Grrr...
Feeling flames licking its skin the Demon growled.
It was the third time it was hit by one of the Fire spells cast by the girl.
His nose wrinkled at the scent of smoke and burning flesh.
However, his fury only kept rising...
He was an experienced D- Rank Demon, who had many battles under his belt and yet, a group of mere humans, no stronger than E Rank were able to push him back.
"Pests..."
His growls reverberated through the Dark Alley, making me feel a sense of dreadful foreboding as I observed his sharp teeth gritting against each other.
"I've never thought that I'd have to use this on mere students..."
The Demon sneered as he held his hand up, Dark Mana surging through his fingertips.
"Blood Cross: Blood Absorption!"
All of a sudden, there was a surge of energy in the air as the blood started to ooze from the ground, the lifeless soldier's body and our own wounds, gathering in the Demon's open palm.
In that movement, I finally understood why the Demon was so confident in his abilities, although he was constantly being battered by our attacks.
Why shouldn't he?
He possessed the Blood Mana Art, a skill exclusive to one of the Noble Demon Families, which was at least a four-star technique.
"..."
Looking at the crimson orb pulsating between the Demon's fingers, I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine.
I was really unlucky to meet such a creature in a dark valley.
"Blood Cross: Bleeding Chain!"
The Demon growled, throwing the orb above his head with a swift motion.
Crack...
The orb burst open in mid-air, splattering crimson droplets that formed into sharp chains of blood.
A dozen of such chains shot out towards us, their tips gleaming with a deadly intent.
There was not a single hesitation in their movement, they moved like living beings hunting their prey.
The chains of blood lashed out with deadly precision, seeking to ensnare each one of us.
As the first one closed in on me, I understood that holding back was no longer an option.
"Aura Blade..."
Golden Dagger materialized in my hand, and with a swift motion, I deflected the incoming chain of blood, letting it slide off the sharp edge of my blade.
Ughhh...
I could feel the force behind the impact of the chain against my blade, sending a jolt of vibration through my arm.
However, I didn't have time to ponder as another dozen such chains came hurtling toward me with relentless force.
Clank... Clank...
Holding Aura Blade with one hand and Longsword with the other, I deflected the incoming chains of blood with swift and precise movements.
For a moment, my consciousness blurred, leaving only instincts to guide my actions, which proved to be very effective in avoiding the deadly chains.
I couldn't see how the girls were faring against the onslaught of the chains, but I was too occupied to think about their situation.
"Hahahaha..."
I could hear the Demon's laughter and momentarily turned my gaze toward him, which made my face contort into a frown.
All the girls were trapped in Chains of Blood, lifted above the Demon's head with an ominous smile on his face.
They were struggling to free themselves but it was hopeless, the chains held them tightly preventing them from any of their escape attempts.
"Surrender yourself or else they die..."
Deflecting the last chain that came for me, I could hear the Demon hiss with satisfaction, his voice dripping with malice and power.
He thought that he had the edge on me...
"..."
Turning to face his gleeful smile, I also smirked with a calm expression.
"Do you like explosions?"
I spoke with a cool tone, making the Demon raise his head in confusion.
"Explo-?"
Boom...
Suddenly, the ground beneath him erupted into chaos as a series of explosions rippled through the air, shaking the surroundings and sending debris flying.
The force of the explosions knocked the Demon off balance and disrupted his control over the Chains of Blood, freeing the girls from restraints.
Although my surprise had pushed Demon back temporarily, I knew that our battle was far from over.
He was barely hurt by the Rune I've supplied with one-third of my Mana.
Like in the last fight against the Demon, I've managed to draw a Rune while in the middle of the battle.
It wasn't very hard, since during the battle we kept shifting our locations and sometimes I even consciously allowed myself to be pushed back to the same exact spot to finish imbuing a Rune.
Although I didn't expect the Demon to have a Blood Mana Art, I was prepared to adapt my strategies and tactics to counter his abilities.
There were currently another two Runes that I had already prepared in my mind, ready to unleash when the opportunity presented itself.
One was earth spikes that were imbued on the wall of the alley and upon the touch, they would jut out and impale anyone, immobilizing them temporarily.
The second one was a flash grenade or rather a Brick I'd found along the way that I had enchanted to release a blinding flash of light upon impact.
This consumed a ton of my Mana since I'm pretty clueless about the Light Element and could only will the Rune to appear itself without drawing manually, which cost me a fortune of Mana.
If everything was to go according to my plan, I knew that the chances of defeating the Demon would be higher.
ƥandasnovel·ƈom However, it was rare that everything went according to plan.
Especially for me...
If there's one lesson life has taught me, it's that fate is a bitch!
"HUMANS!"
While the girls retreated to a safer distance, the Demon managed to recover and spat out a mouthful of blood before uttering a menacing growl.
His veins could be visible through his skin, pulsating with the dark energy that fueled his power.
"I will make you feel so much pain..."
His eyes glowed with a fiery intensity, filled with malice and hatred as he locked his gaze onto me.
"Blood Cross: Blood Flow acceleration!"
Suddenly, the veins that were previously visible on the Demon's body began to throb violently, pumping what seemed like an increased flow of blood throughout his entire being.
Instantly, I could feel the pressure building in the air, as if a storm was brewing.
As the Demon's blood flow accelerated, his speed increased exponentially. He moved with such lightning-like swiftness that it felt like he was everywhere at once. We were tossed around like ragdolls, unable to keep up with his newfound power.
Thud...
He struck out at the girls with brutal force. One of them took a direct hit to the jaw, instantly knocking her unconscious.
Her body fell to the ground limp and motionless.
Thud...
Another received a swift kick to the abdomen, leaving her gasping for breath and defenseless.
She could barely react before Demon threw her at the wall with a terrifying force, causing her to slump down in pain.
Thud...
Using his elbow, he struck the third girl in the solar plexus, disrupting her Mana Flow, and she fell unconscious as well.
The other two managed to stand their ground, but it was clear that they would soon be also heavily injured by the Demon.
I knew I had to act quickly before he could inflict more damage. Gathering my focus, I dashed toward him, swinging both of my weapons at the same type, but he effortlessly leaped above them, his increased speed making it seem like child's play.
However, this was still salvageable.
My first Rune, the flash grenade or enchanted Brick, was the next part of my plan.
Swoosh...
I hurled it toward the Demon, hoping the blinding light would slow him down. However, his enhanced reflexes allowed him to avoid the impact zone, only slightly affected by the burst of light.
"Fucking Human!!!"
My heart pounded in my chest as I scrambled to adjust my tactics. With the Demon's power reaching terrifying heights, I had to rely on my wits and improvisation. I focused on channeling my Mana more efficiently, trying to match his speed and find an opening.
In a daring move, I dashed towards him, feinting an attack from the left before quickly changing direction to the right. Surprisingly, the Demon was a tad slower after my flash grenade, just enough to catch him off guard momentarily. I swung my Aura Blade, aiming for his back, but he sensed my presence and spun around, parrying the strike.
"Pathetic..."
The Demon's eyes glowed with disdain as he brushed off my attack with ease. He retaliated with a swift counter, sending me sprawling back, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. The pain from his strike throbbed through my body, but I gritted my teeth, refusing to back down.
"..."
I glanced over at the girls, lying unconscious on the ground, and strange emotions surged within me.
Why did I even bother to protect them in the first place?
If I didn't activate my Explosion Rune previously, maybe I would've had a chance to defeat this Demon on my own.
'Fuck...'
As the Demon lunged for another attack, I made a split-second decision and activated my second Rune - the wall spikes.
Swish...
I threw a pebble toward the wall, seeing as it was my last resort.
Crack...
Instantly, a few rows of sharp spikes emerged from the alley walls, seeking to ensnare the Demon and momentarily halt his relentless assault. However, he anticipated my move and effortlessly avoided them.
But the split second he spent evading the spikes allowed me to find an opening. I charged forward, launching a flurry of strikes at the Demon. Some connected, but most were parried or dodged.
Although the situation might seem hopeless...
It is not.
The 'Blood Flow Acceleration' was a skill used by many Blood Mana Art users.
While it had its temporary enchantments and heightened physical abilities, it came with its own set of risks as well.
It was limited to a short burst of heightened performance, and the aftermath would leave the user physically drained and vulnerable.
If I managed to survive until that...
The Demon would die.
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