“Anhinga!” King Saulus cried in shock, naming my advancing adversary. “You’ve returned from the depths of Naught to hasten my demise!”
The demon's blood-red eyes narrowed in on him for a moment, a disdainful smirk somehow managing to twist its beaked face as it shook its head. Not to be distracted, Anhinga kept his focus on me, slashing his saber back and forth as its tails swiftly propelled it forward. I blocked his flurry of attacks with my sword and shield, giving up ground with each strike. While my blessed blade was swift to parry, its light seemed to bounce away his saber before even making contact, while the tower shield took damage with every strike. However, slowly retreating wasn’t sustainable because I was encroaching on those I wanted to protect.
If only they could open the doors and escape…
One of Anhinga’s strikes bit deeply into the top of the tower shield, and he began to wrench his saber back and forth, trying to pull me off balance. I struggled against his strength to free my shield without exposing myself.
I really wish I was wearing armor!
After I worked through a few shield bashes and pullbacks, his blade let go just as I felt a powerful spiritual pull from behind me. Before I could even process what was happening, a loud explosion shook the entire castle, crumbling a section of the stone wall behind me.
Oh no, don’t tell me this is a tag team match!
“This way!” I heard Nora shout from the other side of the newly formed egress, filling me with profound relief.
If a door won’t open for you, just make a new one!
As the terrified crowd obliged her, I lunged forward with renewed fury, hoping to fend him off long enough for the room to clear. Not to be outdone, Anhinga let out a furious cry, unleashing a dark burst of energy that knocked me off my feet. I scrambled to sit up, but before I could, Nora launched a barrage of rocks from my right, striking the demon one after another.
“I may not be perfect, but I'll still throw the first stones anyway!” Nora proclaimed.
I’m sure it was the best she could come up with on the fly.
Although the pelting pebbles weren't causing much harm, they were still a nuisance and provided enough distraction for me to stand up. Anhinga ignored the smaller ones but began to dodge and weave around the larger boulders. As I regained my footing, I couldn't help but stare at the twisted mess of tails that strained themselves beneath him.
Hmm…
I let Nora run out of rubble to hurl, not wanting to get pegged in the back of the head myself. After I was confident her attack was complete, I charged forward again, darting to the left at the last moment. Anhinga maneuvered to intercept me, but his movement was sluggish, hampered by his entangling lower half. Frustrated, his sword swings quickened but decreased in accuracy, making them easier to deflect.
Aha! He’s not skilled in sidestepping. I found his Achille’s heel since he did not have any whatsoever!
“Something is still wrong with the great warrior’s heel?” Raedine’s unspoken question, filled with uncharacteristic curiosity, caught me off guard. “Lucian had written that he was doing well in the afterlife.”
I had no clue what she was talking about. After dodging another blast of dark force, I made a mental note to ask Nora about it later.
“I’m holding you to that. Go back to targeting his core. I believe you are strong enough to banish him.”
Won’t he just come back?
“…Perhaps…” Her tone was dubious. “However, it is your only option for now, and you’ll be long gone before he does.”
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She was right. Relias was in no condition to get involved, and what were the odds that Father Irijah, who couldn’t even unseal a door, had enough power to exorcise a demon outright?
With a focused squint, I spotted Anhinga’s core in the center of his chest, embedded in a bright red circle decorated with glowing runes. Was its bold placement simply an arrogant way of saying aim here if you can, or was it meant to add extra protection?
“She’s going to win, right?” I heard someone whisper.
“Nora, keep them out of here!” I shouted as another slash slice of his wicked blade took off the top right corner of my shield.
Useless decoration…!
“I am, I am!” she replied earnestly, backing into the hole she had made. “They’re halfway to the inner courtyard already!”
Another voice drifted by. “Of course she is! I saw her take one out that was twice as big. Nasty thing, full of teeth and tentacles!”
“Believe in the Chosen One!” King Saulus ordered.
A desperate chorus of “Yes, Your Majesty!” flooded my ears, the auditory version of bullet comments assaulting my senses. Their sentiments, however, seemed to have an enhancing effect, and I felt even lighter on my feet. I dove to the side again to avoid his onslaught, and Anhinga reared up on his tails, shrieking in frustration as he had yet to land a solid blow. He drove downward with a double-handed slice of his saber, its blade sparkling with a dark and slightly sanguineous aura. Again, it struck my shield; however, this time, I used the weight of my body to push him and his sword aside. Surprised, he lost his footing—, er, tailing—, so I used the opportunity to smash the stuck sword with my blazing blade. Its holy light wrestled with the saber’s dismal darkness for the briefest of moments, but the light ultimately prevailed. Anhinga’s blade shattered into dozens of sharp shards, sending the startled demon backward.
“Leave this place and swear never to return!” I commanded as I threatened him with the point of my sword, my voice warbling slightly. “You know what will happen otherwise!”
It wasn’t like I expected him to comply. However, striking an unarmed enemy without a final chance to walk away felt out of character, even if I was the one who disarmed him. He assuaged my guilt instantly as his head snapped forward, its long neck extending like a twisting spear towards me. I ducked and dodged his pointy, oversized beak, narrowly avoiding each strike as he aimed for my heart.
“Hraaagh!” With an inarticulate battle cry, I thrust my sword into his chest between spearfishing attempts, piercing the crimson target in its center. Black ichor spewed forth from his wound as I pulled my blade back, splattering across my face and chest.
The demon thrashed violently, his body contorting in agony as golden flames consumed him from within. With a loud cackle, his beak stretched wide in a grotesque grin, its blazing eyes spewing tears of liquid gold fire.
I recoiled and wiped desperately at my filthy face, more terrified of his horrific convulsions than any of his previous attacks.
“Too much?” his disembodied voice whispered as Anhinga’s body slowly dissipated in bright flames. “No matter. You have my thanks, Captain. Ahahaha…. Finally… I may return to my mistress’s side once again… Continue to get stronger, and I’m sure she’ll invite you for tea…”
“Tea?” Nora squeaked incredulously from the hole in the wall, but nothing was left in the room to respond.
“Nora,” I started anxiously, shivering with fatigue and fear. “I think I just made a huge mistake…”
“No, you did not!” she objected, quickly looking up and down the hallway on the other side of the hole in the wall. “You banished the demon and saved the day!”
“But you heard him say—”
“He said nothing!” she hissed through clenched teeth. “Don’t taint your victory with the ravings of a raven lunatic!”
“But—”
“We’ll talk about this later!” she snapped as she disappeared.
I turned back to where Anhinga had spontaneously combusted, staring numbly at the black scorch marks and lingering splatters of inky slime that served as the only evidence of his previous presence.
You knew he was playing me, didn’t you?
“I knew he wanted to be banished, yes,” Raedine admitted guiltlessly. “And he taught you a valuable lesson in exchange, so I believe you two are even. But do not think for a moment that he wouldn’t have killed everyone here to get what he wanted. So, you did not, in fact, screw up as you seem to believe. Preservation of life is a priceless reward.”
As I tried to mentally accept and refute her rather callous explanation, the hallway filled with soldiers.
“All hail Captain Lightbringer!” they cried, bashing their gauntleted fists against their chest plates in salute. “Chosen one of the Goddess! Hero of Amantia!”
New false title acquired…