'BOOM'
A colossal, terrifying demon descended from the sky, shattering the barrier effortlessly and kicking up a storm of dust!
Its towering fiery form, larger than a mountain, blotted out the sun. Its massive eyes glared at everyone, its grotesque mouth slightly open, emitting a heavy sulfuric stench that forced people to hold their breath.
An old acquaintance from his last life—a balrog!
"D-demon?!"
The mages froze in place, utterly shocked by the sudden appearance of the demonic behemoth looming over them. It was like tossing a lit cigarette into a pile of cotton.
A primal fear surged from deep within their souls, overwhelming their ability to think clearly!
Jehfrit raised Tiel, switching to "Bombardment," and fired directly at the enemy.
"Brother!"
Only the deranged boy, Vade, regained his senses quickly. He grabbed Reed and dove behind a large boulder for cover.
'BOOM'
A mushroom cloud rose into the air.
The enemies who had been alive just moments ago were now scattered across the battlefield.
The grunts were gone!
"Damn it!"
Reed was terrified. If not for Vade pulling him back, he'd have been blown to bits along with the others!
He glanced at the explosion site—not a single one of them survived!
Except for himself and Vade...
The entire squad was wiped out!
Wait!
There's still one more!
"Gad, do something!" Reed shouted in panic, his voice cracking under the strain.
"Alright, Reed. Give me ten seconds."
The handsome red-haired mage, Gad, stepped calmly out of the tunnel.
Though his clothes were tattered, he appeared completely unscathed.
Even Jehfrit's earlier bombardment hadn't left a scratch on him!
And even now, despite the loss of his comrades, he remained as arrogant as ever, showing no signs of grief or distress.
"Where?" Gad asked coolly.
"Nine o'clock!" Reed shouted.
"Ten."
Gad took a step forward, closing the distance almost instantaneously.
"Nine." Gad threw a punch.
By the time Gad emerged, Jehfrit had already switched to "Gust." Recognizing Gad as an extremely dangerous opponent, he activated the wind magic the moment Gad reached him, propelling himself away like a rocket.
'BOOM'
A terrifying burst of fire magic erupted where Jehfrit had stood moments before!
Its power rivaled the force of Jehfrit's earlier bombardment shot!
A fire mage, huh?
Jehfrit pulled up the hood of his mage cloak, unwilling to let his hair get singed.
"Seven o'clock!"
"Eight."
Gad charged out of the flames.
Jehfrit fired another bombardment round, striking Gad squarely in the chest.
'BOOM'
"Seven."
Gad broke through the explosion with minimal injuries.
His defense made Jehfrit frown.
He revealed his true form so Gad could see him.
"It's him!" Reed shouted, reinforcing Gad's confidence. Gad immediately launched an attack toward Jehfrit.
Jehfrit waved his hand, summoning countless sharp spikes that erupted from the ground.
At the same time, he fired a shot at the boulder.
'BOOM'
"Fake!"
Reed ducked behind the boulder, having "seen through" the illusion of the spikes. However, his warning was drowned out by the deafening explosion!
Unable to distinguish reality from illusion, Gad instinctively hesitated.
Seeing this, Jehfrit unleashed a barrage of deceptive elemental attacks.
Blades slashing, water surging, winds slicing, ice piercing—
The visuals were real, the sensations convincing, the pain palpable.
For a moment, Gad's five senses were deceived, and his aggressive assault came to a halt.
Jehfrit switched to "Cero," charging it up.
At that moment, Reed's voice rang out, "You idiot! Gad, it's all fake—he's just a trickster! None of those attacks are real!"
Gad snapped out of it, ignoring everything and charging straight into the barrage of magical attacks, using his body to plow through them!
The sensations felt real, the pain agonizing.
But!
He didn't die!
It was all an illusion!
"Four!"
From the tone of Gad's countdown, it was clear he was furious.
But Jehfrit wasn't concerned. He wasn't some sheep trapped in a cage, forced to fight a tiger.
Angry?
Perfect.
Let him fall for the deception!
'HUM'
After three seconds of charging, the Cero unleashed a pitch-black beam three meters wide, engulfing Gad's figure entirely.
This time, it was real!
Still, Jehfrit couldn't help but marvel at how thick this enemy's armor was.
Penetration required finesse!
In his right hand, he gripped his cane tightly.
It was sleek, jet black, with a golden thread wrapped around the handle—a blend of understated elegance and luxury.
About a meter long, its tip embedded with a smooth, purple gemstone matching Jehfrit's hair color.
Finding this gemstone had taken considerable effort and time.
Of course, this wasn't just any ordinary cane.
Its name was Hani—a katana-style blade concealed within the cane sheath.
Jehfrit lifted the cane, and in an instant, the sheath vanished, revealing a pristine, razor-sharp blade.
A high-quality straight sword, aesthetically stunning.
Just then—
Gad, having endured the Cero, closed the distance between them.
Jehfrit swung Hani with full force, delivering a devastating slash.
Simultaneously, he continued Gad's countdown.
"One!"
A flash of steel!
'SCHLIK'
When the Cero dissipated, Gad's left hand—the one he'd used to block the attack, now severely burned—was cleanly severed by Jehfrit's blade!
The opportunity had arrived!
Jehfrit's eyes narrowed.
Listen to me—
Anger!
Gad's pupils contracted, and he roared, "You'll pay for this!"
Already enraged from losing his arm, Jehfrit's manipulation amplified his fury.
Gad lost his previous composed demeanor as a torrent of uncontrollable rage consumed him!
His eyes turned blood-red, and he screamed in fury.
"I've changed my mind!"
"I'll torture you mercilessly!"
"I'll keep you alive while I devour you piece by piece!"
"I'll crush your bones and drink your blood..."
Jehfrit interrupted with a teasing tone, "Your teeth must be strong. Try this, then."
With his magic, Jehfrit conjured a massive can of pickled herring, drenching Gad's face in fishy brine.
Visuals, sounds, smells, touch, taste—
It all felt disturbingly real!
Since Gad had been shouting, his mouth was open. By the time he realized something was wrong and tried to close it, chunks of rotten fish meat were wedged between his teeth, and he'd swallowed a mouthful of the foul liquid!
The smell…
The texture…
"BLECH!"
Gad's mental defenses crumbled instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, retching violently.
"That fool! It's all an illusion!" Reed cursed loudly.
Jehfrit raised Hani, delivering a lethal downward strike toward Gad's neck!
'CLANG'
A sharp metallic clash echoed.
Jehfrit's arm was pushed back.
The deranged boy, Vade, intercepted the blow, his crimson claws striking the side of Hani's blade with pinpoint precision, blocking the fatal strike for Gad!
Without hesitation, Jehfrit fired a shot.
But Vade merely tilted his head slightly. The bullet pierced his ear, shattering his eardrum, yet he disregarded the injury, charging straight into Jehfrit's personal space in a desperate attempt to trade wounds for death!
Not good!
Too close!