The demon bellowed. Flame erupted from its kin, wreathing its body as the creature charged me. Beside it, the two gargoyles squared off against Hana. I swung diagonally from the ground to the ceiling, focusing all my energy into forming an edge of wind energy around my blade as I did so. As I swung, a projectile of pure wind energy shot towards the demon and hit him, slicing him across his broad chest.

The attack halted it momentarily as blood spurted from the newly formed wound, staining the linoleum floor. But that moment soon passed. The demon laughed, a deep echoing sound. The skin of its chest scarred over rapidly and the blood stopped flowing. He eyed me and pointed a flaming finger in my direction.

“It will take more than that to stop me, guardian!” the creature said and charged me once more.

Oh no you don’t

I focused on the balls of my feet, pooling my spiritual energy down my legs to rest there. At the last minute before the demon reached me I released the energy I had built up and pushed with all my might upwards. I flew into the air, dodging the attack, rocketing upwards.

I stepped on the top of the demon's just as I came down and used my momentum to flip overtop of him. As I fell down behind him I swung my sword once more and once again focused my energy into a blade of air that I sent hissing towards his exposed back. Once I landed on my feet I sent another, and then another, and then another attack at him. He roared out in pain as each one smashed into him, blood staining the floor and running beneath his large feet.

I breathed in ragged breaths, I had put all of my physical and spiritual energy into the attack and I felt my muscles tightening and the well running dry. I had to hope it was enough this time.

I risked a glance at Hana, she was holding her own against the gargoyles for the moment as they flapped around her, using the long pole to stab and twirl, occasionally landing an attack that sizzled their flesh with a burst of crackling electricity..

Unfortunately, my respite was short.

The wounds on the back of the demon were already beginning to heal as he turned to face me, a wicked grin on his already wicked features.

“Ready to give up yet, human? Your weapon cannot kill me!” the demon bellowed.

I gripped the sword tightly and bit the inside of my lip. I still had some energy left and I had to use it wisely. If a ranged attack wouldn’t work, I would simply have to attack up close. And I would have to make it count.

I charged without warning, speeding towards my opponent. I dodged two clumsy blows from the giant creature before I got within range. The second I did so I stabbed upwards, right for his heart, focusing all of my power on the thrust

Come on… come on!

The blade sank in with a squelch, right between his large pecs. I pushed and it went a little deeper. The demon’s eyes went wide. Then his large hands gripped the blade and I thought for a moment he would remove it by force.. But to my surprise he only pulled it deeper inside of him, blood gushing from the wound. He laughed.

I stumbled backwards, letting go of the blade as blood dribbled down his chin and his eyes began to glow.

“You see?” the demon said in a mocking tone. “You have no hope human, nothing you do can hurt me!”

Then the unthinkable happened. The demon squeezed, his face contorting as he strained to destroy the metal. I stood watching, mouth agape.

It can’t be!

There was a shattering sound and the sword splintered into a million shining pieces, each one of them lingering in the air for a moment before disappearing altogether.

The demon gave me no time to process what had just happened. He bounded towards me and sent a closed fist hurtling towards my face. This time I was too slow to dodge. The demon’s fist hit me across the cheek and sent me flying off my feet.

I smashed through a glass display case and lay among the shards on the floor. My head was pounding and every inch of my body ached. But I wasn’t finished. I couldn’t be.

Get up. Get up and fight, damnit!

I wiped blood from my chin and stumbled to my feet, steading myself. The demon was giving me no chance to recover and bounded towards me once again. I had only a few seconds before he would be upon me. I decided to give my attack one last shot. I wreathed myself in a swirling vortex of wind energy and charged at him.

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The demon caught me by the shoulder, stopping me dead in my tracks and digging his burning fingers through my defenses and into my robes. The wind died down around me and pain lanced through my body as he burned me. I screamed.

This is it…

I heard Hana call out my name beyond the haze of pain and saw, out of the corner of my eye, blue electricity rapidly appearing and disappearing in jagged bolts. Then I saw Hana’s large metal staff strike the demon upon the back of its head.

My world returned to normal, I could hear, I could see, as he dropped me and I stumbled backwards. I looked behind the demon. Hana had dispatched both of the gargoyles and they lay stunned and incapacitated on their backs.

But the demon was not so easily defeated, as I had already found out. It shook off the blow to its head and whirled upon this new foe. It seemed the creature not only shrugged off our attacks, but was feeding off of them!

“Hana… run!” I called out. But neither she nor the demon paid me any mind.

The demon smashed Hana to the floor with a deadly back hand. Her staff rolled away on the linoleum. I heard her groan. She did not get up.

“No!” I screamed.

“Don’t you see, puny mortals? Your time is over. I am the first of my kind to enter your world but I won’t be the last. I am a demon of the Aldar plane. And soon all my fellows shall be let in here! Your guardian and hunter reign of terror is over!. Now it is our time. We have the artifacts… we have…”

“No, you don't,” a voice said from the shadows.

Out walked Kira.

“You dare, lesser one?” It hissed at her.

“I don’t belong to him anymore,” Kira said with a scowl. “I have a new master. And I… love… him!” she cried.

With that I saw her drop the whisk and charge, her body transforming into a furry feline. She leapt at him, claws extended and collided with his fist. He cried out as she clung to him, scratching and biting furiously.

“Get it, get the artifact master!” Kira called.

I ran to it, but the gargoyles had reached it first, evidently recovered from Hana’s attacks.

They grinned at me. “Goodbye, guardian!”

The two of them faded into blackness and I swung my fists at thin air. I heard a screech and turned to see the demon had flung Kira to the floor and was advancing on her. It seemed that she too was no match for the beast.

I looked at Hana who was trying and failing to get to her feet. Neither of us could stop this. But there had to be a way. I had to try.

Come on!

I slowed my breathing and reached out to the cat spirit, trying to connect with Kira. I felt a block there between us, a wall of darkness. I focused and pushed past it and spoke to her through our shared mental link.

“Kira, the ring! Use the ring!”

I felt her recognize my message and hope flooded me. I sent every last ounce of my remaining power into her. I felt her breathe, I saw through her yellow eyes open.

“Yes master,” she said directly into my head.

I opened my eyes and watched as Kira raised her first and a light shone forth.

She did it! We did it!

The demon cackled.

“This is your weapon? He was right to discard you. He told me to kill you, you know, when all this was done. And now I can!”

The demon reached forward and Kira screamed. I felt her rage, her fury, as she redirected all of her power towards the beast.. The ring’s light went from dispersed to a one into a hyper powerful beam. The laser-like attack sizzled as it cut straight through the demon, right between the eyes. I saw him pause, gurgle, try to speak and then begin to fall forward.

Unfortunately he was about to fall right onto the prone cat spirit. I sent a blast of wind toward s her pushing the falling demon just slightly off course. I ran to her, each step burning. I was pushing my body to its limits.

Hana was already up, wincing but hobbling towards us.

I knelt before the cat spirit, holding her head in my arms, resting it in my lap.She was babbling. There was a pool of blood spread across her chest. I didn’t understand.

How had she been hurt?

As if the world had been on mute and suddenly unmuted, I realized with a start that loud sirens were blaring all around us.

“Shit!” I exclaimed.

“You three need to get out of here,” a spoke from behind me and Hana. “I know a way. But you need to trust me.”

The cloaked figure put their hands to the floor and a portal appeared.

“Follow me, we have no time,” they said.

Hana and l looked at eachother. We agreed immediately, an unspoken language passing between us.

I picked up Kira in my arms, while Hana leveled the staff at the woman. We followed her into the portal. We had no choice.