He activated [Enhanced Speed], his movements becoming a blur. He leaped over the leg sweep, caught the descending club with one hand while using [Shadow Manipulation] to create a dark barrier that blocked the thrown dirt, and then used [Phase Step] to pass through the charging warrior like a ghost before snapping back to solidity.

"Better!" he called out, and there was excitement in his voice now. "Much better! Keep it up!"

The warriors pressed their advantage, emboldened by the fact that they'd actually forced him to use multiple abilities at once. Kelvin, having recovered somewhat from the energy drain, rejoined the fight with renewed determination. He coordinated silently with three other spear-users, and they created a cage of thrusting spears that came from all four cardinal directions simultaneously.

Satou used [Shadow Step], another integrated ability, sinking into his own shadow and reappearing ten feet away in a different shadow cast by the pre-dawn light. The technique was visually impressive—his body seeming to dissolve into darkness before reforming elsewhere.

But Thora had anticipated that. She'd watched carefully, noticed how the shadow abilities worked, and she'd positioned herself exactly where his shadow would be. Her fist was already moving as he reformed, catching him solidly in the ribs with a blow enhanced by her full body weight behind it.

The hit connected. Actually connected. Satou felt the impact, felt his ribs compress from the force. It didn't hurt—his constitution was far too high for that—but it landed cleanly.

"First solid hit!" Grendel announced, and the watching warriors cheered. "Thora scores!"

Satou grinned, genuinely pleased. "Excellent! You observed, analyzed, and executed perfectly!"

He moved suddenly, faster than before, activating multiple abilities in rapid succession. [Enhanced Speed] made him blur. [Strength Enhancement] multiplied his power. [Shadow Manipulation] created dark tendrils that grabbed weapons and legs. [Mental Attack] pulsed out in controlled waves. [Life Drain] activated on contact. [Damage Reflection] turned their own strikes against them.

It was overwhelming. it was far beyond what any normal fighter—even exceptional ones—could handle.

Warriors went down in rapid succession, not injured but completely outmatched. Kelvin tried one final desperate attack, a beautiful diving spear thrust that showed perfect form and absolute commitment. Satou caught the spear mid-thrust, drained just enough energy to make Kelvin's legs give out, and gently lowered the spearman to the ground before he could fall and hurt himself.

Urgot had recovered his warhammer and came in swinging, having learned from his previous mistake. He didn't commit fully to any single strike, instead using quick probing attacks meant to create openings rather than land directly. It was good tactical thinking that showed real growth.

Satou parried the first three swings, then on the fourth, he simply caught the hammer's head in his palm. [Damage Reflection] activated, but this time Urgot was ready—he'd already released his grip before the reflected force could travel back up the handle. Smart.

"You're learning!" Satou said approvingly.

"Trying to!" Urgot gasped back, already pulling a backup weapon—a short training sword—from his belt.

But the young orc was breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face, while Satou wasn't even winded. The difference in their endurance was becoming painfully apparent. All the warriors were slowing down, their movements getting sluggish, while Satou remained as fresh as when the fight had started.

Grendel made one last attempt, gathering every warrior who could still stand for a final coordinated assault. They came at Satou from every angle simultaneously—overhead strikes, low sweeps, mid-level thrusts, grappling attempts, thrown weapons—everything at once in one desperate final push.

Satou's eyes gleamed. His [Nightmare Sight] processed all their projected intentions instantaneously. Time seemed to slow as his [Enhanced Reflexes] kicked into full gear. He moved like water, like wind, like something that existed between the physical laws that bound everyone else.

He ducked under a high swing while simultaneously using [Shadow Manipulation] to trip two attackers. He caught a thrown knife with [Phase Step] active, letting it pass through his intangible hand before solidifying his grip and flicking it back. He used [Life Drain] on three simultaneous attackers, just enough to make their muscles go weak. [Mental Attack] disrupted the concentration of the spell-casters trying to support from range. [Damage Reflection] turned their own force against them.

And then, in one final demonstration, he activated an ability he hadn't shown yet—[Fear Aura], one of the signature powers of nightmare demons.

A wave of primal terror washed over the training ground, an overwhelming pressure that made every instinct scream to run, to flee, to get away from this predator that stood before them. It wasn't real fear—it was artificial, magically induced—but the body's response was the same.

Warriors froze mid-attack, their minds screaming warnings that overrode their conscious will to fight. Even Grendel, with all his experience and willpower, felt his legs lock up, his hands trembling on his weapon.

Satou held the [Fear Aura] for only a second before releasing it, but that second was enough. The psychological impact of that overwhelming terror, even knowing it was artificial, was significant.

"And that," Satou said quietly into the sudden silence, "is why nightmare demons are so dangerous. It's not just their individual abilities—it's how they combine them, layer them, use them in sequence to completely dominate their opponents mentally and physically."

He looked around at the exhausted, amazed, slightly terrified faces of the warriors surrounding him. "You all fought well. You adapted, you learned, you tried new approaches when the old ones didn't work. That's exactly what you need to do against truly powerful enemies."

Urgot was sitting on the ground, staring up at Satou with something like awe. "How... how do you even fight against something like that?"

"Very carefully," Grendel answered, having finally recovered his composure. He was smiling despite their complete defeat. "And with much better preparation than we had today."

"But you can't really prepare for abilities you don't know exist," Thora pointed out, still breathing hard from exertion. "He showed us at least ten different nightmare demon powers, and I'll bet he has more he didn't use."

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