From the sky descended a beast, like a god cast out from heaven, whose legs, upon landing on the earth, created an impact that made the ground tremble, causing the village homes to collapse. The creature that arrived, with massive arms and wrapped in a tattered robe, displayed half of its formidable torso. Its red eyes emitted hatred as they fixed on the demon king with all its majesty.

"A worthy rival at last," the beast pronounced, followed by a sigh that mixed all the repressed fury accumulated over the years.

Its eyes emitted hatred towards the demon standing before it. Daltonius's stature was so vast that the demon king, in comparison, was nothing more than a tiny obstacle in his way.

Artoris kept his cool, didn't back down an inch, and met the crazed gaze of Daltonius.

"You dare to challenge me, reveal yourself, you horrific creature!"

Daltonius tilted his war-weary gaze and straightened it towards Artoris.

"I am Daltonius, the most powerful warrior of the beastmen kingdom. No being can match my brute strength. I have annihilated demons, humans, and underworld creatures with a single punch. Watch..."

The beast demonstrated his unmatched power by plunging his hands into the ground below and, with a push of his arms, extracted the entire sod.

Artoris shivered suddenly, and Kira gave him a malicious look. He had demonstrated incredible strength; that brute was difficult to confront.

Amelia bit her lip.

"Be careful! He's no ordinary beastman," Amelia said disdainfully. Kira also froze at the sight of that colossal being blinded by rage; this being surely belonged to a world different from what the demons knew.

"Anything that falls within his reach is annihilated instantly. He's the real... Daltonius the Destroyer," said Amelia, her voice betraying a mix of respect and fear.

Kira shivered. "You know him?" she asked tensely.

Amelia clenched her hand around the hilt of her dagger. "He was a soldier in my troop..."

Daltonius's gaze fell on Amelia, chilling her blood. Cold sweat droplets began to slide down her forehead as she gripped the dagger with determination.

With trembling lips, Amelia met Daltonius's gaze.

"Free again, Daltonius?" she asked tensely.

"They released me from my chains. It was the king's decision. Seems your troops aren't up to par if they can barely fend off a threat," he responded sarcastically.

"Silence!"

"Amelia, have you decided to betray your kingdom?" he asked mockingly.

Distressed by the enemy's words, Amelia clenched her fists and faced Daltonius, hiding her fear.

"You're a criminal, you've stained your hands with the blood of many brave warriors of our kingdom. You're a despicable being, you don't deserve even a shred of praise for the atrocities committed in war. You're a tyrant!"

Daltonius's eyes were filled with a deep hatred for the world. Those words could never penetrate his heart, shackled by chains that blocked any spark of compassion. It was hatred that guided his path, hatred and disdain. Every step he took made the rocks tremble, his gaze remained unwavering, firmly fixed on his goal. His long sabers, sharp but worn by the dust of prisons and the passage of time, accompanied him.

Amelia stepped back. As the commander of a squad of many of those warriors, she knew well what kind of mettle Daltonius was made of, being herself the leader of the army he was part of.

As soon as Daltonius took another step forward, he anticipated a jet of spiderwebs hurling toward his face, but his sharp claws managed to slice through the intricate webs before they could stick to him. Purply watched incredulously as his enemy managed to shield himself from his webs. Shaken by rage, he advanced, scuttling.

"How dare you, filthy beastman!"

Daltonius smirked malevolently, already contemplating how to eliminate his opponent. With his extraordinary ability to find weak points, he slightly extended a leg, and his speed suddenly increased, finding himself halfway to Purply in an instant.

Purply continued to scuttle towards him. Daltonius abruptly stopped, planting one foot in front of the other, then lifted his arm to reach behind, firmly grabbed the handle, and began to draw a long, sharp axe. The tip of the axe gleamed in the sunlight's reflection.

He looked mercilessly at Purply, deluded in his belief that he had the upper hand.

The axe began to emit a blinding light, almost dazzling everyone.

Kira and Amelia shielded themselves from the immense glare. Instantly, the cloak rose and covered Artoris from view, but at the same time, he tried to fold it so he could glimpse the clash.

The axe struck the ground, and immediately the terrain began to crack, splitting it in two. The crack widened rapidly, reaching Purply's legs.

It was too late to react; Purply tried to rise, but the ground had already split in two, and as his hind legs vainly tried to cling to the edges, the earth continued to shatter.

Artoris watched the clash from a distance. He couldn't help but notice the disparity in strength in that battle. The power of that axe could collapse a skyscraper, more than an earthquake.

"Purply!" Artoris shouted. "Get out of there!"

Purply heard his master's cries, aware that his task had always been to defeat external threats that endangered the kingdom. However, this time he was facing an enemy against whom his help would be futile.

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One by one, Purply's legs detached from the ledge as the ground widened beneath him. Webs shot into the void, and finally, with a muffled thud, he fell into the abyss, leaving only the echo of his pleas for help.

Artoris was shocked; even Purply hadn't managed to defeat him. He had vanished into nothingness due to the earthquake caused by that devil.

There was nothing more to say; Artoris had to engage in battle. The prospect of Purply's death didn't comfort him at all. He had grown fond of that grotesque-looking creature with the brain of a chicken. However, he recognized the utility of having such a powerful minion capable of massacring entire squads of soldiers during his missions. Purply's presence was necessary to ensure the success of his endeavors.

It seemed almost as if Daltonious wasn't intimidated by the sight of Purply at all; he simply regarded him as an annoying spider that deserved to be crushed.

If I want the world to fall at my feet and become its absolute ruler, I cannot allow beings who can challenge the demon king's supremacy. Therefore, I must get rid of Daltonius at all costs.

With a fluid gesture of his hand, Artoris waved his cloak and positioned himself in front of that colossal bloodthirsty beast.

"Incredible, your power is extraordinary, but believe me, you'd do better to run away. Why not join me, Daltonious, and put an end to all this?" he proposed calmly.

"What would it mean, to join you?" Daltonius asked.

"It would mean wealth, dominion. If you serve me, I'll give you the power to destroy any lands you wish; you'll conquer them on my behalf," Artoris replied.

"So, if I join you, you'll let me destroy everything?" Daltonius retorted.

"Exactly! Stand by my side! The world will be ours, and we'll kill the humans," Artoris added fervently.

"The offer is interesting, but there's one problem," Daltonius said.

"What is it?" Artoris asked.

"I serve only myself."

With towering rage, Daltonius propelled himself upwards and gripped his axe between his fingers, then unleashed a grotesque scream that stunned those present. Artoris writhed, wishing he could tear off his ears as the echo dissolved in the air. Daltonius held the axe with one hand, then released it as a sharp gust of wind struck Artoris. The wind, with its destructive power, could shatter even the sturdiest rocks.

The axe left a trail of sharp wind, capable of shattering rocks. The folds of the cloak expanded, enveloping Artoris like a protective barrier, as the wind scales violently struck, barely scratching the cloak's surface. From inside, Artoris could see the cloak's fabric folding in on itself with each blow, as if desperately trying to withstand the relentless wind attacks.

"Don't hide," Daltonius pronounced. "Shed that cloak and face my wind blasts."

Artoris had no choice but to take refuge behind the protective barrier of the cloak. He was cornered, forced to hope that the beast would hold back his blows. It seemed the sharp wind wouldn't stop until it had inflicted irreparable damage on its victim.

Damn! This guy is strong! I'll never be able to defeat him quickly!

The barrage of blows ended, and the cloak soared, returning to Artoris's form.

Artoris immediately morphed into a shadow and slithered under Daltonius's feet. The beast looked around, trying to locate his target. 'EH? I feel a tingling!' he lifted his foot and saw Artoris's shadow beneath him. The axe plunged into the ground, striking Artoris's shadow. Something seemed off: the shadow appeared to be pinned down by an invisible nail, preventing the protagonist from moving.

Artoris struggled to free himself, but it seemed the axe was holding him down.

'What's happening? I'm supposed to be a shadow!'

HP: -70

Artoris reemerged, returning to physical form. He saw that the axe embedded in the ground was wrapped in mana.

'I get it, it must be your axe. Maybe the movement of the shadow is countered by magical weapons.'

That lion's snout, the curly mane extending to his shoulders, eyes reddened with rage, and long, protruding sabers made him a true war veteran, a barbarian, a warrior who would not bend to anyone's will, not even for money. How could one blackmail such an opponent? A being whose mere existence was to sow destruction and inflict pain.

Raised in human slavery and the abyss of misery, Daltonious was an orphan, constantly punished by his cruel masters. Despite this, he eventually became one of the most valiant knights in the kingdom. However, he was repudiated for his humble origins. He abandoned his previous alliances after killing a comrade.

And now, that orphan stood before the demon king. Defeating him would mean becoming a new threat to the entire world.

Daltonious darted through the air with a lightning-fast leap, charging his destructive fist towards Artoris. He came at him like a cannonball, delivering a punch so devastating it could split a mountain in two. The cloak lifted, shielding him from the impact so powerful it almost caused a roar.

The punches hit the fabric in rapid succession, causing roars like that of thunder. Artoris clenched his teeth and prayed that eventually, the beast would tire. But it was impossible; now that he had regained his freedom, the beast was ready to unleash, to kill not only Artoris but anyone in his path.

Suddenly, Artoris felt an echo penetrate his mind. It was a neutral voice, devoid of emotion, almost mechanical, obeying his command.

Master Artoris... do you hear me?

"Who's speaking?" With a hand extended beyond the cloak's barrier, Artoris tried to turn around, but all he could see was the dark fabric wrapping the garment.

Master Artoris, it's me. Look in front of you.

Artoris's eyes widened as he realized the voice was coming from the cloak itself.

"Are you the one speaking?"

Yes, Master Artoris.

"Who are you?! And why are you speaking inside my mind, you're just a piece of cloth!"

I am the cloak system. The likelihood of you defeating this enemy is practically nil. The only way to stand a chance against such an opponent is to radically change your approach to battle.

"What exactly does that mean?" asked Artoris. "Give me more information."

Order received, I will provide further information. Changing your battle mode means adopting a different approach than the direct combat you're accustomed to. You'll need to access the interface and change the settings. This will lead to biological changes in your body.

Artoris scratched his horn. "I kind of get it."

If you set it to direct combat mode, you'll have a 99% chance of defeating the enemy. So far, Master Artoris, you've been restricted to a ranged combat system, which cannot guarantee efficiency against all opponents, as each of them has distinct peculiarities.

Artoris raised his palm, and the interface appeared automatically.

"Cloak System set to direct combat mode!"

Received. Activation completed. Direct combat mode set.

A powerful light emerged from the barrier. Daltonious raised an eyebrow, seeing Artoris's cloak disperse upwards and return to his attire. Magic circles appeared above Artoris's head and beneath his boots. He was enveloped by a dark aura that completely surrounded him. When Artoris opened his eyes, he felt lighter than before, while Daltonious watched with interest the concentration of dark energies occurring on Artoris's body, wondering what was happening.

The aura slowly dissipated as Artoris descended to touch the ground with his feet. He reopened his eyes and noticed that his arms remained the same, as did his intact horns. What had happened?

When he opened the interface, he suddenly noticed an abundance of skills that had appeared out of nowhere. His eyes sparkled with surprise and wonder at the vast array of abilities now available to him. It was an incredible power surge.

Now, Artoris felt ready to face the confrontation. When he fixed his gaze on Daltonious, it seemed almost as if the latter had noticed the change Artoris had undergone. Indeed, he seemed to grip his axe with even more fervor.