In that moment, after the archdemon absorbed the relic of enhancement into himself, he placed the relic of time upon his forehead. It adhered to him like a priceless gem, the ancient relic fusing with his very being. As the connection took hold, blue veins snaked across his forehead, threatening to burst from beneath his skin. His body began to crack and distort as though it were on the verge of unraveling. His eyes pulsed with boundless energy—his sclera completely black, corrupted by the two powerful relics. His irises turned blue, signaling the influence of the relic of time, while his pupils became a deep, menacing red, reflecting the overwhelming power of the relic of enhancement.
The archdemon’s aura flared to life, radiating with an intensity that was almost tangible. A blinding light enveloped his form as three distinct auras emanated from his body: a fierce blue, a suffocating black, and a fiery red. The sky seemed to darken, and the very air around him warped under the weight of his newfound power. He hovered high above the city, his presence alone commanding attention and instilling fear in both his minions and the remaining defenders.
“Whoa! What is that?” Joseph gasped, his voice filled with disbelief as he stared up at the archdemon.
“That is no mere demon,” replied a huntress of Kochi City who was fighting beside Joseph. “That is an archdemon who has invaded our city.”
Before anyone could comprehend the full scope of what was happening, the archdemon raised his hands and unleashed a thunderous blast of energy. The very foundation of the city trembled under the force of his power, and a shockwave ripped through the city, leveling everything in its path. Buildings crumbled, the streets split, and the air was filled with the deafening sound of destruction. Those caught in the blast were either obliterated or left immobilized, their bodies glitching in and out of reality as if time itself had become unstable.
Fortunately, Yoshi and Lyra acted quickly, combining their powers to create a protective barrier around themselves and their companions. The force was overwhelming, and the barrier trembled, nearly shattering under the intensity of the blast. Just as it seemed they might be torn apart, they were thrown out of the city’s borders, the barrier breaking just in time to save them from complete annihilation.
Recovering from the blast, Joseph was the first to approach the city's outskirts, his hand resting cautiously on the invisible forcefield that surrounded the city. It crackled with immense energy, stunning him momentarily before he withdrew his hand, the pain sharp but brief.
As the group regrouped with the huntress, they all gazed upon what was left of Kochi City. The blast had devastated much of the city—buildings were reduced to rubble, the streets were littered with debris, and many of the city's defenders, including civilians, were caught in the shockwave. They were frozen in place, glitching in and out of existence as though time itself were failing them.
Looking up, the archdemon hovered in midair, his body radiating a terrifying energy. He remained suspended, unmoving, in a posture reminiscent of a meditative state. Yet, the air around him rippled with shockwaves of power, each pulse pushing those who came too close away and keeping his enemies at bay.
Yoshi and his companions watched, stunned, as the archdemon’s presence seemed to dominate everything, the once-vibrant city now a mere shadow of its former self. His fusion with the relics had made him an unstoppable force, and it was clear that the battle for Kochi City had only just begun.
***
As the group tried to find a way to break through the archdemon's forcefield, frustration settled in. Each of their attempts—whether individual or combined—had been futile, and even Joseph's enhanced XPT could not break the impenetrable barrier. The forcefield held strong, preventing them from getting any closer to the archdemon.
"Well, this is bad!" Joseph exclaimed, his frustration evident. "Not only has he wiped out half the city, but he’s put everyone on some kind of... time-out suspension thingy." He gestured toward the frozen figures of the city's inhabitants, still glitching in and out of existence, trapped in the wake of the archdemon's blast.
"How do we even get in to stop him before he comes up with more sinister plans for us?" he added, clearly feeling the weight of their situation.
As they stood contemplating their next move, the huntress—Kokoro Minamoto—spoke up, offering a glimmer of hope. "There’s a way in," she said, her voice calm despite the gravity of the moment. "A secret passage. It's underground, where the canals flow like streams."
At the mention of the hidden route, the group felt a renewed sense of determination. There was still a chance, a way to defeat the archdemon before he could enact any more of his plans. They followed Kokoro’s lead, navigating their way through the dark, winding corridors beneath the city.
As they walked, Joseph found himself walking alongside Kokoro. Curious about the young huntress, he struck up a conversation. After a few exchanges, he learned that Kokoro Minamoto was a seventeen-year-old mermaid, a lower-ranked F-level huntress tasked with managing mountain-level threats. Though young and inexperienced in the broader world of monster hunting, Kokoro had a strong sense of duty and an unyielding determination to prove herself. Her abilities, fueled by her mermaid heritage, were well-suited for aquatic environments, and she was often called upon to protect smaller regions and deal with localized monster attacks.
"You must be proud of your achievements," Joseph remarked with a grin, impressed by her dedication despite her age.
Kokoro laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess so," she replied. "But I’m not impressed by my rank. I need to improve—become stronger. There are things out there I need to be prepared for."
Joseph grinned slyly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you’re not half-bad yourself, Kokoro. Judging by your looks, you must be about a year younger than me."
Kokoro’s eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement. "I guess so. But don’t get cocky. You’ve got your own strengths, Joseph."
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As their journey through the underground passage continued, it became clear that Kokoro was not just focused on becoming a better huntress. Beneath her cheerful exterior, she harbored a deeper ambition. She sought power, not just for status, but for her own survival and growth. Whether or not she would go to dark lengths to achieve it was still a mystery, but her desire to prove herself was unwavering.
They soon arrived at the end of the underground passage, but what awaited them was an unexpected obstacle: the canal was flooded, blocking the entrance to the city. The view around them was one of an eerie, cave-like space adorned with strange, glowing runes carved into the stone. The canal water flowed in like a turbulent stream, its surface covered with debris.
Kokoro didn’t hesitate. "I’ll swim to the bottom of the canal and pull the lever to unlock the entrance," she said. "Stay here, Joseph. You’ll only slow me down. I know the way."
Joseph opened his mouth to protest, wanting to accompany her and ensure her safety, but Kokoro was already diving into the water before he could argue. In that moment, her true form was revealed. Her mermaid tail, shimmering in the dim light, glided gracefully through the water as she swam deeper, her long flowing hair trailing behind her like a dark cloud.
With ease, Kokoro navigated the flooded canal. She was built for this—her mermaid nature allowing her to move swiftly and effortlessly beneath the surface, her lungs able to withstand the pressures of the deep. After a short while, she reached the bottom where the lever was buried beneath a pile of rocks. Without hesitation, she used her aquatic abilities to shift the debris aside, revealing the lever. She pulled it, and with a loud click, the entrance to the city was revealed.
Kokoro resurfaced with graceful ease, her body slicing through the water and emerging with a fluid motion. She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she regained her composure before returning to the group. Without hesitation, she shifted back into her human form.
"We’re in," she said, offering a brief but determined smile despite the tension surrounding them. "Let’s move."
The passageway ahead now opened to reveal the entrance to the city. Just before they could proceed further, Yoshi and Lyra cast a protective spell over everyone, ensuring they wouldn’t be immobilized by the incoming shockwave.
"This should give us enough time to do what we can," Yoshi remarked, his tone steady as they all stepped forward.
The group, now one step closer to their goal, followed Kokoro through the newly opened path. They were ready to face the archdemon and put an end to his reign of terror before it was too late. But even as they ventured deeper into the city, the feeling of foreboding only grew stronger. The archdemon was waiting, and the true battle was about to begin.
As the group emerged from the underground, the air around them vibrated with an intense shockwave. The very ground seemed to tremble as the archdemon's overwhelming presence filled the atmosphere. The protective spell they had cast upon themselves did its best to shield them from the wave of power, keeping them grounded and steady. They were ready to execute their plan, but the archdemon was already aware of their arrival.
Kokoro, not wasting a moment, unleashed a powerful energy blast aimed directly at the meditating archdemon. But as the blast shot toward him, it froze midair, suspended by an invisible force. The archdemon's eyes slowly opened, the power radiating from him now palpable and unmistakable. A wave of energy rippled across the entire city, and the atmosphere seemed to crackle with raw, unrestrained power.
Still levitating in the air, the archdemon descended with a composed, graceful motion, the blast Kokoro had thrown still humming with intensity in the air. His eyes scanned each member of the group one by one, and the city fell silent in anticipation. His gaze lingered for a moment, intense and unnerving, before he spoke.
"Time has a way of revealing itself to whoever is in control of it," the archdemon said, his voice deep and foreboding. "I’ve seen each and every one of your fates. The outcome of this battle is inevitable, for I have looked into all of your futures, past and present."
His words echoed through the tense silence, and the group braced themselves for what came next. With an unsettling calm, the archdemon began to speak of their futures, each revelation like a shard of ice piercing their hearts. The fact that he knew so much about them only added to the growing sense of dread.
To Kokoro, the archdemon revealed her deepest desire for power, comparing it to his own insatiable thirst for dominance. His cryptic words left her shaken, as they dug into her hidden ambition. He spoke of her need to rise above her status, to become something greater—even if it meant compromising her morals to reach that goal.
Then, he turned his gaze to the female traveler from Kochi, who had joined the group. The archdemon’s words were even more ominous for her. He revealed that she would one day become the new city lord of Kochi, but her reign would be tragically cut short. Betrayed by someone she trusted, her leadership would be torn from her grasp, her future a cruel twist of fate that she could not escape.
"Wow! Spoiler alert!" Joseph quipped with a grin, trying to break the tension, though his words did little to alleviate the looming threat of the archdemon.
Next, the archdemon spoke of Lyra. He revealed to the group how she would narrowly escape death not once, but twice—both times saved by Joseph. As the archdemon continued, he spoke cryptically of her ascension to greater power, power granted to her by none other than Joseph himself. But it wasn’t just power that he spoke of—it was a bond, something unexpected.
The archdemon’s words took a turn, as he revealed a romance between Joseph and Lyra, one neither Joseph, nor Lyra, nor anyone in the group had anticipated. He spoke of a love that would blossom between them, despite the chaos surrounding them. The revelation struck Joseph like a lightning bolt, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. His gaze briefly met Lyra’s, but the intensity in her eyes stopped him in his tracks.