It all unfolded in a flash—an arrival that shattered the peace, a descent that heralded doom, and an explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the town.
Damien barely had time to react as the ground beneath him trembled violently. A monstrous figure crashed into the middle of the town, sending debris flying in every direction.
… Kaaabooooom!!
The impact left a massive crater, its edges glowing faintly from the sheer force of the descent.
The explosion’s force sent Damien skidding back a few meters, his boots scraping against the cobblestones as he shielded his eyes from the swirling dust and smoke.
“Ugh!” Damien felt his internal injuries stir slightly and he immediately understood he was yet to fully recover from the last fight with a Grade Three demon.
As the air cleared, Damien’s eyes narrowed, taking in the hulking figure that had emerged.
The demon stood over four meters tall, its grotesque form both monstrous and terrifying. Its blackened skin was dotted with an intricate pattern of white spots, almost like a constellation etched onto its body.
Two spiraling horns jutted forward from its head, and its yellow and black reptilian eyes glowed with a malicious light.
The creature’s tail, as long as its towering height, swayed menacingly behind it, its serrated tip gleaming like a deadly blade. Its razor-sharp claws flexed as it raised its head, unleashing a roar that shook the very foundations of the town.
Roaaaaaar!!
The sound was deafening, a guttural cry that seemed to reverberate within the souls of everyone who heard it.
The pressure that followed was suffocating as it spread out for hundreds of meters, covering the entire town in an instant.
Damien felt it immediately—a wave of overwhelming energy that froze him in place for a moment. His body tensed as the demon’s aura pressed down on him, crushing and inescapable.
Some were even more unfortunate and began bleeding from ears, nose, and even eyes. The more lucky or unlucky ones passed out.
“This is… bad,” Damien muttered, his voice low and steady despite the pressure that continued to press down in him. His instincts screamed at him, his heightened senses confirming what he already suspected.
This was no ordinary demon.
This was a Grade Two demon!
A creature on par with the Obsidian Drake that had nearly killed him.
But Damien didn’t flinch.
“I think I’ve faced worse,” he said under his breath, his resolve hardening. “More or less.”
With a thought, Damien canceled Fenrir and Cerbe’s summon, allowing only the Griffin to continue tearing through the remaining hordes of demons.
To support his fight, he summoned back the others. “Summon Fenrir.”
“Summon Cerbe too.”
With not a moment of delay, the two portals rippled open to release his faithful companions.
Luton remained out of commission from overfeeding but Damien could tell there were changes concerning the Slime.
Fenrir’s massive form landed to Damien’s left, its snow white fur bristling with energy. To his right, Cerbe appeared, each of its three heads snarling with anticipation. Their combined presence bolstered Damien’s confidence.
“Let’s do this,” he said, activating Fenrir’s (Gigantification) and Cerbe’s (Berserker Mode).
“Accept!” He answered as soon as the system panel popped up requesting his permission to activatedm the skills.
The changes were immediate. Fenrir’s form grew even larger, its muscles bulging as its aura surged to new heights.
Cerbe’s eyes glowed a fiery crimson as its savagery amplified, its movements becoming sharper and more ferocious. Both creatures now stood at the peak of Grade Three, their power perceivable.
The demon, however, showed no fear. Instead, its reptilian eyes narrowed, and without warning, it launched its attack.
…Swoooosh~
The creature disappeared in a blur, its speed defying its massive size. One moment, it was standing in the crater; the next, it was directly behind Damien.
Damien barely had time to register its movement before he felt the oppressive weight of its presence. His senses screamed danger as he spun around, only to see the demon’s claws descending toward him in a deadly arc.
It was too fast.
Damien knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge in time.
“Oh, no!” His heart pounded as he braced for the worst, but just as the claws were about to tear into him, Fenrir intervened.
The wolf moved like lightning, its massive paw intercepting the demon’s attack.
Boooooom!!
The resulting collision created a shockwave that leveled everything within a dozen meters. Fenrir was pushed back several steps, its claws digging into the ground to maintain its footing.
“Good boy,” Damien muttered, his fist folding tightly.
The opening Fenrir created was all Cerbe needed. The hellhound opened its three mouths, each one glowing with an intense crimson light as it prepared its (Flames of Hell) attack.
«-1000 units of magic essence!»
«-1000 units of magic essence!»
«-1000 units of magic essence!»
Damien felt the drain on his magic essence as the skill activated, the temperature around him spiking to unbearable levels.
Three massive columns of fire erupted from Cerbe’s mouths, converging on the demon with devastating force. The flames illuminated the battlefield, casting long shadows as they engulfed the creature.
Boooooom!!
The explosion that followed was blinding, the heat so intense that even those several meters away felt the scorching shockwave. A mercenary running toward Damien’s battlefield to offer support stumbled back, his armor sizzling from the residual heat.
“My goodness!” he muttered, his eyes wide as he took in the destruction. “What kind of kid is this?”
As the smoke cleared, the demon emerged from the flames, its body scorched but not defeated. Its wounds began to heal almost instantly, the charred flesh peeling away to reveal unblemished skin beneath.
Damien cursed under his breath. “Of course, it regenerates.”
Rooooaaarr!!
The demon roared, its rage visible in its eyes as it lunged at Damien again. This time, Damien was ready. He met the demon’s claws with his flaming sword, sparks flying as their attacks clashed.
However, the power gap remained obvious.
Bang!
Damien slammed into a building three meters away from their point of collision. For a brief second, Damien lost all of his senses.