It was a curious thing for demons to look at their equals, see that their fellow demons were easily defeated, and not cower in fear. It was what’s expected of demons, as it is their natural behavior. Yet, the figure that saw Kazer and Azere was unfazed, and it seemed that it was delighted to face Meredith.

“You’re confident for a demon”, Meredith stated. Her distaste towards demons was more evident than ever. Something about the figure made the potion master to feel that way. The figure was simply demonic. He was proper in demeanor but sinister inside.

“For you to say that.. you’re quite confident, human”, the figure uttered, smiling.

Meredith was beginning to feel the threat that the figure possessed. She could see that the figure’s appearance was not much different compared to the two third class demons she defeated. It was a sound assumption to think that the figure was also of the same class as Kazer and Azere. But, the demon’s confidence contradicted to what Meredith expected. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she asked the figure, hoping to confirm something.

“What’s your name, demon?”

“Is that important?”, the figure asked. Meredith nodded, and so, the figure introduced himself. “Eizer”

Meredith confirmed that the figure was indeed a third class demon. She was relieved that she wasn’t facing a demon that she couldn’t handle. She dismissed her concerns, and regained her confidence.

“So, are you going to fight me as well?”, Meredith asked.

“I will, and you don’t have a choice even if you don’t want to”, Eizer answered.

“You will suffer the same fate as them”, Meredith said, pointing at Kazer and Azere.

“If you’re that confident, prove that to me”, Eizer said.

After hearing the demon’s statement, Meredith drank the same potion she used before burning Kazer and Azere. The potion lets her use mana surpassing what she could normally access. She is a grade A mage if one would look at her mana capacity, but the kingdom considers her as a master grade for her battle prowess. She wanted to finish the battle as soon as possible, so she conjured the same magic as before.

[Flame Lotus]

Meredith threw the red orb she created towards Eizer. The attack hit the demon, and just like before, the flame lotus opened into a beautiful red flower, engulfing Eizer in flames. For several seconds, the powerful flame burned, and Meredith thought that it would be the end. But, she was mistaken.

Eizer let Meredith’s attack hit him. He wanted to feel his opponent’s capability, and he concluded that Meredith’s flame was better than the flame of his previous opponents.

“Impressive, you possess such great flame”, Eizer said. He reappeared after the flame lotus dissipated, unscathed and even more delighted than before. “I thought you’re weaker than the human I fought before, but you might be different”

Meredith was shocked to see the unharmed demon. She felt like the demon was playing with her. She realized that Eizer would not be an easy opponent to defeat. She was not as delighted as the demon. She pulled another vial of potion, but before she could use it, Eizer interrupted her.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Allow me to repay the favor”, Eizer said.

[Dark Flame]

Eizer produced a black flame that was twice as strong as what he usually creates. It was his way of acknowledging his opponent, but it was not a good display for Meredith. The potion master didn’t need anyone to tell her that Eizer’s flame was dangerous.

Eizer aimed the black flame towards Meredith. Meredith quickly pulled out another vial from her coat, and she threw it at the black flame. The black flame exploded before she was hit. She was lucky that her potion hit the black flame.

Seeing that Meredith was also capable of nullifying his strengthened attack, Eizer became more elated. Among the demon magister’s third class demons, he was the only one hoping for someone to match his power. He felt that Meredith met what he was waiting for. A sinister smile appeared on his face.

“At last! There’s someone like you among these lowly humans! Truly, the Great Lord gave me this great favor”, Eizer stated. Meredith was taken aback, seeing the demon’s strange behavior. “I should savor this opportunity. Human, from now on, I will take you seriously”

[Dark Flame]

Eizer changed. This time, multiple black flames appeared, floating near him. All of the black flames were three times more powerful than what he normally creates. But, it was just the demon’s introduction.

“Move”

The black flames moved all over the place. Some rushed towards Meredith, while others went past her, rushing towards Meredith’s companions who were watching her fight. Eizer knew that Cadell and the others would help once they saw that Meredith was in a disadvantage. Eizer wouldn’t allow that.

While her companions could barely dodge Eizer’s attacks, Meredith focused on her surroundings. She trusts Seqina, and considers Seqina’s company as good people. She knew that Eizer wanted her to use her full capability. She didn’t have a choice, but to comply.

The first black flame was about to hit Meredith, but before it reached her, she was able to drink a potion.

[Barrier]

It is a good thing that Meredith is a good judge of strength. She could estimate the strength of the black flames, adjusting her incantations accordingly. Her barriers were shattered, but no black flames reached her. At times, she conjured flames to intercept Eizer’s attacks, neutralizing Eizer’s flames. She was moving towards Eizer like there’s no barrage of flames trying to reach her. Meredith’s movements was witnessed by Eizer, which amused the wicked demon even more.

Meredith’s great defense made Eizer excited to make a move. He didn’t wait for his flames to run out. He quickly moved behind Meredith like what he did to Rodo. He released a powerful kick, and it landed clean. But, to his surprise, the woman she hit was a mere illusion. Meredith was the one behind him all along.

“Did you hit someone?”

Eizer heard such question from behind him. He wasn’t given a chance to see who said it. He felt three vials hit him, and after that, he was hurled away from Meredith, moving straight towards a pile of house debris. The impact made quite an explosive sound, but even that didn’t damage Eizer’s strong body.

Eizer recovered quickly. His flames ran out, and Meredith was still unharmed.

“I thank you, human. This is truly wonderful”, Eizer said looking at Meredith. He was still full of energy, and was raring to move again.

Meredith on the other hand was a little tired. She knew that the demon’s durability and speed were outside her capability. She needed to win however, so she must fight Eizer until the end.

“You’re stronger than I thought”, Meredith said. She was hiding her frustration, but her disgust was still obvious.

“I could say the same to you”, Eizer stated, clearly in a good mood. Meredith accepted the demon’s praise blankly, and pulled out vials from her coat. “We should end this soon”, the demon added.

“I agree”, Meredith stated. She drank five vials of potion. Her body glowed like before, and after a moment, she poured all the mana she could use to one incantation.

[True Summon: Lake Guardian]