The atmosphere was tense. The wind blew slowly, and the city was swallowed by absolute silence. Otakura clenched his teeth, fists tightly shut. Koloris licked her blades in a provocative and cruel way, wearing a smile that radiated pleasure. Meanwhile, Revild watched her in complete silence, his gaze cold and calculating.
Suddenly, flames engulfed Otakura's arms. His breath released sparks, and his body vibrated with pure adrenaline. He pushed his left foot back, gathering momentum. His eyes burned, locked on Koloris, and the flames around him grew stronger. He pressed harder against the ground, cracking the earth beneath him, and then launched forward.
The impact of his dash was so intense that Sasha, nearby, was thrown to the ground. Otakura flew toward Koloris, engulfed in fire, ready to strike.
But before he could reach her—
BOOM.
Revild appeared beside him and grabbed his shoulder, completely nullifying the flames. In the blink of an eye, Otakura's power vanished.
Eyes wide with fury, Otakura snarled. His face twisted with rage.
— You bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your damn hand off me! — he shouted, arrogant and furious, pushing Revild's arm away.
Koloris watched the scene with sarcasm, mocking Otakura's power as if he were a child pretending to be a warrior.
— Don't get cocky. Do that again, and I'll smash your face in! — Otakura threatened.
Revild, indifferent, kept his eyes on Koloris, completely ignoring Otakura's threats.
— Are you really that stupid? If you'd gotten close to her, you'd be dead. — he said coldly. — She's stronger than that so-called Ragnoto.
But Otakura didn't accept those words. The flames returned to his arms. He prepared to attack again, his eyes burning with fury.
— Don't underestimate me, asshole!
In an explosive movement, he launched himself at Koloris again. The ground shattered beneath his feet. Heat flooded the area.
SLASH —
Otakura appeared behind Koloris with a confident smile. In his hands, a massive blaze. Koloris, however, didn't even move. She just stared at him with an insane, mocking grin. He was mere inches away, ready to strike.
But then, with deadly precision, Koloris raised her blade and stabbed it into her own neck. Blood slowly dripped as she whispered:
— Vessel: Spiritual Link.
BOOM!
Otakura's body froze. Deep wounds appeared out of nowhere, tearing through his skin. He coughed blood and was launched through two walls, the impact devastating.
Even as he tried to stand, his arms hung as if the bones inside had vanished. Koloris slowly twisted the blade deeper into her own neck.
THUD!
Otakura was thrown again, crashing into another wall. His wounds worsened. As he was about to hit the final wall, Revild appeared and caught him by the arms, preventing the worst.
— Let go of me… bastard… — Otakura muttered, weak and arrogant, blood dripping from his mouth.
Revild remained silent, staring at him coldly. Dust and the scent of blood filled the air. Otakura could barely stand.
Koloris watched them with disdain, walking slowly toward them. Trembling with fear, Takimira gathered the courage to attack her from behind. His body burned with tension.
But Koloris turned her head, meeting his gaze with twisted delight.
Shaking, Takimira stepped back.
Koloris's steps were slow and graceful, like a model walking across the battlefield. She licked her lips with a sharp tongue and pulled the blade from her neck. In that instant, Otakura fell to his knees, coughing up blood.
Koloris's wounds healed in less than a second. She raised her short blade, its hilt shaped like a carved skull.
Even injured, Otakura tried to rise, driven by sheer willpower. But his body no longer obeyed. Revild, meanwhile, just watched silently.
— No need to be so tense — Koloris said with a smile. — I just want to make a deal with you.
She looked directly at him. But before Revild could respond, Otakura lunged again to attack. Koloris rolled her eyes, annoyed.
— You're just in my way.
She whispered:
— Portrait.
WHAM!
Otakura's eyes widened. His mind was thrown back to the moment Koloris stabbed herself in the neck. When reality returned, he was again struck by invisible wounds and hurled against the wall, coughing more blood.
Koloris smiled again.
— So... shall we continue where we left off?
Revild watched her with his blue eyes, silently reflecting.
"She's strong... That power... I don't know how it works. If I act recklessly, I might end up like that idiot."
"But... if she uses it directly on me, maybe I can nullify and absorb it. In short... I can win."
— May I ask a few questions before I hear your proposal? — he asked, serious and confident.
Koloris smiled, licking her blade.
— Of course. You may ask three questions. Then I'll make my offer.
Revild took two steps forward.
— First: are you some kind of game program created to stop us from advancing?
— Second: what does it mean to be a Demon King's Knight?
— Third: why do you want to kill us? And while we're at it... are you an NPC?
Koloris burst out laughing at the questions, stepping closer.
— I'll answer. First: you're not in a game, sweetheart. You're in the demon realm. And that will cost you your lives.
She slid the blade across her neck and continued.
— Second: being a Knight of the Demon King... ah, my king is so beautiful... Kratos is magnificent...
She caressed her own body with excitement.
— Third: you humans are pathetic, selfish. And you have the nerve to ask why we want to kill you?
Her voice deepened, laced with disgust.
— You invade our home, our world, trying to steal what is precious—the source of balance in the demon realm. Isn't that reason enough?
Then she looked him dead in the eye.
— Now, my proposal: I want you to kill the humans beside you. In return, I'll let you live. Deal?
Revild raised an eyebrow and answered coldly:
— I refuse.
Koloris smiled with disdain.
— One more thing… you must be thinking you can nullify my power. I know what you're capable of. I saw your fight with Ragnoto. But... that won't work on me.
She tightened her grip on the blade, now clearly irritated at being rejected.
Revild took a deep breath, lowered his head, and slid his right foot back. He whispered:
— Fourth Resurrection.
BOOM!
A dark aura exploded around him. His eyes gleamed intensely. The ground cracked beneath his feet. The energy pouring from his body was four times greater than Ragnoto's.
Koloris grinned, licking her blades with anticipation.
— I knew it... This is beautiful. You not only copy spells, but you also copied demon essence. To use resurrection... impressive.