The Strongest With Nothing Left

Rein didn't hesitate. He vanished in an instant, his speed nearly impossible to track as he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. His fist shot forward, aiming straight for Li Vrak's face.

His punch connected— Or so it seemed. The moment his fist touched Li Vrak's cheek, it was like hitting air. No impact, no resistance. As if his body simply wasn't there.

Then— A light pressure on Rein's wrist. Not a strike, not a block. Just a simple tap. Yet the moment it landed, a chilling sensation crawled up his spine. His instincts screamed at him—move!

Before he could react, his entire body was flung backward like a ragdoll. Rein crashed through two pillars, flipping midair before skidding to a stop, dust and debris rising around him. His arms trembled slightly from the sheer force behind that seemingly effortless counter.

Li Vrak was still standing in the exact same spot, arms crossed, head tilted slightly. "Huh. You're faster than I expected." He tapped his cheek, as if checking to see if the punch had actually landed. "Not bad, hero. But…"

"Too slow."

Rein's pupils shrank. He twisted his body just in time— A foot brushed past his side, but the sheer force behind it sent a shockwave ripping through the stone floor beneath them. Even with a near-miss, the pressure alone made Rein's ribs ache. 

But before he could counter, Li Vrak was gone again. That same feather-light touch landed on the back of Rein's neck. A cold chill ran through him. 

An invisible force sent Rein hurtling forward, barely managing to twist his body to land on his feet. He clenched his fists, his body shaking—not from pain, but from something far deeper. 

The others weren't faring any better. The soldiers and adventurers who had been watching from the sidelines found themselves frozen in place. None of them had seen Rein struggle like this before. None of them had ever seen an opponent treat him like a mere toy.

Li Vrak let out a light chuckle, rolling his shoulders as he lazily walked forward. "Come on now, I thought you were here to put an end to this?" His tone was teasing, but there was something wrong about the way he spoke. Something that made even the bravest of warriors hesitate.

He tilted his head slightly, his grin widening just a bit too much. "Don't tell me… you're scared?"

Rein wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth, rolling his shoulders. His golden eyes remained locked onto Li Vrak, but instead of fear, they burned with determination. "Scared?" He let out a sharp exhale before grinning. "Tch. You wish." 

He straightened up, turning his head slightly toward his allies. They were frozen, gripped by an unseen fear, their hands trembling over their weapons. Rein's voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade. 

"Oi! Snap out of it!" His voice boomed across the hall, making the soldiers and adventurers flinch. "I don't care how strong he is! He's still just one man!"

He pointed at Li Vrak, his confidence unwavering. "He's not some god. He's not invincible. If we fight together, we can kill him!"

His words struck deep. The paralyzing fear that had gripped his allies loosened, replaced by something else determination. The high-ranked adventurers exchanged glances, gripping their weapons tighter. The mages took steadying breaths, magic beginning to surge at their fingertips. The soldiers, who had been frozen in place, now stood firm, their terror slowly turning into battle-ready focus.

Li Vrak blinked, watching the shift in morale with amusement. Then, slowly, his smirk widened. "Oh?" He rested his chin on his palm, purple eyes gleaming with intrigue. "So you still have some fight left in you?"

Rein cracked his knuckles. "Damn right we do." He glanced at his team. "Do your jobs! Stick to the plan! We take him down together!" At his command, the entire room erupted into motion. Mages raised their staffs, incantations flowing from their lips as elemental energy crackled to life. Archers nocked their arrows, their sights locked on their target. The high-ranked adventurers moved into formation, their blades glowing with enchantments.

Rein crouched slightly, muscles coiled like a spring. Li Vrak's smirk never wavered. He lazily spread his arms, almost as if inviting their attack. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"Now!" Rein roared. A volley of spells and arrows shot through the air, aimed directly at Li Vrak. Fireballs, lightning bolts, wind blades each one packed enough power to level a battlefield. The adventurers charged in sync, their blades gleaming, while the soldiers moved into formation, closing in from all sides. And then—

An explosion engulfed Li Vrak's figure, dust and debris flying everywhere. The force of the impact shook the entire castle, cracking the stone beneath them. Rein didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, weaving through the lingering shockwaves of magic, closing the gap in an instant. His fist burned with raw energy as he threw a devastating punch straight into the cloud of smoke.

His knuckles connected. The entire room went silent for a moment as the smoke cleared— Li Vrak staggered back, his body jerking slightly as the punch landed cleanly on his jaw. His head tilted to the side, and for a split second, his expression was unreadable.

"GAH!" He dramatically threw himself backward, crashing onto the ground in a heap. "Did… did that work?" one of the mages whispered. 

"Did we actually hit him?" another adventurer muttered, eyes wide in disbelief. Li Vrak groaned, slowly getting up, patting his clothes as if dusting himself off. "Oof. That one really hurt." He stretched his neck, rolling his shoulders. "Man, you guys really pack a punch."

A spark of hope ignited in the soldiers. "He can be hurt!" someone shouted. The morale surged again. Seeing an opportunity, the adventurers attacked all at once—slashing, stabbing, launching spells in rapid succession. Every strike seemed to land. 

"We can do this!" one soldier yelled, driving his blade toward Li Vrak's side. SLASH!  It connected.

Or at least, that's what they thought. Li Vrak's body jerked from the impact. His head snapped to the side from another punch. A sword dug into his torso. A blast of lightning struck his back, making him stumble.

The battle seemed to be turning in their favor. The attacks were landing. And yet— Rein, still up close, noticed something.

No blood. No wounds. No real reaction. His eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right. One of the soldiers let out a triumphant cry. "We're doing it! We're—"

Then, Li Vrak let out a low chuckle. A slow, deliberate chuckle. It started soft, barely noticeable over the sounds of battle, but it grew louder, deepening into something unnatural. And then—

He stopped moving. The next sword swung straight at him, but this time— CLANG! The blade barely left a scratch. 

Li Vrak tilted his head, completely unfazed, despite the flurry of attacks still coming at him. "Ahhh…" He exhaled in mock exhaustion. "That was fun."

The battlefield went eerily silent. Rein clenched his fists. "You bastard… You let us hit you on purpose." 

Li Vrak wiped imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Oh? What gave it away?" His purple eyes gleamed with amusement. "Was it when I dramatically fell over? Or when I started making sound effects for you?"

The soldiers took a step back, realization dawning on them."W-We didn't do anything to him…" a mage muttered, voice trembling 

Li Vrak cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders like he had just finished warming up. "I figured I'd play along for a bit." He flashed a grin, taking a single step forward. 

That one step alone sent a wave of pressure crashing down on them. The soldiers who had been so confident just moments ago froze. The high-ranked adventurers instinctively gripped their weapons tighter, sweat dripping down their faces. 

Li Vrak tilted his head. "But I think we're past that now, don't you?" The playful act was over. 

The suffocating silence that followed Li Vrak's words felt heavier than the battlefield itself. The playful grin that had once adorned his face was gone.

His piercing purple eyes, once filled with amusement, now held nothing. No joy. No arrogance. Just a cold, hollow emptiness. Then, in a voice void of all warmth, he spoke: "I'll be making the first move now."

And then— He vanished. A wet, sickening sound echoed through the castle halls. A soldier, standing near the back of the formation, stiffened his eyes bulging as blood sprayed from his throat.

He collapsed. Dead before he even realized what happened. Another soldier's body exploded into pieces, his armor shattering like glass. Screams erupted. But they didn't last. Li Vrak was everywhere.

Each time he appeared, another body fell. He moved too fast, beyond what even the most seasoned warriors could perceive. To them, he wasn't moving he was simply there and gone, leaving only corpses in his wake.

A squad of adventurers some of the best the kingdom had to offer rushed forward, desperate to stop him.

"Surround him!" an S-rank adventurer shouted. "If we work together—" His words died in his throat. Because in the time it took for him to give the order— 

Five of his allies were already dead. Their heads rolled across the floor. Their bodies fell seconds later, as if they didn't even realize they had been cut. The remaining adventurers stood frozen, their weapons trembling in their grip. 

"M-Monster…" someone whispered. One of the strongest among them, an S-rank warrior clad in enchanted armor, roared as he lunged at Li Vrak, swinging his massive greatsword. The sheer force behind his strike could split a mountain in two.

For the first time in the battle, Li Vrak moved with purpose. He didn't dodge. He didn't evade. Instead-

Li Vrak caught the greatsword with his bare hand. The sheer impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, shattering the stone beneath his feet but he didn't budge. 

The S-rank warrior's face drained of color. "I—" Before he could finish his sentence, Li Vrak tightened his grip. The sword shattered like brittle glass. The warrior barely had time to react before Li Vrak's fist buried itself into his stomach. 

A horrific cracking noise filled the air as his armor caved in, his body bending unnaturally. He was sent flying. Not just across the room. Not just through the castle walls.

His body disappeared into the sky soaring so far and so fast that he was nothing but a distant speck before vanishing completely.

The battlefield was eerily quiet. The remaining soldiers, adventurers even Rein's party stood frozen, paralyzed by what they had just witnessed.

The difference in power wasn't just large. It was impossible. Li Vrak exhaled slowly, as if he had just finished something mildly tiring. His purple eyes slowly swept across the survivors.

The moment that word left his lips, something inside Rein snapped. "BASTARD!"

A shockwave burst from Rein's position as he exploded forward, closing the distance in an instant. His fist, crackling with raw power, slammed into Li Vrak's face with enough force to send an ordinary man flying.

But Li Vrak didn't move. Rein's golden eyes burned with rage as he pulled back, unleashing a barrage of punches. His fists became a blur, each strike aimed with killing intent, each one fueled by fury. 

Li Vrak let him. Every punch connected. Every strike landed cleanly. And yet— Rein gritted his teeth. No reaction.

Not a single step back. Not a flinch. It was as if Rein's attacks were no different from a gentle breeze. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. The sight of his fallen allies—of his friends—spurred him forward.

"Come on, you monster! Fight me!" Rein roared, his voice shaking with anger. Li Vrak tilted his head, amusement flickering for just a moment. "Hmph… You're angry?" Rein's eyes narrowed. "Damn right I am." Suddenly, Rein spun, aiming a devastating kick toward Li Vrak's ribs. This time, it wasn't just a direct attack—it was a setup.

Li Vrak raised an arm to block, and in that instant, Rein's foot barely made contact before he launched himself backward. He wasn't just attacking. He was baiting Li Vrak—leading him away.

"Tch. Try and keep up, 'Living Nightmare.'" Rein spat the title like venom before vanishing through the ruined halls of the Demon King's castle. Li Vrak stood still for a moment, watching Rein flee. His eyes narrowed slightly before— 

He smiled. "Ah…" He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "So that's your plan." Then, with zero warning, he vanished.