The Demon King Appears

The night was as dark as ink, staining the abandoned hunter's cabin at the foot of the Ofgarber Peaks.

As Elsa watched Lupa so "sensibly" begin to remove her armor, the playful smile on her lips grew even wider, carrying a cat-and-mouse-like satisfaction. She even slightly loosened her grip on "Frieren," but the dagger remained pressed against the elf's delicate cheek, waiting to witness her complete surrender.

Lupa's movements were somewhat clumsy, her fingers trembling slightly with nervousness as she unfastened her breastplate, shoulder armor, and other components one by one. Beneath the light armor was a close-fitting white cotton lining that outlined the lithe and supple curves of the young warrior's waist, giving her a delicate and beautiful appearance under the cool moonlight.

"Heh... this little girl is quite perceptive..." Elsa chuckled, her tone carrying a hint of approval, as if praising an obedient pet.

However, at this seemingly compromised moment, an unexpected change occurred!

Lupa removed the last piece of shoulder armor, and instead of casually tossing it to the ground like most people would, she grabbed the light armor with both hands and tossed it high into the air.

Her movements were free and unrestrained, as if she were simply tired of the light armor and wanted to be completely free, much like some people like to smash bowls after drinking. The Shadow Warriors didn't find anything wrong with it at all.

The seemingly ordinary light armor drew a brief arc in the air—

"Bang--!"

A dull, resounding crash, like a boulder falling to the ground, suddenly exploded! The ground seemed to tremble slightly! Where the heavy armor struck, dirt flew everywhere, and a small crater was actually created!

This is definitely not the weight of ordinary light armor!

This sudden, utterly horrific roar, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, shattered the silence of the night and instantly assaulted the eardrums and minds of almost every Shadow Warriors present! Even these seasoned warriors were so horrified by this completely unbelievable sight that their movements froze and their minds went blank for an extremely brief moment!

Even the most composed Rain, who was suppressing Lowell, twitched his wrist almost imperceptibly.

And it was in that split second!

"Whoosh--!"

Lupa moved! Her movements were even faster than when she fought Mark! So fast that she left only a peach-colored afterimage, as if she had blended into the night itself.

The previous "panic" and "clumsy" demeanor had vanished, replaced by the extreme speed and precision of a cheetah pouncing on its prey!

Her goal was clear— Elsa!

"Varied...?!"

Elsa's pupils contracted sharply. Before her brain could even process the shock of "why is the armor so heavy?", the deadly pink figure was already upon her! A sharp, menacing gust of wind swept towards her!

Her instinct was to tighten the threads or slash with the dagger, but it was too late!

Lupa's right leg, like a steel whip brimming with power, whistled through the air and struck Elsa's wrist, which was holding a dagger, with perfect precision!

"Crack!" The sickening sound of bone breaking was clearly audible.

"Ugh!!" Elsa groaned in pain, feeling a sharp pain in her wrist as the dagger flew out of her hand.

The immense force sent her flying backward uncontrollably. In mid-air, she endured the excruciating pain, twisted her waist strangely, and barely managed to flip herself over. She stumbled onto the ground, then staggered back several steps before regaining her balance. Her face was slightly pale, and she looked ahead with a mixture of shock and anger.

Meanwhile, Lupa had already shielded "Frieren" behind her, her hand now gripping the cold spear once more, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground. Her pink twin ponytails swayed gently in the night breeze, and her heterochromatic eyes were icy cold. Where was the trace of her previous compromise and panic?

"Frieren" patted her dusty white robe, her tone flat yet carrying a subtle hint of approval. "Well done."

Then, she simply stood quietly behind Lupa, holding her staff, with an air of "it's up to you now," without making any other moves.

"Call out--!"

A sharp whooshing sound tore through the night sky! The arrow, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, shot silently yet swiftly toward Lupa's vest! The angle was tricky, the timing ruthless, precisely the moment Lupa had just rescued the person and was still breathing heavily!

It was Hawk-Eye's arrows that provided support from afar.

However, as if Lupa had eyes in the back of her head, without even turning her head, she simply flicked her wrist, and the spear seemed to come alive as it was thrust backward!

"Clang!"

With a crisp snap, the arrow was precisely deflected by the spear tip, embedding itself diagonally in the soil not far away, its fletching still humming and vibrating.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, from the loud crash of the armor hitting the ground to Lupa's rescue and deflecting of the stray arrow—it was all over in the blink of an eye. The situation on the field was instantly reversed!

"Damn it." Rain recovered from his initial shock, but he didn't blame his teammates, because he himself had been momentarily stunned. Just how heavy was the woman's armor? Even they, as Shadow Warriors with extremely strong mental fortitude, couldn't help but be shocked by such a commotion.

Although he sensed something else amiss—the elf's reaction was too calm, and the gun-wielding girl's quick reflexes were ridiculously fast—the die was cast, and he had no choice but to act! He gripped Lowell tightly, pressing the short sword even harder against her neck, the skin even slightly sunken, and shouted sharply:

"Drop your weapon! Have you forgotten that I still have someone in your hands?! If you dare to make another move, I'll slit his throat right now!"

He attempted to regain control of the situation using the most direct threats.

However, he was met with Lupa's indifferent, even somewhat contemptuous, words:

"Oh?" Lupa turned around, her heterochromatic eyes calmly looking at Rain, a cold smile curving her lips. "Then go ahead and do it."

"What's going on?!" Rain's heart sank; his ominous premonition intensified. This reaction was highly abnormal! With a hostage in hand, how could the other side be so brazen?

Without hesitation! His instincts as Shadow Warriors spurred him to make a choice instantly—regardless of what the opponent relied on, he would first kill the most threatening "mage" in his grasp!

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and the muscles in his arms bulged as he prepared to sever Lowell's head!

But--

The sword's edge seemed to be stuck in an invisible, incredibly tough quagmire; no matter how hard he exerted himself, he couldn't make an inch of progress! It was as if he wasn't blocking flesh and blood!

"What?!" Rain exclaimed in shock.

Just then, "Lowell," whom he had subdued, sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness, as if complaining about a trivial, troublesome matter. "Oh... your records show me as a mage."

He paused, his voice still steady, yet carrying a gradually awakening, chilling authority. "Hmm, that's true. Anyone who senses my immense magical power in battle would prejudge me as a mage."

"However, you guys don't seem to have heard the details. It's obvious you've never watched Conan. Just now, Lupa called me 'Master.' Generally speaking, would a warrior call a mage 'Master'?"

As he spoke, an indescribable, profound, and terrifying aura slowly spread out from him. The air seemed to be filled with an invisible pressure, making every Shadow Warriors present feel breathless.

Even more astonishingly, a pair of curved horns, symbolizing the supreme status of the Demons, silently "grew" out from his black hair, like ancient tree branches breaking through the ground, gleaming with a dark luster under the moonlight.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at Rain, whose expression had changed drastically. In the depths of those black eyes, it seemed as if an abyss was swirling.

"Update the data, comrade," Lowell, or rather, the Demon King Lorenz at this moment, said in a calm yet authoritative tone, "Magician... such a title seems a bit inappropriate for referring to a Demon King."

He paused, then added, his tone even carrying a hint of "goodwill": "Of course, that's on the condition that... you can get back alive today."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the "Frieren" who had just been rescued by Lupa suddenly spat out a soft "Pui!" Her entire figure twisted and blurred like a bubble, then turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated in the night wind.

It was a clone of Lowell that transformed.

The old door of the wooden house was gently pushed open once again.

The real Frieren slowly emerged, her silver hair cascading down her back, her emerald eyes calm and undisturbed in the night, holding that familiar staff in her hand. Behind her followed the silent Linié, the pink-haired girl whose hand had somehow conjured a magical battle axe that exuded an ominous aura.

Frieren glanced at the Shadow Warriors like they were facing a formidable enemy, then looked at Lowell sitting on the ground, and said in a flat tone, "Had enough fun?"

Lowell shrugged, looking like he was helpless. "There's nothing we can do, they came knocking on our door. Besides, this is a good opportunity for real-world practice."

Looking at the Rain Demon King, who was so close and exuding a suffocating aura, and then at the two girls not far away who were clearly not to be trifled with either, especially the pink-haired girl wielding a battle axe with empty eyes, cold sweat finally broke out on Renn's forehead.

He chuckled dryly, "Ha... this is getting interesting. The opponent is actually the Demon King? You must be joking. I may have some strength, but I'm not some kind of hero with a mission."

"What the hell? Are you kidding me... You want us to fight the Demon King? Is it too late for me to kneel down and surrender now?" Hawk-Eye muttered to himself from afar.

Upon hearing this, Lowell shook his head seriously and casually corrected him, "Oh? Sorry, you might have misunderstood. I'm only putting on this act to avoid trouble and to dispel your unrealistic idea of attacking me personally. I have no intention of attacking you guys myself."

He brushed the bits of grass off his clothes, his tone as casual as if he were discussing tonight's late-night snack:

"I don't like fighting, and I'd rather sit than stand. So..."

His gaze returned to Lupa, filled with encouragement and absolute trust:

"Lupa, it's all yours now."

As the night deepened, the mountain wind howled, as if whispering a hymn for the impending battle. Lupa brandished her spear, its tip pointing at the Shadow Warriors ahead, her heterochromatic eyes blazing with fighting spirit.