, soared leisurely through the air some twenty meters above, unleashing a devastating roar.

He was likely waiting for the right moment to attack from above.

Since I was hidden in the shadows, the chance of me being targeted was low.

"Refray! Alex! Cannibal! If they charge, don’t intercept! Wait for the opening right after they launch their attack and take off! I’ll handle the Fire Breath—leave it to Jajardan!"

If we could counter precisely when they charged, we could deal massive damage—but that would be risky.

It’s safer to alternate between offense and defense.

"Guaooooo!"

The demon, bellowing loudly and hovering in midair, lunged forward with its massive fangs bared at Reflair.

"Not a chance! Shadow Bind!"

Dark tendrils erupted from the shadows, wrapping around the descending demon in a desperate attempt to stop it.

Though they were quickly severed, the attack still managed to significantly slow the demon down.

Just a short time ago, it would have been impossible to synchronize a bind with an opponent moving at such high speed—but now, with increased skill, it was possible. The bind could be summoned instantly at any desired location.

Reflair calmly dodged the demon’s still-approaching charge, now slowed and braking.

The demon landed, skidding across the ground, and immediately tried to regain its footing—but Alex and Canibale seized the opening, unleashing sharp, precise slashes.

"Gurururu"

The demon, reluctant to endure the coordinated attack, stepped back.

Yet it seemed to be taking little damage. Its thick fur-covered body likely repelled anything less than a serious blow.

It would be better to target its vulnerable neck base, or aim at its legs and wings to reduce its mobility.

"Both of you, fall back! Phantom Warrior! Darkness Fog!"

It was too dangerous to continue battling the demon head-on for too long. I don’t want to repeat the ordeal of Reflair. There’s no way to recover from a severe injury this time.

Trapped in darkness, the demon let out a mighty roar and quickly chose to escape into the sky.

Perhaps having taken several combos from Reflair's light, it had learned its lesson.

With a flurry of wing beats, the demon lord soared into the sky.

Though it could probably escape to somewhere if it really wanted to, one might say it was fitting for a demon lord—there was no intention to flee.

Its eyes blazed with intense, unwavering determination to devour us.

"Hikaru, thanks for the call-out! I was totally lost—how the hell am I supposed to fight something so tough and huge?"

After regrouping, Alex ran over and said.

"Yeah, we're not strong enough to face it head-on. Just now, Reflair nearly died from a massive wound."

"Seriously? You're okay? Well, you seem fine, so you must be."

There's a point, so we'll manage... But there won't be a next time, so let's buy time and proceed carefully. Basically, just keep doing what we did a moment ago, and we should be fine.

"Hikaru, are you okay with your spirit energy?"

"We'll manage."

In reality, as long as we don't push ourselves too hard, we can fight without losing.

Our stamina is limited, so this is a slow attrition battle, but as long as help arrives, we'll be okay.

All the explorers participating in this demon lord hunt are at least Silver rank (Silvestre) or higher. Even if not, it seems demon lord manifestations aren't that rare.

Once a fresh explorer with combat experience against demon lords arrives, our job will be over.

"By the way, doesn't Alex use spirit magic?"

"Aah, um... I'm still not good at using it on the spot... Plus, that guy spews fire, so elemental fire magic probably won't work very well."

"I don't know. Anyway, if you're not comfortable with it, you shouldn't force it. Just attack normally—it'd probably be more efficient."

"Sorry. Just wait for the next chance. I'll practice beforehand."

I don't remember ever struggling with magic, but is fire elemental magic really that hard? Or is this another side effect of being the favorite?

Actually, I think Refrea mentioned she'd practiced magic quite a bit too.

I stepped away from Alex, watching from the shadows.

The Demon King, having failed his previous attack, seems to have heightened his caution and isn't coming down easily.

But that's perfect for us—we're buying time.

And then, that moment came swiftly.

"Hey! Are you okay!"

"Is that the demon lord of this time?"

A voice of rescue approached from beyond the fog.

Warriors, armed and ready, rushed toward us, shouting as they came. The exploration parties scattered across the third layer had finally regrouped.

I let out a sigh of relief, thinking we'd be alright now.

At that moment,

"Gwaaaoouuunn!"

The demon lord, soaring through the sky, let out a tremendous roar and unleashed a torrent of flames toward the arriving exploration party. We were too far away to warn them in time.

Had it seen us as an easier target, or was this merely instinctive behavior?

The explorers engulfed in flames tried to defend themselves—those with shields raised their shields, while the rear guards used magic to block the attack. Their movements were those of seasoned veterans, perfectly reasonable.

Yet, the Demon King folded his wings as if using the flames as cover, then began a sudden dive.

The warriors shielded themselves from the flames, but this blocked their own vision.

With a thunderous crash, the Demon King charged into the group of explorers, now tightly packed together, launching his massive body into them.

Though they were likely explorers of Silver rank or higher, they had been far too careless.

Overwhelmed by the sudden massive assault, the explorers fell into complete panic. Once panic sets in, no matter how many there are, they’re just a disorganized mob.

"Damn it! Shadow Bind!"

The technique used while running, however, failed to take effect due to the excessive distance.

As this was happening, the rear-line spellcasters were falling one by one, torn apart by the Demon King's claws and fangs.

"Gwaaaoowww!"

It was either a triumphant roar or a savage cry as Malcosias, having ruthlessly slaughtered the entire party of twelve explorers, lightly stepped forward and leapt back into the air.

"Damn it...! Is he learning from battle...!?"

Perhaps he had learned that fighting on the ground put him at a disadvantage, and now favored striking from above and quickly retreating.

Although monsters turn into spirit stones when they die, people often mistake them for mere objects, but they are, in fact, living beings. They naturally possess the intelligence to think about how best to fight.

After all, being able to wield spirit magic implies that much.

Are you okay!? Get back on your feet before he comes down again, or if you can't, retreat down the stairs!

"S-sorry! My leg got pulled out from under me all of a sudden...!"

"No, more importantly, does anyone here have a way to attack something in the sky? Any kind of magic, or a bow?"

"No bow users here! And magic... I'm sorry. The last attack... it seems to have killed him."

"Dead...?"

Judging by the scene, the group of explorers had dwindled from twelve to just eight.

Four had been killed in a single charge by the Demon King.

In battle, maintaining formation—and even more so, mental preparedness—can make such a life-or-death difference.

The Demon King, Malcosias, floated leisurely in the air, watching for his next opportunity to charge.