"Demon."
Standing in front of that bizarre person, Mira said with certainty, "He's not human."
Rhode frowned. A demon slaughtering the gang here... Is it purely for fun, or to absorb power, or is some sacrificial ritual involved?
The man didn't even remove his hood and spat out two simple syllables from his peculiar three-lobed mouth: "Shoo-loo—"
A powerful tornado appeared out of nowhere, immediately enveloping Rhode and Mira.
The main gate of the gang's stronghold was torn apart and flung away, and the surrounding walls were instantly destroyed, with countless rocks and sand sucked into the raging winds.
The bodies piled on the ground were also lifted by the whirlwind, flying around and rolling down the slopes.
The strange man turned his head sharply, discovering several purple magic arrays suddenly appearing beside him.
He was about to dodge when the booming explosions sounded.
The tornado ceased, and Rhode stood unscathed in place, the white Ten Wizard Saints Cloak billowing behind him, his right hand's finger still pointing at the strange man ahead.
Meanwhile, Mira's long hair danced in the air, her left hand hanging naturally and her right hand outstretched to the side—the tornado was just dispersed by her.
The explosions soon ended, and the strange man's cloak and shirt had been blown apart, revealing solid bronze skin and long dark yellow hair.
"Seems like it's not a simple, trashy demon," Rhode assessed the guy opposite, feeling that Mira could unlock a rather decent new skin.
He raised his chin and asked, "Hey, can you understand human language? Where are you from, demon? What's your surname, name, and abilities?"
There are indeed those who love to flaunt their origins and abilities in this world; asking more doesn't hurt.
Unexpectedly, the demon opposite really replied, "I have no name, but humans call me 'Calamity.' Origin... Gate of the Underworld, one of the Nine Ghosts Sect."
"Gate of the Underworld?" What a surprising harvest?
Rhode instantly perked up.
This is the final corner of the Balram Alliance, the most mysterious Dark Guild.
Nine Ghosts Sect... sounds like a guild high-level similar to the Seven Dependents?
Have I encountered the event boss while eliminating bandits?
But since the other side was cooperating, Rhode went ahead and asked another question: "Why did someone from the Gate of the Underworld come here?"
"That's confidential because the Gate of the Underworld hasn't opened yet..." Saying this, the creature who called himself Calamity paused, "So, you two, join us or die."
Is there any causal relationship here?
Today's mission purpose seems to be confidential as well. A guild, famous for its mystery, must be preparing some big move.
Based on conventional reasoning, their ultimate goal shouldn't be lower than Oracion Seis.
That means at the least, it's an operation of world domination or world destruction level.
He couldn't be allowed to leave.
The opponent probably noticed the change in Rhode's eyes and once again uttered the strange sound 'Shoo-loo!' from his mouth.
If you listened closely, you'd find that although it's the same sound as before, the pronunciation was shorter than before.
As soon as the sound dropped, his body was enveloped by a whirlwind, rapidly charging toward Rhode and Mira.
His arm was also wrapped in a powerful whirlwind as he swung a fist at Rhode and Mira.
Rhode stepped forward blocking Mira, catching the opponent's fist with one hand, the gale merely causing his hair and clothing to whip wildly.
"This speed is almost catching up to Laxus."
To be precise, it's Laxus from two months ago. Whether he has practiced and how much stronger he's become over the past two months, Rhode is unaware.
"Plop!" The demon's three-lobed mouth again emitted a strange indescribable sound.
Blazing flames surged from his body, enveloping both himself and Rhode, the startling heat distorting Mira's view ahead.
Enveloped in the flames, Rhode remained unfazed, laughing, "Winter is over, yet you're here to warm me up?"
He signaled Mira to retreat with his left hand, while his right hand transformed into a red dragon claw, palm turning upward to lift.
The ground beneath the demon's feet erupted like a volcanic eruption, spewing lava and red flames instantly.
From afar, people looked inexplicably at the mountain occupied by the Kuza Gang—was it actually a volcano?
Is the Kuza Gang going to be obliterated by a volcanic eruption?
Rhode remained calm within the flames conjured by the demon, but the demon groaned in agony as the lava and Hellfire seared him mercilessly.
"Uh..." He never imagined that on a routine mission, he'd encounter such a powerful human.
Or that such powerful humans even exist in this world?
"Boom boom!" The demon's mouth let out a heavy, short sound, causing the lava and flames around him to briefly expel as if impacted by something.
However, before he could take the next action, Rhode's figure appeared above him, the red dragon claw clenched into a fist, delivering a punch onto his face.
As the fist collided with the cheek, a dazzling red light exploded in midair, resonating with an explosive sound.
The demon's cheek was immediately deformed from the strike, his neck snapped violently to one side, seemingly emitting a cracking noise under the strain.
His body seemed to break through the sound barrier, leaving white smoke rings in midair, finally crashing headfirst into the ground.
Mira had to hover briefly, as the demon still carried incredible heat, making his impact on the mountain like a meteor hitting the earth.
The whole mountain trembled slightly, a dramatic crack snaking from the peak down to the midway slope, vanishing into the mountainside, potentially leaving some hidden hazards.
Mira flew to Rhode's side, "You overdid it."
"The mountain didn't fall, did it? I have a sense of measure."
Rhode didn't even realize his comment was entirely in the style of 'Fairy Tail.'
He was still smugly considers himself different from those destructive maniacs.
"That guy's tough, probably not dead yet." Rhode sensed the opponent still had a breath left, "Try interrogating him again, then just receive it."
This demon wasn't one of those mass-produced second-generation models, but a rather powerful and advanced type, not so easy to receive.
Generally speaking, two things could reduce the difficulty of reception.
One is the fundamental principle of Receiving Magic—reception requires 'understanding the opponent's composition.'
Secondly, weaken the opponent sufficiently.
Now the second condition was almost met, and the first might be somewhat relaxed.
Rhode released two Stone Beetles to dig out the immobilized demon.
Mira placed her finger on the demon's head.
Unexpectedly, the demon coughed a few times and said, "Give it up, human mages cannot defeat me."
"Hmm?"
Before Mira could respond, the demon's body suddenly exploded, dissolving into a cloud of black mist.
"Self-destruct?" The pair reflexively covered their mouths and noses, quickly retreating.
However, this seemed to have no power, causing no harm. It merely spread the black mist across the entire mountain top, naturally enveloping the two within it.
The demon's body had completely vanished, but his voice still echoed from the sky:
"I didn't expect to encounter humans like you, but I will never truly die, while you will forever lose your lives. Perish painfully within the Demon Barrier Particles... This is the true calamity."
"I shall return to the Netherworld, and you shall step into the Netherworld too!"