The Paladin in the Abyss

The crowd erupted into loud booing, as neither of the duelists had even a scratch on their bodies, which was far from what they wanted to see.

Although the booing was directed at Lancelot, it affected his opponent even more. The face of the tall Yugros Demon turned crimson, but he quickly found an excuse for his failure: this Human Knight must have tricked him with some kind of magic, and if he could just get close to him, he could surely tear this detestable human to shreds!

Like most Demons, this fellow was absolutely confident in his own judgment. Lancelot was astonished to find that his opponent suddenly charged at him with bare fists, as if their previous clash of strength had never happened.

Lancelot couldn't figure out what trick the Yugros Demon was playing, but a warrior's instinct kicked in. He stomped his left foot heavily on the ground and swiftly spun to the right. Charging Dom only saw a blur, as the Human Knight seemed to disappear from his spot.

From the audience's perspective, the Governor seemed to have performed a short-distance teleportation, instantly moving five feet to the right, followed by his Great Sword swinging in a half-circle and fiercely landing on the Yugros Demon's backside.

Lancelot's series of movements were completed almost subconsciously, but at the last moment, he softened his heart. This guy hadn't really provoked him, and he was too foolish; knightly honor made it hard for him to strike down a fool.

So, he again rotated the hilt, striking the enemy with the flat of the Sword Blade instead of the edge. But the power in his hands couldn't be retracted, and he hit the Yugros Demon's backside with nearly the limit of his own physical strength. In the hair-raising sound of a crack, the enemy's pelvis under the flesh turned instantly to dust, absorbing most of the energy, but the remaining force still hurled the Yugros Demon's entire body into the air, over the circle of Mazeleth Demons, and into the dense crowd.

"What did I tell you," Lancelot leaned on his Great Sword standing upright, "now you probably can't climb high anymore."

"ROAR!!!!!!!"

The surrounding Demons erupted in loud cheers, although they were still somewhat dissatisfied with the lack of blood, but the strength displayed by Lancelot was undeniably powerful.

Lancelot was about to say something, but the scene before him made his expression change. The Yugros Demon he had just sent flying was gravely injured but not dead, and with the Demon's terrifying vitality, perhaps he could fully recover in a week or two. But since Lancelot hadn't killed him, the nearby Demons wouldn't be so kind—they swung their claws without hesitation as if it were a bounty thrown to them by Lancelot.

Massive amounts of blood and flesh splashed, accompanied by Dom's sharp and brief cries of agony. Smaller Demons, like a swarm of bloodthirsty locusts, tore the challenger to the Lord of Withering into pieces in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but a pile of stark white bones on the ground.

Lancelot shook his head, certain that his decision to refuse becoming the Lord of Withering was absolutely correct. The citizens of Abyss City were brutal, bloodthirsty, and foolish—not worth a moment of his time. By comparison, Twin Bridges Town seemed all the more precious.

According to his usual habits, after achieving victory in a duel, he would definitely interact with the audience, such as waving weapons or soliciting cheers, but now he had no such inclination. Lancelot found his friends in the crowd, spread his hands in resignation, and from their understanding looks, he found some consolation.
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He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the other onlookers, and asked in a tone not overly excited:

"Who's next?"

This time, the crowd was much quieter, and most of the Demons looked evasive. 'Glutton' Dom used to be a major calamity in the Spray Fields, and his clean defeat was like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of these fervent spectators. And Lancelot's lack of enthusiasm made him appear all the more unfathomable.

"This guy, he actually wants to seize the opportunity to establish his authority, doesn't he?"

"How should you speak? You should call him Lord Lancelot... although I also think that's probably the case."

"Did you clearly see his movements just now? Weren't they too fast?"

"That said, could it be that this was actually premeditated by him, and he had enchanted himself with various strengthening magics beforehand?"

The bustling chatter entered Lancelot's ears, making him involuntarily shake his head. Magic needed prior preparation, and according to the demons' logic, if someone possessed great combat strength through magic, it meant they could be killed with an unexpected dagger. If some fool truly believed this and tried it, Lancelot would show no mercy to such a person.

"Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge me?" he called out again, "If no one else is inclined, then I will be leaving..."

"Wait a minute!"

The crowd parted like waves, and another tall demon stepped forward. Lancelot fixed his gaze, noting this was a humanoid demon two heads taller than himself, with deep green skin. His build was extremely robust, his upper body almost cylindrical, resembling the professional wrestlers among humans.

He had a head like that of a large goblin, with antlers pointing skyward on the top of his head, devoid of hair. He had a pair of not-so-large bat wings behind him, but the muscles at the base of the wings were quite developed, which Lancelot believed indicated excellent short-range explosive flying power. His arms where thicker than Bruto's waist, lined with clearly defined muscles filled with explosive power. Steel spike-like bone spurs protruded from the skin on his shoulders and upper arms, making his already dangerous charge even more lethal.

Unlike the previous Mazeleth Demon's reckless entrance, this new challenger gently parted the crowd in front of him with the battle axe in his hand, and stood before Lancelot in a comparatively calm demeanor.

"My name is Sagla, captain of a Yugros Demon mercenary squad." He bowed slightly to Lancelot, "Great current Lord of Withering, please accept my challenge."

The audience seemed unfamiliar with this demon as well, and a fervent discussion started in the crowd, inquiring about the origins of this green-skinned individual.

"This is a Necaross demon, the most… loyal type within the Yugros Demon Tribe. As long as enough gold is offered, they almost never betray their master..."

"Who is he? Has anyone seen him before?"

"I saw a few of these Necaross demons last month, they were disembarking the ferry in neat lines, then headed to the east..."

"East? Isn't Satugura's lair in that direction?"

"There were rumors before, saying that the Great Adjudicator planned to hire a batch of stronger guards to improve the 'law and order' in the Mistfield..."