The whip-feeding trick had caused the monsters' loyalty to Crescent to soar.

However, she couldn’t be certain if the monsters would heed her commands instead of Ismir’s.

No matter what, Ismir must have taken care of these monsters for a long time, building fear and obedience. Crescent had only just begun to earn their affection and loyalty.

The monsters were likely too scared of Ismir, a true demon, to disobey his orders.

Still, maybe a few of them will listen to me. Even a tiny fraction of them would be enough.

Crescent clung to that hope, silently wishing for it to come true.

“Attack, I said!” Ismir roared.

Clang!

Reuben’s blade flashed toward him. Ismir’s eyes bulged in shock.

“Why aren’t they moving?!”

Even as he defended against Reuben’s strikes, Ismir couldn’t tear his gaze away from the monsters.

Crescent swallowed hard.

The monsters weren’t moving, even under Ismir’s command. Instead, they growled, scanning the situation with their menacing eyes. They glanced between Crescent and Ismir as if trying to decide whose orders to follow.

Crescent felt a small wave of relief.

They’re hesitating. Maybe my words are starting to get through to them.

At the very least, the monsters weren’t attacking Crescent or the knights right now.

More knights joined Reuben’s side, pressing the attack against Ismir. Overwhelmed, he had no time to focus on the monsters any longer.

From every angle, blows rained down on him. The knights even wrapped their swords with his whips to trap them, forcing his attention away. For the first time, a flicker of doubt crossed Ismir’s expression.

Suddenly, Reuben’s sword emitted a bright flash, sending a powerful shockwave through the cave. Ismir’s body slammed into the wall, the force reverberating through the entire space.

Reuben’s blade pressed firmly against Ismir’s throat, and the demon barely managed to resist with both hands.

“This is the end for you,” Reuben declared.

“Move, damn it! Attack them, you worthless beasts!” Ismir’s voice was a shrill scream, shaking the air.

At the sound, the monsters flinched. If they turned back to Ismir’s side now, it would spell doom for Crescent and the knights.

Desperate, Crescent shouted at the monsters, “Hey, listen up! Your master is finished! If just five of you help us, we can kill Count Ismir! Don’t you want to be free of him? Don’t you want revenge? You’re not livestock—you’re living creatures! Proud beasts of the Demon Realm!”

“Graaaargh!”

“Kyahak!”

Roars erupted from the monsters, their intensity rattling the cave. Ismir’s jaw dropped as though unhinged.

“What… what are they… doing?” he stammered, his voice filled with disbelief.

Reuben pressed his blade further, leaving Ismir struggling to speak coherently.

Crescent pressed on, her voice urgent. “If Ismir dies, you won’t have to sit here waiting for scraps anymore. You can roam the Demon Realm as free creatures, hunting wherever you like! This is your only chance! The Cardinal has almost taken him down—you won’t get another opportunity!”

“Y-you fools… they only listen to me… useless old man!” Ismir spat, his words faltering as Reuben’s blade dug deeper.

Crescent smirked and taunted, “Wow, you’re so confident for someone who’s about to lose. By the way, thanks to you, I’ve gotten really close to these adorable little ones.”

“Chop… chop them up—”

“Graaaaah!”

“Kyahak!”

The monsters’ roars reached a deafening crescendo, echoing off the walls. Chaos engulfed the cave.

A knight cried out in alarm, “Crescent!”

At the same time, something coiled tightly around Crescent’s neck, cutting off her breath. The invisible force lifted her off the ground. Crescent instantly knew—it was Ismir’s whip.

“Ugh.”

Her chest burned, and she felt the blood rush to her face. Her toes dangled above the ground, and black spots danced in her vision.

“Kyahak!”

No way! Not her!

A monster named Lorelein, whose trauma Crescent had helped heal, lunged forward. With claws bared, it struck just in front of Crescent’s face.

“Gasp!”

At that moment, the whip loosened, and Crescent tumbled to the ground, gasping for air. Knights rushed to her side.

“Crescent! Are you alright?”

“Huff… yeah, I’m… fine…” she managed, though her words trailed off as she saw what was happening.

Lorelein’s attack had acted as a trigger, and now the monsters were charging. The one that saved Crescent led the pack, sprinting straight toward Ismir.

Behind it, an uncountable number of monsters followed, filling the space with their overwhelming presence. The knights hurriedly scrambled out of their path to avoid being trampled.

Above the chaos, a system notification appeared before Crescent.

<Congratulations!>
<The ‘Demonic Beast (Grade A)’ has saved your life!>
<Due to completing an S-Rank Quest, your level has significantly increased!>
<New Advancement: ‘Animal Handling Specialist’—Level 218 achieved!>
<The attack power of animals protecting you has tripled!>

Her level had jumped from 128 to 218—a staggering 90-level increase.

Not only that, but the monsters protecting her now had their attack power tripled. It was an unbelievable buff.

She felt dazed. Who would’ve thought the final grind would be this spectacular?

The realization hit: the monsters’ current strength was three times what it had been moments ago.

Reuben, assessing the situation, leapt back swiftly. Now, nothing stood between Ismir and the charging monsters.

Ismir’s pink eyes widened in abject horror.

“Why, why, why, why…”

He stammered, disbelief etched across his face.

“Kill them! Kill them all, you worthless beasts!”

But the monsters didn’t stop. They closed in, jaws snapping and claws flashing. Their glowing eyes burned with a savagery that far exceeded anything Ismir had ever known.

Crescent pointed at him dramatically and yelled, “Bite him! Not his hair, his whole head—rip it off!”

“Kill that demon bastard!” another knight roared.

“Get him, my babies!” Crescent cheered.

Even the Holy Knights joined in, thrusting their fists into the air.

Realizing the tide had turned, Ismir spun around to flee. But before he could take a single step, a monster’s claws snagged him.

Ismir’s body flew through the air like a kite caught in a storm. Claws, too many to count, tore into him from every direction.

“Aaaaagh!”

His screams sounded almost musical to Crescent.

“Why… why are they so strong? I can’t… escape—!”

Crunch. Snap.

The sickening sounds echoed throughout the cave. Then, Ismir’s voice was gone.

Crescent couldn’t see what had happened—the large hand of someone standing behind her blocked her view.

“You don’t need to see such a sight just yet,” said a calm voice.

“…Your Eminence?” Crescent looked up to see Reuben, his silver hair perfectly groomed and blue eyes steady as ever. He gazed unflinchingly at where Ismir had been.

“Thank you,” Crescent said, her voice soft. “But I’m a Holy Knight now.”

“…What? Haha. Yes, I see now. You truly are a knight,” Reuben said with a smile.

Crescent’s heart stirred at his words, a strange warmth spreading through her chest.

Reuben withdrew his hand, letting the gruesome scene come into view. The monsters had swarmed Ismir so completely that no trace of him remained.

Are they… eating him?

A system notification appeared with a cheerful chime.

<Congratulations!>
<Demon Realm Rank #147—Count Ismir Dossion has been vanquished!>
<Exiting Demon Dungeon—“Count Ismir’s Monster Nursery.”>

“He’s dead!” Crescent exclaimed.

“We actually killed a demon!”

Evan approached Reuben with an unsteady gait.

“The demon is gone… Ugh, even in death, that monster was disgusting. I’m afraid I’ll have nightmares.”

“Well done,” Reuben replied with a single nod.

Then, a swirling black portal appeared at the edge of the cave, its surface rippling like water. Everyone immediately recognized it as the gateway back to the human realm.