My Wives are Beautiful Demons-Chapter 715: Struggles Meet

While the labyrinth’s center slowly reconfigured itself, like a wounded creature trying to reorganize its own organs, the arena’s attention fragmented into multiple points. The structural collapse caused by Alice and Shiva had altered the entire flow of the game, opening passages, closing routes, redistributing dangers. But in one of the least affected regions—a sector where the walls remained relatively intact—another battle unfolded, far from the overwhelming grandeur of the center, yet much more... desperate.

There, there was no absolute dominance.

Only survival.

Athena’s competitor was still standing.

And that, in itself, was an anomaly.

Her body was covered in marks. Small cuts, burns, bruises that hadn’t had time to fully heal. Her breathing was irregular, heavy, her chest rising and falling unevenly, while her eyes—still steady—moved constantly, analyzing every inch of the surrounding space.

She wasn’t fighting one opponent.

But two. And both... were coordinated.

The first one advanced.

Quickly.

Seth’s competitor emerged from one of the side corridors like a living blade, his body enveloped in a dark energy that seemed to consume the very light around him. His movements were erratic, but not disorganized—there was intention in the chaos, a predatory aggression that sought not only to wound, but to destabilize.

She reacted instinctively.

Her spear appeared in her hands in a flash of golden light, intercepting the attack at the last second. The impact reverberated through her arm, making her muscles scream in protest, but she maintained her posture, twisting her body to redirect the force.

Mistake.

Before she could complete the movement, the second one came.

Ra’s competitor didn’t attack directly.

He appeared above.

Silent.

A warm presence.

Dangerous.

When she realized it, it was too late.

A column of fire descended like divine judgment, engulfing the space where she had been a moment before. She threw herself to the side, rolling on the ground, feeling the heat tear at her skin even without direct contact. The air burned her lungs with every breath.

She stood up quickly.

Too quickly.

Desperate.

Seth’s was there again.

His blow came low, aiming for her legs, and this time she couldn’t block completely. The blade passed, opening a deep cut in her thigh, enough to compromise her mobility.

She staggered.

And he smiled.

Because that was exactly what he wanted.

Pressure.

Mistake.

Collapse.

She recoiled, forcing her body to ignore the pain, her mind working at maximum speed, trying to find a way out, a pattern, anything that could be exploited.

But there was none.

They didn’t fight as individuals.

They fought as a system.

Seth’s attack advanced first, always unpredictable, always aggressive, forcing reactions. Ra’s attack came next, precise, calculated, punishing every opening created.

Chaos... and order.

Alternating.

Synchronized.

She blocked another blow, this time with more difficulty, her arms trembling under the impact. Seth’s attack didn’t retreat immediately—he pressed, forcing the blade against her defense, trying to break it right there, in that instant.

She spun her body, narrowly escaping.

But again—

Fire.

She raised a barrier of energy at the last second.

The explosion threw her against the wall.

Stone cracked.

Her body fell to the ground with a dry impact, the air being ripped from her lungs.

For a second...

She didn’t move.

And it was in that second that she almost died.

Seth’s attack was already upon her.

His blade descended. But, at the last instant, she rolled to the side, feeling the blow cut the ground where her head had been a moment before. She kicked his knee, not to cause damage, but to gain space, and stood up again, staggering, her breathing now clearly uncontrolled.

She was being pressured.

And she was losing.

Her eyes moved quickly between the two.

Calculating.

Desperately.

If I focus on one... the other kills me.

If I try to retreat... they close the distance.

If I defend... I break.

If I attack... I create space.

Her hand gripped the spear.

Harder.

She advanced.

Not because it was the best option.

But because there was no other.

Her blow was direct, quick, focused on Seth’s—the most aggressive, the most unstable, the one dictating the pace. The blade of light cut through the air with precision... but he dodged, as if he had expected it.

Of course he expected it.

That’s what they wanted.

For her to attack.

To open up.

And then—

The fire came.

This time, not from above.

But from the front.

She didn’t have time to fully raise her defense. The explosion hit her squarely, throwing her violently backward, her body sliding across the ground, leaving a dark trail of soot and blood.

Silence.

For a second.

She tried to stand.

She failed.

Her arm trembled, giving way under its own weight.

Her vision was blurred.

Her body... no longer responded as before.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Confident.

They were in no hurry.

Because they knew.

She was at her limit.

She managed to rise partially, supporting herself on the spear, using it as a prop to avoid falling again. Her breathing was irregular, almost painful, each breath burning like fire in her lungs.

But her eyes...

Were still alive.

Determined.

She looked at the two of them.

And, for the first time... she smiled.

A small smile.

Tired.

But firm.

"So that’s it...?" she murmured, her voice faltering, but not breaking.

They didn’t answer.

They didn’t need to.

Seth’s advanced.

Again.

And she...

Prepared herself.

Even knowing.

That, at that pace...

She wouldn’t last much longer.

And yet...

She didn’t back down.

Because losing... wasn’t an option she accepted.

Even though her body had already begun to give way.

Even though her mind was at its limit.

Even though every second was... a fight against herself.

She was still standing.

And, at that moment...

That was all that remained.

The sound came first, a deep rumble that reverberated through the bowels of the labyrinth as if the very structure were being torn apart from within, making the air vibrate and the dust fall in small cascades from the stone walls. Athena’s competitor, who had been cautiously advancing through one of the narrowest corridors, stopped abruptly, her senses on high alert as her breathing instinctively slowed. This was no ordinary destruction. There was intent, brute force, something that crushed the surrounding space effortlessly.

Then came the impact.

A figure pierced the wall before her like a living projectile, shattering massive blocks of stone as if they were as fragile as glass. Fragments flew in all directions, violently cutting through the air, while the body collided with the ground with enough force to crack the pavement into an uneven web. Dust rose thickly, obscuring everything for an instant.

Silence.

For a brief second, only the sound of falling stones echoed through the distant corridors.

Then, slowly, the figure on the ground moved.

Alice lifted her body with disconcerting ease, as if she hadn’t just passed through multiple solid walls, her muscles responding without hesitation as she twisted her neck, letting out a slight crack. Her eyes immediately found the source of the attack, completely ignoring the other competitor’s presence for a moment, as if the world had shrunk to that single threat.

Heavy footsteps echoed.

Quick.

Decisive.

Shiva surged down the destroyed corridor, advancing like an unstoppable force, each stride slightly sinking into the ground, cracks forming beneath his feet as his presence filled the space with overwhelming energy. There was something fierce in the way he moved now, but also something different—an almost reverent excitement, as if he had finally found something worthy of his complete attention.

His eyes were fixed on Alice.

And he smiled.

"I, SHIVA, RECOGNIZE YOU AS A TRUE FIGHTER!"

Her voice boomed through the corridor, loud, laden with a conviction that made the very air vibrate. There was no provocation there. No empty arrogance. It was pure recognition, coming from someone who saw combat as something almost sacred.

Alice didn’t answer.

Not with words.

She stood completely upright, her feet firmly planted on the broken floor as her posture adjusted almost imperceptibly. Her entire body seemed to align itself for combat, every fiber prepared, every movement calculated even before it happened. Her eyes, cold and focused, locked onto Shiva with an intensity that cut through any distraction.

And then she advanced.

Without warning.

Without hesitation.

The ground cracked beneath her feet as she shot forward, closing the distance between them in an instant, her hand already moving toward Shiva with enough speed to tear the air. Shiva responded instantly, his own body springing into motion as if he had been expecting exactly that, his arm spinning in a violent arc, ready to intercept and crush. The impact was about to happen.

But it never did.

Something crossed the space between them first.

Not like an attack.

Like a disaster.

A body was hurled through another side wall, entering the corridor with absurd violence, the initial impact so brutal that the air was pushed out in a visible shockwave. Before either of them could react, that moving mass collided directly with Shiva.

The sound was deafening.

Like two mountains colliding.

The impact threw them both away, their bodies traversing the opposite corridor, destroying everything in their path as they were hurled outwards like uncontrolled projectiles. Stones, dust, and debris exploded in all directions, creating a trail of destruction that stretched for several meters.

Alice stopped.

Her hand still outstretched in the air, the strike interrupted.

Her eyes moved slowly toward the point of impact.

The dust hadn’t completely settled yet, but the form of whoever had caused that interruption was already beginning to become visible among the rubble.

Vergil.

He stood up first.

Without haste.

Without any sign of significant damage.

Just... irritation.

His hand slowly slid across his own shoulder, as if removing nonexistent dust, his cold gaze scanning the surroundings while completely ignoring the chaos around him. There was something profoundly disinterested in his expression, as if all of this were, at most, a minor inconvenience.

Behind him, the sound of stones being pushed echoed again.

Shiva emerged from the rubble with a brusque movement, his posture immediately adjusting, his eyes shining even more intensely than before. Unlike Vergil, there was no irritation on his face.

There was enthusiasm.

Pure.

He laughed.

A loud laugh, full of excitement.

"ONE MORE!"

His body leaned slightly forward, like a beast ready to pounce, his eyes alternating between Alice and Vergil with an almost wild gleam.

"THIS IS PERFECT!"

Alice didn’t move.

But her attention shifted.

Now, she watched them both.

Vergil, on the other hand, let out a low, almost imperceptible sigh, his eyes finally meeting Shiva for a brief moment before averting, as if it didn’t deserve more than a second of his attention.

Then he spoke.

His low voice contrasted violently with the surrounding chaos.

"Noisy."

It wasn’t a provocation.

It was a fact.

His eyes then slid to Alice, quickly analyzing her, absorbing details, posture, energy, intention. There was no surprise there. Only assessment.

And, soon after, disinterest.

He closed his eyes for a brief instant.

Like someone tired.

Like someone bored.

And when he opened them again, there was no doubt in his gaze.

Only decision.

Without warning, his presence changed.

The air around him seemed to contract, an invisible pressure taking shape as he adjusted his posture slightly, his feet planting firmly on the broken ground. There was no sword in his hands now. No blade. No evident technique.

Only him.

And that, in itself, was more than enough.

Shiva realized it.

And his smile widened.

Alice realized it too.

And her body responded.

The labyrinth, already destroyed in countless places, seemed poised to suffer even more.

Because now, it was no longer just a fight.

It was a point of collision.

And everything around was about to be erased.