KRRRSH!!!
Queen Kragnalith let out a bone-chilling screech of rage and charged at Desmon, who waited with a smile, as if pleased to have finally found a worthy opponent.
The monstrous demon, as tall as a four-story house, moved forward on massive legs that pierced the ground. Despite its size, its speed was anything but slow.
Once in front of the demon hunter, Kragnalith raised one of its massive legs—easily capable of shattering the earth—intending to crush him.
Under normal circumstances, Desmon would've dodged by rolling aside or stepping to the side. But now, he's not the same as before.
Without hesitation or a second thought about how stupid this might be, Desmon raised both arms, using Rox to intercept the demon's leg.
The impact was brutal. The ground beneath him exploded into shards. His spine trembled at the edge of its limit. The bones in his arms began to crack, muscles tore under the immense pressure. His skin split into countless wounds and his veins burst as if his own body was rebelling. But Desmon didn't move an inch.
His bones entered a cycle of destruction and regeneration as he exerted more force. Even though they healed instantly, the damage remained.
A crater formed beneath his feet from the pressure, and still, Desmon refused to give in—like the same stubborn fool he's always been. It was only a matter of time before he got crushed.
But that was something Desmon wouldn't allow to happen—he's not into that kind of thing.
Slowly, he began pushing back Kragnalith's leg, exerting a force so extreme even his body couldn't handle it. But if you can regenerate, pushing past your limits is worth it.
Desmon's eyes glowed with a deadly light as his body overflowed with demonic energy, and with a surge of strength, he hurled Kragnalith's leg away, sending the massive demon crashing to the ground.
Desmon stumbled as well before regaining his balance—his body unable to fully manage the immense power he holds, making it more of a burden than an asset.
KRRRSH!!!
With another furious screech, Kragnalith counterattacked immediately, spewing a foul, dark substance from its maw while still on the ground.
Since Desmon had already blocked the demon's first strike, it'd be reasonable to think he'd block this one too... He may be reckless, but he's no idiot—and more importantly, his instincts screamed at him.
Desmon dodged with a sidestep, the substance barely grazing his cheek.
Even that small touch began to corrode his skin, halting regeneration in that area. If it had hit him directly, his blocked healing would've left him as a mangled mass of flesh.
Meanwhile, Kragnalith pushed itself up with its remaining legs, and once upright, all of its eyes locked onto Desmon. Eyes glowing blood-red, filled with demonic energy and each a different size—they weren't just for looking.
The demon lunged at Desmon, swiping with one of its enormous pincers. It caught him mid-air, tearing into his flesh with the impact.
The second pincer tried to trap him too, but Desmon managed to plant his legs against it and flip away, creating distance.
Had that pincer caught him, he would've been doused in that damn substance—and that would've been the end.
Unfortunately, for Desmon to land a hit, he has to get close. So he dashed forward again, carefully tracking the demon's movements, knowing the previous attack was nearly unavoidable. But midway, he came to a sudden halt, standing completely still.
What—did he stop to admire the sunny weather?
Kragnalith's eyes possess the ability to paralyze prey, a unique curse activated by using all of them at once. Even beings with high resistance due to demonic energy are frozen for several seconds. There's no way to escape it.
Taking full advantage of the hunter's frozen stance, Kragnalith leapt high into the air, positioning itself directly above Desmon.
Getting crushed by a massive demon is definitely not a pleasant experience—and not great for your body either.
VRYYEEEEEEEEHHH!!!
A deafening roar echoed just before impact.
In the instant where the distance between them was nearly zero, Desmon's figure radiated a massive surge of demonic energy, allowing him to overcome the demon's curse and force himself to move far away within that split second.
When the demon struck, a massive crater formed, and a violent earthquake shook the entire area, as if a meteorite had crashed down. And it was no wonder, considering the demon's overwhelming strength and toughness.
A devastating move capable of annihilating anyone—but if it missed, it left Kragnalith completely exposed.
From the dust stirred by the impact, Desmon's figure shot forward at full speed. His goal was obvious: destroy any of the demon's eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were the source of its paralysis—especially since he could feel the surge of demonic energy they emitted.
A surprise move to most—but Kragnalith was no fool. It was a demon of immense power and age, with centuries of experience battling other demons who had tried to steal its throne.
That is, until it was ultimately driven from its territory by Jūōbatsu, bearer of the title: The Horror of the Realms.
A demon with overwhelming and destructive power that rivaled Kragnalith's—yet when Jūōbatsu unleashed his lightning, the balance shattered. It was faster, more lethal—even Kragnalith's exoskeleton couldn't withstand it.
The battle between their demon legions was catastrophic. Both sides lost countless demons, but Jūōbatsu emerged victorious, banishing Kragnalith and its remaining offspring to the depths of the earth, where it would bide its time, rebuild its original army, and await revenge.
That's why a tactic as simple as Desmon's wouldn't catch the demon off guard. With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a shockwave that cleared the dust around them.
GRAAAAGHHHHH!!!
As the area cleared, all of the demon's eyes locked onto the demon hunter, who was already within striking range.
And for the third time, he was paralyzed. But unlike the previous occasions, Kragnalith now had a clear shot—just a second was all it would take to cover him in that corrosive substance spewed from its jaws.
But just as it was about to unleash it, it was too late to notice—though Desmon had been frozen, a strange chain was moving from his arm, where one of the saws was missing.
VRRYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAHH!!!
The demon let out a piercing shriek of pain as the circular saw embedded itself in one of its eyes, tearing and shredding through it, inflicting an agony it had never known.
Desmon's original plan had succeeded. While his body was immobilized, his arm had launched one of the saws at the exact moment the demon believed victory was assured. Confidence, after all, is the worst ally when holding the upper hand.
Kragnalith began thrashing wildly in pain, while Desmon retracted the saw back into his arm.
With one of the demon's most troublesome abilities neutralized, the balance was restored.
The demon's remaining eyes glared at Desmon with burning hatred, but no matter how hard they stared, they could no longer paralyze him. Consumed by rage, the creature charged directly at him, flailing its pincers wildly and spewing corrosive fluid in every direction.
You can't predict or anticipate something that moves with no pattern—just pure rage and chaos.
Desmon began retreating, dodging backward and occasionally deflecting the demon's pincers with Rox.
But he couldn't do that forever—just one hit from that substance would leave him vulnerable.
After narrowly dodging the legs that nearly crushed him and finding himself airborne—completely exposed—the saw on one of his arms began spinning at full speed before launching and embedding itself into the demon's side.
With the hit landed, he yanked the chain back, pulling himself toward the saw and swinging around to dodge Kragnalith's deadly spit.
Of course, such an action wouldn't go unnoticed, so the demon moved its pincers to intercept him mid-air.
Using the momentum of the chain, Desmon released the saw, letting it spin through the air as he dodged the pincers with precision, then started running across the demon's massive body.
Kragnalith began thrashing violently to shake him off, but Desmon simply leapt back, firing another saw and embedding it into the demon's exoskeleton.
With a twisted sense of amusement, Desmon began to swing using Rox's chains.
He even seemed to be smiling as he narrowly dodged Kragnalith's pincers, twisting and spinning mid-air with an agility that didn't resemble the Desmon from before.
His ability to adapt to his enemies is one of the traits that make him truly dangerous if not dealt with swiftly. And the more weapons he acquires, the more terrifyingly creative he becomes with them.
While swinging, he released the saw, sending it flying straight toward the pincers, which he then used as a platform to launch himself toward the demon's face.
In an instant, the saws embedded in his arms detached with a metallic clang, spinning through the air before merging. Rox, as if obeying its master's will, instantly reconfigured back into its original form: an extremely fast and durable motorcycle.
At the same time, Desmon's arms—once little more than flesh clinging to decayed bone—blackened instantly. His fractured bones, once covered by sparse tissue, regenerated at lightning speed; blood vessels sprouted like roots, muscles wove themselves together, and finally, skin slid over it all as if nothing had ever happened.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Desmon spun through the air with tremendous agility
At that moment, just as he reached the demon's face, Kurox materialized beside him. His appearance drew a cocky smirk from Desmon, completely out of place considering his condition.
Some things never change—deep down, he's still the same guy.
Wasting no time, Desmon grabbed his devil arm by one of the wheels. His muscles tensed, and with overwhelming force, he swung Kurox like a baseball bat. The impact landed squarely against the demon's face with a thunderous crack, shaking the very air with raw violence.
VRYYHHHHHHHH!!!
Kragnalith let out a screech as its entire head shook from the blow, leaving it dazed.
With a few precious seconds gained, Kurox roared to life, its wheels spinning with a deafening screech.
There was only one thing to do in this kind of situation, and that was…
SMASH KUROX'S WHEELS RIGHT INTO THE FUCKING DEMON'S FACE.
Grabbing the motorcycle by the handlebars, Desmon lifted it and slammed the wheels directly into Kragnalith's face—right into those demonic eyes that had been nothing but a nuisance to the demon hunter.
Kurox's wheels spun at such a ridiculous speed that the moment they made contact, they began to tear through flesh, shred nerves, and rip screams of pure agony from the demon.
Kragnalith howled in unbearable pain, its scream shaking the air itself—but it didn't matter. Kurox's wheels kept spinning, grinding mercilessly, shredding its eyes until they were nothing but pulp.
The battle had reached its peak. Now it was time for a victor to emerge.
Driven mad by pain and rage, the queen flailed its pincers as if trying to grab and crush Desmon. But the demon hunter was already gone. With a wicked grin, he hurled Kurox into the air, and as if that weren't enough, he stomped brutally on the demon's mutilated face to launch himself even higher.
While Kragnalith writhed like a blind, rabid beast—lashing out, screeching, demolishing everything around it—Desmon was already soaring high above, floating as if savoring the view.
But he had something far more interesting in mind than just enjoying the scenery.
Upon receiving the order, Kurox split in two—and as if craving the destruction and death of its enemies, each half latched onto his arms. The transformation was instant. Rox was back.
Desmon smiled. And began to spin.
The saws roared, ravenous. It was a dance of death. Desmon became a whirlwind of destruction, descending from the sky like a damned living guillotine.
From below, the remaining eyes of Kragnalith caught a glimpse of that figure falling from the heavens, spinning with fury, screaming with a metallic, demonic roar that would freeze the blood of any living creature. The demon reacted, raising its pincers to intercept the saws.
The impact was devastating.
The clash shook the battlefield. A deafening boom erupted as both bodies collided: the armored exoskeleton of Kragnalith against the slicing fury of Rox at full power. The shockwave was so wild that even the barrier surrounding them trembled, threatening to give way.
It was a face-off with no turning back. Who would fall first? The infernal armor of the demon, or Rox's living saws?
In the midst of that storm of energy and violence, Desmon smiled. Not in mockery, not in triumph. It was pure joy. A twisted, ecstatic grin—because this... this was what made him feel alive. Fighting something that could kill him. Feeling the line between life and death blur with every second.
Kragnalith began to falter. Its legs buckled, its movements grew unstable. The creature's entire body started to give out. Desmon, meanwhile, was draining its demonic energy like a damned black hole, pushing past every limit.
This was no longer a fight. It was a war of endurance.
Would the demon's exoskeleton break first, or would the hunter's flame burn out?
The answer came in the form of a final, bone-rattling screech.
SKREEEEEECH!!!
Silence.
An eternal moment of stillness—of emptiness—and then...
Black fragments flew through the air.
...
...
...
Rox's saws... shattered. Reduced to smoldering scrap after smashing head-on against the unholy hardness of Kragnalith's exoskeleton. They couldn't match it. Not this time.
And yet, Desmon smiled.
Not out of madness. Not out of despair.
It was that crooked, sick smile—like he had expected this exact outcome from the beginning.
Because even if he managed to tear out its eyes, all he'd do was blind the demon. So what? The demon would still live.
Mutilated, sure—but still breathing. And if his saws couldn't cut all the way through...
Then he needed something harder.
As hard as the demon itself.
The answer was right in front of him.
The moment Rox shattered was also the moment his destroyed arms were freed, regenerating instantly. Desmon stretched them out, grabbed one of Kragnalith's massive pincers, and hurled himself to the side like an unchained beast, slamming a punch with everything he had—muscles straining, pure rage unleashed—straight into the joint connecting that pincer to the demon's body.
Anyone else would've called it a stupid move. But this wasn't just any fight.
Before being destroyed, Rox had weakened the demon's arms with that hellish collision.
The vibrations, the microfractures, the internal damage... it was all still there, waiting to erupt.
And Desmon knew it.
The impact was brutal. A fist-shaped detonation. The joint couldn't withstand it—unable to bear the accumulated damage and this final blow—it collapsed with a grotesque crunch.
GRRRRHHHHOOOOO!!
Kragnalith's scream wasn't just pain. It was shock. It had already tasted victory. It could already savor its opponent's death. And now, out of nowhere, one of its damned pincers was gone.
But that wasn't the worst part.
Because right above it... stood Desmon. Standing on its body, gripping the very pincer he'd just ripped off, spinning it in his hands until the tip pointed downward.
You didn't need to be a genius to see what was coming.
If there's anything hard enough to pierce that exoskeleton…
…it's the damn demon itself.
Wearing a sadistic grin, Desmon raised the pincer with both hands and drove it down without mercy, straight toward Kragnalith's head.
The sound—it was a mix between a crack and a dry, piercing shriek, like death itself shattering. The pincer tore into the demon's armored skull, plunging deep.
But it wasn't enough.
Desmon leapt into the air, then came crashing down with both legs in a double kick against the pincer, driving it in even deeper. Again. And again. Like an inhuman engine of destruction. Until the demon stopped screaming. Until the skull cracked further with every impact.
And then, mid-air, Desmon went all in.
He channeled every last drop of demonic energy into his right arm. The muscle tensed like a cable on the verge of snapping.
And without mercy, he drove his fist down.
Veins burst. Skin tore. Flesh split open. Blood surged in a dark stream, soaking his torso, legs, and face.
The pincer came down with such absurd force that it tore through Kragnalith completely, splitting it in two. The impact was so deep the ground shook.
Then came absolute silence.
Only the dull sound of the demon's two halves collapsing to the sides, like a skyscraper coming down.
Desmon landed. His arm was a grotesque mess of blood, torn tendons, and shredded muscle. But he said nothing. He didn't scream. He simply stared as the mangled flesh began to slowly regenerate—like even his body understood it wasn't time to die just yet.
Draining almost all of his demonic energy had made his healing slower.
And before him, the remains of Kragnalith began to disintegrate.
With its destruction, everything left of that cursed species was gone. Not a single demon remained. Not one.
This time, it was truly the end.
From the dead body burst a thick black light—what seemed to be the demon's demonic essence. It hovered for a moment, then shot straight into Desmon's body, without asking permission. As if it were searching... for something useful.
A devil arm that destroys its wielder to unleash its true power isn't all that useful—because its wielder can't fight at their full strength.
And now that this devil arm has been broken, it should be worthless... or maybe not?
With the demon slain and Desmon standing victorious, the barrier protecting the area vanished as well.
Meanwhile, Asako, who had been outside the barrier, gave up trying to make sense of what she'd just witnessed, convincing herself it must have been some kind of illusion—or maybe she was just too stressed from work.
So she turned toward her motorcycle, ready to move on.
But just as she was about to mount it, a figure appeared in her line of sight.
"When did he show up? Was he always there?"
She had more questions than answers. But if she wanted the latter, she'd have to ask him directly. So she began walking toward Desmon.
"Hey, you. I need you to come with me. I've got way too many questions..."
As Asako approached, she noticed Desmon was drenched in blood. What caught her eye the most was his arm—exposed muscle slowly being covered by skin, just seconds away from being whole again.
She stopped mid-sentence as she saw this, watching Desmon slowly turn around.
They locked eyes. And something about it felt... off. The demon hunter's eyes were bloodshot, radiating a murderous intent that was anything but normal.
Though she'd faced countless dangerous situations, her instincts screamed that it was already too late—she was dead.
Desmon vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Asako. It all happened in an instant. There was nothing she could do.
No time to react. No time to step back. People say you see your life flash before your eyes when you're about to die—but Asako didn't even get that chance.
Desmon threw his fist at her head.
The same force that had just crushed high-level demon exoskeletons...
What would it do to a human skull?