They didn’t just fend off the hordes of enemies—they held them all back outside the spectator stands.

  Every Rank B Powerhouse who tried to approach or bypass them was met with the fiercest counterattacks. Even long-range attacks aimed directly at the stands were blocked mid-air by Lore and Rad.

  As for sending ordinary members below Rank B?

  They could barely survive the aftershocks of the battle, let alone charge through.

  So they could only watch helplessly as the four Quarterfinalists administered the antidote to one powerful fighter after another......

  "Damn it! We can’t let this continue!"

  The captains of the Great Demon Mercenary Corps grew anxious.

  "Full-scale attack! We must break through their four-man defense!"

  In an instant, Rad—serving as the vanguard—felt an overwhelming surge of pressure.

  Gritting his teeth, he held his shield firmly in front of him. The light on the shield flickered unpredictably under the relentless onslaught.

  "Rad! Hold on!"

  Lore conjured layers of water shields, reinforcing Rad’s defense to ease his burden and strengthen their line.

  "Don’t worry! Even if I die here today, I’ll never let them step past this point!"

  "Damn these bastards——!!!"

  The members of the Great Demon Mercenary Corps cursed furiously, yet remained powerless.

  Not far from the chaotic battlefield......

  "Ugh...... Where am I......"

  An adventurer slowly opened his eyes. Rubbing them, he struggled to recall his last memories.

  Suddenly, his eyes widened. He jumped to his feet, entering a combat-ready stance.

  "......"

  But there were no enemies in front of him—only countless unconscious spectators stretching as far as the eye could see, and a few figures moving around, pausing occasionally to feed someone a pill.

  "?"

  "You’re awake!"

  A voice echoed nearby.

  The adventurer turned toward the sound and saw a familiar face.

  Wait...... Isn’t that one of the tournament’s Quarterfinalists?!

  The Quarterfinalist, still feeding a pill to someone, looked at the awakened adventurer.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "I know you’re confused, but I can’t explain everything in a few words. In short, please hurry to help Mr. George and the others fend off those villains!"

  "What!? "

  The adventurer’s expression changed, and he pieced together the situation.

  His face turned serious.

  "I understand! I’ll reinforce them immediately—hurry up and save more people!!"

  Whoosh——!

  With that, the adventurer’s figure darted toward the sound of battle at high speed......

  Boom——!

  "Ugh!"

  Rad’s face paled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The white light on his shield faded instantly.

  "Ha! Finally, you can’t hold on anymore, bastard!"

  "Kill him! Strike while he’s down!"

  In an instant, a barrage of attacks focused on Rad.

  "Don’t you dare——!"

  A voice rang out from the sky.

  A figure landed in front of Rad, raising a defense to block the incoming strikes.

  "Who is it?! "

  The Great Demon Mercenary Corps roared in anger.

  Lore and the others also looked at the sudden arrival.

  The adventurer didn’t turn around, replying:

  "I just woke up—I’m here to reinforce you. More people will be coming soon!"

  Upon hearing this, Lore and the others perked up. The imminent arrival of numerous reinforcements was a huge morale boost.

  However, the members of the Great Demon Mercenary Corps felt quite the opposite......

  "Damn it! No more hesitation! Use your ultimate moves—kill them all!"

  "Right!!!"

  In an instant, most of the Rank B captain-level Powerhouses pulled out vials and drank the potions in one gulp.

  "Ah——!""Ah! Power! Power is surging!""This is my strength now? It’s incredible!""......"

  Watching the enemies undergo drastic transformations, Lore and the others’ expressions changed.

  "This is bad! It’s Demonization—it will drastically enhance their power!"

  Lore recognized the nature of this power, her face filled with anxiety. They could handle one demonized enemy, but two, three, or more—they’d never hold out......

  "Heh! You know quite a lot! But does it matter?"

  "You’re all dead!"

  "Stop wasting time talking! The Temporary Demonization only lasts 30 minutes, and then we’ll fall into a long period of weakness! Finish them quickly!"

  Boom! Boom! Boom......

  In an instant, all the demonized Rank B Powerhouses unleashed attacks far more powerful than before.

  Under this onslaught, the defensive formation Lore and the others had held for so long collapsed in mere seconds.

  "Hahaha! Die for me, all of you——"

  "Stop——!"

  Boom!

  A new Tier 4 Magic flew from afar, crashing into the battlefield.

  "Hmm? "

  The Great Demon Mercenary Corps followed the attack’s trajectory.

  They saw an unfamiliar Rank B Powerhouse emanating a Rank B magical aura, walking toward them.

  And this was just the beginning......

  Behind him, more Rank B Powerhouses emerged one after another.

  "......""......"

  For a moment, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

  "Hmm......"

  Lore glanced at the nearly ten new Rank B Powerhouses on their side—and more still rushing to the battlefield!

  Then she looked at the enemy’s numbers.

  It seemed, perhaps, maybe......

  the balance of power had reversed?

  Demonization?

  Could one demonized enemy take on two opponents?!

  The situation had become extremely delicate.

  The Grand Arena’s side stared with increasingly dangerous eyes.

  Meanwhile, the Great Demon Mercenary Corps’ gaze began to waver......

  "Charge——!""Run——!"

  No one knew who gave the first signal, but the battle with reversed roles began.

  The Great Demon Mercenary Corps, who had run amok in the Grand Arena chasing survivors earlier, were now fleeing in panic from the far larger group of Upper-Rank Powerhouses......

  "Damn it! Why is this happening? The plan is a complete failure!"

  "Shut up! Hurry to find the Vice-Captain! If a Rank A Powerhouse comes to suppress them, we can still turn the tide!"

  "Right! Hurry to Federal Avenue——"

  Boom——!!!

  Before he could finish speaking, the buildings ahead were suddenly smashed open.

  A large group of orc Powerhouses appeared, staring fiercely at the fleeing Great Demon Mercenary Corps.

  "......""......"

  The two sides stared at each other, awkwardly standing their ground.

  The Great Demon Mercenary Corps captains inched backward, secretly trying to slip away.

  "Don’t let them escape!"

  Unfortunately,

  the pursuers from behind arrived.

  In an instant, they found themselves caught between two fronts......

  "Kill——!!!"

  Someone among the orcs shouted.

  Then, the orc Powerhouses—their eyes blazing with fury—charged at the Great Demon Mercenary Corps in a swarm......