"Elite masters, follow me. The rest of you stay back," Hazel commanded.
No one dared to disobey his direct order, their respect for his power overriding any questions. The elite masters – Ashton, Oscar, Blossom, Darwin, Alexa, Mia, and Shadow – stood with Hazel as they faced the demon.
"I don't mind taking you all on at once," the demon sneered arrogantly.
"Are you sure you'll be able to handle us all?" Hazel asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"This should be easy," the demon scoffed.
"Okay, Shadow, put our region in your shadow space," Hazel instructed Shadow while still addressing the demon.
Instantly, Shadow obeyed. The large central area of the town that Hazel had claimed vanished as if swallowed by the darkness of Shadow's domain.
The demon stared in surprise, her thoughts racing. How is that even possible? Even in the demon world, only a few high-ranking individuals, including my Father, can do something like that.
"Now, shall we get started?" Hazel said to the demon.
"I will take the lead then, since I have been outnumbered," the demon declared.
Without hesitation, the demon raised her hand, pointing her fingers towards Hazel. A black, ball-like blast shot forth with tremendous speed. Hazel simply swatted the attack away with his hand, sending it hurtling into the distance before it exploded.
"How is that possible?" the demon exclaimed, utterly shocked. Not even the demon lord's army can guard against that blast so easily.
"My turn," Hazel said immediately. With unimaginable speed, he appeared before the demon, grabbed her hand, and delivered a powerful kick that sent her flying towards Ashton.
As the demon hurtled towards him, Ashton didn't hesitate, unleashing a monstrous kick that sent her careening towards Darwin. Darwin followed suit, and a brutal game of aerial keep-away ensued, the demon being kicked from one elite master to the next.
The relentless assault was too much for the demon. She coughed up blood and suddenly unleashed a powerful blast of dark aura, destroying the immediate surroundings. "I shouldn't have underestimated you," the demon growled. "I apologize for that. But now, you die!"
She lunged towards Alexa, her claws extended. But Alexa easily intercepted every attack, her movements fluid and precise. In a swift counter, she executed a tornado kick that slammed into the demon's head, blasting her towards Mia. Mia, without any trace of emotion, delivered a powerful kick towards Blossom, who continued the chain, sending the demon crashing down in the center of their circle.
"Why... how... how?" the demon cried out in disbelief and pain.
Suddenly, Hazel transformed into his Soul Reaper form and slowly walked towards the downed demon. He was about to bind her soul and make her his subordinate when the demon, realizing his intent, screamed, "Fatherrrrr!" A beam of light descended from the sky, attempting to pull the demon away, but Hazel resisted the pull.
[You have successfully bound a demon's soul]
[You have now become the Demon Master]
[You have bound the soul of the demon lord's daughter. You have now become a target of the Demon Lord]
[Warning: If you defeat the Demon Lord, you will become the Demon Lord]
"What do you mean by she is the demon lord's daughter?" Darwin asked Hazel, his voice filled with worry, the legendary strength of the demon lord weighing heavily on his mind.
"You have really crossed the wrong person, Hazel," Ashton added, his face grim with concern.
"Oh, come on," Hazel scoffed, trying to downplay their fears. "How strong can he really be? We handled his daughter easily enough."
"Do you think the demon lord might kill us all?" Blossom asked Hazel, her voice trembling slightly.
"I promise, none of you will get hurt," Hazel reassured them, his gaze firm.
~In the Demon World~
"Father, I am sorry. Please forgive me," the demon lord's daughter pleaded, kneeling with her head bowed low in a vast, imposing chamber.
The Demon Lord sat upon a massive, ornate, yet menacing throne, his face still shrouded in shadow. "No matter," his voice boomed, filled with a chilling rage. "I suppose I will simply have to avenge my foolish daughter." A palpable bloodlust filled the room.
"Send fifty percent of our army in their direction," the Demon Lord commanded his general. "And from what I hear, they have a strong shadow user. Take the Shadow War Lord with you and kill them all."
"Yes, my lord," the general replied, bowing deeply.
~In the Human World~
"We need to not worry. We will be fine. If we want to retreat, we can always go into the shadows," Hazel said, his tone attempting to be comforting.
"Yeah, you're right," Mia agreed, though a hint of unease lingered in her voice.
A deafening roar echoed as a massive demon army approached, a terrifying horde of various monstrous forms charging towards Hazel and his group.
"We should be able to handle these little things, right?" Hazel said, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the approaching swarm.
As the demons drew closer, the battle erupted. Attacks flew from both sides, the air filled with explosions and the cries of the monstrous invaders.
Suddenly, the region that Shadow had concealed within his shadow realm reappeared.
"What? Why did Shadow bring it out?" Hazel thought, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.
Immediately, Alexa melted into the shadows to investigate. She found a grotesque demon clutching the lifeless body of a student Hazel had once trained. Unexpectedly, a shadowy hand shot out and gripped Alexa's neck, squeezing with immense force.
Alexa reacted instantly, severing the shadowy hand. She tried to retreat to inform Hazel, but another shadowy hand snaked out and grabbed her leg, preventing her escape.
Despite her desperate struggle, Alexa was only able to tear a piece of Hazel's clothing before being dragged into the shadows.
Hazel, engrossed in fighting the main demon force, didn't notice Alexa's abduction.
Suddenly, a cold dread washed over Hazel. "Something is not right," he muttered, freezing mid-battle. With a furious roar, he tore through the ranks of demons, his scythe a whirlwind of death as he desperately searched for Alexa.
His frantic search proved fruitless. Without hesitation, Hazel sprinted towards his region at full speed, leaving a trail of decimated demons in his wake.
He arrived to a horrifying scene. Three of the students were dead, and Alexa was being brutally beaten and tormented.
"How dare you!" Hazel roared, his voice filled with unimaginable rage, his aura erupting violently around him.
The demon torturing Alexa recoiled in terror.
The demon grabbed Alexa by the neck, lifting her limp body. "Oh, you're really hurt because of her, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll end her pain soon by silencing her permanently."