Dahlia lowered her wings and looked around the ruined street.
Broken armor lay scattered across the ground.
Demon soldiers groaned weakly, unable to stand. So didn’t move at all.
She turned back to Garion, brushing dust from her shoulder.
"So," Dahlia said, tilting her head, "what do we do now, Master? They’re all already incapacitated."
Garion stood at the center of the street, relaxed as ever.
He glanced at the fallen demons, then smiled faintly.
"Of course," he said. "We wait."
Dahlia blinked. "Wait?"
Garion nodded. "Like usual. When you defeat the soldiers, the general always shows up."
Dion chuckled. "Yeah. That part is always predictable."
Arden stepped forward, looking at the ruined street.
"They didn’t move like regular patrol units," he said carefully. "Soone important sent them."
Dahlia glanced at him and grinned. "Look at you acting like a real senior brother."
Arden coughed lightly. "I I an. Soone has to say it."
Eliza stayed silent, but her eyes shifted toward the far end of the street.
A heavy presence pressed down on the air.
Slow footsteps echoed.
Each step was deliberate. Heavy. Confident.
Garion smiled. "See? Right on ti."
The demons watching from alleys quickly pulled back as a massive figure walked into the open street.
It was Drazhul.
His armor was thicker than the others, layered and scarred.
The ground cracked slightly under his weight.
His broken horns caught the dim light as he stopped several ters away from the group.
He looked at the fallen soldiers and frowned.
"To think my elite soldiers were taken down like this," Drazhul said. His voice was rough and loud.
"Are these the strength of otherworlders from that Demon Gate?"
Dahlia rested a hand on her hip and smirked.
"Of course. And who are you supposed to be?" she asked. "My next victim?"
Drazhul’s eyes shifted to her.
"I am Drazhul," he said. "One of the High Council mbers of this city."
Garion raised an eyebrow slightly.
"High Council, huh?" he said. "Interesting."
Dahlia laughed. "I see. Then let’s find out if you’re strong or not."
She pointed her thumb back at the fallen demons.
"These soldiers of yours weren’t enough to excite ."
Drazhul snorted. "Big talk for a woman."
Dark energy began to leak from his body. The pressure around him increased, pushing dust and debris outward.
"Let show you the strength of a real high demon," Drazhul said, his voice low and steady.
Dahlia smiled wide. Her eyes lit up, sharp and eager.
"Good," she said. "Then show the true strength of a high demon."
She stepped forward, wings spreading slightly as her stance lowered.
Her claws flexed, scraping against the stone.
Behind her, Garion raised his voice. "Arden. Dion. Eliza. Stand beside ."
The three reacted imdiately.
Dion moved first, stepping back without complaint, already pulling out a bottle and uncorking it.
Arden followed, glancing at Dahlia for half a second before forcing himself to turn away.
Eliza appeared silently at Garion’s side, her presence calm and steady.
Garion’s eyes stayed on Drazhul.
"Let your senior sister handle him," he said evenly. "I want to see just how strong a high demon really is."
Arden clenched his fists, then relaxed them.
"She’s got this," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Drazhul cracked his neck slowly.
His armor creaked as power surged through his body.
"Do not disappoint ," he said, staring straight at Dahlia.
He took one step forward.
The ground cracked.
"[Demon Core Overdrive]!"
Dark markings flared across his skin.
His muscles swelled, veins standing out sharply.
The pressure spiked again, strong enough to make the air feel thick.
Dion whistled quietly. "That’s a lot of output."
Drazhul lowered his stance and pulled his arm back. "[War Demon Breaker]!"
He charged.
The street shook with each step. His fist ca down in a straight, brutal strike aid at Dahlia’s head.
Dahlia did not retreat.
She stepped into it.
Her claws crossed in front of her, and the mont the fist landed, a shockwave blasted outward.
Stone shattered beneath their feet. Windows nearby cracked from the impact.
Both of them slid back.
Dahlia dug her heels into the ground and stopped first.
She straightened up, rolled her shoulders once, and laughed.
"Oh yeah," she said brightly. "This is way better."
Drazhul stared at her, eyes burning brighter than before. "You blocked it."
Dahlia tilted her head.
"Of course I did. You’ll have to try harder than that."
Drazhul’s lips pulled back into a sharp grin.
"Is that so?" he growled. "Then how about this?"
He slamd his foot into the ground.
"[Crimson War Stance]!"
Dark red energy wrapped around his body.
His posture lowered, weight shifting forward. The pressure changed instantly.
It was no longer wild power. It was focused, heavy, and crushing.
He then vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Dahlia, fist already swinging.
"[Execution Hamr]!"
Dahlia’s eyes sharpened. She twisted her body at the last second and spread her wings wide.
"[Wind Veil]!"
The air exploded around her.
Drazhul’s punch slamd into the wall of compressed wind, forcing it back but not breaking through.
The impact sent a violent gust ripping down the street.
Dahlia slid backward, boots carving lines into the stone, but she stayed upright.
"Oh?" she said, smiling. "That one had weight."
Drazhul did not stop.
He stepped in again, swinging both arms. "[War Demon Barrage]!"
Blows rained down in rapid succession. Each strike shook the air. The ground cracked beneath them.
Dahlia spread her wings fully and spun.
"[Gale Spin]!"
She twisted midair, wind spiralling around her body.
Drazhul’s attacks slamd into rotating currents, their force redirected and scattered outward.
The street around them was torn apart, but Dahlia herself slipped through the gaps.
She landed lightly several steps away.
"Too stiff," she said. "You’re strong, but you’re forcing it."
Drazhul snarled. "Shut up."
He raised both arms high. Demonic energy gathered above him.
"[Demon Sky Rend]!"
A massive wave of power crashed downward.
Dahlia looked up, eyes bright.
"Good," she said. "Big attacks are easier."
She flapped her wings once.
"[Sky Flow Control]!"
The wind around her surged upward, colliding head-on with the descending attack.
The two forces slamd together, detonating in a violent shockwave that ripped through the street.
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