Facing the final one, he delivered a crushing uppercut and smiled triumphantly. The snake shot skyward, smashing through the warehouse roof and revealing the pale moonlight that cast a glow over his face.
[ Defeat Stray Devils (10/10) ]
[ Mission Complete ]
[ You gained 300 pts due to your prowess ]
"It was a good start…" he said, gazing at the moonlight, just before hearing a ferocious scream as dense shadows were cast across his face. The faint rustle of wings caught his attention.
[ Defeat Stray Devils (0/10) ]
From the same hole he had just opened, he heard laughter, as humanoid beings with thin bodies and bat-like wings crawled in through the ceiling. Their large, furry wings sent chills down his spine.
"A flying variant… how am I supposed to deal with that?" he thought, watching the creatures circling him in the air. He had no means of flying… his eyes widened in sudden realization.
Black wings formed behind him.
"I just leveled the playing field." He shot upward to meet the demons head-on. "But three-dimensional combat… certainly not my strong suit," He said with a smirk.
The demonic bats rushed at him, claws the size of daggers on hands and feet, eager to slice him open like a fish on a cutting board. He performed agile aerial maneuvers to dodge the relentless waves of attacks.
Their claws struck the concrete, sending sparks flying, the onslaught unending for even a single instant.
He quickly realized the bats were several times more agile than the snakes, giving him no time to breathe, much less plan. He needed a new strategy.
"If open skies are a problem, then let's change the field." He darted toward one of the pillars, with a swarm of claws close behind. He was about to crash headlong into the pillar, and the demonic creatures tensed as they closed in.
He smiled, racing toward the pillar. It loomed larger and larger in their vision, but he only grinned wider. His stats suddenly shifted, resistance boosted.
With a thunderous crash, he smashed through the pillar, rubble scattering everywhere in a cloud of dust that concealed him. The bats had pulled back at the last instant, now frantically searching for where he had gone.
Then, a sharp whistle echoed. As they turned toward the sound, their heads exploded.
[ Defeat Stray Devils (2/10) ]
Issei roared with laughter after grabbing two more stones, preparing to hurl them again. The demons were still struggling to locate him—so many sounds echoed in the ruined space that, for creatures with such sensitive hearing, this place was pure hell.
Once more, he raised his hand and threw. The debris slammed into the wings of one of the bats, sending it crashing down. Each stone carried the weight and impact of a cannonball rather than a mere chunk of concrete.
"By the way…" Issei's eyes fell on the wreckage, and he couldn't help but think about using steel beams. He grinned, seizing a length of metal and hurling it repeatedly like a spear.
[ Defeat Stray Devils (5/10) ]
The demons quickly dropped like flies, powerless to resist. Their only notable skill had been offensive agility—but now, reduced to fleeing, they felt weaker than ever.
[ Defeat Stray Devils (8/10) ]
His attacks were far faster than they could react to, driving them into desperation. Some resorted to suicidal charges, claws slashing forward in a final rush.
But he met them with nothing but a smile, shoving the steel beams through their skulls. The bats fell once again, utterly incapable of resistance.
[ Defeat Stray Devils (10/10) ]
[ Mission Complete ]
[ You gained 450 pts due to your prowess ]
"Not bad…" he chuckled, eyeing the explosive mission reward. He could grow stronger, much faster than he had ever expected.
And yet, amidst his laughter, he couldn't ignore the ever-worsening state of the warehouse—crumbling, unrepaired, and with no sign of transition to a different location. He could smell a boss fight from miles away.
"This must be the third stage. The perfect number for a truly challenging enemy." He braced himself, still uncertain who the opponent would be.
Originally, he had expected Raynare. But now he had more than a few doubts. Raynare would never appear in a rundown warehouse—meaning this had to be someone else.
"What a mess we've got here." A sudden female voice sent a chill down his spine. It was unmistakably a woman's voice, one of maturity and authority. The sharp click of boots echoed across the floor.
"Was it you who did this?" she asked, summoning a spear of light into her hand, cutting through the curtain of dust. For a fleeting moment, Issei felt fear—he knew she was powerful.
He wasn't sure he could handle her. For the first time since the beginning of the battle, his gaze darted to Asia, standing silently just a few steps behind him.
This time, he was going to need healing.