The battlefield was unrecognizable—craters marred the land, jagged scars of destruction etched into the earth. Scorch marks painted the ruined ground, and the air carried the sharp tang of burnt stone and blood.
A lone figure stood amid the wreckage.
Blue.
His expression was unreadable, his posture relaxed, as if none of this chaos mattered.
In front of him, an S-Rank Hunter barely clung to life. Blood ran in thin rivulets down his tattered armor, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He could barely keep himself upright.
Yet his focus wasn't on his own pain. It was on the enemy before them.
A demon general.
Towering and monstrous, wreathed in crimson aura, his presence alone was suffocating. His skin was like obsidian armor, his eyes burning with malevolent amusement. His clawed hands flexed, eager to rip flesh from bone.
The Hunter coughed, forcing out a weak whisper.
"Kid… run."
His voice cracked with exhaustion, but his intent was clear.
"This isn't a fight you can win."
Blue didn't look back. His voice was flat, unbothered.
"Sit back."
It wasn't a suggestion.
The demon general chuckled—a deep, rumbling sound that sent vibrations through the broken ground.
"You?" His glowing eyes scanned Blue, finding nothing of note. No aura. No oppressive energy. Nothing.
He sneered.
"You're barely worth my time." His claws curled, ember-like veins glowing along his arms. "What, you think that tiny body of yours can—"
Blue vanished.
---
The Clash Begins
A flicker.
The demon's eyes barely tracked it—Blue reappeared, dagger slashing toward his ribs.
A hair's breadth from piercing flesh.
With inhuman reflexes, the demon twisted, narrowly evading the strike before launching a devastating backhand.
Blue was already gone.
He reappeared behind him.
The dagger slashed at the demon's exposed neck—only for the general to pivot, blocking it with an armored forearm. Sparks erupted from the impact.
Again. Blue disappeared.
Again. He reappeared.
Attack after attack, relentless, precise.
Teleportation. Over and over.
The demon general's expression darkened. His grin faltered.
Impossible.
His instincts, honed over centuries of war, screamed at him. Yet they couldn't keep up.
Every time he thought he had a read on Blue's movements—he was already gone.
The S-Rank Hunter, still kneeling on the ground, barely conscious, watched in disbelief.
"He's… toying with him?"
---
An Exchange of Power
The demon general roared, his crimson aura flaring outward like a tidal wave, warping the air itself. A black, corrosive mist spilled from his hands, melting the earth into molten sludge.
Dark Venom.
A single touch would rot even an S-Rank from the inside out.
Blue appeared in front of him.
The demon general grinned.
"Got you—"
His clawed hand shot forward—only to pass through an afterimage.
Blue was already behind him.
A sudden force smashed into the demon's back—Compressed Wind.
The impact sent him flying, but he twisted midair, stabbing his claws into the ground to anchor himself.
His fist shot forward at supersonic speed—
BOOM!
A shockwave shattered the land. But Blue had already teleported away.
The demon snarled, his frustration boiling over.
"Stop running, worm!"
Blue reappeared above him.
Daggers in both hands.
---
A Battle of Wits and Skill
Instincts screamed at the demon. He raised his arm to block—
Too slow.
Blitz Strike.
A flash of blue light.
Then—pain.
Blood splattered across the battlefield.
The demon stumbled back, clutching his arm. A deep gash ran from his shoulder to his elbow. His flesh refused to regenerate.
His eyes widened.
What the hell is this kid?!
Blue pressed forward. His assault was merciless—daggers flashing, teleportation making him impossible to track.
The demon barely kept up. His movements turned desperate.
Then the ground beneath him froze solid.
A ring pulsed on Blue's hand—Frost Dominion.
The demon general's legs locked up.
Another ring flared—Gravity Inversion.
His body yanked into the air, weightless, defenseless.
Blue was already above him, daggers raised.
The demon snarled and unleashed a shockwave of pure force, breaking free of the gravity pull. He landed hard, cracking the ground beneath him. His glare burned with pure hatred.
"You're dead."
Both hands raised—
Hellfire Surge.
Crimson flames erupted, twisting and writhing like living entities. The air ignited. The ground melted into pools of molten rock.
Blue vanished.
Reappearing just outside the blast radius.
The demon general was on him in an instant.
His speed had doubled.
A clawed hand lashed out—Blue barely ducked, the air splitting as the force passed over him.
He countered—a dagger thrust toward the demon's ribs.
The demon saw it.
His tail lashed out—a massive spiked limb swinging like a battering ram.
Blue raised his arm—
Barrier Pulse.
A translucent shield flickered into existence.
The tail smashed into it. The barrier shattered. But Blue remained unharmed.
The demon general growled, his frustration mounting.
Blue landed smoothly, twirling his dagger. His voice was calm.
"Not bad."
The demon's face twisted.
"Damn insect…!"
Then—he noticed it.
His wounds.
They weren't healing.
His body, capable of regenerating from almost any injury, remained damaged. The gash on his arm. The stab wound near his ribs. Even the minor cuts littering his form.
His expression shifted.
Realization hit.
He was being weakened.
---
The Final Edge
Blue exhaled slowly.
The dagger in his hand pulsed.
Then—another identical dagger materialized in his other hand.
The S-Rank Hunter's breath caught.
"He… duplicated it?"
Then—the weapons changed.
The dull gleam of A-Rank steel twisted and warped, glowing with an ominous blue light.
The energy surged upward.
The weak shine of A-Rank steel vanished—
Replaced by something far beyond it.
Not low-tier.
High-tier S-Rank daggers.
The demon general's amusement was gone.
For the first time—he looked afraid.
Blue rolled his shoulders, adjusting his grip.
"I've tested enough."
His stance shifted.
The daggers pulsed with raw, untamed power.
His voice was absolute.
"Time for me to stop playing with you… and end this."