Eliad saw the combat mage confronting the demon with the canine face while he turned to dodge another attack from the demoness. He got behind her and shot her a couple of times in the back, but she spun on the ground with her hands and kicked him in the face, sending him flying in a spiral.

The hunter rolled on the ground to dodge another kick and then her tail. He got up, ducked to avoid a claw, and counterattacked with his sword. The blade of his weapon severed the demoness's arm, and a spray of blood splashed over his face and torso.

The demonic woman screamed in an indescribable way as she writhed in pain. The demon-slaying sword had torn away a part of her very essence.

Eliad seized the moment and fired several times. The bullets pierced the demoness's body in various places. The former secretary moaned in pain again and threw herself at him, attacking with uncontrolled fury. A low kick made him bend his leg, and the demoness's remaining claw shot like an arrow towards his neck.

The hunter tilted his hip to one side at the last moment, and the claws grazed him. He rolled to avoid another kick, raised his pistol, and embedded a bullet in her head. The demoness collapsed to her knees, and he stood over her imposingly.

"It's over," said Eliad before cutting off her head.

***

Isen felt the full weight of the demon when he blocked its greatsword with his own sword. He could have used magic to block or deflect it, but he had almost no inner energy left, so he preferred to save it for a more opportune moment.

He dodged another sword strike and barely deflected a third, but before he could counterattack, the demon's tail struck his side and hurled him against a stone column. He bounced off and fell to the ground. His whole body ached, and his head was spinning, but he had no time to dwell on it; the demonic creature was charging at him. He got up with his legs bent.

The demon roared and raised the greatsword in rage to deliver the final blow. But Isen had anticipated this move. At that moment, the combat mage manipulated the magical currents again, and earth shards like cones pierced almost his entire body, halting his movement abruptly. One of them had pierced his throat. Another, his heart.

The greatsword fell to the ground.

"Not bad," said Isen, leaning against the column.

The hunter slowed down and approached the demon with his sword in hand.

"The only way to kill them completely is with a sword like this," said the hunter, embedding his sword into the demon's skull. "Come on, the battle isn't over yet."

"Easier said than done," thought Isen.

The body of the demonic monster began to disintegrate.

***

"Do you call yourself a descendant of the rock?" the demon said as he slowly advanced towards Bargu. "All you know how to do is shoot and run. This is the first time I've seen such a weak and cowardly drauo."

The demonic monster wasn't wrong. Bargu wasn't an igneous like Dragen or a sedentary like his father. He was like his mother; a chromatic, a "sky-sucker." He was born to sing, not to fight.

And yet, why was he still standing despite all his injuries?

"It doesn't matter what kind of drauo you are, son. A drauo never gives up. Resist no matter the adversities, for we are all descendants of the rocks."

The image of his father consoling him when he was little reminded him why he kept going. Whether in combat, forging a sword, or composing a song, a drauo never stops until they succeed.

"And you call yourself a demon? Even a tralf is scarier than you," boasted Bargu while inserting another magazine into his rifle.

The demon roared at Bargu's provocation and arched his entire body to strike him with all his might. However, Bargu wasn't the only one tired and wounded.

Although the creature initially seemed immune to pain, the numerous bullets that had pierced his body had gradually weakened him.

The young drauo ducked while moving northeast. The axe barely missed him, and the creature lost its balance. Bargu turned and pulled the trigger. The rifle bullets pulverized the demon's wounded knee, forcing him to kneel.

Demon and drauo were now practically at the same height.

The axe of the former National Defense Corps soldier traced an upward arc in the air. But with another move, Bargu dodged the attack and found himself face to face with the demon.

"See you later, loser," said Bargu, before filling the demon's head with lead.

****

Neisa managed to stand up and saw Eliad and Isen fighting the demons as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She considered herself a strong and determined woman, but after all, she was still an ordinary person. She had no magical powers and hadn't been trained to fight demons. How could an ordinary soldier defeat a demon? Not even the sergeant and the other members with all their vehicles and weapons had been able to withstand them. Suddenly, fear took over her body, and she momentarily froze as she saw another tentacle coming towards her. She felt a heavy blow to her chest and was sent flying several meters until she fell on her back and her protected head hit the ground.

Everything around Neisa began to spin as she tried to get up. It was hard to breathe, and her chest hurt. She was sure some ribs were broken, and she had a concussion. With great effort, she managed to stand up, but before she realized it, a tentacle had grabbed her by the waist and was lifting her into the air. Her weapon was left on the ground.

"Now you're mine," said the demon, drooling from both mouths and its large eye staring at her.

Another tentacle started to touch her while the first one brought her closer to the demon's mouths. From them, numerous tongues emerged, eager to lick her. An indescribable feeling of disgust ran through her body.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Let me go, you disgusting creep!" Neisa yelled as she struggled.

"I can't wait to taste you," the demon said, its tongues just millimeters from her face.

Neisa felt for the knife she had strapped to her right leg, and with a swift movement, she cut the tentacle holding her.

The soldier fell to the ground and quickly grabbed her assault rifle as the demon writhed. She might not have powers or be a super warrior, but she was strong enough to defeat a disgusting slug. Neisa barely dodged another tentacle strike and cut it off with her bayonet. Then she turned ninety degrees and fired a burst of bullets into the demon's monstrous face. The projectiles pierced some tongues, and one shot through the eye.

The demon backed away from her and began to wobble. Neisa pulled the pin from a grenade and threw it under the demon's legs.

"Die, you infernal slug."

The explosion blew up the demon's legs and cylindrical body, leaving a pool of organs, flesh, and blood.

Neisa sat down on the ground as best as she could and saw Eliad and Isen approaching. On the other side, the demon that had fought against Bargu collapsed to the ground.

***

"What did you mean by killing them completely?" Isen asked, intrigued, as the body of the demon Neisa had defeated began to change back to its human form. The body was full of holes, and much of its lower torso seemed to have been lost in some kind of explosion.

"When you kill a demon, if you don't use a weapon like this, the only thing that dies is its physical part," Eliad replied.

"You mean the body it possessed?"

"Exactly. Its soul, so to speak, remains alive," the hunter answered, briefly glancing at the demon who had been the drauo soldier's opponent. "That's why the ones you killed reverted to their human form, and the ones I killed with my sword disintegrated."

Isen found this information fascinating and informative. Throughout his life, he had read numerous old books and stories, but none of them mentioned this. In just a few hours with the mysterious hunter, he was learning more about demons than in all his days of reading. Eliad had said he was a demon hunter, but who exactly was he?

"Are you saying that repulsive thing could possess another body?" Neisa asked, still in pain on the ground. She touched her ribs with one hand.

"Damn, I know someone who's going to be very pissed off when he returns," Bargu said with a wry smile. Much of his armor was dented or cracked, and his body was covered in wounds. He could barely move his right arm. The demon had given him a good beating.

"Yes, although they need some time before they can possess another body. For some, it can be days, and for others, just a few hours," the hunter replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I've seen worse," Neisa said with a forced smile. "And now what? That damn demon got away from us."

"I'm fine too," Bargu said. "Thanks for asking."

"We need to find a way to continue," Eliad said, ignoring the drauo's comment. "It may have escaped, but we can still make it to Catlon in time."

"Alright, let's get moving then," Neisa said, struggling to get up.

"It would be best if I healed those wounds first," the mage's eyes locked onto the soldiers. "Unless you have any objections." Healing magic had a degenerative effect over time, so its use in the Ibelir Armed Forces was usually reserved for emergencies and required the beneficiary's prior approval.

"None, sir," the soldiers replied.

"Alright. Take off your helmet, soldier. I'll start with you."

Isen manipulated the magical currents, and his right hand glowed with a warm, pure tone. He approached the soldier and gently placed his left hand on Neisa's face. Her skin was smooth and radiant. Suddenly, a feeling of insecurity ran through him, as if he were afraid of breaking a delicate toy, and without realizing it, he withdrew his hand.

But the soldier caught it mid-air and put it back on her face.

"It's okay, sir," Neisa said. "I'm ready for the consequences of the healing magic."

Was he hesitant because her life expectancy would be reduced because of him? Or…was it something else?

The combat mage nodded and briefly observed her emerald-colored eyes. He looked away and passed his magic-infused hand over the contusion.

"Better?" he asked, his face tired.

"Yes, sir. Thank you. Are you alright?"

"Yes, soldier. It's nothing," Isen said, but before he knew it, his legs buckled like butter.

Neisa quickly reacted and caught the mage, ignoring the pain in her ribs. Then she passed one of his arms over her shoulders to support him.

"Are you sure you're alright, sir?"

Bargu approached and supported the mage's other arm over his shoulders.

"He's used too much inner energy," the hunter said.

"What do you mean?"

"I see they don't teach you much at the academy..." The words came out of the mage's mouth slowly and weakly.

The soldier shot him an inquisitive look.

"To create spells, magic users have to connect our inner energy with the currents of magical particles," Isen said, struggling to speak. "So, every time we shape a spell, we use up some of that energy. And the more we use, the more tired we get."

"Think of it like blood," Eliad said. "Our body, specifically the bone marrow, constantly produces blood cells that perform various functions. However, when we get injured, depending on the amount of blood we lose, we can feel dizzy, tired, pale, have difficulty breathing, and even go into a state of shock that can be fatal if we lose too much blood."

"So what can we do to help him?" Neisa asked.

"He needs to rest, as his body generates inner energy naturally just like ours," Eliad replied. "Another option would be to use potions to restore the lost inner energy," he looked at the combat mage. "Do you have any?"

Isen shook his head.

"I had a couple... but they broke during the fight with that demon with the greatsword."

"It's alright," the hunter said. "You all should rest while I look for a way to continue. Oh, and if you have anything to eat, that would help. It's not as effective as magical energy options, but nutrients will aid his recovery."

Neisa and Bargu carried Isen to one of the columns, propped his back against it, and helped him sit down. The soldiers sat down beside him. Neisa felt one of her pockets and pulled out a couple of nutrition bars they usually carried on expeditions.

"Here, sir. Eat and regain your strength."

Isen ate it slowly and briefly closed his eyes.

***

"So this is the only option we have left..." Eliad thought.

In front of him, on the left side of the tunnel wall, there was an abrupt opening about five meters high and four meters wide, leading to a tunnel carved out of solid rock, similar to the one they had traversed after leaving the small temple of that sect. The edges of the circular sphere connecting the two tunnels appeared to have been melted by some corrosive substance.

Eliad hated those endless tunnels. But once again, circumstances forced him to enter them.

"I hope my intuition is correct and this leads us to the other side because if not... we might never get out of there."

The hunter sighed, turned around, and started walking towards the Ibelir soldiers. He had to admit that, despite his doubts, they had shown bravery in facing the demons. Not everyone had the necessary mettle to do so.

As he walked towards them, he felt a pang of pain in his chest.

"What level was that demon?" he thought, rubbing his chest. The sudden attack by the other demons after being sent flying had prevented him from checking the strength of the warrior-like demon that had struck him.

Eliad tapped his runic device a few times and accessed the appearance history. He stopped abruptly, incredulous.

"A level 4 demon?"

Level 4 demons, also known as Archdemons, were the second strongest demons within the hierarchy of demonic soldiers, only surpassed by Demon Princes.

Eliad felt his chest tighten. In his entire life as a demon hunter, he had only faced a level 4 demon once. And to defeat it, he had needed the help of his master Lucio, his best friend Sebastián, and another companion. Although the event had taken place more than ten years ago, specifically a year and a half after they had officially become members of the Black Cross Hunters, they had barely survived the encounter. But that wasn't what had left him petrified. What terrified him the most was that if the demon pursuing him was an Archdemon, the one leading them must be a Demon Prince... or even...

"How did it go?" Neisa asked, interrupting Eliad's thoughts. "Did you find anything?"

"The opening mechanism is broken, but there's an arruks secondary tunnel that probably connects to the other side," Eliad said. "I'd like to go after them right away, but it would be better to wait for Isen to recover and heal you. In your current state, I doubt we could catch up to them, and even if we did, I don't think you could fight at full capacity. And as much as I hate to admit it... I think I'm going to need all your help if I want to have a chance at stopping them."