"You'll die like that."
An intense disgust swirled within me.
Leina had undoubtedly committed a crime worthy of death.
Not only had she absorbed the life force of the villagers, but she'd tried to sacrifice them all as fodder for summoning a demon.
Because of that, if I had to kill her, I would have done so without hesitation.
But watching her suffer as if being tortured by the demon—like a parent witnessing their guilty child being punished—left a tight, uncomfortable ache in my chest.
Watching me like that, a sneer curled at Zagan's lips.
"Are those words meant for me?"
Zagan, the demon of resonance: bull-headed with a muscular male body and griffon wings sprouting from his back.
Even in the game, this tricky boss had frustrated countless players with his unique magic that fused offense and defense seamlessly.
His passive skill alone was ridiculously overpowered.
Magic replication and nullification...
He could mimic any spell he'd seen once and neutralize it on top of that.
It completely sealed off the party's most potent firepower: the mage.
But challenging him without a mage didn't make it any easier.
Thousands of magic circles unleashing spells, plus the shockwaves from their resonance—it was a catastrophe for anyone facing him.
Obviously, I had no way to defeat Zagan right now.
But I had my own ace up my sleeve.
Zagan loves close-quarters combat despite being a mage, thanks to his brutal personality.
Even though all his stats were skewed toward magic, he enjoyed wrapping his fists in magic circles, rampaging across the battlefield, and overwhelming his foes.
Of course, that wasn't exactly a weakness.
The layered magic circles encasing his fists spun to dismantle enemy defenses in an instant,
and combined with the monstrous strength surging from his massive physique, it was beyond what any ordinary human could handle.
But the sacrifices used for the summoning were woefully insufficient for a high-rank demon, so Zagan's power wouldn't be at full strength.
Plus, an imperfect summon meant forced repatriation to the demon realm after enough time.
Even if I can't buy time with my supernatural ability, as long as it's not a permanent summon, he can't stray far from the summoning circle. With Fenrir, escaping should be easy enough.
With that in mind, I grew bolder.
A mocking smile played on my lips as I taunted Zagan.
"With a bull's head, I guess your brains are animal-level too. Who else is a demon here besides you?"
Zagan's red pupils flickered dangerously.
"Foolish human... I don't know your intent in provoking me, but I'll soon teach you the price."
"..."
"In a space where time stops, I'll make every cell in your body scream in eternal agony. The torment of rotting flesh, the despair of shattering bones... I'll make you feel every moment like an eternity. I'm curious how long your sanity will hold."
"Ha—"
My derisive sigh drew a sharp edge to Zagan's voice.
"What's... so funny?"
"Talking about eternal torment when you're about to return to the demon realm... That was amusing, Zagan."
Zagan's lips twisted grotesquely.
"You think I can't? It might be an instant for me, but an eternity for you. I'll savor the screams as your soul tears apart."
I stared at him gravely.
"Zagan, can you handle it?"
"Handle it? Enough with the empty bravado. I've humored your bug-like bluster because it amused me, but no more. Or what..."
Zagan's gaze shifted to Fenrir.
"...are you banking on that pathetic beast? Then you're just a fool."
A faint voice came from behind then.
It was Leina.
Her voice trembled as if her breath might give out any second.
"Stop... provoking him..."
Each word came with a ragged gasp.
"This demon... isn't someone... you can handle..."
"I am Astra, captain of the Jin Gang Regiment."
Silence fell.
"What...?"
Leina's pain-glazed eyes widened for a moment.
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
"The newly appointed... captain of Jin Gang...?"
Leina wasn't the only one shocked by my words.
"You're... Haven's captain?"
Zagan's red pupils froze, the mad killing intent turning icy.
And for good reason. The incident where Haven's lord and captain subjugated a top-tier demon from the demon realm had shaken the entire underworld.
After that, their names became objects of fear even in the demon realm.
Moreover, the demon they'd subdued outranked him in hierarchy—a fact that now weighed heavily on Zagan.
Absurd nonsense.
But soon, a sneer spread across Zagan's face.
The human before him looked even frailer than the weaklings whose lives he'd effortlessly snuffed out moments ago.
That thing is a captain?
No matter the rumors, he couldn't believe this guy was Haven's captain.
"Pathetic... Flailing desperately to survive."
Magic circles layered up along Zagan's arm.
More than when he'd executed Kairun wrapped his right arm, blue mana coating them thickly.
"If you're choosing a quick death out of fear of eternal torment, your wish won't be granted."
Zagan's fist shot forward like lightning.
Leina watched the scene through hazy eyes.
Her initial shock at hearing "captain" faded quickly; as Zagan said, this was probably just his final desperate struggle to survive.
Ha... Pretending to be Haven's captain on his way out. At least I'll go out seeing something entertaining.
Boom!
The shockwave blasted outward, and Leina closed her eyes.
Like Kairun, the fake captain would crumble to dust before Zagan's fist, she was sure.
Crack—Crunch—!
The sounds of splintering trees and shattering rocks rang in her ears.
As expected...
Just a faker, after all.
Leina slowly opened her eyes.
And in that instant, her pupils dilated at the unbelievable sight.
Far off, slicing through the sky amid flying debris...
...was Zagan.
"Gaaargh!"
Leina's lips quivered.
Impossible...
The man who'd called himself captain stood unmoved, while his attacker hurtled away.
"How... is this..."
Zagan, known as the strongest among high-rank demons, who'd killed Kairun in an instant—sent flying with one blow.
"N-No way, he's really Haven's..."
Leina's final words were drowned by Zagan's roar.
"Arrrgh! What the hell just happened?!"
Zagan's voice, rising from the rubble, brimmed with bewilderment.
I definitely felt no resistance. My fist connected solidly. But...
The moment it landed, their eyes met.
The man's eyes, enduring a blow from a top-tier high demon, were serene—as if time itself had stopped.
Cold as the abyss, quiet as moonlight. In that gaze, Zagan felt fear for the first time in his existence.
And as the man's hand slowly moved to touch him, a shock like all the world's pain converging in one point hurled him here.
Step—Step—
Quiet footsteps echoed across the devastated battlefield.
"Is that all?"
"What... did you say?"
"Was that attack your best?"
Zagan's face twisted at the calm voice.
No matter the fear, a high demon's pride didn't bend easily.
"I'll kill you."
Mana surged wildly across Zagan's body.
Hundreds of floating magic circles swirled toward him like a vortex.
The overlapping circles pulsing cyan light vibrated the air, their overwhelming pressure pulverizing nearby debris.
Pure killing intent to smash his foe with everything he had left filled the field.
Rumble—!
But before Zagan could unleash his full power, I moved first.
It wasn't explosive or destructive like Rakan's aura.
A stillness like frozen time enveloped the battlefield.
Not mere quiet, but an absolute silence that devoured everything.
Even the calamity-like mana Zagan conjured sank into that hush.
Keeping my gaze fixed on Zagan, I continued evenly.
"Zagan, I'll give you a choice."
I saw his eyes waver.
"Fight me here and perish..."
I paused, then added coldly.
"Or return to the demon realm now. Note that delaying your decision isn't allowed. Choose here and now."
A twisted smile crept onto Zagan's lips.
"Astra... I'll remember that name. You'll pay dearly for touching a high demon."
I tilted my head mockingly.
"I've seen enough cowardly demons spewing empty threats. Get that ugly mug out of my sight."
"We'll see..."
With those parting curse-like words, Zagan's form crumbled to black ash and scattered into the air.
As Zagan vanished, I approached Leina, who was huddled on the ground, trembling.
"You're the one who summoned the demon."
"A... Ah..."
Terror had robbed her of coherent speech.
Her whole body shook like leaves in winter,
and finally...
Drip—Drip—
Moisture trickled down between her legs.
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