Chapter 56: Weak The vulnerability in her ruby eyes caught him completely off guard. Gone was the playful predator who’d tormented him with innuendo. In her place stood someone who feared for his safety. She actually cares. About me. A human she barely knows. Before he could process this revelation further, the lead extremist’s voice boomed across the hillside. "LOOK AT THIS DISGUSTING SIGHT!" The demon’s crimson robes flapped dramatically as he gestured with his staff. "A MASTER-LEVEL SUCCUBUS CONSORTING WITH HUMAN FILTH!" "Brother Kazrik speaks truth!" The second extremist spat into the grass. "These damn humans think they can steal our women now! First our lands, now our females!" Steal your women? I’m just here for a tour! Noah opened his mouth to protest his innocence, but the third extremist cut him off. "A SUCCUBUS AT THAT!" His voice cracked slightly. "The shame brings dishonor to our entire race!" Oh, come on. I literally just met her yesterday. "Kill the human!" Kazrik raised his staff, mana gathering around the crystal tip. "Show this traitor what happens when superior demon blood mingles with inferior species!" Superior? Inferior? These guys have serious brain issues. Lola’s magic erupted like a volcano, her crimson energy forming defensive barriers around them both. "Stay behind me, Noah!" The first spell—a lance of hot fire—screamed through the air toward Noah’s head. Lola’s barrier deflected it, but barely. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground. That would have turned my skull into charcoal. "PATHETIC HUMAN!" The second extremist began chanting, preparing for another attack "YOU CORRUPT EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH!" Another fireball. This one came from an angle Lola wasn’t expecting. She twisted, throwing up a hasty shield—but it wouldn’t be enough. Oh shit. Noah dove sideways, hitting the grass hard as superheated air singed his hair. The spell exploded against the hillside, leaving a crater where his torso had been. "Noah!" Lola’s voice carried some panic. She spun toward him, momentarily leaving her flank exposed. The third extremist seized the opportunity, launching a barrage of ice shards. She’s going to get hit because of me. But Lola twisted at the last second, deflecting the attack with a gesture that looked almost casual. Her power was terrifying—each of her spells could have leveled buildings. Yet she kept glancing back at him with worry. "COWARD!" "FIGHT US PROPERLY, TRAITOR!" "I am fighting you," Lola replied sweetly, before unleashing a wave of crimson energy that forced all three extremists to retreat. "I’m just being considerate of this beautiful place. I don’t want it to be deformed because of vermins like you." Kazrik and the others performed another coordinated spell attack. This time, they split their assault, two targeting Lola while the third sent a lightning bolt straight at Noah. Lola noticed the attack meant for Noah a split second too late. Her eyes widened in horror as electricity arced toward him. I’m dead. This is it. Hello, 300% pain multiplier. Crimson light exploded around Noah as Lola appeared directly between him and the lightning. The bolt struck her barrier with enough force to crater the ground beneath her feet. "STAY. BEHIND. ME." But as the fight continued, Noah noticed something troubling in Lola’s expression. Each time she had to save him, each time he failed to dodge or defend himself, her frown deepened. Another spell came his way—a simple wind blade that any competent fighter should have been able to avoid. Noah stumbled backward, tripped over his own feet, and landed hard on his ass. Lola sighed as she casually deflected the attack. "WHAT KIND OF HUMAN ARE YOU?" The lead extremist paused his assault, genuine confusion replacing his rage. "YOU HAVE NO MAGIC! NO COMBAT SKILLS! YOU’RE JUST... ORDINARY!" Thanks for the confidence boost, asshole. Lola’s ruby eyes found Noah’s face, and he saw the exact moment realization struck her. He really is weak. Completely, utterly weak. Is he really the man in the prophecy? The succubus who’d spent hour waiting outside his shop, probing for hidden power, trying to uncover his mysterious abilities—she was finally seeing the truth. Noah Carter wasn’t a secret badass. He wasn’t a hidden master or prophetic hero. He was just a guy with a magical shop who got very, very lucky with his business model. Well. This is awkward. Realizing that the human next to her was truly ordinary, Lola released a long, exasperated sigh. All this time, I thought he was powerful. Turns out he’s just... normal. Her crimson eyes shifted from disappointment to coldness as she raised her arm skyward. The playful succubus vanished entirely, replaced by something far more dangerous. Mana began converging on her palm like iron filings drawn to a magnet. The air itself grew heavy as power condensed into a swirling sphere of crimson energy. Within seconds, a basketball-sized orb of concentrated destruction hovered above her delicate fingers. ’Time to end this.’ The extremists’ triumphant sneers faltered as they felt the sheer magnitude of power gathering above them. Even Noah, with his limited magical sensitivity, could taste the power in the air. ’That thing is scary.’ "W-Wait!" Kazrik stammered, his earlier bravado crumbling like wet paper. "You wouldn’t dare—" Lola’s smile was pure silk wrapped around a blade. "Watch me." She lowered her hand with casual elegance, as if directing an orchestra rather than unleashing a devastating attack. The crimson sphere launched forward at impossible speed, its passage warping the air with raw magical pressure. Halfway to its targets, the orb split. Three perfectly controlled projectiles, each one tracking its designated extremist with surgical precision. "SHIELDS UP!" The second extremist screamed. All three demons threw their hands forward, pouring every ounce of their considerable power into defensive barriers. Protective walls of magic sprouted around them, layered with reinforcement spells and desperate prayers. ’This might actually—’ The crimson projectiles struck their barriers like meteors hitting tissue paper. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Kazrik’s scream peaked somewhere between agony and disbelief as Lola’s magic tore through his defenses like they were made of cardboard. Crimson energy engulfed him, and when the light faded, he stood frozen like a statue—completely charred from head to toe, smoke rising from his singed robes.