If I kill Bones or Fury, can I claim their wings? Running is stupid. Running in shadow is less stupid but still not good. Running in shadow amongst an army of shadow demons… it's the absolute pits. And all this running could be avoided if I had my own pair of wings. As it is, I'm running like a stupid fool hunting for some high-value demon targets — now known as HVDs.

The human town is built on a clearing between the beach and the forest. For roughly six hundred yards away from the town's wall structure, sand and forest clash, creating a mix of soft footing and unstable ground. Cluttering the sand is a mix of ocean debris, tall grass, and rocks. The trees here are much more scattered until you hit the thicker forest wall, another six hundred yards farther north. This would be a pristine setting if it wasn't full of demons and I wasn't running.

I think I've found the HVD causing you problems.

This is not the time for that kind of talk. You're not even talking about the fun stuff, either. HVDs are the worst!

I cut off my communication with Bones. HVD will save us seconds in communication… eventually. We just need to establish clearly what HVD stands for before that can happen. I take partial blame for the miscommunication, but most of the fault is on Bones. The rotting pile of bones twisted my words, and he knows it. I can even hear the calcium cluster cackling in the distance, the rotten word twister.

Warping! Now that is a power I would like to have. So many cool things could be done with warping. I would drastically decrease my daily steps. I'm gonna go ahead and add that to the top of the list of things I need to do. Banishing demons, however, is the current to-do on my list.

I step out of the shadow into a thick force of ash walkers. The scaly humans with horns are a daunting group. The well-armored, coordinated, and high-level demons are positioned so tightly, I can't navigate through them. I execute sweeping cuts with my twin short swords. Black steel scales cut deep into the scout and the tank at the front. Unsuspecting of the attack, the tank cannot block the fatal strike. The soldiers standing behind the two have no better luck. Honed energy, sharper than my actual blade, cut through the remaining five members of the squad.

Immediately I follow up my first attack with four more sword sweeps, sending the deadly sword energy into the remaining squads. Back in shadow, I run and dodge past the falling demons. Ideally, I wouldn't be attacking this close to my HVD. My only hope is my perception is putting up enough of a mask that they don't see me coming. I banish five more squads of ashen warriors and enlightened beasts before I find my target.

Standing on an altar of driftwood fused with death energy and bones is the summoner brandishing his extravagant staff of twisted steel and thorns. Dull gray power surges around the summoner, gathering into his staff, and is sent into the distance. Unlike the ash walkers I've encountered so far, including the summoner's guards, this templar is wearing extra equipment. Crimson red robes cover the entirety of his body. The robe's trim is pitch black, covering all of the edges. Black gauntlets, boots, and a belt round out his attire. The red is flashy, and I got to hand it to the templar — he's got style.

The makeshift altar is five feet off the ground putting it at chest level. I can either go to the back, dodge the guards, and ascend the steps or I can jump and face the summoner head-on. I roll with the jump into an action plan. My feet spring off the sandy ground pushing me into the air. The power from my jump sends me higher in the air than intended, and I note that I should practice my jump attacks more or never attempt this foolishness again. My arc puts me on a rapid descent into the summoner. I have no way of altering my course and embrace the impending disaster.

I discard one bone sword and level the other, aiming it at the templar's face. Both hands secure the sword bracing it for impact. Inches away, I launch out of shadow and drive my blade deep into the summoner. I discard the lodged sword, summoning two more. Momentum carries me past the falling HVD, and I roll to regain my footing. A few guards notice my disturbance causing me to quickly brandish my blades. Ten more demons are banished.

Before continuing my Hide and Slay plan, I take a moment to recruit the newly fallen. I'm a bit reluctant to use my death mana to this extent, I've still got issues, but demons are knocking at our doors, and it isn't the time for me to be a ninny. I can deal with my problems later. Besides, I'm not sure if Bones can reach this far with his domain, and it would be a waste of some corpses to not add to the battle's confusion.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Ruby Deds — the classy death summoner and his ten guards set up base around the altar. I spend more death energy creating a barricade for my troops and command them to grow their army. Right away, the guards begin cutting down surrounding demons. The summoner is quick to recruit the fallen. A few breaths later and the summoner's army has tripled. The eleven reanimated demons and bone wall take the smallest portion of mana. The upgrade to my death core has dramatically increased my soul's strength and capacity.

My small force on the backlines lay waste to the unsuspecting demons around us. There is a dense army between my next target, so I take this chance to sow more chaos with my demons. Except for Ruby Deds, I command the rest of my squad to go all out. No conserving power, just destroy. They take the command to heart.

Elemental attacks fire off. Flames erupt from the earth. Ice falls from the sky. Golems are summoned and begin hurling stones and logs. Demons die and are recruited, and more death claims unsuspecting victims.

I'm adding my own arrows to the destruction. Standing a safe distance away from Ruby, I launch mana-enhanced arrows into the demons blocking my route. The arrows fly high and then race to the ground with tremendous speed, creating a whistling sound. For a moment, whistling fills the air. Then the impact of the arrows cause the mana-packed inside to explode. Each explosion blasts into the thick demon ranks, tearing them apart. I fire three more volleys. Two in the direction I need to go, and one into the demons now fighting my own force.

Each volley, followed by mana explosions, creates a crater of death. Dozens of demons die around each impact, and chaos is sown into their ranks. For good measure, I fire another round of ten arrows, and then I disappear. My force behind enemy lines has quickly grown into the hundreds. Ruby has plenty of mana to call upon and is well-protected. Now I'm on to my next HVD.

My path takes me west near the river. The demon rank has been thinned out thanks to the arrows allowing me to traverse the distance quickly.

****

The battle for their home is looking grim. Becky and Gavin can barely keep their arms up. The storm cloud is inching closer and closer to them. Even with Lana sending them additional energy and power, the pair struggle in their fight. More light shields are summoned to block the sporadic lightning charges. Which in turn empowers her, allowing her to empower others.

A new assassin attempts to stab her in the back. This one gets a boot to the face. Seven arrows slam into the demon before she can follow up with another kick. Four arrows were from Scotty, and the other three were from the common lancers trying their best to help. Even if the commoners were not soldiers, many spent their lives hunting and fighting off spirit beasts. However, as the assassin falls, more pop out of shadow.

Lana turns her attention to the new threat as the eastern and western side walls crumble and hundreds of demons pour in. The skeleton summoner tries to send more of his soldiers and, in turn, spreads the defense in the north wall breach too thin. Seeing that he can't fight on three fronts, the skeleton pulls back his army and consolidates his position. She wants to bolster the summoner's power so that he can continue to keep the demons out of their walls, but she is forced to fight the assassins.

Luckily, Scotty and Colby — one of the defenders from the start of the fight — are keeping an eye open for the assassins and are ready to repel their attack as soon as they appear. Likewise, Lana summons her long sword Light's Edge and throws her power at the ten assassins. It's a nasty skirmish between them and the assassins. Some fighters show skill and require sword and mana to kill them. Others fall within moments of stepping out of their shadow. The third wave of soldiers is a little more skilled and coordinated. The fourth wave nearly breaks them.

Just as Light's Edge cuts through two demons trying to kill Gavin and Becky, she shoots light spears at the three demons surrounding Colby. The fire-lancer fighter has been showcasing tremendous grit. What he lacks in power, he makes up for in determination. Equipped with granite gloves, the lanky youth punches aside the demons' attack one after the other.

Two of the demons die when the light spears ram through their heart. The other demon dodges the attack and follows up with a spear strike at Colby. No longer facing three demons at once, Colby easily blocks the attack and counters with a massive punch to the demon's face. Grinning wickedly, the demon does nothing to dodge. Before Lana can react, two more demons appear for shadow and stab Colby in the back. Even with his stone armor, the demons strike a fatal blow.

Lana curses as she kills the two demons and rushes to Colby's prone body. She might be able to save him if they can take care of the demons in time. Two more waves of assassins arrive. Now nearly all the defenders except Becky and Gavin are fighting the ash walkers. The fight is brutal, and three more defenders fall. On top of that, the skeleton is holding back the primary force of the demons on his own, and he has no more ground that he can give.

Instead of looking worried, the skeleton is grinning. Though, it seems like the skeleton's default appearance is a grin, so that is nothing too shocking. What is surprising is the laughter coming from the summoner. "You've had your fun, demons. Now, it's my turn."