Dyren turned to the south. He could feel several people running from that direction. He was sure it was the group of heroes. He had to hold out as long as possible to buy time. If he were killed too quickly, the world would be destroyed.
Dyren scratched his head.
"What am I even doing this for?"
He shook his head in confusion. He didn't understand why he had to risk his life for someone he even hated. It made no sense to him, but if he didn't do this… he would die. The dilemma inside Dyren's heart made him frustrated.
The dust in front of him was thinning. The shape of the creature began to emerge. But… something was off.
"It's not as big as I thought it would be."
Dyren gripped his sword. Sniffy and the Headless King stepped forward and took a defensive stance. Hundreds of skeletons rose and prepared for battle. Dyren was certain this would be an intense fight. The chance of him dying was 70%.
The sound of the wind, like a faint whistle, slipped through the swirling dust. The air trembled—not from magical power, but from the sheer pressure of the creature's aura.
The dust had nearly cleared. From within the remaining shadows emerged a small figure—no taller than Dyren—walking casually, yet each of her steps sent a wave of pressure that made the skeletons' knees buckle. The figure was a girl, or rather, a creature in the form of a girl. She had long, sharp ears like a rabbit, but that was the only thing that made her look 'cute.'
Her entire body was crimson, not from clothing or paint, but her own skin and fur. Her hair was long, dark red like burning embers, floating in the air despite the stillness. Her eyes—two glowing red lights—radiated hunger and pure hatred.
Her hands had transformed into a pair of purple-black claws, each the length of a dagger, emanating a powerful magical aura. Energy overflowed from within her body.
The creature raised her hand.
"Ah, I'm finally free."
She smiled wide, having waited centuries for this.
"Time to kill those stupid heroes."
Her eyes immediately turned toward the south. She looked thrilled and full of vengeance.
[Warning!]
[New mission added: Protect the hero of this world]
[Reward: None]
Dyren saw the notification of his new mission. He knew this was bad. He glanced at Sniffy. The terrifying creature radiating massive magical energy… was a bunny girl. But Dyren couldn't underestimate her. The magic overflowing from within her was overwhelming.
"Now!" Dyren shouted.
He jumped and climbed onto Sniffy's back. The bunny girl, already mid-leap, turned toward him. She saw Dyren crouched on Cerberus's back. One second later, Dyren launched himself forward with all his strength. He shot like a cannonball.
In just an instant, he collided with the bunny girl, sending them both crashing to the ground. The Headless King caught Dyren's body.
BAAAM!
The bunny girl's body crashed into one of the houses. The impact destroyed it, but she immediately shot back out at blinding speed, aiming directly at Dyren. She threw a punch. The Headless King stepped forward to block it.
His body was pushed back several meters. Even his shield cracked from the punch. Dyren, hiding behind the Headless King, swallowed hard. He had expected his opponent to be insanely strong.
The bunny girl looked at her smoking hand.
"Is my power still not fully restored?"
She was confused that her punch was blocked. She had thrown a powerful hit. This made her ponder for a moment. Then she looked at the Headless King, tilting her head, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.
After a while, she remembered.
"You… the Headless King."
She nodded in understanding.
"No wonder you're strong. You were one of my beloved generals. Where are the others and… why are you protecting that human?"
The bunny girl stared at Dyren, who was standing with his sword drawn. She looked at him for a long time, still puzzled as to why the Headless King would protect a human. Something they were supposed to destroy. It didn't make sense to her.
This bunny girl was the Demon King from a thousand years ago. She had seven demon generals she cherished, and one of them was the Headless King. They were immensely powerful—even the world had to send twelve heroes to defeat them. Unfortunately, all the heroes were slain, but the Demon King had been sealed.
Now, that Demon King had broken free from her seal.
"Kill that human!" she ordered the Headless King.
But the Headless King didn't move. He stood in a defensive stance, as if challenging her. The bunny girl didn't like this. Her eyes sharpened.
"Looks like you've been manipulated by that human. Fine then, I'll destroy you."
Without further words, the bunny girl dashed forward at incredible speed. In less than a second, she launched another punch. Her movements were predictable, but even so, stopping her was nearly impossible. The Headless King was pushed back.
She didn't stop there. The bunny girl unleashed another attack. Their fight was intense. Their movements were spectacular. It looked balanced, but in truth, the Headless King was being pushed further and further. He would lose, sooner or later.
"Think. Come on, use your brain!" Dyren shouted at himself.
He had no ideas at all. His opponent was too strong, too fast, and too terrifying. Dyren had no choice. He moved his fingers. The skeletons immediately charged at the bunny girl, attacking from all directions.
The bunny girl backed off. Her eyes locked onto Dyren.
"Insect, you're annoying. I'll kill you first."
She leapt and, in a blink, appeared before Dyren. It was too fast for him to react. The bunny girl threw a punch. Dyren tried to block it with his sword.
BAAMM!
He was thrown back violently, crashing through two houses before coming to a stop. As Dyren tried to stand, the bunny girl was already in front of him again, ready to punch once more. This was bad—Dyren wasn't prepared. He wouldn't be able to dodge in time.
"Looks like this is really the end for me."
He closed his eyes.
One second…
Two seconds…
Twenty seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Dyren opened his eyes. The bunny girl's punch was being blocked by the Headless King—but his palm was broken, and it fell to the ground. This was not a good sign.
"Get out of my way, trash!" the bunny girl shouted.
She swung her arm. The Headless King was sent flying. The bunny girl returned her focus to Dyren, who had managed to retreat. She stared at Dyren seriously, preparing to dash again.
Dyren, seeing this, braced himself. His opponent was overwhelmingly strong.
"Am I going to die here?" Dyren said as he prepared for the next clash.