The two attacks collided.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The battlefield disappeared beneath a massive explosion of crimson and black energy.
For several seconds, nothing could be seen.
Then—
A figure slowly emerged from the smoke.
The Blood Demon.
But something was different.
His breathing was heavier.
There were several marks across his body.
His crimson aura was unstable.
Flicker.
The strange pattern in his eye distorted.
Flicker.
His tail twitched.
The Blood Demon looked at his own hand.
"Hell…"
His voice was quieter than before.
"My power is running out."
Another flicker passed through his body.
Then he suddenly smiled.
"But…"
He laughed.
"I like this human."
The Blood Demon placed a hand over his chest.
"This guy summoned me…"
"Even though he barely had enough spiritual energy."
He laughed again.
"And somehow…"
"For the first time in thousands of years…"
"Someone actually used the power of the Blood Flower correctly."
His expression became strangely happy.
"I've been waiting for someone like him."
He looked toward Renge.
"Therefore…"
His smile became wider.
"From today onward…"
"I'll become his servant."
---
Inside Renge's Consciousness
Darkness.
Renge stood alone.
Then—
A crimson figure appeared before him.
The Blood Demon.
Renge stared at him.
"You're back."
"Yes."
The Blood Demon suddenly pulled out a strange scroll.
Renge blinked.
"What is that?"
"A contract."
"A contract?"
The Blood Demon opened it.
"Read it."
Renge looked at the writing.
The contract was surprisingly simple.
The Blood Demon shall serve Renge Akihana as his master.
Renge stared.
"…That's it?"
"That's it."
"You're voluntarily becoming my servant?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The Blood Demon pointed toward himself.
"If I return to Hell, I'll eventually be sealed again."
He grinned.
"I don't want that."
Renge thought for a moment.
Then—
He picked up the contract.
He signed it.
Without even reading the rest.
The Blood Demon stared.
"You didn't read the contract!"
Renge shrugged.
"You're offering to become my servant."
He smiled.
"Why would I reject that?"
The Blood Demon became silent.
Then—
He burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
He grabbed his stomach.
"I really chose the right human!"
He pointed at Renge.
"From this moment…"
"I belong to you."
---
Back to the Battlefield
The Blood Demon opened his eyes.
His crimson aura exploded around him.
"One minute."
He looked at the Demon Queen.
"That's all I have left."
The Demon Queen smiled.
"Then use it wisely."
The Blood Demon raised both hands.
Crimson energy began gathering between his palms.
The air itself started trembling.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
The Demon Queen's expression changed slightly.
"That much power?"
The Blood Demon laughed.
"I'm not leaving quietly."
The energy became larger.
And larger.
And larger.
Finally—
A gigantic crimson beam formed.
"BLOOD—"
The Demon Queen raised one hand.
A massive black shield appeared before her.
"Too obvious."
The Blood Demon fired.
"CANNON!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The crimson beam smashed into the black shield.
For a moment—
The two powers pushed against each other.
The shield held.
The Blood Demon increased his output.
The Demon Queen smiled.
"Black Hell Dragon."
The enormous dragon opened its mouth.
Dark energy gathered inside.
Then—
"BLACK DRAGON BREATH!"
FWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOM!
A gigantic black beam erupted from the dragon's mouth.
It collided directly with the Blood Demon's crimson beam.
The battlefield shook.
The two energies pushed against each other.
Crimson.
Black.
Crimson.
Black.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire battlefield disappeared beneath another enormous explosion.
---
When the smoke finally cleared…
A figure was falling from the sky.
His crimson aura was gone.
His tail had disappeared.
His strange eyes had returned to normal.
The Blood Demon was gone.
And in his place—
Renge Akihana.
Flower Boy.
He couldn't even keep himself in the air anymore.
"Ah…"
He fell.
THUD!
He landed on the ground.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then—
He slowly raised one hand.
"Still…"
He took a breath.
"…managed to damage her."
He smiled weakly.
Then he looked toward the nearby mountain.
Leo, Chenwei, Lily, Yuna, and the surviving General were standing there.
Renge narrowed his eyes.
"…Wait."
"What are you guys doing?"
Leo smiled.
"Watching."
Renge stared.
Then his expression became completely blank.
"Watching?"
The camera shifted.
Leo and Chenwei were literally sitting on chairs.
Lily and Yuna were sitting beside them.
They were wearing sunglasses.
And each of them had a bucket of popcorn.
CRUNCH.
CRUNCH.
Renge stared in disbelief.
"You…"
Leo took another piece of popcorn.
"Don't worry."
"I'll come."
Renge's eye twitched.
"YOU'VE BEEN SITTING THERE WATCHING THIS?!"
Chenwei looked confused.
"I thought this was a good time to relax."
"YOU'RE MY FRIEND!"
"Yes."
"And you're eating popcorn?!"
"Yes."
Renge pointed at Leo.
"And you!"
Leo stood up.
"Okay, okay."
He removed his sunglasses.
"The show is over."
He looked toward the battlefield.
"Time to get serious."
Lily stood.
Yuna stood.
The General stood as well.
All four moved toward Renge.
The General looked at them.
"…I'm coming too, by the way."
Chenwei stared at everyone.
"Why does everyone suddenly look so serious?"
Leo looked toward the Demon Queen.
Then toward Renge.
Then back toward the enemy army.
"Because the real battle is starting now."
The Demon Queen smiled.
"Oh?"
She raised one hand.
"But I prepared a surprise for all of you."
Everyone stopped.
The Demon Queen looked toward the sky.
"Backup."
---
Earth's Battlefield
BOOM.
Five hundred soldiers suddenly appeared across the battlefield.
The remaining forces of the Demon Queen.
They surrounded the heroes.
Chenwei looked around.
"…Only five hundred?"
Leo nodded.
"Looks like it."
Chenwei smiled.
"That's manageable."
But then—
The view shifted away from Earth.
Far beyond the planet…
Something enormous moved through space.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
Massive spaceships.
Thousands.
Millions.
More and more appeared from the darkness.
They surrounded entire sections of space.
The fleet was so enormous that it seemed capable of surrounding entire regions of the Universe.
And yet—
Nobody on Earth knew they were there.
The Demon Queen had planned everything.
Back on the battlefield—
Leo looked toward Chenwei.
"You two handle them."
Chenwei pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
Leo looked at Renge.
"I've already used my special technique."
"I can only use it once."
He cracked his knuckles.
"So I'll deal with the five hundred using hand-to-hand combat."
Chenwei stared at him.
"Five hundred?!"
Leo smiled.
"Don't worry."
He glanced at Lily and Yuna.
"Lily and Yuna are with me."
Lily raised her fist.
Yuna nodded quietly.
Leo looked toward Renge.
Renge was still lying on the ground.
He gave Leo a thumbs-up.
"I once spent my studying years chasing after a girl."
Leo laughed.
"And look at you now."
"You're lying on the battlefield because you chased that same girl too far."
Renge smiled.
"You lost the fight…"
"But you won the girl."
Leo nodded.
"Pretty good luck."
Chenwei stared at both of them.
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT?!"
He looked completely lost.
"Why are you joking at a time like this?!"
Renge and Leo looked at each other.
Then—
Both laughed.
Chenwei sighed.
"I don't understand you people."
---
Meanwhile…
The Black Hell Dragon watched Leo.
Its enormous eyes narrowed.
Something about him felt strange.
Very strange.
The dragon slowly focused its spiritual senses.
It looked beyond Leo's physical body.
Beyond his aura.
Beyond his consciousness.
And then—
It saw something.
Inside Leo's consciousness…
A massive black door.
And behind that door—
A sword.
A black sword.
The dragon froze.
Its expression changed.
"…No."
It looked closer.
"That sword…"
The dragon's voice trembled.
"Abyssal Nightfang."
The ancient Black Sword.
The weapon sealed inside Leo.
The dragon immediately became tense.
"If that thing ever escapes from his body…"
It swallowed its fear.
"…I won't survive."
The Black Hell Dragon knew it could defeat Leo in his current condition.
But that sword was different.
That sword was something even the dragon didn't want to face.
The dragon slowly looked toward the Demon Queen.
An idea entered its mind.
If the Demon Queen begins losing…
I can betray her.
Its eyes moved toward another person.
Kaito Jin.
The unconscious man still connected to the Black Hell Dragon.
The dragon smiled.
I'll enter him.
There is already another Black Dragon within that man's body.
And that Black Dragon possesses power far greater than mine.
The dragon's expression became thoughtful.
But ever since that man fell unconscious…
his energy has been gradually decreasing.
Its eyes narrowed.
Something is happening inside him.
Perhaps…
I need to awaken him.
The dragon looked toward Kaito Jin.
"If he dies…"
A sinister smile appeared.
"I'll use that opportunity."
"I'll take over his body."
"And with the power of the other Black Dragon…"
The dragon looked back toward Leo.
"…I'll defeat that bastard."
For a moment—
Everything became silent.
The Demon Queen continued watching the battlefield.
Leo prepared to fight.
Chenwei prepared to fight.
Lily and Yuna stood beside him.
Renge lay exhausted on the ground.
And somewhere inside Kaito Jin's unconscious body…
Something ancient was beginning to stir.
The next battle would not simply decide who wins.
It would decide who awakens first.
To Be Continued…