"Mr. Noah, we can still hold on. Weâre still too far from the Demon King," Ronan said in a low voice.
"Yes, Mr. Noah, please donât push yourself. Killing the Demon King is what matters. It doesnât matter if a few of us die," Tobias added.
They assumed Noah was stepping in early because the pressure on them had become too great.
But that couldnât happen.
If they failed, all their sacrifices would be meaningless.
"Itâs enough," Noah said with a faint smile.
"Since I was able to destroy the Demon Country, Iâm not afraid of this Tree Demon. No matter how many Monster Puppets it has, theyâre no stronger than the demons from before. If I werenât in a weakened state, I could wipe them all out on my own."
"Thank you, all of you. Without your help, even if I managed to kill the Demon King, I wouldâve likely died as well. But because of your efforts, I wonât need to resort to desperate measures."
He paused slightly, his tone calm.
"I still have enough strength left. Iâm confident that even after using a forbidden technique to kill the Demon King, I can survive. At worst, Iâll need a few years to recover."
"What?"
Ronan and the others were stunned for a moment, then overwhelmed with joy.
They hadnât expected Noah to still have confidence in surviving.
That was incredible news.
The Velmora Dynasty had suffered deeply under the scourge of demons. Whether it was Ronanâs group or Aerinâs, all of them had lost friends or family to demon attacks. Their hatred ran deep.
To them, nothing mattered more than slaying demons and eradicating evil.
As for how the survival of someone as powerful as Noah might affect the balance of the dynasty, they didnât care much.
After all, who could guarantee that another Demon King wouldnât appear in the future?
Noahâs existence was like a pillar, something that could stabilize the entire Human Race and give them hope.
While the humans were filled with excitement, the Jade-Faced Demon Fox and the other hidden demons showed subtle changes in expression.
"Alright," Noah said calmly. "All of you, leave now. The farther, the better."
At Noahâs urging, Ronan and the others didnât hesitate. They quickly retreated, exiting Varkesh City in a short time. Even as they pulled back, their eyes remained fixed on Noah, ready to witness the moment he slew the Demon King.
"Bloodline Liberation."
A massive phantom rose behind Noah. At the same time, his aura surged explosively.
As he drew back his fist, an overwhelming pressure spread outward.
It felt as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting apart. Even before the punch was thrown, the Monster Puppets charging toward him began to shatter one after another. Only the Fourth Order ones managed to hold on, but even they slowed drastically.
"Incredible..."
Ronan and the othersâ eyes lit up. Seeing this terrifying stance, they were finally convinced that Noah hadnât exaggerated at all.
But thenâ
"Kael, what are you doing?"
"Aerin, come back!"
Their expressions changed abruptly.
Several figures, instead of retreating, were rushing toward Noah at astonishing speed.
Before they could even get close, bursts of blood mist exploded around them. Their human disguises tore apart, revealing hideous and terrifying demon forms.
"Demons... theyâre actually demons!"
"No wonder I always felt that Aerin wasnât putting in much effort. I thought he was just afraid of dying."
Ronan and the others were shocked. They had never imagined that demons were hidden within their own ranks.
Just as they were about to rush forward in anger, Noahâs roar rang out:
"Demons, Iâll fight you with my life!"
In the next instant, a dense blood-red light flooded the surroundings. Noahâs aura surged to an unimaginable level.
The sheer pressure alone was devastating.
Even the Fourth Order Monster Puppets near him began to break apart. The Jade-Faced Demon Fox and the other demons seemed to sink into an invisible mire, their movements slowing drastically. Aside from the stronger Jade-Faced Demon Fox, the other demonsâ bodies started to collapse under the overwhelming force, though they fared slightly better than the puppets directly facing Noah.
"Get out of here!"
Noah glanced back at Ronan and the others.
They all stopped in place, falling silent.
They understood.
Noah no longer trusted anyone completely.
And more importantly, they could all tell that He had likely pushed himself to the limit, using every forbidden method he had.
This battle...
might be his final stand.
"Sky!"
Noahâs punch remained locked onto the Tree Demon.
Facing that overwhelming threat, the Tree Demon also went all out.
Endless green light condensed before it, forming a massive spear hundreds of meters long. The sheer force of it shook the entire Varkesh City, causing buildings to collapse one after another.
Everyoneâs attention was drawn to that terrifying spear.
"Still not making a move?"
At that moment, a strange voice echoed through the air, neither male nor female.
Noah showed no fear.
His heaven-shaking punch was about to be unleashedâ
when suddenlyâ
a sharp palm pierced straight through his chest from behind, shattering his Life Force Field in an instant.
A figure appeared silently at his back.
It was another demon.
Unlike the others, this one was not massive. Its body was only about two meters tall, covered in silver scales, with a long tail swaying slowly behind it.
Compared to the towering demons around it, its size seemed insignificant.
But the aura it emitted...
Ronan and the others stared in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Their hearts sank instantly.
A Demon King... there was actually a third Demon King.
The Silver Armor Demon King didnât even spare them a glance. Its gaze remained fixed on Noah, a trace of satisfaction in its voice.
"To kill you with my own hands..."
Before it could finishâ
something felt wrong.
Its arm was suddenly seized.
Even more strangely, its palm, which had pierced forward, now seemed to be pressing against an invisible wall. No matter how much force it used, it couldnât move even an inch further.
"Surprised? Unexpected?"
Noah, who should have been dead, turned his head slightly and smiled at it.