'Haahahahaha! HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA! What have I expected? What was I even thinking?! HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA! I must have gotten senile didn't I?'.

*Cough!*, the blood splashed from my agape mouth as I breathed hardly the stale and with death pervaded air. My lungs burnt as smog and miasma entered and ravished my insides. I snorted as the pressure on my head intensified. Diabolic claws pried open the skin on my face as the demon's dirty soles stood atop my cheeks. With one side of my face buried into the earth, badly beaten and bloody, maybe even broken, I could only glare with my remaining eye at the king of devils that was pinning me down with one limb alone. Böses Blut in his hands he disdainfully smiled down.

"Give me that sword you devil!", I tried to speak in my raspy voice, my throat was clogged from dirt and blood.

"This little toothpick? Certainly!". "AHHHH!", I groaned as the unnamed devil rammed the blade deep into my stomach. With each passing second I felt my life force, so enormous, dribble away like dirt on a rainy day, in this devil's eyes I certainly accounted to nothing more than dirt.

Sharp pain assaulted my body as my staunch sword was used against me, this fact alone only added insult to injury. But no matter what I would not surrender, I would not fofeit this chance. I might be on the ground but I am still alive and as long as one is alive hope always prevails.

Muffled breaths escaped my lips as I forced my arms to push my worn and torn body up. My bones creaked and my muscles tensed.

"No you don't!", I heard the devil clucking as he stomped with his taloned foot on my head, planting me straight into the musk and damp earth. I huffed and puffed, ogled the battlefield that was riddled with death and carnage. I felt the devil crouch down to me. "You see that?", he asked humorous and wrenched my head to face the fiendish abomination, how it grew bigger with each second and turned humans into meat paste, I struggled with all my might to avert my gaze but the devil only clamped down harder on my skull. "This is what awaits all of you, all of you little sinners!", he mused the jeremiad into my ears.

The pressure around my head lessened and I felt my body being lifted upwards, a claw clutching at my throat, throttling the air from my lungs.

"Let's end this, shall we?", the devil tilted his head and questioned himself. I gazed at those red eyes, the sharp contours and the feral smile that crossed his face. Nightblack hairs stood on end, transitioning into giant batwings. Two crescents glowing with ineffable darkness curved over the demon's head and crowned him the pinnacle of evil. 'Was there really a chance?', I wondered as I stood face to face with death itself.

*SCHLICK*

I felt my sword being ripped away from my intestines, I followed the bloody trail that was left floating in the air with blank eyes, my struggling has longst stopped, there was after all nothing I could do.

The demon raised the sword high into the air, Böses Blut's aura was in disarrasy, unwilling to kill its master, but the devil domineered with his own dark power. The silver flared like a second sun in this darkest of nights, its opal hue beamed down upon me like a heavenly judge. 'At least I die with pride.', one thing I could appreaciate in my exitus.

A shooting star of silver guillotined down onto me, the vibrating steel panting to cleave my body atwain.

A flash ina iceblue breezed past my face. The devil stopped dead in its tracks, an icicle shot straight into its head, only to shatter upon impact. With a surprised expression I gazed at the bruise that was now emblazoning the otherwise immaculate skin of the devil. Pride welled within my heart as I thought about the lucky fellow that managed to wound this beast, but this pride was soon replaced by terror and fear.

"Leave my father alone!", I heard a distinct feminine cry at my back. 'No, no, no! Gods, please don't do this to me!', I wanted to shout out but the claw strangulating my throat left no space for words.

With beads of sweat trickling down my face I managed to crinkle my head to the side, one eye watching the figure that spelled its own doom. My heart was plunged further into despair as I saw the frail figure of my exhausted daughter, Sara.

'No...', I prayed. My thoughts revolted and I couldn't help but think about what I could have done better, to prevent such an outcome.

---------------

Accelerating with impossible speed Hirahn shot over the ground, a swirling cloud of dust, ash and flesh and blood was left behind.

Alexande ducked on the ground, one hand placed on the sullied earth, silently invoking magic. The earth split apart and a row of deadly earthen spikes emerged from the soil, scrabbling forward to clash with the flying Hirahn.

Nimbly avoiding the earthspikes Hirahn gave already a little insight to his monstrous speed, of course he was not serious at the moment, for him this was just a little farce that he could stop at any time he wanted to; a play that Hirahn directed.

Hirahn's claws swiped through a massive earthen wall, sliced and diced through the massive monument of defense. His sharp talons left behind a ghastly afterimage which made even space buckle. As though hirahn was pulling a curtain aside the space folded up and followed his claws, distorting in the process. What less could one expect from a God?

Breaking down the wall of earth and avoiding the continuous assault of the stone spears Hirahn was greeted by a wave of searing heat. A sphere of molten rock, bubling with searing heat and disastrous latent energy.

Alexander grinned victoriously and let the crimson core tumble down onto Hirahn with speed surpassing a bullet. Hirahn moved his wings in front of his face, their thin membrane beclouding him into a cocoon of darkness. Relentlessly the globe of crimson came crashing down on the in comparison tiny figure of Hirahn.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The smelted bedrock exploded in a cone of fire and living lava, tepered into a cloud of heat and pure destruction that shrouded the surroundings in misty heat. Another wall of earth protected Alexander from his own magic as he gazed between gaps to eye the catastrophic scene.

Anything in a radius of hundered meters was utterly obliterated and a large cone, spanning several football fields long, stretched its tail behind where Hirahn was standing. This quietus of a magic spell cost Alexander a good chunk of his magical reserves.

Cracks covered the earth in its ugly scars and the deep rumbling from the collision still continued on, painful heat drifted with the wind and made breathing pure agony. The lava sloshed from above, like the rinsing rain it washed the devil away and even the clouds parted for a split second. Silence so frail hooked into the stillstanding massacre of the beast at the horizon. The beast actually stopped to see what has transpired around its master.

*WOUAAAAAAAAAAAA! The scarred face on its abdomen cried out in hate , soon the massacre continued, more fierce than before.

The ground sizzled from the heat and vapor rose into the sky, like hundred cicadas the heat rustled symphonic as Alexander got into a kneeling position.

*Cough*, he coughed and tried to regulate his haggard breathing. He wanted to smile in victory and raise his heda to face his ancestors but something deep down, in the recess of his mind told him: 'This, this is far from over.'. From the beast that shattered the will of countless and the body count of dead soldiers, a diplomatic and economic headache was sure to surface. Alexander stamped his nervousness as such, the aftermath of this fight would surely prove to be hard to solve. But this nagging in his mind was not satisfied with this reasoning. This sinister feeling, this eclipsing power the demon displayed, could it be that easy? Oh hell no!

Coming to a realisation Alexander prepared the sword in his hands, the fight was far from over.

Visceral, as his intuition told him, he quietly observed the scene of impact. A large crater, ranging many hundreds of meters in diameter and a depth of at least a few tens of meters, was standing where prior Hirahn was. Fumes still rose from its center where the lava was the most concentrated.

With dead eyes Alexander watched as the lava slid froma rock like surface, a smooth obsidian shell stood haughty admist the artificial volcano.

The shell throbbed and sent shivers through the earth, it unfolded slowly, dramatic even. The sharp tips of Hirahn's wings wriggled and the membrane between weltered. A small gap let two vermillion eyes peek out of pure emptiness, dark fangs glistened in the sparse moonlight and formed a cruel and savage grin.

"This was quite... interesting.", Hirahn mumbled louder than usual. The loofty tone entered Alexander's ears and in the mix of despair and helplessness he felt a bit anger mixed in between as he saw the demon's carefree atitude.

"Wh-where are you from, from what level of hell did you spawn, devil?!", Alexander asked with a quivering voice as Hirahn shrugged the molten stone of his skin.

"Hell? Don't misunderstand little human, I am more heaven than anyone could ever be!", Hirahn's tone was a scolding one as he stretched his limbs. He folded his fingers together and kinked them above his head, his bones lightly popped. "Such a nice, hot bath. I really needed that.", Hirahn said in his deep husky voice that made the living quail.

Alexander took a step back from the edge of the crater. 'A bath?! Hahahaha... I am nothing more than a joke to him, ain't I?', he thought.

Grabbing onto his plated armor he collected all his shattered temerity, pride, valor and strength. 'I failed, so what? Let's try it again.', was Alexander's train of thought.

Hirahn jumped and in a second appeared at the perimeter of the burning sinkhole.

Only a few breaths apart Alexander could feel the devil's faunal respiration on his face, the intense heat that came from the diabolic body and the dark miasma that clung onto your soul like an anchor, dragged it into black waters. Hirahn carried a cruel smile, his rotten smell of death and blood wafted over.

Hirahn clicked his tongue. "Just gonna stand there? Alright with me.", his words blured with his fading figure.

"UAAAHH!", Alexander groaned as his plate mail, Bullwark, was caved in with one clean knee to his abdomen.  Being propelled over the ground for a good twenty meters he came to a rolling stop, his limbs sprawled into all directions.

'I-I couldn't even see him...', Alexander despaired as he reared his body with the support of his arms. He tinkered around on his armor and felt warm liquid slowly seeping from the cracks. Holding his fingers right before his face he could faintly perceive the red luminescence that glowed menacingly in the dark. 'Fuck!', he cursed and straightened himself up, supported by weak legs.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Holding one hand in front of his body he summoned a myriad of red gales. Their sharp winds silting anything in sight. Cramped Alexander waited for the devil to reappear.

"Behind you!", Hirahn laughed and kicked Alexander in his knee's hollow, one of Hirahn's talons cut at the same time Alexander's calf and armor apart, as if it was made from the same material.

"AH!", Alexander screamed, his concentration waned and the wind blades errupted intoa storm that encompassed the total vicinity.

"HAHAAHAH!", Hirahn laughed as the windblades desperately tried to dug into his flesh. "This is all you amount to, I am ecstatic?!", Hirahn jested with a sarcastic voice. "AS IF!", Alexander retorted and caused a light chortle from Hirahn.

The sword in his hands flared up in a bright purple, the wound on his leg sewed up magically and dark veins surfaced all over his body. "Taste my blade!", Alexander sprinted forward, faster than before.

"PAHAAHAHAHAHA!", effortlessly Hirahn dodged the dancing blade. First a left swing which flowed seamless into a down swing from overhead with the power to cleave stone. Hirahn changed the weapon's trajectory with his bare hand, jumped over a low-kick and gripped Alexander on his collar as he tried to bodycheck him. Snorting Hirahn threw him away with one arm.

Alexander skittered over the moist earth and came back with even more zeal. Diagonally from above he let his sword smash down with gravity. Hirahn spared a glance at the sword raining down from above for amusement, knewing to well what would come next. Instead of going through with the attack Alexander covered his fist in a destructive combination of fire and wind magic.

*VROOOOOOOOOM*

With breakneck speed the fist collided with Hirahn's face, or rather what was left of him. The fist broke through a thin layer of miasma in the form of Hirahn, in the end its damage amounted to nothing as the magical power was directed at the sky with the fists trajectory. Hirahn smirked, he stood only two steps behind this crude second skin that he created on the spot.

Catching the sword in the air Hirahn pulled Alexander's hand downwards while holding the arm upwards. *CRACK!*. Alxander's wrist broke without the slightest resistance and his sword dropped from between his fingers, the large spike still dripping with the blood it was sucking.

The dark veins on his skin receeded and like a puppet that had its strings cut he slumped to the ground.

Hirahn kicked his face and Alexander fell to the side. Standing with one foot on his head Hirahn belittled him from above. "This is all you can do? Pathetic.", a tear rolled down Alexander's cheek. 'I know', he whispered in his mind. In the end he couldn't protect one thing, but maybe, just maybe, his remaining family and friends could survive.

As the sword was stuck into his ribs and as he was then lifted up from the ground he could barely remain conscious. But this one scene repeated itself in his mind over and over, was kept luscious as he took joy from it. The scene were a single icicle smashed against the demon's face, hilarious.

Without having his guard up, as all sings of life were to weak to be considered a threat to Hirahn he hadn't noticed the ice spell that was flying in his direction. He hadn't even set up any measures for observation, his toying around with the mortal consumed more time and concentration than he had esteemed.

--------------- <- Back to the beginning :D

Shifting my gaze from the puny mortal in my hands to the being that had the AUDACITY to attack me. What insolent fool would dare, would dare to attack me? Have I not proven what I am capable off? Are humans that narrow in their mindset?

My mind was seething with rage, ire and lunacy. "MORTAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", I let a primal roar escape from my insides. This hate on humans that was lovingly festering itself into a tumor of frenziness, it suddenly errupted. A red veil covered my sight as my pupils shrunk to the size of a needle eye. With trembling limbs I let the mortal in my claws flop on the ground. Slow and imperious steps moved me forward in the manner a predator would stalk its dying prey. My lips quivered in excitement as I imagined the fool that I would rip into shreds.

A slight weight suddenly tugged at my body. With a slow, deep breath I looked down at my leg. Two hands clutched my foot, unwilling to give way for me. "I... think... you don't know... WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!", I howled a roar from hell. 

"My daughter... *cough* leave! NOW!", I heard the small man cry.

"Daughter... DAUGHTER, HUH?! LET ME HAVE SOME FUN, WITH YOU DAUGHTER!", I laugehd and spit black blood.

"Devil, I will tear you apart! IF... IF YOU HARM A SINGLE HAIR ON HER HEAD! I... WILL DESTROY YOU!", I heard his miserable threat echo as nothing more than a plea in my ears. What could he do? HA! NOTHING!

I willed the magic energy in my body and gravity around me increased manyfold. "Uhhhhhhhh....", I could hear his lovely groans as his bones and organs collapsed in on themselves. *Cough*, his warm blood splattered all over my leg.

"Demon! Leave my father alone!", I heard the caged birds cry, weak and yet brazen. 'Such a nice sound', I ruminated as images of me ripping the female apart flooded my mind. 'That will feel nice....~'.

I took another step forward, quicker. I heard the man's shoulder dislocating and another groan tuned in on his wretched cries. "Little Miss, don't you see the pain,", I increased gravity again, the grip on my leg faltered and I was rewarded with a muffled scream. "that you are causing your father?"

From my front I heard the shuffling of feet as the woman's determination faltered. 'That's right, you don't want your father to die, don't you?', I barely hold in the laughter that was about to leave my throat.

Slow and steady I moved forward, the man hardly awake anymore. "Sara... Leave, now....", I heard him whisper while the last remnants of his power forced his hands to twine around my leg.

My world suddenly stopped. 'Wh-what?', my mind halted in its tracks. Instincts, emotions, thoughts, they all stopped dead in their track. I felt myself being pulled out of the recesses of red intent into a world of sanity. 'Sara, how long have I not heard that name...', I mumbled to myself. 'Sara...', I repeated countless times as time has seemingly frozen still. With a bit reluctance I raised my hands and felt around my face. Wrily I wiped the tears from under my eyes.

"Sara...", the name arbitrary flowed from my lips.

"D-Don't you dare speak her name! DEVIL YOU HEAR ME?!". The mad roar of the father reveberated in my mind.

The red cover was replaced by a thin but endurable bloodlust. My hazy vision cleared, I had to see it with my own eyes. My mind that was thinking about nothing than the killing spree unfolding under my will was splashed with cold water, be it or not the desire to continue this was now gone and replaced by curiosity.

From the ground upwards I gazed at the bold figure that stood its place before me.

Two long and slim legs covered by formfitting, lightbrown leather trousers blended into a hourglass figure draped in a tight red velvet robe and thin white undergarments. A developing bossom jut from underneath the textile. Slender collarbones; an elegant neck with the subtlest of hairs supported an oval shapped face. A bewitching constellation of features unfolded before my squinting eyes; a pointy chin; luscious magenta lips, bit down by pearl-white teeth; cute dimples, paled by fear; a slim nose and two sapphire blue eyes. A river full of platinum strands cascaded over her frail shoulders and accentuated those ocean blue eyes. Her features were breathtakingly similiar to, to... Saraya!

My mind went blank and before I realized it I hugged the unknown woman tightly.

"KYA! NO!", a faint scream left her flossy lips as I burrowed my face deep into her hair, sniffed her sweet smell with faint traces of sweat.

"I-I thought I had lost you Saraya", I whispered as tears rolled down my eyes and mucous clogged my throat. "I thought, I would never see you again.", I whispered endearing into her ears hidden by her reflecting hairs.

"Saraya, never leave me again.", I cried my emotions through my lips, all the sadness and hate overflowed from my heart.

The coiling miasma that surrounded my body vanished without a trace, the demonic features dimished as the white orb inside my heart jumped out of joy. Wind picked the miasma and particles of demonic origin and dispersed them over the battlefield like the burned remains of the dead; those were the remains of a Hirahn I would never wish to be again, not as long as I am with Saraya.

With longing eyes I locked my gaze with hers, focused on her sapphire eyes with my own golden-red ones. "I can never get enough of your blue eyes... blue... blue eyes...", I parted from the embrace and jumped back.

"You, you are not... YOU ARE NOT SARAYA!", I roared in wrath. "IMPOSTER! YOU ARE NOT HER, YOU WILL NEVER BE!", the tears dried on my face as the heat around me surged.

Saraya's image overlaped with the woman in front of me. 'STOP IT! You are not her!', I bewailed the illusion. Saraya's image simply smiled warmly. 'Hiri, it's fine, really...', she whispered into my deaf ears. "No it is not! It is not fine!", I limply fell to the ground and pounded the earth with my fists. "It will never be....", my voice broke as well as my resolve.

'My love, it is over.', her illusion teared up as I did. 'There is nothing you can do anymore. Live on without me...', she whispered and the mirage faded.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", I grasped empty air. The clouds parted and let the moon's monochrome rays light on my back. It was indeed over.

(Fuck I got really sad while writing this, next chapter in work already!)  

:(