Richard?
Midnight scoffed, the fury in his eyes intensifying, "It seems you've forgotten who pulled you out of the Tower of Paradise, and who granted you power and status!"
Since you've chosen betrayal, then become shards together with these people!
Wait! Midnight!
The Cobra stopped grappling with Mistgorge, leapt between Richard and Midnight, and said, "Richard... no, Hoteye is definitely affected by Mistgorge's magic, which messed up his mind. Give him some time, and he'll return to his original self."
Eric, I am who I am.
Eric called out the Cobra's true name, "I hope you won't work for Brian any longer; he's been deceiving me, and he might even know the whereabouts of Kongnai's sister."
"Sorry, Richard, my wish isn't to find my family..." A brief struggle flashed across the Cobra's face, but in the end he firmly sided with Brian.
Richard could understand.
Each of the Six Demons is driven by a personal wish.
Richard wants to reunite with his brother who was forced apart.
The Cobra wishes to hear the voice of his best friend, the giant purple viper.
Laser wants to become the fastest person in the world.
'Angel' Kongnai longs to vanish into the heavens like an angel.
Midnight wishes he could fall asleep without disturbance.
Richard doesn't know what Brian's wish is.
With matters at this point, the Cobra stopped urging Richard, and the two immediately clashed; magical fluctuations surged, the ground collapsed instantly, and a poisonous dragon roared.
Midnight watched the massive spectacle from the collision of their magic, then let out a cold snort, "Did that Cobra really think I couldn't see it?"
'Divine Ear' versus 'Heavenly Eye'—one can hear, the other can see. Their magical levels are comparable, making the fight look fierce, but in reality neither Richard nor the Cobra can break through.
He raised his hand, aiming at Richard and the Cobra, the powerful twisted magic coalescing again, "If you're trying to fool me, just hold hands and go to hell together."
However, before his spell could launch, a calm voice sounded in his ear.
'Your opponent is me.'
Midnight startled, whirled around, and saw Hop, who had somehow emerged from the torn space unharmed, standing beside him, keenly observing the twisted field surrounding him.
For the first time, disbelief flashed across Midnight's face.
His 'Twist' magic is almost an unbeatable blend of defense and offense; no one has ever broken free so easily.
'Your magic is interesting, but its drawback is...'
Hop gave a slight smile, and his figure suddenly blurred.
Midnight's pupils contracted sharply; he summoned all his twisted magic, warping the surrounding space into a hall-of-mirrors distortion where any spell would be deflected or hindered.
But Hop was unaffected; he walked through the layers of warped space with ease, arriving boldly before Midnight.
A plain, unadorned straight punch, accompanied by a ripping burst of air, slammed into Midnight's face.
In a hurry, Midnight gathered his twisted power into an invisible spatial shield in front of him; the punch met the shield, producing no earth-shattering explosion, only a dull, odd clang.
The twisted field, like glass, was struck by an eighty-ton hammer, instantly cracking all over, then shattering loudly; the massive backlash caused the field to emit a muffled groan and be flung backward.
'Midnight!' Brian exclaimed, both shocked and angry.
His most prized son, whose powerful 'Twist' magic couldn't even block a single punch? What kind of monster is this Hop!
He struggled to rise and help, but Hop merely glanced at him; an invisible crushing pressure descended, like a mountain bearing down on him, forcing his barely lifted body back to the ground, immobilizing even a single finger.
'Stay still,' Hop said coolly, then turned his gaze back to the struggling Midnight.
Meanwhile, due to Richard's sudden betrayal, Gray and his allies' battle situation reversed instantly.
The massive rock-and-soil spire forest not only divided the battlefield but also dealt heavy blows to many dark sorcerers, easing the pressure on Gray, Leo, and others. They seized the chance, joining the Cowherd trio and Sherry to purge the remaining foot soldiers.
Moreover, since Midnight went after Hop without pain, and the Cobra pretended to duel Richard, Mistgorge and Naz were freed to act, allowing them to tackle another formidable foe.
'Roar of the Fire Dragon!'
'Five-layer Magic Circle: Divine Dance.'
Flames blazed intensely, following the pillars of light generated by the five-layer circle, all crashing toward Joseph.
Are the Six Demons really this unreliable?!
Joseph snarled in anger, yet he had to divert his attention to the incoming magical assault.
In fact, Naz's attacks needn't be a major concern, as he's already exited the 'Dragon Power' state, but Joseph must be extremely cautious of Mistgorge's magic; any lapse could have dire consequences.
A massive pink sword aura swept across, melting the ethereal soldiers like ice under sunlight wherever it passed.
Elusa, clad in pink 'Fairy Armor,' seized Joseph's distraction, swiftly exploiting his opening; sword light rained down like rain, the assault a tempest, instantly carving several shallow new wounds on Joseph.
'Damn it!'
Joseph let out a roar, dark magic surged like a tide, forcefully dispersing the flames and magical pillars, then he retaliated with a savage burst of dark magic aimed at Elusa.
Elusa's gaze sharpened; as she swung the Fairy Sword, a massive dragon-shaped magical aura manifested behind her.
Holy Dragon—Sword Claw!
The powerful anti-dragon magic slammed down with the slash, colliding violently with the dark torrent, resulting in an even odds clash.
Joseph's eyes widened; the last time they fought, he had easily manipulated Elusa, and now, barely a month later, she could stand toe-to-toe with him?
What Joseph didn't know was that since Elusa's noble-dragon uncle embedded the Holy Anti-Dragon crystal within her, she had learned the 'Holy Anti-Dragon' spell but never had time to practice earnestly.
It wasn't until the Tower of Paradise incident ended that she finally devoted herself to mastering her anti-dragon magic.
Perhaps due to her mother Erin and the noble dragon Belseslion, Elusa's affinity with the 'Holy Anti-Dragon' magic is extraordinarily high, bordering on perfect.
Her progress in 'Holy Anti-Dragon' training was meteoric; within less than two weeks her power surged dramatically.
Although still a gap from Joseph's 'Holy Ten' level, Elusa now feels confident she can remain unbeaten, and with Mistgorge on her side, taking down Joseph seems feasible.
Unfortunately, Naz's 'Dragon Power' state has ended; otherwise she would have a guaranteed chance to defeat Joseph.
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