Episode 223: The Demon Slayer Squad (3)
The Demon Slayer Squad had the advantage in numbers, but the terrain favored Vanexia.
“Come on, you imperial swine!”
As Vanexia cast her spells, over ten dark magic incantations erupted simultaneously.
A bitter cold swept in like a storm, and razor-sharp ice blades rained down relentlessly. Sharp spikes shot up from the ground.
Damian recognized every dark spell Vanexia used.
“All of them are high-tier dark magic.”
Even a single one of these spells could kill thousands. And with the pre-installed magic circles in her lab, Vanexia’s dark magic was even more potent.
But Rainey and Wilhelm were no pushovers. Their hands blurred, unleashing a torrent of slashes.
The dark magic was sliced apart by their attacks. Vanexia’s brow furrowed as she watched.
“Ugh…”
Roger watched the two with a worried expression, while Damian observed the battle with a calm demeanor.
“They’re both incredibly skilled.”
Despite the gravity of the battle, Damian held back, wanting to assess their abilities.
Trained by the Sword Saint, they were the third and fourth strongest in the Demon Slayer Squad.
He couldn’t help but be curious.
“With such skill, how did they die before the Great War?”
No matter how strong, fate could be cruel. Damian thought it was a waste for such talents to die young.
“You fight well for a bunch of pigs!”
Vanexia shouted, slamming her staff into the ground. A blizzard roared to life, snow swirling violently.
As a single snowflake grazed Rainey’s cheek, it split open, blood seeping out.
“What…?”
Rainey looked up in shock. The snow falling from the sky wasn’t just ice crystals.
They were deadly weapons, sharp enough to cut through protective auras.
“Surprised? This is my ‘secret art.’ I can make snow fall with extreme sharpness.”
Vanexia raised her staff high, the storm sucking in all the snow.
“I’ll kill you without a trace.”
She aimed her staff at the two, a white blizzard rushing towards them.
“Brother! Sister!”
Roger shouted in panic. Even a single snowflake could cut through their defenses.
And now, a blizzard was about to engulf them.
“Wilhelm, looks like we need to get serious.”
Rainey said, and Wilhelm nodded.
In that moment, their eyes changed. They stared unblinkingly at the oncoming blizzard.
Just before it hit, they swung their swords simultaneously. A strange phenomenon occurred.
The storm split, veering away from them.
“Incredible. To alter the flow of the wind with swordsmanship.”
The Sword Saint’s insight allowed them to read and change the flow of the storm, escaping the dark magic.
“The Sword Saint really did raise monsters!”
Vanexia was stunned as her secret art was so easily thwarted.
That moment of shock was her downfall.
Rainey seized the opening, swinging her sword. An aura blade flew towards Vanexia.
“Argh!”
The aura blade sliced through Vanexia’s shoulder, the one holding her staff.
Her arm was severed, blood splattering on the ground. Vanexia clutched her shoulder in agony.
“Wilhelm!”
Rainey and Wilhelm charged at Vanexia to finish her off.
Rainey aimed to plunge her sword into Vanexia’s heart.
At that moment, Damian noticed something.
From Vanexia’s spilled blood, a massive amount of dark energy began to surge.
“Watch your feet!”
Damian shouted. Ice erupted from the bloodstains.
Ice blades slashed at the two, piercing the ceiling.
“Ugh!”
”…!”
Blood gushed from their bodies, the wounds deep. The bleeding was severe.
But thanks to Damian’s warning, they narrowly avoided fatal injuries.
”…!”
Wilhelm, with a bit more composure, swung his sword at Vanexia.
A sky-blue aura blade severed Vanexia’s neck. But Wilhelm’s attack didn’t stop there.
He split her face in half and sliced her body into pieces before finally halting.
Vanexia, the terror of Pandemonium, died without a final scream.
“Huff… Huff…”
As soon as they felled Vanexia, the two collapsed, clutching their wounds in pain.
“Sister! Brother!”
Roger rushed to them, pulling potions from his pouch to treat their injuries.
“Quick, drink this! I didn’t realize the wounds were this severe…!”
But the wounds were freezing over, the cold reaching their organs. The potions had little effect.
“Da-Damian Haxen…”
Rainey spoke through gritted teeth, addressing Damian.
“Th-Thank you. If it weren’t for you, we’d both be dead.”
Victory had been within reach, and they had let their guard down.
Vanexia had laid a trap, and they had almost fallen for it.
“You put on quite a show. It’s the least I could do.”
“Ahaha, I guess we’ve paid for our lives today. Lucky us.”
Rainey laughed, though sweat continued to pour down her face from the pain.
Suddenly, Wilhelm tugged on Damian’s sleeve.
Damian turned, curious. Wilhelm silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Unable to speak, it was his way of expressing gratitude.
“Sister! Brother! We don’t have time for this! We need to find a healer! Potions won’t fix these wounds!”
Roger cried, his voice trembling. Rainey reassured him, patting his back.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the entrance they had come through. Roger and Rainey fell silent instinctively.
The footsteps grew louder, and with them, a sense of foreboding.
Finally, someone appeared in the corridor.
A woman of immense stature. At first, they doubted she was a woman.
Her face was beautiful, but her size was enormous. Her entire body was muscular.
Her muscles were so exaggerated, it seemed as if they were carved from stone.
“Hmm? What’s going on here?”
The woman tilted her head, surveying the scene.
“I was asked to teach Vanexia a lesson… but she’s already dead? And there are imperial knights here? What’s this all about?”
She kept tilting her head, puzzled.
Rainey scrutinized the woman’s face. Suddenly, her expression hardened.
”…Salik of the Overpowering Force.”
“Hmm? You know me?”
“The dark knight who abandoned her position for the temptress Sla… What are you doing here?”
Rainey’s voice was filled with shock and fear.
“Sla asked me to. Said Vanexia was getting uppity and needed a lesson. But she’s already dead, so what now?”
Salik scratched her head.
While she seemed relaxed, the others were not.
Rainey and Wilhelm, their greatest assets, were in shambles after the battle with Vanexia.
Facing Salik in this state was impossible.
“Ah… Now I can’t repay Sla… I had a chance to spend a night with her…”
Salik sighed, clearly displeased.
“But I can’t lie. I’ll have to take your heads as proof instead.”
The group’s faces turned grim at her words.
Except for one—Damian Haxen. From the moment Salik entered, he had been staring at her intently.
His demeanor irked Salik.
“Why are you so calm? You’re annoying. Maybe I’ll kill you firs—”
Suddenly, Salik’s expression went blank.
“Are you… Damian Haxen?”
“You’ve got it right.”
“Ha… Damian Haxen… Damian Haxen… What a stroke of luck.”
Salik slapped her forehead in delight.
“You’ll have to come with me. Sla’s been longing for you. She’ll be thrilled if I bring you to her.”
Salik’s aura flared. The ground beneath her shattered, the entire cavern shaking violently.
Her presence alone was comparable to the combined force of Rainey and Wilhelm. It meant Salik, by herself, was as formidable as two master-class warriors.
“It’d be wise to come quietly. Otherwise, you’ll regret—”
Just then, an overwhelming presence was felt from above. Everyone in the room instinctively looked up.
The stone ceiling rippled like water, and suddenly, the head of a young boy popped through.
“Ah, finally found it.”
The boy shook his head vigorously, causing dirt to cascade down.
But when he glanced below, his face went blank.
“Uh… what? Huh? What the heck?”
The boy descended from the ceiling, looking utterly bewildered.
“Vanexia’s dead… Imperial knights? And Salik too? What on earth is going on here?”
“Blade? What are you doing here, kid?”
“I’m not a kid, you know. I’m actually older than you—ah, never mind. I’m here on my master’s orders.”
The boy sighed and continued.
“My master told me to teach Vanexia a lesson… but it seems that’s not going to happen now, is it?”
Raeni, who had been watching the boy intently, exclaimed in shock.
“The infamous Barche… even the Weapon Master’s top disciple is here?”
“So you know who I am?”
“How could I not? You’ve killed quite a few Imperial knights.”
Raeni’s voice dripped with menace. Barche chuckled.
“Can’t help it if the Empire’s knights don’t like me. But showing such open hostility… that’s just bad luck.”
Barche clenched his fist, and armor extended from his shoulder, encasing it.
“Look at me like that, and you’ll pay the price.”
A terrifying aura emanated from Barche. Just then, Salik shouted.
“Barche. Do you plan to act on your own with me standing here?”
“Why should I care about your opinion?”
“You’re ignoring me.”
“Still spouting nonsense, I see.”
The two glared at each other, clearly not on good terms.
“Wait a minute.”
Barche suddenly noticed Demian.
“Is that… Demian Haxen? What’s he doing here?”
“Beats me.”
“Wow, what luck! If I take him back, my master might reward me with another set of armor!”
Barche moved to grab Demian, but Salik swung his hand.
A line was drawn at Barche’s feet with a whoosh. Barche’s expression turned grim.
“Salik. What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’ve already claimed Demian Haxen. Back off.”
“You’re full of it. I’m taking him.”
“Figured you wouldn’t back down easily.”
The two locked eyes, tension crackling between them.
“Demian.”
Meanwhile, Raeni whispered to Demian.
“We’ll hold them off. You find a chance to escape.”
Demian was taken aback by the unexpected suggestion.
“What are you talking about?”
“As members of the Demon Slayer Squad, we’re prepared to give our lives to defeat the great evil of Pandemonium. But you’re not one of us yet. You don’t need to die here.”
Raeni looked at Wilhelm and Roger.
“So it’s right for us to make the sacrifice. Don’t you agree?”
The two nodded without hesitation.
“You heard her, right? We’ll hold them off, so you escape and find refuge with your master.”
In that moment, Demian was overwhelmed by indescribable emotions.
The Demon Slayer Squad.
They were all people who had lost family to Pandemonium.
Their mission was simple: to ensure no one else suffered at Pandemonium’s hands.
In his past life, the Demon Slayer Squad had never hesitated to sacrifice themselves. They laid down their lives to protect fleeing refugees.
Demian had once annihilated these noble and beautiful people with his own hands.
Even then, the Demon Slayer Squad had fought desperately to hold him back, to save even one more retreating soldier.
“No, it should be the other way around.”
Demian’s voice was heavy with suppressed emotion.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll take on those two. You all escape.”
The three of them laughed incredulously. Even in this dire situation, Demian’s words seemed absurd.
“Demian, those two are as strong as the great evils. You can’t handle them alone—”
Demian scratched his head, realizing words wouldn’t convince them.
“Changed my mind. Just take a nap.”
“What?”
Demian vanished, reappearing behind the three and knocking them out with a swift chop to the neck. They collapsed with short cries.
“Huh? What are you doing?”
“Are you betraying us?”
Even Salik and Barche were surprised.
“They wouldn’t listen otherwise.”
Demian stretched his neck and approached the two. They looked at him in disbelief.
“Are you seriously thinking of fighting us?”
“Why not just surrender quietly?”
Then Salik noticed something odd about Demian Haxen.
“Why are you… smiling?”
Standing before them, Demian’s face was lit with a clear smile.
“How could I not be?”
Sla had defiled his sister’s soul in the most horrific way.
The Weapon Master had desecrated his father’s soul, placing it in a decaying beast’s corpse.
They had reveled in their actions, showing them off to Demian, who could do nothing but watch, trapped in his own body.
No one could understand the depth of Demian’s rage and guilt from that time.
“Meeting Sla’s favorite and the Weapon Master’s prized disciple… how could I not be thrilled?”
Even if the Demon Slayer Squad hadn’t intended to sacrifice themselves, Demian had planned to kill these two with his own hands.
Being Sla’s favorite and the Weapon Master’s top disciple meant they were deeply cherished by their masters.
“Killing you two might cause Sla and the Weapon Master some pain.”
The thought filled him with joy. He could barely contain his laughter.
“This guy’s nuts.”
“I really hate being underestimated.”
Salik grasped the air, forming a massive sword with his aura blade.
Barche clenched his fist, and armor sprang from the void, enveloping his body.
In that instant, Demian vanished, reappearing between them.
“What the…?”
“Huh…?”
Demian extended his arms, striking both of them. He unleashed his magic simultaneously.
With a thunderous crash, the two were sent flying into the walls, buried deep by the explosion.
“Seems you still don’t get it.”
Demian murmured quietly.
“Come at me with everything you’ve got. Only then will it be worth crushing you.”