I looked down at my stomach—there, Sylvene's hand was still stuck, shrouded in a blue aura that shone like moonlight.
Her breathing was heavy. With eyes full of hatred, she pulled her hand out roughly.
PLAAKKKK!!
My blood splattered in the air.
"I'll kill you!" she roared, her face filled with rage and pain.
I just smiled, wide, dark, and bloodthirsty.
Without warning, I slammed into her with a punch from above—she dodged.
A quick kick followed, but Sylvene flipped, parried with her elbow, and swung her left hand.
Her right arm hung limp—broken. But she still fought, her eyes never losing the glow of defiance.
My attacks continued like a hurricane: one punch, two, three. But she, despite her injuries, fought back with determination. Her remaining hand flailed wildly, filled with survival instinct.
I slammed into Sylvene with a powerful blow.
CRASH!
Her body was sent flying, crashing into a tree, cracking its trunk.
Wasting no time, I planted my feet on the ground and assumed a stance. My hands formed an ancient martial arts gesture.
[Earthbind]
The ground shook violently as my demonic power rippled downward, shaking the surface where Sylvene stood.
But she didn't stand still. With blazing eyes and one arm still mobile, she also took a defensive stance.
[Heavy Smash]
A punch full of the power of the moon ripped through the air, hurtling toward me like a falling meteor.
BOOM!!
Our attacks met in the middle. A blast of energy erupted from the point of impact, sending dust and debris flying in all directions. The vibrations were bone-chilling.
The ground cracked, the air burned—and we were both still standing.
"This... is so exciting."
I grinned, blood still dripping from the corner of my lips. My eyes stared at Sylvene with unconcealed madness.
Sylvene remained silent. Her eyes were sharp, but her gaze was beginning to waver. Her breath was labored, but she remained standing.
Without warning, we launched ourselves at each other again.
Punch after punch, kick after kick, magical attack—all collided in a dance of death.
A booming sound filled the once-peaceful forest.
But then, I saw it.
Sylvene's body was weakening. Her skin was turning pale, and her hands were trembling. The moon aura that had once enveloped her was beginning to thin.
Her life force was draining away, as if every passing second was taking a little bit of her soul.
And me.
I was only getting more and more excited.
I grabbed Sylvene's remaining wrist.
With one brutal movement, I threw her high into the air like a lifeless doll.
[Cariot]
A blast of dark energy exploded from my hand, shooting like a spear from hell.
Sylvene tried to block it with her left hand—the only one she could still use. But it was futile.
The energy crashed into her defenses, destroying any remaining moon magic.
An explosion erupted in midair.
Her body was thrown back like a shadow consumed by the darkness.
Sylvene tried to rise, but her body only trembled.
Her knees collapsed back to the ground.
I slowly stepped closer, my footsteps echoing across the blood-soaked ground.
"This is quite amusing," I said with a lopsided smile.
She looked up—her moon eyes still glowing, but her body no longer capable of fighting.
Her skin was pale, withered. Her golden hair was now dull, like ashes blown by the wind.
"So this is your limit?" I lowered my head slightly, staring at her.
"Giving up so quickly, daughter of the hero?" I said in a mocking and bitter tone.
I grabbed her left hand—the only one she could still use.
Without hesitation, I twisted it forcefully.
CRACK!
The sound of breaking bones echoed loudly in the air.
"AAARRRGHHHHH!!!"
Sylvene's scream tore through the sky, filled with pain and despair.
But I wasn't done yet.
Slowly, I gripped her fingers… one by one…
KRAKKK…
First finger.
KRAKKK…
Second finger.
"Stop… please…" she whispered through tears and blood.
But I only smiled darkly.
"This is just the beginning."
I continued to break her fingers one by one—in a slow, torturous rhythm.
As the last finger broke, I brought my face close to her ear and whispered softly but coldly, "Your body is still useful. I can use the blood of a hero like you to give birth to a far more powerful demon."
Sylvene's body immediately stiffened. Her eyes widened, and she began to struggle, trying to pull away, even though she was powerless.
"No... no...!" she sobbed desperately.
But I only smiled darkly, gazing at her like a sculptor who had just found the perfect material for his cursed masterpiece.
It wasn't long before Zereth returned to me. His body was covered in elven blood, but his face was filled with satisfaction.
He knelt and said proudly, "We have killed all the elves, My Lord."
I looked around—my troops stood amidst pools of blood and piles of mangled elven corpses. Viscera lay scattered, shredded flesh littering the ground.
"Zereth," I said, glaring,
"Form a squad, search the entire village. Take anything useful—be it weapons, artifacts, or magical materials."
Zereth bowed deeply. "At once, My Lord."
Just as Zereth was about to leave to lead the search, a sudden, magical roar rang out from afar—a loud, earth-shaking roar.
[VANQUISHER]
A blinding light exploded above the village, engulfing the sky in a deafening, holy light. Simultaneously, a powerful wave of energy shot toward us.
"Be careful, My Lord!" Zereth shouted.
Without hesitation, Zereth leaped forward, blocking the attack with his body.
BOOM!
Zereth's body collided with the magical blast—thrown so far that it slammed hard into the ruins of a building. The ground shook. Dust billowed.
I stood still, my sharp eyes fixed on the source of the attack. I would make whoever did it regret interrupting my fun.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER, DEMON!!" the voice boomed, filled with rage and a holy aura that shook the air.
I turned slowly toward the source of the voice. There stood two figures.
One was a golden-haired man, his face filled with burning rage. Energy arrows flowed around his body like a storm. There was no mistaking it.
"You've finally come, Bow Hero" I said with a sneering grin.
"Release my daughter this instant, you lowly demon!" he growled, drawing his bow with a throbbing aura.
Beside him stood a woman with jet-black hair, with a face as beautiful as a cloudless night, and a body as graceful as a goddess of war. But her eyes held a burning hatred.
I smiled wider.
"Today is getting interesting."
Zereth returned to my side, his body covered in wounds and still dripping blood. His breathing was heavy, but he stood respectfully.
Without another word, I lifted Sylvene's lifeless body and threw it toward Zereth.
"Don't let her die. Her body is too precious to us," I said coldly.
"Yes, my Lord." Zereth immediately caught Sylvene's body and carried it carefully, even though his own body was on the verge of collapse.
However, the enemy reacted immediately.
"I won't let this happen!!!" the Bow Hero shouted in a thunderous voice.
He drew his bow, the power of moon magic enveloping his arrow, shaking the air. With one shot, the arrow flew, faster and more dangerous than any attack I had seen before—even surpassing the power of his daughter.
At the same time, the woman beside him—with piercing eyes and hair as black as night—conjured moon magic into a luminous sword and shot forward, slashing through the air.
Seeing two powerful attacks coming at once, I took my stance.
[Dragon Shot]
A dark aura exploded from my palm. The energy formed a roaring demonic dragon, its mouth wide open, shooting forward to meet the combined attack.
BOOM!!
A violent collision occurred in midair—the explosion of lunar energy and demonic darkness battled for dominance, creating shockwaves that shook the entire village. The ground cracked, the air trembled, and the sky seemed to wince in chaos.