Both Laid and Lila stood beside each other in the demon city. Lila's green eyes swept over Lane, her gaze lingering on his siphoning blade as it gleamed menacingly in the air. Lane stared at Laid, his thoughts racing. *He has the most energy—perfect for me.* He stepped forward, raising the blade high.
"Listen," Lane said, his voice dripping with false courtesy, "this could be as easy as you want it to be. You could simply let me kill you and surrender your power, or—" His eyes darkened to obsidian pits. "I'll have to do things the hard way. And trust me, you don't want me to do things the hard way."
Before Lane could strike, both warriors felt a scorching wave of heat slam into them. Lila collapsed first, crashing to her knees as sweat poured down her forehead. Rewinding time wouldn't save her from this inferno. Lane fell moments later, his body trembling violently, yet his fingers refused to release the blade despite the unbearable discomfort. Laid was the last to succumb. His body struck the ground, collapsing atop the blue-haired man who had already fallen victim to the siphoning blade.
*What is this heat?* Lane thought, struggling to rise. *Why is it so damn hard to move?*
Lila's eyes fluttered closed as consciousness threatened to abandon her. She couldn't endure it. Only Laid appeared merely uncomfortable, his emotionless exterior refusing to crack.
*This heat is unbearable. What's causing this?* Laid attempted to stand, but the oppressive temperature pinned him down. All three felt their bodies melting from within.
Meanwhile, a blinding light erupted inside the Crimson Forest. A fiery sun-like object plummeted down upon them, and everything ended in that instant. When the light finally dissipated, nearly the entire forest had been wiped from the face of the demon plane. Barely any trees remained, barely any life—just scorched earth with one man standing in the center.
The demon man stood tall, his eyes still blazing with fire. He laughed, certain that nearly all of them were dead. But all except one still lived.
Deil rose to his feet, his white hair a stark contrast against the crimson demon world. Sabrina stood as well, her black hair scorched and singed. Only Kale was dead, his body burned to a crisp. Even as a demon hybrid, he couldn't escape such a death.
A laugh erupted from behind them. Deil turned, his white eyes gleaming as they locked onto someone clad in black hair and red armor—or rather, blood armor that shimmered without a single burn from the sun orb.
The demon laughed, fire raging around him. "I'm going to burn you all to crisps! This is going to be so much fun!" He smiled sadistically as his gaze settled on Oren, the most stubborn one.
Oren glared back with fierce intensity. "I won't let you kill that witch over there. I need her purple power." He raised his undamaged blade. "I won't let you kill her or even harm her. It's time I take you down."
The demon's laughter intensified. "Take me down? Is this some comedy show? You're not taking me down, kid!" His fiery aura burned hotter as he pressed both hands together. A white fiery beam shot toward Oren, flying past him and triggering a massive explosion. The land behind him turned scorched and blackened.
Someone walked toward them—black hair, black and red clothing, wielding a black and red sword. Omen, the general of the Demon King.
Omen faced the demon man and raised his sword. "I must kill you," he said in a soft, deadly voice. "You've caused too much havoc upon the demon realm. I act on behalf of the Demon King, but even without his command, I would end your life. Just like him, I care about every demon, every werewolf within the demon realm. I won't let you take another life."
The demon man's laughter roared across the wasteland. "Hahahaaaa! You really think you can hurt me? What a joke!"
He soared into the air, sprouting wings of flame. A fiery sword materialized in his hand. "I will show you the power of a fire angel!" He dove toward Omen, his entire focus locked on the general.
Sabrina launched several purple fireballs at the demon man, but they had no effect. His body, engulfed in flames, simply absorbed them. Now that he'd finished being distracted, Oren leaped forward with blinding speed toward Sabrina. He dashed behind her and stabbed his blade through her back.
Deil had no time to protect her. He stared at Oren with an emotionless gaze, his white eyes boring deep into him.
Oren laughed triumphantly. "Your power—it's all mine now! All I have to do is get one more power, and I'll have every power in existence!"
In a white flash, Oren's sword slashed completely through Sabrina's neck. Her body fell to the ground, seemingly dead. Yet Deil didn't move. He didn't react at all, since his entire existence was technically linked to Sabrina. She had brought him back to life, which meant if she died, he would die too. But he stood there, meaning Sabrina wasn't dead.
Purple fire consumed her wound as she rose. "You really think you can kill me with a simple neck slash? If that were the case, I'd have been dead long ago," she said with an emotionless expression.
Oren smiled wickedly. "Whether you're alive or dead, I still have your power. Now no one or nothing can stop me."
A portal opened beside him, pulsing with purple energy. He walked toward it and leaped inside, leaving the demon world entirely for the magical realm.
"Now, Arthur—I'm coming for you next."