Useless
Sylara muttered to Akira, her voice steady but edged with urgency. "I'll distract him. You take the final blow, okay? I trust you to finish it."
Akira gave a slight nod, his white eyes gleaming with quiet resolve.
Boom!
Sylara launched forward in a blur, closing the gap between her and the demonic human with blinding speed. The underground parking lot trembled under the sheer force of their clash as they exchanged rapid blows. Each strike sent shockwaves rippling through the air, metal groaning under the pressure of their battle.
The demonic human sneered, effortlessly parrying her attacks. "You really think you're strong enough to hold my attention?"
Sylara's violet eyes widened in frustration. Her grip on the Panthosword tightened as she aimed a vicious slash at his arm—only for the wound to heal instantly, as if it had never existed.
"Skill: Crying Flower—Active."
A magnificent, ethereal purple flower bloomed behind her, its petals glowing with an otherworldly radiance. The moment it fully formed, it scattered, the petals transforming into countless razor-sharp projectiles that rained down on the demonic human.
SHHHK! SHHHK! SHHHK!
Each petal sliced into his flesh mercilessly, yet his body continued to regenerate, knitting itself back together almost instantly.
Sylara's frustration boiled over. "Never in my entire career as a STAR have I faced an opponent who made me feel this insignificant! You bastard!"
The demonic human let out a twisted, mocking laugh. "Hahaha! It's not that you're weak… I'm just too strong for you, loser."
The demonic human only laughed, his voice rich with condescension. "Hahaha! It's not that you're weak—I'm just too strong for you, bitch." He tilted his head mockingly, his smirk widening. "To think an A-Rank like you manages a big guild like Silver Aegis… I guess connections mean everything nowadays, huh?"
Sylara's jaw clenched, her fury reaching its peak. "You damn bastard—"
But before she could finish, a sudden blur passed her.
A gust of wind lifted her silver hair as Akira moved like a phantom, appearing beside her in an instant.
"Shut up."
His voice was dangerously low, edged with finality. His glowing white eyes locked onto the demonic human, the sheer pressure of his presence sending an unspoken message.
"You talk too much for someone who's going to die."
White lightning crackled around him, raw power coiling through his muscles, ready to strike. The air trembled under his overwhelming energy—his mere stance exuding lethal intent.
The demonic human sighed, almost lazily. "I was trying to have some fun, but I suppose I'll just have to make you regret those words."
Then—he vanished.
A dense wave of black energy swallowed him whole, his form vanishing into the shadows—only to reappear in an instant, his fist crashing into Sylara's stomach with brutal force.
"GAH—!"
Her body rocketed backward, slamming into the underground parking lot with an earsplitting crash. Blood splattered from her mouth, staining the cracked pavement beneath her. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the area, dust and debris rising like a storm.
In the same instant, the demonic human appeared behind Akira.
Akira turned his head sharply, his glowing white eyes locking onto the figure emerging from the darkness.
His crimson eyes locked onto him. "Too slow."
Boom!
His strike connected, sending Akira hurtling through the air like a meteor. He crashed through debris, the sheer force of the blow causing the entire underground structure to tremble.
The dust settled.
The demonic human stood at the center of the battlefield, his smirk returning, his aura pulsing with dark, oppressive energy.
He exhaled slowly, lifting his head.
"I have a purpose for coming here." His gaze flickered with amusement as he watched Akira and Sylara struggle to rise. "Now I need to decide… you, or the task?"
A wicked smile stretched across his lips as he took a step forward.
Akira and Sylara struggled to their feet, their bodies aching from the relentless onslaught. Blood dripped from Sylara's lips, her breathing uneven, while Akira clenched his fists, forcing his body to move despite the dull pain spreading through his ribs.
Akira's mind raced.
"How do I deal with him?"
Maybe Sylara and the other Stars can't sense the power of a demonic human... but I can. I don't know why, but I can—and it's not because of the system.
When the demonic human revealed his true nature, Akira had instinctively used his system to scan him. But the results had been... disturbing.
[Scan Incomplete][Warning: Unable to analyze energy. Insufficient data.]
That was it. No level. No attributes. Nothing.
"But now... now that I've activated Soul Infusion—my eyes are clear as crystal."
"I can see it. That energy in him… It's not just strong—it's overwhelming. Wild. Chaotic.It's bigger than mine. Bigger than Sylara's. Bigger than both of us combined."
"We don't stand a chance."
"But I do have one thing that can kill him."
White Lightning.
"I need to find an opening. Now." Before his Soul Infusion ran out. Before Sylara collapsed from exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Sylara's mind raced with frustration.
"We can't beat him. Not like this."
"Why are my members taking so damn long? Where the hell are Anna and Grido? Why isn't backup here yet?!"
She clenched her fists.
"If not for the White Lightning, this bastard would've already torn us apart. The only reason he hasn't rushed in and slaughtered us is because he's wary of that power."
Akira lunged, his form a blur, launching into another fierce exchange of blows.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
His fists were precise, fueled by desperation and fury, but the demonic human dodged with effortless grace, weaving through his attacks with a smirk.
"Oh? Getting desperate, are we?" he sneered, sidestepping a thrust from Akira.
"That's cute. You think throwing yourself at me like this will change the outcome?"
Akira pivoted, aiming a blinding White Lightning-infused punch, but the demonic human ducked at the last second, tapping his fingers against Akira's shoulder mockingly.
"Too slow."
A sudden knee drove into Akira's stomach.
"Too weak."
Akira grunted, staggering back, but Sylara immediately closed the gap, slashing at him with the Panthosword.
He caught the blade between his fingers.
Sylara's eyes widened in shock.
"Tch. Is this all an A-Rank can do?" He twisted his grip, wrenching the sword from her hands and shoving her backward with enough force to send her skidding across the ruined pavement.
"Pathetic."
Sylara spat blood, coughing violently as she forced herself up.
Akira, gritting his teeth, rushed again—this time with even more speed, white lightning crackling violently around him.
The demonic human sighed, feigning boredom as he continued to dodge every single attack with ease.
"This is getting embarrassing. You keep throwing yourself at me, but what do you hope to achieve?" He tilted his head mockingly. "Are you waiting for a miracle? Praying your little team finally arrives?"
His eyes flickered with amusement.
"News flash—they aren't coming."
Sylara's stomach twisted at his words, but she refused to believe it.
Akira launched another white lightning strike, but the demonic human simply vanished—reappearing behind him in an instant.
"You're too slow, White Eyes." His voice dripped with mockery.
"What's wrong? That fancy lightning of yours not helping you aim?"
A savage kick slammed into Akira's back, sending him crashing into a crumbling car.
Sylara charged, but the demonic human grabbed her wrist mid-swing, twisting it sharply. A sickening crack filled the air, and she cried out in pain before he ruthlessly slammed his fist into her gut, sending her sprawling across the concrete.
The two of them lay there, battered and bleeding, struggling to rise once more.
Then—
RUMBLE.
The entire dungeon vibrated.
Cracks splintered through the walls. The air itself grew heavier, charged with something unnatural.
The demonic human exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
"Tch. You wasted my time."
He glanced toward the ceiling, his expression hardening. "And now... I don't have much of it left."
His gaze fell back to them, his playful smirk vanished.