stretched between them for a long moment, the battlefield still humming with residual energy. Anos stared at the blade poised to strike, his breath uneven.

Then, slowly, he slumped to the ground.

“Hah… you won.”

The battle was over.

Alex had won.

The next instant, however, Vanessa and Alenia appeared between Alex and Anos, the former staring down at the demon lord while the latter shielded Alex.

“Hm?” Anos raised a brow, realization setting in. “Did you think I wouldn’t be able to take a loss?”

He stood up, dusting his body, his wounds already healing as he removed the seal on his power. “I’m not petty enough to do that.”

With those words, he turned around, shaking his head. “You’ve won, boy.”

Vanessa squinted her eyes, but she could feel that Anos had accepted his loss, and pride finally settled in her mind.

Her son, struggling to keep up with her some time ago, had finally reached a new level.

‘Will he be stronger than me before I even know it?’ She wondered, glancing at her child.

She was sure she would be defeated by him if they fought like Anos did, with their powers limited to equal. But now, she thought it wouldn’t take him long to overpower her at her full power.

Of course, the long in her mind was years, if not longer.

Alex, on the other hand, finally spoke up. “Wait.” He called out to Anos, causing everyone to frown in confusion.

Taking a step forward, he added. “You haven’t forgotten our deal, have you?”

“Don’t think of me as someone who goes back on his words, boy.” Anos turned around, dissatisfaction clear on his face as he replied. “I will free Eris.”

Before the demon lord could turn back, Alex shook his head. “I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

His words made Anos’s frown deepen, waiting for Alex to continue.

Vanessa and Alenia, on the other hand, tilted their heads. ‘Eris? Free? Who are they talking about?’

Their vigilance, however, remained at an all-time high.

“I didn’t say anything about you not holding up your end of the deal.” Alex continued, “I was talking about my end of the deal.”

Anos now completely turned around, confused.

‘What’s going on?’ Vanessa and Alenia had this collective thought.

When everyone was confused, Alex stepped forward, smiling. “I had promised you a fun fight. I had said that I would make you enjoy a fight.”

As he went on, the demon lord’s frown relaxed.

“What I want to know is if you enjoyed the fight.” Alex finished his words, and Anos, after closing his eyes, took a deep breath, his body relaxed, the sense of defeat he had been feeling washing away.

“Yeah,” he said, staring at his hand, still trembling from the adrenaline rush he felt during the fight. “I enjoyed our fight.”

He stared at the surroundings, looking at the craters filling the area, broken trees hanging down, some scorched and some shattered.

He chuckled. “Though the trees would probably not say the same thing.”

His words made Alex shake his head. “What matters to me is that you enjoyed it.”

Staring at Alex, the demon lord wondered just how long it had been since he really enjoyed a fight.

He couldn’t recall the last time he saw death close to him. Today, however, he saw an illusion of death.

“Thank you.”

For the first time, Anos thanked someone.

He felt like he needed to.

It was his wish to have a fight he would enjoy, and today it was made possible by Alex, so he had to thank the guy.

But Vanessa couldn’t believe it. Her never-changing cold face displayed shock as even she, who had known Anos for a long time, had never heard him say thank you.

Alex, however, just shook his head. “Please. It was the deal.” Then, he added with a smile. “And it’s not like this will be the last fight we’ll have.”

His words made two pairs of shocked and one pair of curious eyes turn to him.

‘What is he saying?!’ Vanessa and Alenia thought, while Anos, looking at the grin on Alex’s face, understood what the guy meant…

The look in his eyes was similar to a beast that had found a new fun thing. Anos understood why.

“You wanted someone to go all out on as well, didn’t you?” Anos asked, and Alex nodded.

Yes, he didn’t use his full powers, but the powers he used were perfected through this fight. Alex had found himself learning from this fight, so he didn’t want it to be the last time. Nor did the demon lord.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep