Noah's expression hardened as the Phantom Sprite lunged forward, her body a streak of red lightning tearing through the air. Even stripped of the void's concealment, her speed was terrifyingly fast.
The next instant—
Boom!
The air cracked like glass under pressure. In a blur of movement, Noah's throat was caught in her slender, pale hand.
"Boy," she whispered with a cruel smile, her breath ghosting against his cheek, "so what if you can control the void? Against my strength at Level 1215, you're nothing. The moment I twitch my fingers… you die."
Her melodious laugh rang out, cruel and mocking. Her other hand rose, pinching Noah's chin between sharp nails as she tilted his head up, studying his face with playful interest.
"Tsk, tsk… such a handsome face, what a pity. If only you hadn't awakened an S-rank combat talent." Her lips curved into a pitying smirk. "Too bad for you. In your next life, try being useless—it might just keep you alive."
And then—
Crack!
Her grip tightened. Noah's body exploded in a violent burst of blood and fragments, scattering through the air like a shattered balloon.
The Phantom Sprite froze. For a split second, her brain refused to process what had just happened. She had only snapped his neck, yet his entire body detonated like a fragile vessel.
"…What?"
Her brows furrowed. This didn't make sense. Unless—
A sudden hum pulsed in the void above. Her instincts screamed danger.
"You realized it?" A clear, commanding voice echoed from the night sky. "But it's too late."
[Judgment!]
A column of golden radiance tore through the heavens, crashing down onto her like divine fire.
Her long black hair flew wildly in the sudden storm of light, and her arrogant smile shattered. Agonizing pain ripped through her very being. Her skin flushed green, her body trembling uncontrollably as her strength was stripped away in an instant.
Her knees buckled.
With a dull thud, she collapsed onto the cold grass, helpless and shaking.
"This… this is impossible!" she shrieked, her once melodic voice breaking with fear.
The void rippled once more. From within its collapsing waves, Noah's true form emerged, staff in hand, golden eyes glowing. His calm smile was edged with ice.
"Lucky value maxed out," he said casually, lowering his staff. "Even someone over level twelve hundred still kneels before me."
The Noah that had been destroyed? Merely a clone, summoned by his SSS-grade ability, Twin Shadows. On the way here, he had cloaked his true self in void energy and quietly set up the decoy.
And that wasn't all.
When his clone had dragged the Phantom Sprite from the void earlier, it had instinctively activated Skill Replica. The stolen ability? A permanent S-grade skill: Void Concealment.
A skill that allowed him to vanish completely within the void. Unless the opponent out-leveled him by more than five hundred, detecting him was impossible.
It was the perfect weapon for ambush and assassination.
Now, his plan had paid off.
"Time to finish this."
With a sharp motion, Noah summoned his Divine Domain.
The world warped. Transparent light cascaded like glass, forming a massive barrier shaped like an inverted bowl. Both he and the Phantom Sprite were trapped inside.
Here, inside the Divine Domain, Noah was nearly untouchable.
In his hands, his staff Wrath of the Dragon burned with unrestrained power. One hundred stacks of fury had already accumulated—his next skill would be amplified tenfold.
He raised his hand, gripping the spell of Sanction with deadly calm, and fixed his gaze on the trembling figure of the Phantom Sprite.
"You," he said, voice low and merciless, "are the one who opened that void rift, aren't you?"
The Phantom Sprite's lips twisted into a weak smile despite her pain. "And what if I am? Do you really think… someone like you can kill me?"
"Look up," Noah ordered coldly.
She did—and her pupils shrank violently.
Above her, framed by the silver glow of the moon, hung a colossal sword of pure light. It was twenty meters tall, five meters wide, radiating a holy aura that suffocated her spirit.
The divine weapon pulsed with overwhelming power, its pressure alone enough to smother all thought of resistance.
"You… you're the Demon-Slayer!" she gasped, face drained of color.
Only now did she realize the truth. A high school student this powerful? There was only one explanation. He was the very figure whispered about in fear—the slayer of demons.
Noah neither confirmed nor denied it. His expression didn't change.
"Die."
"Wait!" she screamed, desperation breaking through her arrogance. "Don't kill me! Please! I was forced into this by the Demon Lord. I'm human, just like you! Spare me, and I'll serve you in any way you desire!"
Her voice cracked as she scrambled for words, her entire body trembling. "I—I have unique skills. Everyone I've served said I was… exceptional. Demon-Slayer, I'll make sure you like it too!"
She opened her mouth, her tongue flicking out like a snake's, splitting into two and curling seductively as a hiss filled the air.
Noah's face darkened with disgust. A shiver crawled down his spine.
"Serve me?" His voice dripped with contempt. "You're not even worthy."
Boom!
His staff cut through the air. The radiant greatsword above descended in a blinding arc.
-6,843,111,873!
The damage number burned in golden light across the darkness. The holy blade cleaved through her body with unstoppable force.
The Phantom Sprite let out one final scream before her form disintegrated into ashes, erased without a trace.
The night grew silent again. Only Noah remained, standing tall in the desolate field, the divine light fading slowly around him.
With a soft sound, a crystal dropped onto the scorched earth. Noah picked it up, eyes gleaming as information flowed into his mind.
"Her loot, huh?" His lips curved into a satisfied grin. Without hesitation, he stashed it away.
He swept the area one last time, clearing every trace of the battle, then dispelled his Divine Domain and vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, back at Jiangnan High School's field, Lin Qian cleaved another demon beast in half, her black battle suit soaked in blood. She glanced up, frowning.
"…The void rift is gone?"
The Demon-Hunting Institute fighters quickly realized the same. The gaping portal above the field, which had unleashed waves of monsters just moments ago, had abruptly vanished.
Without the portal, the cleanup was swift. The demons that had made it through were only low-tier creatures, hardly a threat to the gathered warriors. Within minutes, the battlefield was silent again.
But confusion spread.
"What just happened?" one fighter muttered. "Did the rift… collapse?"
"No, the only way a rift closes like that is if the summoner dies. But that doesn't make sense. Anyone capable of opening it would be at least level twelve hundred, a Battle King-level powerhouse. How could someone like that die here?"
"Could it be some kind of new demon trick?"
Theories flew, but no one had an answer.
Then, one of the Battle Kings in the group stiffened as a message came through his communicator. His voice dropped into a deep growl.
"Everyone, listen up. There's been a disturbance in the northern outskirts. We're moving immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Figures shot into the sky one after another, streaking toward the outskirts.
Minutes later, the two Battle Kings and the gathered Demon-Hunting Institute members arrived. What they found froze the words in their throats.
On the deserted grasslands, the remnants of a massive battle lay scattered. Energy scars riddled the earth, and traces of holy power still lingered in the air.
The verdict was clear: the user of the void rift—the level 1200-plus powerhouse—had perished here.
One of the Battle Kings sucked in a breath. His hands trembled. "To kill someone of that caliber in such a short time… only a War God could have done this."
"War God?!"
The words spread like fire through the group. Shocked gasps echoed into the night.