A reverberating demonic voice echoed. It was deafening, Elalios and Seqina covered their ears. The forest was disturbed, as Osbert cried out the name of his enemy. As they witness the horrible being face to face, it became hard for them to move with a rational mind.

“Elalios!”

Elalios stayed in place, looking at his fellow servant’s hideous form. He was taught by the Earl to never engage with such being. But, to flee is not an option, the demon is thirsty for his blood. He saw Osbert looking only at him, with his no longer existing eyes. It was intimidating him, luring him to be devoured.

“Elalios, let’s go!”

Seqina’s voice startled Elalios. He looked behind him, and saw Seqina urging him to flee. He looked back at the demon, and suddenly, he felt his own weight pressing down his feet. He saw the demon, crouched down like a runner.

The demon’s claws pressed on the ground. It stretched its body backwards like a drawn out slingshot. And then, it catapulted himself. Elalios heard the whistle of the wind.

[Barrier]

Seqina blocked Osbert’s path. It wasn’t enough. She tried again, and it failed. Osbert was fast approaching. There’s no stopping him.

“Elalios!”, Seqina screamed.

What occurred happened quick, Elalios was lifted up in the air. The demon’s left arm pierced through his chest. He coughed blood once again, but this time, he didn’t feel the pain. He looked at his bloodied chest and then the demon’s head, and then, he fell unconscious.

The demon stretched his right arm backwards, aiming to pierce Elalios’s head next. It wasn’t satisfied, wanting to completely mangle Elalios’s body. It showed a sinister grin, which showed his sharp serrated teeth.

“Get away from him!”

Seqina threw a potion at Osbert, and it exploded. It didn’t do anything to the demon other than making it look at Seqina. There’s still the sinister grin, which terrified the unfortunate lady.

She threw another potion, and then another, too agitated, forgetting Elalios was with the demon. The combinations of her potions were out of place. In panic, her potions opposed each other, all becoming useless. She quickly ran out of potion, but she didn’t give up, trying to stop the demon.

The demon did stop from what he was about to do. However, it was doing so to taunt and instill fear towards the panicking lady. Seqina knew, but her hands moved on their own, desperate to free Elalios. She casted different spells. Her magic did what her potions did. She was lost, seeing her fallen ally.

It didn’t take long before Seqina consumed all her mana. The demon looked at Elalios again. She tried running at it, but she didn’t have the courage. She fell on her knees, having done nothing to save Elalios. The demon’s swift claws moved forward.

[Binded Summon: Silver Knight]

But, Elalios was not destined to die just yet. When the demon was about to kill Elalios, his left arm was slashed clean, freeing the nearly dying man. The demon jumped back, while the figure that cut him laid Elalios carefully on the ground. The demon remembered the look of the figure, and tried attacking it, but..

[Earth Wall]

The demon was squashed between walls of earth that appeared around him. Seqina couldn’t register what just happened. Then, a voice that she was hoping to hear all this time called for her name.

“Seqina, are you alright?”, Cadell asked, joining the fight.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Cadell was looking around the surroundings, trying to analyze everything quick enough. He was sure he was missing something, but he couldn’t find what he wanted to see. He looked at Seqina, who was so happy that she saw him. Seqina’s slow smile made him forget what he was trying to find.

Seqina tried to get close to Cadell, but before she did, the demon broke the earth wall made by the old man.

‘I thought that’s strong enough…’ Cadell thought.

“Seqina, move Elalios away from the demon”

Seqina followed Cadell’s command, which alerted the demon. It looked back and made an attempt to finish off Elalios.

[Earth Wall]

“I won’t allow you”, Cadell said.

The demon broke the wall. Cadell buried his right hand in the soil.

[Earth Cube]

The ground between the demon and Cadell changed into large earthen cubes. Cadell raised the earth cube under the demon, hurling it upwards.

“Elalios!”, the demon shouted.

The demon was still looking at Elalios. It jumped down, but a rising cube caught him. Around him were floating cubes controlled by Cadell.

Cadell clapped his hands, and a pair of earth cube crushed the demon. He slid his hands to each other, one forwards and one backwards, and the cubes did the same. He moved his hands again, and the demon moved up towards another cube. He separated the cubes to see what happened to the demon. It didn’t seem damaged at all, save for its missing left arm. The only thing he did was anger the demon.

Cadell heard the whistle of the wind. By instinct, he knew the demon was fast approaching. He lined up the large earthen cubes between him and the demon. He pushed the seven cubes one by one towards the demon. One by one, he heard the cubes get destroyed upon impact.

‘I’m too old for this’

When Cadell heard the fourth cube get destroyed, he knew he can’t defeat the demon by himself.

[True Summon: Iron Giant]

Cadell called forth his summon, a figure five times taller than him. It slapped Osbert down like a fly, the demon plummeted to the ground. It didn’t move for a short time.

“How’s Elalios?”, Cadell walked to Seqina.

Cadell didn’t need to hear any answers. There’s blood flowing from Elalios’s chest. Seqina shook her head looking at Cadell, denying what was about to happen. Cadell didn’t want to accept it either, but he knew.

‘I failed’

Cadell’s thought was interrupted by a terrible scream.

“Elalios!”

The demon didn’t let them rest. Cadell looked back at it, and it was positioning to jump towards them. Cadell was quick to ready himself, but, before he commanded his summon, the demon froze in place.

“Not yet, I still need you”, a voice said.

Cadell didn’t know where it came from, it seemed to appear out of nowhere. Then, he saw someone standing beside Osbert.

“It was great, young lady”, the figure continued.

It was another demon, but it was more human-like than Osbert. White wavy hair and a pair of inch long black horns protruding from its forehead. It was also gray skinned, but its skin was unnaturally smooth. Its red feline eyes stared at Cadell.

“Is it my time already?”, Cadell asked burying his right hand in the soil.

“No”, the red-eyed demon said. “We’re finished here, I am satisfied”

Cadell wasn’t amused by the declaration, but he knew its best to not fight it. The demon left along with Osbert, but the tension didn’t fade. Cadell was only able to let his guard down when the demon disappeared in the horizon.

“Seqina”, Cadell said still looking from where the demon disappeared into. “Let’s go”

Cadell was puzzled by the silence. He hesitated, but he looked back. His eyes widened, as he saw Seqina unconscious, laying down the ground. There’s no other people beside them in the pathway. Elalios was missing.