The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses-Chapter 224 - The Demon’s Tricks

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“Oh, very flashy,” Shuna said, her voice devoid of emotion as she clapped her hands with a calm, detached rhythm.

“Hmm... it’s my first time seeing a dungeon Empress that looks like she belongs in a circus. It’s... refreshing,” Will added, nodding as he joined in the applause.

However, the alternating claps from Will and Shuna carried a tone that was unmistakably mocking.

“You—you two! How dare you! Just because I gave you a little leeway, doesn’t mean you can look down on me!” Lucifa pointed at Will with her left hand and at Shuna with her right, her frustration evident.

But after a long sigh, she lowered her hands in resignation.

“Well then, are you ready? A battle against the demons of Tenth Demon Castle.”

“I—”

Before Will could finish his sentence, Shuna gave him a firm pat on the back, causing him to stumble forward a few steps.

“Let him fight you. As for me, I won’t intervene—I’ll just watch from the sidelines.”

Lucifa tilted her head curiously, resting her chin on her hand as she studied Shuna. She was well aware of their respective strengths.

“Oh? Is this your way of showing mercy? Or... are you implying that this Will alone can defeat me?!”

“You’re underestimating me, aren’t you?!” Will said, placing his hands on his hips indignantly.

“I can sense an adventurer’s strength. You’re definitely weaker than her,” Lucifa retorted matter-of-factly.

“You little brat! Just wait—I’m going to give you such a beating!”

“Bring it on! Do you think I’m scared of you?”

Their playful bickering was interrupted by Shuna’s calm voice:

“Yes, you could call it mercy. Because... I don’t want you to die.”

Lucifa froze at those words.

“T-T-That’s such a ‘friend-like’ thing to say! Even though... even though you’re the only adventurers I’ve seen in months, that doesn’t mean you can talk to me like that!”

Her tsundere reaction reminded Will of Leah before he had “reformed” her—though Leah’s antics were on a whole other level.

“Fine, it’s better that it’s you anyway. After all, it’s you who wants my heart—not this lady over here!”

“You promised me—if you lose, your heart is mine,” Will reminded her.

“Of course! Let’s begin—”

Lucifa stepped onto the seat of her Empress throne, standing tall with her boots firmly planted. She looked like a child playing at being king.

“Will, be cautious of her mental abilities. If she uses them, we might not be in the same reality. I won’t be able to help you,” Shuna warned.

“Got it,” Will replied, taking a deep breath.

When it came to boss battles, he had already experienced a one-sided slaughter under Shuna’s guidance.

But this was different. With Shuna explicitly stating she wouldn’t assist and no other teammates around, this was his first time facing a dungeon “monster” head-on.

Even if this “monster” had spent the last day acting more like a friend than an enemy, and even if his life wasn’t truly at risk...

“Let’s start with this move—Shadow Soldiers!” Lucifa declared confidently.

“What kind of ridiculous name is that?!” Will shot back.

“I-I just invented it! I haven’t had a chance to use it yet!”

Lucifa stomped her foot on the chair in frustration at Will’s mockery. The chair wobbled precariously, almost causing her to lose her balance.

“But don’t worry—this move is really strong!”

In the space between Will and Lucifa, black sludge began to bubble up from the ground. It slowly morphed into shadowy figures clad in armor.

Each figure wielded what appeared to be long spears.

“A classic move for dungeon Empress-tier bosses—summoning multiple minions,” Will analyzed quickly in his mind.

However, these “minions” didn’t behave like typical twisted, crawling demon underlings. Instead...

They marched forward in perfect unison!

They formed ranks with military precision!

They stood at attention with a resounding stomp!

It was like watching toy soldiers come to life in a child’s bedroom. The scene was so “childish” that Will found it hard to associate it with the dark magic of demons.

“Alright—fire!” Lucifa commanded.

At her signal, the spears in the shadow soldiers’ hands emitted the sound of loading mechanisms.

Huh?

Huhhh?

HUHHHH?!

The sound immediately set off alarm bells in Will’s head. Gripping his staff tightly, he began muttering under his breath:

“Goddess Revers, hear the plea of your follower. Grant them the power to pierce through darkness.”

BOOM—

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The deafening sound of cannon fire erupted around him. When Will looked up...

The sky above him was filled with black projectiles raining down like a storm.

Using shadow magic to fire projectiles from toy-like soldiers—what kind of genius came up with this idea?!

She must’ve been out of practice as a boss for so long that she decided to go all out for style points!

Trusting his instincts, Will raised his staff and shouted the final incantation:

“Light Break—!”

As a “light” spell, it wasn’t tied to any specific element. Instead, it channeled the divine power granted by faith in the goddess—not as a buff but as an outward blast of energy.

“There—over there—and that one too—”

Will swung his staff in an arc through the air, systematically intercepting the incoming dark magic projectiles.

The bullets whizzed past him, grazing his sides before crashing into the ground. Where they landed, they dissolved into black mist and left behind strange, corrosive craters.

Lucifa...

She wasn’t holding back!

These weren’t like the harmless games on earlier floors—this was serious combat.

“So? Isn’t it exciting?! I created all of this by imagining what I’d need if I ever had to fight real adventurers!” Lucifa exclaimed gleefully as she watched the chaos unfold.

“In your dreams! If you think this will stop me, think again!” Will shouted as he dashed forward. Channeling energy into his staff, he aimed it at the shadow soldiers and fired.

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As expected, his attack didn’t hit any “real” targets—it passed through them like shadows.

Within the concentrated line of fire, all the shadow soldiers retreated as if dispelled by the light magic.

These were...

Shadow clones made entirely of dark magic constructs.

A small amount of “light” was enough to break through them.

However...

CLANG—!!!

The next soldier he struck didn’t dissolve. Instead, his staff collided with something solid—a metallic clang echoed through the room. If he hadn’t been smart enough to use his staff instead of punching it directly, his fist would’ve taken the hit instead.

“Hahahahahaha!”

Lucifa burst into laughter at the sight.

“Didn’t see that coming, did you? Among the shadows are iron puppets I made myself! I just painted them black and added a bit of smoke for effect!”

This was what demon combat was all about—

Blurring the line between reality and illusion for maximum mischief and entertainment value.

“Dream on!” Will growled as he aimed his staff at the metallic puppet’s head and unleashed a fire spell that melted its iron shell instantly.

“This is fun,” he admitted under his breath. “But if I want to face you directly, I’ll have to clear out quite a few more.”

Switching between elemental spells and light magic to counteract dark magic, Will steadily cleared away the obstacles in his path.

“Huff...”

Strangely enough, using magic like this would’ve exhausted him in the past. His magical circuits would’ve started screaming for rest by now.

But...

Now?

He felt completely refreshed.