As Tokito prepared to face Kando, one of the most powerful Demon Kings, his allies struggled to keep his body safe—only to find themselves surrounded by the Holy Warriors.
Each warrior bore a unique appearance, but their leader, Hero Shou, was without a doubt the strongest among them. With his braided ponytail swaying and a confident, charismatic stride, he approached Rodius.
Rodius, in his monstrous form, stood firm before him.
Rodius: "What have you come for, Hero Shou?"
Shou: "Calm down, Commander Rodius. We've only come to claim the head of your master—the one you killed."
Rodius raised his claw threateningly close to Shou's face, yet the hero didn't flinch an inch. Though Rodius growled like a beast, eager to rip Shou apart, deep inside, he feared the strength of the Holy Warriors.
Shou: "Take it easy, lion of the forest. Wasn't it you who killed your own king?"
Rodius: "Human, if you don't leave now, we'll take this as a declaration of war. And trust me, you don't want that—not with my nerves already shattered after what's happened to our king. If you push me, I'll kill at least four of the eleven warriors standing behind you."
The moment Shou gripped his sword's hilt, Rodius made his move—flinging Shou through one of the buildings in the village. The impact left Shou dazed and unable to see clearly.
Turning to the rest of the Holy Warriors, Rodius now had his sights on two of the weaker healers in the group.
As he dashed forward, the Holy Warriors braced for attack. They trembled, swords raised, knowing they couldn't stop what was coming. Rodius leapt high into the air, crashing down behind the formation and grabbing the heads of the two healers with his claws.
With a horrifying squeeze, he crushed their skulls like ripe fruit.
The gruesome sight sent a wave of panic through the ranks. The warriors shook so badly they could barely hold their weapons. And yet, the beast who stood before them—a demonic creature resembling a lion—simply smiled.
Then, Yuichi, one of the Holy Warriors, shouted, "Now's not the time to fear—it's time to fight!"
His words roused the others. Despite their trembling hands, they surged forward to attack Rodius from every direction.
Rodius clashed with the warriors in a brutal skirmish. But while he was distracted, Yuichi slipped behind him and drove his sword into Rodius' back. Enraged by the pain, Rodius instinctively flung his arm backward, grabbing Yuichi by the neck and slamming him to the ground.
Meanwhile, Shou began to recover from the impact. Still dizzy and aching, he spotted Rodius cutting through his comrades. He drew his blade and rose to his feet, charging toward the battle once again.
Rodius was still surrounded when Shou lunged, but this time, Rodius threw a warrior's body at him to disrupt his attack.
Though slowed, Shou quickly recovered. He and four other warriors launched a coordinated assault, striking at Rodius from multiple angles.
Shou's sword, sharper than the others, finally pierced the thick hide of the demon's body.
Shou: "For every comrade you've killed, I'll take a piece of you, Rodius!"
Even with powerful blows landing, Rodius was far from defeated. His skin was tough as stone, and while the pain was real, it wasn't enough to bring him down. Behind him, the mages had finished casting their spells.
The first to strike was a powerful poison spell, which began to melt his tough hide. Then came fire magic, burning deeper into his body.
Rodius screamed—a roar so thunderous it could burst eardrums.
Seizing the chance, Shou sliced off one of Rodius' claws.
Wounded and bleeding, Rodius stumbled back, trying to regain his balance.
Nanagi could no longer bear to see him suffer. But she knew if she stepped into the fight, she'd be cut down instantly. So, she remained seated, her hands clenched.
Kortus, mentally shattered, sat on her knees, gently stroking the white hair of her fallen king.
General Guter, too injured to move, leaned helplessly against a wall.
At that moment, Rodius was the last shield standing between them and death.
Shou: "If you don't surrender, I'll have to kill you, Rodius. And I don't want to—because you're the only demon I've ever respected."
Rodius: "Killing me won't be that easy. That much, I guarantee."
Shou: "So that's your choice. Mages, aim your spells at the demons behind him!"
Rodius: "I won't let that happen!"
Opening his arms wide, Rodius prepared to block the spells with his body.
But Nanagi, knowing she had to protect everyone left alive, cast her Iron Fortress spell—a wall of solid metal as tall as a castle rose before them.
Seeing the wall, Rodius turned to Nanagi.
She smiled with her one remaining eye.
As her mana began to fade, tears welled up in Rodius' eyes.
Knowing that tears wouldn't change anything, he tensed every muscle in his body to stop the bleeding.
He had one goal: to gather every ounce of mana and unleash it in a final, devastating spell.
Rodius: "Even if I can't kill you… I'll use everything I have to try!
Advanced Hexa-Water Magic: Grand Aqua Prison!"
Shou: "So this is your final move before death? I accept it gladly!"
This wasn't just an ordinary spell—it was a colossal sphere of water the size of a village.
Laced with poison magic, it weakened all inside it… while boosting Rodius' own strength.
With a motion of his hand, the massive water prison lifted into the air.
Shou was trapped inside, like a rat in a cage.
Projectiles and spells from his allies outside were absorbed before they could even reach him.
Rodius leapt into the prison.
Inside, Shou was desperately trying to slash the watery walls with his blade.
But the sphere healed itself faster than he could cut.
Rodius (laughing): "How pathetic you look now, Hero!"
Shou: "This will be our final battle, Rodius. Your spell blocks your own magic but weakens me—perfect for muscleheads like you."
Rodius: "I faked defeat just so I could cast this. You're not even my real enemy, Hero Shou. While we're here, the Demon King's army is already descending. Without you, your allies will fall. And those healers? I killed them just to demoralize you."
At those words, Shou's eyes widened.
It was a trick. He had been baited.
He roared and rushed forward, swinging with all his strength.
But in the prison, his power was limited, and Rodius blocked every strike with ease.
Shou: "Let me out of here, bastard! Or you'll all pay for this!"
Rodius smiled coldly.
As the two dueled inside the watery sphere, Fujih and his army of ten thousand demons arrived below.
The remaining nine Holy Warriors stood defensively in formation.
Fujih spotted General Guter and ran to his side. Grabbing him by the collar, he checked his condition, then passed him off to the soldiers for evacuation.
Rising to his feet, he scanned the battlefield—his eyes locking on Nanagi lying motionless nearby.
Then, he began walking toward her.
Fujih: "Apologies for arriving late. You must be Nanagi, Koloton's aide. Now tell me—what exactly is happening here?"
Nanagi: "I'm fine, but our lord's condition is critical—"
Fujih: "That doesn't matter right now, Nanagi. What does matter is the enormous sphere of water floating in the center of the village."
Nanagi: "What do you mean 'he doesn't matter'?! He's our Demon King!"
Fujih: "If he's so important to you, then protect him yourself."
Nanagi: "You bastard…!"
As Fujih turned back toward the battlefield, his eyes caught sight of a young girl.
The girl was Lilia, the one who had called Tokito "brother."
Seeing she was human, Fujih calmly walked toward her. Dressed in noble blue robes, with long flowing hair and a gleaming sword at her side, she looked far too elegant for a battlefield. But that didn't stop him.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air.
Nanagi tried to intervene, but Fujih's soldiers pointed their blades at her neck, holding her back.
Lilia gasped and kicked, desperately trying to escape Fujih's tightening grip.
Everyone who loved Tokito was too wounded to help.
Lilia was choking, her face turning pale under Fujih's black uniform.
And he began to squeeze harder.
Meanwhile, the battle in the sky raged on.
Inside the massive water sphere, Shou relentlessly attacked Rodius, trying to break the spell that imprisoned him.
But the sluggish pace and one working arm were not enough.
Rodius, laughing cruelly, blocked each attack and countered with brutal strikes.
Shou finally jumped back, gripping his sword with both hands. Holding it upright, he began to chant a spell:
"By the holy power of the divine, I call upon you.
Guide Excalibur, and let it destroy everything before me—
Holy Magic: Judgment of the Divine!"
The sword turned pure white as the surrounding mana surged violently.
The light it emitted was drawn inward again, and Shou brought the blade down with all his might.
A brilliant slash burst forth—
Rodius took the full force of the divine attack.
But it had been a trap.
Shou used the holy blow not just to damage Rodius, but to destroy the prison itself and free himself.
As the water exploded outward, Shou emerged from the dissolving sphere, sending Rodius crashing into the earth.
The impact left a massive crater, shaking the entire village.
Seeing Rodius fall, Fujih lost interest in Lilia.
He tossed her against a wall like a ragdoll.
Her rabbit-ear tiara shattered.
Her clothes tore.
Her bones cracked from the force of the blow.
Still breathing, barely, Rodius struggled for air.
But Shou remained standing, sword in hand.
Fujih drew his own blade, walking with calm determination.
Fujih: "Once I'm done with this intruder, I'll deal with the rest of you."
Shou, clearly exhausted, could barely lift his sword.
The remaining Holy Warriors surrounded him.
Yuichi was nowhere to be found—missing from the battlefield entirely.
Shou: "If it weren't for Rodius, I'd have ended this by now. Looks like this is going to be a bit harder than I thought."
Despite the situation, Shou smiled.
Then, all around them, every single person's screen flashed red.
Everyone stared in shock as the text came into full view.
A robotic female voice echoed out:
"The Demon King has broken the seal.
All surrounding mana is now being absorbed by the Demon King."
The message disappeared.
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Monsters scattered in terror, fleeing in every direction.
Everyone turned to Tokito's body—but he appeared unchanged.
Some doubted the system message, thinking it must be an error.
Then—
Swords clashed again as Shou and Fujih resumed their battle.
Rodius rushed to his master's side, pouring the last of his aura into shielding him.
Kneeling beside Tokito's body, he believed… he believed Tokito would return.
Shou's movements slowed.
Even Fujih, a lower-ranked warrior, could now keep up.
Though Fujih attacked, Shou's blade never stopped swinging—defending himself with sheer willpower.
But what about Tokito, the one who was supposed to change the tide of battle?
What was he doing during this war?
Tokito…
was locked in a desperate battle with Kando, the First Demon King…