"Humans…" it whispered softly, but its voice soon twisted into something far darker. "Time to die."
"Sorry, but I won't die so easily," Kenji replied firmly, his eyes sharp with determination.
The battle that followed was so intense that it was broadcast across the entire country. Reporters hid inside nearby buildings, trembling as they recorded every moment, knowing they were witnessing a fight that would be remembered forever.
"Let's see if you'll keep that attitude till the very end," the devil said coldly.
Anthony rushed forward without hesitation, launching hulk punch after hulk punch. Each blow shook the ground, even though he knew that using his skill too many times would take a heavy toll on his body. However, the devil blocked most of the attacks, its wounds regenerating rapidly, as if the damage never existed.
Taking advantage of the opening, Kenji appeared behind the devil and unleashed a series of precise slashes. Attacked from both sides, the devil began to take damage faster than it could regenerate, forcing it to retreat and dodge their strikes.
"Teacher, why are you using a wooden katana instead of a normal one?" Anthony asked during a brief moment of movement.
"If I used a real katana," Kenji replied calmly, "I would cause more destruction to the city than the beetles did."
They had no time to continue the conversation. The devil had already fully regenerated.
Raising both of its hands, it created a massive ball of fire and hurled it straight toward them. Without hesitation, Kenji swung his wooden katana, slicing the giant flame in half, cutting through fire itself. Even the devil froze in shock.
"Are you even human?" it asked.
"Of course I am," Kenji answered with a faint smile. "The only strange thing about me is that I get stronger the older I get."
"Nonsense," the devil snapped, creating three more enormous balls of fire and launching them at even greater speed.
Anthony simply walked through one of the flames, his endurance and durability allowing him to withstand the heat without slowing down. At the same time, Kenji sliced the remaining fireballs in half and instantly closed the distance, clashing with the devil in an intense exchange of attacks and dodges.
Suddenly, Kenji unleashed a relentless barrage of slashes, his movements so fast that they seemed invisible. The devil tried to regenerate, but this time it couldn't keep up.
Its body finally gave in.
Moments later, the devil collapsed, unconscious.
Through the live broadcast, the entire country witnessed the fall of the devil and the Beetle King. Screens across cities, towns, and villages showed the same scene—the moment the unstoppable monsters finally collapsed.
For the first time in days, people felt safe. Cheers erupted in the streets, strangers hugged each other, and relief spread like a wave across the nation. The nightmare was over.
Jake was immediately taken to the Hero Headquarters' secret hospital, where the best doctors and healers worked tirelessly to stabilize him. Adrian, once he regained consciousness, was quietly sent back to his house. Anthony and Kenji stood together for a moment after everything ended, exchanging a few words before parting ways, their paths temporarily separating.
Slowly, life began to return to normal.
But not for Adrian.
His house felt emptier than ever. The silence inside his room was heavy, suffocating. Both of his parents were gone, and no victory, no celebration, no cheers from the outside world could fill that void. Days passed without him leaving his room. He barely ate, barely slept, and barely spoke to anyone. Time moved forward, but he felt stuck in the same moment of loss.
One evening, his phone suddenly lit up.
A message from Jake.
"Can we meet up this weekend?"
Adrian stared at the screen for a long time. He didn't feel like going outside. He didn't feel like meeting anyone. He didn't feel like doing anything at all.
Still, his fingers slowly moved.
"Sure."
He put the phone down, his expression unreadable.
Deep inside, he knew he wasn't going just to meet a friend.
He wanted answers.
He wanted to understand how a devil had taken over Jake's body and what he was doing there in the first place.
Somehow, he felt that meeting Jake would change everything.