The gate had descended into pure chaos.

Kaela, Liora, and Darius were all fighting with everything they had; each of them pushed to their limits in entirely different ways.

The Riot Valkyrie moved like a force of nature, her body twisting and launching between floating islands with explosive power. Violet energy coiled around her like a living storm, flaring brighter every time she took damage. She did not slow down, did not hesitate, and most importantly, did not fear anything in front of her.

To her, this was not a desperate struggle.

It was entertainment.

Liora, in stark contrast, looked like she might collapse at any moment, her expression tense and strained. Yet her control over her abilities was nothing short of extraordinary.

Platforms formed beneath Darius at exactly the right moment, barriers shifted and curved with precision, and constructs appeared and dissolved with flawless timing.

She lacked Kaela’s raw aggression, but her mastery more than made up for it.

Darius also complemented her perfectly.

A veteran through and through, he adapted instantly to every platform she created, launching himself forward with explosive bursts of flame from his feet. His spear carved arcs of fire through the air, each strike calculated, each movement efficient despite the lingering damage in his chest.

Meanwhile, Elara stood frozen.

She had just been given access to energy that rivalled that of a powerful A Rank, more than the Blood Demon had ever granted her before.

And she had no idea what to do with it.

In front of her, the enemies waited: one A Rank and two B Ranks, just like Kaela was facing alone.

The A Rank beast was grotesque in a way that felt almost unnatural. It resembled an aphid, but magnified to a monstrous scale. Its body was a vivid, sickly green, semi-translucent in places, with fluid visibly pulsing beneath its surface.

Its legs were thick and spring-like, compressing and releasing with terrifying force as it bounced erratically across the island. Every landing cracked the ground, and every leap sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

The creature’s mouthparts twitched constantly, releasing thin streams of acidic secretion that hissed against the stone.

Beside it were two cicada-like beasts.

Their bodies were elongated and armoured in layered plates that shimmered faintly under the strange light of the gate. Their wings also vibrated at an intense frequency, producing a high-pitched, oppressive hum that seemed to drill into the mind. And their limbs were sharp and jagged, built for slicing rather than brute force.

They did not move randomly, circling and watching, as Elara stood there, overwhelmed by the surging energy in her body.

Her shakiness didn’t exactly reassure her two B Rank companions, who were still unnerved by her power. The fact that she couldn’t control it made them even more uneasy, as they backed away from her.

"Hahaha, you see. You are nothing without me, even if I grant you access to most of what I have," the demon within her taunted, its voice dripping with amusement.

Elara clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

’I’ll show you that I don’t need you!’

Her heart pounded violently in her chest.

She wanted to prove herself.

To everyone.

To Ethan.

He always looked like he had everything under control, even when he was outmatched or weaker. He might joke about losing or giving up, but his will and eyes never wavered as he used everything at his disposal.

She wanted to be like that.

She did not want to rely on the demon.

She did not want to lose control.

She wanted to be someone others could rely on.

But wanting something and achieving it were two very different things.

She raised her hands, forcing herself to focus.

’Just do what you’ve been training, but with more energy.’

Crimson energy gathered in her palms, unstable and violent, crackling as it built. She tried to shape it, control it, then release it as she had done many times before.

But instead, her vision warped.

And in the next instant, she was gone.

She reappeared mid-air off the side of the island.

’I teleported?!’

Elara hadn’t been able to replicate the demon’s displacement no matter how hard she tried, but now she had just done it by accident. But rather than celebrating, she was plummeting to her death.

Her breath instantly caught in her throat, panic surging through her as the void stretched endlessly beneath her.

She couldn’t even scream.

Her energy flared wildly, lashing out in all directions as she attempted to do so again, or maybe even fly.

But nothing was working.

’Is this really how I-?"

Swish!

A thick vine shot towards her from the side of the island she had just fallen off. It wrapped around her waist and yanked her upward with immense force before flinging her back onto solid ground.

She hit the island hard, rolling before coming to a stop.

For a moment, she just lay there, staring at the sky.

’If it hadn’t been for the lowered gravity, he might not have caught me in time.’

That realisation hit deep.

’Ever since receiving my Title, I’ve lived knowing that the demon inside me will come out when I absolutely need it. It’s like going to school with your big brother. Even if you don’t mean to, you feel invincible.’

As much as she hated it controlling her, she couldn’t deny that it had saved her life more times than she could count.

’But every time it did, it was still using my body. I just need to repeat what it did, like muscle memory.’

"Muscle memory? Hahaha! I would love to see you try, kid."

Elara ignored the demon’s comment and got up, giving the two B Ranks a wry, almost embarrassed smile. Despite her outwardly awkward appearance, she was still emanating the power of an A Rank, so she received nods in response.

Then she suddenly had a determined look on her face.

The displacement had been overwhelming and disorienting, but in that moment of chaos she had understood something.

Her body knew how to do things she didn’t.

The fact that she had just moved through space itself unintentionally was proof of that.

’I just have to trust myself.’

With that, she took a deep breath and focused on the ground beside Rowan and Seraphina; then she imagined herself there.

In the next second, she was.

It felt similar to stepping through a gate and somehow was instantaneous, yet felt like time had passed.

’So that’s how it works.’

A small, confident smile formed on her lips.

’I might just be able to do this.’

But even with her so-called muscle memory, winning this battle wouldn’t be easy once the beasts began their assault...