******
Still at the Village Square.
The silence hanging over the square was so intense and suffocating at this moment that it felt as though the entire world had stopped breathing.
Every gaze was locked on the platform, where Kaelrik’s towering figure loomed like a death sentence. The guards stood tall, their eyes gleaming with fanatic excitement, their chests swelling with pride.
Although they were also greatly shocked to their core upon discovering their lord’s true strength, there was no sense of betrayal — only pure, unyielding devotion.
’So, he wasn’t just a level 6 Demon Lord all this time, but... level 10!’
This realization echoed in their minds, strengthening their loyalty and igniting their devotion even further.
They understood perfectly well that serving such an immensely powerful lord—one capable of crushing anything in his path is the best thing they could ever ask for, and it only fueled their eagerness to spread destruction in his name.
With a lord like this, they could do whatever they pleased, and they wouldn’t need to hold back again.
’Who would dare oppose to them?’
’Who would dare to stand in their path?’
Their hands clenched around their weapons, their eyes blazing with fervor as they waited for Kaelrik to slaughter Xylen once and for all and claim absolute control over the fief, a dominion that would soon evolve into a city of terror.
But the villagers...
They stood frozen as though they had turned into statues, hope draining from their faces like sand slipping through their fingers.
Although they had never for once believed that Xylen could win, they had still held onto the faint hope that maybe... just maybe... a miracle would happen—that he would defeat Kaelrik or that they might reach a compromise. After all, Xylen had awakened from a lifelong coma as a leveled Demon.
Yet now...
Level 10!
Kaelrik had now officially become an insurmountable wall, and realizing this, despair slowly settled like a suffocating fog over the villagers, their eyes dulling with hopelessness.
Some clenched their fists, others gritted their teeth, and many stared lifelessly and hopelessly.
They didn’t even pity Xylen because.... their own futures had officially become far worse and grimier.
.....
Meanwhile, there was Lilith on the wooden platform.
Right now, she sat collapsed on the ground, her body trembling, her eyes wide and empty like a broken doll’s.
Although she had already imagined the worst possible scenarios that could ever happen and had long mentally prepared herself.
But this?
She had never imagined, not even once, that Kaelrik would turn out to be a Level 10 Demon.
Her fingers twitched, and her chest tightened.
Her lungs refused to fill with air, and she couldn’t even blink as Kaelrik slowly approached Xylen, dragging his massive, colossal blade along the platform, the sound echoing like a death knell.
Finally, he reached Xylen and raised the weapon, his lips curling into a cruel grin.
At that moment, many villagers lowered their heads, unable to watch what would come next, fully aware that it would mark the beginning of their doom.
Some members of the rebel group forced themselves to regain their senses, and in the next moment, their eyes turned crimson with unwillingness.
And then...
"You can go to hell now."
Kaelrik’s cold, vicious, and venomous voice slashed through the silence like a dagger, snapping everyone back to their senses.
The guards’ breaths were instantly caught in their throats, their excitement spiraling out of them like an uncontrollable storm.
As for the villagers, they shivered, some of them clutching their children tighter, while others anxiously twisting the hems of their clothing.
And Lilith...
-------
’No...’
This word echoed in her mind like a bell.
’No... No... No...!’
Her red eyes slowly turned crimson as her blood surged wildly through her veins.
Her face twisted into a vicious, animalistic snarl.
And her body burned with a frantic, uncontrollable desperation, until finally:
"You will need to get over my dead body before you touch my lord!"
Her guttural scream ripped through the square like a thunderclap.
In the following second, strong murderous intent erupted from her like a tidal wave, and without hesitation, she shot to her feet, pulling a flexible sword from within her robe.
In the following second, she charged aggressively at Kaelrik, madness and determination searing into her every move.
—
"This..."
The surrounding guards snapped out of their trance, their eyes blazing with fury.
"You bitch! Where do you think you’re going?!"
Varek, the guard who had reported Xylen’s awakening, roared, leaping in front of Lilith and crossing his massive swords to block her path.
Lilith didn’t stop.
She didn’t hesitate; instead...
"Die!"
She slashed wildly, her flexible blade dancing like liquid steel toward the muscular guard.
Varek snorted contemptuously, meeting her strike head-on — but then, Lilith twisted mid-air, dodging and rushing past him without missing a beat.
’This...’ he froze, unable to react for a moment before finally, his eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell are you bunch gawking for?! Get her already!"
He bellowed, and the other guards immediately lunged after Lilith, their weapons gleaming.
"Be careful not to kill her!" Varek screamed behind, joining the chase himself.
Within seconds, Lilith was surrounded on all sides, but her eyes never wavered from Kaelrik.
She didn’t care.
She would rip through every single one of them if she had to.
...
Meanwhile, back in the crowd...
"Hmph!"
A sharp snort abruptly echoed through the square.
Without hesitation, Venomspite, who had been seething in silence, finally snapped. In the following second, his aura exploded, and his level 4 pressure washed over the villagers, causing many to stumble back in fear.
"Me too! You will need to fight me first before you touch My Lord!"
His voice boomed like a war cry as he barreled his way toward the platform, his eyes blazing with a strong, murderous intent.
"Hmph, seeking death?" A high-ranking demon guard scowled, his eyes turning icy cold.
"Get this fool that doesn’t seem to know what’s good for him already!"
He snapped, and instantly, five lower-ranked guards rushed forward to intercept Venomspite, their blades gleaming with bloodlust.
But Venomspite didn’t care.
He didn’t even slow down.
"He..."
The remaining members of the rebel group took a moment to process it before finally:
"Rash as usual," Rotgulk muttered, watching Venomspite charge like a berserker into the guards.
But then... his lips curled into a twisted smile.
"Wait for me, brother!"
He roared, and without a second thought, he dashed forward, his weapons drawn and his eyes wild with excitement.
The remaining six demons exchanged glances at this and sighed, shaking their heads exasperatedly.
Then, as though they shared the same mind...
"Forward, boys!"
They roared, drawing their own weapons and surging into battle with a frenzy, closely followed by a horde of zero-leveled demons.