“Haaa… haaa… Fuuu…”

Aestrea’s breathing was steady, but his body was very tense.

His scythe rested on his shoulder as he stared at the new form of the archdemon.

The creature’s body was more human-like now, but the pressure coming from him was even worse than before.

His red eyes burned with endless fury, and the dark energy around him twisted like a living thing.

Aestrea clicked his tongue.

‘He got up much faster than I expected…’

The archdemon’s lips curled into a slow grin.

He flexed his fingers, and his claws grew longer.

“Fucking annoying bastard…” Aestrea mumbled slightly.

The air shook around them.

The ground beneath the archdemon cracked as dark energy spiraled around his feet. The demon bent his knees slightly, preparing to launch forward.

Aestrea’s legs tensed slightly.

He could feel it—the next attack was going to be fast.

BOOM!

The archdemon vanished.

“Shit—!”

WHOOSH!

Aestrea barely turned his body before a black claw came swinging from the side.

SLASH!

Aestrea jumped backward, but the demon’s nails ripped through his coat, nearly slicing his ribs.

Before he could land, the demon was already behind him.

BAM!

A solid kick slammed into Aestrea’s back, sending him flying like a bullet.

Aestrea’s body spun mid-air, but he quickly flipped, planting his feet on the ground, and sliding backward, leaving deep marks in the dirt.

His scythe glowed, and his eyes narrowed.

“This bastard got faster…”

The archdemon grinned, rolling his shoulders.

“I’m not done.”

BOOM!

He charged again, his claw raised, but—

CLANG!

A sword blocked his attack.

Aestrea only smiled in relief.

Lucas stood beside him, his golden sword, Excalibur, glowing with bright light. However, the Excalibur seemed much stronger than before.

“You took too long,” Aestrea said, seeing Lucas pushing back against the archdemon’s claw.

Lucas smirked only grinned at his words.

“Had to make an entrance.”

Before the demon could push forward—

WHOOSH!

Ella appeared behind him, clutching her sword rightly.

“Don’t forget about me!”

She swung her sword, aiming for the demon’s neck—

But the archdemon ducked, his tail whipping around.

CRACK!

Ella barely dodged, flipping backward.

Lucas slashed his sword downward, aiming for the demon’s shoulder.

『 Corruption Sword! 』

SHING!

A bright arc of light sliced through the air—

But the demon jumped back, avoiding the attack by a hair.

“You’re all so annoying,” he hissed.

But—

BOOM!

A fireball exploded beside him.

The demon turned sharply, his eyes locking onto Rose.

Her hands burned with red flames, her long red hair flowing behind her.

“I was hoping you’d forget me,” Rose grinned.

She raised her hands—

『 Fire Series: Inferno Lance! (✦ 3rd-Level Spell ✦) 』

A massive spear of fire formed in her palm, spinning rapidly before she threw it straight at the demon’s chest.

The archdemon growled, his hands glowing with dark energy as he swung both arms—

BOOM!

The fire spear exploded, sending out a shockwave.

But in that moment—

WHOOSH!

Violet appeared above him, holding a crystal rapier that glowed with a white light.

SHING!

She twisted her body mid-air, her rapier slashing downward at blinding speed.

The demon barely dodged, but Violet’s blade cut into his left shoulder.

“Argh—!”

Black blood sprayed as he stumbled back, his body burning from Rose’s fire and Violet’s sword strike.

And then—

THUD!

A shadow landed behind him.

Zeva.

Their Sword Instructor and the so-called Twin Sword Maniac.

Her long black hair blew in the wind, her two blades shining under the battlefield’s broken sky.

The archdemon snarled, his aura flaring.

“ENOUGH!”

He raised his only remaining arm, blood, and dark energy twisting together.

『 Blood Art: Crimson Reaper! (✦ Advanced Forbidden Spell ✦) 』

A massive red scythe appeared in his hand, the air crackling with violent energy.

The moment he gripped it—

BOOM!

The ground collapsed beneath him, the sky turning dark red.

Aestrea’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“This is bad…”

Lucas clenched his sword. “We need to finish him.”

Ella spun her daggers. “Fast.”

Zeva smirked. “Then let’s go.”

Aestrea exhaled slowly, gripping his own scythe.

“Fine.”

Then—

WHOOSH!

All of them charged forward at the same time.

Lucas swung Excalibur, sending a golden slash forward—

『 ✦ Void Breaker! ✦ 』

SHIIIIING!

The archdemon swung his scythe, clashing against the attack.

Ella appeared from the side, her sword aimed for his ribs—

『 Wind Series: Gale Step! (✦ 2nd-Level Spell ✦) 』

Her body blurred, moving at high speed, but—

The demon twisted, his tail whipping around—

CRACK!

Ella blocked with her arms, skidding backward.

Rose raised her hands, her flames swirling around her—

『 Fire Series: Exploding Nova! (✦ 4th-Level Spell ✦) 』

BOOOOOOM!

A massive firestorm erupted, engulfing the demon—

But—

The flames parted.

The archdemon walked forward, his body regenerating instantly.

His eyes glowed darker.

“Useless.”

Aestrea clicked his tongue.

Then—

‘Output increased to five.’

His scythe spun in his hands.

The temperature dropped.

『 Ice Series: Frost Explosion! (✦ 6th-Level Spell ✦) 』

A surge of freezing energy exploded from Aestrea, the battlefield turning white in an instant.

The demon’s body slowed, ice forming on his limbs.

But Aestrea wasn’t done.

His red eye glowed intensely.

His scythe’s aura burned with silver and violet light.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

『 Third Move! (✦ Moonlight’s One Flash ✦) 』

He vanished.

SHING!

A deep, cracking sound echoed—

Aestrea appeared behind the demon, his scythe lowered.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then—

CRACK!

The ice covering the demon’s body shattered, a deep, glowing wound appearing across his entire torso.

“GAH—!”

The demon stumbled, black blood pouring from his mouth.

Aestrea exhaled.

“…Not enough.”

Lucas stepped forward, his sword shining brighter.

“Then let’s finish it.”

『 (✦ Void Breaker ✦) 』

A golden slash shot forward—

Moving straight for the demon’s chest.

The archdemon’s eyes widened—he was still off balance from Aestrea’s last attack.

BOOM!

The golden energy crashed into him, sending him flying backward, his body tearing through the ground like a meteor.

CRASH!

Dust and debris shot into the air, forming a huge crater where he landed.

For a moment—silence.

Everyone stood still, weapons raised.

Then—

The ground trembled.

The air turned heavy.

A low, deep chuckle echoed from the crater.

The dust slowly settled, revealing the archdemon still standing.

His body was damaged—black blood dripped from multiple wounds, and his left arm twitched unnaturally.

But his red eyes burned with even more killing intent.

“…Pathetic.”

His voice was distorted, layered with something inhuman.

Aestrea’s grip on his scythe tightened.

“Damn it… This bastard just won’t stay down.”

The demon slowly cracked his neck, his smile stretching unnaturally wide.

“Did you think… that was enough to kill me?”

Then—

BOOM!

A massive wave of dark energy exploded from his body.

The shockwave sent Lucas, Ella, Violet, Rose, and Zeva skidding backward, forcing them to dig their weapons into the ground to hold their positions.

Aestrea gritted his teeth, pushing forward against the force.

The archdemon raised his right hand, dark magic swirling around his palm.

『 Forbidden Spell: Abyssal Devour (✦ Soul Extraction ✦) 』

The air turned black.

A giant shadow claw formed above them, stretching down, trying to crush everything beneath it.

Lucas gritted his teeth.

“We can’t let that land—!”

Before anyone could react—

WHOOSH!

Aestrea vanished.

He reappeared above the archdemon, his scythe glowing with a silver and violet light.

『 Twin Heart Mana Body Style: Lunar Collapse! 』

SHIIIIING!

A massive arc of frozen energy cut through the shadow claw, splitting it in half before it could reach them.

The archdemon’s eyes flashed.

“You…!”

WHOOSH!

He swung his crimson scythe upwards—

Aestrea twisted his body mid-air, barely dodging, but the blade scraped his shoulder, drawing blood.

SLASH!

Aestrea landed on the ground, skidding back as his coat fluttered in the wind.

Lucas immediately stepped forward.

“No more playing around.”

His golden aura surged, Excalibur glowing brightly.

He charged forward, his sword moving at blinding speed.

The archdemon raised his own scythe, trying to block—

But then—

WHOOSH!

Ella appeared behind him, as her sword glowed with an intense golden color.

“Royal Swordsmanship…”

『 Divine Punishment 』

She spun rapidly, swinging her sword directly at its back.

“GAH—!”

The demon stumbled, his defense breaking—

And that’s when Lucas’s golden slash came down.

SHIIIIING!

It cut deep into the demon’s chest, blood spraying everywhere.

“HRGHHH—!”

The archdemon roared, but before he could recover—

BOOOOOM!

A giant explosion of fire engulfed him.

Rose stood at a distance, both hands burning with flames.

『 Fire Series: Scorching Rain! (✦ 4th-Level Spell ✦) 』

Flaming spears rained from the sky, impaling the demon’s body from all directions.

Zeva’s golden twin swords flashed as she dashed forward, aiming for the demon’s legs.

『 Twin Blade Art: Crescent Sever! (✦ SS-Level Sword Art ✦) 』

SLASH!

SLASH!

His swords cut through, severing the demon’s tendons—

The demon collapsed to one knee, his breath ragged.

Aestrea exhaled sharply.

“This… is our chance.”

His red eye burned brighter.

His scythe’s aura flared, silver and violet energy surging around him.

At that moment…

‘Output increased to ten!’

He used his full power.

『 Unique Ice Series: Absolute Zero! (✦ 7th-Level Spell ✦) 』

The temperature dropped to freezing levels.

Frost spread across the battlefield, ice forming on the demon’s body, locking him in place.

The archdemon’s eyes widened.

“…No…!”

Aestrea raised his scythe, the blade shining brighter than ever.

Then—

WHOOSH!

He vanished.

And reappeared above the demon, his scythe already swinging down.

『 DIE. 』

SHIIIIIIING!

The scythe sliced cleanly through the archdemon’s body.

For a moment—silence.

Then—

CRACK!

A massive fissure split the battlefield, the shockwave blasting outward.

The archdemon’s torso separated, his body turning into frozen shards, scattering like glass.

For a brief moment—there was silence.

Then—

Clap!

A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the air.

Aestrea’s eyes narrowed as he sharply turned his head—

And from the shadows, a faint figure emerged.

The archdemon of Pride stood there.

Completely intact.

Not a single wound.

His crimson eyes gleamed, his grin widening as he took a step forward.

“This bitch… When the hell are you gonna stop with that fucking drama?” Aestrea growled, gripping his scythe tighter.

The demon chuckled, tilting his head slightly.

“Ahhh… Humans. You are especially interesting.”

His gaze locked onto Aestrea, his smile stretching wider.

“What’s your name?” He asked, voice dripping with amusement.

“I’ll make sure to remember it… Since you’re the only human who’s ever managed to deal this much damage to me.”

Aestrea scoffed, his grip on his scythe tightening.

His crimson eye glowed dimly as he rolled his shoulders, brushing off the exhaustion creeping into his muscles.

“Tsk. Acting like you’re some kind of untouchable god? Just not so long ago, you just got the beating of your life.” He tilted his head, cracking his neck.

“And now you want my name? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

The archdemon of pride let out a deep chuckle, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. His posture was relaxed as if this battle was nothing but a mild inconvenience.

“Don’t flatter yourself, human.” He spread his arms, gesturing at the battlefield.

“I merely allowed you to land those attacks. Consider it a gift—for entertainment.”

CRACK!

The ground beneath the demon fractured as his aura surged, pressure crushing the air around them.

Lucas immediately stepped forward, sword raised.

“Damn it… he’s still messing with us?” His voice was low, but his grip on Excalibur tightened.

Ella’s green eyes narrowed as she pulled her sword free, her stance ready.

“This bastard… that wasn’t even his real body, was it?”

“Now you’re catching on.” The demon’s grin widened.

Aestrea clicked his tongue at his pride.

“It was his real body. It’s just that his body regeneration is too annoyingly fast.”

The archdemon laughed at his words, the sound deep and mocking.

“You amuse me, human.” He gestured toward himself, tilting his head.

“Tell me your name, and I might just spare you.”

Aestrea exhaled slowly.

Then—

WHOOSH!

He vanished.

The archdemon barely had time to react before—

SHIIIIING!

Aestrea’s scythe came down, slicing toward his neck.

The demon smirked.

CLANG!

At the last second, he caught the blade with his bare hand.

Aestrea’s red eye narrowed.

The demon grinned, tightening his grip, stopping the scythe completely.

“Impressive, but—”

WHOOSH!

Aestrea vanished again, reappearing behind the demon, swinging his scythe horizontally.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

『 Second Move! (✦ Moonlit Frost Barrage ✦) 』

A wave of icy slashes exploded toward the demon’s back.

SLASH!

SLASH!

SLASH!

The attacks landed, sending a burst of cold energy across the battlefield.

For a second, the demon’s body froze over, ice creeping along his skin—

But then—

CRACK!

The ice shattered instantly as he simply walked forward, completely unharmed.

Aestrea clicked his tongue, skidding back as the archdemon turned to face him.

“You still haven’t answered me.” The demon’s voice was smooth, almost amused.

“What is your name?”

Aestrea exhaled sharply.

“…Aestrea.”

The archdemon chuckled, rolling his shoulders.

“Aestrea… I will remember that name.” His red eyes shone.

“Now—let me return the favor.”

Then—

BOOM!

The demon vanished.

In a blink, he reappeared in front of Aestrea, his clawed hand swinging at inhuman speed.

WHOOSH!

Aestrea barely had time to react before—

BAM!

The punch landed on his stomach, sending him flying back like a cannonball.

CRASH!

His body smashed through three stone pillars, breaking them apart like glass before he finally skidded to a stop, leaving a deep trench in the ground.

Aestrea coughed, wiping the blood from his lips.

“…Fuck….”

Lucas’s eyes widened.

“He actually landed a hit—”

Before he could finish—

The demon was already in front of him.

WHOOSH!

Lucas barely blocked in time as the archdemon’s clawed fingers slammed against Excalibur, sending him sliding back.

“Shit—!”

Rose raised her hands, fire blazing in her palms.

『 Fire Series: Hellstorm Nova! (✦ 5th-Level Spell ✦) 』

BOOOOOOOM!

A massive explosion of flames erupted, engulfing the demon in fire.

Smoke filled the battlefield, obscuring their vision.

For a moment—silence.

Then—

WHOOSH!

The demon walked out of the flames, completely unscathed.

Rose’s eyes widened.

“The hell—?!”

The archdemon smiled, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.

“You humans… so weak. So fragile.”

He raised his hand, black lightning sparking around his fingers.

『 Mixed Lightning Series: Dark Lightning! (✦ Ultimate Spell ✦) 』

CRACK! BOOM!

The sky darkened, and in an instant—

A massive bolt of black lightning struck down, aimed directly at Aestrea.

WHOOSH!

But before it could land—

Aestrea raised his scythe, his voice steady.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

『 Third Move! (✦ Moonlight’s One Flash ✦) 』

SHIIIIIIIIING!

A single slash of silver energy cut through the lightning, splitting it in half before it could touch him.

The archdemon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Oh?”

Aestrea wiped his lip, stepping forward.

“You talk too much.” He spun his scythe once before pointing it straight at the demon.

“Let’s settle this already.”

The demon smirked.

“Very well, human.”

Then—

Both of them vanished at the same time.

WHOOSH!

But just as Aestrea’s scythe was about to meet the demon’s claws…

Aestrea crushed a small rock on his hand, as his final words reached out to the demon.

“Unfortunately, I’m not your adversary anymore.”

And in his place, a bearded man holding a great sword appeared.

His voice was rough.

“…..It’s time for you to die, Demon.”

THRRRUUUM!

The demon was entirely smashed on the ground.

The impact made a huge crater.

Enough to be ten meters deep.

Crack…!

And the last sound was the small crack of the demon’s core.

Caused by a single hit from that bearded man.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep