CHAPTER 137: ALL TOO FAMILIAR

The ground beneath the man’s feet cracked as he launched forward, his body becoming a blur of motion.

In the blink of an eye, he was upon Juer’lo, his flaming fist crashing hard into the demon’s abdomen.

Boom!

The impact forced Juer’lo’s massive body to slide back several feet, his heels digging furrows into the earth as dust and ash scattered.

But instead of pain, a low, rumbling chuckle slipped from the demon’s throat.

His claws shot out like iron shackles, wrapping firmly around the human’s wrist before he could retreat.

The man’s eyes widened as he yanked, twisted, and pulled—yet his arm didn’t budge an inch.

"A talent..." Juer’lo said, his voice almost admiring yet still soaked in venom. "One that lets you kill a one-horned demon on the first day of awakening..."

His grin spread wider, his crimson eyes glimmering with wicked light. "...It’s quite powerful indeed."

The man gritted his teeth, struggling violently, his muscles straining, the blue flames roaring hotter.

But it was useless. Juer’lo’s grip was immovable—unyielding, like chains forged from the abyss itself.

And then—

Bang!

Juer’lo’s fist slammed against the human’s cheek with crushing force, the sound of the impact reverberating through the air like thunder.

The man’s head whipped to the side, blood spraying from his mouth as his body was launched across the clearing, tumbling violently before skidding across the ground.

The demon straightened, rolling his shoulders with casual ease.

"Hehehe! Hahaha!" A guttural chuckle rumbled from his chest before erupting into mocking laughter.

"But it’s not enough to scratch me..." he said, his fangs glinting as his lips curled into a cruel grin. "Talkless of defeating me!"

The human staggered but quickly steadied himself, his body trembling with rage.

"Arghhh!!" A guttural roar tore from his throat, echoing like a beast’s cry, and the flames around him surged higher, brighter, hotter—turning the night into a blazing blue inferno.

The heat grew so intense the ground beneath him hissed, scorched and cracking.

"I carry the wills..." he bellowed, his voice thick with fury, "...of every human you have killed... every life you have stolen!"

His eyes burned with unshakable resolve as his fists clenched, sparks spitting from the flames around his arms. "Do you think I will lose to you... filthy demon!!!"

With another thunderous roar, he lunged forward, the flames trailing behind him like the tail of a comet.

His fist reeled back, glowing brighter, until it was almost like a miniature sun in his grasp. Then, with explosive force, he swung.

CRACK!

The punch connected directly with Juer’lo’s face.

The impact was bone-rattling, sending a shockwave through the air that rippled across the clearing.

The demon’s head snapped back violently as his massive body was thrown off his feet, sent flying several meters backward before slamming into the earth.

Dust and ash billowed upward as Juer’lo skidded back and then dug his claws into the dirt, halting himself.

Slowly, the demon rose, his crimson eyes glowing brighter, his nostrils flaring.

A trickle of dark, viscous blood oozed from his nose, running down to his lips.

Yet... despite the blow, despite the blood staining his face—he was smiling.

That same twisted smirk stretched across his lips, and then, he let out a deep, low chuckle that grew into mocking laughter.

"A talent..." Juer’lo said, his voice amused, almost praising. "One that increases your power... based on your conviction."

His smirk widened, revealing his sharp fangs glinting in the moonlight. "That’s... really powerful! But then, it’s wasted in the hands of a useless human!"

He clicked his tongue sharply, shaking his head as if mocking the human’s struggle.

His crimson eyes flicked toward the ruined corpse of the one-horned demon—the mess of gore and paste crushed into the earth. With a tilt of his clawed finger, he gestured toward it.

"It’s no surprise..." Juer’lo said, voice dripping with venom, "...that you managed to kill that demon."

He wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his clawed hand, smearing the dark fluid across his skin without care. His smirk shifted into something sharper, crueler, his voice dropping into a guttural snarl.

"But don’t get too cocky..." he growled, his eyes narrowing into slits. "...and forget your place, filthy human."

The words stabbed deep, burning into the man’s pride.

His eyes widened, veins bulging in his temple as anger consumed him.

"You—!" he roared, his flames raging wildly. He launched forward again, reckless, consumed with the need to silence the demon’s mocking tongue.

But this time, Juer’lo didn’t stand still.

Darkness flared around his massive fists, surging like liquid smoke that pulsed with malice.

His lips curled into a savage grin as he suddenly exploded forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet from the sheer force.

The suddenness of it caught the human completely off guard.

His eyes widened as the demon’s enormous frame closed the distance with terrifying speed, far faster than before. He barely had time to react—

BOOM!

Juer’lo’s clawed fist shot upward in a devastating uppercut.

It smashed into the human’s chin with bone-crushing force, snapping his head back violently.

The man’s body was launched like a ragdoll, soaring helplessly through the air before slamming into the hard ground with a bone-jarring crash.

Dirt and dust exploded outward from the impact as his frame skidded across the jagged earth, leaving a long, shallow trench behind him.

He groaned weakly, his body twitching as he lay sprawled several meters away, the flames that had burned so brightly around him now flickering faintly, barely clinging to life.

From where he stood, Juer’lo threw his head back and released a booming, guttural laugh that shook the air.

His laughter was cruel, filled with mockery and condescension.

"Hahaha!! Do you see that?!" he roared, pointing a clawed finger at the crumpled figure on the ground. "You’re just a puny, stupid human! Thinking you can stand against me!"

The man groaned, blood trickling down from his lips, his jaw bruised and swelling from the uppercut.

His arms trembled violently as he pressed his palms against the ground, pushing himself up inch by inch.

His knees wobbled, buckling under his own weight, but he refused to stay down. With a strained grunt, he finally forced himself back onto his feet.

But it was clear how much damage he had taken.

The blue flames that once raged with defiance now sputtered and flickered around his body, struggling to stay alight.

His chest heaved as he staggered, his body swaying like a candle in the wind.

Juer’lo tilted his head, a devilish grin spreading across his bloodied lips. His crimson eyes gleamed with sadistic delight.

"What’s wrong?" he mocked, his tone playful yet venomous. "You’re starting to run out of mana, aren’t you? Hahaha! All that rage, all that fire—reduced to a dying spark."

He took a slow step forward, his claws flexing as his grin grew sharper.

"Did you really think you could avenge your family like this? Your parents? Your children? Your friends?" His voice twisted into a cruel sneer, each word laced with malice. "You couldn’t protect them then, and you sure as hell can’t protect them now!"

The man’s eyes widened with rage and pain, his flames flickering brighter for a brief moment—but Riley, watching from within Juer’lo’s memories, already understood.

He could see the cracks forming, the imbalance between the man’s fury and his control.

Riley’s expression darkened as he pieced together what was happening.

He was beginning to grasp the flow of events, the cruelty of this world that had unfolded within Juer’lo’s mind.

He clenched his fists tightly at his sides.

This wasn’t going to end well for the man. No matter how much conviction burned in his chest, no matter how powerful his will was, Juer’lo was still far stronger than he was.

’That talent...’ Riley thought grimly, ’ it’s at least S-rank.’

It drew strength directly from conviction, a power that could push someone beyond their natural limits.

Against lesser demons, it was terrifying—enough to slay a one-horned demon even on the very day it awakened.

But even as powerful as it was, Riley knew it wouldn’t be enough to overcome the gap between the man and Juer’lo.

The man had only just awakened. His control was sloppy, his body untrained to handle such surging energy.

His emotions drove him more than skill, and while it gave him incredible bursts of strength, it also made him reckless.

Against an experienced monster like Juer’lo, that recklessness spelled doom.

Riley’s gaze shifted from the struggling man to the world around them. The strange atmosphere pressed in on him again, eerie and alien. His eyes lifted toward the sky.

The heavens above were draped in endless shadow, streaked with thin veins of glowing blue that rippled faintly like cracks across glass.

Two moons loomed side by side, massive and oppressive, bathing the battlefield in pale light.

The sight made Riley’s chest tighten. The despair of this world... the rebellion of its humans against demons... it all felt too familiar.