Aur pounced onto the blood-soaked corpse of the fallen beast without hesitation, her tiny fangs gleaming as she tore into the flesh. One of the demons whipped his head around, sensing the disturbance—then froze mid-motion. His glowing red eyes locked with hers.
Unbothered by the murderous intent radiating toward her, Aur paused mid-bite, a wicked grin spreading across her face. She flashed a devilish smile that only a chaotic little beast like her could pull off.
'You're provoking them again, huh,' I thought, pressing a palm to my forehead with a sigh—but I couldn't help the smirk tugging at my lips.
She laughed through our mental link, licking blood from her fangs. 'What? I was hungry. Besides, you guys needed a little push, right?'
The demon roared, his voice shattering the air like cracking obsidian. He lunged toward her, fangs bared in primal fury. The rest of the pack spotted her too—stealing their prey—and in seconds their rivalry was forgotten. United in rage, they charged at the small beast who dared mock them.
A sharp snap echoed beside me—Master's signal. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight. The next moment, he reappeared between Aur and the onrushing demons, his hand slicing through the air. Six brilliant bolts of lightning materialized around him and shot forward like meteors.
The crackling arrows exploded mid-flight as the demons hastily summoned black source shields. Sparks flew like a storm of shattered stars. The impact alone hurled them several steps back, their claws grinding furrows into the dirt.
Before they could recover, Master moved again—like thunder given form.
THUD!
THUD!
Two demons were sent hurtling through the forest, their bodies smashing through trees with bone-crunching force. Splinters and leaves erupted in their wake.
Not wasting a heartbeat, I dashed toward the remaining four. Ten crystalline ice arrows shimmered into existence before me, each one thrumming with lethal intent. I targeted the strongest aura and released them in a single motion. Frost-laced winds spun in my wake as the projectiles screamed forward. But they were fast.
A dome of dark energy surged up around them, devouring the icy barrage with a hiss—the collision of shadow and frost turning the air to steam.
"I'm also here to join the fun," I called out with a grin. "Hope you don't mind."
One of the demons stepped out from the barrier, his mouth curving into a jagged grin. "Oh, a challenger. I was getting bored of clawing at my own brothers. Let's make this entertaining."
Behind me, Krent and Kylon exploded into action. The air rang with the sound of metal clashing against claws—
CLANG!
CLANG!
The forest itself seemed to tremble, as though even the trees held their breath.
I turned my gaze to the two demons standing before me and smiled sharply. "Well then… shall we begin?"
They lunged, claws slicing through the air like twin blades of death. I met their charge head-on.
Mana surged through my body as I activated the storage mark etched into my palm. A radiant glow flared—then, with a shimmer of light, Father's sword materialized in my grasp. I exhaled, steadying my stance, and swung.
SHING!
Steel met claws. The impact rattled through my arms like thunder. Their hands didn't break or bleed—they felt like solid iron. Sparks erupted as we clashed again and again, each collision ringing through the clearing.
"Not bad," one demon snarled, his eyes gleaming with hunger. "Let's see how long you last, little human."
I smirked, aura flaring around me. "Long enough to take both of you down."
Energy poured through my veins like molten fire. My body strengthened, aura and mana intertwining until a second skin of energy enveloped me. My movements sharpened. My focus crystallized. I lunged forward, sword raised high, and brought it down with all my force.
CLANG!
Their claws met my blade in a shower of sparks. Then again.
CLANG!
And again.
CLANG!
The rhythm of battle consumed everything—the echo of steel, the rush of air, the pulse of energy bursting with every strike. Invisible shockwaves rippled through the forest, rustling leaves and sending waves of dirt outward. My arms ached, but I refused to yield.
Suddenly, one of the demons leapt back, his hands glowing crimson. I narrowed my eyes. He was preparing something.
Flames erupted in his palms, swirling into a massive arrow that burned with unstable energy. The air warped around it.
FWOOSH!
He fired. I dashed aside just in time, the blazing projectile scorching the earth where I'd stood. But I couldn't react fast enough—
CRACK!
The second demon appeared before me, his fist driving deep into my gut.
"Guh—!"
The world spun as I was thrown backward, crashing spine-first into a tree. The trunk shuddered, bark splitting as pain erupted through my body. I hit the ground hard, coughing blood, the metallic taste coating my tongue.
I groaned, vision blurring. My aura had softened the hit, but not nearly enough. My ribs burned.
'Tch… they're no joke,' I thought, dragging myself upright despite the screaming protest of my muscles.
'Aur…!'
My eyes darted toward her. Relief washed through me when I saw her unharmed, sitting near the half-eaten carcass as if none of this concerned her. But her gaze wasn't on me—it was on Master.
And I soon saw why. He wasn't fighting them. He was toying with them.
Every movement of his was deliberate, graceful, deadly. His strikes flowed like a dance—each counter precise, each motion effortless. The demons couldn't even react in time. One tried to flank him, and without glancing back, Master kicked him through a boulder.
It wasn't combat. It was like art.
Aur's tail flicked lazily. 'He's playing with them,' she remarked in my mind, mirroring my thoughts. I exhaled slowly, gripping my sword tighter. 'Yeah… that's the difference between us and master.'
The remaining demon facing me sneered, his crimson eyes gleaming with scorn. "So, you were all talk after all."
I spat blood to the side and tightened my grip. The wind stirred, responding to my rising mana.
A faint smile crossed my face. "Let's see who's talking after this."
Before the words even faded, I launched forward, channeling the fury of the storm. Mana coiled around my arm, shaping into swirling blades of air. Over a dozen wind arrows shimmered into being above me, their tips keening with deadly force.
SWISH—SHHH!
The barrage tore through the air, slicing toward the two demons like invisible guillotines.
Their smugness vanished in an instant. One scrambled to summon a barrier, but he was too slow.
CRACK!
BOOM!
The first volley shattered his guard, slamming him backward with a guttural roar. The other tried to dodge—failed—and screamed as one arrow sliced across his arm, leaving a deep crimson gash.
"I told you," I said coldly, stepping forward as mana surged through me, "I'm not done yet."
Winds began to spiral around my body, forming miniature cyclones that rippled with power. The air itself seemed to tighten, resonating with my will.
The second round had begun.