Dodge to the right.
Dodge to the left.
Is this all they can do?
Oh, a spear from behind.
Too slow.
No, not too slow.
This body moves on its own. As if it can read the future. I don't even need to do anything.
Such an absurd power.
"How is this possible!?" Aldean shouted in frustration, swinging his sword multiple times, forming several crescent-shaped slashes of light that only damaged the buildings behind but not him.
He kept moving, dodging so swiftly as if trying to catch an eel with bare hands. Not a single attack worked, making the heroes even angrier.
They had never been toyed with like this.
Never been humiliated like this.
They were humanity's hope. Beings that should be praised and respected!
The long-haired girl chanted a spell and then pointed her tall magic staff upward, creating a massive, glowing red magic circle. The elves' eyes widened, realizing it was forbidden magic. Magic that even the Demon King would avoid.
"No matter how strong he is, he will perish!" one of the council members declared. "We have to step in and help!"
"But if we do, our mana will be depleted immediately!"
"It's either we lose our mana or we all perish at the hands of the heroes!"
They exchanged glances, nodded, and rushed in to assist him as he continued dodging the relentless attacks from the four others. Even the council members weren't sure if they could withstand such relentless assaults, with power capable of shattering advanced protective magic.
No wonder they were called humanity's heroes.
However, just as they got closer, he suddenly vanished and reappeared in front of the leading council member.
"I already told you, you'd be better off staying put and not interfering."
What happened next made the elves doubt their own eyes.
The council member, who had come with good intentions to help, was instead sent flying back to where they started by a powerful kick. The impact was so strong it shattered the ground around them, raising a thick cloud of dust.
Three more tremors followed—matching the number of council members who now groaned in pain, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. They could feel it—several bones had broken, especially in the areas that had taken those inhuman kicks.
Now, no matter what they did, they could no longer lend a hand.
The captain quickly approached with her unit, casting healing magic while wondering why he had done this.
"Stay where you are and don't come any closer. If a single person dares to step forward again, I won't hesitate to take their life," he warned before returning to his original spot, standing directly beneath the massive magic circle that was now glowing even brighter—a sign that the spell was about to be completed.
Strange symbols began appearing around him, forming what seemed to be a giant cage, while the four heroes relentlessly swung their weapons to keep him trapped inside.
Even without their efforts, he had no intention of leaving.
Curious—could their strongest magic actually harm him?
"Now!" the white-haired hero shouted.
At the same time, the four heroes poured massive amounts of mana into the white-haired girl. Her eyes slowly became engulfed in a bright golden glow. She gripped her magic staff tightly as it trembled under the strain of the immense power, cracks forming along its surface.
The hum of the magic circle was so loud that the elves had to cover their ears, bracing for the heroes' ultimate attack.
As a scorching-hot beam of light formed within the magic circle, shooting up into the sky like a towering pillar, not a single elf dared to blink. They were both awed and terrified by the power of humanity.
Never did they expect that the race often considered the weakest in magic actually harbored strength rivaling even the elves—beings known for their vast mana reserves and mastery of magic.
The once-dark sky was now illuminated in a fiery red glow, accompanied by tremors that shook the land like an earthquake, the shockwaves reaching all the way to humanity's capital.
From there, people could see the brilliant red pillar piercing the night sky, its force seemingly tearing the clouds apart. A sign that the heroes had finally met an opponent who could push them to such lengths.
And they prayed—the heroes must win. If not, humanity would face extinction.
The heroes smiled in triumph, convinced that he had finally perished.
No living being could survive an attack like that.
But their grins quickly faded, just like their hopes.
He was still standing.
Completely unfazed in the middle of it all, gazing up as if merely looking at an ordinary light—certainly not a weapon of mass destruction.
Not a single burn on his body.
Not even a faint red glow from the heat.
The heroes' hearts nearly stopped when he turned his gaze toward them.
"Are you lighting a candle?"
He vanished from sight.
The heroes tensed up, but before they could react, he appeared in front of the white-haired girl, who attempted to cast another spell—only to be struck by a devastating blow, sending blood spurting from her mouth.
It didn't end there.
She was then met with an even fiercer kick—far worse than what the council had endured.
At the same time, the magic circle flickered like a broken lamp before shattering like glass, sending out a gust of hot wind.
The elves could hardly believe their eyes.
Never in recorded history had someone survived forbidden magic—let alone emerged unscathed.
Even though the pain in their bodies was real, they wished this were just a dream rather than reality.
Their minds struggled to comprehend the impossible unfolding before them.
Aldean and the spear-wielder immediately lunged, seeking vengeance for the white-haired girl, who now lay unconscious with grievous wounds.
"YOU WILL DIE!" Aldean roared.
"Oh, really?"
He caught Aldean's sword mid-swing—then crushed the blade into tiny fragments.
Not just any sword.
This was a weapon passed down from previous heroes.
A blade that had existed since the ancient wars.
A blade that had slain Demon Kings of the past.
Now shattered in his grasp.
Aldean's face was struck with a powerful blow, his ears ringing, vision blurring, before being launched backward by a vicious kick—slamming straight into the spear-wielder who had been charging toward him.
Together, they crashed to the ground, causing a violent tremor that made the elves shudder at the thought of the heroes' current condition.
Now, only two remained.
Moments ago, they were driven by rage.
Now, they stood frozen, panting heavily—unsure whether to fight or surrender, lest they end up like their fallen comrades.
"DON'T THINK YOU'VE WON YET!" the short-haired girl with jet-black hair and violet eyes yelled.
She threw her twin swords forward, teleporting in an instant to strike from the front—then again from behind, both blades already in her grip, ready to take his life.
But he was still faster.
He vanished—reappearing behind her in an instant, delivering a crushing blow to her back. Blood filled her mouth as her consciousness faded the moment she hit the ground.
Before he could take a breath, the muscular warrior charged in, swinging his massive double-headed axe.
But his fate was no different.
Despite his overwhelming strength and size, he watched in horror as the figure before him caught his colossal axe as if it were nothing more than a broomstick—then snapped it in two.
His prized weapon, forged from the bones of high-tier monsters—reduced to scrap.
And the last thing he remembered before crashing to the ground…
Was that figure calmly walking down from the air—
As if descending a flight of stairs—
With a smirk on his face.