Mr. Smith was busy inspecting the mercenaries when a sudden explosion rattled the ground beneath him.
Before he could react, a city officer came rushing toward him, his face pale with panic.
"Mr. Smith! A golem is attacking the city!" the officer gasped, barely catching his breath.
"What? How?!" Mr. Smith's expression darkened. "Send an urgent message to the UPS or the Ranch Republic for reinforcements!"
The officer shook his head, desperation in his eyes. "Sir, even if we send for help, they won't arrive in time! We're doomed!"
Mr. Smith exhaled sharply, steadying himself. There was no time to wait.
"Then we fight." His voice was firm, commanding. "Gather every capable fighter and prepare for combat! Find anyone willing to help—we hold the line until reinforcements arrive!"
Deep down, Mr. Smith knew that even fighting a normal golem was a daunting task. If this one had any special abilities, their chances of survival would plummet.
I just hope it's not more than what it seems… Mr. Smith thought grimly.
---
Balwin jumped from the hotel window, his body dissolving into a streak of shadow before he could hit the ground. Athan, following right behind him, landed within the same darkness, allowing them to travel unseen.
As they moved through the city, Athan caught sight of a group of robed men darting through the alleys, trying to escape.
"Balwin, stop! It's them!" Athan called out.
The shadows dispersed instantly, and both warriors emerged in front of the fleeing men, blocking their path.
Balwin smirked, his red eyes gleaming. "I heard you were looking for the 36th Emperor of the Red Moon Empire."
One of the robed men stiffened. "Who are you?"
Athan tilted his head. "Oh? They can't even sense us?"
Another figure stepped forward, his presence commanding. He wore a long black robe, and over one eye, an eyepatch adorned with the same strange symbol that had been on the golem's chest.
"I am Joseph," the man declared. "We are Tartaros. I am the hēgemṓn of Tartaros."
Balwin's grin widened. "Tartaros, huh? Sounds like fun."
Tension crackled in the air as the two sides prepared to clash, but before the first move could be made, a deafening explosion erupted in the distance.
BOOM!
The ground trembled.
From behind the buildings, they could hear the relentless battle against the golem—blasts of energy, the sound of metal clashing, and the unmistakable roar of destruction. Someone was fighting it.
Balwin and Athan exchanged glances.
Looks like the real show was just beginning.
"You think you can defeat us, little brat?" Joseph sneered, his one visible eye filled with contempt.
Baldwin rolled his neck, his smirk unwavering. "Ah, like always—terrorists with no real cause, just chasing after whatever benefits you the most."
"Enough!" Joseph growled, crushing a crystal in his hand. White smoke erupted from it, swirling ominously in the air.
Baldwin's eyes narrowed.
"Baldwin! It's the same thing they used against me!" Athan warned.
"Is that so, Athan? I can sense something very annoying," Baldwin replied.
Joseph let out a dark chuckle. "Oh? I guess you are Athan? The boy wearing men's clothes but still a little brat! I'm surprised. What kind of trick did you use to become like this? A creature like you shouldn't be lurking in the shadows—you should be tearing the world apart."
Athan tensed. "Wait… they recognize me? And what do you mean by 'monster'?"
Joseph grinned. "Anyone who can fight the Vampire King's clone and the Mighty Punisher at the same time is no ordinary vampire. You, Athan, are a monster."
For a moment, neither Baldwin nor Athan responded. The white smoke hovered in the air, shifting but not materializing into anything. Joseph's confident smirk faltered for a split second before he quickly masked it. His men, however, weren't as composed—their eyes flicked around uneasily.
Then, an unseen force rippled through the street.
A thick, suffocating pressure descended upon them.
Joseph's heartbeat spiked. What is this aura?!
His gaze darted toward Athan's companion. The boy beside him.
No… not a boy.
Joseph's throat went dry as he finally sensed it—something otherworldly pulsing from the young man, something beyond mortal comprehension.
And then he saw them—those red eyes.
Joseph's smug expression vanished.
"Tell me," Baldwin's voice rumbled, laced with unrestrained fury, "who the hell gave you that damned white energy?"
A deep red aura burst from him, red shadows curling violently around his frame, laced with crackling red lightning.
Athan took a step back. "Oh man… Baldwin's pissed. This is gonna be bad for them."
Without hesitation, Joseph raised his hand, and the white smoke that had been hovering in the air began to swirl toward him. It coiled around his hand, enveloping it completely.
To Athan, it was nothing more than a strange but powerful white smoke—the same force that had been used against him before. But for Balwin, it was something far more sinister. His Demon King eyes activated instinctively, revealing a truth unseen by the others.
There were two reasons his fury ignited. First, the smoke wasn't just an ordinary manifestation—it was an energy source, and he recognized it instantly. It carried the same essence as Galinthias, the servant of Hecate. Not only that, but its presence also matched the energy of Rhadamanthus, the very being he had fought during the labyrinth overload. Wherever this energy appeared, danger and chaos followed.
The second reason was even more troubling. The energy was attempting to invade his mind, probing for an opening—but it couldn't breach his defenses. As a Demon King, he had an unshakable resistance against such forces. He valued privacy, not just for himself but for others. He despised anything that sought to violate it.
"None of your business!" Joseph snapped.
"Oh, really?" Balwin retorted, his voice laced with quiet menace.
From his feet, shadows began to spread like a living force, seeping into the air and rushing outward. The movement was so swift that no one had the time to react—no escape, no counterattack. In mere moments, the entire alley was swallowed by darkness, as if the shadows had merged with the very fabric of the street.
One of the men standing behind Joseph muttered in disbelief. "How much blood does this boy have? The more he uses his abilities, the more it consumes his blood… but there has to be a limit, doesn't there?"
Why isn't it working against him?
Joseph clenched his jaw, frustration creeping in. Fine, I'll gamble on it… but we have to do it like before, he thought to himself.
The white smoke began to shift, twisting and condensing until it took the rough shape of a human figure.
Balwin, who had been advancing, came to an abrupt halt.
The smoke split into two, swirling violently before solidifying. Joseph's smug grin returned as he looked ahead—standing before him, formed from the white smoke, were two powerful figures: the Vampire King, Emperor of the Xing Fu Dynasty, and the leader of the Vampire Punishers.
For a brief moment, a flicker of sadness crossed Joseph's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. It doesn't matter. The truth was clear—these weren't innocent children or teenagers. They were devils in disguise.
Balwin exhaled slowly, his eyes gleaming with realization. "I see… I understand your magic now."
He tilted his head slightly, watching Joseph's reaction. "Since you failed to pull a figure from my mind—someone I fear or respect—you had to take one from Athan instead."
Joseph's fists tightened. The statement was true, and it burned.
Balwin smirked. "Let me tell you something… There is no one in this world I fear or acknowledge as stronger than me. My natural resistance and strength are more than enough for people like you. I could wipe out a million weaklings like you without breaking a sweat."
Darkness rippled beneath his feet. The shadows swirled, rising and taking the shape of a massive sword.
The two smoke-forged clones lunged at Balwin.
Without hesitation, he hurled the colossal shadow blade at one of them.
At the same time, the other Tartaros members, including Joseph, launched their attacks against Balwin.
"Not so fast!" Athan's voice rang out as he stepped forward, summoning a thick wall of blood. The incoming attacks struck it with immense force, shattering the barrier in an instant.
Above them, the Vampire King clone leaped into the air, forming an attack that resembled blood magic—but something about it was off. It wasn't clear what it really was.
Meanwhile, the other clone created a swirling portal of darkness. But it wasn't shadow magic either.
The portal opened behind Balwin, and instead of an enemy emerging from it, a massive fist shot out, aiming straight for his back.
Balwin saw the attacks converging from both sides and smirked.
With a flick of his wrist, a towering shadow wall rose in front of him, blocking the so-called blood attack. At the same time, he lifted his left pinky finger, effortlessly stopping the incoming punch behind him.
The impact sent a tremor through the air, but Balwin didn't budge.
Then, in an instant, his shadow wall absorbed the blood attack—before reversing it and launching it straight back at the clone that had cast it.
"Well, well… I thought you guys were strong, but you're disappointingly weak. If you weren't just clones, the Ausha Empire could have attacked and crushed you easily." Balwin sneered as red lightning crackled through the air, surging like living tendrils along his body.