Warren sized up his opponents, examining their auras and tensing up as he saw who he was up against.

Darn it, he thought, looking at the Elders, and then Zilla. If it were just those girls from before, I could wipe the floor with them! But these Elder fucks are here too, and I dunno what this new blonde dark-skinned chick is about…

“Enough of the internal monologues, bucko. I'm itching to blow off some steam!” Zilla taunted.

The Knight’s glare hardened as he heard Zilla’s taunt, his grip on his sword tightening. “You’re really asking for it, girl. You have no idea what I’m capable of now that I’ve been imbued with the power of Dark Magic.”

Zilla just smirked, unbothered. “Oh, please. I’ve faced worse than some wannabe hero like you before. Check this.”

Zilla moved in at blinding speed, and before he knew it, Warren was in a fierce headlock that left him unable to get any air. He kicked his legs and tried to pry off Zilla's arm, but couldn't even budge it even an inch as he lost oxygen at a rapid speed.

“You're gonna get beaten by a girl,” Zilla roasted, smirking as her arm's muscles bulged from her tight grip on the Knight's neck.

Warren gasped for air as Zilla's arm stayed clamped around his neck, cutting off his oxygen. He struggled and kicked his legs, trying desperately to break free, but her grip was like iron. He was being humiliated by a girl, and in front of everyone.

“Let…me…go…!" he managed to gasp out, feeling his strength leaving him.

Zilla laughed even louder, enjoying every minute of her victory over the Knight. She wasn't even breaking a sweat as she held him in her grip, her muscles flexing under her tanned skin.

"I bet you're regretting getting on my bad side now, huh?" she taunted. "You messed with the wrong girl, buddy."

She squeezed even tighter, cutting off more of Warren's airflow and shattering his aura shield.

…I-I must use my last resort, Warren thought. He then used his Quantum Fist technique to freeze space-time. He used this opportunity to attempt to free himself, and yet, Zilla's arm still wouldn't budge. As his consciousness ebbed to the brink of collapse, he dared to call upon the infamous…

…Cassie, he thought, passing out in Zilla's grip.

Time then resumed as normal, and Zilla released her arm from around the Knight's neck, letting him fall face first into the wooden floor.

“That was easy!” Zilla bragged, kicking the unconscious Knight in his side.

But then a powerful aura came into the picture, sending tingles down everyone's spines. A red and black hole opened in the floor behind Warren, and a familiar feminine figure rose from within before releasing a devilish laughter.

“Hey, that's the girl we saw in Freelife Town!” Blair pointed out.

“Yeah, but her eyes are different now. The left one is green.” Sharline added.

“Hehe, miss me?” Cassie said with a cocky grin.

Huh, her voice is slightly different, you thought. So is her demeanor to an extent. She looks more cockier…and calculated…

"Oh goodness, it's her," Titania moaned, narrowing her eyes.

"Cassie…" Magnus said through gritted teeth. "I should have known she'd be behind all of this. She's up to no good, as always."

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Zilla looked surprised at Cassie's abrupt arrival. "Hey, who the hell is this? Another wannabe badass to deal with?”

"That's Cassie," Magnus answered, his voice low. "She's a powerful demon and the ruler of the underworld. She's not someone to be trifled with."

"She's got a wicked reputation, that's for damn sure," Ophelia added. "We've had our share of run-ins with her, and it was never pretty."

“Oh shit,” Zilla groaned. “Sounds like a pain in the ass.”

“What?!” Rachel intercepted. ”You've been a pain in MINE the entire time we were here!”

“Heh,” Zilla smirked. “Even in a time of danger, you still want my attention.”

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms, while Zilla chuckled and turned her attention back to the demoness.

“So who are ya, and what's with the Halloween-ish getup?”

Cassie giggled and leaned in. “I could ask you the same thing, gyaru chick. Whoever did your spray tan did a good job!”

Zilla flashed a taunting smirk before tugging her skirt down, revealing her legendary tan lines. “Sorry, boo. This tan is a hundred and ten percent legit!”

Cassie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh, please. Natural my demonic ass, gyaru girl! You probably spent hours at the salon frying yourself to get that fake-looking tan."

Zilla placed her hands on her hips, her smirk never leaving her face. "You don't believe me, huh? Well, you can come touch these tan lines yourself to see if they're real. Go on, give 'em a feel."

Cassie cackled and eyed Zilla's legs. "Oh, honey, I'd love to give those tan lines a feel. But I don't want to risk getting second-hand skin cancer. Your tan is so dark it's giving off more UV rays than a damn tanning bed."

Zilla let out a hearty laugh, flipping her hair. "Oh, you're just bitter because you'll never have legs like these. And don't even get me started on these thighs. They could crush your head in a heartbeat."

Cassie chuckled, folding her arms across her chest. "Oh, I'm shaking in my high heels. Your thighs are like—”

During Cassie's moment of distraction, Magnus crept behind her and prepared to swing his mighty blade down upon her.

However, Cassie's left fist came flying straight at his head from behind.

“Ka-chop!” she exclaimed as the blow landed smack into his vulnerable temple before he could react.

She then turned to the Elder, who was now on the floor unconscious with a shattered aura shield.

“Hehe! Silly Elder, don't you know it's rude to just bust in on someone’s convo like that?”

As Cassie knocked out Magnus, Hecate jumped to his side.

"Magnus!" Noelle cried out, her heart rate quickening.

The others gasped in shock at the demon's casual display of power, while Zilla let out a low whistle instead.

"Damn, the feisty little demon chick hits hard.”

Blair stepped forward, her voice brimming with awe. "Well dang, what do we do now? She just took Magnus out like he was nothing!”

"Stay calm," Galadriel interjected, her voice steady and authoritative.

“No, you should all be scared,” Cassie corrected, putting a finger to her mouth as her green left eye shone with intensity. “'Cause now you're in the midst of the world's greatest, most prolific tactician in the world: Nicole Martinko!”

“So that green eye represents the soul of Nicole Martinko herself…” Hecate mused.

“That's right!” Cassie smirked, twirling her fingers as black and red energy crackled from them. “And I have access to all her military and tactical knowledge in this form. So good luck trying to stop me!”

Everyone froze in place after the sudden reveal of Cassie’s new persona, as she was showered with stares from the group.

“…Great, so she possesses the memories and skill set of some infamous military leader...” Hecate groaned, tending to Magnus's injured head.

"Well hey, so what? I'm a Void Exorcist, she's a military leader, I have my advantages too!" Zilla shot back.

“Not just any military leader,” Hecate added grimly. “Nicole Martinko is infamously known as the ‘Queen of War’. Don't let her smug, bratty attitude and self-aggrandizing demeanor fool you.

“Exactly,” Cassie, or rather, Nicole through Cassie, grinned with pride. She scanned her opponents, taking in every detail. "I'm the undefeated master of strategy and warfare. I know my enemy's every move, every tactic, every possible countermeasure, and I have no mercy or regard for collateral damage. You're all hopelessly outmatched!"

“Cocky, huh?” Zilla chimed in, her usual smirk still present, despite the situation. “You may have the brainpower and martial might, but that doesn’t make you invincible. Even the strongest can be brought down by their own arrogance.”

“Watch out," Hecate warned, her voice laced with an equal mix of awe and dread. "Cassie's not just a powerhouse in her own right. She's got access to the souls of countless other people she's absorbed within her body, as well as their unique abilities and skills. You're dealing with a walking army here.”

“Eh, who cares? I'm my own army!”

Nicole chuckled, amused by Zilla's bravado. "Ah, the feisty gyaru girl. Always has something to say, doesn't she? But let me tell you something, sweetheart. Arrogance is not a weakness when it's backed by skill and experience. And I have enough of both to bring you and your little friends to their knees."

“Eh, maybe them, but you stand zero chance against me,” Zilla retorted with a roll of her eyes.

“Oho~? Then let's see about that!”

Cassie conjured a blade and got in a defensive stance, using the Increase technique to make her purple and green aura flare up to intimate Zilla and the others with its intensity.

Noelle gulped as she took in the sheer aura pressure emanating from Nicole. "This is bad…we’re dealing with someone who's got the skills and experience of a legendary tactician, plus the powers of a high-ranking demoness. If she's as good as they say she is, we're really up against the wall here.”

"Then we're totally screwed," Rachel groaned. "How the hell are we supposed to fight someone like that? I don't know the first thing about strategy or warfare, and I bet none of us do, either.”

Hecate turned back to Zilla and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fear not. Even the most talented tacticians can be defeated when faced with an unexpected move. Remember, Nicole's strength comes from anticipating and countering her opponents' actions. If we can find a way to throw her off balance and make her act without thinking, we might have a slim chance.”

“Heh, wishful thinking~” Nicole taunted. “You're all better off just sitting still and letting me cut your heads off one by one!”

Zilla grumbled. "For goddess's sake, I'm a fighter, not a thinker...how am I supposed to come up with some brilliant plan to throw off a military genius?”

"Don’t underestimate your own skills and abilities," Hecate encouraged. "Seeing how you broke that Void Curse effortlessly, you’re a force to be reckoned with, and Cassie…ahem, Nicole might underestimate that at her own peril. Use your fighting prowess to keep her on her toes and make her react instead of plan.”

Zilla then stepped up to Cassie and used Increase herself, her aura swelling around her body in an impressive burst. “Okay, big brain strategist. Let's see whatcha got.”