The battlefield changed in a single breath.
A dark presence descended without warning, crushing the air itself. It wasn't pressure alone—it was suffocation, like invisible hands closing around lungs and hearts at the same time.
Every member of the Red Flags Battalion felt it.
Even the wolves growled low, fur standing on end.
Then—
CRACK. a loud heavy crackling thud was heard
The sky itself seemed to shatter.
A deafening thud rang out as something enormous was sent flying through the air, trailing thick black smoke from its mouth. The shadow tore across the battlefield like a meteorite, traveling more than two hundred yards before crashing down near the Red Flags' side of the field.
Silence followed.
For a heartbeat.
Then realization struck like a hammer.
"…Zenn," someone whispered.
The Dragon of Death—their dragon, their fortress, their firehouse—had been punched out of the sky.
Defeated.
With a single blow.
A massive crater spread outward, earth collapsing inward like water around a fallen mountain.
The Red Flags Battalion froze.
Then panic surged.
"Eseren!" voices shouted.
Daniel's blood ran cold.
—
High above, the source of the attack hovered calmly.
A towering demonic figure wreathed in hellfire, skin like obsidian cracked with glowing crimson veins. Curved horns rose from his skull like crowns of ruin, and his eyes burned with ancient, amused cruelty.
A Demon Monarch.
Daniel didn't hesitate.
"Aaren," he commanded sharply. "Guard the injured. Olga—go with him."
Both moved instantly.
They summoned their wolves and rode hard toward the crater where Zenn had fallen.
At the same time, Daniel recalled the dragon-wolf ants, forcing them back into the domain. Most wolves followed, vanishing into crimson mist to heal and recover, leaving only a defensive ring behind the battalion.
Daniel stepped forward—
And jumped.
Scarlune ignited beneath his feet.
The eternal flame sword elongated, flattening into a blazing arc of fire and steel. Daniel landed atop it smoothly, riding the blade like a flying glider as he rose into the air.
Below, someone muttered in disbelief.
"…Wait. Could he do that before?"
Daniel didn't answer.
He ascended until he stood face to face with the demon monarch.
—
The demon smiled.
"So," the monarch rumbled, voice layered with distortion and echo. "You are the one."
Black flames curled around his fists as he spread his arms wide.
"My name is Volthrex. The Fiftieth from Hell."
The air trembled.
"War has called upon us. We have no choice but to rage—and let the flames burn."
His eyes narrowed, sharp with excitement.
"At last, a human challenger worth fighting has arrived."
Then he grinned.
"Come. Let us fight. Your destiny is death."
—
Daniel studied him silently.
He's strong, Daniel thought grimly. Cracked in the head… but not stupid.
Volthrex's aura alone dwarfed anything Daniel had faced before.
He's ten times stronger than Locust, Daniel realized. No wonder General Ragna was toyed with.
Daniel exhaled slowly.
Then summoned everything.
Vorrath appeared in his right hand, red lightning crackling violently.
Glacier manifested in his left, cold mist spilling outward as frost formed in the air.
Scarlune blazed brighter beneath his feet, flames roaring like a living sun.
Three swords.
Three wills.
Volthrex's smile widened.
"So that's your secret."
Daniel's voice was calm.
"Now that you know," he said, eyes hard, "I'm going to kill you."
—
A pillar of light exploded beneath them.
The sheer pressure forced the Red Flags Battalion to retreat further, commanders barking orders to avoid the crossfire.
Far below, Aaren and Olga reached the crater.
What they saw stole their breath.
Zenn lay broken in the center, his massive body filling the crater like a fallen continent. Cracks ran along his scales. Smoke rose from his jaws.
They froze.
Then noticed movement.
Something small trembled beneath his wings.
They rushed forward—
And found Eseren, alive.
Safe.
Protected.
She was shaking.
"He… he took it for me," she sobbed, clutching Zenn's scales. "That punch was meant to kill me. He turned—he used his body to shield me…"
Her voice broke.
Aaren and Olga stared, stunned.
They had never seen Eseren like this.
Never so shattered.
—
High above, Daniel was already bleeding.
Volthrex moved like a calamity.
Reality warped as the demon monarch tore space itself—Reality Rend, slashing dimensional seams that exploded into void-edged shockwaves. Daniel barely deflected them, Glacier freezing the rifts long enough to shatter them.
Then Volthrex changed.
His body expanded violently, demonic runes burning into existence across his skin.
Demonic Overform.
Adaptive resistance flooded his body—every attack Daniel landed grew less effective with each strike.
Volthrex laughed as Scarlune's flames washed over him.
"You adapt fast," Daniel muttered.
"Not fast enough," Volthrex replied.
The demon slammed his fist downward.
The sky cracked.
Daniel was driven into the ground like a falling star, carving a trench hundreds of meters long before he skidded to a halt.
He rose coughing blood.
—
Volthrex raised his hand.
A colossal throne of black fire and bone manifested behind him—
Hell Throne Manifestation.
The battlefield screamed.
Every demonic beast roared in ecstasy as their monarch's authority crushed the land.
Then came judgment.
"Judgment of Volthrex."
A massive sigil ignited beneath Daniel's feet, chains of hellfire erupting upward to bind him. Void lightning crashed down, ripping into his body again and again.
Daniel screamed as his left eye split open, blood pouring down his face.
He barely managed to raise Vorrath.
The sword absorbed the lightning.
Again.
And again.
Vorrath functioned as a perfect shield—devouring energy, nullifying explosions—but Daniel realized the flaw instantly.
It's wasting everything.
No refinement.
No conversion.
Just survival.
Hours passed.
Daniel bled.
Volthrex laughed.
"My mana core is endless," the demon mocked. "You will exhaust yourself. No matter how strong you are—you are mortal."
Below, the battalion watched in growing dread.
Then Volthrex leaned closer, voice dripping with cruelty.
"After I kill you… I will make you watch as I slaughter your peasants with my own hands."
He laughed.
A sound like breaking bones.
—
Daniel wiped blood from his eye.
"You will never break our bond," he rasped.
Volthrex tilted his head.
"What bond?"
Daniel's breath shook.
Memories surged.
Training through agony.
Bleeding victories.
Sweat and sacrifice.
Then—
Mimi.
Her gentle smile.
Playful kisses.
The promises whispered under quiet skies.
Something burned.
"No," Daniel whispered.
Then he screamed.
"NEVER!"
The air ignited.
Vorrath shrieked.
Scarlune flared.
Glacier cracked.
Volthrex's smile finally faded.
Daniel stood shaking—broken, bleeding, mana nearly drained—
But still standing.
Still defiant.
The demon monarch raised his hand again.
Void lightning gathered.
Judgment prepared to fall once more.
And Daniel braced himself—
Knowing this battle was far from over.