Amon's vision was blurred. He could not see well. The demon's palm wrapped tightly around his neck, choking him and making it hard to breathe.

Kalrik thrust his sword forward. The tip dug into Amon's stomach. But it only went halfway in and did not tear through the other side. Because an arrow shot toward him.

"Argggh!" Amon groaned in pain.

"Tch!" Kalrik clicked his tongue, pulled his sword out of Amon's stomach, and swung it at the incoming arrow.

Clang!

Mira was standing on her legs, struggling. She had taken out a spare bow from her storage ring. Her old one was no longer usable.

Blood streamed down from her mouth.

Derrick had already moved, appearing on the other side of Kalrik.

Kalrik threw Amon aside onto the ground.

Thud.

His blade met Derrick's dagger.

Clang!

Lightning sparks spread from Derrick's dagger.

His bloodshot eyes stared at Kalrik with pure rage.

"Somebody is angry," Kalrik mocked.

His blade shone with a dark red color.

He pushed Derrick back.

Another attack came toward Kalrik. A battered shield spun through the air, shining golden.

It left a golden line in the air, heading straight toward Kalrik.

The demon was ready for that attack. His sword, gleaming with red aura, slashed at the shield.

An arc of red shot toward it.

The moment it collided against the shield, it caused a huge explosion.

BOOM!

From the smoke came Harvey, holding his battle axe with both hands.

When he threw the shield toward Kalrik, he also dashed behind it with his battle axe.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Their weapons met again and again, clashing loudly.

Mana arrows continued to shoot toward the demon.

Derrick also joined Harvey.

"Nice! You've really pushed me too far," Kalrik said, amused.

Kalrik was someone who didn't know many spells. He was someone who mostly used his weapon.

But he had really underestimated these humans.

They had harmed him in one way or another.

Kalrik wasn't someone who relied heavily on spells. He was a weapon master—pure, brutal, overwhelming.

SPLASH.

A cut opened on Kalrik's shoulder. Blood flowed. For a moment, his smile faded.

He had underestimated these humans.

They had wounded him. Again and again.

That irritation turned into something darker.

Kalrik's red aura exploded outward.

The pressure intensified.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

"Enough," he said coldly. Kalrik decided to push himself as well. His body was also slowly coming under strain.

He vanished.

He reappeared behind Derrick.

Derrick barely had time to turn.

Kalrik's sword flashed.

SHHK!

The blade cut cleanly through Derrick's side, then twisted upward.

Blood sprayed violently.

Derrick screamed, his body arching in pain.

Kalrik didn't stop.

He grabbed Derrick's head and drove his knee into his face.

CRACK!

Bone shattered.

Before Derrick could even fall, Kalrik's sword pierced straight through his chest.

The blade came out the other side.

Derrick's eyes went wide.

His daggers slipped from his numb fingers.

Kalrik leaned close. "You were annoying."

He ripped the sword out and kicked Derrick's corpse aside.

This kind of strong and wild movement put even more strain on Kalrik's body. But he endured it and decided to kill them quickly.

The body hit the ground lifelessly.

Derrick was dead.

For a split second, everyone froze again.

"No…" Mira whispered. She couldn't believe it. First Lucien, and now Derrick.

Harvey's eyes trembled.

Kaelra, who was leaning against a tree, screamed in fury. But they didn't stop.

They couldn't stop.

Kaelra rushed in from the side, her face twisted with rage, her sword screaming through the air with unstable wind mana.

Harvey roared and followed, golden light flaring violently as he activated every bit of strength he had left. He slammed his axe down, earth magic surging beneath it and cracking the ground.

Spells detonated around Kalrik.

Wind blades. Mana bursts. Arrows.

The forest shook.

Kalrik cut through them mercilessly. He backhanded Kaelra mid-swing. He was using everything he possessed.

THUD!

She crashed into the ground, coughing blood.

Before she could rise, Kalrik appeared above her, sword raised high, ready to strike and kill another one. Kaelra looked at the blade with a dazed expression.

"Another one," he muttered.

He swung down. Mercilessly, without hesitation.

Just as the blade was about to take her life.

BANG!

A sharp, unfamiliar sound tore through the forest.

Something small and dark shot in a straight line toward Kalrik, leaving a black trail behind it.

Kalrik's wrist snapped to the side. His blade missed.

Blood sprayed from his wrist.

He snarled, staring at his wounded wrist.

The projectile hadn't gone deep, but it had torn flesh and bone enough to force him to stop.

Kalrik slowly turned his head.

Far away, sitting against a shattered tree, blood-soaked and barely conscious.

Amon.

Or rather, Aether.

His body was broken. His breathing was shallow. Blood pooled beneath him.

Yet his hand was steady.

A weapon was held in his hand, a revolver. Something Amon had stopped using due to a lack of bullets. He only possessed a handful of them. But now, he couldn't bother with that.

Amon's eyes burned with hatred.

"I told you…" he rasped weakly, coughing blood, "…I'd kill you."

Kalrik stared at him. Then he smiled.

"Haha!"

A slow, dangerous smile.

"Oh," he said softly. "You're still alive."

The red aura around him surged violently once more.

The battle was far from over.

His violent aura spread as he dashed toward Amon with pure anger.

Amon was getting to his feet. His left hand held the revolver, and his right hand held his sword, both bloodied by his own blood.

Kalrik raised his sword above his head, blazing with dark red aura, and swung it down.

But two figures had followed him from behind. He hadn't noticed them.

At the same time, multiple wind arrows shot toward him.

He changed the trajectory of his sword mid-swing and parried the arrows. Then, shifting into a thrusting stance, he thrust his sword forward toward Amon's chest.

'Shit!'Amon tried to move.

SPLASH!

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