The light lasted for a long time.
It's not about "long" in the sense of time, but rather an illusionary extension after the senses have been completely deprived.
All that remained in my vision was pure white, my hearing was reduced to a low-frequency hum, and even the sense of my physical existence felt as if it had been stripped away from the world.
It was as if the entire world had been "erased" for a moment by that one strike.
Then, the white light suddenly collapsed.
The world has returned to normal.
The first thing to be restored was the sound.
The wind whistled through the scorched earth, and the gravel tumbled softly as it rolled down from above.
And a lingering, fading magical resonance continued to vibrate in the air.
Then, the visuals returned to reality.
Only then did everyone see the result of that attack.
The earth was torn apart.
It wasn't a crack, nor a dent, but a void that had been almost "deleted".
A giant crater with a diameter of over 500 meters lies silently on the earth's surface, its depth impossible to estimate visually.
The edges showed traces of glassy melting, as if the entire stratum had been vaporized by high temperature and magic in that instant.
"... Hey, that's way too much."
Rudeus couldn't help but mutter a curse to himself.
This is no longer a battle; this is map editor-level operation.
Rujierd stood on the edge of the pit, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings, his brow furrowed.
Where is Eris?
His voice was deep, but noticeably tense.
The air suddenly felt heavy and oppressive.
Rudeus raised his gaze, his Perception expanding, before slowly speaking.
"Up there."
The next instant, magic surged beneath his feet, and his body seemed to be lifted by an invisible wind, leaping into the air.
With the view shifting upwards, the figure was found above and to the side of the crumbling rock wall.
Eris collapsed amidst the rubble, her breathing weak, her consciousness fading into unconsciousness, but her body was still barely held aloft by the residual Touki protecting her.
He landed and picked up Eris.
" Eris..."
Rudeus paused for a moment as he gently brushed his fingertips across the strands of hair on her forehead that were stuck together with sweat and dust.
"Well done."
The sound was very soft.
Then, he lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.
It wasn't a ceremony, nor was it an emotional outburst; it was simply to confirm that she was still alive.
When he returned to the ground, Rujierd was still standing in the same spot.
He looked at the enormous pit that resembled an abyss, his tone calm but unable to suppress the sense of urgency within.
What's the next step?
Rudeus didn't answer immediately, but instead looked around at the completely reshaped landscape.
Such a commotion must have attracted some troublesome attention.
Staying any longer will only make things worse...
He raised his hand, and magic slowly condensed at his fingertips, preparing to first carry out basic repairs on this collapsed area.
"We probably can't stay in the Demon Continent any longer."
Rudeus's tone was low.
"First, repair the site, then evacuate to the Great Forest."
The words had barely left his mouth--
The air suddenly seemed to stop for a beat.
It wasn't that the wind had stopped, but rather that the space felt like it was being forcibly suppressed by some kind of will.
A voice came from above.
"None of you are leaving."
Naïve.
Yet it carried an absolute sense of oppression.
Rudeus and Rujierd turned around almost simultaneously.
There was no one behind him...
Above!
The two looked up.
High in the sky, a petite figure floated.
Bat-like wings slowly unfolded, their black outline standing out starkly in the afterglow.
She looked down at us, her expression indifferent, yet exuding a sense of oppression completely disproportionate to her size.
"I am the Demon Emperor-- "
She paused for a moment, as if confirming some kind of ritualistic declaration.
" Kishirika Zisilis."
The air currents distorted around her, as if even space itself was making way for her name.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Rudeus.
"Brown-haired youth... the intelligence is correct."
It's you.
The next moment, she folded her wings and her body slowly fell as if weightless.
His movements were so composed they bordered on arrogance.
Rujierd's grip on the gun was already taut.
Rudeus immediately raised his hand to signal him not to move.
The situation is now very clear.
This isn't a question of "whether we can win," but rather a question of "who must survive."
He spoke in a low voice, very quickly.
Listen carefully.
There are now two paths.
"First, you choose to stay here, and then the three of us will die together."
"Second, I'll hold her off while you take Eris away, as far as possible."
Rujierd did not answer immediately.
He is judging, he is calculating.
But the battlefield gave him no room to hesitate.
Don't waste your time.
"But--"
"Tsk."
"But damn it!"
Rudeus lowered his voice abruptly.
The next moment, he raised his hand and called out:
" Yanli!"
The shadow beneath my feet looked as if a hole had been torn open.
Purple magic surged upwards from the ground, and a petite figure emerged from the darkness.
Purple hair, calm, her aura almost completely suppressed.
"Owner."
"Take them away!"
There was little explanation needed, and she didn't need one.
"Clear."
Almost simultaneously, she grabbed Rujierd with one hand and Eris's arm with the other, and magic suddenly unleashed.
A flash of purple light.
The three of them vanished from their original positions in an instant.
Kishirika's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Space transfer?"
She spoke softly.
Then, the gaze returned to Rudeus.
Whatever~
"My only goal has always been you."
A murderous intent began to gather.
Rudeus raised his hand, attempting to stabilize the situation.
"Wait, isn't there some misunderstanding between us?"
"Misunderstand?"
She smiled.
That smile was devoid of any warmth.
"You are the source of all misfortune."
"This is also an object that must be removed."
That's all.
The moment she finished speaking, her aura surged dramatically.
The air seemed to be compressed.
The next second--
Her eyes gleamed crimson.
Two scorching rays pierced directly through the air.
Go to hell and explain!
"What the hell! Are you even Homelander?!"
Rudeus unleashed wind magic instantly, his body transforming into a streamlined trajectory as he moved sideways, the rays grazing the ground and melting through the rock strata hundreds of meters away.
Heat waves kept blasting out from behind.
"All you do is hide?"
Her voice came down from high above.
The beam locked on again.
He stopped in his tracks.
Indeed, hiding like this will never end...
"Then let's go for it!"
Rudeus also raised his hand, and magic began to compress in reverse.
Light attribute spell unfolds.
"Divine Intermediate Rank Magic--"
Holy Light Strike!
Golden magic surged from his palm, instantly transforming into a pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth.
Essentially, it's a ray-type magic with light attributes, best suited for dealing with evil spirits and heretics.
Two beams of light collided in mid-air.
boom--!!!
The air was torn apart.
The ground was overturned.
However, the next moment, the other party stopped firing the beam.
Kishirika raised his eyes.
Her eyes changed from crimson to deep blue.
As if some kind of "circuit" had switched, the space in front of her began to distort.
Rudeus's beam of light was not destroyed, but rather slowly "swallowed" by those eyes that shimmered with a ghostly blue light.
absorb.
It's not offsetting, it's absorbing.
"A magical eye that absorbs magic power?"
He made a quick judgment.
But it was quickly rejected.
It's not just about absorbing magic power.
It's a transformation, and possibly even storage.
She's "eating" my magic.
But so what?
Can you keep inhaling like that?
With my divine tear ducts, surely I can overwhelm you, a Demon Emperor?
Thinking like this...
He continued to increase his magical output without any restraint, certain that his opponent would collapse and explode in the next instant.
However, as time ticked by, Kishirika maintained a completely relaxed and content expression.
Even... a slight smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Realizing something was wrong, Rudeus immediately cut off the output.
"Too late."
She spoke softly.
The next instant, the surrounding air began to rise.
The rubble, dust, and residual magic were all drawn into the air by some force.
She rose slowly.
A wave of magical energy rippled outwards like a tide.
Her eyes simultaneously lit up with a dazzling yet eerie seven-colored light.
That magical reaction did not belong to any known attribute.
The light continued to radiate, and streams of seven-colored light surged across her entire body, eventually enveloping her completely.
Only a giant sphere, gleaming with dazzling light, remained in its place.
A chilling, demonic aura emanated from the sphere of light.