Far above, flashes of energy tore through the clouds. The impact waves rolled across the city, rattling the palace windows.

The King of the Empire narrowed his eyes. "Did you see that blast earlier? He stopped it with his bare hand…"

"I saw it," the King of Sindra said in awe. "Unbelievable. Outstanding. Truly the strength of a man chosen by fate."

He exhaled deeply, his voice trembling with respect. "Perhaps the fate of all our people now rests in his hands."

The King of the Empire gave a grave nod. "A demon appearing in the human realm… it's always a harbinger of chaos. Every time they've shown themselves, it's brought nothing but calamity."

He turned his gaze back to the sky, his expression firm. "All we can do now is put our faith in him."

Both kings stood side by side, the wind sweeping across the balcony as the heavens continued to thunder above. Their faces reflected the light of the battle, half hope, half fear.

The air crackled after the shattered attack. Dust hung in the sunlight. The demon's eyes burned with a mix of disbelief and fury.

"How were you able to stop that attack? You should have been destroyed by that!" it snarled, voice rumbling like distant thunder.

"Let me calm down," the demon muttered to itself, inhaling as if to steady its rage. Then, turning its glare back to Nolan, "It's not that I should have been destroyed, you're just weak."

Nolan's expression didn't change. Calm as stone, he replied, "I'm going to try to be calm."

The demon's lip curled. "Mortal, tell me, what's your name?"

Nolan answered simply, "I'm Nolan."

The demon blinked once, narrowing its eyes. "Why did you ask?" Nolan shot back.

"I didn't expect someone like you to block that attack," the demon said quietly, as if admitting a begrudging fact. "I'm not an ordinary-ranking demon. Even demons barely survive that, some die. But you… you blocked it."

Nolan's gaze remained steady. "That's true."

The demon's mouth twisted into a cruel grin. "I just wanted to remember your name so it won't be wasted after I kill you, Nolan."

Nolan's eyes cooled into an edge. "Well, look at who's talking. Such big words, prove them with action."

The two of them hovered in the bright sky, the city below a scattering blur. Between Nolan's quiet resolve and the demon's furious pride, the next move pulsed with inevitability. The world seemed to hold its breath.

The demon's eyes flashed with murderous delight. "So you want proof?" it snarled. "Fine. I'll show you."

It opened its mouth and let out a scream, a sound so raw and feral it sliced through the air. The cry pierced the ears of everyone below. People clutched their heads, knees buckling, as the noise hammered at their senses.

"Why, what was that noise?!" someone screamed from the streets.

The demon coughed, then bent forward as an unnatural change began. Its eyes burned a deep, molten red. Flesh and shadow rippled across its form. From its back, wings tore free like tattered night itself unfurling. Black claws erupted from its hands, its arms swelled with muscle and night, legs thickened into crushing limbs, and a twisted, inhuman visage spread across its face. It grew, massive, terrible, until it dwarfed the clouds.

"This is my true form," it roared, voice booming like an earthquake. "I will not hold back anymore. Let us see if you can still stand."

The transformation's pressure was a force in itself. The daytime sky, bright a moment ago, bled into a bruised orange as the air warped around the demon's aura. Wind screamed through the city. Distant buildings trembled. Even from high above, the intensity of the shift pressed down on the people below, hearts pounding, breaths caught.

"You're strong," the demon hissed, eyes fixed on Nolan. "Strong enough to change the sky color. But you chose this path to destroy humanity, and for that I will end you. Quick. And without mercy."

With a roar, the demon lunged forward, fist aimed straight at Nolan.

Nolan's eyes narrowed. Instantly, he created a massive chute of energy around them, a glowing barrier encasing the battlefield. He knew that even a single punch at their current strength could obliterate the buildings far below. The chute flared, shimmering like molten glass, and held the impact of their forthcoming clash.

Then, it began.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Fist met fist again and again. Each strike sent shockwaves through the chute, rattling the air, echoing like thunder rolling across the empire.

The punches were so fast, so furious, that the world outside could not follow. Civilians in the streets, the kings on their balconies, even the high-ranking adventurers could only hear the roar of impact. The sight of the fighters was gone, just streaks and afterimages, blurred by their incomprehensible speed.

Inside the chute, air shattered around each collision. The sound of their blows grew louder than the loudest storm, a symphony of destruction. Dust and energy sparks exploded outward, lighting the sky above and shaking the earth below.

Even the most seasoned adventurers, trained to see and react to incredible power, could not track their movements. Each punch was faster than thought, faster than the eye, a torrent of blows exchanged in the blink of a heartbeat.

Down below, the sky trembled with thunderous echoes. Every explosion of power from above made the ground quake slightly beneath their feet.

"Wow, I can't see what's going on," Lyra said, shielding her eyes as she looked up. "They're too fast for my eyes to keep up."

Celia squinted beside her. "Same here. I can't see anything at all. It's like they vanished completely."

Linda frowned, her pupils glowing faintly as she tried to heighten her senses. "Even if I push my vision and hearing to the limit, I still can't follow their speed. It's beyond human."

Lyra's eyes didn't waver from the sky. "Well, Master could beat that demon anytime he wants. Even I, the Great Behemoth, or Damian," she smirked faintly, "can see what's really happening up there."

Celia blinked. "What do you mean?"

Lyra's voice lowered, her tone confident. "If Master wanted to end it with a single punch, he could. But for some reason, it's like he's holding back."

Linda turned toward her. "Holding back?"

Lyra nodded. "Yeah. It's almost like he's having fun."

For a moment, the others fell silent, watching the sky flash again, boom after boom echoing like a heartbeat of the heavens.

Then Damian, arms crossed, eyes glowing faintly gold, finally spoke. "You're right, Lyra. I can see it too. Master isn't fighting seriously. He's enjoying it, testing something. The battle's already decided."

The air rippled with each impact. The demon's strikes split the clouds, but Nolan stood unharmed, calm, eyes cold, movements sharp as lightning.

The demon's thoughts began to spiral.

What is going on?

His glowing red eyes widened in disbelief. I just transformed! I'm using my full power! So why am I not winning?

Each time he swung, Nolan was there. Blocking. Dodging. Countering. Effortlessly.

This person is something else. He's not mortal. He's not even close.

The demon gritted his fangs, sweat mixing with the dark aura around him. He's going toe-to-toe with me like it's nothing. No, worse. It's like he's holding back.

He roared, voice shaking the sky. "Why aren't you falling? Why aren't you breaking?"

Nolan didn't answer, his expression unreadable.

The demon's chest heaved as his mind raced. I haven't even seen a fraction of his true strength. If someone like this exists, then the Demon Lord's future could be in danger. This man could be a threat to all demons.

His fury snapped into panic. "I have to destroy you now before that future ever comes!"

The demon lunged, fists blazing with black fire, screaming as he threw punch after punch, faster and harder.

But Nolan simply tilted his head, dodging each strike with effortless precision. His movement was fluid, almost lazy, each dodge like a whisper against the wind.

The demon sneered, voice like grinding stone. "Are you mocking me, you mere mortal? Mocking me by touching this?" It spat the words, hatred crackling at the edges.

Inside, the demon's thoughts turned ruthless and simple. I can't win this outright. He's stronger than me. But I can scare him. I can use what humans love against them.

Let me see his memories. Humans are soft. They always have someone to love. If I know who he cares for, I can break him.

With a sudden lunge, the demon swung. Nolan moved, catching the punch, but it was a feint. Before Nolan could react, a cold fingertip brushed his forehead.

In that instant, the demon's vision flooded with images, quick, sharp flashes of laughter, quiet rooms, warm hands, faces that mattered. The demon's grin widened into something vicious and triumphant.

"Mortal," it hissed, voice low and poisonous. "Don't forget your place. You are strong. I'll admit that. Join me. Join me and help me destroy humanity, and I will spare you."

The demon's eyes turned feral. "Refuse me, and I will kill you, and I will kill those you love."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.