Chapter 21: Am I Qualified Now?

As her words fell, Eileen's next strike appeared above the Shadow Demon, lashing down fiercely.

The Shadow Demon might still be digesting the Succubus's previous sentence.

Caught somewhat off guard, she didn't manage to dodge in time.

Sherman took the blow from Eileen's whip hard. Her body was instantly sent flying by the tremendous force of the whip, crashing into the cave wall with a loud boom, causing a large amount of dust to fly.

Such a disturbance naturally alarmed the other Shadow Demons in the cave.

Thinking it was an enemy attack, they hurried over to check, but when they saw it was Eileen, they became confused and stood frozen in place, not knowing what to do.

'Could there be a conflict among the Apostles?'

Such things had happened in the history of the demon race.

Clearly, this was beyond their level of involvement.

Thus, a clever Shadow Demon quickly prepared to go to the Demon King's palace to report the incident and seek a solution.

However,

"Stop."

Eileen lashed her whip right in front of the Shadow Demon who was about to report.

Nearly scaring the demon out of its wits.

After all, the whip was only a few centimeters away from him.

Had the strike truly hit him, seeing the rocks shattered by the whip nearby, the Shadow Demon could somewhat understand what would have happened to it.

Just as this Shadow Demon was struggling, hesitating between the importance of his life and the importance of reporting, fortunately, another voice sounded.

"You all, retreat."

"Eileen is just sparring with me"

Sherman emerged from the rubble.

She stopped her own kin.

Although the sight of Eileen's whip sending her flying into the wall looked terrifying, from Sherman's current appearance, there was no sign of injury.

With their leader speaking, the Shadow Demons that had come hurriedly did not interfere further and quickly left, keeping their distance as if making room for the two high-ranking Apostles.

Finally, the cave returned to a brief silence.

Only Sherman and Eileen remained.

"Am I to understand that you're angry at me?" Sherman was the first to speak.

Seeing that Eileen didn't respond.

Sherman thought the Succubus hadn't understood.

Her expression was indeed unclear, so the Shadow Demon further elaborated: "Is it because the Demon King chose me and not y…?"

*Whoosh!*

Sherman's words hadn't even finished when an even more fierce and surging whip lashed towards her position.

Clearly showing its owner's rage.

However, this time, Sherman didn't dodge or take the hit.

From under the Shadow Demon's cloak, a vast expanse of shadows spread out instantly, quickly coalescing behind Sherman, forming a huge shadow hand.

Sherman was not to be underestimated.

The shadow hand met Eileen's lashing Thorn Whip head-on, and at the next moment, very precisely caught the trajectory of the whip in the fast-moving whip shadow, grabbing it and stopping the Succubus's attack abruptly.

At the same time, Sherman's ever indifferent voice echoed in the cave.

"I'm sorry, Eileen."

"But this is the Demon King's decision."

"If you have objections, you should take them up with his majesty, not me."

Sherman's "I'm sorry" did not ease the tension.

On the contrary.

Seeing her attack suppressed.

Eileen increased her intensity.

The Thorny Whip, now held by the shadow hand, suddenly surged with pink flames.

The pink flame devoured the shadow, and in a moment, it completely burned and consumed the entire shadow hand, breaking free.

The Thorny Whip, now enchanted with pink flames, was swung by Eileen again, attacking the Shadow Demon.

Did Eileen not know Sherman's suggestion?

She had previously been asking Reji oblique questions.

Unfortunately, Reji's attitude was very firm.

Eileen then gave up, only able to direct all her resentment for not being able to follow by her king's side onto the Shadow Demon.

This is the difference between demons and humans.

Unhappy with you.

No nonsense.

Direct action.

"His Majesty's safety is above all else. If you do not have the power to protect the Demon king, I will start the council again to have his majesty change the plan."

Eileen found herself a legitimate reason.

But it's not to say that.

This is indeed one of the main reasons she came to the Shadow Demon.

To test whether Sherman is qualified to protect the demon king.

And upon hearing Eileen say this, Sherman, who was originally indifferent as if humoring Eileen, changed instantly.

Because the nature changed.

The former could be seen as her, as a senior, taking care of Eileen, the new generation's emotions, after all, she, and all other apostles, actually owe Eileen.

But after the Succubus's words.

*Buzz!*

The entire cave's shadows seemed to tremble, and the environment darkened a bit.

Sherman's aura began to rise rapidly, the shadows under her feet turned pitch black like ink, spreading from the ground to the entire cave wall behind her, eventually condensing into a terrifying shadow giant behind her.

Without a word, the guardian shadow giant, under Sherman's control, rushed towards the location of the Succubus with its huge gigantic body.

The shadow giant seemed intangible, but every step it took echoed in the cave like muffled thunder, making the ground tremble. Its pitch-black hand was larger than Eileen herself, grabbing at Eileen like catching an ant.

Eileen was not to be outdone. The Succubus wings on her back instantly spread out, and even in the narrow terrain of the cave, she dodged the shadow giant's palms with the agility of a butterfly.

Dodging was not the goal. Eileen, seizing the opportunity during one of the shadow giant's rigid attacks, the thorny whip burning with pink flames reappeared in her hand. Positioned behind the shadow giant, the Succubus aimed at the giant's neck, the long whip whistling out, wrapping tightly around the giant's neck in an instant.

"Ahhhh!!"

The shadow giant immediately roared in anger, but with its neck tightly bound by the long whip, it could only rage impotently, attempting to tear off the whip from its neck.

But it was too late. Under Eileen's control, the thorny whip suddenly tightened, the burning pink flames on the whip incessantly scorching the shadow giant's entire body.

Finally, the whip tightened to its limit, completely strangling the shadow giant to death, with the pink flames completely consuming the huge giant. The shadow giant created by Sherman could no longer hold up and collapsed with a bang.

'Is this it?'

Eileen was just feeling proud, but the next moment, the smile on the Succubus's face froze. She looked down at her own ground, where her shadow... was gone.

"You lost"

With Sherman's usual Emotionless voice sounding in her ear, Eileen found herself completely immobilized, unable to move at all.

The Succubus then realized that the shadow giant was just a diversion to shift her attention.

Sherman's real target was her shadow.

The Shadow Demon, appearing behind Eileen at some point, moved to the front of the immobilized Succubus, alongside Sherman, and also Eileen's "captured" shadow.

Once a high-ranking Shadow Demon touches the enemy's actual shadow, the battle is undoubtedly over.

The victor is decided.

Sherman returns Eileen's shadow.

The Succubus then regained control of her body.

However, the unconvinced Eileen, like a rebellious girl throwing a tantrum, wanted to continue the fight.

But it seemed Sherman had anticipated this. Before the Succubus could react, several shadow hands shot out from behind Sherman, pressing Eileen firmly against the cave wall, rendering her struggles futile.

Calmly watching, the Succubus once again suppressed and unable to move.

Sherman, with her usual emotionless voice said:

"Eileen."

"Now that you see my power with your own eyes. Am I qualified?"