Harres and Leah landed perfectly on the surface, steadying themselves as they faced the enormous, horrifying creature before them.
Standing nearly two hundred meters tall, the monster made Harres and Leah look utterly insignificant in its eyes.
Its sharp fangs dripped with saliva—each drop hissing as it hit the ground, producing smoke. Jagged, hardened spikes lined its massive back. Its crimson eyes burned with fury, its expression twisted with rage.
Harres pulled his sword from the ground and rested it against his shoulder, his gaze locked firmly onto the towering creature.
"Can you track their location?" Harres asked.
Leah nodded immediately.
"But it won't be easy," he replied, drawing steady breaths. Even the air here was thinner than in his underground domain.
"Divert its attention while I track the others."
Harres agreed. Leah quickly moved to a position where he could focus. Meanwhile, Harres lowered his stance, gripping his silver sword tightly.
The arrogance radiating from Harres was unmistakable—it pierced the creature's keen senses.
The ground trembled as the monster began to move. Its massive hands, tipped with razor-sharp claws, tore a jagged stone pillar from the ceiling. The sound of clanking chains echoed as it advanced.
With a single swing, the pillar shot forward, hurtling straight toward Harres.
Harres did not panic. Instead, he leapt forward and cleaved the stone pillar cleanly in two with the sharp edge of his sword. Both halves crashed heavily onto the ground.
Without hesitation, Harres hurled his sword straight toward the creature's face.
"Uliona Lukio."
In an instant, Harres vanished—only to reappear exactly where the sword had flown.
An attack came from the side. Harres reacted swiftly, throwing his sword upward. Once again, he disappeared, reappearing while already gripping the blade.
Now hovering in midair directly above the creature's head, Harres' arms bulged with veins as he clenched his silver sword tightly.
"Uriella."
The monster's eyes widened.
Harres' sword began to glow—like sparks of red light intertwined with white and yellow radiance.
Harres swung his blade downward with full force, aiming straight for the creature's head.
Almost simultaneously, the monster clenched its massive fist, forming a glowing magic circle.
The fist shot forward, precisely intercepting Harres' attack.
A violent shockwave erupted—howling winds, flying debris, and trembling ground as the two forces collided.
Harres wasn't finished.
He pressed harder, forcing the monster's eyes to widen in disbelief. His attack pushed the creature's arm back, inch by inch.
Unnoticed by the monster, a sword was already floating directly before its massive eyes.
Time seemed to slow.
It was Leah's sword, thrown from below.
The creature failed to react—until Harres vanished, leaving his still-active sword behind.
He reappeared—switching places with that very blade.
Harres clenched his fist, pulled his arm back, and delivered a devastating punch straight into the creature's face.
The monster staggered. Its balance broke, its massive arms weakening, until Harres' still-attacking sword finally shattered through its defenses.
The sword spun violently through the air before crashing straight into the creature's face.
The entire area shook violently. Jagged pillars embedded in the ceiling collapsed, several slamming into the monster's head and back.
Harres caught his sword midair and immediately drove it into the ground, causing it to vanish instantly.
"Since when?" Harres asked as he landed safely beside Leah.
"Since you choked me earlier," Leah replied, a faint smile on his lips.
"This doesn't look like an enemy meant to be fought alone," Harres said as he pulled his sword from the ground. "We'll do this together—and find them quickly."
"Sounds like a good plan," Leah said as he pulled back his hood, summoning a magic circle in his hand.
"Besides, I don't want to stay here any longer with someone who once choked me."
Harres snorted. "That sounds weird."
The creature clutched its head and shook violently, brushing aside shattered pillars embedded in its body. It blinked several times, slowly regaining focus.
The ground trembled once more as it let out a thunderous roar, hurling countless stone pillars toward Harres and Leah at random.
The pillars rained down like arrows—only far larger.
Harres threw his sword again, vanishing and reappearing in rapid succession. He moved in a zigzag pattern, evading attack after attack.
Meanwhile, Leah retreated, dodging with all his strength. A massive pillar pierced straight through his body—
At that very moment, Leah's eyes glowed blue.
He continued moving forward, leaving behind only an afterimage that was struck by the attack.
Leah turned, crossed his arms, and chanted,
"Abera Deamu."
Magic circles formed one after another, rising into the air until they reached the creature.
Leah tore a jagged stone from beside him and leapt sideways into a magic circle filled with countless chaotic patterns.
Harres continued cutting down incoming attacks, nearly overwhelmed—until Leah appeared suddenly, momentarily distracting the creature.
With a flat expression, Leah drove his sword straight into the creature's eye.
The monster roared in agony.
Harres seized the opening. He hurled his sword downward, aiming for the creature's chin, seeking the perfect angle.
The blade glowed once more, its powerful aura filling the entire area.
"Uriella."
Harres swung his sword upward, striking the creature's chin and forcing its head to snap back.
Leah leapt again into his magic circle, this time appearing above the creature's head.
He raised both hands into the air. Brilliant red light, wrapped in blazing yellow radiance, formed in his palms.
Leah slammed the attack directly into the demon's face, the impact echoing loudly.
From below, Harres immediately threw his sword toward Leah's position.
Harres reappeared beside him without pause, then hurled his sword straight into the ground—embedding it upside down, its sharp tip pointing skyward.
Leah swiftly enlarged the sword with magic.
Harres clenched his fist and unleashed a crushing punch, sending the creature crashing to the ground.
The creature's head impaled itself precisely onto Harres' blade, piercing straight through its forehead.
Leah and Harres descended, landing atop the monstrous creature, which was now utterly incapable of movement.
The wind swept through the area, dispersing the remnants of dust from the massive battle.
"It looks like it's over," Leah said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Not bad," Harres replied, patting Leah's shoulder as he stepped forward to inspect the creature. He wasn't taking any chances.
Leah brushed off the spot where Harres had touched him. With his usual flat expression, he stepped into his magic circle and reappeared at the place where he had first summoned them.
"What kind of creature is this?" Harres muttered, lightly kicking the monster's still-wide-open eyeball.
"You should come down here," Leah's voice echoed from below.
A few seconds later, Harres jumped down.
"Did you find their location?" he asked, approaching slowly.
"Be quiet. I'm trying to focus," Leah snapped, raising his index finger in front of Harres' lips.
Harres didn't move—and gently pushed Leah's finger away from his face.
Leah concentrated on the lingering traces of magical mana left in the area. After some searching, he finally found the residual mana of a young girl—Aleeora.
"I found them," Leah said.
"Really? Where are they?" Harres asked—only to be silenced again by Leah's finger.
Leah's eyes widened.
He hadn't just found their trail.
He saw someone else.
Three figures, cloaked in black.
"We have to leave. Now," Leah said suddenly, startling Harres.
"They're in danger."