Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 96: Attack on Ruberious Part 3
There are up to 15 chapters ahead at p@treon.com/theogbasilisk
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- Saeko -
She glared intensely in the weird bug's direction as she and Raiden desperately attempted to strategize. The environment was scorched with burn marks from Raiden's Lightning, and random craters scattered around from her own strikes.
Her purple suit had almost been completely ruined, showcasing a good portion of her skin. Yet, in an instant, the fibers came to life as they began to heal. In a matter of seconds, the tattered suit was back to new, repaired to perfection using the magicules in the air. It was a gift from Felix-sama, after all, and he would only give her the best.
Raiden was in her humanoid Dragon form, her soft skin covered in countless violet scales that increased her physical strength and defenses. Yet this way, she kept her agility and speed and didn't suffer from the disadvantage of becoming a larger target in her normal Dragon form.
Turning into her complete draconic form would increase the amount of power Raiden could output at once, but that wouldn't help them much now.
Earlier on Raiden had turned into living lightning, giving her more Spiritual properties but even that increase in power wasn't enough.
The bug Majin's armor still dealt with the attacks Raiden sent as a living font of lightning, and Raiden's power was not to be underestimated in that state of being.
The bug Majin didn't even seem to be bothered that they were coming up with a plan against him, his stance radiating an air of confidence. It was as if they were so below his notice that no plan they could come up with would manage to harm him. His cold, dismissive eyes seemed to mock their efforts, filling the air with an unsettling sense of futility.
He was looking down on them, she knew that.
It was a well-earned arrogance too. No matter what attack she and Raiden threw at the Majin, nothing worked. Her Battlewill wasn't strong enough to break through that weird armor, and Cook hadn't been sufficient so far when it came to directly altering the properties of the armor, and Raiden's Magic just dispelled harmlessly against it. Without breaking through that armor, they had no chance at defeating him. Both she and Raiden were well aware of that, the weight of their failure already pressing on their minds.
"He's far stronger than us." Raiden muttered, her voice heavy with reluctant acknowledgement.
Saeko nodded, feeling a pang of frustration rise in her chest. It was rather discouraging that after all the training she had endured, she still wasn't able to take care of Felix-sama's enemies. Her hard work, her determination, none of it seemed to be enough against this monstrous opponent.
Every time she thought she was finally strong enough, another stronger enemy would appear just to show her how wrong she was.
She gripped onto her beloved weapon tightly, knuckles white with resolve. That just meant she had to try harder, to surpass her limits. She couldn't afford to doubt herself now, in this world doubting oneself already meant defeat, she just had to find a way. Plus Ultra, as Felix-sama had said to Hinata.
Felix-sama trusted them to take care of his enemies, so she wouldn't fail, and she was sure Raiden felt similarly.
Still that didn't change the fact that they were being suppressed by the weird bug. They weren't completely losing, but they weren't even close to winning either.
She allowed the bug to land his blows on her since all of her wounds could automatically be healed. Ultraspeed Regeneration was one of her most useful abilities in this fight since her Cook wasn't enough. No matter how vast the difference in strength, she could still rely on this Ultraspeed Regeneration to get an edge.
Healing so fast took energy, and the more she tanked the hits, the more exhausted she would become. Usually, she would have been able to finish the fight before it became an issue, but now that strategy wasn't going to work.
Raiden didn't have Ultraspeed Regeneration, but her scales and speed protected her from most blows. However, that didn't mean that she also wasn't starting to feel the exhaustion of the battle. Even with a defense like hers, enough attacks would be enough to leave a bruise.
Saeko was the main fighter while Raiden relied on her speed and raw power to attack the Majin's blind spots, yet that wasn't enough.
"You two are impressive enough." The Majin's deep voice echoed. "Yet you are still too weak, surrender. You two may have a place in Granbell's world."
Saeko scoffed. "Never." Felix-sama said to never trust the villains! You were usually just a loose end to them in his own words.
The Majin tilted his head as if he couldn't understand why she rejected.
He sighed. "How unfortunate. There has been corpse after corpse, left in my wake. And now it seems I cannot spare you. Heed my words, I am Razul, the Guardian of the West, and I have never known defeat." He declared solemnly.
The Guardian of the West is the person who had been defending the Western Nations from the Daemons of Guy Crimson for centuries.
That was troublesome.
"We need more information before we come up with an effective plan." Raiden said.
Saeko nodded. "Right, again?"
Raiden nodded. "Again."
In an instant, Saeko and Raiden split off in opposite directions, the terrain beneath them shattering from the force of their rapid movement. Raiden's form blurred with crackling lightning, leaving afterimages as she circled Razul at impossible speeds. The Majin barely moved, his cold, unwavering eyes tracking their movements with ease.
Saeko, in the meantime, lunged straight for him, her odachi raised high. The sharp whistle of her blade cutting through the air was drowned out by the rumbling of Raiden's lightning overhead.
"Thunder Break!" Raiden's voice roared through the chaos as she unleashed a barrage of electric bolts down upon Razul from every angle, the crackling energy filling the air with a deafening hum.
At the same moment, Saeko struck with her full strength, the edge of her weapon glowing faintly with her Fighting Spirit. She was aiming to find some sort of weak point, his armor couldn't be fool proof.
But once again, Razul didn't flinch.
The ground beneath his feet seemed to hum as his Aura pulsed outward, a dense, impenetrable shield that effortlessly absorbed both the electric onslaught and the strike from her own weapon.
The blade slammed against the armor, causing a violent explosion of air from the force of the collision. Yet her attack failed to leave more than a faint mark. Raiden's Lightning also dissipated into the air, harmless, as though it had never been summoned.
"Tch." Raiden clicked her tongue in frustration, her speed making her a blur as she continued to reposition, searching for an opening.
Saeko, undeterred, launched another series of rapid strikes, each one fueled by her burning desire to surpass her limits, but each swing was met with the same infuriating result, Razul's seemingly invincible defense. It felt like striking against a mountain.
She had no idea how to get through his defence, but she would keep trying while trying to observe for some sort of weakness.
Razul finally moved, faster than Saeko could react, and his palm thrust forward with incredible force. It connected with her abdomen, and she felt the wind rush out of her lungs as her body was hurled back across the battlefield, crashing through a nearby boulder. Yet even as the sharp pain flared through her body, her Ultraspeed Regeneration kicked in, healing her wounds almost instantly.
"Saeko!" Raiden shouted, her voice strained as she pushed herself harder, sparks of frustration mingling with her lightning which was flickering in and out of existence.
They were both starting to feel the drain, neither of them could keep this up much longer without an answer. They both had tremendous amounts of energy, but their reserves were finite. They would be fine for the foreseeable future, but if they couldn't find a way to bypass Razul's armor then they could not win.
Razul's crimson eyes shone, a flicker of something sinister passing over his bug-like as if he was growing tired of their fight.
With a sudden movement, his hand shot out, this time toward Raiden. A blast of dark energy exploded from his palm, aimed directly at her. Raiden dodged just in time, the sheer force of the energy passing by her leaving deep gouges in the earth behind her.
Saeko wiped the blood from her lip and grinned. She wouldn't be giving up, she just had to surpass her limits. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for, despite training her ass off she knew she fought best when in true danger. It sent her instincts into overdrive.
Without warning, Saeko's Aura surged, her Fighting Spirit flaring more intensely than before. Her body glowed with a radiant red hue as she enhanced herself with Fighting Spirit. She didn't care about pain or the seemingly indestructible armor anymore. If they couldn't win with precision, then she'd simply overwhelm him.
She was pushing her Skill, Ogre Berserker to the limits, in fact she was surpassing her limits.
She hadn't ever managed to reinforce herself to the extent she was doing now, thankfully she succeeded in the knick of time, while fighting her strongest foe yet no less.
"Felix-sama is counting on us, Raiden!" Saeko yelled as she placed her odachi over her shoulder.
Raiden's gaze didn't leave Razul, but she nodded as she twirled her tachi lightly.
They both refused to accept failure as an option.
Razul merely tilted his head. "Truly magnificent. Even amongst the Daemons of Guy Crimson, few have been able to stand against me for so long," Razul praised.
Saeko's eyes narrowed. It was humiliating to be complimented by an opponent she hadn't even scratched.
"Shut up! I'll rip that smugness off your face!" Saeko shouted as she blinked forward, leaving a sonic explosion in her wake. She raised her sword high and then brought it down with multiple tons of force.
Razul was completely unmoved. He simply raised his left arm and caught her blade mid-air.
She felt tremors pass through her arms as a loud clang reverbated. The floor under Razul exploded from the force of the impact, yet he simply stood there, unmoved.
Raiden saw this attack as an opening, and charging her tachi with as much lightning as she could, she practically teleported behind him. Yet Razul simply ignored her, not even bothering to turn around as he pulled his fist back and sent a casual punch with enough force to explode her organs.
Saeko barely managed to block the attack with the flat of her odachi, yet she still had to grit her teeth to withstand the shockwaves, her beautiful weapon revealing a few cracks as she got sent sliding backward from the force. Thankfully, her weapon was just like her and quickly began to heal as she coursed magicules through it.
In the meantime, Raiden struck with her tachi directly on the Majin's neck. Her Lightning crackled and exploded, lighting up the area around them in a flashing light, yet even then, her attack was proven completely ineffective against Razul's armor.
If I win, Felix-sama will praise me!
If I fail, he will be disappointed in me.
That thought was what kept her going.
She and Raiden continued their battle in earnest, no longer dwelling on their dwindling reserves, as long as they desired something then they would get it, that was something that Saeko fundamentally believed.
Her will just needed to be strong enough.
Maybe that was where she had gone wrong. Her will had been so weak that she had given up on her technique too early and had simply decided for brute force. She returned to her old fighting style the moments things got hard.
Her fighting style had changed compared to that of the past, following the suggestions of Arcueid and Megumin.
She had devoted herself to Hakurou's teachings when she was in Tempest, as well as what she learned from Hinata and Felix-sama, she learned to value the importance of technique instead of relying on brute force.
Her fight with Razul had further honed her swordsmanship, but before she could make that breakthrough she had stopped.
Not anymore.
Saeko swung her odachi with all her might, sending a shockwave rippling through the air, aiming straight for Razul. Raiden mirrored her move, lightning surging along her blade as both attacks hurtled towards the Majin.
Their eyes met for a brief second, a silent exchange passing between them.
They weren't done yet.
Saeko jumped up into the air, her odachi raised above her as she focused on her Unique Skill: Cook.
Certain Outcome allowed for any action to result in an outcome that she wanted. She focused the power of Certain Outcome onto her odachi, the outcome she desired was destroying Razul's armor in one hit, she wanted to bend the rules to get the outcome she desired above all else.
She had tried it before, but she failed. Still, she did not fall into despair. She believed, with every fiber of her being, that her wish would come true as long as she kept pushing.
Razul calmly parried Shion's attacks. He attacked and defended with mechanical precision. He was entirely nonchalant in how he calmly handled her and Raiden's coordinated attacks.
This was a Majin that had defended the Western Nations from the Daemons of Guy Crimson for centuries, his combat experience surpassed hers by a massive margin, yet she was still trying to defeat Razul. Perhaps that made her a fool, but she always liked idiots more.
Her and Raiden continued to fight for what felt like ages, though it likely hadn't even been half an hour, yet no progress had been made. She tried every trick in the book, she pushed her Intrinsic Skill: Ogre Berserker to the limits, she used Cook to the limits, her willpower was drained and she was beginning to feel the strain.
Saeko knew if something didn't change soon, then she and Raiden would lose. And going by the grim look on Raiden's face, she knew that as well.
She didn't let any of her feelings show on her face as she calmly deflected the shockwave from Razul's punch.
She and Raiden were mostly on the defensive in the latter part of this fight. Saeko's head snapped in Raiden's direction for a moment as she felt her friend's power swell and multiply, Razul similarly gazed at Raiden.
Then all of a sudden Raiden collapsed and cried out in pain. Saeko's eyes widened. "Raiden?!"
"Focus on the fight, Saeko." Raiden grit out as she slowly stood up. She could tell Raiden was on the brink of collapsing, yet she refused to give up.
Saeko nodded, respecting her friend's will as Raiden began slowly approaching her.
Razul calmly walked forwards as she and Raiden stood next to each other. With each step he took, his Aura swelled and multiplied.
"He was holding back." Raiden gritted out with frustration.
Saeko nodded.
"You are indeed strong. And you should be proud of that. But you can't win against me. You failed to damage my shell. You're finished. You should just give up and surrender! I have taken a liking to you so I am offering this final opportunity." Razul declared.
Saeko clicked her tongue. "You just don't get it do you? I will surpass my limits here and now, we will beat you." She declared with confidence.
Razul tilted his head in what seemed to be amusement, it was hard to read the facial expressions of an insect. But there was something in his stance that suggested he found her words entertaining.
Saeko activated Thought Acceleration and thought back to everything she had experienced, hoping for some form of inspiration.
Before meeting Felix-sama she was a fairly standard Majin, she pursued strength above all else, because strength is what secured safety in this world. If you were strong, then you were right. That's just how the world worked.
She believed that if you were weak you would die and deserved to be exploited. It wasn't until she herself died that she realized just how wrong her thought process was. From an outside view perhaps Felix-sama seemed similar in that respect, yet he wasn't. He was a tyrant of the highest order, yet he cared for those below him, those that were mere ants to his existence.
He enjoyed his power because it allowed him to have fun, those were his own words. He didn't dislike anyone for being weak, he didn't exploit those who were weak. Those in his territory were given a fair share and had to work for what they had, but there wasn't any exploitation. Working to survive was only natural, as long as one still got time to enjoy their life.
It was only after she herself died that she realized that life had more meaning than simply being strong. Strength and weakness had no meaning, if you were bad at something then you were good at something else, combat strength was merely one form of power, there were many other forms. Kurobe was one such individual, he was not strong in the traditional sense, yet he could make weapons that Kingdoms would go to war over.
After coming back to life, Saeko decided she wanted to understand what it meant to be alive, she started that by becoming lovers with Felix-sama, to understand that form of love and she hadn't regretted it since. Their relationship was different compared to the ones she grew up around.
After coming back alive she decided that she wanted to grow as a person, she let go of her ugly emotions, her envy of Raiden's position, of others close to Felix-sama, and simply decided that she would focus on her own growth. As long as she grew when compared to the her of the day before, then she would be satisfied.
Confirmation complete. The Intrinsic Skill: Ogre Berserker of the individual Saeko has evolved into the Unique Skill: Divine Berserker.
Saeko let a vicious smirk form on her face, she looked to Raiden and found a similar smile on her own face.
They would win this, Saeko just knew it.
- Raiden -
Raiden panted, sweat dripping down her face as she fought to steady her breathing. All the while, Razul began grandstanding. He was a fool if he believed they would surrender at this point.
So far everything she threw at Razul had been insufficient, even turning into lightning for more raw power was not worth it due to the massive energy drain.
As Saeko blocked one of Razul's punches, Raiden closed her eyes and focused on channeling the energy of the planet itself. Sir Middray had taught her the Art, Planetary Assimilation which involved taking the energy of the planet itself into her body. The strain on the body is immense as most are not built to channel that much energy, yet if winning was the objective it would work.
She hadn't managed to succeed in performing the Art even under Sir Middray's guidance, even guiding the energy of the planet slightly was a momentous task, yet there was no time like the present.
Raiden clenched her fists, her breath steadying as she focused inward. She felt the pulse of the planet beneath her feet, the deep, ancient rhythm of life that Sir Middray had once guided her toward.
Her senses attuned to the earth, the veins of energy coursing through it, she could almost taste the raw power within reach. So,so much energy was coursing through the planet even now, and drawing on even a fraction of a fraction would bestow one with incredible strength.
Even her Master had said the planet itself was almost like a living thing, and the planet's energy was immense, her Master had said it eclipsed even his own reserves, and her Master had over 50 times more EP than her.
"Come on…" She muttered under her breath, her body trembling as she willed the energy to flow into her. Saeko was buying time for her, they had tried almost everything they could think of, even Saeko's Cook wasn't powerful enough as Saeko's energy and perhaps her will was lacking.
The ground beneath her feet began to rumble softly, a response to her call. She felt a surge of warmth run up her legs, then through her core, spreading outward to her fingertips. For a brief moment, Raiden thought she had succeeded, she felt an almost unending torrent of power flood through her body. Razul's head snapped in her direction, as for the first time he took her seriously.
But then, without warning, the warmth turned into a searing heat, overwhelming her senses. Her muscles stiffened painfully, her veins felt like they were on fire, and her vision blurred. She lost control of the unending energy, it was too much power at once, Sir Middray had taken centuries to master the Art of Planetary Assimilation, to expect to do the same in a fraction of the time was too much, yet it was her only hope.
She screamed through gritted teeth, trying to hold onto the power, but it slipped through her grasp like sand. The energy lashed out uncontrollably, causing the earth around her to crack and splinter, sending debris flying in every direction.
Raiden collapsed to one knee, gasping for air. Her limbs felt heavy, and her head pounded with the force of what she had attempted. She hadn't been able to control it. She was still too weak.
"Raiden?!"
"Focus on the fight, Saeko." She grit out. They couldn't afford to be distracted right now. Razul was an absolute monster, his combat experience outshone theirs, and his energy reserves were larger than theirs. Yet his armor was the biggest reason for their failure so far. She had hoped to use Planetary Assimilation to elevate one of her attacks to damage if not destroy the armor.
She stood up and appeared next to Saeko, fighting through the immense pain she was currently in due to overexerting herself. They needed to group together to have a chance of defending against Razul.
With each step Razul took, his Aura swelled and multiplied.
"He was holding back." Raiden grit out. The only reason they had lasted so far was because of Saeko's Ultraspeed Regeneration, and her own speed causing most of Razul's attacks to miss.
Saeko nodded.
"You are indeed strong. And you should be proud of that. But you can't win against me. You failed to damage my shell. You're finished. You should just give up and surrender! I have taken a liking to you so I am offering this final opportunity." Razul declared.
Saeko clicked her tongue. "You just don't get it do you? I will surpass my limits here and now, we will beat you." She declared with confidence.
Raiden nodded along with Saeko, just because her plans failed so far, didn't mean her next plan would fail. She was stubborn and would keep trying to fulfill her Master's orders, as she should as his maid.
Razul took another step forwards, his Aura pressed against her own Dragon's Haki and Saeko's Mortal Fear, the air almost seemed to crack under their combined pressure.
Yet his Aura held the advantage, even against both of theirs. It just went to show that despite all the training she had undergone, it still wasn't enough. If she wanted to be the best maid, then she would have to put in even more effort.
She thought back to everything that had happened since she was born. As a Dragon she was practically a mass of energy, before she met her Master she barely had any thoughts of her own. She merely survived, and then she was named by her Master. That was when everything changed.
Her ego was still underdeveloped back then, she saw that her Master liked maids so she would become a maid to please him. She didn't attempt to think for herself as she didn't need to, she could leave everything to her Master.
The first time that changed was when Tempest was attacked by the Falmuth military. She had found the bodies of people that were nice to her, she had seen the body of Saeko. That was when she realized that she wasn't enough, she had to be more if she wanted to be the best version of herself.
And then she met Sir Middray some time after. He had told her that she wasn't complete in a way, that she was a gem waiting to be polished, but she had to change in order to truly fulfill her potential.
She had to become her own person, and so she stepped out of her comfort zone, outside of her role as a maid and explored herself. That was when she learned that there were many other things to be enjoyed about life, her life didn't have to revolve around being a maid for her Master.
Even better, her Master seemed to be genuinely happy that she was changing, that she was growing as a person. Her Master approved so she must have been on the right track.
Ever since then she had been stepping further and further outside of her comfort zone, she spoke with the people under her Master more rather than just ignoring them. She found hobbies that she enjoyed during her free time. She found it in herself to question her Master's motives from time to time.
Yet that didn't change that her dream was to become the perfect maid for her Master. In fact it only strengthened her resolve for her dream.
She would become the perfect maid, for she was Raiden, it was as simple as that.
All of a sudden she felt something within her change.
Unique Skill: Maid acquisition successful.
She blinked as everything became clear. She could feel an uncharacteristic grin form on her face. Her head snapped to Saeko who wore a similar grin.
"One final attack, Saeko?" She voiced out.
Saeko merely nodded as she gazed at Razul. Razul shifted on his feet slightly, as if he realized their threat level had increased drastically.
Raiden's eyes narrowed as she felt Saeko's body change, she knew very well what a Spiritual Body looked and felt like, and according to her own senses, Saeko was a Spiritual Lifeform.
Did she evolve?
Raiden shook her head, no it didn't seem like Saeko evolved, Raiden could sense Saeko's energy reserves as they had made a soul connection to assist in their coordination for this fight, and currently Saeko's magicule reserves were draining at an astronomical rate.
Saeko likely acquired a Skill that allowed her to temporarily take on the properties of a Spiritual Lifeform, similar to Benimaru's Flame Transformation, and her own Lightning Transformation. Something like that granted an incredible amount of raw power. But raw power had been shown to not be enough so far, but she trusted Saeko to know what she was doing.
As Razul's body lit up with Fighting Spirit, Raiden focused inwards. She would be the one leading this final attack with Saeko following up.
She activated Thought Acceleration and called upon the power of her new Unique Skill: Maid.
The sub-skill Service made it so that as long as Raiden believed she could win, and there was an actual possibility of victory, then her Skill would guide her towards her desired outcome, this was not as direct as it sounded as she would need to follow her instinct. This was a passive sub-skill.
However this was restricted in that Service's guidance made use of her own information, so if her enemy had some hidden ace she didn't know about, Service could not account for it, but it could fill in the smaller gaps for her.
The second sub-skill is Perfection. Whenever she is completing her duties as a maid she will do whatever her Master orders her to do perfectly, if she is ordered to kill someone she will do it in the perfect way, to cook food she will do it perfectly.
However if an opponent is above her level she will have to rely on 'Service' to guide her actions as this Skill does not make the impossible possible. This is also a passive ability that guides her unconsciously.
Then the final sub-skill is Servitude. She can reside in her Master's shadow for as long as she wishes, and she will feel a tug whenever her Master desires her presence, she can allow the tug to pull her, instantly transporting her to her Master's side, even most barriers would fail to hold her back when using this sub-skill.
She called upon 'Service' and 'Perfection' to help guide her actions.
She needed to create some sort of opening for Saeko's Certain Outcome to take advantage of, that was her objective. She began channeling the energy of the planet once again, remembering Middray's advice as 'Service' took everything into account.
She felt the way the energy flowed in her body change, as subtle misalignments were fixed, as she channeled the energy more efficiently, as she began to respect the planet itself.
Her Master was right, the planet was almost a living being, she needed to create a close bond with the planet itself to be able to use Planetary Assimilation properly, something that required mutual respect, and so she conveyed her will to the planet, her desire to succeed.
Raiden's muscles tensed, trembling under the pressure of the immense energy she was trying to harness. Her entire body was straining as if the very essence of the planet was fighting her will to control it, yet as time went on, she could feel the energy soothe the aches in her body as it began to bend under her control.
She refused to let go despite the increasing strain. Not now. Not when they were so close to the brink. Her mind flickered to her Master's lessons, how he always emphasized patience and control, qualities she had yet to fully master.
'You're trying to sprint before you can walk.' Sir Middray had often warned her. But what did it matter now? They didn't have time for patience. She was sure he would be rather upset at her relying on her Skill as a crutch to use Planetary Assimilation, but she could deal with his scolding later.
All of a sudden she felt everything snap into place.
"Get ready Saeko." She grit out as she channeled the energy of the planet into her tachi. Thankfully her tachi was strong enough not to shatter from the sheer power it channeled.
Sparks of Lightning flickered around her as Razul appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye, an odd seriousness shone in Razul's crimson eyes.
"It seems I have played around long enough." Razul grunted as he punched forwards creating a sonic explosion around his fist. Raiden resolved herself to take the hit so as to land her own strike.
In the blink of an eye her tachi met Razul's armor, and it cracked under the strain of her tachi.
Shockwaves emanate from their clash, brutalizing the surroundings.
That was all she saw before blood spurted out of her mouth as an explosive amount of force erupted from her midsection. She was sent flying away, all that she could hope was that Saeko managed to take advantage of the opportunity.
Through blurry eyes the last thing she saw was a blonde haired woman. "Well done."
- Saeko -
She grit her teeth as she ignored her friend for the moment. After Razul sent Raiden flying away he calmly looked down to his chest. One of his hands slowly rose as he lightly touched the crack on his armor.
"All that for just a crack." He said, but she could feel his respect for Raiden grow. Even Saeko was rather shocked at what Raiden managed to do. She wasn't sure if with all her power she could manage to crack the armor of Razul, yet Raiden managed it.
Her energy was rapidly draining as Divine Berserker elevated her flesh temporarily. It granted her a boost in raw power but she couldn't hold this state for long, and she would be sore for a long while when she returned to normal. But as long as she beat Razul, then it would be worth it.
Razul lowered his hands as he faced her. Perhaps she could have attacked while Razul was distracted, but despite everything Saeko was an honorable fighter, even if this was a 2v1 she wouldn't defeat her greatest obstacle yet with a sneak attack.
Razul tilted his head. "Your friend managed to land a rather lasting wound, it seems I was too lax to not take you two seriously from the start." Razul said as he began to focus his remaining Fighting Spirit into his fist.
Saeko raised her odachi as she began channeling her own Fighting Spirit. Her focus was on the crack that Raiden managed to create with her last attack. Under the influence of Divine Berserker her Aura increased by multiple times and even began to overwhelm Razul's.
Saeko dashed forwards at speeds she couldn't even dream of before. In her perception it was as if the world itself was paused, with he being the only one to move. Yet that was when Razul, for the first time since the fight had begun, moved backwards.
Saeko's body was moving on pure instinct, following everything she had learned. Her footsteps were light yet powerful as she moved. Each step only briefly touched the ground, yet it left an explosion behind her.
Razul, on the other hand, moved in a strange pattern unlike any she had seen before. She was certainly faster, but she couldn't quite reach him.
Taking in a deep breath, Saeko relaxed her body, slowing down for an instant before launching herself directly at Razul and closing in the gap.
Knowing he could no longer dodge, Razul stopped in his tracks and prepared to defend himself.
Saeko's odachi was raised high as she began to use Cook to manifest her desired outcome. With all her willpower infused in her strike, it could cut through all the laws in the world.
Yet, Razul dodged her first swing, moving his body just out of reach as he sent a punch in her direction.
His fist collided against her chest, yet even as she felt her body collapse under the pressure, she continued on.
Swinging her sword once again, Razul weaved back, coating his fists in Fighting Spirit and sending Aura blasts in her direction. Yet her odachi cut through them as if they were butter, dispersing the energy in the attacks away as she moved to him.
"It seems I must extinguish thy flame." Razul muttered, standing his ground as he prepared for a final attack.
"Chaotic Fate!" Saeko yelled as Razul sent a fist covered in Aura in her direction. Yet, this time, it was she who dodged. The fist passed by her head, missing her by only a few hairs as she aimed her odachi directly at Razul's armor. Or, more precisely the crack Raiden managed to form.
The moment she struck, they both froze in their places. Razul's fist still stretched past her face. Then, he felt the power that seeped through the crack, affecting his entire body.
The cracks slowly began to expand and spread, slowly overtaking his entire body. Then, Razul took a step back as he collapsed to his knees.
"Both of your strengths.... extraordinary...." He muttered as he looked up into the sky in defeat. "Oh, dearest Granbell, my master. I'm sorry, I have finally met my match." And with that Razul's armor, or rather his shell shattered as he turned into motes of light. His body turned into energy and vanished.
Suddenly her legs began shaking as Divine Berserker wore off, she stabbed her odachi into the ground to use as a crutch, yet her grip loosened as she began falling. Just before she was about to collapse she felt herself land in someone's arms.
"Good job, Saeko. You surpassed your limits as Felix likes to say."
- Sukuna -
He allowed a mad cackle to leave his throat as he gestured towards the Monster that had leaped at him. Moments later the Monster was cut apart into pieces. He and Kurumi had just left the company of that oddly strong Human. In his experiences Humans tended to be weak, but this world was one of many wonders.
"Ah, I've missed this, the chaos, the destruction, the pain! It's all so much like the Heian Era!" He yelled in glee. He finally had the chance to allow his inner demon out, to stop holding back.
His eyes were locked with that of a Dragon, one that was merely observing him.
It's intelligent.
"Fufufu, I have not seen you like this before, Sukuna." He heard a seductive voice say behind him.
He looked towards Kurumi, one of his Lord's fellow subordinates. It was still odd to refer to someone as his Lord, he knew he had been changed. He still had the memories of when he was the King of Curses, yet the emotions behind those memories were dulled to the point that he didn't mind his new place in life. He didn't mind how he had been forcefully changed. The weak serve at the whims of the strong after all.
"I am merely enjoying the opportunity to let loose." He responded diplomatically. He wasn't all that close to many people.
Kurumi merely raised a brow as a Monster that was attempting to sneak attack her was crushed by Gravity.
Kurumi tilted her head. "I see, did you wish to handle the Dragon then?"
Sukuna nodded. "I do."
Kurumi nodded. "I will go after the one behind these Monsters then. Good luck." She said as she vanished.
Sukuna turned around, facing the Dragon who merely looked down at him arrogantly. Despite being under someone's control, it seems it still retained its general characteristics.
Sukuna slowly walked forwards, as two more arms unveiled from his toros, and his two extra eyes opened from his cheekbones.
"I am Ryomen Sukuna." He introduced himself. "I will be killing you." He declared with certainty.
The Dragon huffed in amusement. Sukuna was beginning to doubt if the Dragon was truly controlled or if it merely tagged along out of amusement.
Sukuna's eyes gleamed with malicious excitement as he strode forward, his extra arms flexing with anticipation. The Dragon before him, a massive creature covered in shimmering scales, watched with arrogant disinterest.
"Ah, you think you're above me, don't you?" Sukuna chuffed, his voice dripping with dark amusement. "It has been a long time since I have been looked at like that."
With a sudden burst of speed, Sukuna dashed toward the Dragon, his feet barely touching the ground as he closed the distance in an instant. The Dragon reacted quickly, a torrent of fire erupting from its maw, the heat searing the earth in front of it. Sukuna leapt through the flames, his magicules flaring around him like a shield.
Magicules were different yet similar to cursed energy in many ways, it had been a joy for Sukuna to explore the many new avenues of power available to him. Even his Innate Technique had been strengthened by this world.
His extra arms reached out, one of them grabbing the Dragon's thick tail as it whipped toward him. His muscles bulged as he grinned. "Got you."
With a swift movement, he slammed the Dragon into the ground, sending tremors through the earth. Before the creature could recover, he placed a hand directly onto its flank, channeling magicules into his palm.
"Cleave."
His technique surged through his hand, adjusting to the Dragon's immense toughness and energy. The Dragon's scales, thick and nearly impervious to most attacks, offered no resistance as his power found the perfect balance.
In one fluid motion, the Dragon's side was torn open, a clean cut slicing through muscle and bone alike. He felt a significant drain on his reserves, proving just how durable the Dragon was.
The Dragon roared in agony, twisting its massive body to throw him off. Sukuna jumped back, watching with cruel delight as blood poured from the wound.
The beast retaliated with a powerful swipe of its claws, aiming to crush Sukuna where he stood. But he was faster. With inhuman agility, he darted forward again, his extra arms grabbing hold of the Dragon's foreleg, anchoring himself. His lower arms pressed against the Dragon's scaled hide.
"You're already dead."
With another Cleave, he tore through the Dragon's leg, severing it in a flash of magicules. The beast collapsed to the ground, its strength sapped by the precision of his attack. It let out a final, guttural roar, its arrogance crumbling into desperation.
"Pitiful." Sukuna remarked, walking around the fallen creature, his four eyes gleaming. "I expected more."
The Dragon was mighty, despite the relative ease he felt in taking it down. When compared to his former self, this Dragon was stronger, its body was tougher, and it had more energy. Yet in coming to this world every aspect of him was strengthened, his energy, his technique, and even his domain. He had not been slacking since he arrived in this world either, he would not be the King of Curses if he did not strive for more.
As the Dragon attempted to rise again, wings beating feebly, Sukuna decided it was time to end things. Out of respect for the Dragon's might, he raised his hand, fingers twitching slightly.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine."
As a World System Skill he did not need to chant the name, yet the words still left his mouth.
The grotesque shrine materialized around them, trapping the wounded Dragon inside. The Dragon, sensing the end, tried one last time to break free. But within his domain, escape was impossible.
Invisible, deadly cuts rained down on the Dragon from all angles, each one perfectly calibrated to its remaining defenses. The Dragon's body was reduced to shreds in moments, its once-proud form utterly destroyed.
As he dispersed his domain, Sukuna sighed in disappointment. He had expected more power from a mighty Dragon. It seems that not all Dragons were created equal, as Raiden was still more powerful than him.
Sukuna blinked as Kurumi appeared before him, her tails lightly swishing through the wind. "Did you already finish?" He asked.
She nodded as she looked at the body of the Dragon. "The one controlling the Monsters has been taken care of. I imagine the Monsters will be rather easy to round up now that they lack coordination."
He nodded. "I do believe our Lord wished for us to help in that endeavor."
Kurumi nodded. "Indeed."
- Rimuru Tempest -
"Th-Thank you for dealing with those ruffians, Sir Rimuru! You as well Sir Saare!" One of the counselors said, his voice trembling with a mixture of relief and awe.
Rimuru smiled as Benimaru and Souei took their places behind him. "No problem! I'm just glad everyone's safe."
Saare similarly nodded. "I am merely doing the duty that was assigned to me."
The remaining counselors all murmured their own thanks before turning to each other and began to murmur among themselves. He could overhear their conversation quite effortlessly, they were talking about how close that was, and how they were thankful for his presence.
That all worked out rather well.
By dealing with the attackers he was able to get some trust from the counselors as well as make an even better impression.
His gaze turned to the six attackers that Benimaru, Souei, and Saare managed to take out.
The atmosphere, previously tense, started to slowly relax as the counselors were assured of their safety.
He tilted his head as he turned around to face the rest of the counselors. "Was this meeting not supposed to be… safe?"
One of the counselors nodded nervously. "O-Of course it was! Someone must have tampered with the barrier! We will give you an explanation as soon as possible!" The rest of the counselors nodded along, surprisingly they were all on the same page when just earlier they were at each other's throats trying to get their respective nations more benefits from Tempest.
"Ara, there is no need for that." Rimuru jumped slightly as he heard a seductive voice echo throughout the room.
Saare immediately raised his blade defensively before deflating after catching sight of who it was that had intruded. Benimaru and Souei similarly froze up for a moment before drawing their weapons, though when they caught sight of the woman in question they relaxed.
"A-Arcueid! What are you doing here?!" He asked as Arcueid seductively prawled towards them, holding a man by the scruff of his neck.
He didn't even sense her! How was that even possible? There was another man walking a distance behind Arcueid, but he had sensed him, he just assumed he was another guard or something coming to check on the situation.
His brows furrowed as he senses something different about Arcueid. She seemed to be… more.
Did she evolve? He could sense the faint thrums of Divinity radiating off of her. Benimaru and Souei shifted nervously as Arcueid calmly approached, the counselors were damn near shitting themselves, as despite releasing no Aura, Arcueid still had a presence about her. A presence that most couldn't ignore.
'Notice. It is likely that the Daemon Arcueid has developed an Ultimate Skill of her own, allowing her to hide her Aura masterfully.'
Damn, concealing herself to the point that even Raphael couldn't detect her?
Scary.
What the hell Felix?! Felix didn't tell him Arcueid would be here, this woman seriously scared him! She was super intense! A month ago she came up to him with an entire plan on how to conquer the Western Nations without lifting a finger! She's way too scary!
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I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
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Author's Note: Hello everyone, back with another chapter of Daemon. Saeko and Raiden finally get a bit of a power up, Saeko's is the same as what she got in canon though her mindset is a tad different. I thought of giving her some other ability but couldn't really come up with one that would have been worth including. Raiden got a rather powerful Skill, she needed something to keep up in my eyes, as while Lightning is powerful, I just felt like compared to Saeko and the other's bullshit it was rather simple. But perhaps I'm just not being creative enough.
The fight with Saeko and Raiden went on pretty long but I wanted to show off how they've grown a bit, the rest of the fights should hopefully be shorter. I'm hoping to wrap the attack up in the next chapter but there are still a few povs to cover so who knows how that'll go, just gotta cross my fingers and hope for the best. Hopefully you're all enjoying this attack segment but I understand if it's a bit bothersome to read so many fights one after the other, but a needs a must, lots of stuff to cover after all, and I don't want to decrease the quality of my work by summarize relatively important events.
Also Sukuna bodied the Dragon. RIP Dragon. Sukuna's abilities have always been pretty cool in my eyes so I wanted to show him off a little bit since he's had little screen time so far.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.
Also, you guys should check out @BonVoyage Tensura fic, it's pretty damn good