"Ugh… I'm going to die young at this rate…"
Ken groaned, crawling out from the rubble, his body battered. The boundless power that had filled him was gone.
'I can hold on if I push myself.'
But there was no need for recklessness when his body was rapidly deteriorating. There was no reason to push himself anymore.
"So, they're really members of Masquerade?"
He brushed the dust off his body and looked at the epicenter of the storm in the distance. The four figures who had suddenly appeared, tearing through space. Those uniquely dressed individuals were undoubtedly the reinforcements. Sent by his employer!
"But… I didn't expect them to be this powerful."
They weren't many in number,
But their individual power levels were absurd.
'Three of them are on par with the Executioner… and the other one is stronger than me.'
For such monsters to belong to a single organization… What was this Masquerade? He wouldn't be surprised if they were secretly plotting world domination. Even his employer, who could access information from around the world, was a force to be reckoned with. As a new member of this organization against his will, he couldn't help but be concerned.
'And a Saint? That can't be the Saint of Auterica I know, can it…?'
Perhaps because he was a demon,
He was more concerned about the one radiating a brilliant aura and dense holy power than the masked vampire and the others. He doubted he would try to purify him, a supposed ally, but…
"Kuahahaha! Make sure you catch it!"
A loud laughter, followed by a booming shockwave, erupted from the scene. Ken twisted his body to dissipate the impact and frowned.
'…That laughter, it sounds familiar.'
It wasn't just the laughter. The tone of voice was eerily familiar, reminding him of the three-headed friend he had adventured with not long ago.
'…Must be my imagination.'
Ken nodded slightly, staring at the burly, muscular figure who had thrown the punch. Yes, it must be his imagination. That cute puppy with fluffy fur couldn't possibly be such a monstrous brute. Ken, thoroughly demonized after twenty years in the Demon Realm, shifted his gaze.
To where the demon he had been fighting was, now on the receiving end of a big, preemptive gift.
There was a reason for sending four such powerful avatars as Masquerade. This was a trap set by Cheonbuhoe. It was better to send overwhelming force than risk failure with a carefully calculated force, only to be foiled by their hidden trump card.
'They're individuals whose existence has already been revealed to some extent on Earth.'
Since the stage was set, it was also necessary to display their power to some extent. It would also be advantageous in absorbing Burning Torch.
'…They've become less valuable now that they've lost their leader and are practically disbanded.'
But they were still better than nothing. He needed manpower to fight Cheonbuhoe on a global scale. They had a considerable number of members and even Transcendents, so they would be useful.
"Hmm?"
One of the dispatched avatars, Harley, a model mercenary who jumped into trouble wherever it occurred across dimensions, a veteran demon hunter, tilted his head. He had a good reason and a suitable excuse for his preemptive strike, but…
[Huh, you're quite sturdy. No, this isn't just sturdy… What are you? Are you even a living being?]
Why were there finger-sized holes in his shoulder? He would have been hit in the heart, not the shoulder, if he hadn't dodged instinctively. Such wounds were nothing to Harley, but the problem was that he couldn't even tell how or when the attack landed.
"This is a first. You dodged my attack and counterattacked without me even noticing?"
[That's my line. To avoid a fatal blow at the last moment and only suffer such minor injuries. Impressive!]
"Huh? Fatal blow? Injuries?"
Harley, his senses heightened by 「Bio Aura」, 「Mark of the Fighting King」, and 「Light Emperor's Heart Technique (Modified)」, blinked. The holes in his shoulder were gone.
[…What? You regenerated that quickly?]
Not even a trace of blood remained. The Executioner couldn't help but be surprised. Regeneration wasn't unusual among his prey. Some monsters could recover from a tiny piece of flesh.
'But even they were helpless against my attacks.'
Even if he couldn't overwhelm his opponent with his 'rank' since they were equal, it didn't matter. That was the perk he acquired upon ascending to Greater Demon in another world, allowing him to challenge even immortal gods. But for him to be unharmed…
"Ugh, that really worked up my appetite. This is terrible fuel efficiency. I'll be in trouble if I lose muscle mass."
The Executioner's lips twitched at his opponent's grumbling. A fighting spirit replaced his initial surprise. An energy like flames erupted from his body, incinerating everything around him.
[Hmph… Good, very good!]
This was the kind of fight he craved. A fierce battle where he could unleash his full power, a clash of life, soul, and conviction. He usually refrained from using his unique skill, relying on his demonic powers. He had used it just now as a warning and mockery, not a serious attempt to kill. The reason was simple.
[Kuahaha! Now I don't have to worry about this ending too quickly!]
No one, except the Cheonbuhoe leader, could withstand him when he used his unique skill. He was actually glad to encounter an opponent against whom he could unleash his full power.
The next moment,
The Executioner, radiating a volcanic aura, vanished.
And at the same time,
"Huh?"
Ptoo
Harley twisted his body reflexively, but blood splattered from a gash in his chest. Four deep wounds on a body that should have been unharmed even at the epicenter of a nuclear explosion, thanks to 「Ultimate Evolved Lifeform」. And that wasn't the end.
Crackle! Rip! Crack
His tough skin was torn by destructive energy burning like flames. His tough muscles were ripped by a grip that distorted space. His fingers were severed by something sharp, and his wrist was cut off before it could regenerate.
[Oh? This too? Then how about this! And this! And this!]
"Kuh! This guy is having way too much fun!"
Harley couldn't even counterattack or properly dodge amidst the flurry of attacks…
But there were gains. By enduring the attacks with his senses heightened, he finally figured out what was happening.
'Is this…?'
It was also thanks to his other avatars, who could observe the situation from a third-person perspective. Heinz II's eyebrows twitched as he analyzed the distortions in causality using 「Insight」. Harris, using nature-affinity skills like 「Observer of the Milky Way」 to read the flow of the atmosphere, also reacted similarly.
"…Time Stop?"
Heinrich, frowning, muttered softly. His newly awakened senses as an angel detected something unnatural. A single exception, moving freely in a frozen world, in a time imperceptible to others. The being stopped and fiddled with Harley's blood on his fingertips.
[Huh! Impressive. You reacted at the very last moment?]
Of course, the ability wasn't perfect, as Harley's rank wasn't low. The 'Time Stop' didn't work properly in the brief moment the attacks landed.
'But that's not enough to defeat him.'
He finally understood why he was so relaxed. Not only was it useful in combat, but it also allowed him to escape any dangerous situation, so it was natural for him to feel no sense of crisis.
"Tsk, that's no fun. You talk big, but you fight dirty…"
[My, my, it seems I got carried away. I apologize. Since returning to Earth, only the leader can handle my full power. I've been a bit frustrated. And it's hard to encounter those with potential since the leader forbids infighting.]
Considering his level, the amount of karma he acquired must be immense. As he knew from his own 「Avatar」, unique skills had limitless potential. And if it reached the realm of divine authority after acquiring divinity…
'By the way, I gained another piece of information. There are others with potential.'
The fact that they could react to attacks in stopped time meant they weren't ordinary. He could learn more details later. As he was thinking, the Executioner, who had finished his reconnaissance, casually spoke after glancing at the other avatars watching from the sidelines.
[Now that you're rested, let's begin in earnest. Hmph, it seems a bit much to face you all at once… but it doesn't matter. An opportunity like this won't come again. Pushing myself to the limit and finding out my limits will be a good experience!]
The Executioner, brimming with confidence, was anticipating a group fight. His attitude irked Harley. He acknowledged his power, but that didn't mean he could underestimate them.
'Of course, that was the plan from the beginning!'
A group attacking a smaller number, the so-called 'gang-up', was a historically proven tactic. He still believed in its efficiency. But…
'…Yes, he has a point. This is also an experience. It's not every day I encounter an opponent with such a dangerous ability at this level.'
It wouldn't hurt to change the plan slightly if there were gains. His true opponent was the Cheonbuhoe leader, far stronger than this one. This was the time to gain experience and level up, not to rush to the next stage.
'Various experiences are also valuable in combat… and it doesn't look good to have so many eyes watching.'
He decided. He would fight alone until he landed a blow.
Hiss Clank!
Steam rose from his body as it heated up. A metallic sound, as if twisting metal, echoed. His body grew, now towering over his opponent.
"Alright, let's have a proper fight! I'm finally warmed up!"
[Hmm? You're fighting alone? Well, I don't mind.]
The Executioner glanced at the other avatars as Harley approached. He seemed to be concerned despite his words. Of course, to Harley, it seemed like he was looking down on him.
"Pffft… let me tell you a truth of life, dude."
A dark red energy surged from him, an otherworldly aura, neither life force nor killing intent, that seemed to contaminate anything it touched. Pure, abyssal madness, extracted from the 「Seed of Madness」 he had suppressed, began to spread.
"There's nothing more embarrassing than being beaten after talking big!"
Boom!
Harley's massive body charged forward.
[That doesn't apply to me.]
At the same time, the Executioner activated his unique skill.
————!
The world slowed down like a slow-motion video. And when everything finally stopped,
Only he, the 'Eternal Greater Demon', could move in this frozen world.
'Hmm, it would have been difficult to win a head-on fight without a unique skill. This monstrous body that defies logic must be the source of his divinity.'
The beast-masked figure was right in front of him, but he didn't flinch. There was nothing his opponent could do to harm him in this state.
'I acknowledge your strength. But you can't defeat me with just that.'
It was his first time facing such an absurd body. To only suffer minor injuries after being hit by an attack that tore through space itself. How dense and resistant to external interference was his body?! And he regenerated quickly, too. His best attack only managed to sever a wrist. Even if he could attack unilaterally, he couldn't tell how much more he would have to pummel him before he could inflict damage beyond his regeneration.
'But time is an infinite resource for me. It will break eventually.'
A burning energy surged in the Executioner's hand. Manipulating energy in stopped time was a burden, but it couldn't be helped. He couldn't even inflict a proper wound otherwise.
That's when it happened. As he approached the frozen figure, ready to attack,
He saw something that made his eyes twitch.
'Huh?'
Through the eyeholes of the large lion mask,
A pair of heterochromatic eyes, one red and one green,
Were staring straight at him.
'How?!'
With a playful glint in their slightly upturned eyes.