“Damn it! How is this possible? How can this demon still survive after Luna and I unleashed our relentless, powerful attacks?”
Valen stood up with a gasp, gripping his chest in pain as he stared in astonishment at Heidel, who was tens of meters away.
For nearly an hour, he and Luna had fought against Heidel, but they had utterly failed to defeat him.
In that moment, his once proud and arrogant demeanor had vanished, replaced by a pitiful appearance.
The armor covering his body was shattered, exposing half of his broad chest, where a deep black slash extended all the way down to his abdomen, creating a horrifying sight for anyone who saw it.
Additional slashes ran from his neck to his chest, with fresh red blood still clearly visible.
In his entire life, Valen had never encountered such a horrifying condition; even during his fierce battles with Leon, the injuries he sustained had never been as terrifying as this.
“It’s truly surprising that the Demon race has a figure as powerful as him. If Jim hadn’t told me he’s an arch-demon, I might have thought he was the Demon Emperor,” Valen muttered, his expression heavy.
At the start of the war, he and the other leaders of humanity’s army—Guren, Rain, and Natasya—had believed Heidel was the Demon Emperor of this era. They were convinced by the extremely powerful and threatening aura he exuded, even while standing still.
However, when Jim informed him that Heidel was actually an arch-demon who had aided the previous Demon Emperor, Gerald Crimson, against the three heroes of mankind, he finally understood that Heidel was not the Demon Emperor of this era.
“If this demon is so powerful on his own, what must the Demon Emperor be like?” The thought sent a shiver down Valen’s spine.
In that moment, he understood why Leon, despite his immense strength, could die at the hands of the Demon Emperor of this era.
“How horrifying…” Valen whispered, his voice filled with frustration.
“Valen, do you still have any strength left?” Luna’s cold, indifferent voice broke through the haze, tinged with exhaustion.
He turned to her and saw that she was in equally dire condition. Deep gashes marred her arms and legs, staining her beautiful white skin.
Her armor robe bore severe cracks across her stomach and chest, but it remained intact, preventing her body from being fully exposed.
He wasn’t sure if it was coincidence, but when Heidel attacked Luna, his strikes seemed less vicious than those aimed at him. This made Valen question whether Heidel was showing favoritism, perhaps holding back his attacks on Luna because she was a woman while intensifying his on him simply because he was a man.
Snapping out of his reverie, Valen gave a small nod, though he couldn’t hide his dull expression.
“I still have some strength left to fight, but my holy power is nearly depleted,” he admitted in a low tone.
Using a holy weapon while consecutively activating hero techniques had left him utterly exhausted and significantly depleted his holy power.
Even with the baptism of the Transcendent Night, which had boosted his holy power and combat strength, he still felt overwhelming fatigue after fighting Heidel non-stop.
Luna’s expression turned grim upon hearing his words. She fell silent for a moment, deep in thought, before taking a deep breath and looking at Valen with a serious gaze.
“With your remaining strength, can you use the ultimate technique?” Luna asked cautiously.
“Ultimate technique?” Valen gasped in shock.
As the name implies, the ultimate technique is an exceptionally powerful skill that falls under the category of hero techniques. However, unlike ordinary hero techniques, the ultimate technique possesses an immensely destructive explosive power.
At the same time, it consumes an enormous amount of holy power—approximately one-fourth of his total capacity.
Such a significant drain compelled him to contemplate the decision countless times before committing to its use. If it weren’t for the life-and-death situation they faced, he would never dare to employ it.
“Are you planning to launch a decisive attack on that demon? You realize this is a gamble, right? If we fail, we risk our lives, and the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers could be lost because of our decision,” Valen remarked heavily, displaying a seriousness he had never shown before.
Though he typically exuded indifference and recklessness, he knew better than to be careless in such a dire situation.
Luna’s expression remained unchanged; she simply sighed and offered a slight nod.
“I understand, but this is the only way we can defeat him,” she replied briefly.
She had already considered this and believed it was their best option.
Valen hesitated, lowering his gaze in thought. After a few moments, he looked up and spoke with resolve.
“Let’s do it then,” he said nonchalantly.
While Valen and Luna devised their plan, Heidel, standing tens of meters away, regarded his scarred body with calm indifference.
His once-dashing figure now appeared severely damaged; his left hand had been lost to Valen’s earlier attack, and large wounds marred his chest, stomach, arms, and legs, creating a gruesome sight. The left side of his stomach was perforated, leaving only the right side intact.
Although he had managed to hold his ground against Valen and Luna, the wounds he sustained from their attacks had taken a significant toll on his body.
Yet Heidel showed no sign of pain, as if the horrific injuries were inconsequential to him.
His focus was solely on the strange, red, tree root-shaped mark that had begun to spread across his body.
“Is this really the end?” he muttered with a soft sigh.
The technique he was employing was known as “demon transformation,” one of the forbidden arts of the Demon race.
This technique granted the wielder immense power, rendering them nearly invincible.
Historically, it was said to have been created by the eighth Demon Emperor, Magnus Crimson, who maximized a Demon’s potential to its utmost limit.
While it sounded formidable, it carried a devastating flaw: it consumed the wielder’s lifespan.
Each time the technique was invoked, five years of life would be sacrificed as compensation. Due to this horrific requirement, the technique is classified as forbidden.
Additionally, using this technique leads to side effects, including weakened senses, damage to internal organs, and various other adverse consequences.
In the battles against the three heroes of the previous era, he had employed this technique dozens of times, sacrificing nearly a hundred years of his original lifespan.
Had the Demon Emperor of the previous era, Gerald Crimson, not intervened, he would have perished alongside the Emperor and the arch-demons of that time.
*Boom!*
Just then, a massive explosion erupted in front of him, snapping Heidel out of his reverie.
He turned to the source of the noise and saw two tornadoes spinning at breakneck speed. Within them stood two familiar figures—Valen and Luna.
After a brief moment of surprise, a faint smile spread across his lips, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It seems they’re really going all out this time,” he murmured calmly.
The sight of the two tornadoes stunned not only Heidel but also the entire army from both races.
“Damn it! What’s happening?” One soldier shouted in fear.
“I don’t know, but I feel an overwhelming pressure coming from them,” his companion replied.
Lilith, Garan, and Terran, who were far from the battle area, were instantly startled and turned their heads toward the tornadoes in unison.
Their expressions froze, and their eyes widened in horror as they exclaimed, “What are those?”
***
“Valen, are you ready?” Luna asked in a cold tone.
Valen nodded slowly and replied flatly, “I’m ready.”
Immediately, they both closed their eyes together.
*Buzz!*
A white star mark suddenly appeared on their foreheads, radiating brightly.
Moments later, they opened their eyes, and dazzling white light shot forth from both of them.
Luna raised the Holy Bow of Celestial Frost in her right hand and slowly pulled back the bowstring.
*Buzz!*
A dark blue arrow glowing with a bright blue light gradually took shape, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet.
Behind her, a giant, unicorn-shaped avatar suddenly materialized, its pointed horn thrust forward haughtily as it raised its front right paw as if preparing to attack.
Meanwhile, Valen firmly grasped the Holy Spear of the Soaring Dragon in his right hand and thrust it forward.
*Buzz!*
A bright red light burst from the Holy Spear of the Soaring Dragon, and an enormous red dragon avatar appeared behind him.
*Roar!*
The dragon avatar unleashed a thunderous roar, sending forth a terrifying shockwave.
Valen and Luna inhaled softly before simultaneously shouting, “Ultimate Technique: Eternal Blizzard! (Ultimate Technique: Flame Dragon Piercer!)”
*Whoosh!*
Luna and Valen unleashed their attacks in unison, and the two giant avatars surged toward Heidel.
With each passing attack, the space around them quaked violently, conjuring a devastating sandstorm that scorched everything in its vicinity.
Facing the terrifying attacks, Heidel’s expression remained unchanged; he simply smiled calmly and sighed softly.
“Your Majesty Gerald, I have fulfilled the duty you entrusted to me of watching over Young Lady Liliana until she could stand on her own,” he whispered softly. “She is no longer the little girl who needs constant protection; she has grown into a formidable Demon Emperor like you. Therefore, it is time for me to join you and the other arch-demons who have already departed.”
After a brief pause, a stern expression crossed his face as he turned his attention to the two attacks.
“But before that, let me demonstrate my final loyalty!”
*Whoosh!*
An overwhelming surge of Demonic Power erupted from his body, causing slight cracks to appear on Heidel’s body.
He clenched his right fist and thrust it forward.
“Seven Techniques of Hell: The Hand of Chaos!”
