A single second was incredibly precious in saving Marten. The longer he hung with a rope around his neck, the closer death approached.
Yamile and Zhao were racing against time. They had to save Marten immediately, but at the same time, they had to defeat the enemies. Saving Marten without dealing with the enemies would be suicide — one moment of carelessness could get Yamile and Zhao killed instead.
To make things worse, Kido and the bald man who was still alive were standing near Marten. It was clear they didn't want Yamile and Zhao to come any closer or attempt a rescue.
"I won't let you reach him. Witness his death!" Kido shouted with a smug laugh.
Fueled by rage, Yamile and Zhao launched their attack. But Kido and his guard's defenses were incredibly strong, protected by an invisible shield that was nearly impossible to break through. It seemed to have no weakness.
"Damn it! This shield is like a dome. Every angle we try fails," Yamile muttered.
They kept attacking, searching for a gap, a weak point in the Poccog demon's power.
"You'll never break through my subordinate's shield," Kido said calmly, watching their attacks fail one after another.
"He's a Poccog demon — among all demon powers, he has the strongest defense," he added.
Now, Yamile and Zhao seemed to hit a dead end. All their attacks were futile. Marten was in agony, his body weakening, his consciousness fading. Death was inches away.
"Attack from below," whispered Niroki suddenly. Yamile snapped to awareness — there was one weak spot in the defense.
She sat down and pressed her palms against the floor. Slowly, the ground beneath Kido and his guard began to shake violently.
"What's going on?" Kido muttered, starting to panic.
Before Kido and his guard realized it, a surge of water erupted from beneath them and engulfed them. Inside the watery mass was a strong current that immobilized both of them.
"Zhao, now!" Yamile shouted.
Zhao moved quickly and reached Marten. The shield had vanished. With one slash, he cut the rope around Marten's neck, letting his body drop to the floor. Zhao immediately carried Marten and Biacca away.
"Zhao! Get them to safety and treat them. I'll take care of these two demons!" Yamile yelled.
With the rescue mission complete, Yamile's fury intensified. Her anger boiled over — she wanted to kill Kido and his guard.
She stood tall, arms raised, fists clenched. The water sphere tightened, its vortex growing more violent. Kido and his guard were clearly in pain, their bodies crushed and pounded. The bald man had already passed out, blood dripping from his mouth.
Kido, however, kept resisting. His body was incredibly strong, and slowly, he began to move his arms. He crossed them over his chest, and with a sudden force, unleashed a massive blaze that exploded outward.
Boom!
Kido broke free from the water vortex. The watery mass vanished, leaving only puddles on the ground, which were quickly consumed by fire. Flames spread throughout the battlefield, engulfing and destroying the warehouse.
Yamile and Kido locked eyes. Only the two of them remained. Zhao had left to treat Biacca and Marten.
"I didn't expect my entire force to be defeated by you," Kido said.
"So it's true — the demon power within you is remarkable," he added.
"Are you scared now?" Yamile taunted.
"Hahahaha! Scared? I don't even know the meaning of that word," Kido replied.
"From this moment on, you'll never know peace. Every day will bring terror. You'll be hunted until death!" Kido roared, launching fireballs at Yamile.
She ignored his words and kept dodging while trying to close the distance. Her fingers moved swiftly, turning puddles into water bullets aimed at Kido.
Kido easily blocked them with the flames in his hands.
Now face-to-face, the two clashed with punches, kicks, and deadly attacks. Yamile took a blow to the stomach but retaliated, injuring Kido's arm with her trident.
Kido became more brutal, coating his fists and kicks in fire. Yamile struggled — even if she avoided his strikes, the fire still scorched her body.
Eventually, Yamile leapt back to distance herself, gasping after the brutal fight.
"I have to end this now!" she muttered.
She moved all the scattered water on the ground, forming it into sharp, deadly spears. The water spears shot toward Kido. But he wasn't foolish — he spun rapidly, creating a massive fire vortex that neutralized her attack instantly.
Then Yamile raised her trident high, preparing to throw it. It was now wrapped in water, forming a powerful vortex. It transformed into a deadly, spinning lance.
She hurled it with all her might. The surrounding ground trembled from the force of the water vortex.
Kido recognized the danger. If it hit, he would die. He prepared a counterattack. Clenching his right fist, he unleashed a powerful burst of flame. He punched forward, sending out a massive fire wave.
The two attacks collided. A deafening explosion followed.
But Kido's fire couldn't stop Yamile's water lance. Her trident, shrouded in spinning water, drilled through the flames.
Kido couldn't escape in time. The attack hit him — his body flung backward, torn apart, pierced, and ultimately killed.
The battle was over. Yamile had won.
She collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
"He was so strong! How did he get such power? A Banas demon with fire abilities… truly a nightmare," she muttered.
With her remaining strength, Yamile stood up. She slowly made her way back to headquarters. Zhao surely had taken Biacca and Marten there.
When she arrived, Zhao and Biacca were sitting outside the warehouse. Biacca was still crying, and Zhao sat with his head down, silent.
Yamile approached them. Zhao looked at her with sadness in his eyes.
"Why are you outside? Where's Marten?" Yamile asked quietly.
Zhao stared at her, eyes empty and sorrowful. He slowly shook his head — Marten had died.
Yamile couldn't believe it. She rushed into the warehouse, where Marten's body lay covered with a long cloth.
"I failed…" she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"If he took his own life, that means… there was demon power hidden within him?" Zhao said as he followed Yamile into the warehouse.
Hello, you can support me on patreon.com/Ikazaaa, as well as reading many chapters before it's released to the public!