Loryn ran as fast as he could while keeping watch around him. He was only about five minutes away from reaching Daion. He gritted his teeth when, suddenly, the horizon lit up with a bright orange glow—Thaloren's attack, more than two kilometers away.
"What the hell is that idiot doing?" he thought.
Loryn hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was worth checking it out, but he knew Daion should have the corrupted under control thanks to his plan. His role was mostly support, but the trenches had to be a chaos-filled wasteland; his help would be needed.
"If this keeps up, Thaloren will kill us all, even if he manages to defeat the Behemoth," he muttered, taking another step forward.
You should trust Thaloren more, Daion's voice echoed in his mind. Trusting that idiot… it was something he had sworn never to do again. He clenched his fist and pushed on.
Daion ducked just as bullets began to rain down. The corrupted barely managed to raise his sword to protect his head, but the projectiles came from all directions. Though they only caused bruises and superficial cuts, they were enough to distract him. Daion closed in quickly. Planting his feet, he drove a blow straight into the corrupted's abdomen, lifting him a few centimeters and placing him at a better angle for the riflemen.
Daion stifled a groan as a few stray bullets pierced his arm. Even so, he bit his tongue and swung his sword, striking the corrupted square in the abdomen. He tightened his grip with everything he had.
"Now… please," he muttered, gritting his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
Tinitos opened his eyes and forced his muscles to reinforce his body to the limit.
"Damn it… I just need this sword to pierce him, and I win!" he told himself.
Despite his efforts, Daion completed the slash, sending the corrupted flying with a deep gash along his side. The demon rose with a mix of relief and fear after almost having been killed. Daion cursed under his breath and released his sword, letting it hover around him, guided by his hand movements.
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy, summoned one," Tinitos said confidently, staring at the young man with both annoyance and excitement. "It's time I show you why I'm Lord Behemoth's right hand."
The corrupted stretched, his bones cracking, and then, with a horrible shriek, vanished again. Daion's eyes widened in surprise when he felt the corrupted appear behind him. A blow slammed into his side, shredding his arm and sending him flying. Daion felt bones snap, but saw Tinitos hurl his sword toward him. He blinked and guided his own blade just in time to intercept the attack before it struck him directly. Both swords fell to the ground as Daion crashed into a building, breaking a few ribs on impact.
Daion looked up quickly, only to see Tinitos appear beside the gunmen, who had barely finished reloading.
"Wait!" Daion shouted in shock.
Tinitos gave him a cruel smile before crushing the first soldier's head with a simple gesture. Daion's eyes widened as he tried to rise. Aelith watched in horror. She lowered her guard for only a moment—long enough for the glutton to grab her by the leg and throw her aside.
The soldier's body collapsed instantly, lifeless, while the others raised their rifles in desperation. Tinitos stared at them with a macabre expression.
He is not a man who breaks under physical torture, the noble had once said. Thankfully, there are other ways to torment a man… nothing better than showing him the consequences of his leadership.
Thaloren shouted, striking the Behemoth in the face.
One minute and forty-five seconds remained before the ground above the dungeon would be destroyed and collapse. It was now or never.
Thaloren delivered an uppercut and fired a burst of plasma into the corrupted's abdomen, pushing him several meters away. Ken watched from a distance, trying to time his slash to draw the Behemoth's attention, but Thaloren kept stepping into the line of attack.
Thaloren kept attacking unpredictably, trying to guide the corrupted toward the marked area. He only needed to hit him hard enough, but Daion had already warned him.
"It can't be obvious," he had said while reviewing the terrain. "If the corrupted suspects they're guiding him to a compromised point… he's not stupid. He'll notice and kill you instantly. So we need to be dirty and get ahead of anything a corrupted might try."
Thaloren threw another punch to the abdomen, but this time the corrupted smiled as he stopped the fist with his forearm. He twisted his wrist, making the summoned warrior's arm crack in a sickening way, and pulled him close to his face.
"Ugh, I'm tired of playing," the noble corrupted said mockingly. "It's my turn to have fun."
He spun and slammed Thaloren into the ground, cracking the stone with the impact. The summoned warrior's vision blurred for a few seconds, stunned by the blow to his back. The Behemoth released him and, with a sweep of his tail, crushed him. Then, like a hammer striking wood, he began slamming him again and again, burying Thaloren deeper into the ground with each hit.
He stopped and looked back. The Behemoth grinned when he saw his rival buried in the ground, eyes rolled back and blood leaking from his orifices.
"Ah, you gave a good fight," he said as he raised his fist with satisfaction, preparing to bring it down on Thaloren. "I'll crush your head so your death is quick. Consider it my reward for all the wounds you gave me."
Before he could finish him, a cut appeared on his wrist. The Behemoth lifted his gaze and shifted it toward Ken, who stood on the hill, breathing heavily. The boy launched another golden slash that opened a cut across the corrupt noble's cheek. The Behemoth looked at him with annoyance.
"What an annoying mosquito… I should crush him so he stops interrupting me," the Behemoth growled, and leapt.
Ken looked up, terrified, as the noble shot through the sky at impossible speed and descended straight toward him.
"Stupid summoned brat, prepare to be punished for your insolence," the corrupt noble spat.
Ken clenched his teeth and shouted back with fury:
"Save your villain monologue for when you actually win, you damn idiot!"
The Behemoth stiffened, his hair rising as a reddish glow enveloped him while he readied the blow. Ken knew that a single touch from a noble was enough to kill him. He had no power in that situation; all he had done was throw pebbles at a giant. And still… he smiled.
The Behemoth realized something was wrong.
Too late.
Ken fired another slash, this one piercing through an eye and blinding him for a few seconds.
"Agh, what are you even trying to do?" he demanded as the wound began to regenerate.
And then, with a sudden burst, the Behemoth felt—just seconds before crashing down—a figure wrapped in fire appear at his side. Ken felt a heat so intense he thought he'd turn to ash at any moment. Thaloren looked up at the Behemoth.
"Hold on a bit," Thaloren told Ken. "Sixty percent."
Thaloren's glow became so intense it blinded both Ken and the Behemoth for an instant. Then the noble felt a blow that shattered his jaw. He opened his eyes only to realize he was suspended hundreds of meters in the air.
"What are you trying to do, you idiots?" he asked in alarm.
"Thaloren!" Ken shouted, trying to steady himself. "Thirty seconds—do it now!"
Thaloren nodded. The Behemoth tilted his head, confused, as the summoned warrior shot toward him like a missile, the surrounding air glowing brighter and brighter. The corrupt noble threw a punch, but Thaloren dodged with ease, circling him in an instant.
"The sky is my domain, bastard," Thaloren declared as he positioned himself on the Behemoth's back.
He grabbed the corrupt noble's tail with both hands and, with a roar of effort, spun on his axis and hurled him like a ragdoll through the air, sending him even higher. The noble twisted, disoriented. At that same moment, Thaloren appeared behind him with a presence no mortal could ever match. With his hands clasped together, he landed a hammer blow directly on his back.
The demon plummeted toward the ground with an explosive crash. The Behemoth staggered to his feet and looked up at the sky, watching as Thaloren gathered even more power, shining like a second sun.
"Do you really think raising the temperature a bit will be enough to beat me?" the corrupt noble scoffed.
And then Ken snapped his fingers: the timer had reached zero.
As precise as clockwork, the ground shook violently at that exact moment, cracking open. A booming roar deafened the Behemoth. He looked down, confused, seeing smoke seeping through the fissures.
"A trap… don't tell me I—"
He looked up just as Thaloren struck him with a devastating blow that made the entire terrain collapse. Both of them fell into the ice dungeon below amid a plasma explosion.
Daion rushed in as fast as he could, ignoring his body's warnings.
"Tinitos, you piece of shit—don't you dare!" he shouted as the corrupt noble pushed forward through the soldiers, tearing their bodies apart with ease.
Daion couldn't reach him. Tinitos was supposed to focus only on him, to break him. But he hadn't anticipated this… and because of it, he felt like a complete idiot.
Daion threw his sword; it grazed the demon's cheek. Tinitos looked at him with arrogance as Daion tried to manipulate the blade from afar, missing every strike.
Damn it, I still can't control it… but I can't let this continue.
He glanced at his left arm: it hung uselessly from the earlier blow. If he fired his beam and missed, he'd be left with no functional arms. But what other choice did he have?
He raised his gauntlet and tried to aim at Tinitos.
Then he felt his body grow lighter; with a burst of gunpowder, Tinitos stopped abruptly, narrowly dodging the bullet that whistled past his face. Daion turned and saw Loryn, drenched in sweat from running, his eye glowing with a fierce intensity.
"You bastard, you finally made it," Daion said with relief.
"The best things take time, right? Now do it, Daion! Kill that son of a bitch!"
Daion shot forward like a torpedo toward the corrupt noble. Loryn forced his body and granted Daion an additional burst of speed. The summoned warrior felt the increase like a punishment: his bones vibrated, his muscles screamed… but still he kept commanding his sword to strike.
The soldiers began to retreat, ignoring the blood splattered over them out of sheer instinct for survival. Tinitos was retreating too: his body wasn't responding. He felt the air crushing him. He swung his sword in a desperate attempt to deflect Daion's.
"What trick is this, you damned summoned pests?" Tinitos shouted, frustrated. The condescending tone he had used before was gone. Only then did Daion realize he had probably been imitating the noble—this must have been his real personality. But it wasn't the time to reflect.
Daion appeared beside him. His sword traced an arc that Tinitos managed to block, but he couldn't react to the hook Daion slammed into his ribs. The corrupt noble gritted his teeth.
"What is this strength? What are you idiots doing?" Tinitos was starting to lose his composure.
Daion tensed his body and absorbed part of the demon's corrupt energy. Tinitos reacted with a roar, and a red flash crossed Daion's vision.
The summoned warrior recovered in time to see a cut opening across his chest. Part of his vision turned crimson as his armor shattered and he hit the ground. He got up immediately. The corrupt noble roared, and a wave of corrupt energy burst from his body, painting the surroundings red as Daion felt the force pierce through his bones.
And still, he took another step. Tinitos still felt unbearably heavy. He lifted his sword only to take Daion's blow head-on. Both weapons fell to the ground. Daion stepped in and smashed a fist into his face. He grabbed Tinitos by the head and pulled back, absorbing more energy. The corrupt noble snarled and slashed, tearing open Daion's abdomen.
Daion screamed. With a command, his sword flew back to him, stabbing into Tinitos's leg and bringing the demon to his knees. Daion grabbed his head and drove a knee into his face.
Energy kept spilling out of the corrupt noble; Daion absorbed it with difficulty, feeling his own body crumble. The enhanced momentum allowed him to keep up with Tinitos, but at the same time, the corrupt energy—and the force of that very momentum—was pulverizing his bones.
Daion ignored it.
Tinitos seemed to snap back to his senses, and the exchange began. At brutal speed, their blows clashed: face, abdomen, chest, hooks, elbows. Both warriors roared as they tore each other apart. Loryn watched with silent terror.
Aelith, meanwhile, pushed herself up, dazed. The Glutton lay unconscious on the ground, his face smashed by the demihuman's blows. She bled lightly as she watched the scene, anxious, terrified for Daion's life.
Daion landed a direct punch to the abdomen that echoed across the battlefield, their blood spilling and mixing on the ground. Tinitos lowered his head, as if he had finally surrendered. The onlookers felt a wave of relief. Everyone except Loryn, whose eye began to burn with an unsettling heat.
A crack. Daion stepped back, leaving Tinitos hunched over. Only a flick of his fingers was missing for his sword to sever the demon's head.
"Did he win?" Aelith asked, stunned.
"No. Not yet," Loryn replied, fully aware of what was truly happening.
Daion tried to move his right arm, but it didn't react. He lowered his gaze, horrified, and saw his fingers twisted grotesquely, his arm crushed almost beyond recognition.
His legs wouldn't respond either; they trembled, and he could feel them splintering with every tiny attempt to move.
"Well, I didn't expect this," Tinitos said, lifting his head. Several wounds marked his body, yet he still held the same amount of corrupt energy. "It's a shame I can't break you any further, but I can't afford to take risks. You should know you're about to die. After that, I'll kill everyone here—and it'll be your fault for failing to stop me."
Daion tried to speak, but no sound left his lips. Aelith stifled a scream when she saw the sword now impaled through Daion's abdomen. He trembled at the sight. Tinitos raised the blade and nearly split him in half, but Daion had absorbed enough corrupt energy to diminish the blow.
Tinitos growled and hurled Daion through the air. The summoned warrior struggled to stabilize himself, but his blood was draining and his consciousness shattering by the second. He barely saw the demon leap and land a brutal kick to his chest.
Daion crashed into a house, which collapsed over him, burying him under the rubble. The witnesses stared in horror as Tinitos descended. Loryn tried to take aim, but a sharp pain tore through his eye—he had pushed his power too far. He could only watch as Tinitos began to regenerate.
"I am a demon of battle. I can partially heal my wounds once per fight," he said with a twisted smile. Even so, despite his regeneration, his wings did not grow back.
The entire dungeon shook as debris rained down and the impact of both titans made the ground tremble. The Behemoth rose immediately, bewildered. Thaloren stood up as well, and the ice around him began to melt, forming a thin layer of water on the ground. The Behemoth let out a grunt as he got to his feet.
"Seriously, is this the best you've got? A dungeon?" the Behemoth mocked, irritated by the trap. He looked upward, noticing that the ceiling was far too high to simply climb out.
Thaloren drifted for a moment into the memory of the night before the battle.
"Could you beat him?" Daion asked Thaloren.
"I could ask you the same: could you beat Tinitos?" Thaloren replied as Daion sat at the table.
Back in the ruined village, Tinitos began to step back, disappointment filling his gaze.
"What a waste… dying before I could savor the pleasure of breaking you," he muttered through clenched teeth.
Aelith stared at the rubble with tear-filled eyes. Had Daion died? The sword had pierced straight through his abdomen, and he had fallen several meters onto solid concrete. Even for a D-rank summoned, that should have been fatal. Loryn's eye burned; he had spent far too much power, and Tinitos still had enough strength to annihilate them all. They had lost—following Daion's plan.
Loryn lowered his rifle in resignation.
Damn you, Daion… how dare you lose after talking all that crap? he thought angrily.
Aelith ran toward the rubble, passing right beside the corrupt noble, who ignored her. The demihuman began digging desperately through the broken stones, searching for any sign of life from her master, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Please…" she begged through sobs. "Don't do this to me… you can't show me someone so good only to lose… don't you dare leave me alone again!"
Her cries made all the survivors look up with pity. She kept pleading as Tinitos watched, turning toward her with heavy steps.
"Should I finish my work, then?" he murmured.
Then, a muffled sound echoed beneath the rubble. Everyone froze. Loryn's eye opened wide as some of the debris shifted, and from beneath it, a blood-soaked figure slowly pushed itself up with pained groans.
The dungeon trembled. Thaloren began to sweat, drops falling from his face. The corrupt noble silenced his mockery and looked down, confused, as the water began to boil and the stone beneath them turned into glowing magma. Suddenly, another gauntlet formed on Thaloren's left arm; his eyes erupted into a blazing orange glow as he stared straight at the corrupt noble.
"I asked first…" Daion said to Thaloren, reaching for a bottle of alcohol. Thaloren chuckled and nodded.
"If I could fight at 100%, I don't think there's a demon alive who could keep up with me," Thaloren said with a laugh. "Though I'd only go that far if I'm sure no one would get hurt by accident. Your turn."
"Honestly, I doubt it. Beating Tinitos looks impossible even for me," Daion replied, eyes unfocused. "But if I have the right plan, I might win… though there are too many variables. But one thing's certain, right?"
"Yes," Thaloren answered.
Thaloren snapped back to reality and locked onto the corrupt noble.
"Full fusion—100%," he declared, as the very air seemed to bend and the image of two suns rose behind him. "If I can fight with all my power…"
In the village, Daion emerged, barely holding his sword, struggling to even lift it, his armor completely destroyed and his body covered in bleeding cuts. His face was smeared with crimson, his hair disheveled. He lifted his gaze; even at the brink of death, his eyes were not those of a dying man—his blue glow remained. The wound in his abdomen, the killing blow, had vanished.
"If I can stand…" he began to say for no apparent reason.
Aelith stared at him in confusion, and Tinitos turned, startled.
"If there's still life left in my body to fight…"
And then, as if everything had been rehearsed, the rookie summoned and the strongest summoned both declared in unison before their enemies:
"I WILL WIN!"
Chapter 44.