Devour

From the third floor down to the first, all the way to the lobby, Su Mian could clearly feel a violent transformation occurring within her.

The world seemed different in her eyes—the brights were brighter, the darks were darker, colors were more vivid, and the slightest sound now thundered like a drum.

For instance, from the stairwell, she had clearly heard every movement within the restaurant. She heard the searing of flames, the roar of firearms, and the thunderous bang of explosions. She heard sharp objects piercing flesh, the pained groans of humans, and blood splashing onto the ground…

Before she even drew near, everything happening in the restaurant was captured by Su Mian through a strange perspective. Clear images even surfaced within her mind.

Thus, the moment she stepped into the restaurant and faced that pale ‘kin,’ the girl felt no surprise at its appearance.

Of course.

Most of the reason was likely because her current state was far from normal.

Ordinarily, facing a long-awaited demon, Su Mian would certainly have been curious and eager to investigate.

But now…

“So hungry.”

The girl quietly watched that terrifying and grotesque existence. In her eyes, which were completely submerged in a crimson hue, there was not a trace of curiosity or fear—only endless appetite!

On the other side.

Whether it was the demon preparing to torment its prey or Jiang Xun preparing his final resort, both were drawn by Su Mian as she suddenly walked in.

No one knew what the Elite Demon was thinking.

Jiang Xun, however, was purely astonished.

‘What is she doing here?’

The youth’s golden vertical pupils reverted to normal in an instant. His brow furrowed deeply. The succubus appearing here was truly beyond his expectations; he had assumed she had left when the Shadow Realm shattered earlier.

However, those details were not critical. The key was… friend or foe?

Though they had cooperated briefly not long ago, there was no foundation of trust between them. Furthermore, the other party was a succubus, renowned for toyed with human hearts and desires.

So, as he watched the girl walk in with a light, airy gait as if she were drunk, Jiang Xun did not feel relieved. Instead, he became increasingly vigilant.

If she was an enemy, it was truly over.

They had already been pushed to a dead end by this Elite Demon. If a suspected High-rank succubus was added to the mix… they might as well just slit their own throats. At least they could die with some dignity!

And if she was a friend…

That didn’t seem to offer much help for their current situation either.

It had been said many times before: the gap between demons was staggering. Although this succubus was suspected to be High-rank, an Elite Demon could easily slaughter several High-rank demons at will!

Moreover, succubi were never known for frontal combat. Their mastery of charm and mental manipulation was nearly invincible against Lower-ranks, but its effectiveness would be drastically reduced against higher-ranking demons.

Jiang Xun’s brow remained tightly knit.

Nearby, the pale Elite Demon slowly turned to face Su Mian.

“■■■, ■■!”

It uttered strange sounds again. It seemed to be the demonic tongue, but this time, Jiang Xun could not understand it.

Facing the ‘inquiry’ of the four-armed Elite Demon, the girl who had meandered in from the doorway gave no reaction. Only her eyes became increasingly bloodshot.

As she drew closer, to the youth’s shocked expression, the clearly more powerful Elite Demon actually took a step back instinctively!

What was happening?

An Elite Demon should have absolute dominance over a High-rank demon. The gap in both status and power was significant, let alone against a succubus who didn’t specialize in direct combat.

So why was it retreating? It was… afraid!?

Jiang Xun found it somewhat unbelievable, but that emotion of fear was far too obvious.

The demon’s subsequent actions proved it was truly terrified. After saying something and receiving no response, it didn’t hesitate for even a second. It suddenly unfurled its bat-like wings, turned, and fled!

The speed and decisiveness of its movement left observers dumbfounded.

But…

Shred!

The blood-colored light was faster than the demon. Just as it turned, the crimson aura surrounding the girl solidified, slashing through its body like a blade.

Even as the demon turned.

Its body was severed into four pieces!

The four sections of its body slid toward the ground in different directions. But an Elite Demon was an Elite Demon; even so, it did not die. A rising pale light enveloped it, and the neatly severed body parts adhered and healed rapidly before even hitting the floor.

This process took only two or three seconds, but it was enough time for the girl to reach it.

By now, Su Mian was completely shrouded in crimson. Her black hair fluttered behind her like silk ribbons. She lifted her head, her deep red eyes watching the demon ahead with a quiet yet fervent intensity.

The tall demon and the petite girl formed a stark contrast, yet the demon’s aura was completely suppressed at this moment.

Then, perhaps sensing that escape was difficult, or perhaps purely out of the pain and rage of having its body severed, the healed demon let out a piercing roar and suddenly swung back to pounce.

All four arms grabbed at Su Mian simultaneously. While clutching her tight, a terrifying power brewed within its hollow head.

A pale light erupted from the Elite Demon’s massive maw, instantly blasting the girl it held firmly. It submerged her in a heartbeat.

However…

“Not enough.”

Accompanied by a faint whisper, the dense crimson easily overwhelmed the pale light of the Elite Demon. It transformed into a vortex, beginning to continuously devour the power the demon had unleashed.

The demon realized something was wrong and tried to let go and retreat, only to find it could not terminate its own movements!

The pale light surged uncontrollably from the void in its face. Its body trembled violently as if struck by lightning, and its aura rapidly withered.

In contrast, the crimson that had devoured the white light became increasingly powerful, the swirling vortex growing more violent.

Seeing its entire body about to be swallowed by that crimson, the Elite Demon made a decisive move. With a flash of white light, it severed all four of its arms at the roots, using the opportunity to rapidly pull away.

The four severed arms fell into the crimson and were instantly shredded, then melted quickly like thin snow under a scorching sun. Soon, they became a part of that crimson.

The demon watched helplessly as its arms were swallowed by the blood-light. Although four new arms quickly grew from its stumps, its aura had declined significantly in that short period.

Su Mian, her body wrapped in dense blood-red, landed on the ground. Watching the demon that had escaped by self-mutilation, she licked her bright red lips. The grin on her face widened further.

“Not enough…”