The Seven Demon's Tamer

The air between Master Sung and the four black-marked beasts that had descended from the portal was thick and tense, so much that it would be best referred to as oppressive. Everyone remained locked in a silent standoff, their gazes fixed on opponents whose very presence chilled the air.

The silence stretched on, each second feeling like an hour. Brok could hear his own heartbeat thundering in his ears so loudly he was convinced everyone else could hear it too.

Mara found herself unconsciously holding her breath, only releasing it in short, controlled bursts when her lungs couldn't hold it anymore.

Leo, however, could feel his legs shaking ever so slightly. His palms were sweating so much that he had to keep wiping them on his pants, leaving dark stains of wetness on them.

The Luo techniques flowing through her body should have made her feel confident, powerful even, and with Sen and Master Sung by her side, she should have felt a bit more confidence, but unfortunately...

Even Sen didn't seem confident in themselves.

Ryomen stood motionless, his red eyes reflecting the otherworldly light emanating from somewhere within. Of all the humans present, he seemed the least affected by the oppressive situation.

His breathing remained steady, his posture nearly relaxed—though whether this was due to incredible self-control or simply an inability to fully grasp the danger they faced remained unclear.

Zhou didn't hold his maniacal gleam anymore, but rather, he was dead serious. And Mikasa had her fingers readied to unleash something the moment things went south.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only thirty seconds, Valachi finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence with words that made them all gulp heavily.

At least this time around, what came out of his mouth wasn't immediately threatening compared to what could have transpired. This time, they would at least have the privilege to fight for their lives. Maybe, just maybe, they would have the potential to survive.

"You know what? I've come to a decision," Valachi spoke, taking what could almost be described as a reasoning pose, if such a thing were possible for a creature that looked like it had crawled out of the deepest pits of hell.

His single white eye swept across the group as he continued. "I think maybe we should make this an actual duel between us."

"I can already count a total of twelve of you," Valachi pointed out. "And there are just four of us."

"We can make this a duel where we will fight three against one," Valachi continued, his tone sounding like he was giving them some kind of generous offer. "That will help us ensure the peak of pleasure in the duel, don't you think?"

Valachi's smile widened, this time, revealing a set of needle-sharp teeth arranged in perfect rows, each one curved like an upside-down triangle. The sight was so disturbing that the majority had to actively resist the urge to step backward.

"Who knows," Valachi spoke with what sounded almost like genuine excitement, "maybe your deaths need not be so swift after all."

"And suspense is always enough to keep me entertained."

He paused, that terrible grin never wavering. "It has been quite a while since we last had genuine fun, being trapped in a blank space and waiting to carry out the will of the one demon monarch who had assigned me to this."

The mention of a Demon Monarch sent a collective shiver through everyone's spine. If these creatures, powerful beyond anything they'd ever encountered just from seeing their entrance, were servants to something even greater, then what lay in this reality they still had no clue of.

"Fine by me," Draki, who had remained silent throughout Valachi's proposal, agreed with a firm nod.

The two-headed dragon that had also descended nodded individually, each head moving up and down in a synchronized yet independent manner.

Master Sung took a quick glance at all available forces: Yuki, Koji, Mika, himself, Mara, Ryder, Leo, Brok, Akira, Mikasa, Zhou, and Ryomen. This was all of them—twelve individuals who would need to be divided into groups of three to face these monstrous opponents.

Now it was up to them to share themselves into groups of four individuals each.

"Hurry up with it," Valachi spoke impatiently. "But whatever division you decide upon, I will be going against you."

He pointed directly at Master Sung with one of those razor-sharp nailed fingers.

"And I would not want him to be involved in any way with my fight," Valachi added, now pointing toward Ryder.

Every eye in the group turned toward Ryder in puzzlement. The young man himself felt a chill run down his spine as he became the center of attention, but before anyone could voice the questions that were clearly forming in their minds, Valachi continued.

"I would not like to have anything to do with that which is precious to the Demon Monarch."

'Demon Monarch?' The phrase echoed in everyone's mind, but none understood what was meant by this statement except Ryder, who knew exactly what it was.

He was the original summoner who had been marked by the Dracogon. The obvious king of familiars ruling a section of the Astral Shadow plane.

'So the Dracogon did have a direct relationship with Planet Terra, just as he had begun to suspect.' The realization that he was on the right track made Ryder bite his lips.

"What does that mean?" Mikasa asked as she looked at Ryder. "Why would you be precious to their leader?"

Up in the sky, suspended on his floating winged familiar, Master Yuki observed everything unfolding below.

Mia remained beside him, her nervousness evident in the way she kept fidgeting with her fingers despite their seemingly safe position above the battlefield.

"I should at least make the destruction of the Red Eastern Guild honorable and grand," Yuki murmured to himself.

Raising his hand upward toward the night sky, red mist began to flow from his fingertips, swirling and coalescing in the air above them.