'Gwoooo!'

The Greater Demon made the first move.

It charged at us with a speed that seemed impossible for its massive body.

"Fast!?"

Its body, though large, was still smaller compared to the Hydra. Yet, that smaller frame was filled with energy on par with the Hydra. Its speed and power far exceeded what we had imagined.

But—

"Flare, I'm counting on you!"

"Haahhh!"

Flare wasn’t outmatched by its speed. On the contrary, the agility she awakened during the Hydra fight greatly outstripped that of the Greater Demon.

She was the first to intercept the demon, stepping in front of it and swinging her longsword with all her might.

The next moment, the sharp sound of metal rang out across the battlefield.

The Greater Demon had caught Flare’s sword with its claws.

"Damn, it's tough!"

'That level of strength is nothing to me!'

The sheer durability of its body was shocking. Even Flare’s powerful strike couldn’t break through.

But thanks to her attack, the demon's movements were halted for a moment. In this pause, her power could shine.

"Don’t get distracted."

'Muu!?'

Before the demon could react, Tetra’s voice rang out. She had already slipped into its blind spot.

This brief stillness gave Tetra the chance to strike despite her slower speed.

"Now, Tetra!"

"Take this!"

'Gah!'

With a spirited shout, Tetra delivered a punch to the demon’s abdomen with all her might.

A heavy thud echoed as the demon was blown backward.

"Nice one, Tetra!"

"Thanks, Flare."

Flare and Tetra exchanged a high-five. Their satisfaction with the blow was evident even from afar.

The proof was in the Greater Demon itself. Though it managed to land and steady itself, its abdomen was visibly caved in. If it had been a human opponent, such an attack would have ruptured their internal organs, leaving them incapacitated.

But that was only if the opponent were human.

'That attack hurt... but it won’t be enough to defeat me.'

"Self-recovery, huh."

The Greater Demon’s injuries healed in mere seconds. Without a holy magic-infused attack, it seemed it could regenerate almost instantly.

This opponent was more troublesome than we’d anticipated. Still, we had the upper hand in pure combat ability. There had to be a way to win.

That belief was shattered in the next moment.

'You fools, don’t think you’ve won!'

"What!?"

With a roar, the Greater Demon launched a counterattack. This time, its speed was on an entirely different level.

A massive swing came for Flare, and she barely managed to block it. But the assault didn’t stop there.

'Not yet!'

"Ugh! Consecutive strikes!?"

"It’s too fast. There’s no chance to counterattack."

The demon unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, relying purely on its immense physical prowess rather than any technique. Flare and Tetra struggled just to hold their ground.

Watching them, Shion laughed triumphantly.

"Ahaha! Surprised? Right after evolving into a Greater Demon, its movements were sluggish because its body hadn’t adjusted to the influx of magic. Now that it has, you’re up against my ever-growing servant. Just give up already!"

"You mean it wasn’t even using its full strength yet...!?"

This information was too grave to ignore.

Flare and Tetra were barely managing to keep up together. If the demon became any stronger, their balance would collapse in an instant.

We needed to act quickly.

I exhaled deeply.

"Lycia."

"Yes, Master?"

"Cover us with Inferno of Envy and stay vigilant. There's a chance reinforcements might arrive."

"Understood. But what will you do, Master?"

"I’ll use that on Flare and Tetra."

"Y-you mean that!?"

Lycia’s eyes widened in surprise. Her reaction was justified. What I was about to attempt wasn’t yet perfected, far from being reliable in actual combat.

But given the circumstances, it was our only choice.

"Using it requires all my focus. The rest will be in your hands, Lycia."

"…Hmph."

"Lycia?"

Lycia puffed her cheeks slightly, seeming dissatisfied. Was she upset about my risky decision?

"I understand your reasoning, Master. But what I dislike is that you’ll use that on Flare and Tetra alone. I also want to deepen my bond with you!"

"I-I see."

Her unexpected reasoning threw me off for a moment, but it seemed she had no issue with my plan.

The technique I was about to use was designed for frontline fighters. Using it on Lycia, who fought from the rear, would only backfire.

It seemed Lycia understood that as well.

Returning to her serious demeanor, she spoke with determination.

"I'm partly joking, but rest assured, I’m not so childish as to prioritize my desires in such a dire situation. Leave everything else to me, Master."

"Thank you, Lycia. I knew I could rely on you."

"! Yes, absolutely! I must show Master how dependable I am!"

With her spirits high, Lycia seemed more than capable of handling the task. I turned my gaze back to Flare and Tetra.

As Shion had said, the Greater Demon was now fully adjusted to its power, forcing the two of them into a disadvantage.

Now, it was my turn to change the tide.

"Flare, Tetra! I’m using that! Get ready!"

"Understood! Do it!"

"Roger. I’ll do my best."

With their resolve bolstering me, I dove into deep concentration.