Chapter 78

The evacuation of the mall was in full swing, with the heroes clearing out lower-ranked demons outside. Zoth and Maria pressed forward, the intensity of their attacks carving through the swarms like a scythe through grass. The acrid stench of burnt flesh and sulfur filled the air as demon after demon fell under their relentless assault.

But the demons didn't stop coming. They were endless, a tide of malice that only seemed to grow stronger.

"Zoth!" Maria called out, her voice barely audible over the chaos. "Why are we heading this way?"

Zoth slashed through a cluster of demons and shouted back, "Because I sense a greater energy source! Something powerful is controlling them. We need to stop it before things spiral further out of control!"

Maria nodded, gripping her shotgun tighter. But the swarm refused to relent, forcing them into a brutal struggle just to move forward.

"Why are there so many of them?!" Maria yelled, frustration creeping into her voice.

Zoth, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the battlefield, answered grimly, "There's a greater demon nearby. It's summoning them. We need to hurry before it brings more."

Maria clenched her teeth and raised her shotgun. "Flame Barrage!" she shouted, her voice echoing with determination.

The weapon glowed red-hot, firing a barrage of glowing pellets that streaked through the air like fiery wasps. The pellets homed in on the demons, ripping through their bodies and reducing hundreds to smoldering corpses.

"Great job, Maria!" Zoth praised. But as the smoke cleared, he saw Maria stumble, clutching her side and panting heavily.

"Maria!" Zoth rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Maria gasped, trying to stand upright. "Let's just keep going."

Zoth frowned, his eyes scanning her for injuries. "No, you're not. You're running on fumes. Let me heal you."

Maria waved him off weakly. "We don't have time for this. That thing ahead is a threat to humanity itself. We can't waste a second."

Zoth placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Maria, listen to me. If you go into this fight unprepared, you'll be a liability. We're not just fighting for ourselves; we're fighting for everyone out there. Let me help."

Maria hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. Zoth placed his hand over her wound, a faint golden light emanating from his palm as her energy and vitality slowly returned.

"Thank you," she whispered, her strength returning.

Zoth stood, offering her a hand. "Be prepared for anything. This won't be easy."

Meanwhile…

Far away, in a quiet room adorned with glowing crystals, Aleena sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the swirling souls drifting around her. Her fingers twitched with the urge to manipulate them.

"Bored… so bored," she muttered. "I used to be the goddess of death. I had endless fun with souls back then. Now I just sit here, doing nothing."

Her gaze fixed on a nearby soul, temptation creeping into her mind. "No, Aleena," she told herself sternly. "They're innocent. You don't play with them."

But the boredom was unbearable. "If only something interesting would happen..." she sighed, scratching her head.

A voice interrupted her thoughts. "Your Majesty?"

She turned to the source—a potted plant with a single, glowing flower perched on a table. "What is it, Fito?" she asked, her tone irritated.

"I sense intruders," Fito replied simply.

Back at the Mall

After carving through the final wave of lesser demons, Zoth and Maria reached the heart of the disturbance. But before they could react, a shadowy figure lunged at Zoth, its punch aimed directly at his face.

Zoth's reflexes kicked in, his enhanced speed allowing him to block the strike just in time. The force of the blow pushed him back a few steps, and Maria leapt into action, firing her shotgun at their attacker.

The pellets grazed the figure's skin but didn't penetrate, leaving only faint marks.

"Is this the greater demon you sensed?" Maria asked, her tone sharp.

Zoth nodded grimly. "It's worse than I thought."

Three demons stood before them: a single-horned female and two towering, two-horned males.

The female demon, blood dripping from her lips, grinned wickedly. "Well done, Elta," she said, addressing one of the males.

Elta smirked, turning to the female. "Hurry up, Gletta. Finish eating. That's all you're good at, anyway."

Gletta rolled her eyes but continued devouring a human corpse, her blood-streaked face a grotesque mix of beauty and horror.

Maria's rage boiled over. "You parasites!" she screamed, launching herself into the air. "Die! Flame Barrage!"

Her shotgun roared to life, firing a new volley of red-hot shots aimed directly at Gletta. But before they could hit their target, Meldis, the other male demon, stepped in, his massive frame shielding Gletta from the attack.

"We can't let her finish," Zoth shouted to Maria. "If she does, it'll be catastrophic!"

Maria gritted her teeth and shifted her aim to Elta. But the demon dodged her shots with supernatural speed, closing the gap between them in an instant.

Before Maria could react, Elta's claws were inches from her throat. She gasped, bracing for the strike—

But Zoth was faster. In a blur, he appeared between them, his sword slicing through the air. Elta recoiled with a scream, his severed hand falling to the ground.

"How… how did you move so fast?!" Elta snarled, clutching his bleeding arm.

Zoth smirked, his eyes glinting. "You haven't seen anything yet, kid."

With newfound determination, Zoth charged again, this time locking blades with Meldis. Maria joined the fray, her fiery attacks forcing Elta to stay on the defensive.

The battle intensified, the four combatants clashing in a storm of steel and fire. Each blow carried the weight of many innocent lives' survival, and Zoth knew they couldn't afford to lose.