Chapter 884
Episode 220: Tireless (6)

Suddenly, the plain transformed into a deep sea, but Luna and Siris weren’t trapped helplessly, gasping for air.

As the water rose, Luna immediately enveloped herself in a spherical aura shield, and Siris formed a similar barrier using his ice mastery.

“The dimensional gate to the Otherworldly Snowfield isn’t opening, First Rider.”

“Spatial interference. Seems like they have abilities similar to Elona or Ziphl.”

Luna calmly observed the enemies. Strengthened by fragments of Jito’s flesh, they sneered with confidence.

An unexpected complication.

But Luna had faced far graver and more dangerous variables during her time in the Black Sea, pushing forward despite them.

“Well, then we have no choice but to fight… Handling variables is an important skill, after all. Consider this part of our training. First Rider, support me and conserve your strength as much as possible.”

“Understood.”

“Heh heh, fighting underwater must be a first for you. Let me show you the might of the True Demon Realm’s deep sea zone…”

KRAAAASH!

Before Vice could finish, the water filling the plain suddenly split in two, and a massive crimson sword energy surged upward.

In an instant, the sword energy evaporated most of the water Vice had summoned. The battlefield was shrouded in steam, like clouds settling down, briefly obscuring vision.

“Everyone, be careful! Crimson sword energy!”

Vice shouted in alarm, but Luna shook her head silently.

‘Powerful, yes, but it lacks weight. Compared to Jikaro, these guys are a bit lacking in both strength and intellect.’

Vice screeched like a third-rate villain, while Kukan wildly unleashed sword energy in a blind rage, vowing revenge for the fallen Sikan. Tilius carried the gravitas befitting a Demon Lord, but seemed powerless to control his reckless comrades.

And among this group, there was one demon who confirmed Luna’s assessment of them as ‘stupid’—Misol Hyuwan.

“Miiisooool!”

As soon as Luna’s sword shattered his fortress, Misol bellowed his own name and charged into the fray. His massive frame was three times larger than the other Demon Lords, wielding a colossal iron mace that matched his size.

CLANG!

Luna flinched momentarily as she parried his iron mace. The overwhelming force reminded her of Hedoh’s monstrous strength, transmitted fully through the weapon.

“Misol, Misol, Misol-Misol!”

“Hahaha, didn’t I say? Our Misol may be clumsy with words, but he can’t stand to see his fortress fall!”

“Misol!”

“Not just a little clumsy, is he?”

All the Demon Lords possessed genuine strength and combat prowess. The evaporated water quickly refilled, swirling violently, and Siris momentarily lost his footing, caught in the current.

Seizing the opening, Kukan’s sword grazed Siris’s hair. Had his senses been dulled from fighting the generals, it would have been a strike to the cheek instead.

The Demon Lords were completely unaffected by Vice’s water. They held a clear advantage over the two who had to keep evaporating water to fight.

‘If this drags on, it’ll get truly dangerous. Not just the Otherworldly Snowfield’s gate, but even our comms are down.’

Luna unleashed crimson sword energy without restraint. She added it not only to her spirit sword but also to decisive moves like the meteor shower.

Even during the Black Sea expedition, she had never used this much crimson sword energy. The more she used it, the lighter and more alert her body felt, though an unsettling uncertainty lingered.

‘Vice, the one controlling water, is the biggest nuisance. I have to take him out first to gain some breathing room. Then I need to find and kill whoever’s blocking the comms and spatial jumps. If we win… that means dealing with all four fragments of Jito at once.’

Misol faced Luna head-on, while the other Demon Lords slithered around like snakes, hunting for openings.

And it wasn’t just weapons flying through those gaps. High-ranking demons of the True Demon Realm were often spellblades, wielding both weapons and magic at superhuman levels.

Most of the magic the Demon Lords used now was dark curses. While weapons could be parried even if they came at awkward angles, curses would instantly consume the body the moment they touched, even a sword.

Unlike Jin, Luna had no immunity to curses, making them especially troublesome. Though she couldn’t discern their exact nature, they were undoubtedly curses enhanced by Jito’s power, and had to be avoided at all costs.

On top of that, Luna had to protect Siris.

‘The best chance is for the First Rider to seize the counterattack opportunity first. That way, I can break through Vice based on that. But can the First Rider do it?’

She didn’t ask Siris directly.

There was no time for even a word of conversation. Siris was drenched in sweat, fending off curses and Kukan’s attacks that pierced through Luna’s protection.

Fortunately, Luna soon realized her worries were unfounded. Before she could dwell on it, Siris created and seized an opening.

The Ice Blade Secret Technique, White.

From the start of the battle, Siris had recognized that he was the key to this fight—faster than Luna herself.

He understood that only by launching a counterattack could Luna move freely.

So Siris had been preparing the secret technique White all along. A simple exchange of blows wouldn’t suffice; he needed a powerful move to momentarily stagger the Demon Lords.

FZZZZZZT!

Suddenly, a towering ice bloom erupted in the center of the battlefield. Kukan, who had been charging relentlessly, dodged aside. The ice bloom ravaged the entire True Demon Realm’s deep sea, yet Luna remained unharmed.

“Go, First Rider!”

“Excellent, First Rider!”

This time, White was larger and sharper than when Siris had used it to kill the generals.

But unlike before, it didn’t silence the enemies all at once. The Demon Lords skillfully avoided the ice bloom, waiting for it to subside. Misol, shouting his name, smashed through the ice with brute force.

“Misol! Misol!”

“Hey, Misol! How can you break that? You should dodge…!”

“You idiot!”

Vice and Kukan shouted in shock at Misol’s terrible judgment. They knew he was dull, but never expected him to fall for such an obvious trap.

Luna ignored Misol, distracted by the ice, and swung her crimson Krantel at Vice.

“Grah!”

Vice reacted just in time to block the Krantel, but the red energy flowing through the blade tore through his body in agony.

‘So this is why Lord Faelito warned me about this power… Damn it, just clashing weapons makes my head spin! And that idiot Misol has been enduring this all along?’

Full power.

There wouldn’t be another chance like this. Siris couldn’t possibly unleash White repeatedly.

So Luna pressed Vice with everything she had. Her decisive moves—Charge, Flash, Meteor Shower, Lightspeed Thrust—came one after another like ordinary strikes. All infused with crimson sword energy.

And Jito’s fragments, in this situation, worked like poison. Jito’s energy reacted to Luna’s crimson power, amplifying Vice’s pain.

Aside from the increased agony, the fragments’ enhancement remained unchanged. But Vice wasn’t very tolerant of enduring pain.

‘This is maddening. Misol needs to keep his wits and help me. Kukan’s eyes are glued to the First Rider… Then at least Tilius!’

Tilius!

Vice barely managed to call his name. Tilius had moved to the opposite side, avoiding the ice bloom, but Vice felt something off.

‘Why didn’t Tilius join me sooner? He could’ve easily dodged the First Rider’s ice and come to back me up!’

Tilius’s response was sluggish, as if he had no intention of saving Vice.

Vice’s mind raced as he was pushed back.

And there was no one in Inse who could face Luna while distracted by ‘other thoughts.’ Not Jin, not even Siron. If they had to face Luna, they’d focus solely on her.

In other words, Vice was practically exposing his neck to Luna.

“Die!”

Luna’s eyes gleamed fiercely as she concentrated crimson sword energy into the Krantel. Vice’s body was already riddled with holes from previous decisive moves and secret techniques, leaving him unable to respond properly.

Naturally, Luna’s strike, charged with her full power, was thousands of times faster than his body’s healing.

The Krantel swung with brutal speed, slicing Vice in two and erasing the fortress behind him without a trace.

The ruler of the True Demon Realm’s Flame Zone, followed by the ruler of the Deep Sea Zone, met their end. As Vice died, the water covering the battlefield vanished without a trace.

‘Phew, one down for now. But this red energy… it’s swirling wildly inside me, like it’s about to go berserk. I’ve never felt anything like this before. Could this be a sign that the number my father mentioned is running out? Though, unlike before, I don’t feel exhausted at all…’

In any case, this wasn’t a situation where they could afford to hold back their red energy while fighting. Even though Vice was dead, the other three were still fully intact. Especially Misol—she had been facing Luna, who was wrapped in red energy, head-on the entire time, and despite having just shattered the Ice Flower, she showed no sign of fatigue.

“First, I need to protect the Small Palace Lord again. I’ve unleashed the full extent of my secret technique, so I probably won’t have the strength to properly block Kukan’s attacks anymore.”

The Ice Flower was fading. The Demon Lords were closing in on Siris, and Luna hesitated for a moment, trying to decide which side to break through.

Just as she was about to choose, Luna’s eyes widened in shock.

“Huh?”

Thud—!

Tilius’s sword had pierced straight through Kukan’s back.