The sky was a sea of flames, as if even space itself was on the verge of melting, and Death Praise had already been swallowed by the magma and fire.
Xia Lun did not feel joy, and Aina's expression remained grave. They both knew this was far from over.
Amid the inferno, a streak of black light flashed.
Instinctively, Xia Lun raised his sword, shielding Aina behind him.
Aina looked at Xia Lun standing before her, her expression complicated, but he didn’t notice.
Death Praise burst through the flames, his robe now burned away, revealing his emaciated, skeletal form in full view of Xia Lun and Aina.
The terrifying heat radiating from Death Praise had yet to fade, distorting the air around him. Molten rock still dripped from his body, hissing as it released tendrils of steam.
Xia Lun’s pupils contracted—he suddenly noticed that Death Praise’s chest was hollow, devoid of a beating heart. In its place was a crimson gem.
Was that his weakness?
Xia Lun and Aina exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other’s thoughts without words.
"You cannot harm me… Though you are strong, we exist on entirely different levels," Death Praise said slowly, shaking his head.
"Aina, cover me!"
Gripping his holy sword, Xia Lun charged forward once more.
"You cover me—create an opening for me instead," Aina snorted, as layers of magic circles flared to life around her.
Though she was the Demon King, though Xia Lun was her enemy, and though this was the perfect moment to strike him down… such thoughts never crossed Aina’s mind.
Instead, fighting alongside Xia Lun filled her with a strange exhilaration and joy.
This was a good opportunity to gauge Xia Lun’s true strength… That was what she told herself, at least. She hadn’t forgotten her original purpose for joining his party.
After all, since joining Xia Lun’s group, they had never faced an enemy that required both of them to fight together.
Xia Lun’s figure flickered through the air, leaving behind an afterimage as he closed the distance in an instant.
His holy sword swept horizontally, aiming straight for the radiant red gem embedded in Death Praise’s chest.
Yet, just as the blade was about to strike, an invisible resistance halted its momentum, as if it had sunk into quicksand, unable to advance even an inch further.
A powerful repulsive force erupted from Death Praise’s body, hurling Xia Lun backward.
Aina’s magic followed immediately.
Not just fire—lightning, frost, and gales surged forth in succession. It seemed Aina was testing which element might be his weakness.
Unfortunately, all her spells had minimal effect. Death Praise’s body was shielded by a power beyond this world, rendering ordinary attacks useless.
The battle had reached a stalemate.
……
"My god, look at the sky!"
"What is that? Why is the sky on fire?"
The commotion caused by Aina’s magic was impossible to ignore, and the people below had taken notice.
"Those are magic circles… It looks like someone’s fighting up there!"
"Please tell me those spells won’t come crashing down on us…"
Panic spread among the citizens.
Among the crowd, Ankula stood pale-faced, staring at the scene above.
Though Xia Lun had instructed her to evacuate the people, and she had obeyed, she now realized that with a battle of this scale raging overhead, there was nowhere safe to run.
In the short term, the only thing she could do was pray for Xia Lun’s victory.
Ankula gritted her teeth. She refused to sit idle, leaving Olie City’s fate entirely in Xia Lun’s hands.
Her father was busy maintaining order, overwhelmed by the chaos. Though he had once been an adventurer, Ankula knew his limits—he was powerless in the face of such a crisis.
There were no other warriors in the city capable of intervening in a battle of this magnitude.
Right now, the only one who could change the situation… was herself.
Ankula rushed back to her room.
"Essential oils… lavender… incense… and candles…"
She rummaged frantically through her belongings.
She was going to perform a divine possession ritual—summoning a powerful entity to inhabit her body and aid Xia Lun against this sudden enemy.
But this time, even an elemental spirit wouldn’t be enough. She needed something far stronger.
The risks were immense. If the entity refused to leave afterward, the consequences would be dire… but there was no time to hesitate.
She could see that Xia Lun and Aina were at a disadvantage against their foe.
Even if they somehow managed to defeat him, there was no guarantee Death Praise wouldn’t drag Olie City down with him in his final moments.
They needed overwhelming force—and she needed power to protect this city.
Ankula drew an intricate magic circle on the floor with an unknown alchemical solution, then lit the candles and incense before sitting at its center.
The ritual required self-hypnosis to lower her mental defenses, allowing the summoned entity to take control of her body.
She began chanting an obscure incantation, calling upon a mighty presence.
The air around her grew scorching hot, and Ankula felt the weight of an ancient gaze upon her.
Her heart leaped.
The Flame Monarch!
The highest form of fire elemental spirits, a being of immense combat prowess.
She hadn’t expected such luck—to summon a being of this caliber.
Moreover, the Flame Monarch was known to be relatively benevolent toward humans. Once the crisis was resolved, it likely wouldn’t torment her too severely.
Without hesitation, Ankula relinquished control of her body, allowing the Flame Monarch to fully manifest within her.
Instantly, her pupils shimmered with flickering firelight, her golden hair lengthening and turning crimson.
The Flame Monarch rose from the magic circle and stepped out of the room.
She sensed the girl’s desperate plea—to borrow her strength, to crush the enemy and protect this city.
The Flame Monarch lifted her gaze to the sky.
The moment she saw Death Praise, her eyes narrowed sharply. A startled cry escaped her lips as the flames around her dissipated, her crimson pupils fading as her consciousness withdrew from Ankula’s body.
Ankula stood frozen in place, stunned.
She had never encountered such a situation before.
The Flame Monarch—a being of such immense power—had been frightened away by that thing?
"Evil God."
The words surfaced in Ankula’s mind.
This was the message the Flame Monarch had left behind, as if explaining her abrupt departure.
Horror dawned in Ankula’s eyes.
The enemy Xia Lun and Aina were facing… was an Evil God?