The world itself split apart. A massive ravine carved across the land, swallowing everything in its path. The shockwave destroyed everything it touched.

Everything before the attack,all turned to dust in a blinding flash.

Hans, Roosevelt, and Martina were thrown back, their bodies cut and bloodied as the wave tore through them.

Dominic's eyes gleamed with delight. "Hooo!" he whispered, impressed.

As the light faded, he noticed something that made his grin widen. A lone figure stood firm amidst the destruction.

Kael stood there,with the blood pouring down from a deep gash across his chest. His body was covered in cuts, yet he didn't fall. His blackish sword gleamed faintly as he rested it on his shoulder, his breath heavy but steady.

He had managed to deflect seventy percent of the attack.

"That's deadly..." Kael muttered under his breath. His heart pounded violently in his chest. If he hadn't blocked it, the three behind him would already be dead.

Roosevelt's eyes widened. His hands trembled as he tried to lift his sword. "Wh... What's this? Is this the gap between S and SS? That's too vast..." His voice shook as the weight of realization hit him.

"That's because even in SS rank, he stands at the top. He's almost comparable to SSS. You're still only at peak S!" Kael shouted, snapping Roosevelt back to his senses.

Martina bit her lip, her expression tense and cold. "What should we do?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Kael opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Martina felt a sudden chill behind her.

A voice whispered close to her ear.

"That's a very good question."

Martina,Han and Roosevelt felt goosebumps crawling over their skin.

Her eyes went wide as she turned with a robotic motion.

And to her horror,she found a figure standing behind her.

Dominic stood right behind her, smiling with a twisted expression. His blade gleamed as he raised it slowly.

"The answer is... you should just die."

BOOOOOOOM!

A trail of destruction burst forth around the battlefield. The frozen ground split open as massive shockwaves rippled across the snow-covered land. The sound was deafening, echoing like thunder tearing through the clouds.

RUMBLE!

The shockwave slammed into everything nearby. Human and demon soldiers alike were thrown into the air like rag dolls. The frozen bridges creaked and cracked under the sudden force, and a massive ripple tore through the land as if the world itself was breaking apart.

"KRGHH!"

"What the hell is happening?" someone shouted through the chaos.

Vic, Herion, Freya and Linda braced themselves against the pressure, combining their strength to resist the blast. Their weapons trembled in their hands as they struggled to stand. Beside them, Linda raised her staff and cast her spell, the runes glowing faintly, yet even her magic barely held back the crushing wave.

The air felt heavy. The force that hit them shook their bones and made their muscles ache. Every heartbeat felt like thunder in their chest.

"Who is this guy?" Vic muttered through clenched teeth, staring at the point where the slash had come from. The area was still covered in a blinding crimson light, and the air smelled of burning metal.

Herion turned his head toward him and shouted, "Are you seriously worried about that right now? We should be worried about Sir Kael and Her Highness!"

Sol nodded, trying to steady his breathing. "We should help them!"

"Help my ass," Vic snapped back. He glared at Sol and spat to the side. "Just sit down and don't cause trouble. Knowing my Lord, this much isn't enough to kill him."

Herion frowned, his voice carrying doubt. "Aren't you trusting him a bit too much?"

Before Vic could reply, a faint cough came from behind them.

"Cough...!" Handle coughed hard, clutching his chest as everyone turned toward him.

"It doesn't matter if they die," Handle said in a low voice. "After all, this is just a virtual world."

His words hit Herion like a slap. He froze for a moment, then shook his head slowly, his expression pale.

"Damn... I keep forgetting this isn't the real world," he muttered, his voice hollow.

"...."

For a while, no one spoke.

...…

The air was thick with dust and the faint scent of blood. The crimson glow began to fade, and the crackling lightning slowly disappeared. The storm above them quieted, leaving behind an eerie silence that pressed down on everyone's hearts.

Dominic, the Duke of Wrath, stepped forward through the fading smoke. His expression had changed a bit.

It was no longer amused but slightly solemn.

"Oh, you resisted that," he said quietly, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity. His burning eyes swept across the field until they found the three figures standing amid the debris.

Under his sword's shadow, Martina and the others were still standing. Their combined power had barely managed to block the attack.

Then came the sound of blood hitting the snow.

"Bleerghhh!" Martina staggered forward and spat out blood, her body trembling. The veins in her arms glowed faintly as she tried to stabilize her aura.

Roosevelt and Hans were not faring much better. They were pale, bleeding, and breathing heavily.

Dominic tilted his head, then let out a low chuckle. "No... it wasn't your combined effort, was it?"

His sharp gaze fixed on Kael. The man stood silently, his body covered in deep cuts. Blood ran down his side, but he didn't move. He held his sword loosely at his side, his face unreadable.

Dominic smirked. "Let's not waste time."

He raised his sword again and took a step forward, his crimson aura flaring around him. Just as he was about to strike, his image suddenly blurred.

BOOOOOOM!

The ground where he stood exploded, throwing up snow and debris. A shining spear had struck the spot, leaving a crater behind.

Another deafening shockwave swept across the field. The impact rippled outward, but this time, it didn't harm Martina or the others. A golden light appeared around them, forming a barrier that blocked the blast.

Warm, soothing energy poured down from above. Their pain faded slightly as their wounds began to heal.

"Are you all right?" a calm voice asked from above.