Why? Why did Eadwulf have to die? Why does this need to happen? Those questions bounce inside my head as I stand there in front of the dead bodies. I regret that I wasn't able to do anything about the situation. Only did I notice that my eyes were wet with tears.

"Aimi, what should we do?" Jason nock an arrow to his bow, aiming at the demon. "Should we attack?" I look over the demon lord. He seems amused by our shock and fear.

"No, at least not yet. It'll provoke him" I said in a very low voice so only my classmates could hear. I was glad that my judgement is not clouded. "We should delay him, distract him. Someone should go back to the surface unnoticed to get some help. Then we-"

"I don't think that plan will work." All of us jump back away from the voice, our instinct ringing with danger. Our eyes were wide in shock. How did he get there without getting notice?! I quickly draw my sword and lunge towards the demon.

"Light, grant me the power to cut through my enemies, Celestial Pierce!" I used a shortened chant to quickly attack but that made the strength weaker. Kur'an parried my attack with a hidden blade from his risk. I did a remise by immediately executing another attack in the same line. He parried again and countered with a riposte.

I barely dodged when an arrow nearly grazed my upper arm and went straight to the demon. He blocked it with a flick of his blade.

"You could have hit me!" I look back over at Jason who shot the arrow. I was relieved though because I was assured I wasn't alone in this fight.

I felt something was off though. I was expecting to die instantly after I made that first attack. Eadwulf and the other knights were killed off easily by him. How am I still alive? Maybe because he wants us alive? I am pretty sure he said something about adding us to his collection.

I shrugged off these thoughts as my consciousness went back to the battle. I engage with care with a foreswing which was unfortunately dodged. I stepped back and a lightning strike followed the attack. I am coordinating my attacks and my classmates' spells.

A magic barrier blocked the lightning and reflected it back to us. "Protect us with your radiance, deliver us from darkness, Sacred Shield!" Another short chant to barely obstruct the lightning.

Four people joined me in the front to fight Kur'an in melee battle. I only had a second to glance at their faces to see who they are. Rene, Sakai, Iso, and Kian prepared their weapons. I kept my elbows bent, and close to my body.

"I obey the source of magic, I have deciphered and understand the way of the bow, combined by the heat of a star, be gone by the eternal fire, Phoenix Pulse!" (Jason)

It was a compound magic using an enchanted magic arrow and the heat of "Flower Blaze", a magic that envelops an object or being with flames. By freely manipulating several flames of this magic, the fire would always surround the arrow it is ordered to. It was one of the strongest attacks of Jason.

The flames surrounding the arrow turned to a shape of a phoenix. It burnt bright as it sailed towards the demon lord. Kur'an then drop his blade and chanted.

"Approach, Blade of evil spirits from the pits of the Underworld. Wake, from a time long precedent from the Infernal Waters. To me, -Grand Scythe of the Shadow Realms-”

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A complicated three-dimensional magic array formed to his right and he grabbed a dark scythe that formed inside it. He swung it and cut the arrow and flames in half with precision.

The scythe consists of a shaft made of some kind of metal. A curved, steel blade is mounted to the shaft. It looks like the traditional scythe that the grim reaper is usually depicted with.

Kur'an looked at me and he instantly removed the distance between us. He swung his sharp scythe towards me. The arcing shot sliced the metal of my armor at the midsection.

Sweats run down my face as I comprehend the fact that my body almost got cut in half. I countered with a backswing but my blade only found metal. Clang! The clash of blades ringed in my ears. Kian attacked with a chakram while the demon was preoccupied by me.

Kur'an pushed me with his scythe then rotates it to block the attack of Kian. Iso made a move to stab him with his dagger only to get blown away by the demon's magic. Sakai and Rene coordinated their attacks.

I only heard the crack of the whip of Rene as he entangled it to Kur'an left arm. Sakai made a savage swing with his axe angled to cut the demon's head. Kur'an pulled Rene through his whip and made him somersault to Rene, making him swing his axe in the wrong direction. He followed that with a punch towards Kian that propels him near Iso.

I advance towards him and strike with my sword. He changed the directory of my swing with his scythe and hit me with the butt of the pole. I wince as the pain ripples across my chest. The weight of it sends me backwards. Kur'an followed with a swing and it grazed my skin as I sidestep to dodge it.

He hits me again and I taste blood. He slammed his hand into my ribs and I fell down flat on my back. A ball of ice hits him before he made the final cut. I stand back up to my feet while that was happening. I look back to see Aiden holding a staff.

I withdrew back and Ellis went near me. "Take away the pain, give back their relief, return back what was, Gift of Healing" Ellis chanted a basic healing spell to ease my wounds. I mumbled a thanks before I went back again to battle.

The demon was preoccupied battling the duo of Rene and Sakai. Aiden was providing support from the back with his ice magic. I saw Iso and Kian getting back into the fight, their wounds also healed.

"Crave, Coldness of the mountain, Howl, the chilling winds of winter, Bringer of the blizzards, crusher of the flames, display the frost of the North, By the heart of Anemoi, I call upon the powers of the frozen lands, Frost Rocket!" (Aiden)

A blue magic circle appeared in front of Aiden and a concentrated mass of ice shot out from it. Rene and Sakai got out of the way for the spell to hit. The Frost Rocket smacked the head of Kur'an and exploded. The temperature dropped significantly around the area. The demon was frozen in place but I can already see cracks in the ice. The spell wouldn't last long.

"I guess you can say he got a brain freeze." All of us look at Aiden with irritation.

"Now is not the time for jokes. Let's quickly finish him" Jason shot several arrows to the frozen demon. But the wounds inflicted quickly regenerated. My classmates barrage him with attacks only to find it doesn't work or the wounds are rapidly healing.

"Wait, stop-" (Aimi)

Iso was the last one who tried to attack Kur'an while he was frozen. He stab it at his head the moment the spell was broken. Kur'an looked at him with disdain and kicked him out of the way. He pulled out the knife and destroyed it. The wound on his head now healed.

I remember now on one of our trainings that some demons only get damaged by certain magical weapons. And I hold one of those weapons.

"Listen up. Only my sword could damage him. Distract him while I prepare my strongest attack. It'll be a long chant." (Aimi)

They nodded in acknowledgement and reengage the demon into battle. They exchange blows and slashes as I concentrate. White aura surrounded me as I release my magic.

"I request the authority of the heavens. Sever off the law, mend it again, and liberate it. The might of the Heavenly Light, with my Holy Magic and my power as a Vessel, I who decode and recognize the foundation of the celestial bodies command. Allow the Light of the World once more be interpret and materialize, let my sword pierce with illumination, Laniakea!"

I stepped calmly forward and stabbed him in the chest.