Episode 275: The Demon (1)
“What kind of attitude is that, human?”
The demon tilted its head to one side, staring intently at Damian. Despite having a human face, there was something unnaturally sinister about it.
“Not only do you not fear me, but you dare to ask questions? How insolent. I don’t like it. But I’ll let it slide.”
The demon raised its chin and spread its arms wide, speaking with an air of arrogance.
“It’s been centuries since I last roamed the earth and feasted on humans. Prey that’s lively and fresh is always more delicious than those who lose their minds in fear.”
Hunger and delight danced in the demon’s eyes. Damian couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
“What a funny creature.”
The demon saw Damian as nothing more than a meal, clearly not considering him a threat. This wasn’t Damian’s first encounter with a demon. He had fought one before during a family trip to see the starlit jellyfish, when a dark sorcerer accidentally summoned a demon.
That battle ended in Damian’s victory, but he knew better than to underestimate the demon before him. The previous demon had been a mere projection, unable to wield its full power. This one, however, was possessing a human body, allowing it to manifest more of its true strength.
‘This one’s stronger than the last,’ Damian thought. Both were count-level demons, but this one seemed to be among the stronger of its kind.
“Human, my name is Resorbe. What is yours?”
“Damian Haxen.”
“Damian Haxen, I’ll remember that. When I devour your soul, I’ll recall your name.”
Resorbe’s limbs began to transform, muscles swelling and fingers elongating into sharp claws.
“Ha ha ha!”
With a booming laugh, Resorbe lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant and swinging its claws. Damian blocked the attack with his sword, Dawn, but the force pushed him back.
“Resist, human! Resist more, so I can enjoy this!”
Resorbe pursued Damian, each swing of its claws tearing the ground into five jagged lines, leaving the earth in tatters.
“Ha ha ha!”
The more Resorbe pressed, the louder its laughter grew.
“Human! Why so silent? Are you too scared to speak?”
“Let’s just say that’s the case.”
“Ha ha ha! Trying to hide your fear with bravado?”
The demon seemed to be having the time of its life, while Damian’s eyes remained cold and focused.
“Are you the only demon in this area?”
“Ha ha ha! Of course not! By now, your companions are each facing one of my kind! They’re not as strong as me, but they’re formidable in their own right!”
“Thanks for the information. That’s what I needed to know.”
Suddenly, Damian’s movements changed. Instead of blocking Resorbe’s attacks, he let them slide past, causing the demon’s claws to slam into the ground.
“Ha ha… huh?”
Resorbe’s laughter abruptly stopped, caught off guard.
“Now it’s my turn.”
Damian shifted to the offensive, swinging Dawn at Resorbe’s exposed gaps. The strikes cut into the demon’s body, but its flesh was unnaturally tough, deflecting the aura-bladed sword.
“Human! How dare you!”
Though the attacks didn’t penetrate, Resorbe’s pride was clearly wounded. It roared and lunged at Damian, its beast-like hands aiming to tear him apart. But once again, Damian deftly redirected the attack and struck the same spot as before, slicing through Resorbe’s skin and drawing blood.
“Impossible!”
Resorbe’s face twisted in disbelief, which quickly turned to rage.
“Human! Don’t get cocky!”
An immense energy burst from Resorbe, its muscles bulging and writhing.
“Ha ha ha!”
Resorbe’s speed increased dramatically, creating afterimages that seemed to surround Damian. The battle shifted again, with Resorbe attacking and Damian defending.
“Human! You were amusing, but this is the end…!”
“Second Ring.”
Damian murmured softly, and a resonant sound erupted from his body. In an instant, he vanished, and a flurry of blue slashes enveloped Resorbe.
“Gah?”
The relentless strikes cut into Resorbe, sparks flying with each hit.
“Argh! Aaargh!”
Resorbe flailed its arms wildly, trying to shake Damian off, but its hands grasped nothing. Meanwhile, the blue slashes continued, leaving more wounds on Resorbe’s body.
“Argh!”
Resorbe raised its fists high, channeling a massive energy into them.
“Get off me, you pesky insect!”
With a thunderous crash, Resorbe slammed its fists into the ground, shattering the earth around them. Damian halted his attack and leapt back.
“Impressive strength. Truly demonic.”
Damian remarked, surveying the ruined ground. It sounded like praise, but it was more of a taunt, implying that strength was all the demon had.
“Human! How dare prey like you…!”
Resorbe’s face flushed with anger.
“I was going easy on you, but you just don’t get it!”
“Going easy? Doesn’t look that way to me.”
“Argh! I’ll tear you apart right now!”
Suddenly, a crack appeared beneath Resorbe’s feet. It wasn’t the ground splitting, but space itself tearing open, revealing a kaleidoscope of colors. Resorbe dove into the rift, which closed immediately after.
An observer might think it had fled, but Damian knew better. Demons were arrogant and prideful; they wouldn’t run so easily. Sure enough, he sensed a murderous intent from the side. Resorbe’s hand aimed for Damian’s head, but he blocked it with Dawn.
With a dull thud, Damian was pushed back, but he quickly regained his stance and looked up. In the distance, he saw Resorbe, one arm protruding from a rift in the air.
“Human, you were lucky this time. But the next won’t be so easy.”
Before Resorbe finished speaking, its hand shot out from the ground. Damian leapt to avoid it, only for another hand to emerge from the sky. Hands appeared from all directions, forcing Damian to keep moving to evade them.
‘So it can manipulate space. This is troublesome.’
Few demons could wield such power, making it rare and formidable.
‘I can’t attack like this.’
Resorbe hid within the spatial rift. To strike it, Damian needed to cut through space itself.
“Ha ha ha! Are you finally realizing your predicament?”
Resorbe taunted, confident that Damian couldn’t harm it.
“Still an annoying creature.”
Despite being on the defensive, Damian’s expression remained unchanged. In the past, he would have needed the power of a death knight to cut through space. But now, though not yet at his former peak, he could manage to slice through a spatial rift.
“I’ll make you realize.”
Damian narrowed his detection range, sharpening his senses. As he dodged Resorbe’s attacks, he focused on pinpointing the demon’s strongest presence. Eventually, he found it.
“There.”
Damian swung Dawn, and the blade vanished into the rift. He gripped the sword tightly, slicing the space wide open. As the rift tore apart, Resorbe was revealed, hiding behind it.
“What the…?”
Resorbe shouted in shock, and in that moment, Damian grabbed its collar and yanked it out of the rift. Resorbe was pulled out and slammed into the ground.
“Ugh!”
Despite its tough body, Resorbe wasn’t severely hurt. It quickly pushed off the ground, opening another rift to escape.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Damian lunged forward, kicking Resorbe in the stomach.
“Ugh!”
For the first time, a groan escaped Resorbe’s lips as it was knocked back, unable to dive into the rift.
“You insolent human! How dare you kick me?”
“I didn’t expect you’d have time to be so relaxed.”
The voice came from right in front of him. It was only then that Ressorbe realized Demian had been pursuing him.
Demian swung his sword, Dawn, and a blue flash severed one of Ressorbe’s arms.
“Aaargh!”
Ressorbe screamed, trying to retreat, but Demian wasn’t about to let him go.
With a swift thrust, Demian drove Dawn through Ressorbe’s chest, pinning him to the ground.
“Aaargh! Nooo!”
Ressorbe desperately tried to pull the sword out with his remaining hand. Demian immediately transformed his magical power into divine energy through the power of envy.
The converted divine energy flowed through Dawn into Ressorbe’s body.
“Aaargh!”
Ressorbe’s screams grew even louder.
The divine energy began to burn his flesh from the inside.
“How does it feel to look up at the human you so despised?”
Demian taunted, and Ressorbe ground his teeth in frustration. But resistance was a distant dream.
Demian drove the sword deeper, and Ressorbe’s eyes widened in terror.
“I’ll burn you to ashes right here.”
The amount of divine energy surged, intensifying Ressorbe’s agony.
“No, no!”
For the first time, fear flickered across Ressorbe’s face.
“I can’t go back to hell like this! I refuse to return to that dull place!”
Ressorbe summoned all his strength, and the ground beneath them began to crack open.
“This is…”
If things continued, Demian would be dragged into the rift as well.
The gap wasn’t fully open yet, so he could still escape. But Demian chose not to.
This was a rare chance to finish it once and for all. The risk was worth it.
Demian stood his ground, and soon the rift swallowed both him and Ressorbe.
Inside the rift, everything was chaotic and disorienting.
Demian closed his eyes and waited. Eventually, the unsettling sensations faded.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a half-ruined fortress.
“What the…?”
And there stood a man.
“I did say to bring a man, but… not like this,” the man said, tilting his head in confusion.
Ressorbe turned to the man, panic in his voice. “M-My Lord! That’s not important right now! This human—there’s something strange about him! You must help—”
Suddenly, Ressorbe’s head exploded, splattering blood onto Demian’s face.
The headless body shuddered and then went still.
”…”
Demian didn’t even think to wipe the blood off his face. He just stared at the man in disbelief.
“Surprised I killed him without lifting a finger?” the man chuckled. But that wasn’t why Demian was shocked.
This ominous aura…
He had felt it once before in a past life.
“Bahel.”
A duke-level demon.
The king of hell stood before him.