"Now then, since your leader is already taken care of... because I was hoping for a real challenge, and now he's dead by my appearance alone," the Demon Lord said, her voice dripping with mock amusement. She posed like a model, one hand resting on her hips, her crimson skin gleaming with the dark allure of her confidence. "Quite unfortunate for any of you who think you will survive my attack."

  Her words hit with the weight of certainty, and as the team gritted their teeth, they couldn’t deny the truth in her statement. Despite their formidable power, they knew just how overwhelming a Demon Lord could be. Whether strong or weak, the title of Demon Lord alone made them a force to be reckoned with. With a mere flick of their wrist, such beings could snuff out the lives of entire armies without breaking a sweat.

  But if a Demon Lord chose to toy with you, it was for their own amusement. It wasn’t just a test of strength—it was a test of survival. And it was a challenge no warrior should take lightly.

  Joseph’s team exchanged tense glances, knowing the odds were against them. Even though none of them had achieved the universal aura level required to stand against a Demon Lord, they couldn't afford to give up. The fate of Nagano City hung in the balance, and they were the only hope left.

  They knew what they had to do—stall her. Survive long enough for Kouta and his reinforcements to arrive. But even then, they understood that it might not be enough. A Demon Lord could never truly be defeated so easily.

  With Joseph still lying motionless on the ground—his fate uncertain—Mai, Mari, Yoshinori, and Yuki gathered together, preparing for the battle that might very well be their last. They braced themselves, weapons ready, each shimmering with their respective auras.

  The Demon Lord’s wicked grin stretched wider, and before they could even react, she vanished in an instant, too fast for their eyes to track.

  The next moment, she was standing directly before them, her movements fluid and effortless.

  They struck, each one aiming to land a blow, but their attacks were futile. The Demon Lord's speed outmatched them entirely. She dodged each strike with ease, moving as if she were simply walking through the air. Then, in a blur of motion, she incapacitated them, her strikes fast and precise. Mai was the first to be dealt with. The Demon Lord seized the magical tendrils she had unleashed and, with a single motion, tossed Mai aside as if she were nothing more than a ragdoll.

  Mari was next, charging in with her sword poised to strike. But no matter how precise her cuts were, the Demon Lord dodged effortlessly, her form a blur of crimson as she sidestepped each swing. With a sudden, devastating kick to Mari's stomach, the force of the blow sent her flying through the air, crashing hard into the ground.

  Yoshinori and Yuki worked in tandem, launching missiles that streaked through the air toward the Demon Lord. But she was too fast. In one fluid motion, she caught both missiles in mid-air, redirecting them into the sky where they exploded harmlessly. Before either of them could react, the Demon Lord knocked them out with a swift, precise blow, sending them crashing to the ground in an unconscious heap.

  The team lay scattered, struggling to regain their footing. The Demon Lord's speed and agility were unmatched. Their every attack was rendered useless against her, their efforts futile in the face of her overwhelming power.

  But the battle was far from over.

  With a final, unspoken command, Mai, Mari, Yoshinori, and Yuki all staggered to their feet, determination burning in their eyes. They couldn’t afford to stop now. They had no choice but to press forward. They combined their forces, unleashing their attacks in perfect synchronization—fury and desperation fueling their every move.

  They summoned their auras and launched their final assault in unison, knowing full well that this might be their last stand. The Demon Lord’s smile never wavered, and as the combined attack approached, she stood still, almost as if waiting for something.

  Then, just as the attacks neared their target, her grin widened, and with a fluid motion that seemed to defy logic, she moved—no, melted—through the air.

  The impact never came.

  Instead, she reappeared behind them, her tail flicking playfully. “Is that really all you've got?" Her voice was soft, a whisper that sent a chill through their bones. "You should have known... there’s no chance of victory here. Not against me.”

  As they turned to face her, their breaths shallow and labored, they knew. It was only a matter of time before the Demon Lord finished what she had started.

  Yet, even in their desperation, they held on—holding out hope for a miracle, or perhaps for Kouta's arrival with reinforcements. But deep down, they understood that survival was their only true hope.

  The battle raged on, each of Joseph’s team members desperately fighting to survive against the overwhelming power of the Demon Lord. Their aura attacks had been met with little more than disdain. Yoshinori and Yuki, having changed their auras once more and fused them with their magic, launched their combined attack with everything they had. But before they could even reach their target, the Demon Lord caught them mid-flight. Her strength was beyond measure, and they were tossed aside with bone-crushing force. The impact left them unconscious, their bodies crumpled to the ground as the Demon Lord's mocking laughter echoed in the air.

  Mai wasn’t far behind, unleashing a devastating aura blast that surged toward the Demon Lord. Yet, with a simple stretch of her hand, the Demon Lord absorbed the entire attack effortlessly, the energy dissipating harmlessly into her grasp. Mai froze in shock as the Demon Lord retaliated with a gaze so powerful it unleashed a shockwave that sent Mai crashing into the ground with brutal impact, stunning her.

  Mari, not one to back down, unleashed the full force of the four elemental attacks she wielded. First, a whirlwind of air enveloped the Demon Lord, hoping to restrain her. But the Demon Lord stood unfazed, merely watching as the wind swirled around her. Without warning, the Demon Lord unleashed a powerful thunderclap that shattered the air around them, disorienting Mari and knocking her off balance.

  Quick to recover, Mari shifted to her earth-based attack. The ground beneath the Demon Lord's feet cracked open as she attempted to swallow the demon whole. But the Demon Lord, with a graceful flick of her tail, levitated effortlessly into the air, floating above the chaos. Mari didn't relent. She commanded the earth to rise in pillars from all sides, intending to crush the Demon Lord with the combined force of the terrain. But the Demon Lord only smirked as the four massive pillars collided with her, their surfaces cracking like a spider's web before shattering into fragments. The Demon Lord dusted off the remnants of the broken stone from her shoulders, her patience as unyielding as ever.

  Waiting calmly, the Demon Lord allowed Mari to attempt her next attack. With a fierce growl, Mari summoned a water attack, transforming the atmospheric oxygen and hydrogen particles into sharp nitrogen spikes and aimed them at the Demon Lord. But her speed was unimaginable. With every spike, the Demon Lord effortlessly avoided them, her form barely moving as she danced around the barrage, her confidence unshaken.

  Mari quickly shifted tactics, summoning water from thin air and shaping it into curved blades aimed directly at the Demon Lord. But once again, the Demon Lord dodged with ease, her movements more graceful than a breeze. When the final water blade struck the Demon Lord's forehead, it shattered harmlessly upon impact. The Demon Lord stood unharmed, but as the water splashed across her, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

  "You dare..." she growled at Mari, her tone filled with fury at being wet. But before Mari could respond, she called upon her final elemental attack—fire. But not just any fire—magical fire that engulfed the Demon Lord like a pillar, her flames rising higher and higher. Yet, the Demon Lord remained unfazed, her body unscathed. Even the flames that should have dried her off from the previous wetness seemed to have no effect.

  The Demon Lord grew bored with Mari’s attacks, and without even breaking a sweat, she exhaled the flames in her mouth. The fire that had consumed her now swirled back into her lungs, leaving Mari stunned and vulnerable. As the Demon Lord exhaled small flames from her nostrils, she began to speak.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  "My turn," she said with a wicked smile, raising her hand toward Mari as she prepared to finish her off.

  But in that moment, Kouta and his warriors arrived on the scene, guns raised and a barrage of shots fired toward the Demon Lord. The sudden intervention momentarily diverted her attention from Mari. The Demon Lord’s gaze shifted to the new threat, and with a single wave of her hand, she halted their movements. Her power rippled through the ground, and the warriors’ feet began to sink slowly, as if the very earth itself was devouring them.

  Mari, seeing an opening, tried to launch a surprise attack. She charged toward the Demon Lord, her body fueled by the need to strike back. But her movements were far too slow. In the blink of an eye, the Demon Lord turned and knocked her unconscious with a single backhand slap, sending her flying through the air like a ragdoll.

  As Mari crumpled to the ground, her consciousness slipping away, the Demon Lord stood victorious once more. With a mocking glance at the struggling warriors trapped by her powers, she turned her attention to the next step of her plans, savoring the moment of her enemies’ defeat.

  Kouta and his team, though resilient, were at the mercy of the Demon Lord, their chances of victory growing slimmer with each passing second. And yet, despite the overwhelming odds, they refused to surrender.

  Kouta, ever defiant despite his predicament, readied a missile to unleash upon the Demon Lord. Yet, before he could act, she moved—lightning-fast. In an instant, she aimed to seize him by the neck, but Kouta's instincts prevailed. He raised his sword just in time, the blade clashing against her forceful strike. The impact sent him skidding backward, the unstable ground beneath him sinking further. He fought to maintain his stance, his boots digging into the earth as he flared his aura in a desperate burst. The flash of energy momentarily stunned the Demon Lord, forcing her to retreat.

  Kouta caught his breath, his resolve hardening. His aura surged anew as he charged with unrelenting precision. Their combat began—a deadly dance of speed and skill. The Demon Lord, however, moved with eerie ease, dodging his strikes as though she were toying with him.

  Kouta blurred with energy, his every movement imbued with a fiery resolve. His sword sliced through the air with deadly intent, yet it found no mark. The Demon Lord stood in place, effortlessly evading each attack. With casual mockery, she used a single finger to deflect his blows, her claws sharper than steel. One strike splintered his blade, a spiderweb of cracks spreading along its edge.

  Undeterred, Kouta poured his aura into the broken sword, its light flaring with renewed intensity. He pressed the attack, unleashing a flurry of strikes, energy blasts, and magical assaults. Yet the Demon Lord evaded all with surgical precision. Her tail extended, clashing against his sword with brutal force, until the blade finally shattered under the strain.

  Disarmed but determined, Kouta refused to yield. He dodged the deadly swipes of her tail, which coiled and struck with unnerving speed. As he attempted a final surprise attack from behind, her tail ensnared him by the neck, lifting him effortlessly into the air. Kouta struggled against her unyielding grip, gasping for breath.

  The Demon Lord drew him close, her wicked smile twisting with amusement. "Your futile struggle reminds me of Kana," she taunted. "She fought just as you do now—desperate, hopeless—before I snuffed out her life." Her fiery aura flared ominously as she added, "Did you come to avenge her, Kouta? If so, you've failed miserably. You’re weak. You all are."

  As her grip tightened, ready to end his life, an energy blast streaked through the air, forcing her to halt. She caught the blast midflight with a flick of her wrist, her fiery eyes scanning the battlefield. Her gaze fell upon Joseph, standing firm, his expression fierce and unyielding.

  She chuckled darkly, tilting her head. "Ah, finally awake, are we?" she mocked. With a subtle gesture, the energy blast reversed course, hurtling back toward Joseph. He sidestepped effortlessly, deflecting it into the distance where it exploded harmlessly.

  "Ah, Joseph," the Demon Lord purred. "I was beginning to think you’d die before we even began. I hope you’ll provide me with more entertainment than your little friend here." With that, she hurled Kouta aside like a discarded ragdoll. Before he could hit the ground, Joseph used his XPT energy to cushion his descent, lowering him gently.

  "You’ll pay for what you’ve done," Joseph growled. "You’ve hurt my friends, my allies. I won’t let you get away with it."

  The Demon Lord’s grin widened. "Finally, someone with fire. Let’s see if it burns as brightly as you think." She extended her arms, beckoning. "Show me what you’ve got."

  Joseph’s stance shifted, his hands cupping together as a powerful energy began to swirl between them. "Ka... me... ha... me..." he chanted, the words echoing with palpable energy. His aura flared, his blue hair flickering into a kaleidoscope of colors as the energy surged. The once-silver hue of his eyes began to shift, glowing with prismatic intensity.

  The Demon Lord’s grin faltered, her amusement giving way to curiosity. "Interesting," she murmured.

  "...Ha!" With a deafening roar, Joseph unleashed the energy, a blinding beam tearing through the air. The sky itself seemed to part as the shockwave shattered clouds, the ground trembling beneath the force of his attack.

  The Demon Lord's eyes widened in genuine surprise as the blast closed in. She raised her arms, barely managing to shield herself before the impact. The resulting explosion sent shockwaves through the battlefield, scattering debris and shaking the heavens.

  As the dust settled, smoke rose from her scorched form. Yet before she could recover, Joseph appeared midair with blinding speed. His fist collided with her chest in a devastating strike, the impact launching her further into the atmosphere. "Tetsuzanko!" his voice echoed, reverberating across the landscape.

  On the ground, Kouta struggled to his feet. He freed his surviving warriors from the sinking ground, though many had already succumbed to suffocation. He activated a biotech device, using its restorative energy to revive the fallen. As he did, Joseph’s team regrouped with Kouta and his soldiers, watching in awe as the battle raged above. The clash of energy between Joseph and the Demon Lord shook the sky, threatening to tear their surroundings apart.

  High above, the battle continued to escalate. Joseph hurled the Demon Lord into the clouds with a powerful strike. Without hesitation, he duplicated himself into four identical copies, each preparing to strike as the furious battle unfolded.

  The demon lord stood unfazed, her dark energy crackling ominously as Joseph and his duplicates surrounded her. Each one began charging their respective attacks—Kamehameha, Hadouken, Rasenshuriken, and Final Flash—chanting as their combined energies lit up the battlefield. The air crackled with tension, their synchronized roars shaking the earth as they unleashed their blasts simultaneously. The explosion engulfed the demon lord in a storm of swirling energy, their power colliding violently with her defenses.

  But as the smoke began to clear, it became evident their efforts had barely scratched her. Before Joseph could react, she struck with terrifying speed, seizing him by the neck midair. Her blows came in rapid succession, each one stronger than the last, dissolving his duplicates into thin air as they struggled to keep up. Blood dripped from his forehead as she headbutted him, tossing him aside like a ragdoll. Just as he tried to regain his footing, she appeared behind him, delivering a devastating punch that sent him hurtling toward the ground.

  The impact shattered the earth, leaving a massive crater. Before his team or Kouta's group could intervene, the demon lord swooped down, seizing Joseph again and vanishing into the dark dimension. Moments later, they reappeared at the original battlefield. She flung Joseph toward his team, his armored suit cracked and battered, the seal on his forehead restored, leaving him unconscious.

  Mari rushed to his side, her aura glowing softly as she revived him. The others gathered around, their faces a mixture of despair and determination as the demon lord hovered above, her aura swelling with dark magic. She raised her hand, ready to unleash an attack powerful enough to obliterate them and their world.

  A blinding light tore through the battlefield, so fast it sent gusts of wind whipping past the group. The demon lord froze midair, her body stiff as blood began to pour from countless wounds. Her form shattered into pieces—organs, limbs, and viscera raining down in a grotesque display. The once-unbeatable foe was reduced to a lifeless heap.

  The group stared in stunned silence as a hooded figure emerged from the dissipating light, their identity hidden. Joseph’s team recognized the mysterious savior but remained silent, their questions unspoken. Without a word, the figure disappeared into the shadows as quickly as they had come.

  Joseph, now conscious, gazed into the sky with a faint smile. “Thank you,” he whispered, knowing the truth—the hooded figure was his daughter. It was a secret he kept from everyone, even his closest companions.

  As the group prepared to return to the city, Yuki broke the silence with a teasing grin. “So, Joseph, how do you always come back to life? Don’t tell me it’s Mari’s cooking keeping you on edge!”

  Joseph chuckled nervously, unaware of the trap he was walking into. “Actually, that one time, I might’ve faked my death to avoid eating it...”

  Mari froze, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she grabbed Joseph by the collar. “You what?” she roared, shaking him furiously.

  “It’s not just me!” Joseph blurted out in a panic, oblivious to the frantic signals from his remaining team, warning him not to expose them. “Mai, Yoshinori, and Yuki avoided it too!”

  Mari turned her furious gaze on the rest of the team, her expression sending chills down their spines. “You’re all eating my cooking for a week!” she declared, her voice thunderous.

  “Yikes!” they cried in unison, glancing at each other helplessly.

  As Kouta and his warriors chuckled at their antics, the teams finally returned to the city, victorious but exhausted. They handed over the biotech weapon to the city leaders, who expressed their gratitude. The city lady spoke solemnly of the mysterious savior, expressing eternal thanks to whoever they were and wherever they might be.

  With the demon lord defeated and their mission complete, Joseph and his team bid farewell to Kouta and his warriors, exchanging smiles and handshakes. The two groups parted ways, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

  For now, the city stood safe, its people hopeful. And as Joseph and his team journeyed onward, they carried with them the bond forged in battle, the secrets they chose to keep, and the victories that would inspire them to keep fighting.