The golden gate opened just a few meters away from Arthur.

Another wave of pressure rolled out of it—different from the demonic one, but just as overwhelming. It pressed down on the rooftop, making the air buzz.

Astaroth’s expression darkened immediately.

He looked from the gate to Arthur, who was just as confused as he was.

"What did you just do, boy?" the demon asked.

"I’d really like to know that myself," Arthur muttered.

A silhouette became visible through the portal.

A woman stepped out.

Her pink hair flowed down her back in soft waves, tied loosely behind her head so it wouldn’t get in the way. Her figure was slender yet voluptuous, every curve in exactly the right place. Unlike the red dress she’d worn just a few hours ago at the banquet, she was now in a black, skin-tight combat suit with subtle armor plating at the joints and torso, designed purely for battle.

Yuna.

Her eyes swept the rooftop in one smooth motion—first landing on Arthur, then on Aiden, who was standing shakily a few feet away, and finally on the demon with his hand still on Arthur’s cheek.

"I should’ve known," Yuna said, staring at Arthur. "If something’s going wrong, you’re involved."

Arthur’s mouth twitched.

"It wasn’t me this time, okay," he said quickly.

"It was because of you!" Aiden yelled. "That guy only wanted to kill you, and in the process he summoned a demon, you troublesome bastard!"

"Just shut your damn mouth already!" Arthur shouted back, still unable to move.

The demon met Yuna’s gaze.

A slow smile spread across his lips.

Then he burst into loud, booming laughter.

"Ha... ha ha ha ha!"

"It’s just a human, huh, boy," Astaroth said, amusement dripping from his voice. "You had me scared for a second."

He stepped away from Arthur and took a few gentlemanly strides toward Yuna, wings folding slightly behind him.

"The name is Astaroth," he said with a mock bow. "One of the ten rulers of the Demon Realm—a pinnacle of authority you humans can only dream of reaching."

He licked his lips, eyes roaming over her.

"You look quite strong and useful, woman," he said. "So I will give you an offer. Come and serve me, and I will show you a whole new world. A height of power that mortals like you can only dream of reaching."

He glanced back at Arthur.

"This offer includes you as well, boy," he added. "You possess a rare breed of power, with a presence I’ve only read about in myths. If you accept my offer, I will even spare your life."

His tongue ran over his lips again.

"And as you can see," he added, eyes sliding between Yuna and Arthur, "I’m the type of demon who enjoys the servitude of both men and women."

Arthur stared at him.

"Why do all the perverted bastards only ever show up in front of me..."

Astaroth chuckled.

"A pervert, huh," he said. "That’s the first time someone has used that word on me and lived to breathe for the next second."

In the next instant, a black mass of energy condensed in his palm—a dense orb of compressed demonic power.

He flicked it toward the sky.

The projectile shot upward like a cannon shell.

Far above, massive warships of the Ashford Empire were approaching the palace, their metallic hulls glinting against the night sky.

Inside the largest flagship, Eliana sat in a command room, surrounded by floating screens showing different angles of the rooftop battle.

She watched Astaroth, then saw Yuna’s arrival.

Relief flickered briefly across her face.

"Good," she murmured. "She made it in time."

An operator shouted, "Unknown energy signature detected! Incoming attack!"

The black mass of energy was streaking toward them at terrifying speed.

"Activate the Arcane Barrier!" Eliana ordered.

Outside, a massive translucent barrier unfolded around the fleet, domes of shimmering blue light enveloping each warship until all of them were connected in a single shield.

Red alerts still flashed on the control panels.

"Your Majesty," one of the war commanders said anxiously, "the energy readings from the attack are extremely high. We’re not sure if our barrier will be able to handle it."

On the external cameras, the black mass of energy grew larger and larger, howling toward them at supersonic speed.

It was about to hit.

The black mass of energy tore through the sky, leaving a warped trail behind it as it raced toward the Ashford warships.

The operators inside the flagship watched the black streak grow larger on their screens, alarms blaring.

Just as it was about to collide with the barrier—

Yuna vanished from the rooftop.

In the next instant, she appeared high in the air, right in front of the incoming attack.

She twisted her body, raised one leg, and drove the heel of her boot straight into the center of the black sphere.

Boom.

The impact sent a shock through the air. The attack changed direction, rocketing straight up into the sky.

A heartbeat later, it exploded.

The detonation was deafening, like several missiles going off at once. A blinding sphere of dark light bloomed high above the city, its shockwave rolling outward in a massive ring. Even on the ground, Arthur felt the wind slam into him, forcing him to squint against the force.

Clouds were ripped apart. The night sky lit up for several seconds.

Inside the flagship’s command room, Eliana exhaled slowly as the energy readings dropped.

On the screen, they saw Yuna hovering briefly in the air before landing back on the rooftop. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Yuna looked up at the formation of warships and clicked her tongue.

"You’re getting in my way," she said. "Just evacuate the citizens. I’ll handle the rest."

In the command room, several commanders turned to Eliana.

"My lady," one of them said, "at least give us a chance. What are your orders?"

Eliana’s expression hardened.

"Focus all our manpower on reaching the citizens," she said. "Get them out of the danger zone. Yuna works better alone."

The commanders exchanged looks, then bowed.

"As you command."

Orders were relayed across the fleet. The warships began to break formation, redirecting their efforts away from direct engagement and toward evacuation routes and defensive coverage.

—

Back on the rooftop, Astaroth stared at the fading explosion in the sky.

"I can’t believe a human deflected that attack with just her bare foot," he said slowly.

Then he chuckled.

"Looks like that was her answer to my offer."

He turned back toward Arthur.

"What about you, boy—"

But there was no one where Arthur had been standing.

Astaroth frowned.

’When did he—’

He didn’t get to finish the thought.

A fist slammed into his gut with enough force to fold him in half.

"Gu—!"

Blood spurted from his mouth as his body flew backward.

Cold gray eyes met his mid-flight.

"You talk too much for someone with so little strength," Yuna said.

Before he could stabilize his wings, she was already above him.

Her body spun, leg whipping around in a perfect arc.

Her heel crashed into his side.

The impact sent Astaroth hurtling like a meteor. He tore through the side of one building, then another, smashing through walls and glass, until he hit the ground with an earth-shaking crash.

A massive crater formed where he landed, concrete and debris exploding outward.

Back on the rooftop, Yuna casually fixed a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear.

She glanced at Arthur.

"My disciple is watching," she said. "So I have to make myself look even cooler."

Arthur didn’t argue.

In the next moment, a massive aura erupted from the crater.

It surged upward like a pillar, thick with killing intent so powerful that sevaral Awakeners on the ground collapsed from it. The air vibrated, the several buildings groaning under the pressure.

Astaroth was far from finished—and now he was angry.