- Another two months had passed and now we are in the middle of our second-year.
- The academy life continued as normal, until a new mission from the academy's headmaster, one that couldn't be ignored.
- A dangerous dungeon, long sealed, had mysteriously opened.
- It was a place of immense power, said to house a high-ranking demon.
- The hero and his entourage were assigned to a different task, so the academy's headmaster turned to Leon's team.
- They were the only ones who had faced an S-rank monster and lived to tell the tale.
- The dungeon was a descent into a forgotten world. The air grew cold and the faint light from their torches barely pushing back the oppressive darkness.
- They navigated crumbling stone corridors, the silence broken only by the echo of their footsteps.
- Suddenly, the corridor opened up into a cavernous chamber.
- In the center, a monstrous creature of twisted flesh and bone stood guard.
- This was their target: a high-ranking demon below the Heavenly Kings, a fearsome General of the demon forces.
- Its body was a grotesque fusion of muscle and sinew, its face a mask of cruelty, and its eyes glowed with power.
- Leon's mind raced, his inner monologue a frantic mix of tactical analysis and personal dread.
- This isn't a mindless beast like the last one, he thought. This is a General.
- It's smart, it's powerful, and it's a strategist. It's been sent here for a reason. I have to be careful. I can't risk the others. Not again.
- "Anna, Noah, you're on the front lines," Leon commanded, his voice steady. "William, you'll be our rock, our defense. Olivia, provide cover fire and support. Rose, stay back. Use your healing magic to keep us in the fight."
- The demon's eyes focused on them, a cruel smile spreading across its face.
- It didn't rush them but waited, a predator toying with its prey.
- "What's it doing?" Anna whispered, her hand tightening on her sword.
- "It's testing us," Leon replied. "It's waiting for us to make a mistake." He turned to his friends, his gaze unwavering.
- "We're not going to give it one. We're a team, and we'll fight as one. Remember your training. Remember what we're fighting for."
- With a final nod, he charged, his friends right behind him. The battle had begun, and this time, they were facing an enemy who was just as smart, just as cunning, and just as determined to win.
- The General did not move with the brute force like the S-rank scorpion.
- Instead, it was a terrifying ballet of cruelty and intelligence. Leon and his friends launched their coordinated attack, but the demon simply sidestepped their synchronized thrusts, its movements shockingly fluid for its size.
- Leon's heart pounded in his chest as he realized the demon's strategy.
- It wasn't interested in him. Its glowing eyes followed his every move, but it never committed to an attack.
- It saw him as the apex predator, and it would not engage with him until its prey was weakened and isolated.
- "It's a trap! It's not fighting me!" Leon yelled, trying to warn his friends.
- But it was too late. The demon moved with blinding speed, a flicker of darkness that blurred past Leon's guard.
- It lashed out at Noah, not with a killing blow, but a precise, bone-shattering strike to his sword arm.
- Noah cried out in pain, his weapon clattering to the ground as he clutched his now-useless arm.
- "Noah!" Anna screamed, distracted for a moment. That was all the demon needed.
- It swept its massive hand, a whirlwind of force that sent Anna flying back, her head hitting the stone wall with a sickening thud. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
- William immediately moved to defend them, planting his feet and raising his holy shield.
- "You'll have to get through me!" he bellowed, his voice filled with righteous fury.
- The demon just laughed, a sound like scraping stones. "A shield of faith is useless against a master of doubt," it sneered.
- It didn't attack William directly. Instead, it unleashed a wave of dark energy that bypassed his shield, striking him in the legs.
- William's divine barrier wavered, and his legs buckled, a groan of agony escaping his lips as he fell to his knees.
- Leon's blood ran cold. It's too fast. It's reading me. It's using my friends against me! He could feel the frustration and rage boiling inside him, a hot, desperate fire.
- He watched as the demon, its cruel grin wider than before, turned its attention to Olivia and Rose.
- "No!" Leon roared, finally lunging forward with a burst of speed he had been holding back.
- The demon saw him coming. It didn't even bother to face him.
- With a flick of its wrist, a dark bolt of energy shot toward Rose. Olivia, seeing the danger, threw herself in front of Rose, conjuring a fragile shield of mana that shattered on impact.
- Both women were thrown backward, their bodies limp as they hit the ground.
- Leon skidded to a halt, his chest heaving, his sword lowered.
- He stared at his friends, defeated and unconscious. His fists clenched, and he let out a guttural sound of pure, unadulterated fury.
- The demon finally turned to face him fully, its grin filled with a savage satisfaction.
- "Now," it whispered, its voice a chilling hiss. "Wecan finally begin."
- Leon looked at the high-ranking demon, his eyes burning with an unholy fire.
- He raised his sword, his body no longer coiled with caution, but trembling with a terrifying, limitless power.
- The time for strategy was over. The time for talking was done. The time for the demon's little game was at an end.