Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

They all prepared to attack the human army's artillery from behind. Each of them began channeling their demonic energy to create spells of black fire.

Of course, this would eventually alert the humans to their presence. But they had one major advantage: humans were accustomed to sensing mana, not demonic energy.

Demonic energy was very different, distinct. Because of that, it took them extra time to realize something was wrong—and that extra time was exactly what they needed.

William watched as his squadmates formed their own spells. Most were conjuring black fireballs, the demons' primary attack.

The captain was the only one channeling demonic energy and managing to alter its essence, creating an earth-element spell. That was extremely rare among demons.

They were impressive spells, of course, but compared to the massive black fireballs William could create? The difference was brutal.

William went up to the captain and asked him something.

"Can I go all out, Captain? There's no danger of hitting any of our allies, right?"

The captain found the question a bit strange.

"Of course you can go all out. Our comrades are fighting on the other side of the battlefield. There's no risk of hitting them."

William smiled. He was ready to unleash everything.

He activated his Stage 1 demonic transformation, enveloping his entire body in his demonic energy. That was something everyone there could do.

The captain was merely surprised by the amount of demonic energy swirling around William. It was far greater than he had expected and, in a way, was on par with or even superior to the other captains.

"Was he hiding his power?" the captain thought.

But William didn't stop there. He was just getting started. The transformation shifted to Stage 2, causing all the demonic energy to turn crimson, like blood. When the captain saw that, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"T-That transformation! Only the demon prince can use it! H-How???"

The other squad members were also utterly shocked. They knew that transformation was used exclusively by the prince.

William had no idea that only the prince could use it. He looked at the captain and the others and smiled.

"Relax. We're going to win this battle. Focus on the attacks. We need to deal massive damage to them right from the start."

William wanted them to focus on the attacks, not on the energy swirling around his body.

And speaking of the energy around his body... While the energy around his squadmates was like small candles, slowly flickering, William's energy was like a sun—vast and crimson, engulfing everything.

The captain felt something stir within him. It was as if his body wanted to bow in the presence of such overwhelming power. The same thing happened when he stood before the prince.

William made his move. He channeled power into his legs and leaped high into the air. His body shot skyward like a bullet, so fast it seemed to distort the air in its wake.

From up high, his view was privileged. He could see the entire battlefield.

The demons were losing. The gap wasn't huge yet, but it was clear the human army was slowly gaining the upper hand.

This was the moment to turn the tide. The moment for William to show everyone his power.

While he was in the air, the demons on the other side of the battlefield sensed his presence. It was hard not to notice a crimson dot in the sky, radiating overwhelming energy.

The demon prince on the front lines noticed too, and for an instant he froze, his hand beginning to tremble.

"A member of the royalty? But who could it be? I'm the only one in this city. What is this?"

And high above, William began his attack. He raised both hands to the sky and started channeling the demonic energy from his body.

Swiftly, two fireballs formed, one in each hand. But they were so large they cast a shadow over the battlefield. The humans noticed, and when they looked up, they saw two crimson suns.

"LOOK OUT!"

Even if they shouted, even if they saw it—what good would it do? Those fireballs—now completely crimson due to William's enhanced demonic energy—were gigantic, capable of covering an enormous area.

In fact, the attack was so powerful it could target not only the artillery but also a portion of the human soldiers still waiting to enter the front lines.

This was the level of power William had managed to channel. He could feel the energy in his body draining, and even his hands were burning. The skin vanished, revealing raw, exposed flesh.

"It seems this is an attack I haven't fully mastered yet," he thought.

At that moment, William roared. His voice spread across the battlefield.

"Crimson Sun of Death!"

He hurled both attacks toward the human army.

It was like divine judgment—a power descending from the heavens from a superior entity.

Elric, who was on the front lines fighting the demons and the prince, caught sight of the attack, but it was too late. He couldn't help his army defend against it.

For a moment, the entire battle stopped. All sounds of clashing metal and magic ceased, and the battlefield was swallowed by silence.

Everyone present watched those two enormous fireballs hurtling toward the human army.

"Run, take cover! Run!" one of the soldiers shouted, trying to flee.

But most had already accepted their fate. They simply stared at the sky. One of them even grabbed the soldier who was running.

"Hey, it's over… There's no way we can get away in time. That spell is going to cover half the battlefield…"

The realization settled over all of them. No matter what they did, death was inevitable.

The heat on the soldiers' bodies intensified as the monstrous mass of fire drew closer. Their skin began to melt from the heat, just as William's hands had.

Not even their armor escaped that fate. The iron was burning. That spell was far hotter than a blacksmith's forge.

Some still tried to run, seeking some way to protect themselves from the attack. It was a natural reaction.

Most, however, accepted death. There was nothing they could do. When the two fireballs struck the ground, a thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield.

BOOM

The soldiers' screams of pain lasted only a second. Perhaps even less. That was all the time William's spell needed to burn their bodies completely, turning them to ash.

The impact created a powerful gust of wind. The soldiers fighting near the gate felt it and were forced back a few steps by the force.

Only two people remained unmoved: the demon prince and Elric.

They were the strongest. The wind generated by the attack couldn't budge them. But there was no denying it: both were in shock at the power of that spell.

"Who is this monster you've been hiding, Prince?" Elric asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

The prince had no idea who it was.

"Do you really think I wouldn't have secret weapons for this battle, Elric? Do you think I'm a fool?"

The two leaders stared at each other for a moment.

"How about letting us leave?" Elric said. "It's the least you can do after a sneak attack. That's not done in a serious battle, is it? Where's your honor?"

The demon prince considered those words. Elric wasn't wrong. In a large-scale battle like that, there were some unwritten rules that everyone followed.

Using a sneak attack, especially one like that which had annihilated half the human army in seconds, was not honorable at all.

Seeing the delayed response, Elric spoke again.

"Even if you don't let us go, I can still escape at any moment. At most, you'll kill these remaining weak soldiers, and nothing more."

Indecision gripped the prince, but in the end, he let Elric retreat with the remainder of his soldiers. The battle had come to an end.

The demons began to shout when they realized they had won the fight and the enemy was retreating.

"Agggrrr! That's it! I knew we would win!"

Many were young men in their first battle who had entered believing they would die. But that wasn't what happened. Several survived that battle, thanks to the incredible power William had used.

William was floating in the sky, watching Elric and the humans leave. Elric passed close by him, staring fixedly at his face.

"I'll remember your face, kid. I promise I will never forget, even if a thousand years pass."

Elric was quite angry with William; after all, it was William who had made him lose that battle.

William descended to the ground and deactivated his Stage 2 transformation. He believed the test was over and that he would return to reality, but that wasn't the case.

Before he could do anything, a man appeared in front of him. It was the demon prince. He had crossed the entire battlefield in seconds, almost like teleporting right in front of William.

"Fast!" William thought.

The prince stopped in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going, young man? We have a lot to talk about."

The atmosphere grew tense between them.