Demons.

One of the most mysterious yet crucial black magic races portrayed in <>. They played a significant role in the massive attack on Murim centuries ago and were the driving force behind the Slatemark Empire's decision to establish a moon base.

Malevolent beings with lifespans longer and vitality greater than humans. Many readers anticipated the Demon Overlord as the final boss of the novel, but the story had not reached that point yet.

They were expected to remain silent until their declaration of war during the end-of-year tournament at Mythos Academy, followed by subsequent attacks on Earth.

But once again, the plot took an unexpected turn.

A demon stood before us. Demons were ranked simply, given noble titles.

In broad strokes, demon dukes were considered equivalent to -ranks. The strength of demon lords remained unknown, but most readers assumed they were the mightiest among demon dukes.

The demon facing us was a demon viscount, a being on par with an -rank human.

This wasn't good.

The demon surpassed the Rank 6 Shadow Seeker we had faced before, and we had barely gained the advantage with Lucifer on our side.

Now, we didn't have him.

Several demon counts and a demon marquis were likely also present, keeping the professors busy and complicating the situation.

My eyes scrutinized the demon's form. She was female, with features resembling a mix between a vampire and a human.

Undeniably attractive, her pale face bore perfect features, and her scarlet eyes and puffy red lips added to her allure. Two horns curled around her forehead, and she wore a bodysuit-like armor. There were wings resembling those of bats sprouting from her back.

It made sense. Demons were the mightiest race in the universe. The only reason they hadn't eradicated humans was that we weren't deemed important to them. The author had hinted multiple times that demons were engaged in a war against even more powerful races across various worlds.

Humans were simply not strong enough, especially given the absence of a -rank human for a considerable period. That explained why their only significant attempt to wipe us out was through the Heavenly Demon Sect, formed by a talented human signing a contract with the Demon Overlord.

My attention snapped back to reality as the demon viscount's crimson gaze swept over us.

Glancing down her figure, my eyes fixated on her left hand, clenching a bleeding object. As our eyes locked, a smirk curled on her lips, sending shivers down my spine.

With a casual motion, she tossed the object—revealing it to be the severed head of a wolf-like beast, presumably the 4-star boss of this dungeon.

"Insect attacked, so I ended it," she purred in a seductive tone, heating up my face.

A succubus, just as I suspected.

Dealing with this opponent was sure to be a challenge. The power to manipulate lust could easily entangle hormonal teenagers in its web. Nevertheless, facing a succubus was still preferable to confronting a demon of envy or wrath. Demons wielded the ability to manipulate the fundamental negative emotions of all races, the seven cardinal sins, making them formidable adversaries. And to top it off, their command over black magic added another layer to their strength.

"So, are you the reputed strongest of all 15-year-olds?" she inquired, taking a small step forward, eliciting flinches from many of us.

"Don't be so shy~" she teased, twirling her black hair with her fingers. "It hurts this beautiful woman's heart."

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My body heated up to the maximum, my face turning crimson. Despite my best efforts, my mental defenses crumbled under the onslaught of lust.

I felt an overpowering urge to succumb to her allure. The temptation to leap forward was almost irresistible, but Rachel's hand on my shoulder anchored me.

"Relax," Rachel urged, her face also flushed. Succubi powers were less effective against those who prefer the opposite sex, but their allure remained potent. While a normal person might have succumbed, Seraphina, Cecilia, and Rachel weren't your average individuals.

Glancing around, I noticed that Jin was the only male who seemed unaffected.

'Does he swing that way?' I pondered briefly, then pushed the thought aside to focus on the impending battle.

"You've got some cuties protecting you," the demon chuckled. "The name's Vespera, and unfortunately, I have to end your lives before you bloom to your true potential."

We did have one advantage working in our favor: Vespera couldn't plunge us into a frenzy of lust because she wasn't a countess and thus couldn't employ domain-type spells.

Of course, there was hardly any need for her to resort to such tactics.

Without hesitation, I unsheathed my sword, holding back on using God Flash immediately. Like Shurkan, she could react to my fastest attack if she remained vigilant. Catching her off-guard was crucial for my attack to succeed.

The others swiftly shifted into battle mode, their seasoned combat experience evident in how quickly they regained composure in the face of the demon's arrival.

The reason for Vespera's presence was inconsequential for now; survival took precedence.

Each of us promptly unleashed our known 4-circle spells. Jin clad himself in armor, and Ian tapped into his dragon will.

'Jin's shadow army would be nothing more than target practice for the viscountess,' I noted before casting .

Mana ignited the air above my palms, drawing Vespera's curious gaze.

This approach seemed to be our best chance at survival. Vespera didn't perceive us as threats, and it made perfect sense. With a two-full mana rank advantage over us, even Rachel's genius-level mana manipulation wouldn't create a significant gap.

While winning against someone a full mana rank above was possible with exceptional skill, Vespera was likely an expert in mana manipulation. Rachel might surpass her in pure manipulation, but not by enough to bridge the gap.

If Vespera underestimated us and I managed to land a fatal God Flash, similar to what I did against Shurkan, we might have a shot at victory. Or, at the very least, endure until the professors arrived.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Lucifer's muscles tensed as he raised his longsword, lightning aura wrapping around the blade like a thunderstorm.

The sword cleaved through the 5-star bear-like beast, the boss of the dungeon, splitting it in half and concluding the fight.

The boss was formidable, but Lucifer hadn't even needed to unleash the full power of his Gift to defeat it.

As he moved forward to exit the dungeon, the walls suddenly shook. Squinting his eyes, Lucifer scanned the surroundings but couldn't discern anything out of the ordinary. Everything looked the same to him. Taking a deep breath, he activated his Gift, heightening his mana senses to the maximum.

Even with this enhanced perception, he couldn't sense professors who had ascended to -rank, but he could detect abnormalities.

A cascade of shivers ran down his spine as he noticed a being of overwhelming power emerging from the -rank dungeon below him. It was as potent as a 6-star being.

Recognizing his friends engaged in battle, worry painted Lucifer's features. However, he was at a loss on how to reach them.

"Student Lucifer, be careful!" An adult female's voice snapped him out of his thoughts as a shield saved him from a powerful ice magic attack.

He sucked in air, stepping back in shock. The ice attack aimed at him had the potency of 7-circle magic, a lethal force that would have left no chance for survival.

"What's going on, professor?" he asked as she landed next to him, launching a spell at their opponent.

"There's an intrusion," she replied, keeping her eyes on the adversary. Quickly connecting the dots, Lucifer asked, "Please teleport me to the boss room of the -rank dungeon."

The professor met his eyes for a moment before snapping her fingers and teleporting him. Although she wanted to inquire about the situation, she was currently engaged in a battle with a demon count, and Lucifer's presence was a burden at her side.

Teleportation magic proved most efficient when utilizing spatial magic, closely followed by gravity magic. However, beyond a certain point, all branches of magic could employ teleportation, albeit requiring a higher level of mastery and more mana.

That's why all 7-circle mages were proficient in teleportation, given that all elements of the 7-circle could harness this ability. Nevertheless, 6-circle spatial and gravity spells also offered teleportation capabilities, making them generally superior.

Unlike deconstructing and reconstructing the body, teleportation spells warped space. This method proved more efficient in terms of mana, as the principles of mana differed significantly from the laws of physics.

Lucifer's body shifted past the walls that separated the two dungeons as he was swiftly sent to the boss room, just as he desired. With the ability to halt the warp at any moment, he chose to stop it above the enemy.

His verdant eyes gleamed with recognition as he identified the foe—an unmistakable succubus. Even though demons hadn't revealed themselves for a considerable time, everyone possessed ample knowledge about them due to the comprehensive curriculum that covered information about these formidable adversaries.