“Luna, now is the time!”
Valen’s shout rang out, startling Heidel, who was preparing to attack. But before he could react, a terrifying phenomenon unfolded.
The dark sky grew even darker as black, heavy clouds gathered, blocking the fading light. Red lightning bolts suddenly erupted, crackling with a thunderous roar and striking fear into all who witnessed them.
Moments later, shards of ice began to fall, and the temperature within a two hundred-meter radius plummeted.
Heidel took in the unfolding changes, his expression growing increasingly serious.
“This is…” Heidel muttered, about to analyze the situation when a massive explosion suddenly resounded from above.
He looked up to see the black clouds that had gathered, spinning into a terrifying vortex. At its center, a tiny spark of white light flickered and hurtled toward him at incredible speed.
Heidel’s eyes widened as he felt an intense threat emanating from the light. Without hesitation, he stepped back, raising his right hand.
With a clenched palm, a massive black hand materialized from the void and surged toward the approaching light.
The two forces collided, unleashing a powerful sandstorm and a deafening explosion.
Valen and Heidel, standing close to the center of the blast, shielded their eyes with their arms against the swirling sand.
As the sandstorm slowly subsided, a delicate yet icy voice pierced through the silence.
“Tsk! To think you’d get caught like this, Valen. No wonder you’re always losing to Leon. You truly are pathetic.”
Valen’s expression hardened instantly at her words as he glared at the beautiful woman now standing before him, clad in bluish-white armor.
“Are you mocking me, Luna?” He asked coldly, his irritation evident.
Luna met his gaze with an indifferent yet mocking expression and replied lightly, “Isn’t that how it is?”
As the Spear Hero of Mankind, he held a proud nature, often looking down on those weaker than him, like Guren. But his crushing defeat in battle with Heidel had left him feeling humiliated and resentful.
Luna’s taunt, especially with the mention of Leon, struck at his already fractured pride, leaving him feeling even more humiliated.
Luna shook her head, feeling too lazy to continue arguing with Valen. She soon shifted her gaze toward Heidel, who stood hundreds of meters away.
“So, he is the arch-demon leading the Demon army, huh?” She mused inwardly, taking in Heidel’s imposing figure from head to toe.
This was her first time encountering Heidel in person, and she hadn’t expected him to appear so intimidating.
Heidel stood tall, with pitch-black skin and blood-red eyes that were frightening to behold.
His words caused Luna’s eyebrows to raise slightly, and she narrowed her eyes as she studied Heidel.
“His transformation mode? No wonder I sense such a terrifying and dangerous aura from him,” she muttered quietly, heightening her alertness.
Even standing still, Heidel exuded a profound threat with his aura, a testament to the terrifying power he possessed.
Valen smiled faintly at her observation, his previously shattered pride beginning to mend.
Though he wasn’t entirely sure if the Heidel before him was stronger than Leon, he sensed that the gap in their power wasn’t too vast.
Luna didn’t respond to Valen’s statement, but the change in her expression indicated her agreement.
Meanwhile, Heidel noticed Luna and raised an eyebrow in slight surprise before breaking into a faint smile.
“Are you the Bow Hero of this era? Impressive! Your abilities are remarkable, and you’re certainly not inferior to your predecessor, who was also a woman,” he said calmly, surprising Luna.
“My predecessor? Did you know her?” Luna asked hesitantly.
Heidel nodded slightly, replying casually, “Of course I know her. In fact, I’ve fought hundreds of battles against her and two other heroes of mankind.”
Luna’s eyes widened in surprise, and before she could fully process this information, Valen’s voice came from beside her.
“He’s an arch-demon who has lived since the era of the heroes before us. In a sense, he’s an ancient being,” Valen explained quietly, though his voice carried an unmistakable hint of horror.
Fighting a powerful being who had lived for hundreds of years was something he had never anticipated. Moreover, this figure was well-acquainted with him and the hero techniques he wielded.
Luna took a deep breath, her expression shifting to one of seriousness.
“In that case, we can’t let him remain any longer. If we do, the gains we’ve made on the battlefield could be lost,” she stated coldly.
Valen nodded in agreement and prepared to attack Heidel but suddenly paused when Heidel posed a surprising question.
“Bow Hero, may I ask you something? I’m curious about your relationship with the sword hero, Leon Kruger. Are you on good terms with him?” Heidel inquired casually.
Upon hearing this, Luna felt a surge of shock and stared at Heidel in astonishment.
“What is your purpose in asking this?” she demanded, her eyes growing cold as a strong killing intent subconsciously coalesced around her.
She hadn’t forgotten that Leon had been declared dead because of the Demon Emperor. Her hatred for the Demons burned fiercely, fueling her desire for revenge.
Heidel showed no signs of flinching at the killing intent emanating from Luna and smiled lightly.
“You don’t need to know. I’m simply interested in your answer,” he said indifferently.
Luna frowned slightly but chose not to press further, giving a small nod instead.
“I have a good relationship with him,” she replied curtly.
Heidel was momentarily taken aback before chuckling softly and smiling mysteriously.
“In that case, I’ll hold back,” he murmured quietly.
Valen and Luna, unable to hear Heidel’s murmurs, exchanged confused glances. Before they could react, Heidel, who had been hundreds of meters away, suddenly teleported to just half a meter in front of Valen.
With a clenched right fist, he delivered a powerful punch to Valen’s chest.
Luna was taken aback by the sudden attack and immediately drew her bowstring. But before she could release her arrow, Heidel spun around and kicked her hard in the stomach.
Luna was propelled backward for several meters, finally coming to a stop when her back slammed into a massive rock.
“Pufft!” The force of the kick and the impact against the rock sent sharp pain coursing through her body.
Fortunately, her body had been baptized with holy power, allowing the pain to gradually subside.
In that moment, Heidel’s indifferent and dismissive voice echoed in her and Valen’s ears.
“Come on! Show me everything you’ve got!”
