Alex locked eyes with Grayar, the towering Demon Commander who had led the devastating assault on the Fox Tribe Village.
The sky above was heavy with tension, and the remnants of demon forces lay scattered, wiped out by Alphox's brutal assaults and Alex's relentless spells.
Only Grayar remained, standing defiant with his mace at the ready.
[Grayar - Legendary Demon Commander]
[Level: 300 - Tier 5]
[HP: 3,000,000]
[Skills: Mace Smash, Demon Flames, Demonic Roar, Super Speed, Army Commander...]
Grayar's gaze was full of scorn as he bellowed, "You think a human like you can take me down? You'll pay for every demon you've killed!"
Alex smirked, gripping his staff and dagger, confidence flaring. "Let's see if you're as tough as you talk."
Grayar lunged forward, his mace smashing into the ground where Alex had been standing a moment before.
But Alex had already activated [Shadow Veil], slipping into stealth and vanishing from sight.
Grayar growled in frustration, sweeping his mace around to locate him, but his strikes hit only air.
From the shadows, Alex whispered, "Shadow Strike."
He lunged, his dagger slashing into Grayar's back.
The blow left a deep cut, and a dark bleed effect started seeping from the wound.
-113,025!
["Bleed" effect deal over 5 seconds.]
-300,000!
Bleed to 10% of his health down in mere seconds, an incredible attack.
"You coward!" Grayar howled, feeling the sting of the bleed as his health dwindled.
He snarled and unleashed [Demon Flames], waves of dark fire erupting from his mace.
Alex dodged back, avoiding the inferno that scorched the ground, but the intense heat made his heart pound as he realized just how close the attack had been.
"Time to turn up the heat myself," Alex muttered, summoning [Fire Meteor].
A blazing sphere appeared above them, then came crashing down, slamming into Grayar.
-435,158!
The commander staggered, his armor charred from the impact.
'How is this human doing so much damage?!' Grayar wanted to shout, but that would be admitting that the human is strong, and he refused that.
Before Grayar could recover, Alex unleashed [Fury of Thunder].
Three bolts of lightning struck from the sky, each one landing with a deafening crack, though only one of them hit the commander.
The fox villagers and their defenders watched from their homes and windows, hope filling their eyes.
Even Lilith, Alice, and Alera observed in silent support, their gaze fixed on the duel, their hopes pinned on Alex's victory.
As Grayar's frustration peaked, he launched one last desperate attack, aiming a powerful blow at Alex.
Alex knew he had to end this now as Grayar could go crazy and start attacking the others.
He called down another [Fire Meteor], crashing into Grayar and blasting him backward.
Grayar lay sprawled on the ground, his health now a sliver of what it once was.
He looked up, his voice now a weak plea, "W-Wait... human... I can offer you something."
"Oh?" Alex raised an eyebrow, dagger still poised for the final strike.
"I-I have a map," Grayar stammered, begging on his knees, desperate to save his own life, "A map of the demon clan's level 5 city! You want information, don't you? I can give you what you want, I swear!"
Alex considered it, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. "That's tempting... But I don't need it from you."
"What... What do you mean?" Grayar's voice was a mixture of horror and disbelief.
Alex grinned, holding his dagger steady. "I'll just extract it myself."
Grayar's face twisted in terror. "W-Wait! No!"
Before he could utter another word, Alex brought down [Oblivion Strike], his dagger cutting through Grayar's neck in a swift, decisive motion.
Grayar's head rolled to the side, and his body fell, lifeless.
As the blood pooled around the fallen commander, a message appeared before Alex's eyes.
[Demons left: 0]
[You have stopped the attack of the demons.]
[You have completed your tier 4 advancement task with an SSS-Rating!]
Alex straightened, feeling the weight of victory settle over him.
Around him, the fox tribe erupted in cheers, the fox girls rushing from their homes to celebrate.
Lilith, Alice, and Alera ran over, embracing him with relief and gratitude.
"You did it!" Alice cheered, beaming up at him.
Lilith grinned, impressed. "You've really earned that victory, Savior."
Even Alera, the village leader, nodded in approval, her respect clear in her eyes. "You've saved us all. We're forever in your debt."
Alphox, who had watched the end of the battle with a satisfied smirk, gave a low, approving rumble.
"Good work, human," he acknowledged before disappearing into his [Shadow Pet Space], content now that the demon threat was eliminated.
The fox tribe was now safe, and he was sure these demons wouldn't be annoying anymore.
Well, even if they tried something else, he would be there to stop them.