The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

'She is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate to be the hero.' This thought resurfaced in Gray's mind, carrying a complex meaning.

Faced with this seemingly fierce thrust, Gray didn't even move his feet.

He casually raised his right hand, which was covered by a black robe, his index and middle fingers together, with a wisp of dark magic power condensed to the extreme around his fingertips, and pointed it precisely at the tip of the thrusting sword.

Ding--!

A clear but not loud ringing sound rang out.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no ripples from the energy impact.

Philippa felt as if the tip of her sword had pierced into a bottomless swamp. All the momentum and brilliance she had generated were silently disintegrated and absorbed the moment it touched those two fingers.

A gentle yet irresistible force traveled along the sword, gently deflecting her sword and causing her already weakened body to stagger backward.

Gray's movements were so casual, as if he were merely brushing away a fallen leaf.

He deliberately controlled his strength, merely deflecting the attack without using any extra force to rebound, thus avoiding any additional damage to Philippa.

Philippa steadied herself, leaning on her sword and breathing heavily, her face filled with disbelief and even deeper despair.

Her all-out attack was blocked so easily by her opponent... with just two fingers? The difference in strength was like an insurmountable chasm.

"Give up. You can't even make me move an inch now." Gray's voice remained calm as it came from beneath the black robe, revealing no emotion.

Gray stood still, his black robes fluttering even without wind.

He had thought that after taking that sudden thrust, Philippa would at least pause her attack and give him a chance to explain.

However, he underestimated the indomitable stubbornness in the blood of the brave.

"Ugh...!" Philippa gritted her teeth, an indomitable flame burning in her amber eyes. Instead of backing down, she pushed her remaining light power to its limit.

"Holy Light, grant me the power of dawn—[Dawn Blade]!"

The holy sword in her hand suddenly burst forth with a blazing light comparable to the rising sun, and a condensed blade of light tore through the air, slashing towards Gray's shoulder and neck at a tricky angle.

At the same time, she traced runes with the tip of her left finger and softly uttered, "【Prison of Light】!"

Several golden beams of light rose from the ground, attempting to restrict Gray's movement.

Gray turned slightly to the side, the light blade grazing past his black robe, the holy aura it brought causing subtle fluctuations in the dark magic around him.

As for the cage of light, he simply waved his hand, and shadow energy surged out like a tide, completely engulfing the pillar of light.

"They really don't give people a chance to speak," Gray sighed inwardly.

He could sense that the light attribute did indeed have a natural restraint on him.

Even though Philippa has very little magic left, these attacks would still cause him considerable trouble if they landed squarely on him.

This kind of attribute conflict is truly unreasonable.

"【Shining Nova】!" Philippa was undeterred, unleashing another burst of intense light, the blinding glow instantly filling the entire hall. Under the cover of the light, her figure flashed, her holy sword unleashing three consecutive strikes:

"First Move: Exorcising Evil!"

"Second Form: Slay Evil!"

"Third Form - Demon Slayer!"

Each sword strike contained pure light power, its momentum like a rainbow, creating a dazzling net of swords even while heavily injured.

Gray moved with ease through the flashing swords, his black robes billowing as he precisely dodged each attack.

He clicked his tongue in surprise: How come he never noticed Philippa was so belligerent before? She really doesn't let anyone say a word...

Even Gray would feel a surge of anger if he were to be attacked like this.

What surprised him even more was that Philippa, despite being so seriously injured, was still able to use so many different moves.

From basic light blades to combo techniques requiring precise control, from melee combat skills to mid-range magic, she seemed tireless in changing her attack methods, each move carrying a do-or-die determination.

"[Holy Light Arrow Rain]!"

"[Holy Shock]!"

"[Radiant Barrier]!"

Philippa's attacks came one after another. Although her movements were slightly sluggish due to her injury, the exquisiteness and fluidity of her moves far exceeded the norm.

She sometimes unleashes light magic from a distance, sometimes dashes in close to launch swift slashes, and sometimes even lays light traps between attacks.

Seeing Philippa's desperate efforts, Gray suddenly felt a sense of amusement.

Since she's so eager to fight, then I'll just have to spar with her. Anyway, in her current state, no matter how much she struggles, she won't be able to hurt him in the slightest.

As a result, the ensuing battle became almost a one-sided performance.

Gray maintained a perfect distance, sometimes flicking away incoming light blades with his fingertips, sometimes dodging charging swords, and occasionally deliberately letting some insignificant light magic graz his clothes, creating a subtle ripple of holy light.

He was like playing with a willful child, calmly deflecting all attacks without ever retaliating.

Beneath the black robe, the corners of her lips even curled up slightly—it was quite a rare experience to see such a fierce side of the usually gentle princess.

Philippa's breathing became more and more rapid, her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and her hand holding the sword began to tremble slightly.

But the fighting spirit in her eyes did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it became even more intense because she could not break through the defenses.

"Want to continue?" Gray finally spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery. "In your current state, you're probably going to collapse if you keep fighting."

These words seemed to touch a nerve with Philippa, and a resolute glint flashed in her eyes, clearly indicating that she was preparing an even more powerful move.

Seeing this, Gray couldn't help but sigh inwardly—why is this girl so stubborn?

Gray, who had initially been somewhat amused, gradually realized something was amiss after Philippa launched another barrage of attacks.

Philippa's offensive didn't weaken despite the depletion of her magic and stamina; on the contrary... it seemed to be growing stronger with each battle?!

With each swing of her sword, the holy light on its blade seemed to become more concentrated than before; with each incantation she uttered, the speed and power of the magic's formation increased at a rate defying common sense.

The aura emanating from her was like refined iron being constantly hammered. Under immense pressure, it not only did not collapse, but was tempered to become even sharper and more intense!

'This…' Gray's expression, hidden beneath his black robe, became quite interesting.

Only then did he truly understand the unreasonable qualities unique to the identity of a "hero"—the potential that erupts in dire straits, the rapid growth under the pressure of powerful enemies, and the seemingly divine blessing of "luck." Was this what they called the "protagonist's halo"? It was too outrageous...

In reality, the Demon Kings of all ages have always faced such heroes, and the pressure they feel is immense.

Especially when combined with Philippa's unwavering, steely will to kill him, these two traits combined create a terrifying effect where one plus one equals more than two.

She seemed tireless and painless, with only one goal in her eyes—to defeat the demon king before her!