"Here we are."
King Lars came to a stop before the portal.
It pulsed like a living wound in reality. Its fiery reds, molten oranges, and blinding whites folded into one another in violent rhythm. Heat rolled off it in waves, the air warping and cracking as if the world itself didn't want the gateway to exist.
"This portal is a gateway to the Demon King's Palace," King Lars continued, his voice steady despite the pressure radiating from it, "and the monster waves beyond. I hope you all are prepared."
"Wouldn't be here if we weren't."
Terrence stepped forward casually and patted King Lars on the shoulder, completely unfazed by the apocalyptic threshold inches away.
"After we're done, let's enjoy some tacos. On me."
Eiselle shook her head with a smile at that. Treasure and Ariel looked confused, not knowing what they were.
King Lars blinked.
"Tacos..?" He frowned briefly, clearly also confused, before chuckling and nodding. He assumed it must be some exotic hero delicacy from Terrence's world.
"Good luck to you all, son." he said sincerely and nodded to the girls as well.
Each one of them were now serious, ready, and prepared to do what they were called to do.
He watched as they entered one by one, pride swelling in his chest.
'This time will be different..' he thought.
He already envisioned the celebration. All the cheers, the banners, and the relief once the Demon King was finally dead.
With a final nod, King Lars turned and walked away.
He never saw the portal darken.
Never noticed the faint cracking lines spiderwebbing across its surface, nor the pulse shifting..no longer welcoming, but hungry.
Inside the Portal
Terrence stepped through first.
It was instant.
Terrifyingly so.
There was no transit. No colors. No drifting through dimensions.
Just violence.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, every instinct he possessed detonated at once.
MOVE. NOW.
He didn't even get a chance to process his surroundings before death came screaming toward him.
Terrence understood immediately why others died in seconds.
A slow smile spread across his face.
His eyes morphed. The familiar golden rings blooming outward, spinning, layering upon one another as the world around him collapsed into precision. Time slowed to a crawl, perception sharpening until even drifting particles of ash might as well have been boulders.
Bacteria-level clarity.
He saw them.
They were massive, blazing beams of fiery orange demonic energy. The beams shot toward him at speeds that dwarfed FTL.
They weren't random.
Terrence caught that instantly.
They weren't just attacks.
They were interlocking kill vectors. Their angles layered atop angles, trajectories designed to overlap, detonate, and erase everything occupying that space. No blind spots. No escape paths. No room for error.
Each beam was compressed with demonic mana dense enough to vaporize even S-Rank Awakeners without leaving ash behind.
This wasn't a test.
This was a filter.
A welcoming volley meant to erase anything unworthy of even entering the Demon King's domain.
The golden rings in Terrence's eyes spun faster as the beams closed in, now less than a foot away.
He then heard it.
DING.
[Extractable Skill Detected!]
[SSS-Rank Demonic Judgement Rays]
[Description]
Fired by Elite Demon Generals, this attack is designed to spawn-erase heroes sent to challenge the Demon King.
[Claim Extractable?]
[Y / N]
Terrence chuckled lowly.
The beams struck him simultaneously.
On the other side of the battlefield—
A vast molten expanse of heated, flaming red rock stretched endlessly beneath a blackened sky. At its center stood the Elite Demon Generals, towering figures wreathed in hellfire, their weapons humming with residual power.
Behind them, an army of demons waited. Each of them snarled, twitched, and looked eager for slaughter or capture.
"Looks like he died even faster than the last heroes," one Elite Demon General laughed, rubbing his hands together. "Another massive payday."
"..I don't know," another replied slowly, eyes narrowing as he stared at the dust cloud where Terrence should have been erased. "The King seemed worried this time. Nervous. Like he'd seen something..wrong."
A third demon frowned.
"Is it just me, or there wasn't a big explosion? Usually there's a rip in reality. Sonic boom. Thunderous noise."
"Now that you mention-"
"Silence," the first General snapped. "Do you really think any hero can withstand that attack? Every other one was killed or captured. No one is capable of defeating us, let alone our King."
A thin slice rippled through the air.
The dust cloud didn't disperse.
It folded inward.
Reality peeled apart like fabric.
The air screamed once-
Then snapped silent.
Terrence appeared.
Right in front of them.
Unharmed.
Unerased.
Untouched.
A shit-eating grin spread across his face.
The Elite Demon Generals froze.
"Ever heard of a guy named Terrence?"
Before any of them could react-
He moved.
[Extractable Claimed.]
[SSS-Rank Demonic Judgement Rays has activated!]
The golden crossed necklace around Terrence's neck began to glow violently, vibrating with power..
Then something unexpected happened.
[Hidden Holy Relic Effect Active!]
[SSS-Rank Demonic Judgement Rays has been converted!]
→ SSS-Rank: Divine Judgment Rays