Inside that wooden cabin, the air was heavy with grief. Amidst Emily's intermittent sobbing, the members of the "Ice Team" entered with grim faces, their eyes turning sorrowfully toward their fallen comrade. Emily lifted her tear-stained face and asked in a broken voice:
"He will come back... won't he?"
Julian approached and patted her head gently, trying to breathe reassurance into her trembling soul:
"Emily... he will definitely wake up, don't worry. His soul is fighting right now; he just needs some time. So, whatever you do, do not lose hope."
Chapter Two: The Hell of Battle
In stark contrast, and in another dimension, hell was consuming everything.
After the Demon Lord scorched Andre's back with a raging flame, he kicked him away like a carcass. The Demon stood tall and said with biting sarcasm:
"My dear Andre... you say that little girl is calling for you? What a pathetic irony! Look at yourself, lying on the ground like an insect, your back completely charred. How could you even find the strength to stand?"
Andre tried to move his body, but the pain was a steel shackle. The Demon pressed his heavy foot onto Andre's hand and unsheathed his sword, saying coldly:
"And now, Andre, I will cut you to pieces until nothing remains of you. I shall start with your hands."
In the blink of an eye, the blade fell. Andre's right hand was severed, followed by the left. Not satisfied, the Demon grabbed the severed hands and set them ablaze until they turned into ash scattered by the wind.
The Demon shouted to the judge:
"Listen, Judge Gaius! Andre is no longer moving. Declare my victory at once!"
The judge replied hesitantly: "How can I declare your victory when he is not yet dead? There is still a spark of life in him."
The Demon Lord smiled wickedly: "Yes, I will keep his soul alive; I do not want him to have a quick death. After all, he is my brother's grandson, and he must witness with his own eyes how I turn his world into hell."
The judge asked: "Do you not fear he might break the shackles again and reclaim his body?"
The Demon replied with blind confidence: "Let him try. This time, he won't be able to move."
The judge raised his gavel, shouting: "Then, I declare the winner to be—"
"Judge..." a frail but defiant voice interrupted. "Are you declaring a victory that hasn't been achieved? I haven't surrendered yet!"
Fury ignited in the Demon Lord's eyes. He lunged at Andre, kicking his body mercilessly:
"You! Do you not understand the meaning of the end? No hands, no body, no weapon... what will you do? Answer me!"
Andre didn't utter a word. Instead, he responded with one thing:
"Blood Power... Infinite Spears!"
From the ground soaked in his blood, hundreds of crimson spears erupted, surrounding the Demon Lord. The Demon screamed in rage: "Using your spilled blood as a last resort? Futile!"
The Demon shattered the spears, but the surprise paralyzed him; for every one he broke, ten more grew in its place.
Andre smiled weakly: "It seems I am the victor. These spears will never perish."
The Demon replied: "I will break them until your blood runs dry!"
Andre laughed: "Try then, and I will win. You ask how? By making you grow weary of the fight."
"Are you're delirious, boy?" the Demon spat.
Andre continued cunningly: "Unfortunately, this world is not the real one. In the physical world, my body is whole, and here I can reclaim it, but you are the one who must ask the judge for that."
The Demon gave him a bored look: "You are tedious, boy. I can free myself without effort."
The Demon unleashed tongues of flame in every direction, evaporating the blood and destroying the spears forever. He leaned in and whispered to Andre:
"What were you hoping for? That we'd restart the match? That you'd win because your friends are praying for you? Wake up, you fool! We are in the real world, and 'the power of friendship' and such nonsense do not exist here. Now, since you refuse to surrender, I will make you taste hell."
The Demon ignited his hand and grabbed Andre's head to turn it into ash. But...
Suddenly, and without warning, heavy rain began to fall from the clear sky.
The Demon raised his head in astonishment, and at that moment, he felt a grip of steel tighten around his arm. He looked down and was shocked to see both of Andre's arms had returned to normal!
"How?! I cut them off!" the Demon screamed.
Andre didn't wait. He landed a thunderous punch to the Demon's face, making him stagger and release his grip. Andre rushed to grab his sword and said:
"I agree with you, Demon Lord. Magical 'power of friendship' doesn't exist, and as a former criminal, I know that well. But... making use of friends is a reality; one hand cannot clap alone. You wonder how I healed? Simply, the 'Ice Lord's' necklace placed beside my body on the bed right now. Despite its faint magic, the healing power of 'Rose' within it is incredible—it mends with the rain!"
Andre attacked with his sword, and the blades clashed again. Sparks flew and the clashing grew louder. Andre used the power of wind to create distance between them.
The Demon Lord felt the edge of his blade and said:
"Despite your recovery, your strength hasn't increased. Is this a fight to the last breath? So be it... Darkness Power!"
A black cloud covered the battlefield, and the Demon unleashed a massive wave of dark energy: "Die and let's end this nonsense!"
Andre held his sword steadily, his heart pounding violently. Suddenly, a strange power moved within him.
Judge Gaius noticed it and shouted: "Impossible! That power... is it the power of the First Hero? Did that girl's healing magic awaken the latent power?"
The gem on Andre's sword glowed with a brilliant light, unleashing an energy that collided with the wave of darkness. The ground and sky cracked like a fragile eggshell from the magnitude of the collision.
The Demon roared in anger: "Are you joking? This pressure... it's the power of the First Hero! It didn't disappear? But unfortunately, my power equals my brother's. It's only a matter of time before you collapse."
Andre didn't have the luxury of being amazed. He screamed with all his soul:
"Even if that's the case, I will hold onto this hope! I have friends to return to, and promises I must keep. I will seize any chance to defeat you!"
And suddenly, amidst the struggle of energies, another power exploded from within Andre. It wasn't the First Hero's power, but a familiar and terrifying one... it was the Demon Lord's own power!
Amidst everyone's shock, the Demon took a step back: "Impossible! How could my power be with you? Is heaven collaborating with you now?"
Andre replied, his eyes shining with determination:
"I don't know and I don't care... all I know is that I will defeat you by any means!"
The two energies fused together, and a decisive strike tore through the darkness, announcing the end of the battle and Andre's resounding victory