“Smalls, you fat moron.” Hubbs ridiculed, still shaken from Drifter’s attack. “At least you died the way you lived…”
“With balls in his mouth?” Drifter retorted.
“Don’t get cocky, human. Smalls was fat, stupid garbage, but I’m not so easily deceived.”
Hubbs leapt backwards, toward the exit. He raised his arm, as the spines protruding from it quivered violently, intensifying until they burst out, firing like pin missiles. They were as fast as bullets and as sharp as knives, but against Drifter’s defensive aura they may as well have been made of paper. The white heat surrounding Drifter’s body caused the spines to snap upon impact without leaving a single scratch.
“What!?” Hubbs cried. “My spines should have pierced right through you!”
“And you expected me to just stand there and take it?”
“But, you’re only human!”
“Aren’t you observant…” Drifter groaned as he marched over to the frightened demon. Desperate to gain any sort of advantage, Hubbs’ attention was drawn to a stray woman, quietly trying to sneak by him. Hubbs immediately captured the woman, dangling her by the head.
“Not so fast, human. I know how much your kind hate to see innocents suffer, so take one more step and she dies.”
Drifter continued walking, unfazed by his threats.
“I-I’m serious!” He lifted his other arm, as the spines on it grew sharper, prodding at her bare neck. “She’ll choke on her own blood!”
Drifter kept walking, like he didn’t hear a thing.
“Stupid chimp! Don’t you understand!? I will kill her!”
“Kill her and you’re dead. Don’t kill her and you’re still dead.” Drifter asserted.
Tired of dragging out his farce any longer, the monster was about to slash the woman’s neck open when a blur suddenly zipped straight past Drifter’s side and past the demon, accompanied by the sound of a cleaving blade. There was a brief pause, before both of Hubbs arms slid off, spraying blood.
Drifter followed the blur until it came to a stop, watching the demon as it wailed in agony. It was Dale, with such a hateful, yet determined expression.
“Just try to hurt anyone now, you freak!” Dale proclaimed.
In spiteful defiance of Dale’s goading, Hubbs looked down upon the woman he dropped, who was too scared to move and with his monstrous foot, stamped on her leg, breaking it. As she cried in pain, the demon shuffled his foot around, making sure to crush as much of the bone as possible.
“You dirty piece of shit!” Dale yelled.
“Come any closer and I’ll break her neck too!” Hubbs laughed to himself, convinced he finally won, until a cold shiver passed through his spine.
“Sorry, dude. You’re already dead.”
In his brief moment of glee, Dale appeared behind the demon, having already slashed straight through the monster. Hubbs’ head was bisected in two and split apart like a coconut. He was finished.
Dale maneuvered his way around Hubbs’ bloody remains and approached Drifter. “So, what did you think?”
“Four out of ten. You need more original one liners.”
“Oh, fuck off. At least I actually saved someone.”
“Not her leg, though.”
“At least she isn’t dead!”
“If you just killed the guy immediately, instead of shit-talking him, she wouldn’t be in pain right now.”
“Still a lot better than what you did!” Dale stormed off, carefully picking up the woman and gently placing her on a bench so she could lie down.
“I-I can’t… feel my leg… is it over? ” She replied, in gasping breaths.
“Not yet, but don't worry, help will arrive soon.”
“Are you… some kind of superhero…?”
“Hell yeah! Just stay here and we’ll finish this!”
Drifter was already riding down the escalator when Dale caught up with him.
“Holy shit, are you kidding?” Dale looked toward the entrance to find a group of people being rounded up. At the front of the pack was the burliest of the demons, waiting patiently for the Demon Sword to come to him.
“Welcome!” Tuffnail greeted as the two reached the bottom floor. “I see you’ve already met my subordinates.”
“They’re dead.” Dale chastised.
“Can’t say I’m surprised, those two were as dumb as each other.”
“You don’t even care that they’re gone!?”
“Of course not! There can only be one wielder of the Demon Sword. If you hadn't killed those two idiots I probably would have done it myself.”
“But, they were your friends!”
“They were tools.”
“You prick!” The moment Dale made a move, Tuffnail quickly responded.
“Hold up! You think I’m gathering up this livestock for fun? Make a move and they all die.” He taunted, pointing to his collection of human lives.
“Really!? Again!? Is this the only trick you have!?”
“So long as it works. Besides, this time, there's a twist.” With a snap of his finger, there was a scream, as a blur leapt from the escalators, over their heads and landed beside Tuffnail. A slender demon, covered in black rags, with a black scarf over his mouth, appeared before them.
“The fifth demon?” Drifter questioned, shocked that he somehow didn’t notice its presence until now.
“No! It’s got Reine!” Dale cried.
“How the hell did I not notice it earlier?”
Reine called out to her subordinate. “Drifter, don’t just stand there pondering! You’re my bodyguard, so guard me already!”
“Excellent work, Tap!” Tuffnail laughed, his plan coming together. “Guess you were right, Spinal. This woman was important to them.”
“Right…” Spinal looked away in shame.
“Shit! Drifter, what do we do!?” Dale panicked.
“I got it!” Drifter replied.
“What!?”
“The reason I couldn’t sense him earlier was because he was hiding in the shop with us.”
“What does that have to do with-”
“It’s like a radar, the more I zoom out, the less detailed the enemy’s positions become. I was so focused on the positions of the other demons around the area, I couldn’t sense where the fifth one was, because he was hiding right under my nose. Ain’t that a bitch? Damn, that was almost impressive, but judging by the shocked look on his face, I’d say even he wasn’t aware of that oversight. Lucky bastard.”
“Thanks for the exposition, but can we save Reine now!?”
“Oh, yeah, sure.”
Drifter drew his sword, prompting Tap to bolt in front of his master, using both himself and his hostage as a shield to protect him. “Goddammit, every time…”
Tap, Spinal and Tuffnail, moved behind the group of hostages they gathered, further shielding themselves from any potential attacks.
“You see what happens when you play by their rules, kid? Now we’ve got more layers of bullshit to deal with.” Drifter berated.
“What do we do!? I’m fast, but I don’t know if I can beat all of them without someone getting hurt again.”
Tuffnail laughed in mockery. “Stupid humans. What a joke of a species. Their empathetic nature only impedes their progress. Allow me to remind you who the superior species is!”
He fired a spine from his arm, piercing through the head of the man closest, killing him instantly. “And in the blink of an eye, another human life is snuffed out.”
The rest of the hostages cried out in terror, but Tuffnail refused to let them disperse any further. “Sit perfectly still! Anyone who tries to escape dies next!”
This was exactly the kind of scenario Drifter wanted to avoid. Human lives were expendable to demons, easily tossed aside. While Drifter held his tongue, Dale became absolutely livid, but he too, was still hesitant to act, unable to find a way to approach them without causing further harm.
“YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!”
Shocking the pair, Reine snapped at the murderous monster. “How dare you treat human lives so trivially! No one deserves to die like that! You disgust me!” Tap could barely keep her under control, as she fidgeted and ranted.
Entertained by her outburst, Tuffnail confronted her, lifting Reine’s chin with his finger. “Feisty one, aren’t you? Maybe we’ll keep you for later.”
In retaliation, Reine immediately bit down on his finger, digging her teeth deep into his flesh. Tuffnail pulled away in shock.
“You bitch! You bit me!?”
“You taste as rotten as you smell!”
“Living, breathing, filth!” Tuffnail raised his hand at the disobedient human, but was quickly stopped by Spinal, who grabbed his arm before it came crashing down.
“Stop! She’s our hostage, you fool!”
Tuffnail yanked his arm out of Spinal’s grasp. “I’m the one in charge, weakling! You’d be dead if it weren’t for me!”
“We gathered these hostages to use as bait, killing them will accomplish nothing!”
“Neither will letting them live! And I will not allow this human’s disgrace go unpunished!”
“Why!? Why can’t you see that impulsiveness is what got the others killed!? And not just Smalls and Hubbs! So many demons have died pointless deaths in this world, all because they underestimated humans!”
“Any demon dumb enough to be killed by humans doesn’t deserve to live! Obtaining the Demon Sword is all that matters! With its power, we can make both worlds kneel before us!”
“Tuffnail… if you continue down this path, you will die here. Not as a proud demon warrior, but as an utter failure.”
“It’s no wonder you were barely able to survive in that wasteland. You’re too soft! Tap, unhand the woman!” Tap didn’t want any trouble and simply did what he was told, releasing Reine from his grasp.
“Uh, Drifter, shouldn’t we do something?” Dale asked.
“Shh. I want to see where this is going.” He replied, with a smirk.
“What are you going to do!?” Reine yelled in scorn. “Kill me!? Will squashing me like a bug make you feel like a big man!? Did the pathetic little human hurt your precious feelings!? Is that it!? I despise cowardly men like you! You’re a-”
Before she could finish, Tuffnail smacked Reine across the face, knocking her to the ground. Cutting her cheek. “Stupid woman, you’re better off dead.”
“Tuffnail…”
“What?” Spinal immediately dashed in front of Reine, shielding her. “I knew I should have left you to die in that wasteland.” Tuffnail chided.
“This is pointless, Tuffnail. Five years and not a single demon has managed to obtain the Legendary Demon Sword. Shouldn’t that be evidence enough that your ambitions are completely out of your reach?”
“Obviously, they were all weak. Just like you.”
“Are you deluded!? Just look at those humans! They aren’t even making a move! They’re just watching! They’re not scared of you, Tuffnail! You’re not a danger to them! They’ll kill you!”
“As long as I have my hostages, they can’t touch me.”
“I see… in that case…” Spinal suddenly unleashed a blistering punch, as he could no longer stand another second of Tuffnail’s excuses. His fist planted squarely in Tuffnail’s face, crushing his nose, forcing him to back away from his hostages.
“S-Spinal… you traitor!” He cried, cupping his bleeding face.
“I’m sorry, but if this is the hill you wish to die on, that’s your choice, but I for one refuse to die for another demon’s selfish ploy for power. If you truly had any sort of pride, you would have faced that man in the white coat head on! To prove you deserve to wield that weapon! Instead you wasted our time with this cowardly display!”
“When I get my hands on that sword… I swear, you’ll be my first victim!”
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A sharp pain suddenly pierced through the side of Tuffnail’s ribs. The sword he so desperately craved was now jammed into the side of his abdomen.
“There’s your sword!” Drifter mocked. “Have fun, cunt!”
The Demon Sword glowed a searing white. Its energy infiltrated Tuffnail’s body, as bright light beamed from his mouth and eyes, with the power of the sword quickly incinerating his insides. In a final anguished scream, there was a burst of white light, as Tuffnail was cremated alive, his body reduced to ashes.
“Why didn’t you do that earlier!?” Dale exclaimed.
“I needed him away from the crowd, so no one else would catch fire.”
In the aftermath of the scene, Spinal and Reine locked sights, only for Spinal to grow flustered.
“M-my apologies.” He bowed. “I should leave now…” And so, he fled.
“What about you!?” Drifter called to Tap, still bemused by what just transpired.
One look at Tuffnail’s ashes and Tap tapped out. Opening a portal to the demon world, and retreating.
“That’s the first smart demon I ever met…”
“Reine, are you okay!?” Dale rushed to help her up.
“Yes, I’m fine…” She responded, her mind elsewhere.
“I can’t believe you screamed at him like that!”
“Oh please, I hate men who so desperately try to assert their dominance.”
“Well, let’s grab our stuff, get you cleaned up and head to that garden party, so we can try to put this whole ordeal behind us.”
“Yes… let’s…”
As the group prepared to leave, Drifter was even more suspicious over the lack of police interference. Surely someone amidst all these people must have called the emergency services. Once they drove away from Westgate, they at least saw ambulances pass by. Drifter never bothered to pay attention to the emergency services before, but now that he was, he found their lack of presence slightly worrying.
The drive to the University helped take the edge off of such a stressful morning. The group parked just outside the College, where in the large building, the garden party took place. Now changed into their brand new outfits, they strolled up to the front door, with a tall, bald, well-built man in a business suit, checking over the guests.
Reine flashed her invitation allowing her access to the soiree.
“Ah, Miss Lajoie.” The man greeted. “I see you’re… um, are you okay?”
She bashfully touched the bandage on her face. “Oh, this? It’s just an unfortunate bump, don’t worry about it.”
“If you say so…” The guard turned his attention to her guests.
“Hold up, you ain’t coming in with that filthy coat.”
“The fuck you say?” Drifter argued, offended by the remark.
“You ain’t getting in, Rapunzel.”
“At least I have hair, Cue Ball.”
“You looking to start something?”
“No, but I’ll finish it!”
“Nathaniel, stop!” Reine ordered.
“But, Miss Lajoie.” The guard whined.
“Don’t! That’s my guest you’re insulting and he’s here for my own protection. Now, let him pass.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Nathaniel's a dumb name.” Drifter mocked under his breath.
The group entered the building, walking through the large hall, decorated with expensive curtains, rugs and paintings.
“You know, this particular college has raised three prime ministers.” Reine explained. “And the man holding this party is hoping to become the fourth.”
Drifter’s disinterest peaked immediately upon hearing the words ‘Prime Minister’. “Ew, politics. I’m zoning out.”
“I’ll listen.” Dale assured.
“Well… all kinds of people show up to his gatherings, but Adam Basil himself doesn’t always make an appearance. I heard he’s become quite the recluse lately, leaving his gatherings in the hands of his personnel.”
“Why even hold them in the first place?”
“What better way to get the elites of the country on your side than by offering them free food and alcohol? God knows, it’s not for the conversation…”
Without warning, Drifter yanked Reine back. “What are you doing!?”
“My job. It’s vague, but there’s definitely a demonic presence here.”
“Is he nearby?”
“I don’t know… it’s weird. Normally I can pinpoint a demon’s location by just concentrating, but this feels cloudy, like the whole building’s covered in fog.”
Suddenly, the sound of echoing footsteps rang out in the distance, growing closer and closer. As it came running towards them in a mad dash, Drifter and Dale prepared themselves for whatever horrible abomination was about to present itself.
“Please! Help me!” A senior citizen, stripped down to his underpants wailed. “Some fiend knocked me unconscious and took my very expensive suit!”
“Is this the demon you were sensing?” Dale asked.
Drifter cringed. “God, I hope not.”
Reine quickly took the initiative. “I’m sorry, we’re just guests, but I'm sure the guard at the front door can help you.”
The underpants man fled to the security guard, not letting the fact that he was half naked deter him from bringing his suit snagger to justice.
“Now then, shall we get going?”
Once they were in the secluded garden, Dale saw that the guests looked just as cliched as he imagined. Men in posh suits, women in extravagant dresses, violinists playing music for atmosphere. It was almost comical.
“Jesus…” Dale chuckled. “These are the kinds of people you associate with?”
“Ugh… if I want to get anywhere in the music industry, yes.”
“Can’t you just make good music?”
“Good music means nothing if you can’t get anyone to listen to it. I need to make connections to attract distributors.”
Dale tugged on Drifter’s coat. “Dude, check it out.”
Before them lay a large, sprawling table, covered with only the finest of fancy foods and Drifter was more than happy to help himself.
“Well, have fun with that whole socialising thing…”
Reine was left to her own devices, as she reluctantly prepared herself to join in with the rest of the socialites. She picked a group at random and wormed her way into the crowd. Luckily, some of the party goers recognised her as the daughter of the late, great Bryan Lajoie. Unfortunately, Bryan was the only thing they were interested in discussing, Reine herself was mostly irrelevant.
It’s not that she demanded to be the center of attention, she just wished she could show them there was more to her, than simply being the daughter of a celebrity and heir to his fortune. All she wanted was a chance to step out of her father’s shadow and express her own musical talents.
She remembered how her father would effortlessly win over people with his charm and charisma, explaining to her how these were the people she needed to impress, if she ever hoped to have a bright future in the world of music, but Reine didn’t understand any of it. All she saw were a bunch of stuffy old people talking politics.
Politics was something she never cared for, she was a musician after all, her passion lied in entertainment and creative endeavours, but without any knowledge of the current political climate, no one would pay her any attention and she didn’t want to risk accidentally saying the wrong thing. It was like all they cared about was parroting their own opinions at each other, rather than actually having any meaningful conversations.
Perhaps it was her own fault for attending a politician’s party, but she hoped that, it being a party, the people within her community would unwind and act more casual for once, but that was never the case. Ultimately, she just wanted to play her music, but here she was, stuck at another social gathering with nothing to say, again.
Hidden among the rich toffs and sniveling snobs was a strange fellow, but all he did was hand her a bizarre leaflet with religious text.
“Daemonism?” She read.
“Yes. It was founded by our Lord Anderson. ‘To protect ourselves from demons, we must accept them.' Please consider paying us a visit some time. We would love it if you could spread our words to the people.”
“Sure…. okay…” As soon as the man left her alone, she tossed the pamphlet away and sulked over to the beverage table, hoping the sweet numbing taste of champagne would make the event more tolerable.
“I just don’t understand these creatures." A voice rambled to himself. "I don’t know who they’re talking about or why they’re even important, but it's all they seem to care about. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come here…”
“I feel you, I feel you deeply…” Reine admitted. “Wait, who said that?”
She looked to her side to find a tall man, in an old fashioned suit, complete with gloves, monocle and top hat, with strangely pointy ears and unnaturally pale white skin. She almost giggled at the sight of him, but the innocent embarrassment on his pretty face kept her attention.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. What’s your name?”
“Oh… I-I’m Spi…… Spi? Spi! Just Spi.”
“Spy? Odd name. You’re not here on some secret mission are you?”
“Wh-what!? No!”
“I’m only teasing, so what are you really doing here?”
“I-I’m not sure anymore… I’m just… fending for myself, in a world I don’t really understand. These people don’t really seem interested in helping me though, or anyone, really.”
“Yes… It’s like these events are just an excuse for them to bolster each other’s egos, instead of socialising like regular people. Still, at least you seem somewhat normal.”
“Y-you really think I’m normal?”
“Somewhat… compared to these tarts, Mr. Monocle.”
“Thank you, M-miss Sunglasses.”
“Don’t diss the sunglasses, darling. They’re my trademark….” She replied, flicking her glasses on, only to sheepishly raise them back up. “My father gave them to me, before he passed…”
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult them. I was just joking.”
“What? I’m not insulted. You’re the first person here to even notice them.”
“Oh, well, they look nice.” Spi replied, awkwardly looking down at his feet.
“Aww… that’s sweet. Too sweet, what’s your game?”
“G-game? There’s a game? I wasn’t prepared for this…”
Reine laughed out loud, amused by the flustered gentleman. “Would you like to join me at the buffet?” She asked.
“Yes. Of course.”
Spi was a bundle of nerves, but he was amazed that the woman he was pining for seemed to finally be enjoying his company. However, his happiness was swiftly cut short when an old man, still in his underpants, came charging towards him.
The enraged man confronted Spi without a hint of shame. “Oi! That’s my suit!”
“P-pardon?”
“That’s my suit! My hat! And, my antique monocle!”
“Are you okay, sir? You seem confused.”
“Don’t play stupid with me, you little bollock!” The ranting old man left the gentleman utterly embarrassed. He was causing a scene, but it seemed the guests were more concerned over the man’s sanity than his accusations. Just when Spi thought he could weasel his way out of the situation, he spotted his worst nightmare.
“No, not him!” He thought. “Not that human! Anyone, but THAT human!”
The one person who wasn’t buying his charade, the one person who could easily ruin his entire day, his whole life even, put down his plate of chicken wings and marched straight toward him.
The man in the white coat.
He shoved the ranting senior aside. “A missing suit, stolen makeup and a stalker.” He commented. “I wonder what these three things have in common. Any ideas?”
Spi’s plans fell to pieces so fast he didn’t know how to respond. The man was just standing there menacingly, but Spi could still feel an immense pressure coming from him. He couldn’t tell if it was the man’s power, or if he was just so terrified his mind was playing tricks on him.
“Drifter?” Reine asked. “Is there a problem?”
“Let’s see.” In a flash, Drifter swiped the hat off the gentleman’s head, revealing his curved back spines now fully standing on end from fright, along with his pale green skin.
“You stole her makeup to cover up your skin?”
With his true identity revealed, the gentleman had no answer. He was petrified.
“So, you were the demon from earlier. Spinal, was it?” Reine asked.
“Did the pointy ears not give it away?”
Reine couldn’t bring herself to admit to the obvious flaws in Spinal’s disguise. Though scared stiff, Spinal accepted his defeat and simply uttered: “I’m sorry.”
“You will be when I’m through with you.” Drifter retorted.
Just as he was about to get to work, Reine blocked his path.
“Could you move?”
“Don’t hurt him, Drifter.”
“He won’t feel a thing.”
“Just let him go.”
“I already did and he came back. Not the smartest idea.”
“Well, he hasn't done anything… to me at least.”
“You hired me to take out your stalker.”
“In that case… you’re fired.”
“Cool. Now I’m free to do whatever I want.”
Reine continued to stare Drifter down, refusing to budge. There was a sudden loud crash. Reine turned behind herself to find Drifter having already manoeuvred around her and delivered a devastating punch to Spinal’s gut, sending him flying. He moved so fast, she hadn’t noticed she was staring at an afterimage until it was too late.
“That one was free.” Drifter explained. “Later.”
Without saying another word, Drifter left the garden party. Reine ran over to comfort Spinal, with Dale following. As soon as Drifter was out of sight, the gentleman demon lifted his head.
“Oh my god! Are you okay!?” Reine cried, holding his head up.
“I knew demons weren’t welcome here…”
“It isn’t fatal, is it!? Can you stand!?”
“I should leave…”
“You’re not bleeding are you!?”
“Are you… listening to me?”
“You should be listening to me! We need to treat your wounds immediately!”
“But, I’m not even human…”
“Who cares! You’re more human than any of these mouth breathers!”
“I was…? So, my facade wasn’t a complete waste, then…”
“Well, putting on my makeup was rather silly, but the effort was appreciated.”
“It was?”
“As much as we seem to forget, humans usually strive to judge people based on their actions, not their appearance. Even though your efforts were misguided, and unintentionally creepy, I understand what you were trying to do. I just wished you had the courage to talk to me before I hired a superpowered bodyguard.”
Spinal wheezed out a laugh. “When I followed that group of demons to the human world, I was overwhelmed by just how beautiful it was, compared to the wasteland I was born into. I wanted nothing more than to live here, instead of scavenging for scraps in a barren hellscape, dominated by monsters far more powerful than me.
Tuffnail and his men accepted me into their group, in the hopes of one day finding the Sword, hoping its power would allow us to survive without worry, but I was never interested in such power. That attitude made me their errand boy, left to gather intel by myself. Too weak to be accepted by my fellow demons and too frightening to be accepted by humans. I was alone in both worlds, until I saw you… carrying that same look of loneliness and neglect. You were the first creature I ever felt empathy toward.
I thought, if I could take a chance and share my feelings with you, we could come to understand each other. I watched how humans treated their loved ones and tried to mimic them, but I still kept my distance, in case I scared you. Once Tuffnail and his gang were defeated, I was left completely alone again, with no other purpose, other than seeing you.
So, I hid my skin and even dressed like a human. It was inevitable that I’d be caught sooner or later, but I didn’t care, I just wanted to know what it was like to live a peaceful human life, even if just for a moment.”
“You went through all that just to see me?”
“I’m not really sure what compelled me to do any of this. This all feels so complicated…”
“Well, you can’t live that peaceful life lying on the ground.” Reine answered. “Can you stand?”
“My chest plates have been completely shattered, I won’t be moving much, for a while…”
“But, you’ll live, right?” Dale interjected.
“Just about.”
“Well, you’re a lucky bastard. You’re the first demon I’ve seen survive an encounter with Drifter, who didn’t run away…”
“Tap was certainly the smartest of the group.”
“Yeah, even Drifter was caught out by him.”
“Drifter… his power is truly fearsome. He barely tried, yet he obliterated me in a single hit. It was so fast I couldn’t even defend myself. I’m not even sure his fist actually connected with me at all. I pity any demon foolish enough to challenge him.
Still… as frightening as he was. I’ve never seen anything, human or demon, look so soulless before… his eyes lacked that human spirit and then for him to just leave, like I wasn’t even worth finishing off…”
“His eyes, huh?” Dale was intrigued. “What do my eyes say?”
“That you're still a child.”
“Man… is it that obvious?”
Reine giggled.
“Are you two going to be okay?” Dale asked.
“If you could help me carry Spinal into my car, I can bring him home.” Reine explained.
“You’re sending me back to the demon world?” Spinal exclaimed.
“No, silly. You’re staying with me… I could use the company.”
“What about the party?”
“Oh, to hell with it.”