Rain stepped forward, her expression calm but firm.
"Guy-sama has no connection to what Loki plans on doing here," she said. "In fact, he doesn't even know Loki is currently in Falmuth."
Razen's eyes narrowed.
"I see," he murmured. Then he turned back to Loki. "So you've become a subordinate of Demon Lord Guy Crimson… and even received a name."
A thin smile crept onto his face.
"Is that what's gotten you so excited?"
Loki stared at him.
Then his expression twisted into pure disgust.
"Huh?" he snapped. "What did you just say?"
His voice dropped, sharp and absolute.
"I'll never be a subordinate of anyone."
Razen blinked.
Wait.
He's with Guy… but not under him?
Then what exactly is this relationship…?
Before Razen could speak again, Shogo stepped forward.
His eyes burned with excitement rather than fear.
So this old man beat that demon before, right? Shogo thought. Then he must be weak.
And that demon woman… she's standing behind him. Submissive, maybe?
This might be a good chance to test my new powers.
He scoffed loudly.
"All this talk about demons," Shogo said. "Aren't demons supposed to be scary or something?"
Kirara's eyes widened.
"S-Shogo?" she whispered. "What do you think you're doing?"
Both Loki and Rain turned their attention toward him.
Loki froze for half a second.
…Oh.
So it's you.
Shogo Taguchi.
And by the fence, chewing her gum nervously, Kirara Mizutani.
Two of the three otherworlders who would one day attack Tempest.
The third one isn't here, Loki noted. The idiot who got absolutely dogwalked by Hakuro.
Loki tilted his head.
"And who might you be?" he asked casually.
Shogo puffed out his chest and flexed.
"The name's Shogo Taguchi," he declared. "And you're a demon, right? That means you need to be purged."
A grin spread across his face.
"I'll do it myself."
Loki blinked once.
Then smiled.
"You're quite confident in yourself, aren't you?" he said.
"Well," Shogo replied smugly, "you're pretty weak. Especially if you managed to lose to old man Razen."
He cracked his knuckles.
"This should be easy."
Loki chuckled softly.
"If I were you," he said, "I wouldn't underestimate me."
Razen stepped in immediately.
"Shogo," he warned, "engaging these demons may not be a wise decision."
He gestured subtly toward Rain.
"That one named Loki may not be much, but the one with him is a Primordial Demon. If she were to fight, our chances of victory would drop significantly."
Rain sighed.
"Relax," she said flatly. "As long as I'm not attacked, I won't attack back. Honestly, I don't even want to be here."
Her eyes shifted to Shogo.
"And if I were you, I wouldn't underestimate Loki. I don't know where you got the idea that he's weak, but your logic couldn't be more wrong."
Razen frowned.
Interesting, he thought.
She's defending his pride… trying to prop him up.
But Razen knew better.
This demon is no more than a Greater Demon.
I've beaten him quite easily before.
No matter what she says… that truth doesn't change.
---
Shogo slid one foot back, lowering his center of gravity as magic surged around his body. His stance was crude but aggressive, all power and no restraint. Veins bulged along his arms as his confidence sharpened into something feral.
"I hate talking too much," Shogo growled, eyes locked onto Loki.
Loki let out a soft chuckle and rubbed his face with his palm.
"That's fine with me," he said lazily. "I hate talking as well."
He dropped his hand and smiled.
"Why don't you show me just how much power the human race has."
Shogo exploded forward.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he closed the distance in an instant, fist cocked back and wrapped in violent magic. His punch screamed through the air, aimed straight at Loki's face.
It never landed.
Loki tilted his head.
That was all.
Shogo's fist tore past his cheek, missing by less than a centimeter. Before Shogo could even register what happened, Loki stepped inside his guard and tapped him lightly on the chest with two fingers.
There was a dull thump.
Shogo's body folded as if struck by a cannonball. He flew backward, skidding across the dirt, carving a long trench before crashing into the stone wall of the training grounds.
Dust billowed.
Silence followed.
Kirara's mouth hung open.
Razen narrowed his eyes.
That was… pure physical force, he noted. No chant. No technique.
Shogo coughed violently, blood splattering onto the ground as he forced himself upright.
What…?
What the hell was that…?
Loki rolled his shoulders.
"That was your opening move?" he asked. "Man, humans really are disappointing aren't they."
Shogo roared and charged again, this time swinging wildly. Punches, kicks, elbows, everything he had, poured into brute force.
Loki didn't even bother dodging properly.
He blocked.
Palm against fist. Shin against kick. Elbow against elbow.
Each impact sounded dull and final, like iron striking stone.
Then Loki yawned.
"Too slow."
He vanished.
Shogo's eyes widened just before pain detonated across his back. Loki's knee slammed into his spine, forcing him face-first into the ground. Before he could scream, Loki grabbed his ankle and spun.
Shogo's body lifted off the ground and was hurled like trash, smashing through a training dummy, then another, before crashing headfirst into the dirt.
Loki laughed.
Not a polite laugh.
A loud, mocking, carefree laugh.
"Hahahaha! Is this it?" he called out. "You walked up to me all confident just to do this?"
Shogo's hands trembled as he pushed himself up.
Impossible…
I'm supposed to be stronger than normal humans…
Magic surged violently around him.
"Shut up…!" Shogo screamed. "I'm not done yet!"
The air warped.
A crimson aura erupted from his body as his Unique Skill activated.
Berserker.
His muscles swelled unnaturally, bones cracking as raw power flooded his limbs. His breathing became erratic, pupils dilating as reason burned away.
Kirara flinched.
He activated it already…
Shogo roared and lunged again, faster this time, much faster. His fist slammed toward Loki's head with enough force to shatter steel.
But Loki caught it.
With one hand.
The ground beneath Loki's feet cracked, but he didn't move an inch.
Shogo's eyes bulged.
"…Huh?"
Loki leaned in close, grin stretching wide.
"Oh, you powered up?"
He twisted Shogo's wrist sharply. Bones snapped.
Shogo screamed.
Loki punched him in the stomach.
Once.
The impact was so violent that the shockwave rippled outward, kicking up dirt and sending nearby people who were training stumbling backward. Shogo's body arched unnaturally as all the air was ripped from his lungs.
Loki didn't stop.
A kick to the jaw.
A knee to the ribs.
An elbow to the neck.
Each strike landed clean, precise, humiliating.
Loki was laughing the entire time.
"Hahaha! Berserker?" he mocked. "That's cute! You traded your brain for power and still couldn't touch me!"
Shogo crashed to the ground, convulsing.
Razen exhaled slowly.
He's definitely evolved…
An Archdemon at minimum.
And named, judging by his control.
Still—
Razen's gaze hardened.
He's no threat to me.
Loki planted his foot on Shogo's chest and leaned down.
"Let me give you some advice," he said cheerfully. "Confidence without strength just makes you loud and annoying."
He removed his foot and turned away, stretching his arms.
"Man… this is boring."
Shogo lay broken, barely conscious.
Razen clicked his tongue.
This is going poorly.
His eyes shifted to Kirara.
"Kirara," he commanded sharply. "Join the fight and support Shogo."
Kirara froze.
"…Eh?"
Razen didn't look at her again. His gaze remained fixed on Rain, who stood calmly with her arms crossed, expression flat and uninterested.
Rain met his stare.
She made no move to intervene.
And that, more than Loki's overwhelming strength made Razen's stomach twist uneasily.
________________________________________
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