She was expecting him. By the time Rudy reached the first checkpoint station of the mines, Elsie was already standing in his way, arms crossed, and fury colouring her face.

"Now, I suppose you ain't someone who'd just let me pass, right?"

"Where are the kids?" she spoke, her voice as calm as the eye of the storm.

"Down by station 37. Someone should be on their way to pick them up." Rudy sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe you could step aside just like your friends? I don't really care about anyone else but Manuel, you see?"

"You came causing trouble in my mine and used a bunch of minors to take the fall for you. Why the hell should I let you through?"

Rudy smirked. "Because otherwise, you'll lose. Just think about it for a moment. Take off that mask of false strength and actually think about your current situation." He pranced from side to side as he spoke. "You're supposed to protect this mine from intruders. There are plenty of bugs and potentially other creatures out there that would love to snack on you and the workers. I will not kill you when I defeat you, that much I can promise, but your loss will leave the mines undefended. The bugs will most likely notice that. They will swarm you and the miners when you are the weakest."

"And what makes you so certain you will win?"

"Oh, is it not obvious? I want to challenge and take revenge upon Manuel bloody Luzardi. Do you really think that I would have such ambitions if I had trouble dealing with the likes of you?"

Elsie reached for a tattoo on her arm and peeled it off. "Why don't you put that arrogance of yours to the test?"

The demon sighed. "Oh well, it's your choice."

The woman tossed the ink of the tattoo out into the open air. Her deep blue magic stretched out like a massive blanket and folded like origami into the shape of a massive bear. A roar like thunder rolled out of the creature's maw and flooded the entire mines. All the workers stopped in their tracks. This was the fourth time in history Elsie had summoned the bear. Even those who had not met the demon didn't doubt that something horrifying must've infiltrated the mines.

Rudy slouched and laughed. Two red blades emerged out of his loosely hanging forearms. He waited patiently for the creature to get close. The bear swiped its claws at the demon. Rudy dodged out of the way with ease, just in time to see claw marks appear on the ground behind him, much further than where the bear originally attacked.

"Oh? I'm starting to get this," he smiled and rushed to the summoned animal. His blades danced faster than the bear could block them. Fortunately, that was never his strongest suit. The creature was not made for dodging. It was a hulking powerhouse capable of withstanding even the strongest of attacks due to its constitution.

Sparks were flying out as the claws and blades kept clashing. The two fighters jumped, dashed, and leapt around, changing positions while never moving more than a few metres away from one another. Only about two minutes later did they finally take a moment to back away.

Rudy watched as the countless wounds he opened up all over the bear's body sealed up immediately. His eyes turned to Elsie, who stood there, watching the fight as a mere observer.

"Heh, so that's how it works," Rudy smirked and waved his hand across his body. The cuts caused by the bear's claws began regenerating.

A drop of cold sweat slid down Elsie's face. The bear's attacks were the strongest she could conjure. His claws had the power to shred auras. Yet, the demon had only received superficial injuries. Not only that, its regeneration would prove to be difficult.

Most wizards would learn to control time as soon as possible. They would slow down ageing, or even stop it entirely. Spells of the same principle could then stop bleeding, or even accelerate natural regeneration. However, there were only a handful of people in the world who could restore wounds within seconds. This was no longer healing. It was the power to literally turn back time on a small scale. It was the same restorative power that Manuel had perfected.

The bear roared once more and Rudy smiled. The roar was a wind-up. The attacks would cut far beyond what the claws could reach. The further the target, the lower the damage. The reason why Elsie didn't use more summons was obvious. The regeneration the bear possessed wasn't automatic like the rest of its actions. It was the wizard's doing. The answer, therefore, was obvious—Rudy had to first deal with her.

"Hah, what a load of nonsense," he smirked and braced himself for the bear's attack. His blades disappeared and were replaced by a set of crimson claws on his right hand. The creature dashed towards him and jumped up, ready to pounce. With a single downward motion of Rudy's arm, the demon cleaved the creature in half.

Yes, attacking Elsie would be easier, but the bear wouldn't allow him to get close to her. Therefore, there was a much simpler way to deal with the animal's regeneration—to kill the creature in one strike.

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With her trump card gone, Elsie decided to rely on her more common skills. Her fingers tore off more of the tattoos she had. A jellyfish stood in front of her, its transparent body allowing her to see the battlefield while serving as a reliable shield. Wolves began jumping out of the puddle on the ground. She too obtained valuable information during Rudy's duel with the bear.

The demon's attacks were physical. For that reason, there was no need to protect against anything else. A blue glow surrounded her body as she increased the density of her armour. With the jellyfish and this, she should've been able to withstand even the cut that split the bear.

The wolves rushed the demon. Rudy frowned as he saw traces of different elements coat their fangs. "I have to adapt my defences. That sucks," he thought to himself as he conjured a new pair of blades and began dancing with the wolves. Their swiftness quickly overpowered him. As they bit down on him, the previously invisible red aura briefly flashed around the demon before it shattered into a million pieces.

"Damn it, I was never good at countering elements." He gritted his teeth as the pain hit him. He would love to play a while longer, but he had to admit Elsie was wearing him down. The fight was becoming bothersome and he needed all the strength he could get for Manuel.

The demon fell down onto one knee. The wolves did not hesitate and swarmed him, aiming to sink their teeth into the demon's flesh. Without an aura protecting him, visible or not, Rudy felt the density of the surrounding air weighing him down. This spell was very much still an experiment, but it was worth the try.

He interlocked his fingers and muttered a few words to himself. A simple aura shrouded his body. It was weak, but protection was never its goal. Countless blades emerged out of it, sliding around the surface of the demon's body as they sent out even more slashes into the nearby surroundings.

The wolves flew backwards, cut and injured, but still holding their form together. Soon after, their bodies began regenerating once more. It was slower than with the bear. This confirmed Rudy's theory. Elsie's magic was getting weaker when spread out between multiple creatures. That's why she didn't try to summon them all at once.

Rudy stood up, his fingers once again sporting crimson claws. He swiped his hand horizontally, aiming directly at the wizard.

Elsie clenched her muscles. The attack was wide and fast. Dodging would be almost impossible at this point. However, she was never all that quick in the first place. That's why she invested so much time and skill into perfecting her defences. The body of the jellyfish shifted and so did her aura. It grew weaker around her head and legs as the magic condensed around the estimated area of the cut's impact. She braced herself. It may have been able to cut through the bear, but it would not take her down. At least not in a single blow.

The cut passed right through her body. Cold numbness crawled through her veins as she stood there, unable to move. The jellyfish fell to the ground only moments before her. The wizard's eyes widened with terror.

"Alright! Jackpot!" Rudy laughed as he summoned another pair of blades and rushed from wolf to wolf. His speed was phenomenal, boosted by his magic. He destroyed the summoned creatures within seconds and then finally dispelled his weapons. Without a wizard constantly healing them, they barely posed a threat.

"Few. Okay, that was something," he wiped the sweat off his brow and regenerated the wounds he had received. "You really are strong. Not gonna lie, I expected you to be weaker, but you fell for it nonetheless, hehe."

Elsie's veins popped up on her forehead. Such a stupid mistake. She anticipated that the demon's attacks would be physical. Her armour was prepared for that. A non-lethal attack was something she wasn't prepared for. Not after she saw how ruthlessly he disposed of her summons. Her aura did not register the attack as a threat whatsoever. She took the full force of the spell.

"Now, don't worry, I'll break the paralysis once I'm at the portal, okay? You'll still be able to protect your people. I'm not a monster. Why would I want this place to be overrun by the bugs? But until then, take a breather. You were the perfect practice round." He smirked and walked past her, heading straight for Manuel's portal.

The trip there felt like an eternity. How would he even fight the wizard? What would be his opening attack? Should he say anything to him first? There were a million things he wanted to shout at Manuel and yet he couldn't put them into exact words. The closer he was to the portal, however, the more he enjoyed the idea of seeing the wizard on the ground, completely at his mercy. A slight smile appeared on the demon's face. Yes, he could do it. He could bring him down.

The teleportation did not sit well with him. Although he anticipated the change in gravity, he lacked a proper body for so long that immediately after stepping through, he fell right to the floor. His motor skills were still not entirely the same as they were before the sealing.

A sound of clapping followed. Before he could even pick himself up from the ground, Manuel was already there, waiting, leaning against the doorframe and applauding the demon in the most sarcastic manner possible.

"You made it! Congratulations. I hope freedom tastes well?"

Veins popped out on the demon's head and he almost immediately sprung back up to his feet while sending a crimson projectile Manuel's way.

The wizard raised his hand. His fist, clad in a golden aura, closed around the attack, catching it. "Please, not here. I would very much prefer it if we didn't destroy the tower. Some creatures call it home, you see? It would be unfair to them."

Rudy frowned. "You seem oddly calm. Not at all worried about your apprentices?"

"Hmm..." Manuel scratched his chin. "Seven per cent."

"Huh?"

"Seven per cent. My current feelings are about seven per cent worries. No, wait, about six and a half."

"You don't give a crap about them, do you?"

"Of course I do. But I am simply well-informed about their situation. They are in no danger, right?"

"Heh, so you know."

"Indeed. Now, I presume you want a duel to the death?"

"You bet. But who knows, maybe I'll just seal you away. Let you rot in a sword for a few centuries."

"Hahaha, you actually think you are capable of doing that? That is adorable. But, all in due time. For now, please, follow me."

"I don't take orders from you!" Rudy growled.

"I know, that's why I said please. I made us lunch."

"What?"

"We should talk before the fight. I can see you're full of emotions and frankly speaking so am I. So how about we have a little chat first before we go outside and duke it out?"

"Your emotions, huh? And what exactly are those?"

The wizard turned around once more, grinning at the demon. "It's excitement, of course!"