"The demon has arrived… what are you talking about?"
Everyone was confused by Ethan 's words. He didn't blame them, after all, he had only told them a bit about the elves. He'd barely mentioned anything about the demons.
"The Elf Reincarnation Magic has already been activated. Patolli and the others have likely—no, they've definitely already opened the Shadow Palace. Their original goal was to solidify the reincarnation of the elves… but in truth, they were deceived by the demon. That demon has likely used their hands to descend upon this world."
Ethan explained rapidly, his eyes drifting toward Yuno and Asta.
"Demon form, huh? I guess I really underestimated the power of the word 'protagonist'..."
He didn't even know what to say anymore. Yuno was fine—his character had always been portrayed as a genius, someone blessed by magic. No matter how strong he became, it wouldn't be surprising.
But Asta… was different.
Even without certain key events and the grind of time, he had still managed to activate his demon form ahead of schedule.
"Well… it's not a bad thing. At least when we face that Word-Magic Demon, he'll be a much stronger help…"
As Ethan mused to himself, his gaze swept across the area.
"What is it, Ethan ? What are you looking for?"
"Nothing," Ethan shook his head. "Everyone, let's head to the capital now. If we let the demon escape… the consequences will be unimaginable."
He raised his hand and constructed a spatial tunnel.
Maybe things weren't spiraling out of control as badly as he had feared. Even though Julius, their strongest backup, had "died", the story was still progressing similarly to how it had in the original.
Yuno, Asta…
Even Captain Yami and the others were still here, all accounted for.
And Nero had disappeared too.
That meant that the First Wizard King was about to awaken.
With this lineup, they weren't any worse off than the original timeline.
As the last Magic Knight stepped through the portal, Ethan followed behind.
Though the front lines were far from the capital, spatial magic made it feel like a short walk.
However, the capital wasn't doing much better.
Smoke and rubble were everywhere—buildings and streets lay broken and twisted.
A scene of chaos and destruction.
"Look over there!" Asta called out.
Everyone looked to where the royal palace had once stood. The entire sky above that area had turned pitch-black and distorted.
It looked… like a shadow had swallowed it whole.
"So that's the Shadow Palace?"
"It looks seriously creepy…"
"They say it's a junction between our world and the other side. Never thought it'd show up in the royal palace…"
Everyone could feel the ominous presence leaking from it. It sent a chill down their spines.
The battle sounds had stopped. The area seemed quiet—probably because everyone had already entered.
"Let's go!"
There was no time to hesitate. Ethan launched himself toward the Shadow Palace. The others followed without delay.
---
Deep Inside the Shadow Palace
Patolli and the others glared furiously at the pitch-black figure before them—the demon whose very face reeked of malice.
They had been tricked.
Everything had been a lie.
Elf Reincarnation, revenge on humans… All of it fake. A scam.
Everything they had worked for was just paving the way for the resurrection of this unknown monster.
Despicable.
"Patolli … looks like Julius wasn't lying to us after all…" said Vetto, his expression bitter.
Julius had warned them of this possibility back at the White Dragon's Slope.
But they hadn't believed it then. They couldn't accept that years of struggle had been nothing more than a mirage.
"Hm? I must admit, that Julius guy surprised me," said the Word-Magic Demon, grinning like the victor he believed himself to be. "He even figured out my plan. And that boy… Ethan , was it?"
Having hidden among them for so long, he naturally knew a lot.
But so what? He was resurrected now.
He was the final winner.
"Still, I must thank you. Without you taking care of Julius for me, I would've had a real headache dealing with his time magic…"
"Damn you! Light Creation Magic – Judgement Sword of Light!"
Fueled by rage, Patolli summoned an array of light swords and sent them hurling at the demon.
Anyone would be furious after being so thoroughly used.
All those years, all that pain—just for this?
All thoughts of revenge on humans or resurrecting his people were now cast aside.
All he could think of was killing the demon.
"Very good. Rage more. Hate more."
The demon stood still, smiling as the swords came flying toward him.
But then—
"Return!"
With a word, his magic took effect.
Before everyone's stunned eyes, the light swords reversed direction mid-air—flying straight back at their creator!
Whoosh!
Vetto dove in, pushing the dazed Patolli out of the way, but the swords pierced him instead.
"Vetto!"
Patolli 's pupils shrank. His heart sank.
Everyone trembled at the scene.
"So… this is a demon…"
"His power is on a whole different level…"
"Catherine… I-I think we should run…"
People like Rades were overcome with fear.
They weren't elves. They'd only joined the Eye of the Midnight Sun because they had been "recognized" and wanted to shine.
But now their entire cause was a joke.
With no purpose left to fight for… why stay?
"Heh… Where do you think you're going, little bugs?" the demon sneered.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before them—without even seeming to move.
"Come closer, all of you."
Before they could react, the group found themselves standing right in front of him, confused and helpless.
"Vacuum Wall!"
BOOM!
Crushing pressure erupted around them. It felt like they each had a thousand-ton boulder on their shoulders.
Their backs bent, their knees buckled.
"Be crushed!"
BOOM!
With a single word, the pressure grew stronger.
None of them could stand anymore—everyone was forced flat against the floor.
"Be flattened!"
The ground cracked beneath them. Blood sprayed from Rades and the others.
Their faces twisted with agony, barely recognizable.
"Be annihilated."
The demon spoke without emotion. The pressure increased to the absolute limit—like Mount Tai crashing down.
Even people like Patolli could barely hold on.
But Rades and the others, who had no elven enhancements, were instantly crushed into bloody mist.
"Heh… What a beautiful fireworks display. Is this the world celebrating my return?"
Ethan 's teeth clenched tightly. Watching them die like that—helplessly, meaninglessly—only fueled the fire inside him.
"The little bugs are gone. Now…"
The demon's eyes narrowed.
"…it's your turn."
But suddenly, his expression changed. He vanished from where he stood.
The magic pressure vanished too.
Patolli and the others gasped for air and forced themselves up, looking toward where the demon had stood.
There, floating in midair, was a glowing blue sphere of time magic.
It hovered silently.
The attack had missed. A sigh escaped the lips of the blue-haired youth now standing in its place.
"You son of a… Damn, you run fast."
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