Preparation

Alex watched from the distance as the Demon commander zoomed toward his clone with his sword pulsing with dark energy while the four captains desperately tried to catch up to him and interrupt his attack.

But the difference in speed between the demon and the four captains was not something they could bridge with sheer willpower.

In a single instance, the demon commander sheathed his sword and created a sphere of swirling flames that grew by the moment while Alex's clone fell to the ground, sliced into multiple pieces, and the four captains each halted in mid-air to defend against numerous energy slashes.

Alex felt a jolt of pain as his clone died, but he braised himself and sprinted toward the floating war fortress using a combination of phantom walk and mana step, knowing he only had a few seconds before the demon commander saw through his scheme.