CHAPTER 17: DEMON LORD 2

 "I will teach you some manners today and make you taste defeat," Hazel declared to the demon lord general.

The general, barely able to stand, struggled to speak, his jaw shattered by Hazel's attack.

"Don't worry, I will end you quickly so the pain can end," Hazel said as he confidently approached the broken demon, his lemon-colored hair and eyes radiating power.

Knowing his end was near, the demon lord general, with a desperate surge of adrenaline, fled with what little speed his ravaged body could muster. He covered a significant distance in mere seconds.

Looking back to gauge his escape, the general was horrified to find himself still in the exact same spot. "What? How is this possible?" he thought frantically.

He ran again, pushing his broken body to its limit. This time, it felt like he had gained considerable ground. He dared to glance back – nothing.

I escaped! he thought triumphantly. But as he looked forward, Hazel stood before him. He whipped around – still in the same place.

"Do you really think you can escape your doom?" Hazel's voice echoed in the general's mind.

"Let me go, please!" the general pleaded telepathically. "I promise not to hurt any human again. Please have mercy!"

"Your doom is nigh," Hazel said aloud, his grip tightening on the general's neck.

[Your illusion creation, which is now Soul Torment, has driven the target to craze.]

[Target will die in 15 seconds.]

The general was now kneeling, lost within the horrifying illusions of Hazel's Soul Torment.

"Alexa, can you stand?" Hazel asked, turning to the injured assassin.

"Yeah," Alexa replied, struggling to her feet.

"Finish him," Hazel commanded.

With only three seconds remaining on the Soul Torment countdown, Alexa called out, "Shadow Eater!" The general's shadow rose like a monstrous entity and devoured his head.

Alexa leveled up, her wounds instantly healing.

"Everyone who is still alive, head to the battlefield and level up immediately!" Hazel ordered, his form shifting back to normal.

The survivors rushed towards the ongoing battle.

Hazel stood before the fallen, a silent sob tearing through him. He had always acted distant, but his harshness was a desperate attempt to make them strong enough to survive. I promise I won't let this happen to anyone else, he vowed internally.

--Boom--

A violent explosion echoed from the battlefield. Hazel, sensing a powerful and unfamiliar aura, sped towards the source.

He arrived to a devastating scene. Most of his people lay brutally attacked and beaten by a strange, powerful figure. The elite masters fought valiantly to protect them, but the new enemy effortlessly evaded their attacks, focusing on the weaker individuals.

Rage, cold and potent, surged through Hazel. He instantly shifted into his god-like form, raising his hands towards the enemy. He clenched his fists, and the enemy clutched his chest, blood gushing from his mouth before he collapsed dead.

[You have successfully destroyed a player's heart.]

[Achievement unlocked]

[Your achievement is the Heart Destroyer.]

~ Warning Warning Warning ~

The system's urgent warnings blared in their minds.

[The Demon Lord has entered your world.]

[This might be too early, but if you cannot defeat him, your world will belong to him and everything in it.]

Hovering in the sky, a figure resembling a human spoke, his voice resonating with immense power. "Hear me, people of Earth! Surrender the one who killed my general and attacked me in the demon world, and I might consider sparing your lives."

Hazel, his god-like form still radiating power, ascended to meet him in the air. "Leave now, and I might consider sparing your life and the lives of your subordinates."

"So, it was you," the Demon Lord stated, his gaze fixed on Hazel.

"Leave—" Hazel began, but before he could finish, the Demon Lord moved with unimaginable speed, striking Hazel in the stomach with a devastating knee strike.

Hazel coughed up blood, the force of the blow staggering him. He had momentarily let his guard down, focusing on intimidation.

Instantly, Hazel summoned his dual scythes, attempting to capitalize on the Demon Lord's close proximity.

The Demon Lord dodged with incredible speed, evading the attack. "I thought I was going to be entertained by you, but it seems I was wrong. You are too weak."

"I can't believe you defeated that general," the Demon Lord said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Become my new general, and I will forget all you have done. First, destroy these people," he gestured towards Hazel's fallen allies, "and then help me take over this world."

"Like hell I will join you!" Hazel roared, his anger boiling over. "You will die if you dare touch any more of my people!"

"Oh, I see," the Demon Lord said, and in a blink, he vanished, reappearing behind Hazel's fallen comrades. He casually swung his hand, and a massive explosion ripped through the group.

"Nooo! I'll kill you, you bastard!" Hazel screamed, his body trembling with rage.

With blinding speed, Hazel lunged at the Demon Lord, unleashing a furious barrage of attacks. But the Demon Lord dodged each strike with effortless ease.

"Oh, come on, you can try better than that," the Demon Lord taunted, disappearing and reappearing to strike down more of Hazel's people.

"No! Leave them out of this! Fight me instead!" Hazel pleaded, but the Demon Lord ignored him.

Not even Ashton, with his limited precognition, could evade the Demon Lord's attacks, nor could the lightning-fast Darwin. The Demon Lord systematically beat them all, leaving them struggling for their lives. Everyone was down except Blossom.

Hazel, in a desperate move, raced towards Blossom, throwing his arm out to shield her. But with horrifying speed, the Demon Lord's hand pierced through Blossom's stomach.